The New York herald., 1874-09-23
DEATH, PHYSICAL AND MORAL.
Science and Scripture.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
In your issue OF Sunday last, in your able edi-
torial on Science or Scripture" you say
The issue Is not made between science and the
various church systems or the varied lnterprea-
uons put upon the scriptures. II Is made directly
against the Scriptures themselves. therefore we
are thus confronted with the startiing aterna-
uVe-Scripture or Science, winch
Very true; and Just here is the error committed
on the part OF science. You also say, and no
doubt with equal truth-.'We have had the pain OF
reading attacks upon their recent theories which
were evidently made by persons not quanded
either by scientific or theological information to
deal with the subject at alLn But am somewhat
surprised that you should narrow down the differ
ence between the scientists and theologians
'"here iuly agree with you there ought
TO be no adherence at ain to the point
''The truth Is, there is no reconciliation
between the Mosaic record and the hypothesis OF
modern geology large number OF theological
students are or the opinion that no difference
whatever exists between real science and
theology per Sc, They are OF the opinion that all
the "facts" eliminated oy science are conGrmatory
OF their theological ideas. What is the Mosaic
record to which you specially refer The insou-
BILE difference between the two? The record is q
pure alegory, an allegorical account OF the begin
ming. This beginning" was supposed by all the
theologians OF the old school be truly dated by
Moses (tnrough inspiration, OF coursel AT exactly
4,004-iour thousand and four years before
the birth OF Chrlst-and IN the old copies OF the
Bible you viii ind those figures III the margin
OF the very first verse OF Genesis. But. as SAID
before. the whole account Is alIegorical Web
Ster ys:-"Allegory-A description OF one thlng
under the image OF another; fguratlve discourse
IN which the principal subject Is described by
another subject resembling IL IN its properties ana
circumstances" The principal subject thus kept
out OF view, and we are lett 10 collect the nten-
ons OF hs . writer y ne o hs, tne se
tneologians. in the hgnt OF geology, now conclude
that the 4oo4 Is an improper prefix and, as before
observed. many theologans regard the whole ac-
count as aiegorical. lhus, dlvest ourselves OF the
idea, as In the allegory, o. an actual tree; OF the
"fruit OF the tree which Is in the midst OF the gar
dem" OF the serpent 'salth unto the woman"
&C., &C. and entertain the matter as 1t really Is
as an aegory-and we immediately begin to un-
ravel the metaphor and witness the elucidaton of
the great boon of a free VIII which conferred
on man and the knowledge impaired to him OF
Some OF these ''persons not qualified by
theological Information TO deal with the sub
ject at alln have led you into error in the con-
struction OF the passage from Paul, that '.sin en-
tered into the world, and death by SIM" from
doctrinates the view that physical death was not
In the world until man committed an act Of dis
obedience, thus conflicting with science IN its
views "of a reign OF death, as the geoogist tells
US, took place in the pre-human eras."
Tne death there spoken OF oy Paul & was not
tion, weighing scripture with Scripture. 1t Will be
admitted that there are at least two definitions
given IN scripture as applicable to death-the one
moral death. or that generalization which beials
the commission Of sin, and whcA would denomi-
nate "the wages OF SIM from. VI, 23) and that
physical death, the separation OF the spirit
from the body at the termination OF our present
state OF earthly existence.
In Genesis, where, in the allegory before referred
TO, 1t Is written, "And the Lord commanded tne
man, saying, OF every tree OF the garden thou
mayest freely eat, but OF the tree OF knowledge OF
good and evll thou shalt not eat, for In the day
thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dic."-Gen.
XII, 10, H. Man suffered moral death and was
ashamed for SHINING. That lie did not suffer
physical death the day that he eat OF the tree OF
knowledge OF good and evil Is apparent to all, for
he renamed on the earth a living soul many years
thereafter. Physical death was inherent IN man
from the creation until now, for the best and
wisest purposes as can be clearly shown.
". q. II. W.