The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-13
RELIGION AND SCIENCE.
An extraordinary PampIlIcI.

Mr.. Samuel Hall oil the city oil lIanll-
ton, Ontario, Canada, is the latest gludia'
tor who has bounded into the arena to do
battle in the conflict between religion and
science. He has published his opinions
in q traCtate Of sixty pages, and an.
nounces that he will hold public discus.
sion with any one who may differ from
him. His essay Is entitled "ScenCe and
Theology" and he triumphantly contutGs
the pretensions Of the former. lie relies
entirely upon the Bible for his facts, rs
being an infallible authority, and from
them he constructs various scientific theO.
ries, which, however logically dependent
they may be upon the premises assumed,
differ somewhat from those generally re-
ceived. lie does not think much Of the
nebular hypothesis Of the formation Of the
earth. lie says;
We find from the surface to the great.
est depths that the material Of the earth
Is in layers, and the evidence Is clear that
the material Of which il was built was in
a soft, melted state, having the appear.
anCe Of being in that state by heat, and
that each layer must have had space Of
time to cool or harden before the next
layer was laid, OF the material woul not
he in layers. These layers reiute the theory
Of those who suppose that the world was
all on fire and Is cooling down. II the
earth was at any time all on fire, the fire
would not have left us any coal, or oil, or
limestone, for everything that would burn
would have been reduced to ashes; and
all that would not burn would he some
pure, heavy metal that would settle
down where il never would he found by
man; and there would be nothing but
ashes for many miles deep Hear Gods
own words to job: ale laid the corner.
stone thereof, and his sons shouted for
joy.' Such host Of skilled workers,
with all the machinery Of heaven to work
with, 1t would not be much for Gods in.
Vulnerable host, with the knowledge and
power Of God in them to make world in
six common days, by pouring down the
material out Of millions Of furnaces.
Some furnaces for gold; others for cop.
per, iron, lead, etc. Then the beautiful
variegated marble and granite, which
conld not be made by drift, M supposed
By pretended philosophers.
Mr.. Hall thinks the modern notion Of
the roundness Of the earth il an intidel
belief. lie says:
God said to Job blast thou perceived
the breadth Of the earthY Breadth Or
width is not used in speaking Of round
bodies, but Of fiat things. cannot prove
exactly the shape Of the earth, but can
prove that the earth cannot be shape that
our moderns suppose II to be. The earth
may be rounding somewhat, but the water
Is not.
The latter conclusion he deduces from
the undeniable fact that you cannot make
water stay in round heap or body. The
common illustration Of ship at sea Is
valueless. The reason that the hull sinks
from sight is that the water vnpOr in the
air seer in bulk is Opaque and hides the
hull. Sailing round the world Is sailing
east or west through seas or straits until
the ship arrives where 1t sailed from
Just a. a man that had house on the side
Of a hill and went out Of the west door
and went round the hill until he came in
AT the east door" The motions Of the
earth occasion Mr. Hill no difficulty. |
"The earth sits in atmosphere, and would |
not move only for the sun, which mOves
round II, causing the water to arise off
the earth az it passes round, removing
the water from the sunny side, and Caus-
Ing the dew to fall On the dark side, thus
removing the earth's ballast: II keeps tip. |
ping over from the sunny side, which IL
the lightest side at the time that the sun
il shining on ii. II wabbles from side TO |
side as the sun passes around. This
causes the tides"
Mr.. Hall does not believe the absurd
theories about the centre Of the earth
being in an gneous condition, because u
FIRE cant burn without air or supply Of
fuel. There are local fires caused by the
lightning penetrating cavities, setting lire
TO coal.oil, or inllammable gases causing
volcanic eruptions. The earth IL really
hollow, and filled with gas ns n balloon.
Otherwise il could not float in the air on
nothing az IL does. The theory about The
attraction Of the earth was gotten up by
the inhdels, who believed that otherwise
the motion Of the earth in going round
would throw all loose articles of, and the
mountains would act ma fans to keep the
snow and rain from falling on the earth.
But iiit was true that the earth was round
and held things to IL by attraction, when
on the underside, the masts Of ships and
chufch.steeples would he pointing down
into the empty space below. Such foolish
notions, he thinks, were gotten up by
linen who did not like the Bible because
il feproved their acts, and they wished
10 show that tho Bible writer's were ig.
norant Of true science. think II the
earth was magnet, We would walk like
those old horses that have the spring-halt.
When their foot comes up, II comes with
jerk"
By means Of Bible texts and modes Of
reasoning, oil which the above furnishes n
sample, the writer proves that the moon
IL an enormous diamond; that the sun il
one continual explosion Of gas by fire.
The greater portion Of the boo. Ia given
mn 10 the Establishment Of purely thco-
logical propositions. Ili' object ingoing
into scientific matters he gives "a follows
1.-THE Bible contains more knowledge
than all other books together, and al The