Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-05-10


fragments. If We think they are infal-
hbly inspired utteranees, the very word
Of God, We shall try to believe what
they plainly teach If We receive them
as simply the best thought Of the early
times. an honest. though crude attempt
to solve the mysteries Of life. We shall
compare them with cur present knowl-
edge. and value their teachings accord
ingly as they conform to modern ideas.
And however great their antiquity, We
can hardly be justified in accepting their
statements as true if they contradict
well known facts of nature and life.
And apprehend that technology presents
a mass Of facts concerning the origin
and primal condition Of man. which is
very hard to harmonic with the idea Of
Adams fall. however strong the scrip
ture testimony may seem to be in Its IA
vor.
But accepting, for the present. the
strietest theory Of the plenary inspira-
ton Of every word Of the Old Testament,
does the story in Genesis teach the doe
trine when the sacri6eIaI Theology bases
upon 1t? Does it affirm any such con-
sequences Of that act Of disobedienee Is
are commonly reported to flow there
from ?
The story runs thus: God placed
man, at his creation. in . beautiful gar
den, giving him PERMISSION to eat Of the
fruit Of every tree therein save the fruit
Of the tree Of the knowledge Of good and
evil. and, as We subsequently, learn. Of
the tree Of life. In the garden there
was cunning serpent who teupts the
woman to eat Of the forbidden fruit, as
suring her that God would not infiet the
threatened penalty Of death for disobe-
dlence- The woman eats, gives the man
and he eats. Through their eating they
acquire, as the serpent foretold, knowl-
edge In the cool of the day, God walk
ing in the garden, discovers through the
knowledge which they evinee. their
transgression- For punishment. instead
Of the threatened death. God lays upon
them the penalty Of labor. upon woman
burden Of pain curses the innocent
ground. causes the serpent to crawl in
the dust. aud puts enmity between il
and the human race Afterward, les;
man shoaId eat of the tree Of life and
become immortal, God drives him out oI
the garden and places eherubims witt
flaming swords to guard the way thereto
Such Is the story. and you viii Oh.
serve. even taken IN the most Htera
sense, regarding It as perfectly inspired
It does not teach the ideas Of the saerif
cal theology There Is not an intima
ton that the serpent Is an incarnat,
prince Of evil. not word about infnIt,
SIN, total depraEity, or eternal punish
ment As the result of transgressiou 10
4 word Of the races being represented b,
Adam. Of his being It's federal head, anc
bringing ruin upon 1t by disobedienee
The adventure IS not represented in til
light Of 4 fall. but As an experience
through which man acquired somethin,
before unpossessed, acquired knoWledg
and moral sense, and thus actually ros
IN the scale Of being rose 50 much tia
he became as God, knowing good fron
evil; 20 much that God dared trust hin
10 longer near the tree Of life, lest b,
the use Of his new-found wisdom b
should make himself immortal By I'll
very terms Of It's relation Adams fall i
forward instead Of backward move
ment, the seizing Of before unpossess
ed good an advance which God forcibI,
checks to prevent nan from joining tn
company Of the immortaIs-
Another thing IS worth noting Tb
serpent's promise was fulfilled Will
Gods threat was not The serpent prom
ised knowledge as the result Of eating
and declared that they should not sure
/ Iy die On the day IN which they ate Hi
words proved correct In the eoneIuziol
nothing Is said about dying, bat GO
decrses labor as mans panishment, pai
and sorr0w a. Eoman's inheritance
Does any say the death referred 70 va
a spiritual death ? Where Is the proof
There Is 10 hint Of any such idea IN th
narrative This Interpretation, whicI
has 10 shadow Of support, has been forc
ed upon the story TO furnish q crutc
for lame theology. If you tell ehII
y0u viii whip him Il be IS disobedieui
DO you keep your word By saying Whe
the forbidden deed is done, that II
threatened whipping Il the remorse Z
his troubled conscience The chTI
knows yOu Do Bot
Besides 50 far from spiritual death b
ing the result Of t1e transaction, Il
narrative represents just the eoaErzxy
By eating the fruit Adam gained knozl
eigs Of good aad evil; Erst knew righ
fron wrsag; frst had e0nscience awaz
enea- and thus assually , entered the gzs<
way Of spiritual IIfs-
50 stands the story. tzkea Htezuy .
record Of fact It represents God a
rTvTng q eouxux4r1 ard sf~zzsa--n.-