, 1875-12-04
Religion md Astronomy...Conaicts Da.
tween Science and tho Bible
Record.
Ifor the Latter HIS 1ccn Interpreted to
Coincide NTH The Forwcr.--
Difficulties Yet Kc-
lHa:Ning.
Harsh Features Of Mosaic Laws, and Their
Likeness TO Supcrstitious Oh
EelV1nccs.
Tho Valuo of q Belief in Univeroa
Law.

IusdnSt sof. .3s-fgCl1l luz lltlo u lib lcCI.
TITO, the audience convened to hear Prof. rroc-
tor expcctedn moro csten,lo;i ioYiew OF The COLI
(tict bstweon science aud religion than ho lad
hitherto provided, aud they wera not 1isappofnt-
cd. The historical portion Of thin rovoS brought
forward claso OF fao.s with which mos. Of his
audience wore, however, fani|iar. Lt.lo inthis
"aa startling, eScnpt tho prophecy that slleoto-
gIans might some tlay be found not only reconcil-
ing Genesis with Dnrwintan theories, hut show
ing that tho biological discoveries Of the present
day are fresh evidences Of the inspiration os tho
Scriptures. Tho lattor part OF tho lecture was
moro remarkable. The arguments desisucd to
shox that Mosaic lass and obsurYancos o.ieiaa-
tod IN Astrological auporslitous soryad to utilize
somc Of tho Information Oil Tho latter subject
conveyed in his previous lecture His thoors an
to certain Old Testament n.iracloa that Involved
tho molten or revolution Of tho EARTH aud l,a
novera criticism upon sonlo Of the Practices
Taught by Mosos, grated upon tho cazs Of many
hoarerJ.
THE LECTURE.
Astronomy holds somewhat exceptional no.
eition in relation to ruliSton, On tho ono baud,
1t is held to be Tho acienco which Of nil otheta
most directly loat1a tho mind from Naturo I'M
10 Eaturo's Goti." .rho unle7ont nstro1,-
o.nor." says Ioung, " is mad," aud hs. proceeds
to toll ns Why tho study Of astronomy should
make men deyput.
True. Al! things speak Of God. bnt In tho small
aleil seek ont Hin, IN great ile sc|Ecs man.
Az tho researches OF tho astronomer rapga
over oil the portion Of tie universe into winch
ovon tho mGhttest telescope cau ponotfaie,
while his thoughts paas beyond that portion to
nfinitv OF SPACE itaef, he 0f all men should bq
most nightly influenced by hiu conceptions Of
tho Besng in whom mad through whom all things
- live, move, and hnyo their boing." Bat, OH
tho either hand tetweon astronomy and dog
mnsic religion thers las been s !ons-ssan1ag
f"llh.- astronomy. first Of nit tho Bc.oncts,
introduced doubss respecting tho moaning
a. i"hst. II not tho truth. Of porttona OF
tho niblo record. Thobo doubts wero not met
BY reasoning OF o1pohtutation, but by resort
to forto and cruelty. Gat.teo was tortured
for opposing the doctrine OF central oartls
0iozdano bruno. yentuang further to a.asrt that
otlter worlds besides sarth exis: was for that
aud siniilas he.oates burned at Tho stake. Tho
contest over those first doubts uas decided, not
quickly, indeed. hut conc1uBi iyely in fArur OF
acicnce, aud for rnoIe tlAn n<Eentu1y no weli-in-
formed man, whether tl1eo01iat, or !aymau. has
ilsstcd uuoi. tho literal Interpretation OF those
pasa1Ees of Scripture which seem to imply that
tho Garth is tho central and most I'M ostant body
N the u'''Terse hut saon attor securing thu
first stlcccse, scieuco raised now nntl more
troublesome lset,ca. Again astronomy was tue
oncnding science. Hessclsei. searching through
the atar-dept'!s, lad found vast tracts Of ncbu-
fouH light and lad been led to ounnecs theso re-
Elons Of luminous mis; with tho Nxou starn
hy eolios OF links suggesting PROCESS
Of gradual cvolnslon fEoul dilFusod nehu}osity
though Irregular ncbuIlc. planetary ncbuln, and
ncbulous aserb, till the sar-or sun itself Tor elsa
= Eclloue Of auns) wA. formed. Laplace. Study
Ing tho mofomonts Of tho snlar System, and dis
tinGu'st!Ing between tho characterlstIcs which
arc orphaned by tho lazy of gray!tation aul those
loft unaccotlntad for, found cloarcst evidence
that the solar syssem must hare reached its prcs-
ent condition By = process OF evolution, and,
though ho ad.nittod that the nature Of tho pro-
cess might be doubtful, he unhoBisalingly air.
serted that Hon,e process OF development there
must have lceu, uuloss all the Laws OF propabll-
lty have to bo abandoned and an upsc,onttEo
method ia to bo adopted in dealing With this CD
sontiaily scientific question.
Ihla attack, III 1t waa considered, on tho Htb1o
narrative, though uerceiy opposed by tho few
among shcoortans who understood Its bignlA-
cameo, caused by no tEcanh 40 widespread au ex-
ototncnt - the t'rat astomps to Introduce tho
system OF Copernicua. 1t MAS not till geology
began to presont tho oyidonco Of tho oar.ll'a
crust, indicating history far other than tic HI
bic account, 90 heretofore understood, that thco.
loRians beeatn to ba again notably disquletcd.
thereunon ensusd. Tic doubts raised by geola-
Sista woso at first dcrldod. Then aa tha weight
OF evidence gisen by naieon ontougista microscope
ists, chemiets, and others (EfaluAlly alao by
biolo4!sts), began TO be felt tno amszinx theory
waB adrnncsd that all tho features Of the oa,th'a
crust were created in tho bcginnIng. AB they now
o1ist, purposely to do!ndo iuqulsat1yo aud uubo-
liesiug taeu; In point Of facts to give Sata.,
fair ehanco IN lsis eamo for human suuia
with their Creator. Thin hypothesis gAya
way, howoyer, III uot reotlng tic y.ows oven Of
shose-tho very ignorant--fur Nhono ileuctis il
had been Invented. 1t Was discovered quickly
that tho Bible account was right ntser all, but
had simply been misunderstood till noy, Nav
II WAS found TINT tho poetical sHotch Of creation
ih The beginning Of tho Hook Of ticneBs accor1ls
10 remarkably with these modern scion.
tadc discoveries that now ovldonco IN thus sup
nlIod i'll prncS Of tho inspiration Of HOSES, at
that time supposed to bo tho writer ol tho Pen-
tataucb. 1llA explanation of the meaning Ut
tho Dlbio account Of creation 10 still IN Yosuo
among theologlapa, sumo OF whom conHidns that
tho matter Ia reduced by this explanation 10 tie
vi otc tho Book ot 0eussis) Has inspired 10 wtits
as he did, or e1aa hs muBt bare been perfect
master OF scionco as NOW taught and the Latter
alternative no leaa than tho former tmplsos that
hc received miraculous assistance.
You will remember, thcroforo, that 1t now
proceed to show how lnadc4uhtcly tho account ot
creation IN Gonosjs, formerly ulIlerutood, ac.
cords Wi1 received scteut1llo laeAs. liesd by no
1nes1a be regarded ~ onpoane tue Mble record.
On tho contrary. according 10 tbs received theo-
logical interpretation, an lcad,ux you up to
tho fact that scieucd has III tss Mattnt proyol
herself lAe hsolala,dcn Of religion by t!naing
out fer w the truo mcautug ct part Of tho Diblo
(ony somehow it 10 chnuces that tlcooglana
arc not 80 grateful TO Bciaaca for this service al
ono might hsrs oxpscsod). The Bbo account
shen. % tilua mtainterprotett {fora a rather long
psfiod) bcKins by stating that III tho beginning
uoI mnde tho earth aud tho sky, tho earth for.n-
itas, tho Ekv tialk. Then light appeared andnndor
She us.Moo Of Day waB separated from tue darkness
called Night. An tic sun hn:l not yet been
mado, this light waH not sunlight, nor were day
md night caused by ttao rotation Of tie earth.
lndesd, tho account (a!wAye A. m,stnterprstel}
gave the idea OF : 'las. circular esrth. not of
rotating gsohc. It may be the light was aurutai