Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-04-10
UDDER JASPHR AND
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We have noticed with some regret
disposition on tho part Of certain dip
pant Journalists 10 make fun Of Brud-
3ss 1aHYes q 1ichmcnd. Va, who has
sr~~~fAlo- 3nEs, ,irs. y. & Z. .satrr I
ricity Of the earth, and 10 nAisyy a.
the sun, and The solar system gcnernl-
IS. BruederJssiwris coIoredpreach-
OF who is shocked at the skepticism
that ho finds In modern thought and
returns to the holy scriptures and TO
these alone for information a. 70 the
universe. He argues from the Bible,
that the earth is in tho centre, that It
is fat "else the water would spill off,"
and that "tbe sun, moon and stars were
created TO light II, and that they all
rovolve around N."., This Ia doubtless
unsound regarded as physical science
but it must be confessed It does no vio-
ence TO the piain meaning ofthe Bible;
and christians should hardly make
Jest OF man whose fault is too literal
acceptance Of the apparent teachings
of the inspired volume. There was q
time, and that time not very long ago
when the whole world, learned and un-
learned thought as Brudder Jasper
does on this subject, and sustained
themselves by the same reasoning and
faith. So much 30, that when Galileo
and Copernicus advanced the ideas
that are now taught In the school &C.
ographies. they we're persecuted as
atheists. The rotundity and revolu-
tion Of the earth was denounced as
damnable heresy. and the venerable
philosopher was made to kneel down
in his dungeon and recant bis false
doctrine under penalty Of death BY tor.
ture. The Italian philosopher Giorda.
no Bruno, the most vigorous and origi.
nal thinker Of his century, and the
man that tho ago could least afford to
lose, refused 10 recant the "damnable
hcrcsy" that the earth was round and
was burnt al the stake in the year 1000
Those who burnt him used precisely
the same arguments almost the same
words that Brudder Jasper uses now.
Catholic and protestant, Lutheran and
Calvinist, pope, bishop, cardinal, lay.
man, preacher and preached to, oil
were agreed on this one subject, and
all agreed with what Brndder Jasper
teaches now.
However the new ideas made their
way in spite of persecution. At last
sailed all around the earth,
and so at last its sphericity had to be
acknowledged. Christians found how.
ever that they could 10 on believing
their Bibles and still believe that the
earth was round. SO all the passages
in the scriptures that seemed TO teach
that the earth was fiat, were explained
away. Men began even then to sus.
pect that the Bible was intended 10
teach spiritual and moral truth only
and not physical science yet tho les.
son was rot fully laid TO heart.
so when thr geologists about fifty
years ago began to teach tho vast an
tiquity Of the earth, the W hole question
had TO bc fought over again. 1t was
considered as attacking Bible chrono-
logy, and the clergy fought as hard for
an earth six thousand years old, and
for the six days of creation as they had
fought tho revolution Of the EARTH
Geologists were denounced as scofers
intidels and atheists: yet now all this
has passed away except as TO remote
rural districts Christians find that
they can believe their Bibles with un-
shaken faith and still believe that the
earth IS millions Of years old. One
would have thought that this second
lesson was enough but II seems not.
For even now many theologisns arc
on biblical grounds the theo-
ry of evolution and development. Oar.
win is denounced as an atheist just as
Calico, and Giordano Bruno, were do.
nounced in former ages There are
still clergymen with more zeal than
knowledge, who assume that their own
OF the holy scriptures is
inspired, and who denonnce all as un-
believers who differ with them. This
10 P.os;seiy tLs .a;s.~i.. -rhiah Read
der Jasper is now making; and those
who think little on the subject will
find that ebon thinker Is 10 very good
Baltimore Gasdte.