The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-01-04

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and LIGHT
unto my patb.-Psa. 1l9, los.
The first quotation speaks of Gods reyela-
ton Of himself through the works OF nature .
the second, OF Gods revelation OF himself
through His written Word.
II Is urged that IN essential particulars these
two revelations do not agree that the crowbar
OF the Geologist and the telescope Of the As.
tronomer brand as false many important dec
larations OF Scripture. To inquire into these
alleged contradictions between Science and the
Bible is the purpose of this sermon.
Fire., then, we remark that thus far in the
worlds history nearly every important truth in
science Ia ts strivings for public recognition
hasSmet the opposition OF the religious world.
j. The church fought THE DOCTRINE OF The
EAErH's RoTUNDIrY. rheologians arose from
the study OF their Bibles and said that the earth
was fat From such Scripture as the following
they deduced their theory of the earth's form
Praise Him sc heavens Of heavens and We
wasere that be above the heavens" 1.-The
same day were all the fountains of the great
deep broken up aud the windows OF heaven
were opened" These passages are, OF course.
purely poetica but theologians, trailing all
this beautiful imagery in the dust, hteraized
them. They thus found the earth to be vast
box OF two apartments In the lower section
The human family dwelt; III the upper portion
God and the angels lived The angels found
employment IN pulling and pushing the sun and
stars hiher and thither to light the earth. To
them was also entrusted the work OF opening
lint I.
they opened the windows" the rains descend
90, when they closed them the rains ceased
ut. Augustine conceded the possibility of the
earth's rotundity out regarded as absurd the
idea that men resided on the other side OF it,
assigning az the reason Tor this view that
scripture speaks Of no such descendants OF
ADAM Thus the Bible was pitted agains.
this discovery
3 The church arose IN battle array against
the idea that THE EARTH IEvoLvEs AROUND THE
SUN. In 1915 Galileo is tried by the Roman
Inquisitiop. He is charged with teaching that
the earth moves The tribunal before whom
he appears brings in the following decision -
The first proposition that the sun is the
centre and does not reyolve about the earth. is
foolish, absurd. false in theology and beretcal.
because expressly contrary to Holy Scripture"
Thus the Bible is made TO hurl its anathema
against this discovery.
3. When the telescope found other planets
than those 81 our own solar system il provoked
an attack from the religious world 1t was
said that there could be only seven planets be-
cause OF the seven golden c1nde-sticks OF Rev
Citations and the seven churches OF Asia. These
- candle-stlcbs' and " churches" were said 10
DC types Of the seven planets.
4. The church opposed the study OF anatomy
and medicine. St. Augustine says OF medical
men: With 4 cruel zeal TO- science they have
clissected The bodies OF the dead and have in
humanity pred into the secrets Of the human
body to learn the nature Of the disease and it's
exact seat and how It might be cured" About
the year 1850 Pope Boniiace VIII denounced
dissection as sacreligious and issued formal
edict against It. In 1922 Rev. Edward Massey.
81 England, preached sermon ou q The Dan
oerous and Sinful practice OF incubation" Ia
the religious literature of that day we find
physicians referred TO as connected with soroar,
aud I'm eaguo with the devil" In some local
tiles when doctors are making out their bills.
they seem to be in league with the devil now
>. st one time in Scotland the farmer who
used fanning-mill was excom munlcated from
the Scotch cbuich. This is the text that.for-
babe its use: 1.-THE wind bloweth where it
isteih ana thou nearest the sound thereof but
csn-t not Tell whence il cometh and whittier il
goath" TIE Scriptures say that the wind blows
as it pleases, but the fanning-mi compelled
the wind to blow in one direction.
u Turning from the survey of sthe past let
Is consider some OF the present features OF
supposed collision between Science and the
Bible
l. 1t is alleged that Science and the Bible do
not agree regarding THE AGE OF OUR EARTH
We have interpreted the Bible to teach that
the earth s about six thousand years DID, but
geology IS supposed to affirm that millions OF
years have rolled around since our planet came
into existence In 1871 Sir Charles l.yell WIS.,
tied Niagara Falls for the purpose OF geological
research. tie found that the water in its de-
scent wore away one foot OF the rock per year
The Falls are supposed to have started near
Queenstown, seven miles distant. II this sup
position 3 correct, the falls have been there
thrty.siZ thousand years. In 1854 in dredging
Lake Zurich. Switzerland, the remains of a
number OF human habitations were found many
feet beneath the bed Of the lake. Similar work
in ihat region brought to light two hundred
dlstlnc, -estlements OF these lake inhabitants.
These remains were covered with a kind of
peat that is supposed to baye been OF very slow
formation. TLis is but a mere bint of the kind
Of argument that seems TO call for greater
antiquity OF our Garth than six thousand years.
But supposing this statement Of Geology to be
beyond question, it would not conflict with
Bible teaching. The Scripture says that " In
the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth bu. il no where saws aohep that begin
ning' wa Mans Interpretation, and not the
B'ble, has set the year, and almost the day and
hour wheu our earth was ushered INFO exist
ence.
3 II is sad that there Is conflict between
scicncs and the Bible concerning TIE MANNER
or the HAnrH's CREATION. We have snpposed
that God made The world at once out OF nothing