Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-03-27
SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE
Lecture to Young Men by Rev W. x.
MARSHALL, D D., illustrating tho Per-
fs., HARMONY between the Two.

Ma,sbau. d D., Illustrating tho Per-
fee. Harmony between the Two
The following Is q synopsis of the lecture
delivered to young men last night, at the
jackson street Methodist church, by Rev. W.
K. Marshall, D. D.
The Bible and nature are both from God, |
There is therefore no conflict between them.
While the bible does not profess to teach sci |
snce, vet correct Interpretation of the holy |
scriptures aud true science will show that |
they touch each otherat var US points. Science |
means knowledge, as applied to investigation |
La the field of nature, it means experimental
or demonstrated knowledge and knowledge |
from Induction. By the bible / mean the |
facts and doctrines taught IN scripture inter'
preed according to the best light we have
Nv theme is too broad to admit OF anything |
like an exhaustive treatment. can only |
ylIncs at few leading facts that go TO show
the harmony Of science and the bible.
F,rst-The bible and moral science harmon |
ize. The PHILOSOPHERS of all schools entitled
to any respect teach the existeree OF con-
sciepce or moral sense In men and incuic''e
the observance of pure.morslity 30 ooes
ths bible. The Decalogueand the Sermon on
the Mount are the basis of morality and civil
jurisprudence in all civilized countries Japan
has recently adopted tn. bible as the text book
OF q moral philosophy in her schools.
second-Scien teaches that all things pro-
ceed from o self-exstenf, eternal, intelligent
cause, and, there ore, had beginning The
eternity of matter has not respectable advo-
cafe IN The scientific world. That matter Ia
self creative is an absurdiiy at once rtJected ny
common sense Said Sir John Herschel,
"Matter presents the es entail characteristics
at onca OF manufactured article and SUB
ordinate agent " ''This," Gays Prof Wax.
well, "prec'udes the IDEA of its being eternal
and seli-eGistent. 1t must have been Created
Such is the testimony of all cspectabie &C en-
fists. With this the bible harmonizes. lis
first declaration Is, tin the beginning God
created (lhe substance or matter OF the beav-
ems and thu earth. And the earth was without
form and void, and darkness was upon the
face of the deep" "Thus the heavens and
the earth were finished, and all the host Of
them. And God blessed the seventh day and
B.nciifi,d It; because THAT In 1t he had rested
from all his work which God created and
made 4" The word baTa (creatrd) means origi
patton dc ft0uo. After the creation al The sub
stance or III ,tter il was "made" or arrayec in
the form Of the ''heavens aud the earth, and
all the hosts OF Ihem." Thus the physical
universe had beginning and will have an end
So Paul declares: ''The thing which are Seen
are tenn oral, hut the things which are Dot
seen are eternal"
Third Science teaches that the primary
condition of matter was nehulous, that II
formed into globes, that these cooled on the
outside forming crust, that the sun Is the
cen'er of thr SOAR system, that countless ages
tranrpired before the earth produced vegeta-
ton or was At for the babitstion of man, etc.
While the Bible does not peak dogmatic lily
Or 10 modern scientific terms on these points,
1t Ia not IN conflict with any of them 1ndatd,
It is capable Of an Interpretation that estab
fishes perfect harmony b tween IT and sll
the reliable demnnsIratons If srence. Ii the
beginning" God created h IN stance OF the
heavens aud the earth. The first appearance
Of the substance" according 10 science was
nebu Gus. TIE Bible says nothing on this
point because evil emily 1t was matter Of no
importance to the mind of the writer, and
The earth was without firm an rofd." Th.s
wo'ds, rays DR.. Clark convey the idea of
"confusion and disorder" Aud darkness
was upon the lace of the deep for days Mil.
lions of ages may have elapsed between the
"teginni e" and the first "day." Time
enough FIR the preparation of the earth for
the production Of veaetatiop. II 1t be OBJ
iected th,t day OF twenty.four hours DOES
not meet the requremements OF science as
CLEANED from Geology, [ answer that the
word day" Tie rev yont) does not here sig
nifty period OF twenty.fonr hours. II first
occurs IN Genesis, 1 to 8, 'And God called
he called Night" It 10 here u.ed
TO mark phenomenon not It's
duration. Then the term is used to indicate a
period or cycfe of time without reference TO it,
length. Hence we read, "Your father Abra-
ham desired to see my day" The day" of
the s'sun of man." 81 must wo,k the works
of him that sent me while 1t is called day"
IF thou hadst known in this thy day" He
shall rise again In the resurrectiOn at the last
dag." "The day of salvation y "The day Of
Judgment" In the light of the proper mean.
ing of the word yom fday) IN Genesis 1t can
only mean an Indefinite period of time. Nor
10 this Interpretation new or forced upon US
by The Developments of modern science. This
Interpretation was Ia use long before geology
was known, and was taught by Jewish doctors
and Christian fathers for fifteen hundred years.
1t was held by Augustine, Origen, Basil
Irepgus and Gregory. In modern times we
flud Clmet, Burnet, Stillina1 -et, Henry More,
Lord Bacon, Poole and many Others holding
the same view. So far therefore there Is per.
feet harmony between the Bible and Geology.
Genesis Can supply geology with as many
million OF ages as she may need for the build
Ing of the rocks.
Fonrth-Science teaches the unity Of the
physic, universe. The celestial bodies have
two mo'ions, orbittl and axial. Consider the
number of these bodies and the rapidly Of
their movements. TIE telescope dis.
closes the existence Of 77,000,000 suns,
each the center doubtless of system of
worlds, everyone Oh WHICH acknowledges
obedience to the same law of motion
Light flies $4,000 miles q seconc.
The light from the most distant star
seen through the great telescope OF
of Herschrl had left its source 8 900 years be-
fore. Eminent authorities entertained the be
lief, says DR.. Winehell, that ght from some of
the distant nebula must have occupied 70O,-
900 years in eaching the earth. The spectre
Scoop, the most wonderful invention OF modern
times, has hem made to ieve,l snnle eecrei s
hitherto unknown, by which it appears that
all these innumerahle worlds whlrlng on
their axes. and sweeping thruu h space are
comp .sed OF substantially the same element
thus proving their con;moa parentage and
nature. Here We see the unity of Che snire
h,slcal universe a. far s it has been tx
plored aud aualyzei by telescope and spectre
scop..
The B biz teaches that ''one God created the
heaven. aud the earth and all the host Of them. +"
that ''the hravens declare his glory and The
armament showeth b handiwork," that ''H'.
i everyw here present and upholds all things"
If ascend mp into heaven, rhou art there. If
I make my be in hell, behold thou ART there.
If take The wings Of the morning and dwell
in The utrrmo.t parts of th- SEA, rven there
OF all thy hand J. ad me and the right hand
Shall hold me.'' Rad the LORDS answer To