The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-04-11
Modern Scientific Research and Modern
Doubt

Modern Scientific Research and Modern
Doubt
The relation Of the teachings Of geology
to the first chapters OF Genesis has ex.
cited so much attention in these later
years that the moral truth contained in
this portion of the bible has often been
left in the background. That the earth
was gradually prepared TO be the dwell
ing place of man, and arranged to cor.
respond to the wants of his nature, is a
fact Of Importance, But higher truth
than this enriches the first pages Of the
sacred volume. Thete, at the outset,
stands The great protest against pam
theism aud atheism-the sublime mn
uouhcement sounding like the voice of
the Creator himself: "In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earthl"
Then there is the description Of man, as
exalted above the lower orders of being
through the possession Of living soul
that comes directly from his Maker and
bears his imnge-a denial of the de-
grading theories which, on account Of
resemblance of physical organization,
have sought to identify mind with mat
ter and TO represent the beast as on n
level with the rational creature.
Then follows the momentous fact of
mans fall from holiness-involving, of
course, his freedom and sponsibleness,
tile origin Of sin in the voluntary trans
gression Of law, and that wonderful de-
scription of the phenomena of guilt to
the essential truth of which every heart
responds: And Adam aud his wife hid
themselves from the presence Of the
Lord GJd amongst the trees of the gar
den T." We have here a series of state
uents that warn the conscience,
now as always, not to listen to
the suggestion that sin is an accident or
something involved in the nature of mau,
as the plant is included in the seed, but
ever to look upon sin as mans own
perverse, guilty act, done in disregard
Of the will of God. And then the mys-
terious connection Of physical disorder
and distress with the moral ruin of man
is assertedi and thus the sufferings of
the human race are made consistent with
Gods wisdom and justice.
1t would be easy to show that this
mass of truth-however it may be
clothed in figure and symbol-enters
into all Christian views Of God of man,
his rights, and his duties to his master
and his neighbor, and constitutes to
this day the impregnable doctrine-im-
rregnable because grateful to reason, as
well as verified by scripture-by which
Christianity confronts pantheism and all
the different theories that are really,
though unconsciously, its fruit On the
foundation Of this mass of truth, Chris
tianityi the system Of redemption from
sin aud its consequences, is founded,
Whence. one might ask, did the Israeli
ties get these moral ideas, by the side OF
which the Greek philosophy, the ripest
product Of uninepired wisdom, is so de-
fective? They must have had light
| from above.
But while geology has expanded, the
lesson of Genesis is that the earth was
made for man and was adapted to meet
his wants, the science of astronomy
would appear to have contrary ten
dency. In the room of the old idea that
the armament was spread out and hung
with glittering lights for the sake Of the
earth and man, we are nov taught that
the earth is itself a diminutive star, and
that but a small portion Of the stellar
universe can be discerned by the human
eye. Indeed, the Copernican discovery
has produced a total revolution in our
conceptions of the material creation.
The earth has been driven, as a usurper,
from her throne of glory in the center
of the worlds to q little nook iR the
boundless empire. Yet, as the old He
brews believed, as we know, to whom
the Gospel has come, even better than
| they, God is mindful of man. He does
think of us. He never ceases to care for
u.s. Even the host of stars, whatever
grander Office they fulfill in the universe,
are made at the samo time to be for
signs, and for seasons, and for days, and
for years, and to be lights in the firma-
ment of the heaven to give light upon
the earth. Whatever nobler purposes
they may accomplish, for this use, also,
they were adapted by the Creator,
The intention of the Creator to elevate
and crafty the human mind by spread
ing over us the sunlit and starlit sky is
undeniable One motive, therefore, in
the structure Of the material universe,
was the good Of man. Thus does the
Creator consult our happiness in those
contrivances which are destined to ac-
complish other ends remote from our
comprehension. Out of all the worlds
he has erected aroof over mans destiny.
At the moment when we are awed by
the revelation of his greatness we are
touched by the disclosures Of his conde-
scension. II Professor George P. Fisher.