The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-03
Noses and Job Taught No False Sys-
TENS Of Astronomy and
Geology.
Nothing Has Appeared to Weaken
the claim That the Book
Is Inspired.
DIR. q. q. swallow, Of Helena, Contributor
Some OF the Results of Fifty
Years of study.

HI INDEPENDENT, / have shown there are
nine geological facts stated in the frat
chapter of Genesis. all in the proper scien-
tihc order; and that not one of these nine
facts was known to be true until the pres
ent century. Now by the mathematical
law of chances. the chances are about as
BO0.OO0 to one that Moses would have made
BONE mistake In stating nine unknown
events in their proper order, without
making some mistake in matter of fact or
IN the order of succession. This IL a state
ment which can be made of no other an
Gent and uninspired book ON scientific
facts. Now the best authorities show that
Genesis was written more than 5000 years
ago. or nearly 5000 years before the scien-
tifc facts stated in the frst chapter were
known TO be true. But some critics say
Genesis was not written so long ago. but
the proof is incontestible that Genesis, al
most, il not exactly, in its present form. was
written more than 1000 years ago. About
280 years before Christ the Septuagint. or
Greek, version was made by the seventy
learned men at Alexandria. There is not
now, and there never has been, and there
never can be, any question that Genesis,
job. Psalms and Isaiah, and even all the
old Bible was in form almost identical
with its present text, when the SeptuaRint
edition was made and given to the
world. And for my present purposes,
q book 1000 years old will answer as we'll
as ono 5000, to prove IL inspired. There 10,
however, no question from respectable
sources that the Old Testament scriptures
were essentially in their present form more
than 1000 years ago. before the ssptuaRint,
the Samaritan and Syriac versions were
made.
How then is it possible that all the var
ious writer's of these scriptures from Moses
to Malachi made so many hundred allus-
ions to scientific matters and made no mis-
takes, when the writings of ancient autho rs
are noted for such mistakes? How docs it
happen that Moses and Job and David
taught NO false systems of astronomy and
geology, when such colleges as Yale and
Cambridge have within 100 years taught
the Ptolemaio system OF astronomy and the
Huttonian system of geology?
1t would be very difficult for any Hebrew
scholar to rewrite the first chapter of Gene
sis in the Hebrew idiom, Moses used, and
make it conform moro exactly with the
teachings of modern geology. The authors
of the Alexandrian and King James versions
in their ignorance Of geology, made versions
lhl iCpb tAAo iAhubio W LIE ptcobDh UthSu-
ings of geology, than is the original Hebrew
of Moses. Instead therefore of seeking
modern interpretations of the Bible as most
conformable to the teachings of science.
we 20 back to the most ancient, the original
by Moses, and the ancient versions, known
as targums. For forty years Christian
Reologists have quoted these ancient ver-
sions rs most conformable to geological
science. But in the last few years trans
lators and.commentators are giving us more
literal 81 anslations and commentaries on
Genesis and job.
After a CAREFUL study OF the Rotations OF
science to the teachings of the Bible for
more than fifty years, | am compelled to
admit the absolute inspiration of the older
and more important books Of the Hebrew
Bible. In oil the vast amount of criticism
on Genesis and Job. which have come down
to us from the best scholars of ancient and
modern times, either historical, %exe0etical
or scientific, nothing has appeared to
weaken their claims to be the inspired
WORD of the creator and ruler of the uni
tWerse. No other theory of their origin and
existence and influence is at all adequate to
meet the facts.
No criticisms have been 80 sharp and eff
fective rs those of g cience, but nearly oil
these criticisms of science have come from
l'ecieuce falsely so-called." The advance
}ment and new discoveries of science the
last few centuries have fully and complete
answered nearly all lis own criticisms,
and the elimination of errors in the sacred
record has destroyed the force of all others.
"sunrise and Sunset were fearful weap-
ions in the mouth of youthful infdelity.
But these terrible words ate still in the
Bible, and, stt to say, they appear to
trouble nc ono. Has sunset" ceased to
mean The going down of the sun" and ac-
lkquired that of ''the turning over of the
earth?' Everyone now knows that sunrise
and sunset are caused by the revolution of
the earth, and not by the going up or down
of the sun.