The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-20
VAS MOSES INSPIRED2
mr.. Alison Discourses on the
Author of Genesis.
TIE SERVING or TWO MASTERS.
rather Garrsnd Peinss Out . Rew
Trashs A. Barnes Lectures
on 'sIhsosophy la Daily Life"

The First Presbyterian church was
s~oxded yesterday morning, and Rev.
Alexander Aiison's sermon on the "Di-
-snlsy Of the Creation Narrative" was well
,<oelss6- The sermon. which showed the
minister hsd given much time and deep
,tudy 90 the subject, was suggested By the
tar found in Luke xxiv:z7, AS:
~. And beginning st Moses and all the
rrophets he expounded unto them in ali
the Scriptures the things concerning Him.
s<h
"A. And He said unto them, These are
ths sords which | spake unto you, while
xss yet With you. that all things must
5. fulfilled which were written In the laws
Psalms concerning Me-
as Then opened He their understand
irx. that they might understand the Scrip
tsrs4"
Mr.. Alison said that Christ had iust been
talking 10 the disciples whom He met on
The walk TO Emmaus. lie had been show
ing them bow the Scriptures referred to
Himself, and in doing so He began as
Moses, thus honoriDg the Jewish law
over, and strongly implies his aa-
thership Of the Pentatsueh. Mr.. Ali
son's theme was practically plea
for Inspiration and = common-sense plea
rsthsr than . scholastic one. The first
shapter Of Genesis impresses one; its utter
ances take one BY surprise. Il has more
than ordinary significance, without refer
sncs to It's statements, because IL is the
frs chapter IN the oldest book Ia the
world. He who wrote IL did so by inspira-
ton or without II. Perhaps the positive
Of the position may be proven in the
same manner as does the photographer, by
means OF negative. Suppose the writer
Of Genesis had not been inspired, had not
been gifted By divine Illumination, how
had be srittsn7 Had he given us precisely
what he hss7 Mr.. Alison said he would
admit for the cake Of argument that the
author belongs to the ranks Of high schol-
srship. If Moses wrote IL he was entitled
10 this classification. Educated in the
halls Of the Pharaohs. having access to
the archives OF Egypt and the papyri OF
that great commonwealth. he must have
possessed as much facility for authorship
. any writer of antiquity. Mr.. Alison
argued that even although Moses vas .
scholarly man. he could never have
written Genesis without divine inspira-
ton; the simple grandeur OF the book
proved til at it vas not the work OF mans
Incidents and circumstances tending TO
show that the book was OF divine origin,
Mr. Alison declared that had not the
writer OF Genesis been inspired he would
never have expressed himself m such
brief form regarding the origin Of the
other heavenly bodies of the universe.
some time since, Mr. Alison said. a gentle
man who - we'll known in this great land
and who fiougishes under the title Of the
"Great American Intidsl," before an as
sembIed multitude. who spplaudsd h,m 10
the echo. made the dashinR and sweeping
statement, 81 have no use for book, call
II the Bible or anything else you please.
that condensss into five words the astron-
omy Of the universe. These Ave words are
10 be found n the FIRST chapter Of Genesis.
ana are as follows; 'Hs made the stars
also. ,"
Mr.. Alison contended that in the brief
sentence everyone is taught all that 10
really necessary 90 know in regard TO the
spheres round about usi that the same
God which created this earth 10 also the
author Of the others IL the author of
6enesis. under no higher impulse than the
merely intellectual, had started out to give
Us Information along this line. ne had GER
talnly taken more than i've words to in
dicate the facts. Mr.. Alison said that he
would throw back into SIR. Ingsrsoll's
teeth the Ill advised expression. sayings
"Mr.-Dear Mr.. ingersoli, what seems to
drive you away from this book as an evil
dsnee OF its lack Of inspiration compels me
70 accept IL as the elearest indication that
no mere man, no man without the inspira-
ton Of tbs Almighty, could have placed
On record It's averments."
The sermon closed with an application
Of the theme in a practical manner, and
enc appropriate to the spiritual lesson TO
Be evolved from the subject