The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-12-24

list OF 30 theories of geology which hac
been adopted and afterward rejected
Lyell, the scientist, announced so theo
ries of geology that had been believed
i'll and afterward thrown overheard
Meanwhile the STORY of the Bible hal
not changed at all, and if geology hal
cast out between 100 and 200 theories
which it once considered established W,
can afford to wait until the last theory
of geology antagonizing divine revela
ton shall have been given up. Now, il
this discourse upon the geology of the
Bible or God among the rocks charge
all agitated and affrighted Uzzahs tC
calm their pulses about the upsettins
of the Scriptures. Let me see. For sew
eral hundred years the oxen have beer
jerking the ark this way and that and
pulling it over rough places and trying
to stick it in the mud of derision and
kicking with all the power of their
hoofs against the sharp goads and try.
ing to pull it into the cool shade away
from the heats of retribution from q
God ''who will by no means clear the
guilty" Yet have you not noticed that
the book has never been upset? The on
ly changes made in it were by it's learn
ed friends in the revision of the Scrip
lures. The book of Genesis has been
Numbered against by the mightiest bat
teries, yet you cannot today find in all
the earth copy of the Bible which has
not the so chapters of the first copy of
the book of Genesis ever printed, start
ing with the words, "In the beginning
God" and closing with Joseph's coffin.
Fierce attack on the book of Exodus
has been made because they said it was
cruel to drown Pharaoh and the story
of Mount Sinai was improbable. But
the book of Exodus remains intact, and
not one of u.s. considering the cruelties
which he would have continued among
the brick kilns of Egypt, would have
thrown Pharaoh a plank if we had seen
him drowning. And Mount Sinai is to-
day pile of tossed and tumbled basalt,
recalling the cataclysm of that noun
tain when the law was given. And as
to those Ten Commandments, all Ro-
man law, all German law, all English
law, all American law worth anything
are squarely founded on them.
So mighty assault for centuries has
been made on the book of Joshua. 1t
was said that the story of the detained
sun and moon is an insult to modern
astronomy, but that book of Joshua may
be found today in the chapel of every
in America, in defiance Of
any telescope projected from the roof of
that university The book OF Jonah has
been the target of ridicule for the small
wit of ages, but there it stands, with its
1oQr chapters inviolate, while geology
puts ND in its museums remains of sea
capable of doing more than
the one which swallowed the recreant
prophet. There stand the !, 099 chapters
Of the Bible, Notwithstanding all the
attacks of ages, and there they will
stand until they shrivel up in the final
fires, which biologists say are already
1indled and glow hotter than the fur.
1aces Of an ocean steamer as 1t puts out
rom New York harrows for Hamburg
II Southampton. | should not wonder if
rom the crypt of ancient cities the in
'pired manuscripts of Matthew, Mark,
luke and John, in their own chirogra
1hy, would be taken, and the epistles
which Paul dictated to his amanuensis
Is we'll as the one in the apostles own
At the same ratio of
and geological confirma-
ion of the Scriptures, the time will
come when the truth of the Bible will
10 more be doubted than the common
almanac, which tells you the days and
he months of the year, and the unbe-
levers will be accounted harmless lu-
latics. Forward the telescope and the
picturesque and the chemical batteries
md critically examine the ostracoids of
,he ocean depths and the bones of the
md the mighuer, and the grander, and
jhe deeper, and the higher the explora-
ions the better for our cause. AS sure
rs the thunderbolts of the Almighty are
stronger than the steel pens of agnostics,
he ark of God will ride ON unhurt, and
Jzzah need not fear any disasters upset
ing. The apocalyptic angel flying
through the midst of heaven, proclaim
ng to all nations and kindred and peo-
ole and tongues the unsearchable riches
If Jesus Christ are mightier than the
hying off of yoke of oxen.
No Dilettante Religion.
The geology of the Bible shows that
,ur religion is not a namby pamby,
lerveless, dilettantish religion. 1t was
and has been protected by the
God of the rocks. Religion a balm?
Oh, yes. Religion soothing power
Oh, yes. Religion beautiful senti-
nent? Oh, yes. But we must have
Tod of the rocks, mighty God to de-
end, an omnipotent God to achieve, a
orce able to overcome all other forces
Il the universe. Rose of Sharon and |
lily of the Valley is he, combination
f all gentleness and tenderness and |
oh, yes. But if the mighty
orces now arrayed for the destruction
f the nations are to be met and con-
uered we must have a God of the
Lion of Judah's tribe"
S well as the Lamb who was slain. "
)ne hundred and thirty times does the
bible speak of the rock as defense nc |