Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-12-28

imperiled it. Some critics say that
the oxen kicked, being struck with the
drivers goad, but my knowledge OF
day they see shadow of tree or
wall they are apt to suddenly shy OF
to get the coolnees of the shadow.
think these oxen so suddenly turned
that the sacred box seemed about 10
upset and be thrown to the ground.
Uzzah rushed forward and laid hold of
the ark to keep it upright. But he
had no right to do so. A special COM
mand had been given by the Lord that
no one. save the priest, under any cir
cumstances, should touch the box.
Nervous, and excited, and irreverent,
URzah disobeyed when he took hold of
the ark, and he died as consequence.
In all ages, and never more so than
in our own day, there are good people
all the time afraid that the Holy BIZ
BILE. which is the second ark OF our
time. will be upset, and they have
been a long while afraid that science,
and especially geology, would over
throw II. While we are not forbidden
to touch the Holy Book. and, on the
contrary, are urged to fondle and study
It, any one who is afraid of the over
throw of the Book Is greatly offending
the Lord with his unbelief. The oxen
have not yet been yoked which can up
set that ark of the worlds salvation.
hxr he al I,,,; 10Th x hn lie
going to protect it until its mission is
fulfilled, and there shall be no more
need Of Bible, because all it's prophe-
sizes will have been fulfilled and the
human race will have exchanged
worlds. A trumpet and violin are
very different instruments, but they
may be played in perfect accord. SO
the Bible account of the creation of
the world and the geological account
are different. One story written on
and yet in perfect and eternal accord.
The word day." repeated in the first
chapter of Genesis. has thrown into
paroxysms of criticism many exegetes.
The Hebrew word "Yom" of the Bible
means sometimes what We call a day,
and sometimes it means ages; it may
mean twenty-four hours or a hundred
million years. The order of creation
as written in the Book of Genesis is
the order Of creation discovered by
biologists crowkar. So many Uzzahs
have been nervcdsly rushing about for
fear the strong oxen of scientific dis
covery would upset the Bible that l
went somewhat apprehensively to look
into the matter, when l found that the
Bible and geology agree in saying that
first were built the rocks; then the
plants greened the earth; then marine
creatures were created, from minnow
to whale: then the wings and threats
Of aerial choirs were colored and
tuned. and the quadrupeds began 10
bleat, and below, and neigh. What
Is all this fuss that has been filling the
church and the world concerning a
6ght between Moses and Agassiz?
There Is no fight at all. But is not
the geological impression that the
world was millions Of years building
antagonistic to the theory of one
weeks creation In Genesis? No. A
great house is to be built. A man
takes years to draw to the spot the
foundation stone and the heavy tim
bers. The house is about done. but
It Is not finished for comfortable resi-
dence. Suddenly the owner calls IN
upholsterers. plumbers, gas filters, pa
per hangers, and In one week it IL
ready for occupancy. Now. it requires
no stretch of imagination to realize
that God could have taken millions of
years for the bringing OF the rocks
and the timbers Of this world togeth-
er, yet only one week more to make 1t
inhabitable and to furnish it for hu-
man residence. Remember, also. that
all up and down the Bible the language
of the times was used-common par
lance-and it was not always to lie
taken literally. Just as we say every
day that the world is round. when it
is not round. 1t is spheroidal-fa
tened at the poles and protuberant at
the equator. Professor Smell, with his
chain of trlangles, and Professor Varin
with the shortened pendulum Of his
clock, found 1t was not round; but we
do not become critical of any one who
says the world is round.
But you do not really believe that
story of the deiuge and the sinking of
the mountains under the wave? Tell
us something we can believe. Be
lIeve that" says geology. "for how do
you account for those sea shells and
sea weeds and skeletons Of sea animals
found on the top of some of the high
est mountains? If the waters did not
sometimes rise above the mountains.
how did those sea shells and sea weeds
and skeletons Of sea animals get there?
Did you put them there?"
But. now. do you not really believe
that story about the storm of fire and
birthstone whelming Sodom and Co
morrah. and enwrapping Lots wife in
such saline encrustations that she halt
ed sack Of salt? For the confirma-
ton OF that story the geologist goes