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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmte en commenpant par la premipher, the inquisitive linguist, the prying antiquary, the se- cular historian, the male and female platform reckless ranters, the writers and circulators of the vast multitudes of impious publications in various forms, and down to the fierce and revolutionary dema- gogue, and open blasphemer and scoffer at sacred things. And what is the most strange and alarming, and in many respects the most tlongerous, the divide code is more or less impeached bv not a few even in the saci'ed ministry. And yet further, many of its sincerely professed and well meaning, but injudicious friends, by the publication of suppositious, and plausible, but unwarranted theories, on Scripture subjects, hav^e, it may be feared, instead of counteracting and refuting those adversaries, been instrumental in weakening, rather than strengthening, among the general population, a confiding belief in the whole of divine revelation. A work, which seems to be of this character, has recently been put into rather extensive circulation. It contains two lectures by Jacob M. Hirschfelder, Professor of Oriental Tiiteraturo in University College, at Toronto, which, as he states, were delivered by him, in that college, at the special request of a number of its students. These lectures, especially the second, con- tain such an unscriptural theory, and so many mere assumptions, untenable positions, unwarranted inferences, unsound arguments, and misconstructions of the letter and meaning of passages of Scrip- ture, that it ought to receive an exposing answer. In compliance with a sense of Christian duty, an endeavor will here be niailc i<» expose and rofuto that theory, and those assumptions and argument?' by which the lecturer has so keenly striven to sustain it. That spe- cial request he has mentioned will, indeed, afford some mitigation ot' his error in delivering those lectures before an audience who wore so liable to be injured, as to scriptural verities, by adopting that theory: but the same allowance cannot be made for causing the lectures lo bo put into such general circulation, for which there was no call of chris- tian or other duty. He candidly acknowledges that, 1. He is not the Author of the Theory, but only its Advocate. It does seem extremely strange that he, a learned man, and pro- fessor and lecturer in a University, should have adopted and so pub- licly advanced a tlieory, resting as it avowedly does, merely on asserted geological discoveries of strata and fossil remains in the earth, without his inentioning or showing that he ever personally made or witnessed any such discoveries, or viewed any such strata, or fossils, or ascertained or knew any more on the subject than from the assertions of others ; some or many of them being the open opi)onent^ of certain portions <»r the whole of divijie revelation, and most, if not all of them, never having actually viewed such strata, or remains, bu! merely hai(>t only lead thousands astray, but may even imperil the very belief in Holy SL-ripture.'' 2. He mentions different theories of Geologists and others, re- ::;irdino the Scripture account of Creation in ch. 1 of Genesis : and «'\aiuincs and condemns all of them, except the one he has adopted. Siiiue of the six of them which he opposes are, it is true, advanced cither by open adversaries to divine revelation, or by unbelievers as to certain portions of it. With cme exception, which treats of the deluge, they are all contrary to Scripture truth. This one, with all the others, except his own adopted one, he repudiates and condemns. Yet those he rejects 'vere advanced and supported by men held to be learned on scientitic subjects, especially on geological points ; and most of them gave, as they supposed, scriptural proofs, as well as those they allege to belong to natural science, in maintenance of their respective opinions and theories. What valid reason, then, is there to tbi)ik that of the swr/i in all, the one of them he has adopted is more entitled to belief than some one of the others. So many differ- ences arnoTig these re|)iitod literary and geological characters is alone a stnmg proof that none of them — except the one relating to the ef- f(X'ts of the universal deluge— arc at all reliable ; and more especially uTuvorthy of belief,as all of them, with that exception, are in express . opposition to the plain letter and meaning of revealed truth on the ■xubject of creation ; and moreover, are all, in reality, founded altoge- ther on those real or pretended discoveries of strata of rocks and other substances, fossil bones and other remains. .'{. In numerous instances the Professor objects to the translation of the original Hebrew, in our standard version of the Scriptures. It was absolutely needful for him to do this, in order to open a way for maintaining his theory. On p. 39, in objecting to the rendering in one place, he says : — " This is only one example out of « veiy (jreat mami wbicli I might adduce, and I wish my hearers particularly to bear this in mind, as I shall have to deviate in the following remarks. •*'f-.- *(!'>., '"i^ii f / in several instances, from the rendering in t!ie English %«rMon ; but in doing so I shall always give Scriptural authority for it." lie has here manifestly laid liitnsclf o|)cn to the charge of vanity and presumption, as being in knowledge of that original hmguage, superior to the very numerous eminent schohirs, and otherwise learned and talented men, who prepared and established that version ; and he has also incurred the solemn risk and responsibility, of inducing the young men under his teaching to slight, or disregard that version as being very generally incorrect and unreliable. Some facts and circumstances will now be given concerning the preparation of that version, from which a comparison may bo nuide between those learned translators and this I'rofes.sor, as to whether their renderings, or his own, are the most worthy of reliance. In the reign of the tirst James, when Protestantism and the Bible had again been publicly relieved from the lioman thraldcnii, it was wisely thttught needful to have a more accurate and I'aitlifid version of the Scriptures prepared, for use in public worship and for general perusal. Accordingly, a choice and ajjpointment were jnade of no loss than foi'tij-si'veii persons, all selected as being eminently learned and judi- cious men, skilled in the languages in u hich the Scriptures were first written, to perform the deeply important work. Thirticn of them were heads of colleges, in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; Tivi'iitij-one possessed the degree of U. D. ; Tiri> were professors and lecturers in Hebrew, in one of those I'nivcrsities ; some others were eminent scholars in that language, and the whole number were, most probably, more or less skilled in the same, as well as in the original Greek. They were furnished with « large number of rules for their most careful observance and guidance, in preparing the version. 'I'be following seem to be of the chief importance : — 4. When any word hath divers signilications, that to be kept, which bath been most commonly used by the most eminent leathers, being agreeable to the propriety of the place, and the analogy of faith. 8. Every particular man of each company to take the same chap- ter, or chapters, and having translated or amended them, severally, by himself, where he thinks good, all to meet together, confer what they have done, and agree, for their part, what shall stand. 9. As any one company hath despatched any one book, in this manner, they shall send it to the rest, to be considered of seriously and judiciously : for His Majesty is very careful on this point. 1 iloij plal scnl whj WOI be iu(| th \^^l it." •"^'P of vanity '••'il language, ■''"■iNe learned ^i' indiiciricr tnat vcrMion iccrning tlie «y bo made '•> wlic'tJier liance, J,, *' '^ible liad was \\isel\- '^'on of the '••il perusal, ' '<'>■«, ^n-^; ^m^^ ^f theory or system being introduced or adopted, and a guarantee for faithfulness and validity in the accompiishiucnt of their work. The length of time they took, and the earnest and close attention they must have given in performing it, afford conclusive proof of that faithfulness and truth. Moreover, they had very far greater advan- tages for preparing the version thaii any individual in the present dav possesses, by reason of all colleges, original MSS., numerous previous versions, and other sources of information on theological and other subjects being open to them, and from having access to similar ad- vantages in other countries. And lastly, it may well be taken for granted that many, or indeed all of thcui, were as well skilled in those original languages as any of those in the present day who possess a knowledge of them. Viewing all the foregoing facts and testimonies concerning our version of the Scriptures, it is quite needless to make any comparison between its validity and authority, and the transla- tions of the Professor, given to support his theory. 4. The Professor's adopted theory. This is given by him on page 37 in the following w ords : — " The theory then to which I would now call youi* attention may be summed up as follows : The first verso of Genesis 1 merely furnishes us with a brief account of the creation of the universe in general, whilst the rest of the Chapter gives a more detailed account of the re-arrange- ment and distribution of previously existing matter ; and of the creation of the beings which now inhabit our glol)e. Or, in other words, that the Mosaic narrative, with the exception of the first verse, spealcs only of the creation which ushered in the fourth, ot human period" The Professor has admitted that he is not the author of the theory but merely its advocate, lie has not in any part of his lectures given a single fact or circumstance as permitalhi known, but rests his belief in the theory, not only as a whole, but every alleged position, fact, and particular ccmccrning it, on the assertions and supposed proofs, and the suppositions and inferences of a few s|)eculativc geologists and others, some of them manifestly opi)oseil either to the whole or to certain portions of the Scriptures. Can all this be said to be dis- creet ami becoming in any person, but most especially in a Professor in a literary institution, with a number of young men under his in- struction, and in support of a theory contrary to the letter and the plain and ordinary meaning of divine revelation. As the theory ex- prel its the| to sei'l roii| Uil ha^ tiail tliel ilS » guarantee for ei> viorlv. The attention thev proof of tfiat greater adva„. '>o present dav eroiis previous ii'-'il and otiier to similar ad- f^« taken for J^i'Jed in those 'lo possess a tl testijnonies t'icss to make t'lc transla- rds ;-.'* The ' bo Slimmed 'i'«-\s us with «'hiJst the re-arrange- iiiiil of fhe ''% ill ofher 'f" the h'rst , 0) human ^fae theory II res given I Iiin beh'ef tion, fact, '(' I)roots, 3'C0h)gi!sty whole or be dis- 'rofcHsor ' bis in- aiid the oory ox- pressly rehites to most important parts of that rcvehition, indeed, to its \cvy foundation truths, it might eertaiidy have been expected that (he l*rofessor would have given some phvin passages of that revelation to support it. But he has not done it. It is true he has in his second lecture laboured hard and persuveringly in setting aside nume- rous passages of Scripture, as given in the standard version of the IHblo. and has suhslitukHlhisown translation and moaniiigs. Neither lias lie attempted In gi\e the belief of any ehurcli, Jewish or Chris- tian, in support of his theory, for the perfect reason that no such theory was ever held or imagined by either of them. It may here be mentioned, that the Professor allows that Dr. Kalisch is an eminent Jlebrcw scholar, aiul states that he condeiuns tliis theiiry of separate periods of creation, and says tl at \crses 1 and 2 of (Jenosis J are connected. Here he is right, though his own theory, as a whole, is false. '). The Professor's theory not found, or alluded to, in any part of lhe Scriptures. JS'c\er iield by any church, or mentioned in its histor ries, or in commentai'ies on the 'k'rlpturcs. These assertions are fully warrant cd. being strictly true. The .fevvish Church throughout its history of 3;5()5 years to the present day, never gave, in any way, an intimation even of its having any knowleilge <r the formation and belief of this theory of different periods of creation, and often repeated catastrophes, rost( (rations, ajul changes on this globe ; ami of its having had, during those periods, many dif- ferent species of animals, and varieties of plants, &c,., upon it, as those geologists and naturalists assert. In proceeding to examine and expose this theory, in a more partic- idar or special nianner, attention may lirst be directed to the nature and descripti(»n of the 7. Several Strata said to have been discovered. The Professor has given slateiiuMits concerning these, merely from the asscrtiims of some naturalists, wliicli he lias rcsad in their publica- tions, or has been vcrl)ally told, lie has, however, ado|)ted them as verit'cs. On p. li, he says : — " It is asserted by naturalists, that the crust oi' tiie cartli, witicli is computed to be about flO.OOO \cet, or two and a half geogninliical miles thick, and which has been examined to about half of the depth, is composed of successive strata, which they allege are proof's of siiccessivt? tormation.' He gives in a note Hum- boldt's Cosmos, as iiuthoritv for those statements as to tJie crust of the I the I the Neil are I evel thij ti\< of I I- 1 "ch conclusion is now requi- t^arcfiilly test i^f the theory. '^"•< in certain 'iiineral, mul ^' hones, parts e and chaiijnros Is, many dif_ ' it. as those II ore partic- the nature croly from ir pulilica- ' 'held as i» that the -t, or two mined to >i('h they to lltini' <'ru,st of i 11 the earth. The statements of Baron Munchaiisen, said to have been the chief of ron)ancers, would have been about as good proof. Now tlio asserted 50,000 feet of that crust ^ive about 10 Eiiglisli miles. Neitlicr that slateincnt of deptli, nor half" of it hsniiig been examined, are true: but are merely wild conjectures, \o liunuiu being has ever penetrated ten miles downwards, and ascertained that to be. the thiclaiess of crust, nor has any one e\er descended jterpetulicularhj five miles from the surface, or even near that depth. As to the depth of the crust of the earth, no proof ean possibly be ascertained or given, and all conjectures are worthless. The circumference of our glol)e has, in a satisfactory manner, been fomul to be about 24,000 miles. Now, if we take the diameter to be .ibout one-third, being 8,000 miles, what, it may be asked, according to the statements of tho>e naturalists, is to be thought of the remaining 7,799 miles of that diameter. Will tliey, or can they tell us, whether it consists, or is composed, of earth, fire, or water, or partly of each, or of any other element or substance or substaTico-;, or is merely vacant space. If wo are really standing on a crust only ten miles thick, which may be resting on upwards of 7,00<> miles of combustible materials and fire, we are truly in a most perilous position. As to the water we may rest securely, for we have the divine promise that there shall never be another general deluge. However, these conjectures and fabulous stories of the naturalists, need not greatly alarm us. The Prot'essor must be either a very charitable, or as probnbly some may think, a very credulous person, to believe and sanction such wild and incre- dilile statements. Possibly, excavations have been made into tlie base of some lofty mountain, and calculations made, but even in that case the whole perpendicular depth of the crust coidd oidy be conjectural or suppositious. Jle further says, that the naturalists mention the dill'erent strata as having been successively formed, and vast spaces of time being recpnred for the formation of each of them. Is it not very far more reasonable and credible to conclude, that they were at once formed by the infinitely wise creator, to preserve and support the earthy parts, and serve like bones in the bodies of men and other animals, which support the soft lleshy j)ortions. Evidently, those strata of stone and other solid substances are essentially requisite to Nustain the earthy portions, and prevent their falling into a shapeless mass, or being swept away by the waters of the oceans. They were as needful at the creation as thev are now, and doubtless were thou m m hi I formed, ami wisely and orderly deposited tlirouglioiit the globe, above and below, for the above and other needfid purposes. Could those self-sullic'iciit naturalists never discover or imagine such necessities for those formations at the very (Irst? At the close of the deluge, for tl»e same wise and essential purposes, they would be formed and arranged anew, and this, as will hereafter be argued, will go far to account for fossils of animals, and impressions of plants, being found in some of the stone and other solid strata. The foregoing rational suppositions and conclusicjus as to the necessities mentioned, are alone sulUcicnt to destroy that theory of the gradual and successive forma- tion of the stone strata, and all the wild calculations concerning them. Even if those statements' of diilcrent j)eriods of creation, and the number and ile|)tlis of the strata, were aduiitted as corre(!t, the times requisite fi)rthe several formations couKl not be ascertained, but could only be a luatter of mere conjecture; and instead of such myriads of years, as these naturalists have extravagantly asserted, only some hundreds may have been reipiired. We all know, that by rivers, lakes, brooks, and numerous other channels and means, water is con- tinually g*»ing down int(» the earth, and carries (hnvn sand, pebbles, earth, decayed plants and vegetables, and other substances, which gradually contribute to increase! the depth of the several strata, and therefore, ou the whole, the tiuio recpiired for that increase cannot possibly be ascertained, or at all satisfactorily estimated ; but must depend on a great variety of circumstances and particulars not known, and varying in dillerent parts ot the earth. Dr. Ilitchcoijk, of Am- herst College, wIki also has ado|)tcd this theory, adiuits that a strata or vast ridge, 900 tcet thick, aud two miles in length, has been formed in a part of Swit/irland, iu only about HOO years. The geo- loi'ists have not said that the various stone strata, found at the great- est de[)ths, are diilcrent I'roin those near tlie siu'Cace. These last, in fact, are respectively of the like; nature and tpialities as the others, viz., slate, granite, sanilstoiie, liuiestonc, and of all other descriptions. VVhv did they not make tin; -I rata diilcrent, as well as the animals. plants, ttc ? There is in reality as strict similitude in the one case as in the other. On i)age 4 th 'nyriad.s of f'' ojily some fit by rivers, "ater is eon- 'i»» of Newcastle arc computed, at a moderate estimate, to have oc» cupied at least 200,(100 years." As to the mile and a half depth of what is called Silurian strata, that any persons have penetrated that distance pcrpcnluii/nrlif through solid rock and stone, is scarcely ere-, dihlo. \i) kiiiil of proofed' it has been oftcred. He only says "It is niainlained."' It nnist he merely conjectural, and as to time, wild and utitruo. Hut even if correct as to depth, what is said on a pre- vious page as to such strata being needful from tJie Jirst, to support the loose earthy parts, furnishes (|uitc a sufhcient answer. As to the coal scries at Newcastle, the calculation of time is manifestly not only conjct't nral, but contrary to scripture truth, and therefore utterly un- worthy 11^ credit. Would it not bo inlinitely more reasonable and pro|»cr to conclude that the wise and merciful Creator, knowing that the/"'/ on the surface of the earth would not be sufficient for all time, firmed those series at the first, and ifradnaUy or rapidly in- creased ihom in certain (pinrtcrs of the earth, as he has given peat and tin-f in Irelaiul, parts of Scotland, in the Orkney and Zetland Isles, and in other places where there is no wood or coal, or not in sufllcient (piantities? IJut these naturalists are so absorbed in their own conjectures and calculations, that they seem to have no thought about a ilivinely wise and merciful Providence in this matter. 8. The further asserteil proof of the theory from fossils of ani- mals, plants, itc, found at different depths of the earth. -Many (d' these are said to have been discovered in the stone and other strata at very great deptJis. The remains of animals, it would seem, are, in nearly every instance, of separate bones; and as to all plants and vegetable sid)stances, there could, of course, only be the im/trissi'oiiii of liki'iii'sfne^ on the stone and other solid substances. It is very probable that only a few, or perhaps none of those naturalists, ever actually went down and examined those strata, and found those remains, but merely got information concerinng them from others, yet they make positive assertions as to the depths at which they were discovered, and aNo nfTlrm what is utterly incredible, that all those bones of animals and the plants are altogether different from the bones of the anintals and the kinds of plants and other vegetable produclions now on fhe earth. Even admitting as generally correct the statements of the depths o\' the stone and other strata, and the sizes and of her particulars and api)carances of those fossil substances, Iri 14 "'' other remain. tl,„ '^"""l' or proof: foT ZT ""''"''>■ "«•'«•') '"V V.IM •■•eparale and diflferen ; '"•'"•"•Wo" and belief,,*- . *"■ '■"''»W» «"S tad upon it 1,« r'"™"""» on thi, " , '"" '•''l"'a'«l ea- "irting. htlJ ' *"■• »" ofthS " '*■""' »f animal,, ''"»orH,/„Vi"-''«"™of ,„d, ;;::"''"■» tho,o no^ P-'ibie to a,eer: T,:^- -''l™' *» '"ch a .iSt^ it'^'^'" """ "■oded an,l irre.,,hr ?, " '"■'' ''art c,,lo„r ZT '" »"'' •'""O' in manv of ,C : /' '"*■ '""''er be rcnarl 1?, ' '" '"'"'» "f *'"' hM„,a„ body an , A '"'■ ""'""''■' are »i.„il r , " '"'"o "'"'e --;■' ...ite i2;,: r ";"; '?" - -t' : :- ;: .7- «f -.'^'.nd::ib:r,;;:t:":r'" ^'°''-- :::aT:rV'"° *^"«.»< ™ T '""" '"' »"''d-n kin rr''"'*-' "'™ -"J" ^"""al, an astonish/n ^ ' ^"'^^ «'• i'iii.s * ^« pro- ^ew of if't'nco, fptab/c ^ witli 's be- 'art/i. tbe and iver U ;^ has been done, and cannot be accomplished. The whole story con- 1 cerniiig the matter has no semblance of credibility. ■ I have seen and possessed very many of those impressions on stone ' brought lip from coal mines in the island of Cape Breton, and some discovered in Derbyshire in England, probably from its celebrated peak, and can now produce some of them ; and am therefore able to speak as confidently as T have done on the point. Throughout Cape Breton and elsewhere can be found growing plants, sprigs, and ferns plainly similar to the impressions on the stones from the depths of the mines above mentioned. That man of undeserved celebrity, who worse than wasted so large a portiim of his life in searching after and penetrating into strata of red sandstone, and other stone, has thus " written, as cited by Professor Jlerschfelder, — "That which chiefly tlistinguishcd the peleozoic from the second and tertiary periods waa its gorgeous flora." The W(»rd (lonjcoua, we know, means the same lis s/>f()i'li iionjeoHA, siiarl-lin/j. and hrilliant, is truly too marvellous a story to have the least semblance of truth or credit. This is only one of the very numerous extravagancies of these speculative and inventive naturalists. 9. New creaticms. Concerning these the Professor, in treating of the geological divis- ions, has written as follows: — " It is an admitted fact 'that in each of the master divisions there is found a typo of life, so unlike that of the others, that even an unpractised eye can detect the difference.' Now new types ])resupposes new creations, indeed ' the late M. D'Orbigny has demonstrated in his Prodrome de Pala'ontologie, after an elaborate exannnatit)n of vast multitudes of fossils, that there have been at least twenty-nine creations, separated one from another by catastrophes, which have swept away the species ex- isting at the time with very few exceptions, never exceeding one and a half per cent, of the whole number discovered, which have either survived the cata-itniphes, or have been erroneously designated. But not a single species of the preceding period survived the la t of these catastrophes, and this closed the tertiary period and ushered in the human period." The I'rofessor, in a foot note, says : — " The abov«? m c ^tr. '^.1- n. Iff '« quoted from the Essav «n,] P • aniiniil or ve£?cr-.l,l« I ■ , " • ^ "ere is „(,tf,,„„ ... ». tell what„;„.'^'„ :"-'■''•"' i">i..r,.„ ...,„;; '.,";"••;:•" tho Croat, on of tl.o livi,,,, ,l,i„„, v^ ! ""''• '"■• ''" "<'•<■'■ »m-J, t„ 'ho .J.»oro,„.c« i„ t|,o |.,f,„' ,' •''••"•t'-oplKv. and noworoafi,,,,, . Jl, »l>o.-c i-. tlii, ki„d of pjf " ;"'""«'"S of "'"'" .lo..,-,,, ' .^T de-rvng of «,e ,,„., „„di •,;"";; ; "V -•'• -n 1- »„bn,i ^ » PP'«"»n. «r «,,or i„voM,io„, ,> J^^ l" «. -^'» -'i-iy o„ „ ! „"',"",' ""»npp"rto.l a,»or,i „ „,• [; ""•■''V'V. "",1 ,l,e i,„,„„. ':■"'"""• S''™g " hi'it of anv ^ ^ ' "' '" '"■^''"■>- "■■ "on i" ""> l.elicf of ,.ea|,,. in.olli',, '''"'"•'•."- "" -'o o„ti,led *™.™,::;:;::::--:-H. ,,,,r:^J'::;,- th<■ro aro „„ ,„.„ ,,„,„„, ,, ,J^2. '"'"■''■ "■" •■'" know ,1, «»>ong ,,0 hundred, of „,«,„„: *:; •;;■;;•;; --X.-, or „,„„.,>., or '".iiihinu, t'.vacth/ (•lilt' i.. J '* ; and '"'^^- A'ow '"'».■ as to new erea- iibuiitted. '/ o animals respectively ; nor impair as to the orders, species, and respective ideiK.aes throughout the vegetable ci'cati m. It has already been reuiarked, and may here be re- peated, that the assertion that there are no plants or other vegetable products now on any part of the globe sinnlar to the impressions of pl.iiit> on I he stone strata in the several de[>ths of the earth, as staled li\ I lie naturalists, is incapable of [)ro(d', and is utterly incredible. Those impressions (d" plants, leaves, &c., which I. have seen and ex- amined, on the pieces of stone l)rought np from deep parts of the c )al mines in Cape Breton, exactly correspond in appearances with plants, sprigs, leaves, i<;c., td' such products //f/t<', not only in that islainl. but in other countries. This 1 say fntm personal knowledge. (.)n the wlwde, it may conlidently be said the statements of the natu- ralists, the twenty-.niue catastrophes and new creations of D'Orbigny, and tlu' -sanction and a>-ertions of Prolessor llirschfelder, arc about equally unfounded and unreliable. liul there is a further and far more important view to be taken, and also a ju-^t condenniiition to be passed regarding the twenty-iune cat- a.sl roi)lugctable products ; and by each cat- astroplic they wen- nil destroyed, anil the new creations successively supplied. We know that all animals arc subject to diseases and pains, and ex[)erience sidl'erings and agonies in dying. The great and glorious Creator has described hiin-iclf, in his Word, as " merciful" and "compassionate," '"kind"' and "pitil\d"j that "he hateth notli- 3 '*.!.:' 18 f«. I 1 ing that he has made'' ; hut " his tender meroies arc over all his works," " feeds the young ravens witen they cry," and " opeiieth his hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing." It is deeply abliorrent and utterly iniTcdiblc even to imagine that such a wise and merciful Being, whose character we know to be as thus declared, would wantoidy and so repeatedly inflict sutVerings and death on in- numerable multitudes of his sensitive and innocent creatures, who could not sin, and therefore could not move or provoke him to inflict pains upon them, and " sweep them away" by death, as D'Orbigny has so profanely imagined and asserted. It is a horrid slander on that compassionate and benevolent Bei?ig. A heathen M(jloch or Juggernaut, delighting in scenes of cruelty and suflerinK, could not do worse. And mark, all this is asserted to have been done by that divine and merciful Being, before dnith had been introduced into the present state of the world by the transgression of man. The sup- position of such cruel inflictions ami destructive events is simply re- volting, and detestable. The author and supporters of those statements of such repeated creations and catastrophes, involving, as they necessarily do, the concomitant results of miseries, death, and destruction, have incurred a most awful rcsponsiblity to the benign and merciful Creator, and just and righteous Judge, for having framed and so ])ubli('ly endeavored to maintain them, iind without having the least word or hint of inspired Scriptures, or even history, or tradition to countenance them, and they, evidently being so contrary, not only to the tenor of those Scriptures, but also to reason, righteousness and common humanity. The Professc)r has certaiidy, though undesign- edly, incurred a part of that rcs|(onsibilily. and of censure for having adopted aiul keenly advocated them, and the unfounded and wild theory tlicy have been brought forward to maintain. They must all, of course, admit that those catastrophes could not have occurred but from the design aiul direct action of the wi-^e, just, and merciful Creator. 'J'tiose statements, and the foregoing vicu , and the miseries necessarily attemling and resulting from tliem, are alone suflicicnt to refute and condoinii the whole of this impious and iTuel theory of rej)eated catastroplies and new creations. The Professor's citation of the Scripture passage in John v. IT : ' My Father workcth hitherto and I work," istrulv a strange answer to the supposed enciuiry as to Scriptural authority for those asserted catastrophcj and new creations, and has no appropriate application to thi i rel Sil fri w st| otj t)l all til '^■<; . A' >: ■•*.> ■f afo over all his •' "operietli his ^t IX (leoply such a wise and tJiiis (Icc-Iareil, 'I ficath on ill. iToatiircs, «ho 5 liiin to inflict a-^ '^'Orbi^rnj ■•"'•l slaiulor on «■'» Moloch or "'f^'' f'iiW not ('one by that "ml into the '"• The sup- i« simply re- '•;^ of those i'Jvolving, as S «, wi-* f>i^rii'illif iii iluiiij; investis;;iti()rn ami irHCDvericH, and ascortainiii'' various firts ai».l Lin'iim-ttvii('C-< CDiinectc.l with the whtlo Ml 8U ni ibjoct, ill all its inrticalar^ an I aspov-ts ; and has written v )liiini- )iHly poncerniii'^ l!i(' II ; an. I, tl cihtlcHs, fV > n the pr > )ts ho rh h obtaineil, chiefly tonne 1 hi-* several coiu'Iii-iiotH and jiKlicioiH ctiii- (i whit is hest ot* all, his the)rv is n )t in opn niti tii t) any ions ; an part of divine revelation, whieh caniiDt he truly said of anv of th )se other theories on the snhject. .Moreover, his saered olliee atVords a guarantee or secm'ity tor the truth of the facts and statements i^iven in his work. Several other writers, as the I'rofessor admits, have ■to th( (1< th ibject as Mr. T d. hot his conic conel isions alone, formed after sneh \ow^ contin le I an. I wjdelv ex- tended investigation-j, are of far more value than the iinscriptiiral opinions of the whole host of those s[)eenl,itive geolotjists and natur- alists. But. further it can he shown to all reasonahlc satisfaction, that the several strata mentioned by those jjeolo^rists. and the fossil remains discovered, were pr<)duced as the natural and providential results of that universal and overwhelmiiijij deliii^e of waters, which for such a protracted period prevailed ovor our globe, and by which all li villi; creatures on the land were destroyed, evcept the one family who were divinely preserved. There is suilicient scriptural a'.ithority f)r believing that all the «olid parts of our globe rest upon internal seas, uid when as inspired truth has informed us, " all the f )untains of the gre it deep were broken up," all those parts of course were shattered and riven asunder in innumerable places, and those seas came forth and flowed over the whole globe ; and the waters from the o|)eiie 1 " wind )ws of he iven,"' and from " all the f)untains of the great dec|),"' having, as seriptur- ally declared, " previile 1 thei-e ui, an bun Irel ami iit'ry days.'" d )ul)t- less in constant and tiirb ilent m )li ui ; and also having continue 1, as mentioned, about "one huiidre 1 d.ivs " ni )re, befu-e thev were so abate, 1, that " the t ips of Mic m )iint lius were seen,'' it is perfectly evident, th.it the iiiciK-iilabU' m iltitudi's of cir(',i>e-; of all the varie- ties of animals and other livinn; ere itures, with the inultituilinous remains of vegetalile matter, and all other substances and objects, whi(di had been on the earth, woiilil of course, by tlie coii'^t.int and violent movements of the wafers be carried in all directions and to all quarters in ineanceivable confusion. As the waters subsided, and " re- *' iS ; '■"' ' in iii.iMv '■■"••M-eric., and '''tfeii V)Ii,,„i_ •""'■^ lie rliH !"li<'ioiH .■•,i„- >-*itim t.> tinv " '"i^'of (Inso "'•'0 aHlinls a 'I'liiiiN, |,.ivo '^^'"i'. I)ii( liix •' wideli- ex- ' """"•npfiirjil '■^ ■•I'ld iiafiip- ""' ihc <;,ssil vafors, v» |||,.|, f"i In- wjiioli «-• OHO family •■t" wolid ■•i-^ iiKpirod *\oop Here *t'"a-'taiices wo.ild of eoiirse de-icciid with the water-*, niul he eoiiveyod and sink down into j^reater or le-t-^or de|)ths of tin- inntiinerahic eavitie-t of the eirth, which had hcen caused hy tliat previous retidiiij^ asundc!* of its solid parts ; and tho various stnta, woidil l)y divine wisdom and power he formed anew and consohdated. Thi-* reas(»iiahle view ol" the suhject. i-* in no way o|)|)oxe 1 to the Script ures com-ernini:; it, and will perfectlv aci'inmt for all the podloijieal (Strata; and for various sn'i^titori'^, f(H'itf<, and al' >vi«////*s,hein< of hij^'h uiouutain^, and the careases of the ele|)liaut ami the rhinoceros, or parts thereof i II great ina-ttiiiiri\<. It was a most merciful arraii^cmeut, of the wise an 1 merciful ('reator. to convey from the surface of tho eirtli the remaiiiiim visihle portions oi' the ohjects of that destruction, s" that when m;iiil\ind atxain apiieared upon it, they would not heotleiided or in any way injured liv the pro-r(h, of which the earth a[)pears to ho iiitcriially ciiustructe I. Hr. Wooilwaril in his natural history of the oarlh, has ren lered it cxtreuely pr ohihle, that tho whole torrc-itrial Kuhstaiice was amilgamiled with the waters, after which the dilVercnt materials id" its composition settled in IndK or Mmtii, according to their respective gravities." in. Refereiu'es to ancient religious Persons as favouring the Pro- fessor's Theory. 22 lie has named Gregory Nazianzcii, — Justin Martyr, — Basil, Caesa- riiis, ami Origen, — generally called early l''athers, — as having " held that there elapsed an indefinite period, between the creation and the lirsi; ordering of things.'' lie has not given any extracts from the writings or sayings of any of (hem on the subject ; nor does it appear that he has any personal knowledge on the point, though he so posi- tively asserts that they held that view. In foot notes, he merely referf' *^o " Principal Wiseinan's lectures, oji the connection between science and revealed religion," and " a note on one of the Bridge- water Treatises by Dr. Busey wh(» refers to IVtavius.'" J lad extracts from the writings of those ancient ('hri>tians been given, il would have been seen, what were their exact vi((ws or suppositions, their nature and extent, and on what grounds they had formed them. The Professor has also named Augustine, Theodoret, and Hpiscopius, as holding the same views. Of course, it will not be preteii(l<'d that any of these perscuis wrote or spitke on this or any other subject by divine inspiration. Although pi(»us and devoted men, they all, pro- bably excepting K|)iscopios, who lived iu the seventeenth century, held some opinions, and followed certain observances and practices which have no '^i-riptural authority or saiu-tion. (hi these points the following iniprejudiceil anil high authority is submitted. Kev. .los. Milner in his Chunh History, \cil. 2, ]). '2*1, says of (iregory Nazizen and Basil: — " Their loudness for l'latoni>o. li(> h:is firthcr written on pp. 2G 5 2(!7 : — " In cnn- juction with (ircg:iry he studied the works of Origen. It will s(Mn'cly lu> nccill'il to a Id, that by this means, he contractol a taste for exposition, neither the most evangelical, nor the most perspicuous. In hi-i travels into I'igvpl. he convei---ed with monks .-iikI luM'mils,aiul prepare I liiinsclf I'lrlliat evccssivc ,itta<'liineul to the spirit of Asce- tics which afiiTwanls midc hiin the gre it supporter a.nil cncoiirager ot' th'iso s iper^titicins." * * ♦ * Tlic-c two friends, ((Iregorv and Basil) furuicd the rules of nnuiastic dis(i|iline, which were the basis of all tho-e super-titious iiistitutious whi'li al'lerwards overran the tiitil ([ daiil soit| so\ ihel h>gl th.l sell rei '•ivi'ig " held |"ti()ri jiiKJ the acts from th© '<»os it appear '' ''C so posi. "^. lie merely [•tioii betvvoeri the Hri(Jire- J'ado.viraL'ts t'fi, it would Hiliijiis, their 1 them. The pi^'opiiiM, as 'fended that r sdltjeet [)v liey all, pro- '"' <'eMtiiry, practices e points the '^ev. d<,s, "I'v .N'azizen -i'" accurate ejideiiev to 'I Hence and ff <|"alities ''V,'ion, pro- * deserts. " ■" 'll CUl- • It will ol a tas(e ''■^piciioiis. ■'"its, and 'll' .\scc- ii'oiiratfer ('«fe;,'ocv "erc! (ho "verran .« »8 tlio church" — p. 269. " Basil's excessive austerities broke his cousti- tutinii." Of Justin Marfyr, the same historian has written thus : — In fun- damentals he was unquestionably sound : yet there seems however something? in his train of thinking, which was the crt'eet of his philo- sophic spirit, and which produced notions not altogether agreeable to the ge(\iusof the gospel. Thus towards the close of the second Apo- logy, he declares that the doctrines of Plato were not heterogeneous to those of Christ, but (tnly, not altogether similar. * * * He seems to have forgotten the guard, which can scarcely be too often re[)eated against philosophy." Concerning Origen, Milner has thus written, — I v. pp. 31 2 to 3 15 : " In his yoinigerdays he was a scholar of the amphibious Ammonius, and mixed together Christianity and pagan philosophy." * * ♦ " There is no doubt, but in a certain sense, Origen's success was great ; but I much fear that u\ return the pure gospel sufTered greatly by an admixture of gcntilism. AVhat can this extraordinary teacher and author mean by asserting the utility aiul even the necessity of philosophy for himself as a christian ?'' * * * The mischief which actually followed was to be expected. Characters were con- founded ; and henceforward among the leiirned, the distinction be- tween christian godliness and biniian ])hilosophy is but faintly marked." * * * " We have seen before, the wanton spirit of allegory introduced by Ammonius; and it is very probable, that Origen then first learneil to treat the Scriptures in the same man- ner.'' — In Milner vol. 2, p. 404, are the following passages coiu-ern- ing the doctrine of divine grace : — " A vain philoso|)hy had corrupted it partially inider .lustin, far more completelv under Origen. What wonder: To trust in ourselves wiis the avowed boast of all the Phi- losophers.*' On |). 40!), after treating favourably of .Xiigust inc. very generally, ho remarks :— " The times were highly unfavorable, the defects of su|)erstition often cloiul his writings, yet, at intervals he vigorously struggles against it." In the snme vol. p. 537, he savs of Tlu iidoret : " lie surpasses all mc?i in adniiralion of monastic insti- tutions ; ami is crcdidous beyond measiu'c. in subjects of that lujture. Yet was he himself, one of the nutst learned and best men in the lia-^tern church.'' The Professor will have gaitied little or nothing in favour of hi.s theory, by referring to llio>e early characters, imjiropcrly called / ' • ■•:';iv ['(. 24 Fathers, for oven if it be ailmitted, that tliey actdally licld it, after all those testimonios concerning them, their opinions could yield iicither wili/ht or irorthiiu'tts in its favour. E|)iseopiouH, whom the professor has mentioned, as also favouring his theory, was one of the remonstrating ministers at the Synod of Dort. in the Seventecth century. Tliere is nothing shown from any of his writings to prove that he actually held this erroneous theory 11. The Professor's translations and meanings of certai 11 wo irds and expressions in (Jen. I, rendered and given to su[)p()rt his Theory. There are a considerable number ot these I'uridtit t'rom the render- ings in the Siundard i']ng]ish version. They will here be noticed and commented on from the commeiirt'njcnt, and in the order in \\hich they appear. The reader will please to bear in mind the caretul and eUH'ient manner of preparing this Knglish version, and llie high tes- timonies to its valid character, given in j)revious pages. lie commences his renderings or sahslilutions with the word " and" at the commencement o\' \. 2, and says, it is not to be taken as con- nected with the first verse, as i)r. Kahsch contends — who he admits is an eminent Hebrew scholar. All ordinary and unprejudiced readers, not having like the professor, a '* pet theory" — a [tlirase he has applied to others, —will huld that the "itml" docs connect with the preceding fu'^t verse; anil thus, doubtless, it was understood and renilered by the ninnerous very learned men who prepared our versit)n. lie contends that the word slmuld be noir, instead of " and.'' Well, it' we Id h'un lia\e his mnr, it will be seen, that it is more against him than the *' And." We all know, and as the Lexicon (tavs. the word iiiiii\ means — '• at this time.- -at present, -this mo- nu'iit." The verses will then read as follows: — •' In the beginning (lod I'l'cated the heaven and the earth. At this time the earth was without I'onn and void " itc. Here there coidd be no reference to anv other time than 1 hat in the first verse, w hen the malleror sub- stance (»f earth was created from non-entity. And thus ilic word iK>)i\ evidently conneiMs the two verges more palpably than the par- tide' •' And." The Protestor further asserts, |). Hi, that " I'lie world did not come friin the (]re.^lM|•'•^ hands in ;i ehjiotic stute. but lit lo lie inhabited.'' A-^;i prool", he has cile I t iic follow ing V er->e In Isuiidi xlv. IS: "['or thus siiiil the Lord that create,! the heavens; (iod himselt', that fonucil the eaiih, ;iud iuade it; he hath »'-*labli-»licd it; h/•- ', t i h 26 " Boft)r»f tlio seas and tliis torreetrial hall. Anrl lieavon's \\\n\\ canopy that covers all, One was the face »tf nature, if a face. Rather a riule and indigested iiiasn ; A lifeless lump, unfashioned and unframed, Of jarring? seeils, and Justly chaos nanuMl." — Dnjden. "The most ancioiit nreeUs liavc spoken iiciirly in the same way of this crude, indi^^estcd stiilc of tlic primilhc, chaotic mass. AVhcn this congeries of elementary ])rinf'ip]es was broiiglit together, God was ple.ased to spend six days in assimilating, assorting, and arranging the materials out of which he hiiilt up, not only the e:irth, but the whole of the solar system." This concurrent evidence of Scrii)ture, learned translators, ancient writers, and .an eminent commentator, showing the primitive, con- fused, and indigested state of the m.aterials, renders the opinion o^ the Profe-^sor to the contrary of no value whatever. The Professor':! !iext atid most important errouoouH assertions and arguments relate to the time the sun, moon, and stars were made. The following are his statements on the subject: "The darkness which reigned upon this vast expanse of water was the natural result from the absence of the light of the sun, which was then not visible, on acciMint of the dense mass of a(|uci>us and ;crial fluids, by which our globe was surrounded. It evisled. however, alreidv, atid hence it is not s])oken of as being created.'' On p. 53, treating of the words in Oen. i. 3, he says the word (or) i. c. Uijht, here employed, denotes the cli'mi-ut thf/if, and is quite a different word from that em- ployed in verse 14, by which the Inuunnricx or '>'"'w are expro>in that em- ' exproMscfl." iHes ah-eadv h.'ivo o.vistod hot ween fhe '*<^ «'as' oidy ' and dark- >"icli as is "' '"<■< a\is. im had al- " p. fi2 he 'I ^»o(i con- 'a Minv have asked, 'How could light be produced on tUcfir.'it ila>i, and the sun, the f )UJitain of it, not created till the finn-lh da;/.' * The orignal word sig- nifies not only li(/Jit \mt fire — see Isaiah xxxi. 'J, I']/,ek. v, 2, It is used for the sun — Job xxxi. 20. And for the elcrtrie fiaid, or light- ning — Job xxxvii. .'}. And it is worthy of remark that it is used in Isaiah xliv. I G, for Iho heat derived from csA \\w fire, — ' //,' hnro'th pari thi-reaf in thrfirr (heino esfi) ijt((. lie irarniefli /liniself, ami saith, Aha ! [hire S'en thefiri ■raithi iir. 1 therefore conclude that as God has diffused the matter o\' cahn-ir, or latent heat, throughout e\ery part of nature, without wliich there could be neither vegetation nor animal life, that it is calorie, or latent heat, which is principally in- tended hv the oriijjinal word. That there is latnil liijlit, which is prob- ably the same with lalnt h 'at, may be easily demonstrared ; take two pieces of rock crystal, agate, cornelian, or flint, and rub them together ^: ij 29 caloric, latent or ,..■"«.'"■•• ''."'"• ^•""^ ' ,,„„,„erlng c.,W .r»n, »1"^'> r «;. „a,. -.o.an.e ;,t,,;.n t, n; ^_ . ^^ .-o-i-.y t„^,«.e ex.,.. '^""''■'' 'r^n^t -ibU. Une. al, tWs Jn. it wo, . ^t 1,.^.^^^ ^^^^^ !v leixrnefl man. aiui j»' . .„i,,,„l it n Ins loctiiresi. WrtLeorv or ,n,r,„,.e to have ,^ » .^ ,^„„„,,„,„„, i,„U, ,n n, - ,. lice a,-,' t»',> i"-«i"" , „,.,„ in o„r ,wn ""'^S'^' that t.,erc a,-e . 1 e'" ^ ►'• , „,, ,,„„„ ,„ea,„nK •' I" '"« » Sori,,t„re tl,e ""S"-' «.,,,„ ,„. „,„,.,. i, .» ,-,-..„.,- ^^^,^^ 30 •unk in that inontal darkness, produced Ity sin, aa the ancient world was.'' liev. Thomas Stackhouse, in his "Compleat Body of Divinity,'* has ex{)ressed tlie like opinions as Dr. Clarke, buth as to the creation of light on the first day, and its nature, and the creation of the sun moon, and stars on the fourth day. Of the I'Kjht he says: "The_//a* for I'njht was given ; * ♦ ♦ and in the space of a natural day made to visit the whole expansium of the chaos ; not only to make a separation of the Uyht from darkntsA, and thereby a distribution of duy and nitjht, but to facilitate the work likewise. Thus, on thcjirst day the bright and active element of tire was extracted from the ••/uiotic mass." Uf the creation id" the planetary system on the fourth day he has written thus concerning the sun ; " (Jod, on this day, cast it inU) a proper orb, placed it at a convenient distance from the earth and other planets, and gave it a twofold motion, the our to distinguish the day from the night, and the other to mark out the various seasons of the year." Of the moon and other remaining planets he says : " We suppose them to go along with the earth in its formation,'' &c., and further, as to the moon he has written : "* W hen (lod is said to have matlc tiie moon, there nuist be souiething more intended than a mere renileriug it vmlde. And because the word (nuulcj is c(j[ually appUed both to the sun and moon, there is reason to bcUeve that it ought to be taken in the sauie, i. e., a idi-ral sense, wh( both." *po The l*rofessor, in referring to the word ••make,' in our \ersion, as applied to the sun, and other luminaries, in lien. i. 1(J, allows that it is n(jt a inistranslatioii, and he admits that the primary meaning of the verb (asah) is, n(j doubt, to iiuilce, to work, •• >el '' he says, •' it is over and over again used in the sense, to roustUutt; to ordain." Sow, it will naturally be asked, if nud-i' is the jirintarij itn'iiiiiiii/, why did he not take it, and avoid the trouble oi' searching around for the woril CDitattttUi', he obvious and (jiily reason is, that itridc would not accon I with his tlicorv. Our translators of course, could not f;i'e-iL'e that the l'i'ofi!s-.or would pret'or cdhMUiU--, but even if they had, it is most probable they would nevertheless have used the wont inade. as being that /"•'ro?n: atoW .nails, ««"*• """'L" &<■• Ch."-2' /"' ,her»rte"t.tor »cre fancy oria^ ^ „„aated. «av. •• "Precisely ^o(^ j,, Oon. u • ^,f tbc beavcn not-y(b:.-V-^'^;-^. , l,,,a., tbat ^;^;^,„ of all tbe ,,a tbc cavlb, aro >n aircci ^^^^^ ^^^„,,^ ,„ust ,,a :'vLes ana l^-^:)^:: X..!^, .. tbc ^^^-^^:.., a.er L.etbesan.e.nc..^^^- ^^^^,,,„ -- -^; ^.^als ov^^^- — '^"'''Vttl.(^v: and. ^^j-^^^'; ^ ,,., crc.tcd w,t^«vn the creations .)f ^'^.^ ^.^^^^.f, stvb- tbcuv-^^^ ,„entioned m tbon wben \ laul . ^^^^^^^^,f f,,ten d o ^^^^ ,^i ,, ,re tbc f-'"*'^ ;.,^ thcnu.rninf^ f '"\"'\ - \Vbicb passage tho sous ol ^ou 32 clearly proves, that the stellar system was not created on the fourth (lay of the Mosaic account of the creation." Tiicse words in Job are evidently fiijjurative, and to be so under- stood ; for wtars do not vtrhalh/ and am/l/ilij sing. Again must be opposed to the Professor, his elder and superior brother in tlieohsgy and science, — Dr. Clarke, — who says, on the passage: "This must refer to some intelligent beings, who existed before the creation of the heavens and earth : and it is supposed that this and the follow ing clause refer to the san)e beings ; that by the Sons of G'o(f, and the moi-niiKj Ktrirs, the angelic host is meant; as they are supposed to be Jlrst, though, i)erhaps. not chief iti the order of creation. For the latter clause, the Vhalilci' has—' All the troops of Angels.' I'erhapa their creation maybe inclndc I in the term — hi'diuns. Gen. i. 1.: • Tn the beginning God created the heavens and the eartli.' These witnessed the progress of the creation ; and when (Jod had linishcd his work, celebrated his wisdom and power in the highest strains." In Kev. i. 2il the Seven Angels, or bishops of the seven churches, are, by our liord, Jt'iaratiiu-hi called Starx ; and in eh. xxii. Mi, he rails himself, — " The bright and morning star.'* The Professor's comments on the remaining parts of (Jen. i. do not, here, call for any notice or remark, as they seem to be in accord- ance with the uae meaning of the texts. 12. Portions of the Scripture-;, which servo to refute the Pro- t'essor's Theory, of several separate periods of Creation, with long intervals between them. Of these Scriptures, in due order, may first be cited the following in (Jen., ch. ii. 2.'}: "And on the seventh day (>od ended his work which he had made ; and lie rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And (tod blessed the seventh day, and sanctilied it, because, that in it he had rested froiu all his works, which God created and made." Tliese jjassage" are insi)ired truth ; and tlicy cannot possibly be made to agree with the Professor's theory, of separate periods of creation, but are in direct ojjposition to it. Here, the Professor has the original word, /xtrfi, — created, which he has contended was so absolutelv requisite, and was wanting in the passages ns to the crea- tion of the sun, UKJon, and stars, on "the fourth day.'' The texts say, that Gt)d cndt'il and rcgtcd " the sc\enth day from all his work works iS. which he created and made." But this cannot be true, according to the Professor's adopted theory, of tu'entij-nine cata.stro|)hes, and new creations ; which would involve and include as many periods of work, and instead of one rest from work, the whole 2!) times of rest also ; that is, one at the close of each of the new creations, rroiii the two words creati'il and male being employed, it may bo concluded, that created is intended to apply to the calling into existence the elements or bubstances required, and as mentioned in the first verse of ch i., and that the word nmde, more particularly relates to the several dis- tinct works and formatioTis, which immediately and consecutively followed during the six days. The above passages are in express agreement with the text in Exod. xx, which says : " For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.'' The following passages in Heb. iv. 3, 4, are even more pointed and expressive in showing that the whole work of creation was commenced and completed within the six days : — " For we which have believed do enter into rest, as lie saiil, as I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest ; although the works were finished from the foun- dation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, — And (iod did rest the seventh day from all his works." Had the Professor forgotten these passages, or did he purposely omit to notice them ? The words. " Although the works were fin- ished from the foundation of the world," are alone sufBcient to de- stroy his whole theory of several separate and renewed creations. The word ^'■fonndntlon" evidently means the calling into existence the material elements or substances, as mentioned in the first verse of Genesis. The Professor himself has givcii it this meaning in his re- marks on Job xxxviii. 4-7, contanicd in a previous page. And the words *' from,"' and " finished,*' as manifestly show that immediately fjllowing that foundation, — the creation of the elements, — the divine work went forward, and wn*^ finish id within the sis days, and so, as verse 4 here, and as (Jen. ii. 2:^ also declare, " (rod did rest the seventh day from nil his work." The word, /Vrj?H, denotesi mmediate procession, siiccessio)i. Dr. A. Clarke makes the following remarks on thcae passages : " The foundation of the worl I,'' (he gives the Greek words), means the completion of the work of creation in six days. In those days was the w orld, i. e., the whole system of mundane things beg:un and perfected. ♦ • * The certain place or some- where is probably (ien. ii. 2, and refers to the completion of the work of creation." All the foregoing Scriptures are in perfect agreement on the sub- ject, and they most manifestly prove that there was no lapse of time, or protracted cessation in the Divine operations, be- tween the first act of creation and the completion of the whole of the earthly and heavenly system. All were commenced and finished within the six days, as the inspi'-ed Scriptures so repeatedly declare. Infidels, and speculative geologists, and other naturalists may frame their vain schemes and syatems. and may differ among themselves as they have always been doing, but the word of the Lord must and will infallibly abide and prevail. The truth or falsity of the theory which has here been reviewed and exposed, must depend upon the testimony of Scripture concerning Creation. Nothing in that inspired authority having the least sem- blance of proof in favor of the theory has ever been shown,but the wl.jle current of that authority is directly against it, as has just been made fully apparent. The writer of these pages, therefore, feels a confi- dence in saying, that he challenges Professor llirschfelder, and all others, either in this city or elsewhere, who believe in this theory, to produce a single passage of Scripture to support it, or afford it the least countenance. Let some of them make the attempt, and a Scripturally instructed and intelligent people will judge and decide on the subject. But. whether the solemn undertaking is entered upon or declined, it will be prudent and proper for e.; rl. and all of them to ponder deeply the inspired prohibitory warning in Prov. xxx.: " Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." t;. ...:% 11 t-