the positions taken. But the points for a probable disagreement are few, and will constantly grow less as the student proceeds. Even then, if not fully removed, the greater portion of the lessons will be held beyond value. All of which are respectfully commended to the church of the Lord Jesus by the PUBLISHERS. NOTICE This book is an octavo of five hundred pages, printed on tinted paper, and illustrated by engravings, some of which are colored, showing the carboniferous period. Sold only by agents. Four dollars in currency, sent by mail or express, to Rev. J. M. Woodman, Chico, California, will secure a copy, post paid, and sent anywhere within the United States. AUTHOR. 1 The love of knowledge is intuitive. It may is a direct conflict, but only with unsupported be seen in the numerous ethical and philo- assumptions. Hypothesis says again that the sophical questions, proceeding alike from first rock was'fire-made, (a statement inconsischildhood and age, from the untutored savage tent with the known rift of granite), while Job, and the sage. Three questions, viz: Whence David and Solomon speak of the foundation matter? whence motion? whence life? have stone of earth as "sinking in the sea, and resting occupied the attention of men of all ages, and upon the water." Prov. 8:25,29. No well exof all degrees of civilization. plained phenomenon of earth contradicts the Bible statement of a watery center; but there is much to disprove the fire theory. The savage races have thrown their answers into mythical tales of creation, while the enlightened philosopher frequently attempts an answer by HYPOTHESIS OF HIS OWN. These ever recurring questions, in the face of such signal efforts to settle them forever, now by this, and then by that philosophy, suggests the need of help from Him who has understanding in all things, and without whom nothing was made that was made. The apparent conflict between science and the Bible, is either in a bad rendering of Scriptural language, or it is with the assumptions of men. The facts of science are every day aiding to a better interpretation of the prophetic sayings. On the other hand, the utter inability of science to answer WHENCE MATTER? Whence motion? Whence life? shows the necessity of a divine revelation. That God has From any scientific hypothesis that can be met this want in man, by communicating to named, untold ages of the changes of matter some of his servants these sublime answers, must have passed, before a geological trace was showing the grand outlines of creation, while left for man's observation. Hence the need he has left the petty details to be filled up by that Inspiration should span this gap. As man, we think, the facts of science and revelasumption, founded upon mere conjecture, un- tion show. Such an outline is found in the supported by existing phenomena, or a single first poem and oldest book in the world-the fact, is worth but little. Between the facts and book of Job. Here, as a reward for his integrithe hypotheses of science, we must make a ty, under the most complicated temptation, it close distinction. Between the former and the is evident that God filled him with wisdom Bible, we shall have no essential conflict of and descriptive understanding of not only the statement. But this cannot be said of the lat-fauna of to-day, but carried him, in vision, ter. The assumptions of men, touching the creation, are plainly opposed to the HAND-WRITING OF GOD. Hypothesis says our globe was a red-hot mass, thrown off by the centrifugal motion of the sun. As a prophet of God, Moses declared that the Lord showed it to him when it was "without form, (i. e. ether) and void, and dark ness was upon the face of the deep." Here is a conflict, but not with any known fact. Hypothesis 'says that the crust of the earth rests upon a molten sea of lava. The Bible says THE OCEAN BEARS UP THE LAND. Peter declares "the earth was made standing in the water, and out of the water." 2 Pt. 3:5. David sang of the earth "founded upon the seas and established upon the floods." Ps. 24:2. Here back and forward over those geologic periods. numbered only by millions of years. He was permitted to see the laying of the corner-stone of the earth as it sank in the water. Job 38:6. He was taken back to where, and when, THE MORNING STARS sang together. Verse 7. He was taken forward to the historic flood, to the "breaking of the decreed place," as the waters issued from beneath the earth's crust as though "issuing from a womb." Verse 8. He was again taken to the time when the earth was swathed in a band of CARBONIC ACID GAS, Before the carboniferous period. Verse 9. He went forward again to where God re-arranged the currents of the ocean, and set bars and doors. Verses 10, 11. He beheld the globes it hangs an oblate spheroid "upon nothing," Job 26:7, and the light striking both poles as it passes the equinoxes, turning upon its axis, as clay turns to the mould upon the potter's wheel. Job 38: 13, 14. Again he was taken back to the primeval deep, where one portion lay covered by a united land hemisphere, "as with a stone." Verse 30. Here he beheld one pole of earth, so pointed to the sun as to con stitute the land hemisphere a "dwelling place for light," while the water hemisphere was a "house for darkness," verse 19. He was enabled to see how God changed the "paths of the lightning of the thunder," as he removed the former pole, locally upon the earth, two thousand miles to the north, and pointed the earth as a huge magnet to the north star instead of the sun. Verses 25, 13, 19. He observed the distinction between the special providence of God, as seen in the origin of matter, motion and life, on the one hand, and the supply of their wants, under due course of established law, on the other. Verses 31, 41; also, Job, 39. Here the poet-prophet proposed to stop speaking, but God would have him carry his zoological observations into the past. He must go into the Tertiary period, and observe behemoth, as a specimen of those gigantia of mammals, which, with the shells, fruits and trees of earth, show at that time, that the whole land was entirely within a tropical clime. Passing down through the Chalk, he observed with the greatest minuteness, the size, habits and appearance of leviathan, as the Icthyosaurus of science. Job, 41. Having uttered these sublime truths, Job hastened to give the credit to God, as he knew nothing of these mighty subjects himself. Job, 42:3. Moses must have possessed THIS SUBLIME POEM In the desert. He arranged these poetic fragments into a grand system of six periods. Each advancing morning was preceded by its inferior condition of matter, called evening. The changes of matter are divided into six geological days, including all measured time Thus the unformed ether, upon which brooded primeval darkness, was called night, or the evening of all matter. The starting of all matter in motion by the the Spirit of God, giving only the focus of systems, surrounded by a circle of planetary matter, (Prov. 8:27,) was called THE FIRST MORNING. Matter was not yet shaped to give the measurement of twenty-four hours, the earth being "without form and void." No allusion is made to time in the Mosaic account of creation. While the first day probably includes, at least, one complete revolution of our sun around the grand center, which takes over eighten million of years, still reference is made to conditions of matter, and may be called the FORMATIVE SUN Period. In the second day, we have, evolving from a great circle of primitive gas, thirty planets, that revolve about our own sun. Still, Moses gives the particulars of only ours, and to the end confines his observations to this globe. The third period may be called COMBINATION DAY, As, during this period were deposited thirty miles of non fossiliferous rock, running up into the Silurian and OLD RED SANDSTONE, Bearing the remains of a low order of plants. The Fourth, during which were deposited our coal-beds and our oil-wells, cleared the atmosphere, so that the sun, moon, and stars, for the first time, shone upon the earth. This may be called PURIFICATION DAY. The fifth was an organic development-day, beginning with ganoid and placoid fish, and ending the morning with the gigantia of mammals. Gen. 1:21 In the latter part of the Tertiary, God created the beasts of the Forest, which stand for our evening. The cattle existed in the Drift. In the Alluvium, God made man as the finishing period, and he still is the CROWNING MORNING Of Creation. Science may have suggested this interpretation, but it nevertheless is natural and easy. It now seems that the subjects treated of, circumstances surrounding, as well as language given, bear no other. Science has been a hand-maid to religion, but inspiration alone can dispel the darkness of her blunders. "If they speak not in accord ance with this word it is because there is no truth in them." EXPLANATION OF FRONTISPIECE. Christ is seen weighing his life against law, under the emblem of blood, balancing the ta ble of commandments. Christ's human life met all claims of humanity. It becomes the ideal of all who would come to God. It is the only door to the grace of God, emblemized by rays of light, emerging from the bread held in his right hand. Two forms of religion have ever opposed the reign of Cbrist, viz: Paganism and Legalism. The one is represented paying obeisance to the sun, the other under a yoke of bondage." In the repose of opposite natures may be seen the power of the gospel over the human heart. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE READER. You will, doubtless, first READ this book. Do not attempt to read the questions, as they connect only through the answers when used as a text book. UNIVERSITY CALIFOR THE BEING AND EXISTENCE OF GOD. LESSON I. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."-Heb. 11: 6. INTRODUCTION. 1. Atheism is a negative opinion; simply a disbelief in the existence of God. 2. Dualism is the belief in two gods. 3. Polytheism is the belief in many gods. 4. Deism accepts the idea of a God, but rejects the doctrine of any special revelation. 5. Christianity accepts the revelation of God in nature, not as exhaustive, but preparatory to one more extended, whenever needed. Also, that God has met the wants of sinful man by a special revelation of himself. 6. Atheism is the cold unwelcome conclusion to which all forms of skepticism upon the Bible seem drifting. 7. It behooves us, therefore, to fortify the mind in reference to Theism. |