Religious essays

Preface

In this volume there is made an attempt to respond to the demands of doubt and unbelief in offering a solution to the difficulties contained in the first three chapters of Genesis. The admitted failure of the thought of every age to explain this work has encouraged certain modern critics to relegate all this lore to the uncertainty of mythology. This is one of those glaring generalitnies This doctrine with its unfortunate consequences is no vain imagination, but has evidently gone abroad among many of the ministry. An effort has been made to restore these problems to a legitimate position in faith and thought.

The problems of Genesis have heretofore almost completely rejected all solicitations for solution. The solution of the problem of the River of Paradise, with the location of the garden, will doubtless assume a unique position in this work. The problem, according to common acceptation, is thirty-five centuries old and has remained a mystery baffling all attempts at solution. The mystic character of Eden has seemed greatly to stimulate poetic imagination. This mysterious character does not apply so much to the principles of the apostolic church, yet much of this subject is exceedingly evasive. These principles have been thought worthy of more attention than any other.

Social conditions resulting in levity, vice and religious indifference receive earnest attention in which it is intended to affect radically the attitude of the church toward these relations.

It is hoped that the reader will not become discouraged if he meets with difficulties in the comments on Genesis 1. The discussion will become less abstruse as the reader advances.

If this work receives a reasonable approbation from the church, the writer will feel greatlv rewarded.

FRANCIS M. FABKETt.

Chapter I. The Mjobaho Cosmioqony

There are people who say that there is no need of spending time in trying to find out ihow things came to exist, or to try to learn how things were created. In general, however, the contrary is true. A desire to explain the creation of the world and what it contains is a part of the history of all cultivated peoples.

A desire, then, to know the creation is a concomitant of an intelligent people. Since the first chapter of the Bible is an acounit of the creation, the desire for this kind of light is supposed to belong to devout people and nations under gospel influence make the greatest progress in this kind of work. Therefore, the study of creation is not only a part of our intelligence but a part of our religion as well. Certainly, its comparative value to one's spirituality is small, yet it forms a part of it.

Examinations of this subject have apparently proceeded along two distinct lines, which may be distinguished as scientific and documentary.

Scientific research depends chiefly on Astronomy and Geology and the documentary investigations depend upon the cosmogonies of various nations.

The conclusions of science are of comparatively recent date, while the cosmogonies originated in the most remote antiquity. Then how could it be expected that a

8 RELIGIOUS HSSA/YiS.

cosmogony so ancient should harmonize with modern science, unless upon conditions yet to be mentioned? Since it is conceded that man was last created, how could he give a credible account of what happened before he was created ? If a cosmogony has any value, it must originate with some one who was present in the creative acts. This explains how the Bible accounts came to be written. 'God is the only one who, we know, was present and he gave it to man. The record in the first chapter of the Bible is itself proof of this, as will be shown further on.

Then there are two things necessary to make a cosmogony available. 1st, It must be what the orthodox call inspired. It must be an inspired document. 2nd, It must be understood and properly interpreted.

The first condition is filled by the Bible account of creation. In the second condition it appears that this account has not been fully interpreted and the object of this work is to try to explain, in the main, its significance.

The cosmogonist calls attention to the similarity between the Babylonian and Hebrew cosmogonies, but it seems that this similarity should not appear strange when it is remembered that the Jews were in captivity in Babylon seventy years. The sudden rise of Daniel to prominence in the royal courts of the Chaldeans would impress the religious literature of Babylon. There are also evidences of intimate relations long prior to this event.

The Mosaic cosmogony is the Biblical account of creation contained in the first chapter of Genesis. Evident-

THE M10SAIC COSMOGONY 9

ly the principal object of this account is to describe the creation of man. Bevektion agrees with science in that the creation of man practically closes the work of creation. In fact, the general agreement between science and revelation is surprising. It certainly seems unaccountable that a writer so ancient and yet unfamiliar with modern science should describe the earth as formerly covered with water and that subsequently dry land appeared, while on the other hand geology teaches the same to be true. Ancient writers were doubtless acquainted with the Mosaic account of creation and adopted the thought. And still more strange it appears, when it is considered that the Hebrew writers were not scientific, neither were they chronological in their historical accounts.

Therefore it is concluded that the Biblical account of creation does not permit of chronological interpretation according to the canonical readings, or that it was intended to describe any geological eras. Yet the description is faithful to the truth as taught by science.

The Chapter contains three divisions. (1.) From the beginning to the close of the chaotic period, v. 1-2 ; (2.) From the beginning to the close of the creation of the vegetable kingdom, v. 3-13. This period begins with the creation of light which was at the beginning; and (3.) From creation of sun, etc., to close of the creation of the animal kingdom, v. 14-28. The third division begins later than the other divisions. See diagram at end of chapter.

The first twenty-eight verses describe the creation of the universe, closing with the creation of man. The first

10 KiELlGTOUjS ESSAYS.

thirteen verses describe the preparation of the earth for organic life and the creation of the vegetable kingdom. There is a prelude of five verses, describing the creation of light. In the next fifteen verses the author goes back to the creation of lights (not light) and describes the creation of the animal kingdom, having, as before, a prelude of five verses describing the creation of lights. It is apparent that the author refers to the creation of lights as a marker to show that he returns to a time in creation prior to the creation of organic life; for the vegetable kingdom had already been created and brought down to its present state of perfection, "The herb yielding seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit" (v. 11), a thing unthinkable without the heat and light of the sun. This paragraph contains the key to the interpretation. Hence it is seen that the scientific order is followed in narrating the creation of the vegetable kingdom first and ascending from a lower to a higher order of life.

It will be observed also that the first thirteen verses are divided into three days and the next fifteen verses are divided into three days. There are three days devoted to the time of the creation of the vegetable kingdom and three days devoted to the time of the completion of the creation of the animal kingdom. See diagram at end of chapter.

Thus the first thirteen verses and the next fifteen verses form a synchronism, or two synchronous parallels. 'The first parallel has the first three days and the second! parallel has the next three days. The first day in each, parallel describes the creation of light. The second day in the first parallel described the division of the firmament and the earth was still covered with water. The second day in the second parallel the waters were commanded to "Bring forth abundantly the moving creatures." It should be observed here that the waters (not the land) were to bring forth life, for dry land had not yet appeared. This was on the fifth canonical day. In the third day of the first parallel, dry land appeared and in the third day of the second parallel the earth (and not the waters) was commanded to "bring forth the living creatures."

Reviewing now it is seen that the first day in each parallel, the first and fourth canonical days was occupied in the creation of light and lights. The second day in each parallel, the second and fifth canonical days, was occupied in the creation in water, there being no dry land. The third day in each parallel, the third and sixth canonical days, wa6 devoted to the creation on dry land but not in water. Here the creation of vegetable and animal life proceeded together on land.

There are three great periods: 1st, The creation of light and lights; 2nd, Creation in water and 3rd, Creation on land. The author also makes known the plan of the creation of celestial orbs as the source of light and by the opacity of the earth made day and night possible. If light had been a universal force there could have been no night.

In the first parallel, that part of creation which is not sentient, the vegetable kingdom, is described and that part of creation which is not sentient is only affected by light in development and growth, but the creation

12 RELIGIOUS AiSlSAYS.

of sentient life described in the second parallel consists of organisms capable of ocular apprehension and therefore orbs are described as the source of light.

It is shown by the nebular hypothesis that light existed before the sun and moon. Revelation seems to support this hypothesis for light is mentioned first and separately; or in other words, the creation of the sun and moon as the sources of light to the earth, succeeded the creation of light. And also on the second day of the first parallel the creation of the firmament was succeeded by the creation of life in the seas. This was on the second day of the second parallel (5th day). On the third day of the first parallel, land appeared which was succeeded, on the third day of the second parallel (6th day), by the creation of animal life on the land.

It is seen, then, that the first day in the first parallel was succeeded by the first day in the second parallel and the second day in the first parallel was succeeded by the second day in the second parallel and the third day in the first parallel was succeeded by the third day in the second parallel. Therefore, the acts of creation described in the first parallel (days 1, 2, and 3) are antecedent to the corresponding acts of creation in the second parallel (days 4, 5 and 6). The acts of creation in the second parallel are concatenated sequents of the acts of creation in the first parallel. The antecedents are independent acts. The sequents are dependent on the antecedents.

The chronological reading, then, would be as follows : Read the first day and then the fourth day; read the second and then the fifth day; read the third day and then the sixth day. According to this arrangement fowls were created before dry land appeared. This is according to geology, for the continents could not be called dry land until the cenozoic time. But fowls are known to have existed long before this time. The first land evidently appeared as marshes and remained so for a great length of time, which was inhabited by reptiles and birds. It is seen at the present time that birds are very numerous about marshes.

Since the antecedent and sequent days were to an indefinite extent co-ordinate in time, the work of one day proceeded more or less with its corresponding antecedent or sequent day. It is not inconsistent, then, to assume that the work of the fifth day extended into the work of the third day. The creation of the fowls was the last work of the fifth day and', it may be assumed, proceeded after some or all the dry land had appeared.

According to geology, vertebrates were created in the following order of time : 1st, Fishes ; 2nd, Eeptiles ; 3rd, Birds ; 4th, Mammals. The reptiles found prior to birds were amphibious and may be classed with the creation in water. Then there is the same order found in the Bible account as given by geologists. The scientific accuracy of the Mosaic account in placing birds before the creation of mammals is remarkable.

(Let it be noticed that the creation recorded in Genesis is only an account of the creation of the perceptible universe, without reference to other modes of creation or other establishm.ents. We must conceive of God as! infinite and omniscient and can only with propriety asscribe to Him more modes of creation and more crea-

14 RiEIil'GIiOUlS ESSAYS.

tions than one and by their limitations and correspondence to the physical universe only, human beings are unable to perceive or conceive of any such things. The Bible is beneficient in that it contains glimpses of these unexplored domains. Paul was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words 1 which it was impossible for man to utter. 2 Cor. 12-4.

Here it is seen that in this paradise which is an impossible cognition in one's present state, the modes of com/munieation are also imrpossible for our comprehension. So that if one should rise from the dead, he can communicate nothing of his experience. Therefore, it is a narrow philosophy which determines that the physical universe is the only abode of intelligences. Then, how perfect and reasonable the doctrine that "We have a building of <God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Cor. 5 :1.

TRANSPOSITION.

Genesis I.

FIRST DAT.

1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.

4. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

5. And God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first da}\

FOURTH DAY.

14. And 'God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years.

15. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so.

16. And 'God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser Hgiht to rule the night : he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.

18. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

19. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

SECOND DAY.

6. And God said, Let there he a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7. And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament ; and it was so.

8. And Cod called the firmament Heaven, and the evening and the morning were the second day.

FIFTH DAY.

20. And God said, Let the waters 'bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

16 EEJLIGIOUS ESSAYS.

21. And Ood created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind; and every winged fowl after his kind ; and God saw that it was good.

22. And 'God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

THIRD DAY.

9. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so.

10. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas ; and God saw that it was good.

11. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so.

12. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb, yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind; and God saw that it was good.

13. And the evening and the morning were the third day.

SIXTH DAY.

24. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping things and beasts of the earth after his kind ; and it was so.

25. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that ereepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God sawthat it was good.

26. And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness ; and let them 'have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that ereepeth upon the earth.

27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he Mm; male and female created he them.

'28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29. And God said, Behold, I 'have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree, yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that ereepeth upon the earth wherein is life, I have given every green herb for meat ; and it was so.

31. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the' morning were the sixth day.

'It is seen that the above transposition co-ordinates the order of geology.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The creation of organic life began in the water before there was dry land and was then transferred to dry land. Gen. 1. Geology also teaches this.

The division of time called a day evidently was not meant for a solar or calendar day, for three days are mentioned before the creation of the sun which was to measure the day. The day is an indefinite period of time occupied in creation.

The material here found which has fed the eosmogonical tree of the world for ages probably originated among godly men before the deluge and was developed according to the divine plan to edify men of all ages.

It seems worthy of remark that it is considered proved that the Mosaic account of creation, originally was not divided into days. These divisions were subsequently introduced.

"And God saw that it was good." Gen. 1. This expression is called the "eulogy." It is said of the different acts of creation. It exhibits the devout spirit of the writer. It show9 the altruistic in the creative acts. Take, as an example, the creation of light and consider the great good that is enjoyed on account of it. Without light life on the gldbe would be impossible. If the dif-

NOTES AND COMMENTS. 19

ferent acts of creation are considered in like manner one can see that the eulogy is highly appropriate.

The orthodox doctrine of inspiration explains how this marvelous composition came to be written, for how could the writer be consistent with modern science without a knowledge of modern science. It is clear that no man acquainted with modern science would compose a document such as the first chapter of Genesis. It follows that if the author had the advantage of science he would not have written such a document; that is, it would have been no more natural then than now. Therefore, the conclusion is reached that the author was not acquainted with the science of geology and the writing was supernatural, unless he knew science but expressed science in language suitable for all times and all peoples. But this would not have been natural. The author knew not geology.

It is easily inferred from the natural conditions of the earth's surface, that the earth was once an incandescent and self-luminous body but cooled and became opaque. But the heat filled the atmosphere with steam and vapor which no ray of light could penetrate. Any one having had experience with an ocean fog can see this argument very clearly. Consequently, "darkness was upon the face of the deep/' Gen. 1 :2. These conditions were accompanied by tremendous atmospheric commotion, which was when c< ihe spirit (winds) of God moved upon the face of the waters." This is the divine expression of notable physical conditions.

The darkness "upon the face of the deep," as suggested, began when the earth became opaque and ended in what is, in geology, known as the 'Cambrian era, when the oldest known fossils, representing the earliest life, were deposited. At this time the first fossil, trilobites, showing that they had eyes, are found, which could not have been until there was light. Fossils of blind trilobites are found in the same formation which must have existed before those having eyes and while there was darkness. So the time and bounds of the darkness spoken of in Gen. 1 :2, is fixed. Genesis here explains the facts of science. The first trilobites having eyes had large and well developed eyes because they existed in a dim light as the light came on slowly.

It has recently been suggested that some kind of annihilation destroyed all life on the globe just before the creation of Adam and then followed the literal six days creation. But life on the earth could not have existed prior to such a castrophe without the sun and the creation of the sun was a part of the six days' work. The appearance of dry land was also a part of the six days'* work without which all the fossil remains could not have existed. The purpose of the above suggestion is to admit the argument for a long period of time indicated by the existence of the fossil remains in the earth's surface and still admit a literal interpretation. The subterfuge is not admissible. But it has been well said that there has been one such catastrophe, the deluge, and we are warned that the present race will terminate by another catastrophe and is it not reasonable to assume that there were others in prior ages ?

It is familiar history that prior to the time of Coper-

N TES AND COMMENT S. 2 1

nicus, about three hundred years ago, the earth was regarded as the center of the universe and therefore the central figure of creation. It is seen that it was necessary that the Mosaic account of creation should appear consistent with this view. To do this and conceal its application to science, is a mystery of this scripture. Even at the present time many people are more edified by the superficial reading.

It seems reasonable that the word "day" as applied in Gen. 1, has a significance similar to the word "time" as applied in geology, signifying a long period of creation. The word has such a variety of uses in the scriptures that it seems useless, as well as unreasonable to attempt to assign to it a literal signification in this case. It has a prophetic use, sometimes representing historical periods and even is applied to events in the future life. Matt. 7:22 and 26 :29.

'What statement of a fact could be more clear or more positive than the following:

"Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so." Gen. 1. This fact is clearly taught by geology.

Observe the statement of the relation of the waters to the heaven or firmament. It is the waters under the heaven. The waters above may not he gathered together, but when it falls to the earth in rain it still follows the command and is gathered to the seas. How did the author know that at one time the waters were not divided by a firmament ?

In this exposition of Genesis 1, it is not intended to

22 RELIGIOUS BSSAjYIS.

interfere with views holding to a literal interpretation, but for those believing in a scientific cosmogony.

One cannot claim to know all that the first chapter of 'Genesis was intended to teach, hut enough can be known to justify the conclusion that the author knew the facts of creation and knew them clearly and that, that knowledge is verified by the conclusions of science so far as those conclusions are correct. It is further concluded that that conclusion cannot be humanized or mythologized.

It is seen from the foregoing that two interpretations are admissible in Gen. 1 :3. It can be made to represent the primeval and inherent light of matter or may be interpreted to mean the light that succeeded the darkness on the earth's surface.

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Chapter II. The Mosaic Cosmogony

The second chapter of 'Genesis is a work in which Josephus says Moses (becomes enigmatic, allegorical and philosophical. Josephus was born in 37 A. D. and must have written toward the close of the apostolic period. At that time he knew of no explanation of the meaning of these scriptures. A modern authority says of Eden : "The passage in which its geographical position seems to be indicated (Gen. 2, 8-14) has been from the earliest times the subject of a discussion as ingenious and elaborate as it has been fruitless." Probably the best theories thus far advanced place the garden on the Euphrates River. But according to the above quotation none of the theories is worthy of serious consideration. It is certainly true that none has proved acceptable.

The second chapter begins by saying that the creation was "finished" "the heaven and the earth and all the host of them/' and at once begins a history of a part) of the same or another creation. A change of manner or style between the first and second chapters of Genesis has been noticed 1 by Josephus and other Bible students. This difference seems to appear in verse four of the second chapter. A prominent feature pointed out is the Change of the name of tfhe creator from God to

Lord ! God. It is held that the change indicates that, the two cosmogonies were written by two different authors and compiled by a subsequent redactor.

Undoubtedly it is all written by one author who gives an account of the creation and then takes up the history of the generations of Adam, based on records already extant. This implies a chain of inspired men from Adam down to Enoch and Noah. The book of the gen-i erations of Adam ('Gen. 5) must have descended from Adam to Noah where it ends and remained in the possession of Noah's descendants. The cosmogonieal record in the first chapter changes to a field work record in the second chapter. In the first chapter it is said, "And God made the beast of the earth." In the second chapter it is said, "And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field." In the first chapter the earth brought forth vegetation. In the second we have the plant and! herb of the field. It is plant and beast of the "earth" in Gen. 1, and plant and beast of the field in Gen. 2. Adam was to be the father of an agricultural race as distinguished from the hunting and fishing characteristics of the so-called prehistoric man. An agricultural people always eliminates all other people. Adam was placed in the garden where he learned •the nature of plants and then sent forth to -till the ground. After the flood Noah became a husbandman or tiller of the ground. The second creation has a domestic character. It seems that the second chapter is only concerned in the description of life on the land, not inanimate objects or life in the seas. On that account it is said to be fragmentary.