THE HOLY WORD OF GOD DEFENDED FROM ITS ASSAILANTS. BY THE REV. JOSEPH BAYLEE, D. D., PRINCIPAL OF ST. AIDAN'S THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE, BIRKENHEAD. "The words of the Lord are pure words."-PSALM XII. 6. LIVERPOOL: ADAM HOLDEN, (LATE W. Grapel.) LONDON: ARTHUR HALL AND CO. 1857. 188. C. 42. PREFACE. THREE thousand three hundred years have passed away since God delivered to men, by the hand of his servant Moses, an exact account of the creation of the universe, and of the six days' work. From age to age that divine record has been the admiration of truly scientific and devout minds, and the object of relentless attack from infidels. Ill instructed zeal in its favour has obscured its simple majesty by mistaken comments. We are not, however, to confound the inspired words with human comments upon them. Half a century since, these mistaken expositions led many earnest Christians to denounce the conclusions of Geology as contrary to the divine word. A more accurate scientific knowledge, united to a more accurate acquaintance with what the Word of God really says, has long since silenced those objections to Natural Science. A similar result has taken place amongst the better instructed class of scientific men. On both sides, however, there are still to be found men who either continue in old prejudices or fall into new ones. Occasionally we find the truth of the Bible obscured by erroneous expositions both of Geology and Revelation. Still more frequently do we meet with scientific men who have paid no adequate attention to the teaching of Scripture. Forgetting how often men of science have misinterpreted natural phenomena, they would fain hold the Scriptures themselves accountable for the misinterpretations of their expositors. We demand the same justice for the Word of God that we do for the works of God. From age to age the devout students of both are rewarded by a deeper insight into their wonder. ful teaching and harmony. A Lecture was recently delivered in Liverpool on "Genesis and Geology," in which the long and justly exploded theory was attempted to be maintained, that the iv. six days were six indefinite periods. To suit this theory, incorrect statements were made of geological phenomena. This naturally gave rise to criticism in the public papers, and one gentleman unhappily identified the Bible with the misinterpretation of its expositor, and asserted "that the facts of Geology contradict the Mosaic narrative." I felt it a duty, as well as an honour, to come forward in defence of God's Holy Word, and I publicly called upon its assailant for the grounds of his assertion. The result was the correspondence which forms the second part of this little volume. In the meantime I published a small Geological Tract, proving the harmony between Scripture and Science. This Tract forms the first part of this volume. To the second part I have appended a few notes. The third part consists of an Appendix, treating more at length of some connected subjects. If in scientific matters I have ventured to differ from eminent Geologians, I think I have given such reasons for doing so as will satisfy all intelligent and candid readers that I have not done so without assigning reasons which demand at least patient examination. If in Hebrew criticism I have advanced some new statements, I have the satisfaction of knowing that they have obtained the assent of profound Hebrew scholars. They are the result of years of patient and painstaking inquiry. If in theological questions I have made new statements, I have the still greater satisfaction of knowing that they are in harmony with the faith of the universal Church of Christ, while they enlarge the boundaries of her knowledge. This is in accordance with the promise which our Lord gives to the diligent and prayerful student of His Word: "Every scribe which is instructed into the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." Matt. xiii. 52. Reader, pray that the perusal of this volume may make Christ more precious to you, through the better understanding of His Holy Word. ST. AIDAN'S, FEB. 16TH, 1857. JOSEPH BAYLEE. MOSES AND HIS MISINTERPRETERS. SIMPLE as is the distinction between an author and his commentators, the two are constantly confounded, by writers who cavil at the Bible, and by a far more respectable class, who have so identified certain interpretations with the Scriptures, that the distinction between them is practically lost. A distinguished Oxford professor, the Rev. Baden Powell, from whose acute mind and eminently logical powers one might have expected better things, contents himself with a sweeping assertion that it is impossible to reconcile the Hebrew narrative of the cosmogony with the facts of science. An equally distinguished dissenting minister, Dr. Pye Smith, laid down the monstrous theory that Moses was not writing in accordance with science, but only endeavouring to convey to an ill-educated people higher ideas of the greatness and majesty of God. It would be endless to recapitulate all the theories that have been put forward, from time to time, in order to har |