476 Archaia, 



regard on the one hand to the claims and influence of the venerable 

 Book of God, and on the other to the rights and legitimate results of 

 modern scientific inquiry." (page 14.) 



After this we have a most valuable chapter on the " objects, 

 character and authority " of the scriptural views of the physical 

 phenomena of the world, in which are discussed with much fullness 

 and force questions that lie within the domain of what in modern 

 times is called Biblical Prolegomena. Every point is looked at 

 with the eye of a Christian Naturalist, Topics of weighty im- 

 portance are here introduced to the reader which do not generally 

 come within the range of ordinary reading, and are presented in 

 such relations as to interest and impress the mind. The regions 

 of esoteric debate which though mainly interesting to scholars and 

 belonging to a kind of third heaven of religious culture, are here 

 opened up in many of their practical bearings upon religious faith. 

 Attentive readers will we are persuaded rise from the perusal of 

 this part of " Archaia " with a more profound reverence for the 

 sacred volume, and with minds refreshed and enlarged with far- 

 reaching and beautiful aspects of its cosmical truths. Of many 

 passages marked for quotation we present the following as worthy 

 of note : — 



" The references to nature in the Bible, however, and especially in its 

 poetical books, far exceed the absolute requirements of the reasons above 

 stated ; and this leads to another and very interesting view, namely, the 

 tendency of monotheism to the development of truthful and exalted 

 ideas of nature. The Hebrew theology allowed no attempt at visible 

 representations of the Creator or of his works for purposes of worship. 

 It thus to a great extent prevented that connection of imitative art with 

 religion which flourished in heathen antiquity, and has been introduced 

 into certain forms of Christianity. But it cultivated the higher arts of 

 poetry and song, and taught them to draw their inspiration from nature 

 as the on\y visible revelation of Deity. Hence the growth of a healthy 

 " physico-theology," excluding all idolatry of natural phenomena, but 

 inviting to their examination as manifestations of God, and leading to 

 conceptions of the unity of plan in the cosmos, of which polytheism, 

 even in its highest literary efforts, was quite incapable. In the same 

 manner the Bible has always proved itself an active stimulant of natural 

 science, connecting such studies, as it does, with our higher religious 

 sentiments ; while polytheism and materialism have acted as repressive 

 influences, the one because it obscures the unity of nature, the other 

 because, in robbing it of its presiding Divinity, it gives it a cold and 

 repulsive, corpse-like aspect, chilling to the imagination, and incapable 

 of attracting the general mind." (page 19.) 



