352 ORGANIC EVOLUTION CONSIDERED 



earth, and while the sun was still invisible, there was 

 sufficient light for the growth of plants, and they were 

 created on the third day, while the sun and moon 

 were still invisible. 



The waters, according to both Genesis and Geology, 

 at first covered the whole earth. "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." 



Thus, beginning with an earth that " was waste and 

 void," shrouded in dense darkness by means of im- 

 penetrable clouds and vapors, as time passed slowly 

 on the waters settled by condensation, the light that 

 found its way through the cloud increased more and 

 more, the visible firmament appeared, dry land was 

 permanently established above the waters, land plants 

 were created, and then, on the fourth day, after the 

 lapse of the long periods that had gone before, the 

 sun and moon first became visible between the rifted 

 clouds. 



It seems proper that the inspired seer of the pano- 

 rama of creation should state that the sun, moon and 

 stars were created on the fourth day, or period, the 

 earliest time at which they would have been visible to 

 a person on the surface of the earth. 



It may be, however, that the creation of the sun 

 and moon is included in the language of the first 

 verse, "In the beginning God created the heaven and 

 the earth," and that on the fourth day, becoming vis- 

 ible upon the earth, they were designated as being 

 from that time the rulers and sources of light for the 

 earth. 



I cannot consider the various theories which have 

 been advanced in connection with cosmogony. Vol- 

 umes have been written on the subject. I know of 



