214 



DR. WILLIAM WOODS SMYTH^ OX THE BIBLE 



sunlight at tlie close of the Carboniferous ages. The great " sea 

 monsters," namely, L-Jitlu/osanrus and Flesiosaurm, designating 

 the secondary period, are in perfect place. The eduction of the 

 fowls froui the waters — such is the true rendering of the 

 Hebrew — finds the Bible in harmony with one of the 

 greatest triumphs of modern zoology. And, lastly, the 

 mammalia and man close the sacred and the scientific records of 

 creation. jS"ot only is Genesis accurate in its time ratios of the 

 age of the earth and sun, but also in all the time ratios for the 

 several ages of geology given us by Dr. Dana, Professors 

 Hull and Haughton and Professor Walcott. 



We observe the Bible records a pre-Adamite man in the first 

 chapter. The female of the first chapter could not l^e Eve, as 

 she was never in the open field outside Paradise until after tlie 

 Pall. The directions as to food are also entirely different. 

 Adam was no doubt of this race (Genesis v, 1, 2), as the scripture 

 relating to his formation is weaker than the scriptures relating 

 to all men of whom it is said " It is God that hath made us." 



At the Adamic age, man had reached the highest degree of 

 mental and physical capacity the race has ever known. Their 

 brain capacity was over four hundred cubic centimetres largei- 

 than the modern European. But man had readied a place 

 where the factors of Natural Evolution could do no more ibr 

 him. There were no resources in Nature to emancipate him 

 from the struggle for existence, none to arrest decay and 

 decrepitude, and none to abolish death. But the great massive 

 stream of progressive Evolution could not be supposed to stop 

 short here ; it moves to the goal of balanced rest, to where tlie 

 desires and aspirations of its highest race are to be fulfilled. 

 These were being fulfilled in the past by living organisms 

 adjusting themselves to the circumstances of their environment, 

 and tlieir death was ever owing to their failure to adjust ariglit. 

 Accordingly, we perceive that man's liigli destiny for happiness 

 and endless life turns upon his unfailing adjustment under all 

 circumstances — a tiling impossible to him, as it would take an 

 Infinite Being to adjust to the infinite changes of existence. 

 But the difficulty is solved for us by the Bible. It tells us of 

 the Infinite Cause of all things, the living God, revealing 

 Himself to man that He by His guidance and aid might enable 

 him to preserve his life for ever. 



Here, then, we have new factors superimposed uj)oii the 

 natural factors of Evolution. What are these new factors ? 

 They are the I>reath, that is the 8i)irit of God, and the AVord 

 of God supported by miraculous acts as suitable credentials. 



