212

SUCCESSION OF ERAS.

come to hand, though already referred to "The [Mosaic] narrative assigns six days, in each of which arose successively, in the order of more perfect organization, the earth and its various productions up to man, followed by a seventh day of rest and blessing. The facts which continued and laborious examination have established beyond the possibility of question, on the part of any one competently acquainted with the subject, are those of a long succession of periods or eras, throughout each of which the world had its perfect compliment of life in abundant variety, continuing through different stages of indefinitely long duration, successively developing new forms of vitality to supply the place of those which had become extinct, until at length, in the countless revolutions of ages, the face of the globe, and the species inhabiting it, began to assume something like its existing appearance, and became a suitable habitation for man." [Substance of a discourse by the Rev. Baden Powell, M.A., F.R.S., Savilian Professor of Geometry, Oxford, 1833.] As the learned author declares it to be the main principle of his publication to prove, that "the existence of these absolute contradictions is no argument against the truth of revelation in general, or the Christian religion in particular," and as I am certainly not so "completely acquainted with the subject," as to do more than copy what I find thus given as a specimen of the geological history of things, I can only repeat that it seems to speak of what is supposed to have taken place in regard to our planet, as of the movements of a machine set a-going and left to pursue its course "through a countless revolution of ages," without any need of providential interference or moral superintendence for the "development of new forms of

APPEARANCES OF FABLE.

213

vitality," renders, or seems to render, new creations altogether unnecessary, which some geologists fully admit to have taken place at different periods. On this account I should be disposed still to say, and maintain, that as far as God and man are concerned, the creation and introduction of our own species ought to be regarded as the proper beginning of things, when moral uses and moral ends manifestly appear to have been contemplated, and the Almighty evidently took the course of events into his own hands by the wonderful gift of prophecy. The learned professor above cited, speaks certainly of the creation of man, as distinct from the preceding "developments of vitality," and mentions, as closely connected with each other, man's "creation and redemption." Prophecy begins, as every reader of the Bible must know, as early as at the fifteenth verse of the third chapter of the Book of Genesis, and it seems scarcely probable that this most important prediction, a prediction in a course of fulfilment from Genesis to Revelation (and beyond), should have been mixed up with legendary tales and poetical fictions.

Appearances indeed of fiction, fable, and poetical imagery, could scarcely perhaps have been avoided, where the realities were of the nature of miracles, and future things, to be only known through emblems; as the hazardous acquirement of knowledge-"knowledge of good and EVIL." The conditional tenure of human life; the strict unity or rather actual identity of persons bound together by the matrimonial tie, "flesh of flesh, and bone of bone :" even the law on which all the responsibilities of our species appear to have been suspended, was of necessity frivolous to a

as is well known, being applicable to the condition of our first parents, the history being true.

In short, I can scarcely express what I mean, in more apt terms, than I applied long ago to the case of the Prussian Jews, of whom I have said so much in a former part of this work; the following passage occurs in my Bampton Lecture of 1805; and consequently not directed against any living persons.

Speaking of the origin of evil, as related in Genesis, (or at the least its first appearance in our own system), I had written :—

"God is there represented as the Author of evil, in the only sense in which it is possible he should be so; as allowing the possibility of evil, that man might enjoy the inestimable gift of free will. From the abuse of free will in a being of a higher order, we have intimation of an opposing principle, but of no independent one. As soon as we read of him in the Bible, we read of his dependence on the Supreme, his subjection to his irresistible power and will. As soon as we read of him as an enemy to our nature, we have intimation of God's protection against him, and it is the same in regard to earthly things: as soon as we read of the introduction of evil, and the corruption of matter, and the dissolution of the body, we have intimation of a remedy; we are taught to regard them not as evils of necessary permanency, but as recoverable and temporary.

"But this beautiful and satisfactory solution of all our doubts and difficulties concerning the origin of evil', being by the author of the Pentateuch neces

1 Milton, as is well known, upon the foundation of this very history, has not scrupled to introduce it into his Paradise Lost, as an explanation of one of the greatest mysteries appertaining to our condition proceeding

MILTON'S ACCOUNT.

215

sarily delivered, not fabulously, μvows, but yet, from the mouth of the Almighty himself—who is represented as sitting on his throne, and beholding Satan flying towards the world, thus addressing the Son.

"And now,

Through all restraint broke loose, he wings his way
Not far off heaven, in the precincts of light,

Directly tow'rds the new created world,
And MAN there plac'd, with purpose to assay
If him by force he can destroy, or, worse,
By some false guile pervert ;-and shall pervert-
For man will hearken to his glowing lies,
And easily transgress the sole command,
Sole pledge of his obedience-so will fall
He and his faithless progeny-whose fault?
Whose but his own?-ingrate, he had of me
All he could have; I made him just and right,
Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th' ethereal powers

And spirits, both them who stood, and them who fail'd;
Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.

Not free, what proof could they have giv'n sincere

Of true allegiance, constant faith or love,

Where only what they needs must do appear'd

Not what they would?-what praise could they receive?

What pleasure I, from such obedience paid,
When will and reason, (reason also is choice)
Useless and vain, of freedom both despoiled,
Made passive both, had serv'd necessity
Not ME?-they therefore, as to right belong'd,
So were created, nor can justly accuse
Their Maker, or their making, or their fate,
As if predestination over-ruled

Their will, by absolute decree

Or high fore-knowledge: they themselves decreed
Their own revolt, not I; if I foreknew,
Fore-knowledge had no influence on their fault,
Which had no less prov'd certain, unforeknown.
So without least impulse, or shadow of fate

Or aught by me immutably foreseen
They trespass, authors to themselves in all

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PRIESTLEY'S COMMENTS.

εν μυθου σχηματι', in terms and descriptions so little correspondent to present experience, as to resemble fable more than fact; it has been one of the concessions most peremptorily demanded of us of late, that we should consent to acknowledge it to be no better than a mythological representation of things, a description "merely imagined to account for known phenomena."

There is very much more to the purpose, entirely written with a view to the representations I had received immediately from Prussia; not only through my old friend De Luc, but through other channels also. That such sentiments proceeded from false impressions there is no doubt; impressions which, I think far too well of our own geologists, to suppose they would encourage; but I am sorry their particular pursuits should lead them to put it into the heads of persons less wise than themselves, that Moses, wrote upon no better authority, than "legendary memorials," and "poetical cosmogonies."

I am pleased with some remarks of Dr. Priestley to be found in his notes on Genesis. “The history of Adam in paradise," he observes, "has something in it that has the air of fable; but notwithstanding this, it is infinitely more rational than any account of the primitive state of men in any heathen writer.

"The heathens in general looked no higher for the origin of things than the earth, and the visible parts

I form'd them free; and free they must remain,
'Till they enthral themselves; I else must change
Their nature, and revoke the high decree

Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd

Their freedom!-they themselves ordain'd their fall."

1 Aristot. Metaphys.