WellindeedhasaneminentdivineoftheChurchofEnglandinourowntimecalledonChristianstorejoiceoverthisevolution。”betweentheGodofSamuel，whoorderedinfantstobeslaughtered，andtheGodofthePsalmist，whosetendermerciesareoverallhisworks；betweentheGodofthePatriarchs，whowasalwaysrepenting，andtheGodoftheApostles，whoisthesameyesterday，to-day，andforever，withwhomthereisnovariablenessnorshadowofturning，betweentheGodoftheOldTestament，whowalkedinthegardeninthecooloftheday，andtheGodoftheNewTestament，whomnomanhathseennorcansee；
betweentheGodofLeviticus，whowassoparticularaboutthesacrificialfurnitureandutensils，andtheGodoftheActs，whodwellethnotintemplesmadewithhands；betweentheGodwhohardenedPharaoh’sheart，andtheGodwhowillhaveallmentobesaved；betweentheGodofExodus，whoismercifulonlytothosewholovehim，andtheGodofChrist——theheavenlyFather——whoiskinduntotheunthankfulandtheevil。”
Howeveroverwhelming，then，thefactsmaybewhichAnthropology，History，andtheirkindredsciencesmay，intheinterestofsimpletruth，establishagainstthetheologicaldoctrineof“theFall“；howevercompletelytheymayfossilizevariousdogmas，catechisms，creeds，confessions，“plansofsalvation“and“schemesofredemption。”whichhavebeenevolvedfromthegreatmindsofthetheologicalperiod：science，sofarfrommakinginroadsonreligion，orevenuponourChristiandevelopmentofit，willstrengthenallthatisessentialinit，givingnewandnoblerpathstoman’shighestaspirations。Fortheonegreat，legitimate，scientificconclusionofanthropologyis，that，moreandmore，abettercivilizationoftheworld，despiteallitssurvivalsofsavageryandbarbarism，isdevelopingmenandwomenonwhomthedeclarationsofthenoblerPsalms，ofIsaiah，ofMicah，theSermonontheMount，thefirstgreatcommandment，andthesecond，whichislikeuntoit，St。Paul’spraiseofcharityandSt。James’sdefinitionof“purereligionandundefiled。”cantakestrongerholdforthemoreeffectiveandmorerapidupliftingofourrace。[198]
[198]FortheresolutionofthePresbyterianSynodofMississippiin1857，seeProf。Woodrow’sspeechbeforetheSynodofSouthCarolina，October27and28，1884，p。6。AstotheactionoftheBoardofDirectorsoftheTheologicalSeminaryofColumbia，seeibid。AstotheminorityreportintheSynodofSouthCarolina，seeibid。，p。24。ForthepithysentencesregardingtheconductofthemajorityinthesynodstowardDr。Woodrow，seetheRev。
Mr。Flynn’sarticleintheSouthernPresbyterianReviewforApril，1885，p。272，andelsewhere。FortherestrictionsregardingtheteachingoftheCopernicantheoryandthetruedoctrineofcometsinGermanuniversities，seevarioushistoriesofastronomy，especiallyMadler。FortheimmaculateoathImmaculaten-EidasenforcedupontheAustrianprofessors，seeLuftkandl，DieJosephinischenIdeen。FortheeffortoftheChurchinFrance，aftertherestorationoftheBourbons，toteachahistoryofthatcountryfromwhichthenameofNapoleonshouldbeleftout，seeFatherLoriquet’sfamousHistoiredeFranceal’UsagedelaJeunesse，Lyon，1820，vol。ii，seeespeciallytableofcontentsattheend。Thebookbearsonitstitle-pagethewellknowninitialsoftheJesuitmotto，A。M。D。G。AdMajoremDeiGloriam。ForexamplesinEnglandandScotland，seevariousEnglishhistories，andespeciallyBuckle’schaptersonScotland。
ForalongercollectionofexamplesshowingthesuppressionofanythinglikeunfetteredthoughtuponscientificsubjectsinAmericanuniversities，seeInauguralAddressattheOpeningofCornellUniversity，bytheauthorofthesechapters。ForthecitationregardingtheevolutionofbetterandnoblerideasofGod，seeChurchandCreed：SermonspreachedintheChapeloftheFoundlingHospital，London，byA。W。Momerie，M。A。，LL。D。，ProfessorofLogicandMetaphysicsinKing’sCollege，London，1890。Foraveryvigorousutteranceontheotherside，seearecentchargeoftheBishopofGloucester。
Thepopularbeliefsofclassicantiquityregardingstorms，thunder，andlightning，tookshapeinmythsrepresentingVulcanasforgingthunderbolts，Jupiterasflingingthemathisenemies，AeolusintrustingthewindsinabagtoAeneas，andthelike。AnattemptattheirfurthertheologicaldevelopmentisseeninthePythagoreanstatementthatlightningsareintendedtoterrifythedamnedinTartarus。
Butataveryearlyperiodweseethebeginningofascientificview。InGreece，theIonicphilosophersheldthatsuchphenomenaareobedienttolaw。Plato，Aristotle，andmanylesserlights，attemptedtoaccountforthemonnaturalgrounds；andtheirexplanations，thoughcrude，werebaseduponobservationandthought。InRome，Lucretius，Seneca，Pliny，andothers，inadequateastheirstatementswere，implantedatleastthegermsofascience。But，astheChristianChurchrosetopower，thisevolutionwaschecked；thenewleadersofthoughtfound，intheScripturesrecognizedbythemassacred，thebasisforanewview，orratherforamodificationoftheoldview。
Thisendingofascientificevolutionbaseduponobservationandreason，andthisbeginningofasacredsciencebasedupontheletterofScriptureandontheology，areseenintheutterancesofvariousfathersintheearlyChurch。Astothegeneralfeaturesofthisnewdevelopment，TertullianheldthatsundrypassagesofScriptureprovelightningidenticalwithhell-fire；
andthisideawastransmittedfromgenerationtogenerationoflaterchurchmen，whofoundanespecialsupportofTertullian’sviewinthesulphuroussmellexperiencedduringthunderstorms。
St。Hilarythoughtthefirmamentverymuchlowerthantheheavens，andthatitwascreatednotonlyforthesupportoftheupperwaters，butalsoforthetemperingofouratmosphere。[199]
St。Ambroseheldthatthunderiscausedbythewindsbreakingthroughthesolidfirmament，andcitedfromtheprophetAmosthesublimepassageregarding“Himthatestablisheththethunders。”[200]Heshows，indeed，someconceptionofthetruesourceofrain；buthiswholereasoningislimitedbyvariousscripturaltexts。Helaysgreatstressuponthefirmamentasasolidoutershelloftheuniverse：theheavensheholdstobenotfaroutsidethisoutershell，andarguesregardingtheircharacterfromSt。Paul’sEpistletotheCorinthiansandfromtheonehundredandforty-eighthPsalm。Asto“thewaterswhichareabovethefirmament。”hetakesuptheobjectionofthosewhoholdthat，thisoutsideoftheuniversebeingspherical，thewatersmustslideoffit，especiallyifthefirmamentrevolves；andhepointsoutthatitisbynomeanscertainthattheOUTSIDEofthefirmamentISspherical，andinsiststhat，ifitdoesrevolve，thewaterisjustwhatisneededtolubricateandcoolitsaxis。
[199]ForTertullian，seetheApol。contragentes，c。47；alsoAugustindeAngelis，LectionesMeteorologicae，p。64。ForHilary，seeInPsalmCXXXV。Migne，Patr。Lat。，vol。ix，p。773。
[200]“Firmanstonitrua“Amosiv，13；thephrasedoesnotappearinourversion。
St。JeromeheldthatGodattheCreation，havingspreadoutthefirmamentbetweenheavenandearth，andhavingseparatedtheupperwatersfromthelower，causedtheupperwaterstobefrozenintoice，inordertokeepallinplace。AproofofthisviewJeromefoundinthewordsofEzekielregarding“thecrystalstretchedabovethecherubim。”[201]
[201]ForAmbrose，seetheHexaemeron，lib。ii，cap。3，4；lib。
iii，cap。5Migne，Patr。Lat。，vol。xiv，pp。148-150，153，165。
Thepassageastolubricationoftheheavenlyaxisisasfollows：
“Deindecumispidicantvolviorbemcoelistellisardentibusrefulgentem，nonnedivinaprovidentianecessarioprospexit，utintraorbemcoeli，etsupraorbemredundaretaqua，quaeillaferventisaxisincendiatemperaret？”ForJerome，seehisEpistola，lxix，cap。6Migne，Patr。Lat。，vol。xxii，p。659。
ThegerminalprincipleinaccordancewithwhichallthesetheorieswereevolvedwasmostclearlyproclaimedtotheworldbySt。Augustineinhisfamousutterance：“NothingistobeacceptedsaveontheauthorityofScripture，sincegreateristhatauthoritythanallthepowersofthehumanmind。”[202]Notreatisewassafethereafterwhichdidnotbreathethespiritandconformtotheletterofthismaxim。Unfortunately，whatwasgenerallyunderstoodbythe“authorityofScripture“wasthetyrannyofsacredbooksimperfectlytranscribed，viewedthroughdistortingsuperstitions，andfrequentlyinterpretedbypartyspirit。
[202]“MajorestquippeScripturaehujasauctoritas，quamomnishumaniingeniicapacitas。”——Augustine，DeGenesiadLit。，lib。
ii，cap。5Migne，Patr。Lat。，vol。xxxiv，pp。266，267。Or，asheiscitedbyVincentofBeauvaisSpec。Nat。，lib。iv，98：
“Nonestaliquidtemerediffiniendum，sedquantumScripturadicitaccipiendum，cujusmajorestauctoritasquamomnishumaniingeniicapacitas。”
FollowingthispreceptofSt。Augustinethereweredeveloped，ineveryfield，theologicalviewsofsciencewhichhaveneverledtoasingletruth——which，withoutexception，haveforcedmankindawayfromthetruth，andhavecausedChristendomtostumbleforcenturiesintoabyssesoferrorandsorrow。Inmeteorology，asineveryothersciencewithwhichhedealt，Augustinebasedeverythingupontheletterofthesacredtext；anditischaracteristicoftheresultthatthisman，sogreatwhenuntrammelled，thoughtithisdutytoguardespeciallythewholetheoryofthe“watersabovetheheavens。”
Inthesixthcenturythistheologicalreasoningwasstillfurtherdeveloped，aswehaveseen，byCosmasIndicopleustes。FindingasanctionfortheoldEgyptiantheoryoftheuniverseintheninthchapterofHebrews，heinsistedthattheearthisaflatparallelogram，andthatfromitsouteredgesriseimmensewallssupportingthefirmament；then，throwingtogetherthereferencetothefirmamentinGenesisandtheoutburstofpoetryinthePsalmsregardingthe“watersthatbeabovetheheavens。”heinsistedthatovertheterrestrialuniversearesolidarchesbearingavaultsupportingavastcistern“containingthewaters“；finally，takingfromGenesistheexpressionregardingthe“windowsofheaven。”heinsistedthatthesewindowsareopenedandclosedbytheangelswhenevertheAlmightywishestosendrainupontheearthortowithholdit。
ThiswasacceptedbytheuniversalChurchasavastcontributiontothought；forseveralcenturiesitwastheorthodoxdoctrine，andvariousleadersintheologydevotedthemselvestodevelopingandsupplementingit。
Aboutthebeginningoftheseventhcentury，Isidore，BishopofSeville，wastheablestprelateinChristendom，andwasshowingthosegreatqualitieswhichledtohisenrolmentamongthesaintsoftheChurch。Histheologicalviewofsciencemarksanepoch。
Astothe“watersabovethefirmament。”Isidorecontendsthattheymustbelowerthan，theuppermostheaven，thoughhigherthanthelowerheaven，becauseintheonehundredandforty-eighthPsalmtheyarementionedAFTERtheheavenlybodiesandthe“heavenofheavens。”butBEFOREtheterrestrialelements。Astotheirpurpose，hehesitatesbetweenthosewhoheldthattheywerestoreduptherebytheprescienceofGodforthedestructionoftheworldattheFlood，asthewordsofScripturethat“thewindowsofheavenwereopened“seemedtoindicate，andthosewhoheldthattheywerekepttheretomoderatetheheatoftheheavenlybodies。Astothefirmament，heisindoubtwhetheritenvelopstheearth“likeaneggshell。”orismerelyspreadoverit“likeacurtain“；forheholdsthatthepassageintheonehundredandfourthPsalmmaybeusedtosupporteitherview。