A View of the Evidences of Christianity at the Close of the Pretended Age of Reason, 8 Sermons - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1805. Excerpt: ... SERMON VI. Psalm Xc. I. Before the mountains ivere brought forth, or ever the earth and the world ivere made; thou art God from everlasting, and world without end. Having in my last Discourse taken a general view of the chronology of the world, as far as it appears capable of being ascertained, from our present knowledge of the history of man; I propose in this Discourse to consider what it has been judged possible to collect concerning it, from a physical exa urination of the earth itself. In what manner the natural history of the earth has been resorted to, for proofs either against or in support of Revelation, will be best understood from a brief view of the present state of the several questions that have arisen upon the subject. x 2 And And first, there are still many who object entirely to the Scripture account of the formation of the earth; they think it altogether unphilosophical, as well as unbefitting the majesty of God. They think the six days' operations a limitation of God's power, as far as the Deity only is concerned; and quite inadequate to the production of such a mass, if every thing is to be referred to the operation of secondary causes, (which they generally pretend,) to which, for want of any means of actual-measurement, they are in the habit of assigning whatever time they please; for time is inexhaustible. Some will not admit of any beginning at all; while others contend for a multiplicity, indeed an infinity of revolutions; and suppose, that we are only tenants for a time, of a mansion, the materials of which at least have already endured for ages without limit. All these invent and promulgate their different theories at pleasure; and as it is the constant practice to begin with setting aside all preceding systems, we have, as it w...