mr. gladstone and genesis-第6节

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Having　taken　a　good　deal　of　trouble　to　show　what　Genesis　i。…ii。

4　does　not　mean；　in　the　preceding　pages；　perhaps　it　may　be　well

that　I　should　briefly　give　my　opinion　as　to　what　it　does　mean。

I　conceive　that　the　unknown　author　of　this　part　of　the

Hexateuchal　compilation　believed；　and　meant　his　readers　to

believe；　that　his　words；　as　they　understood　themthat　is　to

say；　in　their　ordinary　natural　senseconveyed　the　〃actual

historical　truth。〃　When　he　says　that　such　and　such　things

happened；　I　believe　him　to　mean　that　they　actually　occurred　and

not　that　he　imagined　or　dreamed　them；　when　he　says　〃day；〃　I

believe　he　uses　the　word　in　the　popular　sense；　when　he　says

〃made〃　or　〃created；〃　I　believe　he　means　that　they　came　into

being　by　a　process　analogous　to　that　which　the　people　whom　he

addressed　called　〃making〃　or　〃creating〃；　and　I　think　that；

unless　we　forget　our　present　knowledge　of　nature；　and；　putting

ourselves　back　into　the　position　of　a　Phoenician　or　a　Chaldaean

philosopher；　start　from　his　conception　of　the　world；　we　shall

fail　to　grasp　the　meaning　of　the　Hebrew　writer。　We　must　conceive

the　earth　to　be　an　immovable；　more　or　less　flattened；　body；　with

the　vault　of　heaven　above；　the　watery　abyss　below　and　around。

We　must　imagine　sun；　moon；　and　stars　to　be　〃set〃　in　a

〃firmament〃　with；　or　in；　which　they　move；　and　above　which　is　yet

another　watery　mass。　We　must　consider　〃light〃　and　〃darkness〃　to

be　things；　the　alternation　of　which　constitutes　day　and　night；

independently　of　the　existence　of　sun；　moon；　and　stars。　We　must

further　suppose　that；　as　in　the　case　of　the　story　of　the　deluge；

the　Hebrew　writer　was　acquainted　with　a　Gentile　（probably

Chaldaean　or　Accadian）　account　of　the　origin　of　things；　in　which

he　substantially　believed；　but　which　he　stripped　of　all　its

idolatrous　associations　by　substituting　〃Elohim〃　for　Ea；　Anu；

Bel；　and　the　like。



From　this　point　of　view　the　first　verse　strikes　the　keynote　of

the　whole。　In　the　beginning　〃Elohim　created　the　heaven　and

the　earth。〃　Heaven　and　earth　were　not　primitive　existences　from

which　the　gods　proceeded；　as　the　Gentiles　taught；　on　the

contrary；　the　〃Powers〃　preceded　and　created　heaven　and　earth。

Whether　by　〃creation〃　is　meant　〃causing　to　be　where　nothing　was

before〃　or　〃shaping　of　something　which　pre…existed；〃　seems　to　me

to　be　an　insoluble　question。



As　I　have　pointed　out；　the　second　verse　has　an　interesting

parallel　in　Jeremiah　iv。　23：　〃I　beheld　the　earth；　and；　lo；　it

was　waste　and　void；　and　the　heavens；　and　they　had　no　light。〃

I　conceive　that　there　is　no　more　allusion　to　chaos　in　the　one

than　in　the　other。　The　earth…disk　lay　in　its　watery　envelope；

like　the　yolk　of　an　egg　in　the　glaire；　and　the　spirit；　or

breath；　of　Elohim　stirred　the　mass。　Light　was　created　as　a　thing

by　itself；　and　its　antithesis　〃darkness〃　as　another　thing。

It　was　supposed　to　be　the　nature　of　these　two　to　alternate；　and

a　pair　of　alternations　constituted　a　〃day〃　in　the　sense　of　an

unit　of　time。



The　next　step　was；　necessarily；　the　formation　of　that

〃firmament；〃　or　dome　over　the　earth…disk；　which　was　supposed　to

support　the　celestial　waters；　and　in　which　sun；　moon；　and　stars

were　conceived　to　be　set；　as　in　a　sort　of　orrery。　The　earth　was

still　surrounded　and　covered　by　the　lower　waters；　but　the　upper

were　separated　from　it　by　the　〃firmament；〃　beneath　which　what　we

call　the　air　lay。　A　second　alternation　of　darkness　and　light

marks　the　lapse　of　time。



After　this；　the　waters　which　covered　the　earth…disk；　under　the

firmament；　were　drawn　away　into　certain　regions；　which　became

seas；　while　the　part　laid　bare　became　dry　land。　In　accordance

with　the　notion；　universally　accepted　in　antiquity；　that　moist

earth　possesses　the　potentiality　of　giving　rise　to　living

beings；　the　land；　at　the　command　of　Elohim；　〃put　forth〃　all

sorts　of　plants。　They　are　made　to　appear　thus　early；　not；　I

apprehend；　from　any　notion　that　plants　are　lower　in　the　scale　of

being　than　animals　（which　would　seem　to　be　inconsistent　with　the

prevalence　of　tree　worship　among　ancient　people）；　but　rather

because　animals　obviously　depend　on　plants；　and　because；　without

crops　and　harvests；　there　seemed　to　be　no　particular　need　of

heavenly　signs　for　the　seasons。



These　were　provided　by　the　fourth　day's　work。　Light　existed

already；　but　now　vehicles　for　the　distribution　of　light；　in　a

special　manner　and　with　varying　degrees　of　intensity；　were

provided。　I　conceive　that　the　previous　alternations　of　light　and

darkness　were　supposed　to　go　on；　but　that　the　〃light〃　was

strengthened　during　the　daytime　by　the　sun；　which；　as　a　source

of　heat　as　well　as　of　light；　glided　up　the　firmament　from　the

east；　and　slid　down　in　the　west；　each　day。　Very　probably　each

day's　sun　was　supposed　to　be　a　new　one。　And　as　the　light　of　the

day　was　strengthened　by　the　sun；　so　the　darkness　of　the　night

was　weakened　by　the　moon；　which　regularly　waxed　and　waned　every

month。　The　stars　are；　as　it　were；　thrown　in。　And　nothing　can

more　sharply　mark　the　doctrinal　purpose　of　the　author；　than　the

manner　in　which　he　deals　with　the　heavenly　bodies；　which　the

Gentiles　identified　so　closely　with　their　gods；　as　if　they　were

mere　accessories　to　the　almanac。



Animals　come　next　in　order　of　creation；　and　the　general　notion

of　the　writer　seems　to　be　that　they　were　produced　by　the　medium

in　which　they　live；　that　is　to　say；　the　aquatic　animals　by　the

waters；　and　the　terrestrial　animals　by　the　land。　But　there　was　a

difficulty　about　flying　things；　such　as　bats；　birds；　and

insects。　The　cosmogonist　seems　to　have　had　no　conception　of

〃air〃　as　an　elemental　body。　His　〃elements〃　are　earth　and　water；

and　he　ignores　air　as　much　as　he　does　fire。　Birds　〃fly　above　the

earth　in　the　open　firmament〃　or　〃on　the　face　of　the　expanse〃　of

heaven。　They　are　not　said　to　fly　through　the　air。　The　choice　of

a　generative　medium　for　flying　things；　therefore；　seemed　to　lie

between　water　and　earth；　and；　if　we　take　into　account　the

conspicuousness　of　the　great　flocks　of　water…birds　and　the

swarms　of　winged　insects；　which　appear　to　arise　from　water；　I

think　the　preference　of　water　becomes　intelligible。　However；　I

do　not　put　this　forward　as　more　than　a　probable　hypothesis。

As　to　the　creation　of　aquatic　animals　on　the　fifth；　that　of　land

animals　on　the　sixth　day；　and　that　of　man　last　of　all；　I　presume

the　order　was　determined　by　the　fact　that　man　could　hardly

receive　dominion　over　the　living　world　before　it　existed；

and　that　the　〃cattle〃　were　not　wanted　until　he　was　about　to　make

his　appearance。　The　other　terrestrial　animals　would　naturally　be

associated　with　the　cattle。



The　absurdity　of　imagining　that　any　conception；　analogous　to

that　of　a　zoological　classification；　was　in　the　mind　of　the

writer　will　be　apparent；　when　we　consider　that　the　fifth　day's

work　must　include　the　zoologist's　Cetacea；　Sirenia；　and

seals；　all　of　which　are　Mammalia；　all　birds；　turtles；

sea…snakes　and；　presumably；　the　fresh　water　Reptilia　and

Amphibia；　with　the　great　majority　of　Invertebrata。



The　creation　of　man　is　announced　as　a　separate　act；　resulting

from　a　particular　resolution　of　Elohim　to　〃make　man　in　our

image；　after　our　likeness。〃　To　learn　what　this　remarkable　phrase

means　we　must　turn　to　the　fifth　chapter　of　Genesis；　the　work　of

the　same　writer。　〃In　the　day　that　Elohim　created　man；　in　the

likeness　of　Elohim　made　he　him；　male　and　female　created　he　them；

and　blessed　them　and　called　their　name　Adam　in　the　day　when　they

were　created。　And　Adam　lived　an　hundred　and　thirty　years　and

begat　a　son　in　his　own　likeness；　after　his　image；

and　called　his　name　Seth。〃　I　find　it　impossible　to　read　this

passage　without　being　convinced　that；　when　the　writer　says　Adam

was　made　in　the　likeness　of　Elohim；　he　means　the　same　sort　of

likeness　as　when　he　says　that　Seth　was　begotten　in　the　likeness

of　Adam。　Whence　it　follows　that　his　conception　of　Elohim　was

completely　anthropomorphic。



In　all　this　narrative　I　can　discover　nothing　which

differentiates　it；　in　principle；　from　other　ancient　cosmogonies；

except　the　rejection　of　all　gods；　save　the　vague；　yet

anthropomorphic；　Elohim；　and　the　assigning　to　them　anteriority

and　superiority　to　the　world。　It　is　as　utterly　irreconcilable

with　the　assured　truths　of　modern　science；　as　it　is　with　the

account　of　the　origin　of　man；　plants；　and　animals　given　by　the

writer　of　the　second　chief　constituent　of　the　Hexateuch　in　the

second　chapter　of　Genesis。　This　extraordinary　story　starts　with

the　assumption　of　the　existence　of　a　rainless　earth；　devoid　of

plants　and　herbs　of　the　field。　The　creation　of　living　beings

begins　with　that　of　a　solitary　man；　the　next　thing　that　happens

is　the　laying　out　of　the　Garden　of　Eden；　and　the　causing　the

growth　from　its　soil　of　every　tree　〃that　is　pleasant　to　the

sight　and　good　for　food〃；　the　third　act　is　the　formation　out　of

the　gr