The Relation of Science and Religion.pdf - Online Christian Library

74 SCIENCE AND RELIGION.sky; but every one knows that there is anexpanse which bears these water treasuresfar up from the earth's surface. The wordrendered "firmament17'* from the Vulgate$rnzccmentunz, really means " expanse," andmost naturally and obviously refers to theatmosphere surrounding the earth, uponwhich the clouds are borne aloft, and carriedto and fro. Taking into account the wantof scientific knowledge of the structure of theearth in far past ages, and the representationsinconsistent with facts which found currency,the true marvel is that the statementsof Scripture so simply and naturally har~nonizewith discoveries not made till the sixteenthcentury of the Christian era. This isa marvel which will more deeply iqpress usthe longer it is pondered.If we extend our consideration to the crudernotions which found acceptance in the darkages, such as that to which Bruno referred,that the earth is a flat surface, supported onpill~lrs, the scriptural evidence pled in itsfavor appears grotesquely inadequate. Thepassages are these. First stands Hannah's* y:~, Raqia, from y?? to spread out.