The Bible Turned Inside Out

 The Polytechnic Hall was crowded to overflowing as usual, last night, when Mr. Tyerman delivered his eighth lecture on The Bible Turned Inside Out. He began by expressing his gratification at the continued and increasing interest manifested in the course of lectures on the Bible. The subject was most important to all present.

 If the Bible was what Christians claimed for it, let it be proved, and he would accept it. But if it was not, and the more he examined it the more he was convinced it was not, then let the popular delusion respecting its divine authority and obligation be dispelled. Some Protestant Christians regretted the Reformation, because they feared what they deemed evil had outweighed the good resulting from it. The right of private judgment so often boasted, was excused to a degree, and led to consequences never anticipated by the reformers. When the authority of Rome was repudiated, there was no ground logically tenable till the position of radical and independent freethought was reached. The people were exercising their right of private judgment, not merely to the extent of endorsing the Protestant, rather than the Catholic, faith, as was expected, but to the extent of questioning the grounds of all faith and all religion. The result was that in a rapidly increasing number of cases, the orthodox claims for the Bible were denied, and ecclesiastical Christianity was rejected. Hence many of the clergy of the Church of England openly denounced the Reformation as a mistake, and believed the only safety of the Church was in returning to the fold, and putting themselves under the authority of the Church of Rome.

 The Bible had been proved to be destitute of historic credibility in many parts ; was it scientifically correct and trustworthy ? Let its teachings on the subject of creation be impartially examined in the light of modern science, and their falsity would soon appear. Before the dawn of modern science the opponents of the Bible had to rely chiefly on argumentation ; now they could appeal to facts and figures to sustain their objections. The clergy generally had been bitterly opposed to science, especially the science of geology. Because it disproved the Biblical account of creation it was denounced "of the devil," and its fearless advocates were branded as Godless Infidels. Some Christian teachers said the Bible did not profess to teach science. But it gave oracular deliverances on subjects within the province of science, and if it had been inspired by God those would have been correct, whereas in most cases they were notoriously false. Others attempted to harmonise the Bible and science, and boasted they had succeeded. Yes ! but how ? By surrendering everything that science demanded. That was an easy way of reconciling differences. In every case, when a collision had occurred between science and the Bible, the latter had been forced to yield. Geology had triumphed over Genesis most completely. The Bible plainly taught that this world and the universe were created in six days, about six thousand years ago. No fair principles of interpretation could make the first chapter of Genesis mean anything else ; but to save the credit of the Book, it was assumed by Christians that a long interval might exist between the first and second verses, and that the days meant long, indefinite periods. Such an interpretation was utterly unwarranted ; it was a contemptible subterfuge that would not be resorted to by the members of any learned profession but the clerical. There had never been a creation. Matter was eternal ; and most religious writers now spoke of " formation " rather than creation. Then the Bible was false as to the date of that formation. The testimony of geologists was adduced by the lecturer to prove that the earth had existed for millions of years. Mantell, Lyell, Agassis, Bunson, and others were quoted to show that man had existed on earth thousands of years before the time allowed by the Bible— at least, fifty thousand years before. The questions of light existing before the sun was created, of the sun, moon, and stars being intended merely for this tiny earth, of the serpent and the earth being cursed, and the human race coming from one pair, were discussed ; and it was argued that the Bible was absolutely false on all these points.

Herald (Melbourne, Vic.), Tuesday 5 May 1874, page 3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244336220