earth, so as to
mean the production of light in general, and the lighting of the most
distant telescopic, and even invisible stars--which are neither
specified in the command itself, nor by any necessity of language or
Scripture implied in it, but, on the contrary, excluded, by the express
Scripture declarations of the pre-existence of light, and of morning
stars--is an outrage alike against all canons of criticism, laws of
grammar, and dictates of common sense. The command, "Let there be
light," had respect to this earth only.

The Bible does represent this earth as illuminated at a time when the
sun was not visible from its surface--perhaps not visible at all. Now,
if any one will undertake to scoff at the Bible for speaking of light
without sunshine, or of the sun shining upon a dark earth--as Infidels
abundantly do--we demand that he tell us, What is light, and how is it
connected with the sun? If he can not, let him cease to scoff at matters
too high for him.

If he can tell us, he knows that the retardation of Encke's comet, which
every year falls nearer and nearer the sun, has discovered the existence
of an attenuated ether in the expanse or firmament; and that the
experiments of Arago on the polarization of light have finally
demonstrated that our sensation of light is exerted by a series of
vibrations or undulations of this fluid,[256] he will then be able to
perceive the propriety with which the Author of light and of the Bible
speaks, not of _creating_ light, as if it were a material substance, but
of _forming_ or commanding its display. And he will be better able to
comprehend the beauty and scientific propriety with which he selected
the active participle of the verb _to flow_, as the name for the
undulations of this fluid; for the primary meaning of the Hebrew verb
_ar_ is, _to flow_, or, when used as a noun, _a flood_. "It shall be
cast out and drowned, as by the _flood_ of Egypt."[257] And of the like
import are the nouns, _iar_ and _aur_, formed from it. "Who is this that
covereth up like a _flood_, whose waters are moved like the
rivers?"[258] The philosopher, even though he be a skeptic, will cease
to mock the Bible when he reads there, that 6000 years ago its Author
termed light _the flowing--the undulation_. "In the words of the 'Son of
God,' and the 'Son of Man,' no less than in his works, with all their
adaptation to the circumstances of the times and persons to whom they
were originally deliver