opposite error, a material view of creation, is to be set forth. The second chapter contains a statement of this material a view of God, man, and the universe, which is the exact opposite of scientific Truth. The history of error or matter, if veritable, would set aside the omnipotence of Spirit; but it is the false history, in contradistinction to the true.
The Science of the first record proves the incorrectness of the second, for they are antagonistic. The first record gives all might and government to God, and endows man out of His perfection and power. The second record chronicles man as mutable and mortal, — as having broken away from Deity, and as revolving in an orbit of his own. Existence separate from Science is something that I regard as impossible.
This second record unmistakably gives the history of material life and intelligence. It records pantheism, as opposed to the supremacy of Divine Spirit; but this state of things is declared to be temporary, and this man to be dust that returns to dust.
In this erroneous theory matter takes the place of Spirit. It is represented as the life-giving principle of the earth. Spirit is represented as entering matter in order to create man. God's glowing denunciations of man, when not found in His image, convince reason that this material creation was false.
This latter part of the second chapter of Genesis, wherein Spirit is supposed to create a second man and a second universe, must be based on some hypothesis of error, for the Scripture just preceding declares God's work to be finished. The lie must claim to be Truth, when presenting the exact opposite of Truth.