CHAPTER VI THE DOCTRINAL VALUE OF THE FIRST CHAPTERS OF GENESIS BY THE REV. DYSON HAGUE, M. A., VICAR OF THE CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANY; PROFESSOR OF LIT- URGICS, WYCLIFFE COLLEGE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA The Book of Genesis is in many respects the most im- portant book in the Bible. It is of the first importance be- cause it answers, not exhaustively, but sufficiently, the funda- mental questions of the human mind. I t contains the first authoritative information given to the race concerning these questions of everlasting interest: the Being of God; the origin of the universe; the creation of man; the origin of the soul; the fact of revelation; the introduction of sin; the promise of salvation; the primitive division of the human race; the purpose of the elected people; the preliminary part in the program of Christianity. In one word, in this inspired volume of beginnings, we have the satisfactory explanation of all the sin and misery and contradiction now in this world, and the reason of the scheme of redemption. Or, to put it in another way. The Book of Genesis is the seed in which the plant of God’s Word is enfolded. It is the starting point of God’s gradually-unfolded plan of the ages. Genesis is the plinth of the pillar of the Divine revelation. I t is the root of the tree of the inspired Scrip- tures. I t is the source of the stream of the holy writings of the Bible. If the base of the pillar is removed, the pillar falls. If the root of the tree is cut out, the tree will wither and die. If the fountain head of the stream is cut off, the stream will dry up. The Bible as a whole is like a chain hanging upon two staples. The Book of Genesis is the one staple; the Book of Revelation is the other. Take away 74
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