Other arguments might be adduced; but upon these two great pillars--the authority, on the one side, of the New Testament, and, on the other, the fact that the Pentateuch contains the entire body of laws by which the Jewish nation was moulded and formed, and that its character and history can be explained only upon the assumption of its truth--on these two great pillars the authenticity and credibility of the Pentateuch rest, as upon an immovable basis. 3. The _difficulties_ connected with the Pentateuch, so far as its contents are concerned, rest mainly on two grounds, _scientific_ and _historical_, or _moral_. The nature of the scientific difficulties forbids their discussion within the restricted limits of the present work. It may be said, however, generally, that so far as they are real, they relate not so much to the truth of the Mosaic record, as to the manner in which certain parts of it should be understood. How long, for example, that state of things continued which is described in Gen. 1:2, or what particular results were produced by the operation of the divine Spirit there recorded, we do not know. What extent of meaning should be assigned to the six days of creation--whether they should be understood literally or in a symbolical way, like the prophetical days of Daniel and Revelation--Dan. 7:25; 9:24-27; Rev. 9:15; 11:3, etc.--is a question on which devout believers have differed ever since the days of Augustine. See Prof. Tayler Lewis' Six Days of Creation, ch. 14. But all who receive the Bible as containing a revelation from God agree in holding the truth of the narrative. So also in regard to the Deluge and other events involving scientific questions which are recorded in the book of Genesis. Some of these questions may perhaps be satisfactorily solved by further inquiry. Others will probably remain shrouded in mystery till the consummation of all things. To the class of historical difficulties belong several chronological questions, as, for example, that of the duration of the Israelitish residence in Egypt. It is sufficient to say that however these shall be settled--if settled at all--they cannot with any reasonable man affect the divine authority of the Pentateuch which is certified to us by so many sure proofs. 4. The difficulties which are urged against the Pentateuch on moral grounds rest partly on misapprehension, and are partly of such a character that, when rightly considered, they turn against the objectors themselves. This will be illustrated by a few examples.