We know that it is not true--that it contradicts itself. There are two accounts of the creation in the first and second chapters. In the first account birds and beasts were created before man. In the second, man was created before the birds and beasts. In the first, fowls are made out of the water. In the second, fowls are made out of the ground. In the first, Adam and Eve are created together. In the second, Adam is made; then the beasts and birds, and then Eve is created from one of Adam's ribs. These stories are far older than the Pentateuch. Persian: God created the world in six days, a man called Adama, a woman called Evah, and then rested. The Etruscan, Babylonian, Phoenician, Chaldean and the Egyptian stories are much the same. The Persians, Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Hindus have their Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life. So the Persians, the Babylonians, the Nubians, the people of Southern India, all had the story of the fall of man and the subtle serpent. The Chinese say that sin came into the world by the disobedience of woman. And even the Tahitians tell us that man was created from the earth, and the first woman from one of his bones. All these stories are equally authentic and of equal value to the world, and all the authors were equally inspired. We know also that the story of the flood is much older than the book of Genesis, and we know besides that it is not true. We know that this story in Genesis was copied from the Chaldean. There you find all about the rain, the ark, the animals, the dove that was sent out three times, and the mountain on which the ark rested. So the Hindus, Chinese, Parsees, Persians, Greeks, Mexicans and Scandinavians have substantially the same story. We also know that the account of the Tower of Babel is an ignorant and childish fable. What then is left in this inspired book of Genesis? Is there a word calculated to develop the heart or brain? Is there an elevated thought--any great principle--anything poetic--any word that bursts into blossom? Is there anything except a dreary and detailed statement of things that never happened? Is there anything in Exodus calculated to make men generous, loving and noble? Is it well to teach children that God tortured the innocent cattle of the Egyptians--bruised them to death with hailstones--on account of the sins of Pharoah? Does it make us merciful to believe that God killed the firstborn of the Egyptians--the firstborn of the poor and suffering people--of the poor girl working at the mill--because of the wickedness of the king? Can we believe that the gods of Egypt worked miracles? Did they change water into blood, and sticks into serpents? In Exodus there is not one original thought or line of value.