REV. JOHN JASPER OX THE EARTH'S FORM.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4727, 1 March 1884, Page 1

REV. JOHN JASPER OX THE EARTH'S FORM.

Rev. James M. Ludlow, D.D., has con* tributed an interesting report to the New York Independent of a sermon delivered by the colored divine, Rev. John Jasper, in which his peculiar views on the form of the earth and the nature of the solar system are thus set forth. The discussion proper consisted chiefly of comments on passages of Scripture, such as the follow* ing :—" From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same -the Lord's name ig to be praised.' But if somebody says de sun don't rise an' go down, he robs de Lor' ob his praise, like all dis yer blasphemin' science. 'The sun hasteth to his place where he arose ;' but wat a fool to t'ink de- sun could be a hurryin' np to get ready to rise if de sun couldn't move ! ' The sun returned ten degrees, iby which degrees it was gone down.' If de sun didn't more, poor Hezekiah would nebber got well, an' bad no more hope in do name ob de Lor' than deso modern isieutifik fellows what are goin' to be sunk deeper dan de Jehovah-fat Valley fur dar awful lyin." Brother Jasper's indignation was specially fiery against snch men as '• dat yar Mister Copper-nicus and Mister Snewtons what tells us dat de arth am roun' an' a floatin' on nuffin, when de Bible says its got foundations. Guess I'ze bin as near de bottom ob dearth as any ob dem folkses; seben hunner an* fifty feet in a mine shaft an' gib my word ob honor, dar was no sign ob gittin* through it; not a wink ob daylight from de udder side. O, de irreb'rince ob say in' de arth am round when de Lor' say in Reberlation dar am four angels a-stannin' on de four corners ob de arth a-holdin' on to de four winds I Dese scientifiking men can lie so as to make Mack white; but dey can't make what's goii four corners - onto it roan'; dey can't square de circle in dis yer respeck." Another modern falsehood which the learned orator was able to disprove with equal ease and thoroughness was that of the sun's vast distance. " I saw de biggest balloon what eber went up in old Yarginny ; biggern a house; an' she rose and rose till she was no biggern. a pea, an' yet she was only a mile and a half or so off. Now de sun looks a mighty sight biggern dat, an' you don't catch dis chile believen' dat its. 90,000,000 miles off."