done for a purpose," said Mrs. Williams.

"I believe I can explain why the change was made," said Walter.

"Very well, Walter," said the pastor, "let us hear your explanation."

"Well, father, as I understand it, the first creation is real, it being
the work of God. Then the Bible speaks of that _mist_ or misapprehension
that arose, and the story told in the second narrative is this
misapprehension. Therefore, I should judge that _Lord God_ would mean a
man-conceived God; and man, through misapprehending the real character
and nature of Deity, believes the earth and man were created according
to the second narrative, which would agree with all our present ideas. I
mean by this that we all think and believe that God made man materially
out of the dust of the earth, while the first account says man was made
in the image and likeness of God; and as God is Spirit, man must be
spiritual; as a dust or material man cannot be that likeness, because
matter is the opposite of spirit. Then again, everything that God made
was good--and this dust man is more evil than good; and as God, who is
conceded as being all good, made all, and pronounced all He made good,
this dust or material man, being evil, was never made, but, through a
misapprehension, we think man to be material, and believe him to be the
real man. To illustrate what I mean, say some one told you a falsehood
and you believed it to be the truth; then the lie would seem true to
you. Nevertheless, because you believe this lie to be the truth, it
would not make a truth of it, as it would be a lie still, regardless of
your belief. In the same way theologists have made a mistake by thinking
that this second creation is the real, and have taught all mankind that
they originated from dust and must return to dust, and every one
believes this; and because every one believes this mistake, it seems