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Time wasand that not very long agowhen all the relations of
Biblical authors concerning the whole world were received with a
ready belief； and an unreasoning and uncritical faith accepted
with equal satisfaction the narrative of the Captivity and the
doings of Moses at the court of Pharaoh； the account of the
Apostolic meeting in the Epistle to the Galatians； and that of
the fabrication of Eve。 We can most of us remember when； in this
country； the whole story of the Exodus； and even the legend of
Jonah； were seriously placed before boys as history； and
discoursed of in as dogmatic a tone as the tale of Agincourt or
the history of the Norman Conquest。
But all this is now changed。 The last century has seen the
growth of scientific criticism to its full strength。 The whole
world of history has been revolutionised and the mythology which
embarrassed earnest Christians has vanished as an evil mist； the
lifting of which has only more fully revealed the lineaments of
infallible Truth。 No longer in contact with fact of any kind；
Faith stands now and for ever proudly inaccessible to the
attacks of the infidel。
So far the apologist of the future。 Why not？ Cantabit
vacuus。
FOOTNOTES
（1） Bampton Lectures （1859）； on 〃The Historical Evidence
of the Truth of the Scripture Records stated anew； with Special
Reference to the Doubts and Discoveries of Modern Times；〃 by the
Rev。 G。 Rawlinson； M。A。； pp。 5…6。
（2） The Worth of the Old Testament； a Sermon preached in
St。 Paul's Cathedral on the second Sunday in Advent； 8th Dec。；
1889； by H。 P。 Liddon； D。D。； D。C。L。； Canon and Chancellor of St。
Paul's。 Second edition revised and with a new preface； 1890。
（3） St。 Luke xvii。 32。
（4） St。 Luke xvii。 27。
（5） St。 Matt。 xii。 40。
（6） Bampton Lectures； 1859； pp。 50…51。
（7） Commentary on Genesis； by the Bishop of Ely； p。 77。
（8） Die Sintflut； 1876。
（9） Theologie und Naturwissenschaft； ii。 784…791 （1877）。
（10） It is very doubtful if this means the region of the
Armenian Ararat。 More probably it designates some part either of
the Kurdish range or of its south…eastern continuation。
（11） So Reclus （Nouvelle Geographie Universelle； ix。
386）； but I find the statement doubted by an authority of the
first rank。
（12） So far as I know； the narrative of the Creation is not now
held to be true； in the sense in which I have defined historical
truth； by any of the reconcilers。 As for the attempts to stretch
the Pentateuchal days into periods of thousands or millions of
years； the verdict of the eminent Biblical scholar； Dr。 Riehm
（Der biblische Schopfungsbericht； 1881； pp。 15； 16） on
such pranks of 〃Auslegungskunst〃 should be final。 Why do the
reconcilers take Goethe's advice seriously？
〃Im Auslegen seyd frisch und munter！
Legt ihr's nicht aus； so legt was unter。〃
End