Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-12-05
THE EVENING STAR.
THE NEW HERESY.
pa CoLrNsos WORK ON THE PEHrArEucu
ZEE MOSAIC RseoRD uNISsrIREo.


the theolosians than even the famous Essays
and Reviews DIR Col-nso puts forth me-
heresy, not only denying the divine inspiration
Of The Pentatsucb, but roundiy asserting tnat
The statements made in the Aosaic record are
net historically true.
Dr Co,.n.o f. not q priest only, but mis-
saopary bishop. lie Is a good Hsbre W scholar,
and a man Of high intellectual attain ments,
With taste for exact reasoning. Sorae fourteen
ysars ago he wrote Rn elementary treaties GA
6Irebra, which has gone through several edi-
lions; and he has since published book OF
Arithmetic, which Is now widely accepted IN
schools the best Of it's kind extant- As
Bishop Of Natal, Gays the fsoadoa Examiner,
he hss, deyoting himself with the utmost prac-
tral zeal 10 his duty. studied the Zulu ionrua,
and published q Zulu GraMHaar and Diction-
AIRY, before proceeding by she ard Of The natives
TO translate the Scriptures. He has translated
into Zulu the whole OF the New Testament
and several parts OF the Old, including the
hccke OF 9enesis and EIodus; but while en-
gagged npon that work, under Interrogation
from his native helpers, he vas brought, he
says, face TO face with Old difficulties tha, in
England might be felt but tolerated
In announcing the startling conclusions II
which be has arrived, DR.. Colenso dwells
upen his early doubts and shows how the
questions OF u barbarian puzzled him. He
says:
"Engrcssed with parcchiai and other work
IN England, I did what, probably, many other
cIeTgymer nave done under similar circum-
stances Contented myself with silencIng, 10y
given in most commentaries. the ordinary OBJ
iections against the historical character OF the
early portions OF the Old Testament, and set
lied down into a willing acQ uies cencc in thu
general truth Of the narrative, whatever diff
culties might still hang about particular parts
Of 10. In short, the dectrinal end de yotionai
portions OF the Bible were what were needed
most in parochial duty. And, il 4 passage OF
The Old Testament formed ut any time the sub
tect OF a sermon, IL was easy TO draw from il
practical lessons of daily life, without exam
min I'M tort al frufh Of. ?
narrative. II Is true, there were one or two
stories, W hieh presented great difficulties, too
prominent not 20 be noticed. and which were
brought every now and then before Ia in the
Lessons of the Church, such g a. as The ac-
count of the Creation and the Delusr But on
the whole, found so much OF Divine Light
and Life IN those and other parts OF the Sacred
Book, much WhereWith to feed NV own
soul and the souls of others, that was coater:
20 take all this for granted. being true in the
main, however wonderful, and as being ct
least capable. In an extreme case, of some suf-
lcient Xplanaiion.
Here, however, rs have said. amidst NV
work in this land, have been brought face TO
face with the very questions which then put
by. While TRANSMITTING the story of tine Flood
have had Z simple nded but intelligent ma
tye-one with the dociiity of a child, but the
reasoning power of mature age-lOok up, and
ask, SIS all that true! Do you really believe
that ali this happened thus; that all the beasts
and birds, and creeping things upon the earth,
large and small, from hot countries and cold,
came thus by pairs, and entered into the ark
with Noah! And did Noah gather food for
them all, for the beasts and birds of prey, as
well as the restP My heart answered in the
words of the prophet: SHALL man speak lies
In the name OF the Lord r-Zech. xiii g. dared
not DO so. Ny own knowledge OF some branch
much increased since / left Ensisnd and ID
now know for certain, on geological grounds
fact, Of which had only had nissivings be-
iteIe, VIZ: that universal deluge, such As the
BAble manlfestly speaks of, could not possibly
have taken place in the way described in TIL.
BoCk of Genesis, net To mention other difficult
ues W hich the story contains
THE p RPoRT oE THE WORK.
The results OF the Doctors investigation are
succinctly stated in tine following passage:
"Ihe result OF my inquiry Is this, that /
nave arrived AT the conyictIon-as painful 10
myself 1t first, Is If may bc 10 my reader,
though painful now 10 longer under the clear
shining OF the Light of Truth--that the Penta-
feuch. as whole, cannot possibly have been
written by Moses, or 10y any one acquainted
personally with the facts which il Processes
TO describe, and, further, that the so calieiD
mosaic narrative, by whomsoeye wrtten,and
though imparting TO uS,as fulibelieve it does.
revelations of the Divine viii and Character,
cannot he regarded a historically true.
"ITt IL be observed that am not hear speak
Ing of number of petty variations and contra
oicncns, such as, or closer examination, are
found TO exist throughout the books. but which
may be IN many cases sufficiently explained
by alleging our ignorance of all the cireyIm
stances OF the ease, or by supposing some mis-
placement, or loss, or corruption OF he original
manuscript, or by sngg, sting that Il late writer
GaS inserted his own gloss here and there or
even " hole passages, which miy contain fac
or expressions at variance with the true NosI-
ic Books, and throwing an unmpritsd susDi-
cion upon them. However pernlaxinP su,n
contradictions are, when found III q boot,
which Is believed 20 be- CiVineiy infiIIibIr vel
humble and pious faith will gladly welcome
the nd of a friendly criticism 10 reIie,-o il -,
this way OF It's dcrbtS. can truly say thar l
would do so heartily myself Nor are thn
dimculties TO which am now referring OF the
same Kind as those which arise from consider
ing the accounts OF the Creation and the Del
uSe, (tbOugh these OF themselves are very for
midabie,) or the stupendous character OF car-
ss.n i LII "a that OF the sur and moon
standing stlll-or the waters of the river Tor
dan standing in heaps rs solid walls while tho
stream, we must suppose, was still running
or the ass speaking with human yOice-or IN,
miracles wrought by the magicians of Egypt.
such as the conversion of rod into a snake
and tie latter being endowed with life They
are not such, even. as are raised, when we re-
gard The trivial nature Of a vast number of
conversations and comman Dis, ascribcd direct
Iy 10 al, especially liz, Inulfiplird c,.re-
moniai minutS laid down in the ILeyitical
Law. They are not such, even. aS must ba
started a once in most plous minds when
sneh words a. these read, professedIy
coming from the Holy and Blessed One III.
Father and Faithful Creator of all mankind.
III The master (of a Hebrew sery anti have Civ
en- him wife, and she ha We borne him son. or
daughters, The tci5e and h,r children s61H h. mr.
MdsteT's, and he shall 80 ont free hy himself
EAodus AK. 4: the wife aud children in s;,rIt =
case being under the protection OF su en- other
woTGs rs these: IF n man sInite his servant. or
MS maid, with n rod, and he die under his
hand, lac shall be surely punished Sotui.h
sfdHdiHg, II lie continue day or two he shall
not be punished: for he IS his money Exodus
xxi. 10, 81.
al shall never forget the reyulsion OF feaIipr
with W hich very intellig gent Christian native,
with whose help was Transmitting these words
INTO the Iuiu tongue first heard them as word,
said 70 De uttered by the same great and gracious
fSelng, whom L was teaching him to trus. i'm
ana adore lis whole soul reyoited against
Inc notion mat the great and blessed God. the
MercltUl Father of all mankind, would sDe1k
OF a servant or maid as mere money and
allow horiltie crime Ia 20 unpunished, be-
cause the victim OF the brutal usage had ,i,r
vived few hours. bly, own heart and con-
science at the time fully sympathined with
LIS But then chung 20 the notion that ma
main substance of the narrative was hialori
caiiy true. And i rel;Yeu his dificultv and
my own Tor the present, by telling hin! HAT
supposed That such words as these U.r.
@rit'en GOWN by Moses, and believed by him
70 nave beth diNIncly given 70 him, because
the thought of them a4ose IN his bas-, o. r.