114 EVOLUTION AND SOCIAL PROGRESS 



of the most eminent scientists, as has been shown 

 in the preceding chapters, might suffice to answer 

 this statement. Yet the difficulties can best be 

 met by an intelligent explanation making plain 

 that it is not necessary or even possible always 

 to assume a literal interpretation for the various 

 Scripture texts. 



Thus in connection with the early chapters of 

 the Book of Genesis it is well to bear in mind, in 

 the first place, the principle laid down by one of 

 the foremost of Scripture scholars, St. Jerome, 

 that occasionally certain things in the sacred 

 writings may be said &quot;according to the ideas of 

 the time, or according to the appearance of things 

 rather than according to the actual truth.&quot; We 

 thus express ourselves today when we speak of 

 the rising and the setting sun. It was quite con 

 sonant with God s ways to permit the sacred 

 writer to clothe the truth in the language of his 

 own time. In this there can be no question of 

 error. 



In the second place Patristic commentators 

 have always given ample attention to allegorical 

 or symbolical interpretations of the inspired text, 

 where there was sufficient reason for such con 

 clusions. Certain facts must of course be taken 

 in a strictly literal sense, but others admit of a 

 symbolical sense or demand it. Various illus 

 trations might be given. The most obvious is 

 that often referred to in our social literature as 



