SCIENCE IN "BONDAGE" 103 



for want of opportunities. Father Hull very 

 properly cites various cases where a like difficulty 

 might possibly have arisen, but where, as a matter 

 of fact, it has not. For example, the geographical 

 universality of the Deluge was at one time, and 

 that not so very long ago, believed to be asserted 

 by the Bible ; while, on the other hand, geologists 

 seemed to be able to show, and in the event did 

 show, that such a view was scientifically un- 

 tenable. The attention of theologians having 

 been called to this matter, and a further study 

 made of passages which until then had probably 

 attracted but little notice, and quite certainly had 

 never been considered from the new point of 

 view, it became obvious that the meaning which 

 had been attached to the passages in question 

 was not the necessary meaning, but on the con- 

 trary, a strained interpretation of the words. 

 No public fuss having arisen about this particular 

 difficulty, the whole matter was gradually and 

 quietly disposed of. As Father Hull says, " the 

 new view gradually filtered down from learned 

 circles to the man in the street, so that nowadays 

 the partiality of the Deluge is a matter of com- 

 monplace knowledge among all educated Chris- 

 tians, and is even taught to the rising generation 

 in elementary schools." 



In accordance with the wise provisions of the 

 Encyclical Providentissimus Deus, with which all 

 educated Catholics should make themselves 

 familiar, conflicts have been avoided on this, and 

 on other points, such as the general theory of 

 evolution and the various problems connected 



