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Moses has preserved. Without accepting the theory in its 
entirety, we yet cannot deny that it is perfectly within the 
region of the possible — nay, that such subsidences and eleva- 
tions of the land and such irruptions of the sea as his hypo- 
thesis assumes, are among the ordinary phenomena which 
Geology unfolds. If Geology, therefore, both by negative and 
positive evidence, protests against a universal deluge, this is 
certain, that she supplies facts in lavish abundance, showing 
the possibility of such a deluge as we believe the sacred his- 
torian to describe, a deluge which overflowed the whole of the 
then inhabited world; which submerged its loftiest mountains; 
and which destroyed the whole of the human race, with the 
exception of those who found an asylum in the Ark. 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
I have now to consider the difficulties which present them- 
selves in the path of those who contend for a world-wide 
deluge, and which to my mind are insuperable. It is true 
that these difficulties have not unfrequently been insisted 
upon by those who were enemies to the Bible, and whose 
ulterior design was manifestly, by magnifying such difficulties, 
to invalidate the authority of the Old Testament. Bishop 
Colenso is one of these. In his book on the Pentateuch, he 
labours, first of all, to fix down the Mosaic narrative to a 
universal deluge, and then, by a skilful arrangement of the 
insurmountable difficulties, geological and general, to such 
universality, endeavours to shut up his readers to the conclu- 
sion that the Biblical account of the Flood is incorrect. That 
foes to the credibility and inspiration of the Bible, however, 
have adduced these difficulties with a hostile intention, is no 
reason why we should shut our eyes to them, and, ostrich-like, 
imagine that our safety lies in refusing to face the disagree- 
able and the dangerous. Nothing has done greater damage 
to that religion which it is our privilege and honour to uphold, 
than such unwillingness to look fairly and fully at the objec- 
tions which our opponents start. What have we to be afraid 
of? Have we so little confidence in the foundation of our 
faith, that we dare not dig down to it and examine its solidity ? 
Can we maintain the authenticity, credibility, and inspiration 
of Holy Scripture only by ignoring everything that has been 
alleged against them ? Certainly not. We have everything 
to hope, and nothing to fear, from a searching examination of 
the sacred records. We are ready to listen attentively to those 
who have objections to state, and who are ready to propound 
