rememberthatBishopColensosaidtomeatthetime，`Inaveryguardedwaythewriterconcedesthewholething。’Youwillseebythisunderwhattrammelsscientificthoughthaslabouredinthisdepartmentofinquiry。”[166]
[166]SeeOfficialReportoftheNationalConferenceofUnitarianandotherChristianChurchesheldatSaratoga，1882，p。97。
AsimilarsurrenderwasseenwhenfromaneweditionofHorne’sIntroductiontotheScriptures，thestandardtextbookoforthodoxy，itsaccustomeduseoffossilstoprovetheuniversalityoftheDelugewasquietlydropped。[167]
[167]Thiswasabout1856；seeTylor，EarlyHistoryofMankind，p。329。
AlikecapitulationintheUnitedStateswasforeshadowedin1841，whenaneminentProfessorofBiblicalLiteratureandinterpretationinthemostimportanttheologicalseminaryoftheProtestantEpiscopalChurch，Dr。SamuelTurner，showedhisChristianfaithandcouragebyvirtuallyacceptingthenewview；
andtheoldcontentionwasutterlycastawaybythethinkingmenofanothergreatreligiousbodywhen，atalaterperiod，twodivinesamongthemosteminentforpietyandlearningintheMethodistEpiscopalChurchinsertedintheBiblicalCyclopaedia，publishedundertheirsupervision，acandidsummaryoftheproofsfromgeology，astronomy，andzoologythattheDelugeofNoahwasnotuniversal，orevenwidelyextended，andthiswithoutprotestfromanymanofnoteinanybranchoftheAmericanChurch。[168]
[168]ForDr。Turner，seehisCompaniontotheBookofGenesis，LondonandNewYork，1841，pp。216-219。ForMcClintockandStrong，seetheirCyclopaediaofBiblicalKnowledge，etc。，articleDeluge。ForsimilarsurrendersoftheDelugeinvariousotherreligiousencyclopediasandcommentaries，seeHuxley，Essaysoncontrovertedquestions，chap。xiii。
ThetimewhenthestrugglewasrelinquishedbyenlightenedtheologiansoftheRomanCatholicChurchmaybefixedatabout1862，whenReusch，ProfessorofTheologyatBonn，inhisworkonTheBibleandNature，castofftheolddiluvialtheoryandallitssupporters，acceptingtheconclusionsofscience。[169]
[169]SeeReusch，BibelundNatur，chap。xxi。
But，thoughthesacredtheorywiththeDelugeofNoahasauniversalsolventforgeologicaldifficultieswasevidentlydying，therestillremainedinvariousquartersatouchingfidelitytoit。InRomanCatholiccountriestheoldtheorywaswidelythoughquietlycherished，andtaughtfromthereligiouspress，thepulpit，andthetheologicalprofessor’schair。PopePiusIXwasdoubtlessinsympathywiththisfeelingwhen，about1850，heforbadethescientificcongressofItalytomeetatBologna。[170]
[170]SeeWhiteside，ItalyintheNineteenthCentury，vol。iii，chap。xiv。
In1856FatherDebreynecongratulatedthetheologiansofFranceontheiradmirableattitude：“Instinctively。”hesays，“theystillinsistuponderivingthefossilsfromNoah’sFlood。”[171]
In1875theAbbeChoyerpublishedatParisandAngersatext-bookwidelyapprovedbyChurchauthorities，inwhichhetooksimilarground；andin1877theJesuitfatherBosiziopublishedatMayenceatreatiseonGeologyandtheDeluge，endeavouringtoholdtheworldtotheoldsolutionoftheproblem，allowing，indeed，thatthe“days“ofCreationwerelongperiods，butmakingatonementforthisconcessionbysneersatDarwin。[172]
[171]SeeZoeckler，vol。ii，p。472。
[172]SeeZoeckler，vol。ii，p。478，andBosizio，GeologieunddieSundfluth，Mayence，1877，preface，p。xiv。
IntheRusso-GreekChurch，in1869，ArchbishopMacarius，ofLithuania，urgedthenecessityofbelievingthatCreationinsixdaysofordinarytimeandtheDelugeofNoaharetheonlycausesofallthatgeologyseekstoexplain；and，aslateas1876，anothereminenttheologianofthesameChurchwentevenfarther，andrefusedtoallowthefaithfultobelievethatanychangehadtakenplacesince“thebeginning“mentionedinGenesis，whenthestrataoftheearthwerelaid，tilted，andtwisted，andthefossilsscatteredamongthembythehandoftheAlmightyduringsixordinarydays。[173]
[173]SeeZoeckler，vol。ii，p。472，571，andelsewhere；alsocitationsinReuschandShields。
IntheLutheranbranchoftheProtestantChurchwealsofindechoesoftheoldbelief。Keil，eminentinscripturalinterpretationattheUniversityofDorpat，gaveforthin1860atreatiseinsistingthatgeologyisrenderedfutileanditsexplanationsvainbytwogreatfacts：theCursewhichdroveAdamandEveoutofEden，andtheFloodthatdestroyedalllivingthingssaveNoah，hisfamily，andtheanimalsintheark。In1867，Phillippi，andin1869，Dieterich，boththeologiansofeminence，tookvirtuallythesamegroundinGermany，thelatterattemptingtobeatbackthescientifichostswithaphraseapparentlypithy，butreallyhollow——thedeclarationthat“moderngeologyobserveswhatis，buthasnorighttojudgeconcerningthebeginningofthings。”Aslateas1876，Zuglertookasimilarview，andamultitudeoflesserlights，throughpulpitandpress，broughttheseantiscientificdoctrinestobearuponthepeopleatlarge——theonlyeffectbeingtoarousegravedoubtsregardingChristianityamongthoughtfulmen，andespeciallyamongyoungmen，whonaturallydistrustedacauseusingsuchweapons。
ForjustatthistimethetraditionalviewoftheDelugereceiveditsdeath-blow，andinamannerentirelyunexpected。BytheinvestigationsofGeorgeSmithamongtheAssyriantabletsoftheBritishMuseum，in1872，andbyhisdiscoveriesjustafterwardinAssyria，itwasputbeyondareasonabledoubtthatagreatmassofaccountsinGenesisaresimplyadaptationsofearlierandespeciallyofChaldeanmythsandlegends。WhilethisprovedtobethefactasregardstheaccountsofCreationandthefallofman，itwasseentobemoststrikinglysoasregardstheDeluge。
Theeleventhofthetwelvetablets，onwhichthemostimportantoftheseinscriptionswasfound，wasalmostwhollypreserved，anditrevealedinthislegend，datingfromatimefarearlierthanthatofMoses，suchfeaturespeculiartothechildhoodoftheworldasthebuildingofthegreatshiporarktoescapetheflood，thecarefulcaulkingofitsseams，thesavingofamanbelovedofHeaven，hisselectingandtakingwithhimintothevesselanimalsofallsortsincouples，theimpressivefinalclosingofthedoor，thesendingforthdifferentbirdsasthefloodabated，theofferingofsacrificeswhenthefloodhadsubsided，thejoyoftheDivineBeingwhohadcausedthefloodastheodourofthesacrificereachedhisnostrils；whilethroughoutallwasshownthatpartialityfortheChaldeansacrednumbersevenwhichappearssoconstantlyintheGenesislegendsandthroughouttheHebrewsacredbooks。
Otherdevotedscholarsfollowedinthepathsthusopened——SayceinEngland，LenormantinFrance，SchraderinGermany——withtheresultthattheHebrewaccountoftheDeluge，towhichforagestheologianshadobligedallgeologicalresearchtoconform，wasquietlyrelegated，evenbymosteminentChristianscholars，totherealmofmythandlegend。[174]
[174]ForGeorgeSmith，seehisChaldeanAccountofGenesis，NewYork，1876，especiallypp。36，263，286；alsohisspecialworkonthesubject。SeealsoLenormant，LesOriginsdel’Histoire，Paris，1880，chap。viii。ForSchrader，seehisTheCuneiformInscriptionsandtheOldTestament，Whitehouse’stranslation，London，1885，vol。i，pp。47-49and58-60，andelsewhere。
Sundryfeebleattemptstobreaktheforceofthisdiscovery，andanevidentlywidespreadfeartohaveitknown，havecertainlyimpairednotalittlethelegitimateinfluenceoftheChristianclergy。
AndyetthisadoptionofChaldeanmythsintotheHebrewScripturesfurnishesoneofthestrongestargumentsforthevalueofourBibleasarecordoftheupwardgrowthofman；for，whiletheChaldeanlegendprimarilyascribestheDelugetothemerearbitrarycapriceofoneamongmanygodsBel，theHebrewdevelopmentofthelegendascribesittothejustice，therighteousness，oftheSupremeGod；thusshowingtheevolutionofahigherandnoblersentimentwhichdemandedamoralcauseadequatetojustifysuchacatastrophe。
Unfortunately，thusfar，saveinafewofthebroaderandnoblermindsamongtheclergy，thepolicyofignoringsuchnewrevelationshasprevailed，andtheresultsofthispolicy，bothinRomanCatholicandinProtestantcountries，arenotfartoseek。WhattheconditionofthoughtisamongthemiddleclassesofFranceandItalyneedsnottobestatedhere。InGermany，asatypicalfact，itmaybementionedthattherewasintheyear1881churchaccommodationinthecityofBerlinforbuttwopercentofthepopulation，andthateventhisaccommodationwasmorethanwasneeded。ThisfactisnotduetothewantofadeepreligiousspiritamongtheNorthGermans：noonewhohaslivedamongthemcandoubttheexistenceofsuchaspirit；butitisduemainlytothefactthat，whilethesimpleresultsofscientificinvestigationhavefiltereddownamongthepeopleatlarge，thedominantpartyintheLutheranChurchhassteadilyrefusedtorecognisethisfact，andhaspersistedinimposingonScripturethefettersofliteralanddogmaticinterpretationwhichGermanyhaslargelyoutgrown。Asimilardangerthreatenseveryothercountryinwhichtheclergypursueasimilarpolicy。
Nothinkingman，whatevermaybehisreligiousviews，canfailtoregretthis。Athoughtful，reverent，enlightenedclergyisagreatblessingtoanycountry，andanythingwhichunderminestheirlegitimateworkofleadingmenoutoftheworshipofmaterialthingstotheconsiderationofthatwhichishighestisavastmisfortune。[175]
[175]FortheforegoingstatementsregardingGermanythewriterreliesonhispersonalobservationasastudentattheUniversityofBerlinin1856，asatravelleratvariousperiodsafterward，andasMinisteroftheUnitedStatesin1879，1880，and1881。
IV。FINALEFFORTSATCOMPROMISE——THEVICTORYOF
SCIENCECOMPLETE。
Beforeconcluding，itmaybeinstructivetonoteafewespeciallydesperateattemptsattrucesorcompromises，suchasalwaysappearwhenthevictoryofanysciencehasbecomeabsolutelysure。TypicalamongtheearliestofthesemaybementionedtheeffortofCarlvonRaumerin1819。Withmuchpretensiontoscientificknowledge，butwithaspirationsboundedbythelimitsofPrussianorthodoxy，hemadealabouredattempttoproduceastatementwhich，byitsvagueness，haziness，and“depth。”shouldobscuretherealquestionsatissue。Thisstatementappearedintheshapeofanargument，usedbyBertrandandothersinthepreviouscentury，toprovethatfossilremainsofplantsinthecoalmeasureshadneverexistedaslivingplants，buthadbeensimplya“resultofthedevelopmentofimperfectplantembryos“；
andthesamemistytheorywassuggestedtoexplaintheexistenceoffossilanimalswithoutsupposingtheepochsandchangesrequiredbygeologicalscience。
In1837Wagnersoughttoupholdthisexplanation；butitwassoclearlyamerehollowphrase，unabletobeartheweightofthefactstobeaccountedfor，thatitwassoongivenup。
SimilarattemptsweremadethroughoutEurope，themostnoteworthyappearinginEngland。In1853wasissuedananonymousworkhavingasitstitleABriefandCompleteRefutationoftheAnti-ScripturalTheoryofGeologists：theauthorhavingrevivedanoldidea，andputasparkoflifeintoit——thisideabeingthat“alltheorganismsfoundinthedepthsoftheearthweremadeonthefirstofthesixcreativedays，asmodelsfortheplantsandanimalstobecreatedonthethird，fifth，andsixthdays。”[176]
[176]SeeZoeckler，vol。ii，p。475。
Butwhiletheseattemptstopreservetheoldtheoryastofossilremainsofloweranimalswerethuspressed，thereappeareduponthegeologicalfieldanewscientificcolumnfarmoreterribletotheolddoctrinesthananywhichhadbeenseenpreviously。
For，justatthecloseofthefirstquarterofthenineteenthcentury，geologistsbegantoexaminethecavesandbedsofdriftinvariouspartsoftheworld；andwithinafewyearsfromthattimeaseriesofdiscoveriesbeganinFrance，inBelgium，inEngland，inBrazil，inSicily，inIndia，inEgypt，andinAmerica，whichestablishedthefactthataperiodoftimemuchgreaterthananywhichhadbeforebeenthoughtofhadelapsedsincethefirsthumanoccupationoftheearth。ThechronologiesofArchbishopUsher，Petavius，Bossuet，andtheothergreatauthoritiesonwhichtheologyhadsecurelyleaned，werefoundworthless。Itwasclearlyseenthat，nomatterhowwellbasedupontheOldTestamentgenealogiesandlivesofthepatriarchs，allthesesystemsmustgofornothing。Themostconservativegeologistsweregraduallyobligedtoadmitthatmanhadbeenupontheearthnotmerelysixthousand，orsixtythousand，oronehundredandsixtythousandyears。Andwhen，in1863，SirCharlesLyell，inhisbookonTheAntiquityofMan，retractedsolemnlyhisearlierview——yieldingwithareluctancealmostpathetic，butwithathoroughnessabsolutelyconvincing——thelaststrongholdoforthodoxyinthisfieldfell。[177]
[177]SeeProf。Marsh’saddressasPresidentoftheSocietyfortheAdvancementofScience，in1879；andforadevelopmentofthematter，seethechaptersonTheAntiquityofManandEgyptologyandtheFallofManandAnthropology，inthiswork。