A Manual of Bible History : I. The Old Testament.
B Charles Hart, B.A. (H. and T. Washboerne. 3s. M. net.)—As this volume bears the ufhil obstat and imprimatur of the official censorship, it has a special interest, for it gives us a specimen of Scripture teaching in "Catholic Secondary Schools." It even aims at being an "introduction to the study of the Bible." It may be said at once that it takes no account whatever of criticism. The chronology, for instance, is what we are accustomed to call Ussherian. The Book of Genesis " contains an account of the progress of events during the space of 2,369 years ; that is, from the creation of man until the death of Joseph." The Deluge is put at 2348 B.C. Of course, this is in flagrant contradiction of what we know of Assyrian and Egyptian history. Does Mr. Hart, who describes himself as Assistant-Master of St. Cuthbert's Grammar School, Newcastle-on-Tyne, think that when his pupils grow up, should they begin seriously to study the Bible, they will not be confronted with these facts ? Is there not a certain series of " Westminster Handbooks," also published by authority, which give a quite different account of hinny of the matters treated of here ? We can quite understand the temptation to a teacher to stand on the old ways, but to do so only postpones the difficulty and makes it ten times worse when it conies, as come it must.
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