We already had occasion to mention this unfortunate man, when treating of the see of Down and Connor in the March number of the Record (page 271); and surely no words of ours are required to make the reader fully appreciate the true character and mission of the Establishment in our see, the life of whose first apostle is described in such language by the great Protestant historians.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Stephens, Monast. Anglican. 175, dates his appointment from 1446. This may be the true date: we have not wished to adopt it, however, not knowing the authority from which Mr. Stephens derived his information.
[2] "Guillelmus Egremond (Herrera writes) erat anno 1462 et 1464 in Regesto Pontificio Episcopus Dromorensis in Hibernia et Guillelmi Archiepiscopi Eboracen suffraganeus".
[3] They were as follows:—"1st, To renounce the name of O'Neil; 2nd, That he and his followers should use English habit, language, and manners; 3rd, That their children should learn English; 4th, That they should build houses and husband their land in English manner; 5th, That they should obey English laws and not cess their tenants, nor keep more gallowglasses than the lord deputy allow; and 6th, That they should answer all general hostings, as those of the Pale do, and shall not succour any of the king's enemies".
[4] Mant. History of the Irish Church, vol. i. page 218, seqq.
DR. COLENSO AND THE OLD TESTAMENT.
NO. III.
We have reserved for the last place a difficulty on which Dr. Colenso has expended all his powers of persuasion and all his skill in figures—"the number of the Israelites at the time of the Exodus". Here is his argument in a few words:—Jacob and his family numbered seventy persons when they came down into Egypt. His descendants sojourned in that country 215 years, and they went out with Moses in the fourth generation. According to the Scripture narrative, when they were leaving Egypt they numbered 600,000 men of twenty years old and upwards, representing a population of about 2,000,000: but this is absolutely impossible. Dr. Colenso assures us that "the multiplied impossibilities introduced by this number alone, independent of all other considerations, are enough to throw discredit upon the historical character of the whole narrative" (part i. p. 143.) This bold assertion he endeavours to establish by an elaborate argument extending over several chapters. We must be content to present it in a condensed form to our readers; but, in doing so, we shall adhere as closely as possible to the language of the author.