ThestormarousedbyEssaysandReviewshadnotyetsubsidedwhenafarmoreserioustempestburstupontheEnglishtheologicalworld。
In1862appearedaworkentitledThePentateuchandtheBookofJoshuaCriticallyExamineditsauthorbeingColenso，AnglicanBishopofNatal，inSouthAfrica。HehadformerlybeenhighlyesteemedasfellowandtutoratCambridge，masteratHarrow，authorofvariousvaluabletext-booksinmathematics；andaslongasheexercisedhispowerswithinthelimitsofpopularorthodoxyhewasevidentlyinthewaytothehighestpositionsintheChurch：buthechoseanotherpath。Histreatmentofhissubjectwasreverent，buthehadgraduallycometothoseconclusions，thensodaring，nowsowidespreadamongChristianscholars，thatthePentateuch，withmuchvaluablehistoricalmatter，containsmuchthatisunhistorical；thatalargeportionofitwastheworkofacomparativelylateperiodinJewishhistory；thatmanypassagesinDeuteronomycouldonlyhavebeenwrittenaftertheJewssettledinCanaan；thattheMosaiclawwasnotinforcebeforethecaptivity；thatthebooksofChronicleswereclearlywrittenasanafterthought，toenforcetheviewsofthepriestlycaste；andthatinallthebooksthereismuchthatismythicalandlegendary。
VeryjustlyhasagreatGermanscholarrecentlyadducedthisworkofachurchmanrelegatedtothemostpettyofbishopricsinoneofthemostremotecornersoftheworld，asaproof“thattheproblemsofbiblicalcriticismcannolongerbesuppressed；thattheyareintheairofourtime，sothattheologycouldnotescapethemevenifittookthewingsofthemorninganddweltintheuttermostpartsofthesea。”
Thebishop’sstatements，whichnowseemsomoderate，thenarousedhorror。Especialwrathwascausedbysomeofhisarithmeticalarguments，andamongthemthosewhichshowedthatanarmyofsixhundredthousandmencouldnothavebeenmobilizedinasinglenight；thatthreemillionsofpeople，withtheirflocksandherds，couldneitherhaveobtainedfoodonsosmallandaridadesertasthatoverwhichtheyweresaidtohavewanderedduringfortyyears，norwaterfromasinglewell；andthatthebutcheryoftwohundredthousandMidianitesbytwelvethousandIsraelites。”exceedinginfinitelyinatrocitythetragedyatCawnpore，hadhappilyonlybeencarriedoutonpaper。”Therewasnothingofthescofferinhim。Whilepreservinghisownindependence，hehadkeptintouchwiththemostearnestthoughtbothamongEuropeanscholarsandinthelittleflockintrustedtohiscare。HeevidentlyrememberedwhathadresultedfromtheattempttoholdtheworkingclassesinthetownsofFrance，Germany，andItalytooutwornbeliefs；hehadfoundeventheZulus，whomhethoughttoconvert，suspiciousofthelegendaryfeaturesoftheOldTestament，andwithhisclearpracticalmindherealizedthedangerwhichthreatenedtheEnglishChurchandChristianity——thedangeroftyingitsreligionandmoralitytointerpretationsandconceptionsofScripturemoreandmorewidelyseenandfelttobecontrarytofacts。Hesawtheespecialperilofshamexplanations，ofcoveringupfactswhichmustsoonbeknown，andwhich，whenrevealed，mustinevitablybringtheplainpeopleofEnglandtoregardtheirteachers，eventhemostdeserving，as“solemnlyconstitutedimpostors“——ecclesiasticswhosetenuredependsonassertionswhichtheyknowtobeuntrue。Thereforeitwasthat，whenhiscatechumensquestionedhimregardingsomeoftheOldTestamentlegends，thebishopdeterminedtotellthetruth。Hesays：“Myheartansweredinthewordsoftheprophet，`ShallamanspeakliesinthenameoftheLord？’Ideterminednottodoso。”
Butnoneoftheseconsiderationsavailedinhisbehalfatfirst。