XII.] THEOLOGY AND EVOLUTION. 285 



attainable conception of the First Cause) is not to refrain 

 from tlic only conceptions possible to us, but to seek the very 

 highest of these, and then declare their utter inadequacy; 

 and this is precisely the course which has been pursued by 

 theolocdans. It is to be resetted that before writino- on 

 this matter Mr. Spencer did not more thoroughly acquaint 

 himself with the ordinary doctrine on the subject. It is 

 always taught in the Church schools of divinity, that 

 nothing, not even existence, is to be predicated iinivocalbj ^ 

 of "God" and " creatures ;" that after exhausting ingenuity 

 to arrive at the loftiest possible conceptions, we must de- 

 clare them to be iitterly inadequate; that, after all, they are 

 but accommodations to human infirmity; that they are 

 in a sense objectively false (because of their inadequacy), 

 though subjectively and very practically true. But the 

 difference between this mode of treatment and that 

 adopted by Mr. Spencer is wide indeed ; for the practical 

 result of the mode inculcated by the Church is that each 

 one may freely affirm and act upon the highest human 

 conceptions he can attain of the power, wisdom, and good- 



1 "Deus ill liac vita non potest a nobis vijeri per suam essentiani, sed 

 cognoscitur a nobis ex creaturis secuuJum habitudineni principii. et per 

 modnm excel lentiae et remotionis : Sic igitur 2}otest nominari a nobis ex 

 creaturis : non tamcn ita, quod nomen significans ipsiom ex])riiiu(t divinam 

 fissentiam, secundum quod est. Sicut ut hoc nomen expriniit sua si<:^itica- 

 tioue essentiam hominis secundum quod est." — St. Thomas, Sunima. 

 Pars i. qu. xiii. art. i. 



" Cum hoc nomen sapiens de hominc dicitur, quodammodo describit, et 

 con.pri hendit rem significatam, non autetn, cum dicitur de Deo: 

 relin(]uit rem significatam, ut incomprehensam, et excedcntem nominis 

 significationem, unde patet, (piod non secundum eandem rationem hoc 

 nomen sapiens de Deo, et de homine dicitur. Et eadem ratio est de aliis. 

 Unde nullum nomen univocc dc Deo, et creaturis prcedicatur. . . . Dicen- 

 dum est igitur, ([iiod liujusmodi nomina dicuntur de Deo, et creatuiis 

 secundum aualogiani, idest, proportionem." — St. Thomas, loc. cit. art. v. 



