72 Evolution and its Consequences. 



In order to prove this I had to consider the meaning of 

 the word ' creation/ and I found that it might be taken in 

 three senses, with only two of which, however, we had to 

 do. 



The first of these was direct creation out of nothing, of 

 both matter and form conjoined — absolute creation such as 

 must have taken place when the earhest definite kind of 

 matter appeared. 



The second was derivative or potential creation: the 

 creation by God of forms not as existing, but in ^potentia, to 

 be subsequently evolved into actual existence by the due 

 concurrence and agency of the various powers of nature. 



Searching for information on the subject, I found to my 

 surprise that the regular teaching of theology adopted this 

 view, which was maintained by a complete consensus of 

 authorities. Of these I purposely chose but a few telling 

 ones as types ; and, amongst the rest, Suarez, who without 

 any doubt, and as I shall proceed to demonstrate more at 

 length, is a thorough-going supporter of it. 



Professor Huxley has quite misapprehended ^ my meaning, 

 hence the disappointment he speaks of. What he did not 

 find, I never said was to be found. What he actually did 

 find is what everybody knew before, but is a matter totally 

 different from, and utterly irrevelant to, the point I main- 

 tained. 



My critic fails to distinguish between the question as to 

 the nature of creation as an act, and that concerning the fact 

 of creation. 



1 Not only tliis, but he has even misrepresented my words. He says 

 (p. 445) : ' According to Mr. Mivart, the greatest and most orthodox authorities 

 upon matters of Catholic doctrine agree in distinctly asserting ' ' derivative 

 creation "or " evolution " ' — as if ' derivative creation ' and ' evolution ' were 

 the same thing. Having thus made me enunciate what I never thought of, 

 oonsequences are deduced which, of course, are not of my deducing. De- 

 rivative or potential creation such authorities do assert : evolution of species, 

 however, was no more thought of in their days than the electric telegraph. 



