438 LESSONS FROM NATURE. [CHAP. XIV. 



My critic also appears to think that because one side of a 



want of ac - question is perfectly orthodox, that its contradictory 



wHh n the- e cannot also be so. If he knew the A B C of Catholic 



doctrine, he would know that in open questions it is 



perfectly allowable to maintain either side. 



Professor Huxley says, that Suarez in this question (as in 

 other matters) is in opposition to St. Augustin. He is so ; 

 but other theologians of equal weight severely took him to 

 task for his expressions on this subject, as I shall proceed to 

 show, and there is not the slightest difficulty in bringing 

 forward many theological authorities, both before and since 

 the time of Suarez, who approve or positively affirm the 

 position which St. Augustin took. Therefore, even if I had 

 made the mistake which Professor Huxley supposes I had, it 

 would not be of the slightest moment, and my thesis could 

 repose as securely on the support of other theologians. 



Thus I may mention St. Thomas, St. Bona venture, Albertus 



Magnus, Denis the Carthusian (1470), Cardinal 



Cajetan (1530), Melchior Canus (1560), Bannes 



(1580), Vincentius Contenson (1670), Macedo and Cardinal 



Noris (1673), Touti (1714), Serry (1720), Berti (1740), and 



others down to the present day. 



St. Bonaventure calls St. Augustin s exposition, &quot; Multum 

 rationabilis et valde subtilis,&quot; and speaks of his method as a 

 &quot; via philosophica ;&quot; nay, he calls the contrary opinion 

 &quot; minus rationabilis quam alia &quot; (Librum secund. Sent. Dist. 

 12, quaest. 2, art. 1 conclusio). 



St. Thomas, as I have shown, supports and approves St. 

 Augustin, but he even admits ( Summ. par. i. quasst. 73, 

 art. 1, ad. 3) the possibility of new species himself. He 

 says : &quot; Species etiam novae si quae apparent, praextiterunt 

 in quibusdam activis virtutibus sicut et animalia ex putre- 

 factione generata producuntur ex virtutibus stellarum et 

 elementorum quas a principio acceperunt, etiam si novae 

 species talium animalium producuntur.&quot; 



Professor Huxley will hardly dispute the weight and sig- 

 nih eance, in this controversy, of the distinct adoption of St. 



