38 



to account for the origin of the first organisms, 

 the theistic theory of life presupposes a so-call 

 ed act of creation to have taken place." This is 

 "a production of organic bodies out of pre- 

 existent inorganic matter." The theistic the 

 ory, however, is ready to surrender this posi 

 tion of the "so-called creation" of organisms in 

 case spontaneous generation should ever be 

 come an established conclusion of science. 



(5) "The earliest laws of evolution were laid 

 down for the organic world at the production 

 of the first organisms." And 



(6) "The Christian theory of life" requires 

 "the assumption that man possesses a spiritual 

 and immortal soul." 



This is in brief the programme of theistic 

 evolution ; but it is so vague that we must try 

 to fill in the great gaps in the bald statement 

 from other parts of Father Wasmann's lectures. 



We may say, then, that Father Wasmann 

 believes in a Creator and a creation of original 

 matter. Next he believes that on this original 

 created matter the Creator had impressed the 

 laws of evolution, and that in consequence we 

 have the natural evolution of our solar system 



