WHAT IS CREATION? 231 



the processes of Divine activity, the expressions and 

 results of the Creator's power. 



The simplest and the oldest history of Creation 

 is that which is given in the earlier portion of the 

 Book of Genesis ; the prevalent modern theory of 

 Creation is that which goes by the familiar name of 

 Evolution. Passing by other records or theories, as 

 being of interest only because curious or on account 

 of their being stages in the advance towards the 

 position now held by the majority of scientific men, 

 we wish to fix our attention awhile on these two 

 philosophies. 



The question naturally arises, Are they in agree- 

 ment ; or, if not, which is true ? 



It is of course open to the inquirer to ask what 

 is meant by evolution. Materialistic or atheistic 

 evolution, we have already stated, is a conception 

 of Nature with which we are not now dealing. 

 The evolution of Carl Vogt, and the not very 

 different agnosticism of Huxley, Tyndall, and 

 Spencer, are not here taken into consideration ; 

 they require a very different method of treatment, 

 and arguments of quite another sort. What we 

 seek is a clear and distinct definition of Theistic 

 evolution, such as is held by the bulk of scientific 

 men to-day. 



Taking Darwin as the most authoritative ex- 

 ponent of evolution, we may regard as a sufficiently 

 accurate idea of it his doctrine of natural selection, 

 involving the emergence of the fittest from the 

 struggle for existence, and under indefinite varia- 

 tions or modifications of structure and environment. 



