THEISM AND EVOLUTION. 289 



This something more, the Angelic Doctor desig- 

 nates seminal forces, or influences seminales rationes. 

 " The powers lodged in matter," he tells us, " by 

 which natural effects result, are called seminales ra- 

 tiones. The complete active powers in nature, with 

 the corresponding passive powers as heat and cold, 

 the form of fire, the power of the sun, and the 

 like are called seminales rationes. They are called 

 seminal, not by reason of any imperfection of en- 

 tity that they may be supposed to have, like the form- 

 ative virtue in seed ; but because on the individual 

 things at first created, such powers were conferred by 

 the operations of the six days, so that out of them, 

 as though from certain seeds, natural entities might 

 be produced and multiplied." The physical forces 

 heat, light, electricity and magnetism would, doubt- 

 less, in modern scientific terminology, correspond to 

 the seminales rationes 1 of the Angelic Doctor, as 

 they are efficient in producing changes in matter 

 and in disposing it for that gradual Evolution which 

 has obtained in the material universe. 



In the beginning, then, God created primordial 

 matter, which was actuated by various substantial 

 forms. With the elements thus created were asso- 

 ciated certain seminal influences certain physical 

 forces, we now should say and the various com- 

 pounds which subsequently resulted from the action 

 of these forces, on the diverse elements created, were 



1 For an elaborate explanation of the meaning of seminales 

 rationes, according to the mind of the Angelic Doctor, see the 

 "Metaphysics of the School," vol. II, appendix A, nn. in and 

 IV, and vol. Ill, part I, glossary, sub vocibub. 



E.-IJ 



