306 EVOLUTION AND DOGMA. 



Science and Creation. 



From what has already been learned, it is mani- 

 fest that physical science is utterly incompetent to 

 pronounce on primary or absolute creation. This, 

 being by the very nature of the case, above and be- 

 yond observation and experiment, it is, for the same 

 reason, necessarily above and beyond the sphere 

 of science or Evolution. The Rev. Baden Powell 

 clearly expresses this idea in his " Philosophy of Cre- 

 ation," when he affirms that " science demonstrates 

 incessant past changes, and dimly points to yet earlier 

 links in a more vast series of development of material 

 existence ; but the idea of a beginning, or of creation, 

 in the sense of the original operation of the Divine 

 volition to constitute nature and matter, is beyond 

 the province of physical philosophy." 



Again, belief in derivative creation is secure from 

 attack, on the part of natural science, for the simple 

 reason that it does not repose on physical phenom- 

 ena at all, but on psychical reasons, or on our pri- 

 mary intuitions. Modern scientists are continually 

 confounding primary with secondary creation, and 

 speaking of the latter as if it were absolute creation, 

 or as if it implied special supernatural action. This 

 confusion of terms is at the bottom of many of the 

 utterances of Darwin and Huxley, and is the cause 

 of numerous erroneous views which they ascribe 

 to their opponents. Thus, Darwin asks those who 

 are not prepared to assent to his evolutionary no- 

 tions, if "they really believe that at innumerable 



1 Essay III, sec. iv. 



