288 The Evolution Hypothesis. 



rience are so congruous with the conception as to bring 

 it within the probable ; if the religious conviction is 

 thus found to be in accord with experiential truth, we 

 may take a step in advance and place the doctrine of 

 creation over against the hypothesis of evolution. 



The term creation will cover theories which, within 

 the knowable, differ from evolution in no important 

 respect. With such theories we have, for the present, 

 nothing to do. Creation, as contrasted with evolution, 

 implies not only a beginning of the universe in its 

 matter, force, and law, but such a conception of its 

 constitution and history as sees everywhere traces of 

 intelligence, everywhere the embodiment of thought 

 and purpose ; and which, recognizing the vastness of 

 the problem and the limitation of thought, admits the 

 impossibility of interpreting the whole as a continuous 

 process, whether physical or spiritual, and accepts the 

 intervention of divine power as the only rational 

 solution. The conditions of that intervention tran- 

 scend human knowledge ; they lie hidden in the pur- 

 pose of God. 



The question of origins within the cosmos may be 

 approached from opposite points of view. The evolu- 

 tionist begins with the law of the physical order on 

 the side most remote from the acts of intelligence, and 

 depends for his solution entirely on dynamic principles. 

 The creationist begins with the exercise of intelligence 

 the side most remote from the physical order, and 

 proceeds from that in nature which reveals the opera- 



