106 FROM THE GREEKS TO DARWIN 



nizing of the Old Testament,' or the allegorical 

 method of exegesis. By this, as Erdmann ob- 

 serves, the Bible narrative was found to contain 

 a deeper, and particularly an allegorical, in ad- 

 dition to its literal, interpretation; this was not 

 conscious disingenuousness but a natural mode 

 of amalgamating the Greek philosophic with the 

 Hebraic doctrines. 



Among the Christian Fathers the movement 

 toward a partly naturalistic interpretation of the 

 order of creation was made by Gregory of Nyssa 

 in the fourth century, and was completed by 

 Augustine^ in the fourth and fifth centuries. 

 Plainly as the direct or instantaneous creation of 

 animals and plants appeared to be taught in 

 Genesis, Augustine read this in the light of pri- 

 mary causation and the gradual development 

 from the imperfect to the perfect of Aristotle. 



This most influential teacher thus handed 

 down to his followers opinions which closely con- 

 form to the progressive views of those theolo- 

 gians of the present day who have accepted the 

 evolution theory. In proof of this Greek influ- 

 ence we find that Augustine also adopted some 

 of the Greek notions of the spontaneous genera- 

 tion of life. In the Middle Ages analogous views 

 were held by Erigena, Roscellinus, William of 

 Occam, Albertus Magnus; and Augustine was 



iSee Osborn: Impressions of Great Naturalists, 1928, pp. 193^. 



