x.] MR DARWIN'S CRITICS. 225 



such very modern views ; nevertheless, this is certainly 

 the case, and it would be easy to give numerous examples. 

 It will be better, however, to cite one or two authorities 

 of weight. Perhaps no writer of the earlier Christian 

 ages could be quoted whose authority is more generally 

 recognized than that of St. Augustin. The same may be 

 said of the mediaeval period for St. Thomas Aquinas : 

 and since the movement of Luther, Suarez may be taken 

 as an authority, widely venerated, and one whose ortho- 

 doxy has never been questioned. 



" It must be borne in mind that for a considerable 

 time even after the last of these writers no one had 

 disputed the generally received belief as to the small 

 age of the world, or at least of the kinds of animals 

 and plants inhabiting it. It becomes, therefore, much 

 more striking if views formed under such a condition of 

 opinion are found to harmonize with modern ideas con- 

 cerning ' Creation ' and organic Life. 



" Now St. Augustin insists in a very remarkable 

 manner on the merely derivative sense in which God's 

 creation of organic forms is to be understood ; that is, 

 that God created them by conferring on the material 

 world the power to evolve them under suitable con- 

 ditions." 



Mr. Mivart then cites certain passages from St. Au- 

 gustin, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Cornelius a. Lapide, 

 and finally adds : 



" As to Suarez, it will be enough to refer to Disp. xv. sec. 2, No. 9, 

 p. 508, t. i. edition Vives, Paris; also Nos. 13 15. Many other 

 references to the same effect could easily be given, but these may 

 suffice. 



" It is then evident that ancient and most venerable theological 

 authorities distinctly assert derivative creation, and thus their teach- 

 ings harmonize with all that modern science can possibly require." 



It will be observed that Mr. Mivart refers solely to 



