242 THE BIDDLE OF THE UNIVERSE. 



intelligent forces which initiate and control organic 

 evolution. 1 



II. Trialistic creation. — God made the world in 

 three creative acts : (a) the creation of the heavens 

 — the extra-terrestrial world, (b) the creation of the 

 earth (as the centre of the world) and of its living 

 inhabitants, and (c) the creation of man (in the image 

 and likeness of God). This dogma is still widely 

 prevalent among theologians and other " educated " 

 people ; it is taught as the truth in many of our 

 schools. 



III. Heptameral creation ; a creation in seven days 

 {teste Moses). — Although few educated people really 

 believe in this Mosaic myth now, it is still firmly 

 impressed on our children in the biblical lessons of 

 their earliest years. The numerous attempts that 

 have been made, especially in England, to harmonise 

 it with the modern theory of evolution have entirely 

 failed. It obtained some importance in science when 

 Linne adopted it in the establishment of his system, 

 and based his definition of organic species (which he 

 considered to be unchangeable) on it : " There are as 

 many different species of animals and plants as there 

 were different forms created in the beginning by the 

 Infinite." This dogma was pretty generally held 

 until the time of Darwin (1859), although Lamarck 

 had already proved its untenability in 1809. 



IV. Periodic creation. — At the beginning of each 

 period of the earth's history the whole population of 

 animals and plants was created anew, and destroyed 

 by a general catastrophe at its close ; there were as 

 many general creative acts as there are distinct 



1 Eeinke, Die Welt als That (1899). 



