DISCUSSION 105 



forced me to accept polyphyletic evolution, 

 Plate has made an unfounded assertion. 



With regard to the ' zoological question ' 

 which I am supposed to have referred to the 

 Bible, I may say that the contradiction between 

 the Bible and science has been insisted upon 

 by my monistic opponents, by men such as 

 Haeckel and Dodel, and I was quite justified 

 in resisting their attacks. 



Finally, Plate believes that some ' degrada- 

 tion of the Creator ' is implied if I do not admit 

 that He is constantly interfering with the laws 

 of nature. This scruple rests upon the speaker's 

 ignorance of the Christian Theodicy, and I 

 should like to explain it to him shortly. It 

 is a mistake to think that God could not 

 constantly interfere with the laws of nature, 

 but as God is absolute intelligence, His power 

 is co-extensive with His wisdom. The laws 

 of nature are the expression of His wise design as 

 Creator, and He does not arbitrarily interfere 

 with them, as to do so would be to disturb the 

 natural order which He willed to exist. It is 

 only to accomplish some higher, supernatural 

 design that God can will to set aside the laws of 

 nature, thus effecting a miracle. For those who 

 possess the requisite preliminary knowledge 

 of theology, this statement suffices to show 

 that a miracle is in strict conformity with 

 reason. 



