RISE OF EVOLUTIONARY THOUGHT 4°09 
first of the great theologians to discuss specifically the ques- 
tion of creation. His position is an enlightened one. He 
says: “It very often happens that there is some question as 
to the earth or the sky, or the other elements of this world 
. respecting which one who is not a Christian has knowl- 
edge derived from most certain reasoning or observation”’ 
(that is, a scientific man); “and it is very disgraceful and 
mischievous and of all things to be carefully avoided, that a 
Christian speaking of such matters as being according to the 
Christian Scriptures, should be heard by an unbeliever talk- 
ing such nonsense that the unbeliever, perceiving him to be 
as wide from the mark as east from west, can hardly restrain 
himself from laughing.’’ (Quoted from Osborn.) 
Augustine’s view of the method of creation was that of 
derivative creation or creation causaliter. Hiswas a natural- 
istic interpretation of the Mosaic record, and a theory of 
gradual creation. He held that in the beginning the earth 
and the waters of the earth were endowed with power to 
produce plants and animals, and that it was not necessary to 
assume that all creation was formed at once. He cautions 
his readers against looking to the Scriptures for scientific 
truths. He said in reference to the creation that the days 
spoken of in the first chapter of Genesis could not be solar 
days of twenty-four hours each, but that they must stand 
for longer periods of time. 
This view of St. Augustine is interesting as being less 
narrow and dogmatic than the position assumed by many 
theologians of the nineteenth century. 
The next theologian to take up the question of creation 
was St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) in the thirteenth cen- 
tury. He quotes St. Augustinc’s view with approval, but 
does not contribute anything of his own. One should not 
hastily conclude, however, because these views were held by 
leaders of theological thought, that they were universally 
