production of light ; the formation of an atmosphere ; the separa- tion of land and water ; the vegetable productions of the earth ; the animals of the sea and air ; then the living creatures of the earth ; and, last of all, man. In Gen. i. 27, it is said that God created man male and female ; in chapter ii. 7, it is said, that " the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground." It thus appears that forming out of preexisting material comes within the Scriptural idea of creating. We all recognize God as the author of our being, as our Creator, as well as our Preserver. He is our Creator, not merely because He is the maker of heaven and earth, and because all they contain owe their origin to his will and power, but also because, as the Psalmist teaches us. He fashions our bodies in secret. " Thine eyes," says the sacred writer, " did see my sub- stance, yet being unperfect ; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." (Ps. cxxxix. 16.) And the Bible constantly speaks of God as causing the grass to grow, and as being the real author or maker of all that the earth, air, or water produces. There is, therefore, according to the Scriptures, not only an imme- diate, instantaneous creation ex nihilo by the simple word of God, but a mediate, progressive creation ; the power of God working in union with second causes.
Augustine clearly recognizes this idea. " Sicut in ipso grano in- visibiliter erant omnia simul quse per tempera in arborem surgerent; ita ipse mundus cogitandus est, cum Deus simul omnia creavit, habuisse simul omnia quse in illo et cum illo facta sunt quando factus est dies : non solum coelum cum sole et luna et sideribus, quorum species manet motu rotabili, et terram et abyssos, quae velut inconstantes motus patiuntur, atque inferius adjuncta partem alteram mundo conferunt ; sed etiam ilia quse aqua et terra pro- duxit potentialiter atque causaliter, priusquam per temporum moras ita exorirentur, quomodo nobis jam nota sunt in eis operibus, quae Deus usque nunc operatur." ^
Thus far there is little room for diversity of opinion. But when the question is asked, How long was the universe in passing from its chaotic to its ordered state? such diversit}^ is at once manifested. According to the more obvious interpretation of the first chapter .of Genesis, this work was accomplished in six days. This there- fore has been the common belief of Christians. It is a belief founded on a given interpretation of the Mosaic record, which interpreta-
i De Genesi ad Lileram, v. 45; Works, edit. Benedictines, Paris, 1836, vol. iii. pp. 321 d, 222 a.
558 PART I. — THEOLOGY. [Ch. X. — Creation
tion, liowever, must be controlled not only by the laws of language, but by facts. This is at present an open question. The facts necessary for its decision have not yet been duly authenticated. The believer may calmly await the result.
The theistical advocates of the Nebular 'Hypothesis assume that the universe was an indefinitely long period in coming to its present state. God, intending to produce just such a universe as we see around us, instead of by a fiat calling the sun, moon, and stars, with all their marshalled hosts, into existence, created simply nebulous matter diffused tlu'ough space ; invested it with certain properties or forces ; gave it a rotatory motion, and then allowed these physi- cal laws under his guidance to work out the harmonious system of the heavens. As He is as truly the maker of the oak evolved from the acorn, according to the laws of vegetable life, as though He had called it into existence in its maturity by a word ; so, it is main- tained, He is as truly the creator of heaven and earth, on the neb- ular hypothesis, as on the assumption of instantaneous creation. This, hnwevex', is merely a hypothesis which has never commanded general assent among scientific men. It is, therefore, of no authority as a norm for th^ intei-pret-^tirn of Scripture.
The same theory of grndnnl, or mediate creation, has been ap- plied to account for all the phenomena of the vegetable and animal kingdoms. This has been done in different forms. According to all these theories there must be something to begin with. There must be matter and its forces. There must even be life, and living organisms. To account for these we are forced to accept of the Scriptural doctrine of an immediate creation ex nihilo by the power of God.
§ 3. Proof of the Doctrine.
The proof of the doctrine of a creation ex nihilo does not rest on the usage of the words S^2 or Kn'^etv, which are interchanged with nk^'J and TTOLeLv. God is said to have created the world, and also to be the maker of the heavens and the earth. Plants and animals are said to be created, although formed out of the dust of the earth. That, however, the Scriptures do teach this great doctrine of Natu- ral and revealed religion, is plain, —
1, From the fact that no mention is ever made of any preexist- ing substance out _of which the world was made. The original creation is never representecTas a moulding of matter into form and imbuing it with life. Nor do the Scriptures ever represent the world as an emanation from God, proceeding from Him by a necessity of his nature. Much less does the Bible ever identify