Gospel," and of Augustine when he composed the "City of God"
(p. 706).


Has any one ever disputed the contention, thus solemnly
enunciated, that the doctrine of evolution was not invented the
day before yesterday? Has any one ever dreamed of claiming it as
a modern innovation? Is there any one so ignorant of the history
of philosophy as to be unaware that it is one of the forms in
which speculation embodied itself long before the time either of
the Bishop of Hippo or of the Apostle to the Gentiles? Is Mr.
Gladstone, of all people in the world, disposed to ignore the
founders of Greek philosophy, to say nothing of Indian sages to
whom evolution was a familiar notion ages before Paul of Tarsus
was born? But it is ungrateful to cavil at even the most oblique
admission of the possible value of one of those affirmations of
natural science which really may be said to be "a demonstrated
conclusion and established fact." I note it with pleasure, if
only for the purpose of introducing the observation that, if
there is any truth whatever in the doctrine of evolution as
applied to animals, Mr. Gladstone's gloss on Genesis in the
following passage is hardly happy:--


God created
(a) The water-population;
(b) The air-population.

And they receive His benediction (v. 20-23).