CHAPTER XIX.

FIRST HYPOTHESIS;--AN INTERVAL OF INDEFINITE DURATION BETWEEN THE CREATION OF THE WORLD AND THE FIRST MOSAIC DAY.

The Heavens and the Earth were created before the First Mosaic Day--Objection from Exodus, xx. 9-11--Answer--Interpretation of the Author supported by the best Commentators--Confirmed by the Hebrew Text--The Early Fathers commonly held the Existence of created Matter prior to the Work of the Six Days--Saint Basil, Saint Chrysostom, Saint Ambrose, Venerable Bede--The most eminent Doctors in the Schools concurred in this Opinion--Peter Lombard, Hugh of Saint Victor, Saint Thomas--Also Commentators and Theologians--Perrerius, Petavius--Distinguished Names on the other side, A Lapide, Tostatus, Saint Augustine--The Opinion is at least not at Variance with the Voice of Tradition--This Period of created Existence may have been of indefinite Length--And the Earth may have been furnished then as now with countless Tribes of Plants and Animals--Objections to this Hypothesis proposed and explained, 300