Rev. JOHN TUCKWELL, M.R.A.S., said:-Although not agreeing with all that has been said, I have no desire to complain of the free expression of opinion. The attacks made upon Scripture during the past century on scientific grounds have shown. up more clearly than ever the supernatural element in that volume. For instance, the discoveries of science have disclosed the fact that the Creation story in Genesis i. is so extraordinarily exact that it could not have been written without supernatural knowledge. If anyone doubts that statement I am quite prepared to discuss the question, as I have so often done before, at a fit time and place.

Or take the discoveries of Archæology. The last century witnessed the extensive promulgation of what is known as the Yaweh Elohim Theory in the supposed composition of the Pentateuch. But the cuneiform tablets containing the story of the Deluge have shown us that the supposed "J" and "E" strata in the Hebrew are found also in the Babylonian and in almost the same order, so that if we dissect the one into these strata we shall have to dissect the other in the same way. But if any man were to apply this theory to the Babylonian story his medical man would be called in to prescribe for him. Let me remind you also of Genesis xiv. Professor Nöldeke in 1869 declared that criticism had for ever disposed of the claim of that chapter to be historical. But the Chedorlaomer Tablets in the British Museum compel every fairminded critic to restore to it its historic character.

Take again the Evolution Theory. The manner in which that theory has captivated the educated mind is phenomenal, and the Christian faith as represented by Holy Scripture has not escaped its application. But the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testaments are historic-they are records of facts, and a record of facts cannot be produced by an evolutionary process. It has been more and more conclusively proved to the modern mind that there was such a Person as Jesus Christ; that He was born, lived, taught, suffered, died, and rose again. No process of evolution could produce the record of these facts; or it would be fiction and not history. Moreover the Scriptures tell us how God can forgive sin and take the sinner back into fellowship with Himself. Now unless pantheism is true and the mind of God and that of man are one, then God must have communicated this plan of salvation to man, which

really means that it has been a matter of revelation and not of evolution. We have been been told that the inspiration of prophets and apostles was similar to the intuitions of the man of genius in science or letters. Even if that were so, which I for one do not admit, yet when the genius of the astronomer Adams led to the discovery of the planet Neptune there was an objective reality which was revealed to him. Similarly, whatever may have been the state of the inspired man's faculties you cannot evade the fact that objective truths were revealed through them.

Thus, Mr. Chairman, I cannot but think that whatever the attacks made upon the Bible in the past or yet to be made upon it in the future, it will ultimately emerge from them all victorious and more assured to the unprejudiced mind than ever as "The word of God which liveth and abideth for ever."

The Rev. J. SHARP, in reply, said that in the few minutes remaining he would not attempt to deal with more than some of the smaller points that had been brought forward. Most of the rest had been disposed of by other speakers, and the general sense of the meeting. He thought that some of his critics had not sufficiently noticed the exact wording of the passages to which they referred.

As regards the Jews, he was not aware of any facts showing that they had translated and circulated their Scriptures to effect the spiritual good of other nations. The Septuagint version of the Pentateuch was really produced for the Jews in Egypt and Greekspeaking lands. The copy required by Ptolemy was only for his library. Such proselytes as they made were never allowed to consider themselves on the same footing as genuine Hebrews. The versions of Aquila and Theodotion were produced for the purpose of counteracting the appeals made by Christians to the Septuagint in support of the claims of Christ by giving a Greek rendering more closely in accord with strictly Jewish interpretations.

Had their veneration for the Koran been strong enough to draw Sunni and Shiah together in a united society for its multiplication and circulation? That was his point. And similarly with respect. to Saivites and Vaishnavites in India. Up to the parting of the ways, through the unfortunate decree of the Council of Trent (1546) in the sixteenth century, the Church of Rome had like the other Churches of Christendom its share in circulating the Scriptures. The great Complutensian Polyglot of Cardinal Ximenes was issued

(1517) with the Pope's approval. And each Annual Report of the Bible Society contained instances of some Roman Catholics who were favourable to its work.

In illustration of his expression of "the inerrancy of the letter of Scripture as it had come down to us," Mr. Sharp gave an example of his meaning from 1 Sam. xiii, 1. The Revised Version prints that verse thus :-"Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign." In the margin we are told that "the Hebrew text has, Saul was a year old. The whole verse is omitted in the unrevised Septuagint, but in a later recension the number thirty is inserted." Such slips in numerals were more easily made by copyists in olden times when figures were denoted merely by letters of the alphabet with a dash attached; and the numeral indicated varied immensely according as the dash stood over or under the letter.

At the close of the meeting, and in conveying to Mr. Sharp the best thanks of the Institute for his most useful paper, the CHAIRMAN referred to the criticisms that had been made, and the pain felt by those who did not admit their force. The Institute allowed its members and associates a free hand, but the Bible would always vindicate itself. It is ours to study it, pray over it, and circulate this wonderful Book.

Professor LANGHORNE ORCHARD writes:-Besides its marvellous history and the complete harmony subsisting between the Bible and modern science, what specially impresses me is the fact, brought before us on pp. 85 and 86 of this paper, that the Bible is "The Word of Life." It has power to transform the characters and lives of those whose hearts receive and carry out its holy teaching; it renovates the desires and purposes, and strengthens the will unto holiness of thought. There is the manifestation of spiritual vitality-all things become new.

Now science affirms emphatically that the source of life is always that which is itself living. Redi's great doctrine-"Omne vivum ex vivo "-is, says Huxley, victorious "all along the line." Thus science affirms that the Bible is living, that it is "The Word of Life." The testimony of science does not stop here. She associates herself with our late President, Sir G. G. Stokes, in the belief that the cause of all life is Spirit. Thus science tells us that the cause of Eternal life is the Eternal Spirit, that the Cause of the Bible, the one Author speaking through its many writers,

is The Spirit that quickeneth, The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dr. THIRTLE has furnished notes of remarks which he desired to make, but time did not permit. I suggest (he writes) that generalities against certain views of Holy Scripture are no contribution to the subject which has actually been brought before the meeting; while statements involving censure of the Church at large-either on points of doctrine or in respect of diligence or negligence in the discharge of her stewardship are equally beside the mark. As to the insinuation that the Bible contains passages that are morally injurious, it may be classed among statements that are more easily made than sustained by proof. If the Book were really corrupting in any of its tendencies, how can the fact be explained that, throughout the generations, it has been eschewed by the impure, and its circulation has been advanced, as a prayerful duty, exclusively by consecrated followers of Christ?

Surely the literary activity of the last century has some bearing on the subject before us. If anyone tells me that there is a great demand for some book, I immediately conclude that the said demand expresses a judgment in favour of the book. If, again, it appears that many other works have been written in order to explain a book and enforce its teachings, then to me it is beyond dispute that the thought-provoking book is one of special significance and influence. Now the Bible is a book for which there has been a phenomenal demand, and moreover one that has occasioned the writing of a multitude of other works. These statements are beyond question, and they have a distinct bearing upon the subject in hand-in other words, they bear witness to the Bible, and their testimony is such as cannot be disputed or set aside. I suggest, in sentence-form, some arguments that are easy of substantiation :—

(1) Every copy of the Scriptures in any language, as translated, printed, and published, presupposes a demand on the part of men and women who are ready to purchase and distribute the same. In thus accepting and passing on the Book, these men and women bear witness to their esteem for it, their love for it. Their witness finds expression in money and labour-sometimes the former, sometimes the latter, and again sometimes in both.

(2) Every act of the Church of Christ, which-doubtless in

custodian of Scripture, bears Clergy, ministers, and teachers

varying senses-claims to be the witness in some degree to the Book. of all orders give to the Book a supreme place, or at least a place of its own; and in many ways they bear witness to the greatness of the Book, and their conviction as to its truth.

(3) Every edition of the Text of Scripture, in whole or in part, whether of the Hebrew Old Testament or the Greek New Testament -and the work of the last century along this line was of the utmost importance-is a constructive witness to the Book. These works involving a tremendous amount of labour on the part of scholars, and a great outlay of money on the part of patrons and publishers would never have been issued but for the certainty of a demand on the part of the Christian public. The demand is an expression of regard for the Book-testimony as to its exceptional character and great spiritual influence.

(4) Every volume produced during the century having for its object the explanation of the Book-grammars, lexicons, concordances, in the languages of the original text, or of the early versions that have a special bearing thereon-make deposition on this subject. In some cases such works represent the labour of many years— undertaken and carried through in order to meet the demand of Christian people for help in the study of the Book; and the meaning of all this also is found in the fact that a large and educated public bears witness to the Book by laying out money and applying the mind to study and research.

(5) What, moreover, is to be said of the output of elementary books prepared for schools, and manuals for colleges; of works of introduction and of systematic commentaries; of volumes of devotion and spiritual meditation, as these are issued in neverending profusion from the printing press? We must admit that there is a marvellous demand for these books, and that demand expresses a testimony eloquent and persistent a witness to the Book, its unique character, and its essential relation to the highest concerns of the life of man.

Thus the activities of the Bible Societies, in this country and in other lands-and we may also include the great University Presses, and many publishing houses-as they meet a need for copies of the Book, and stimulate in the hearts of people a desire to know its contents, not only prove the greatness of the Bible, but likewise