HYMN.

"God moves in a mysterious way."-Cowper.

THE FIRST LESSON, Job, Chapter xxviii, was read and expounded by the Rev. HARRINGTON C. LEES, who also offered prayer.

HYMN.

"Lord of all being throned afar."-Oliver Wendell Holmes.

THE SECOND LESSON, I Corinthians, Chapter xiii, was read by the Rev. J. R. GILLIES, who followed the reading by an address upon the last verse of the chapter, and by prayer.

ΗΥΜΝ.

All people that on earth do dwell."—Psalm C.

A GENERAL THANKSGIVING.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men; particularly for the increase of light upon Thy Holy Scriptures which thou hast caused to be shed forth in these our days. We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

THE PRAYER OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM.

THE BENEDICTION.

After the conclusion of the Service the NATIONAL ANTHEM was sung.

The Rev. G. HAROLD LANCASTER presided at the organ.

COMMEMORATION MEETING.

HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, CAXTON HALL, WESTMINSTER, S. W., ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 24TH, 1916, AT 4.30 P.M.

IN CELEBRATION OF THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
FIRST GENERAL MEETING.

DAVID HOWARD, ESQ., D.L., F.C.S., VICE-PRESIDENT,
IN THE CHAIR.

The CHAIRMAN: Ladies and Gentlemen, we will commence by singing the National Anthem.

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM was sung.

The CHAIRMAN: I will now ask the Secretary to read the minutes of the First General Meeting of the Institute.

The SECRETARY: Before reading the minutes of the first general meeting of the Victoria Institute, I should like to read one or two letters that we have received from prominent members of the Institute with regard to our Jubilee Meeting. First of all, let me say that this morning one of our Members, in order to express his sense of indebtedness to the Institute, and to signalize the fact that we are now celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the first meeting, presented the Treasurer with a cheque for £50. (Applause.) I venture to commend that to the serious consideration and imitation of others like-minded. That is a very practical way of showing our interest in the Institute. Those who are not as well blessed with this world's goods as our generous friend, can still do something for the Institute to celebrate the occasion- that is to say, those who are Associates of the Institute should, if possible, become Members. And all of us, whether Members or Associates, should try and make the Institute widely known. One of the letters I have received is from one of our Empire builders, Sir Charles Bruce.

ARNOT TOWER,

LESLIE, FIFE,

May 19th, 1916.

DEAR MR. MAUNDER,

I very much regret that it is not possible for me to be present at the celebration of the Jubilee of the Victoria Institute. There has never been a time when the work of the Institute has been of greater national and Imperial importance.

Very sincerely yours,

CH. BRUCE.

Then our old and valued friend, Canon Girdlestone, who is not able to be with us, writes:

SAXHOLME,

WIMBLEDON, S.W.,

May 22nd, 1916.

DEAR SECRETARY,

Just a line to say how much I am thinking of your Jubilee, thankful for the past and hopeful for the future. I lately made an Index of 19 of the V.I. vols. for my own use. This gave me an opportunity of estimating the value of the subjects, the papers, and the discussions. We Bible students owe much to the Victoria Institute, and, not least, to its present Secretary.

Yours sincerely,

R. B. GIRDLESTONE.

Then from another member, Mr. Sydney T. Klein, who is prevented from being with us by serious ill-health:

THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE.

There are few people alive now who fully realized at the time, and remember now, the bitter state of antagonism which existed in the middle of last century between Religion and Science, between what was then called Idealism and Materialism. It was fortunately at the time recognized by many lovers of the Truth that there was something radically wrong in this antagonism, and it was a little band of these well-wishers who inaugurated this great Institution to rectify this state of things.

They named it after the great Queen who for nearly a third of a century had reigned over us and ever since has been known in our hearts as Victoria the Good.

In looking back at the past fifty years one realizes what a wonderful success has crowned the fearless endeavours of the Institution, often under great difficulty, to bring Religion and Science together. No Society has ever done a better work for the peace of mind and general mental welfare of the human race. Under its influence both sides have not only given up aggressive action but have arranged their houses in the guise of homes for hospitality rather than as strong castles for offence and defence.

It is fifty-one years ago to-day that the circular which suggested the founding of the Victoria Institute was issued, and fifty years ago to-day the first general meeting of the Institute was held. The Institute was exactly a year in its inception. The following are the minutes of that first general meeting, and, curiously enough, when looking through the register I found that those minutes had never been signed, and I thought it would be an appropriate thing if our Chairman to-day were to sign them as proof that the Institute has been working for fifty years and is still in full activity.

The Minutes of the First General Meeting held on May 24th, 1866, at 32, Sackville Street, London, W., the Right Honourable the Earl of Shaftesbury, K.G., President, in the chair, were then read.

The CHAIRMAN: Is it your pleasure that I sign these minutes as correct? (Laughter.) I will now ask the Secretary to read the objects of the Institute.

The SECRETARY: It has been suggested that possibly there are some persons here who were at that first meeting fifty years ago. If so, would they put up their hands. I am afraid there do not seem to be any. I will now, with the permission of the meeting, read the Objects of the Institute as they were adopted at the first annual general meeting of members and associates on May 27th, 1867, that is to say, when the Institute had been a year in existence.

The SECRETARY then read the original statements of the "Objects" of the Institute as adopted at the First Annual General Meeting, held on Monday, May 27th, 1867.

The CHAIRMAN: I will now ask the Secretary to read a letter from the Dean of Canterbury.

The SECRETARY: I am sorry to say that after the cards and notices of this meeting had been printed and to some extent circulated, I received the following letter from the Dean of Canterbury:

THE DEANERY,
CANTERBURY,

DEAR MR. MAUNDER,

May 16th, 1916.

I am sorry to say that it will not be possible for me to give the paper that I am engaged to read at the Victoria Institute next week. This morning I had a fall, and have broken my right arm, and I shall be laid aside for at least two or three weeks. I cannot send you the manuscript, for it is not yet ready, and I must reluctantly leave it to you and the Council to make such arrangements for next week as you think fit. Please express my deep regret to the Council, for I had looked forward to the pleasure of helping to celebrate the Jubilee. I should be happy to furnish the paper at some later date, but I can do nothing for the observance of the Jubilee.

Believe me,

Very truly yours,

H. WACE.

(Per M. S.)

Then on Tuesday morning I received a letter from the Countess of Halsbury, informing the Council that Lord Halsbury was suffering from an attack of influenza, and was confined to his room, so that he would be unable to be present this afternoon. In these circumstances some of the principal members of the Council have prepared a series of short addresses relating to the work and objects of the Institute, which will be delivered this afternoon, and our VicePresident, Mr. Howard, has kindly consented to take the chair in Lord Halsbury's absence.

The CHAIRMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, it has not unfrequently fallen to my lot to act as a sort of simulacrum of somebody very much more important. I do not venture to represent Lord Halsbury.