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of which she literally had to be dug. Had they had only flint implements, himself and crew might have been exhumed by some future Lyell as preAdamite men, though born in the nineteenth century of grace! In the same way he had seen extensive lines of sea-beach altered by changes in the direction of winds and currents; showing how unreliable are the estimates of time founded on sea-beaches. All such conclusions must be fallacious, as they are based upon the assumption that all the conditions under which deposits have been formed are the same now that they were thousands of years since, which, as a matter of fact, is not so, nor could be so. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. R. N. FOWLER then rose, and said he had the honour to propose a toast which needed no words of his to insure it an enthusiastic reception by the company. It was the health of the noble lord who presided. (Cheers.) In every assembly of Englishmen, in every part of the world where patriotism, philanthropy, or Christianity was honoured, the name of the Earl of Shaftesbury would be received with enthusiasm. (Hear, hear.) They all knew the way in which the noble earl had devoted himself to the good of mankind. (Cheers.) Foregoing the highest honours in the gift of the Crown, he had applied himself with an earnest and heroic self-devotion to the promotion of the welfare of the community amongst which he lived, and his labours were chiefly directed to the benefit of the poorest classes of his countrymen. (Hear, hear.) He was identified with every great work of charity or philanthropy in this country, and the best energies of his life were devoted to the cause of ragged schools. (Hear, hear.) The toast of his health would therefore be received with enthusiasm, under whatever circumstances it was proposed to an assembly of Englishmen ; but they were met there that evening under peculiar obligations to his lordship. They were assembled to inaugurate one of the most important movements that could be undertaken by any society-a movement to resist the encroachments of scepticism and infidelity on the faith of Christians. (Hear, hear.) The noble earl had kindly given his assistance in the formation of a Society which had for its object a work of so much importance. He had placed himself in the van of the movement, and he was, therefore, entitled to their gratitude. (Hear, hear.) Younger men might have deemed it an honour to take up such a cause and lead it on to success. The noble earl did not look forward to any reward such as that. He had already left the impress of his name on the history of the age (hear, hear); and though the cause which the Society advocated was one in every way worthy of the support of men of rank and intellect, it was from no such motive that the noble lord had come forward to assist it. It was because he felt the permanent importance of the work which the Society was established to promote. (Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances, he felt that when he asked them to drink the health of their noble chairman, they would do so with the heartiest wishes for his happiness and prosperity. (Cheers.)

The toast was drunk amid the most enthusiastic plaudits.

The Noble EARL, in rising to respond, was greeted with renewed cheering. He said he was very much obliged for the kind manner in which they had received the toast. Upon any other occasion it would amount to presump

tion on his part, to address any observations to a large company of scientific men, such as he saw around him. Had it not been for the peculiar circumstances under which they met that evening, he would have contented him- self with acknowledging the toast. He remembered hearing a story at one time of a lady who married her groom, and the poor fellow was so confused that he did not know how to conduct himself. He went to a friend to ask what he should do, and the advice which he received was given in these words. "My dear fellow, dress in black and hold your tongue." (Laughter.) That was precisely the course which he had intended to take that evening. (Laughter.) He had dressed in black, and he should have held his tongue, but that he felt it necessary to say a word or two with regard to their objects, and the light in which he looked upon the foundation of the Institute. The purposes for which it was established were of signal value to all who, like himself, were engaged in numerous important avocations, and had no time to apply themselves to scientific pursuits. (Hear, hear.) The Institute would be of the utmost importance to those who had no means of access to the answers given to the deleterious nonsense published under the name of Science, and who were unable to test for themselves the value of the arguments put forward. It was the object of the founders of the Institute that it should fill up a gap for men of science, and men of principle, and men of intelligence, and men of research, who would watch the various publications as they came out,--some conceived in malignity, some in ignorance, and some in mistaken notions that they were adding to the general science of mankind --and point out where mistakes arose, and put facts in their true light, or at any rate induce people to pause before they pronounced an opinion upon the discovery of anything which seemed to be opposed to the truths of revelation. He recollected, when he was a young man, that points of this kind occasionally arose. A heretical opinion was now and then advanced; but nothing came of it, and it was forgotten. But a very different state of things now existed. The mental activity of the age was now so great, that it gave them no rest; so many new discoveries were now made, that it left them no time to breathe or to look around them; so great was the impatience for novelty which prevailed, that when men fancied they discovered something, nothing satisfied them until they converted it into an Armstrong or a Whitworth gun, and aimed it at revealed truth. It would be the duty of the Institute to ascertain what were facts, or whether there were any facts at all, and to tell the public what ought to be at once rejected, and what ought to be put in quarantine for a time, until it was thoroughly sifted. Above all, the Society must endeavour to watch the dishonest use of statements appearing in scientific works, calculated to raise doubts as to the truth of the Bible; and let the world know when theories, that had been brought to bear with tremendous force upon the teachings of revealed religion, were exploded by more minute inquiry. They had seen great mischief result from the dropping of a word which implied doubt, when no refutation was given by those who heard it; but what were they to think of the evil produced by a work such as Essays and Reviews, which had been read by hundreds who still

believe in the statements which it contained, and never heard of their refutation? It would be the business of this Society to lay bare the fallacies of publications of that character, in the manner that had been so ably done in that admirable pamphlet, the Scientia Scientiarum. As the author of it said, they must criticise science as they had criticised the Bible. (Hear, hear.) Science was in a perpetual state of development. That which was a "fact" to-day was not a fact to-morrow, and it was as much open to criticism as anything else. What they wanted was a free trade in science. (Hear.) They wanted those who were engaged in science to carry their inquiries to the utmost extent, and to acquaint the public with the results. Let their Society be a refuge for all the Cassandras of false science,-for those who were never believed, although they always spoke the truth,-an institute for those who come forward to defend the cause of truth from the attacks made upon it. It would thus be the means of enabling many who were now in comparatively obscure positions to resist scientific dictators, and to take a place amongst the greatest and best in the land. (Hear, hear.) He could not help thinking, however, that revealed religion had suffered quite as much from its defenders as from its foes. It oftentimes happened, when they heard of a bone, or a flint, or the tail of a jackdaw (laughter) being picked up on the sea-shore, that many Christian men became so nervously sensitive upon the subject that they tried to distort revelation in order to adapt it to the supposed discovery. But in a short time it turned out that the bone was not a bone, that the flint was not a flint, and the matter was forgotten. But the consciousness remained that revelation could be twisted and turned about to suit every current of scientific opinion, and that science was the great thing to which revelation should be subordinate. But he hoped that nothing would be done to induce the members of this Institute to depart from their belief in the plain, simple, and dignified truths of Holy Writ. He would say, let science have its own way—it was "a chartered libertine"; but to scientific men he would address this one word of exhortation:-Let them say what they liked upon what they supposed to be the difference between the teachings of science and revelation; let them weigh what was weighable, see what was seeable, and try what was triable, but let them not try to put down those who were opposed to them by main force. Let there be an open field, and free use of fair weapons, and he had no doubt as to victory. (Hear, hear.) It was true of Science as it was true of the Gospel, that the more it was discussed the more it would redound to the honour and glory of God. (Hear, hear.)

The Noble Chairman then resigned the Chair to Mr. Fowler-the ViceChair being filled by Captain Fishbourne.

Dr. HABERSHON then proposed "The health of the Vice-Patron, VicePresidents, and Council of the Society." He said that many had supposed that the Society was opposed to the cultivation of science; but that was a mistake. On the contrary, it desired the advancement of science, and it would be the object of the Society to promote true science in every possible way. But it was opposed to what was merely superficial. Nothing was more patent at the present day, than the way in which pseudo-science was brought

to bear upon the truths of revelation. It endeavoured to destroy the foundation of all Christian belief. But Christianity was founded upon a basis that would endure as long as time and eternity last; and however it may suffer from attacks made upon it in the name of science, they were well assured that truth must prevail. (Hear, hear.) He fully concurred in the observations of previous speakers, that the more science was investigated the more it would be found to harmonize with the great doctrines of Christianity; and it would be the mission of their Society to show that no difference existed between them, but that science and revelation were not opposed. He begged to give them the toast, and with it to associate the names of the Rev. Mr. Mitchell, Dr. Burnett, and Mr. Reddie. (Hear, hear.)

The toast was most cordially received.

The Rev. Mr. MITCHELL, in responding, said that having already occupied more of the time of the members than he was entitled to, he would not trouble them again with any observations with respect to the objects of the Society. It would be found that those who were most skilled in science had, in nearly all cases, the most profound sense of the truth of revelation. (Hear, hear.) Amongst others he would mention the name of the late Dr. Whewell, who was one of the most distinguished professors of science in the present age. He begged to thank the company for the manner in which they had received the toast.

Dr. BURNETT also responded to the toast. He said the object of this Society met with his warmest approval, and he regretted that he had not been able from illness to give it that amount of active support to which he felt it was entitled. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. REDDIE, in briefly responding, said the duty devolved upon him of proposing the next toast. The lateness of the hour obliged him to forego the pleasure, if, indeed, it could be called a pleasure, of making a speech. The toast which he had to propose was, however, one which required no advocacy on his part to secure it a cordial reception. It was "The Learned Societies of the kingdom, and the advancement of science, art, and pure literature." He desired to say that this Society was not only not adverse to any of the scientific Societies already established; but was, in fact, rather dependent upon them. And having obtained from other Societies a number of facts or theories, it would be the duty of the members of the Institute inaugurated that evening to philosophize upon them. (Hear, hear.) No Society of this kind was previously in existence in the metropolis; and it was one express feature of this Society to discuss those theories which were propounded by men who, in the name of science, questioned the great truths of the Bible. (Hear, hear.) Allusion had been made by Mr. M'Arthur to the difficulty experienced by those who attempted to defend revelation at the meetings of the Anthropological Society; but it is only fair to say, that the members of that Society may not be to blame on that account. The subject is, in fact, beyond their range, although Anthropology is one of the most comprehensive of studies. Well, it would be a great thing that, in one Society at all events, those questions could be discussed, and full opportunity allowed

to answer the arguments advanced against Scriptural truth. He would allude, for instance, to the nebulous theory advanced in the Essays and Reviews against the Mosaic Cosmogony. It was stated by those who upheld that theory, that this universe was originally one great mass of fire. Now, fire, as was very well known, was the great destroyer of life: and, in the face of that fact, it was argued that everything in this world was brought out of that mass of fire, without the aid of a Creator, whose existence was altogether ignored by some of those gentlemen! He did not think a more stupid notion could be entertained. It was much the same in other matters. They were told by Dr. Colenso last May, in the Anthropological Society, that a universal deluge was an impossibility, while another set of philosophers came forward with a theory that universal floods were a necessity! (Hear.) Here were most extraordinary liberties taken with two of the four elements of the ancients. Fire, the destroyer of all life, was made out to be the source from which life originally started (laughter); and floods, which a learned bishop assured them were an impossibility, were, according to other savants, a necessity. (Hear, hear.) Again: there was a uniformitarian theory entertained which was equally absurd, being contrary to such phenomena in nature as the recent sudden eruption of Santorino, and the blazing forth and sudden diminution of a star in Corona Borealis, which had occurred within the last few weeks. But there was no Society to take up these general questions. The Victoria Institute would now undertake the task, and he believed it had a very wide field of usefulness before it. (Cheers.) To pass from science to art, he begged to refer to the motto on the title-page of this year's Catalogue of the Royal Academy, in which it is argued that the very existence of beauty in art raises the mind to something beyond the visible. Of course, every rational being must know, that a fine picture or statue could only be produced by intellect and intelligent skill. Well, let us turn from art to nature, to these flowers upon the table,-to say nothing of the magnificent display of floral beauty to be seen at the South Kensington International Exhibition,—and who could doubt that Divine Intelligence was the author of such transcendent beauty? This is an inviting theme; but time is short, and art must now be left, to pass on to literature. In a word, then, he would observe that all our philosophizing, whether in science or art, would be all but useless, but for literature, by which knowledge was diffused. He observed that Dr. Gladstone, F.R.S., had gone, whose name he would have wished to couple with Science and the Learned Societies; Mr. Walton, whose name he would have associated with Art, had also departed; and even Mr. John Lidgett, who had the toast of the Press assigned to him, had been unable to remain to propose it. He would therefore beg that the toast should be received as including the press, which is a most powerful organ of literature in our day. (Cheers.)

The CHAIRMAN then gave the toast of "The Ladies," which, being duly honoured, was responded to by Mr. F. MERRIOTT.

The proceedings then terminated.

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