12 



he receives from the source of revelation. It is thus the two are brought 

 into unison and harmony, and each supports the other, and brings the mind 

 of man to that highest point of revelation namely, that he is the creature 

 and servant of God, that he is capable of appreciating the will of God, and 

 therefore of being accountable for all his actions here. This is the scope of 

 the work which I would suggest for the consideration of our Council. I 

 have not gone into it in any detail, on account of time, and I would say that 

 it cannot be done in a day nay, I do not think it could be done in a year 

 with proper care and attention but it may be done at no distant day, and I 

 hope that when that time arrives the funds may have been found for its 

 adequate dissemination. The question is one which ought not to be 

 approached in a narrow and little spirit. If such a work is worthy of being- 

 published, it ought to be published in so many thousands, that the cost of 

 producing it would be little beyond the cost of the paper on which it is 

 printed. If you make a great effort, and print hundreds of thousands, the 

 work will not only reach all parts of this country, but will be spread abroad 

 in all places, and will sustain itself, although, in the first instance, the society 

 ought to be able to get together the funds necessary for sending forth pro- 

 ductions which shall be worthy of the labours which will have to be 

 bestowed upon them. (Applause.) 



Mr. S. SMITH, M.P. I am very glad to be here to-night, to second this 

 motion and to testify the strong feeling of interest which I have in this 

 society. This is the first occasion upon which it has been possible for me 

 to attend any of our meetings, but I have received our very valuable 

 Journal for several years, and, so far as I have been able, I have read the 

 papers therein. I think this society has been doing a very good work 

 in this country and in this age. No one who carefully observes the pro- 

 gress of opinion can doubt that there has been a great growth of wild, 

 infidel, and atheistic opinions in this country of late years. I often feel 

 somewhat depressed and alarmed in noticing the strong tide which is running 

 in favour of agnosticism, and the denial of all that we have hitherto con- 

 sidered most sacred. Perhaps these opinions have not yet entered very 

 deeply into society, but we cannot ignore the fact that they are held by 

 many able, intellectual men, and by some men whom we have been in the 

 habit of looking up to as leaders in science, in letters, and in philosophy, and 

 that they are sinking down into what are called the lower classes, with very 

 pernicious effects. Ifc came to my knowledge not very long since that 

 doctrines which are destructive of the very foundations of morality and 

 civilisation are being advocated by certain bodies. They have probably 

 gained as yet the adhesion of comparatively but a few ; but, at the same 

 time, I am afraid that they will spread. Whenever the ground has been pre- 

 pared for them by the destruction of man's sense of reverence and responsi- 

 bility to God, the progress is very rapid towards anti-social doctrines. See 

 what is going on in another country at this time. In the neighbouring 

 country of France, and especially in the City of Paris, the foundations of 

 morality are already to a large extent overthrown in the minds of the masses. 



