ON HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY. 49 
still more disrespectfully of Butler, in language which I dare not 
quote, in the opposite direction. When Paley is accused, as Mr. 
Griffith has accused him, of dwelling on the doctrine of expediency, 
I must remind you that Paley was a man who expressed himself 
in a manner that might be misunderstood. He said short, 
sharp things, and people may take up and use a single term or 
sentence of his and say, “ Paley only believed in expediency.” 
But see what he meant by it. I will not quote from him now; 
but go home and read, and you will find that it is very different 
to what is commonly called expediency. I suppose you all agree 
that it is expedient to believe in Christianity, and Paley said so, 
and he would soon satisfy you that he is right; but it shows 
the mistake of. taking words used originally in one sense and using 
them in another: one of the commonest logical fallacies. 
There are sundry other points upon which Paley might be 
quoted, and which look like heresy, and perhaps absurdity, but 
that has arisen, as I say, from his short and sharp way of writing. 
Dr. Wace has said all that is necessary in answer to Mr. 
Griffith about my not taking up more of the moral law; but at 
this time of night, in this cold weather, and at my age, I am not 
equal to entering upon that. 
The Hon. Secretary (Captain F. Perri).—With regard to the 
Egyptian ‘“ Ritual of the Dead,” it will interest members to know 
that twenty years ago, when it began to be somewhat discussed 
among English Egyptologists, this Institute was the first to 
draw public attention to it; the late talented Mr. W. R. Cooper, 
who had specially devoted himself to its study, prepared a 
careful paper for this Institute entitled, ‘ Observations on the 
Serpent Myths of ancient Egypt,” in which he thoroughly described 
the teaching of the “ Ritual of the Dead.’ This paper, valuable 
then, December, 1871, is so still, for Mr. Cooper’s object in writing 
it was to place a complete and correct description of the subject 
before the world. 
Rev. Dr. Wacs.—-Is the paper in our Transactions ? 
The Hon. Sucrerary.—Yes, in the sixth volume, which js still in 
print. 
The Meeting was then adjourned. 
