178 



£. s. d. 



Brought forward 159 11 0 



Very Rev. Dean Payne Smith, D.D 110 



J. Lewis, Esq., R.N., Southampton 110 



Eev. C. A. Eow, M.A 1 1 0 



Rev. J. H. TiTCOMB, M.A , 1 1 0 



G. C. Harrison, Esq 10 0 



Rev. C. Serine, M.A 10 0 



J. Shaw, Esq., M.D., Boston 1 0 0 



W. Payne, Esq 10 0 



Rev. R. Thornton 3 3 0 



Rev. G. R. Badenoch 1 1 0 



£171 19 0 



1872. 



£. s. d. 



A. McArthur, Esq 42 0 0 



Total i'374 9 0 



The Earl of Harrowby, K.G. — My Lord, Ladies, and Gentlemen,— I 

 hardly know why I have been put forward in so prominent a position, except 

 from two circumstances : the one is that I am a novice here — I have only 

 had the honour lately of joining j^our Society, and I know there is often more 

 rejoicing over a new comer than there is in retaining an old friend ; the 

 other reason is that for the last two years — that is, since its foundation — I 

 have had the high honour of presiding over the Committee of a some- 

 what kindred body, namely, the Christian Evidence Society, whose objects, 

 although not identical, are similar to some of those of this Institute. Now, 

 we are here, as I understand it, more as a Society of Christian Philosophers 

 ourselves ; we are mostly if not all among those who have been con- 

 vinced that the phenomena connected with the Christian religion are not 

 easily explained except upon the supposition of its truth, and that it 

 requires a good deal of evidence to counteract, or even to shake for a 

 moment our confidence in the truth of those conclusions which the 

 weight of the phenomena attending Christianity would naturally lead us 

 to. (Cheers.) We therefore, I imagine, are just in this position : — AVe do not 

 pretend to establish the truth of Christianity, or to come to any distinct conclu- 

 sion upon it ; but we are so far prejudiced in its favour that we are inclined to 

 think we have a right to sift the theories which are produced against it, and 

 that it is our duty to do so. We think we have a right, when some men of 

 science — not the majority, but some very distinguished and eminentmen — come 



