550th OEDIXAKY GENERAL MEETING. 



HELD IN THE EOOMS OF THE INSTITUTE, ON MONDAY, 

 FEBRUARY 2nd, 1914, AT 4.30 p.m. 



Dk. J. W. Thirtle, M.R.A.S., took the Chair. 



The Minutes of the preceding Meeting were read and confirmed. 

 The Chairman introduced the Rev. H. J. R. Marston, and said that 

 Mr. Marston would not read his paper, but would give them a general 

 synopsis of it. The paper, as printed and submitted to the Meeting, 

 is as follows : — 



THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT. By 

 The Rev. H. J. R. Marston, M.A., Late Fellow of the 

 University of Durham. 



Some prefatory observations are desirable in order to explain 

 and justify the form and tenor of the following Lecture. 



I. — The material here presented to the Members of the 

 Institute is part of a book on the subject which is in course of 

 production by the Lecturer. The consequence is that the 

 composition, considered as a literary effort, may appear loose in 

 connection ; and may perhaps contain some unavoidable 

 repetition. If this be so, I beg the Members of the Institute 

 to understand and to pardon; assuring them that there has 

 been neither haste nor carelessness in the preparation of the 

 paper. On the contrary, the matter of the lecture has been 

 long and industriously pondered and carefully put together. 



I venture to invite special regard to the title of my subject 

 as it stands at the head of the paper. 



I have not endeavoured to formulate a theory of The 

 Atonement." 



1 incline to believe that Atonement is prior to Christianity ; 

 and wider than the Bible. It would seem to be inherent in the 

 beliefs and feelings of the human race. It is certainly far older 



