COMMKMOKATION M KET1XG. 



161 



but I do say that nothing has been proved that can shake our 

 faith. Don't doubt; don't let difficult questions shake your faith. 

 You may find that you have to alter your expressions ; you may 

 realize as you go on that you cannot make Eastern men think 

 exactly like Western men. You realize that the Hebrew writer does 

 not express himself exactly like the Greek writer, and certainly 

 neither express themselves with the looseness of the modern 

 pamphleteer. 



The Chairman then called upon the Rev. John Tuckwell to 

 address the meeting on 



THE WORK OF THE INSTITUTE AND SOME 

 INTERPRETATIONS OF SCRIPTURE. 



The object with which this Institute was formed was the 

 investigation of questions of philosophy and science, more 

 especially those that bear upon the great truths revealed in 

 Holy Scripture, and it is a fact sometimes used in disparage- 

 ment of the Institute that after fifty years' work the pre- 

 dominant opinion among its members in regard to Scripture 

 truth is that which would be described as "conservative." 

 But why are we not denying the personality of the Creator ; 

 the immediacy of His activity in the creation and government 

 of the universe ; the immortality and moral responsibility of 

 man ; the truthfulness of Holy Scripture ; the supernatural 

 character of its inspiration ; the authenticity of its historical 

 records concerning Jesus Christ, and its supreme authority over 

 the faith and conduct of mankind ? Why, if all those views of 

 truth called "conservative" have been superseded, have fifty 

 years of investigation left them predominant among our mem- 

 bers ? There is only one answer : the verdict has been in our - 

 favour and the non-contents have failed to prove and to sustain 

 their case. 



But let me not be misunderstood. I do not mean that we 

 stand in all things exactly where our fathers stood fifty years 

 ago. I do not admit that we have made no progress, nor claim 

 that we possess all the truth even now. Those whom we may 

 call progressives have in many cases presented to us science 

 and philosophy in the making, and we have reason to be grate- 

 ful to them for a little steam as they ha^e reason to be grateful 



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