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this side of the world, spcke in that man’s hearing some of the words of 
Truth, and that old man, blind as he was, started to his feet and said, “ ThAt 
is what I have been longing for.” There was something which that old man 
had carried in his heart for years ; it had asserted itself, but nothing had 
been presented to him that could meet the craving he experienced until the 
word of Christ’s Gospel was set before him. Such a system as that which 
Professor Wace has brought before us to-night offers nothing to meet such a 
want as this. (Hear, hear.) 
Professor Leathes. — I did not endeavour to upset Mr. Herbert Spencer’s 
theory by an appeal to the Mosaic Law, but merely observed that his prin- 
ciples do not go sufficiently into the depths of the constitution of our nature, 
which, if examined, would be found deeper than he supposes, and which he 
does not thoroughly consider, but which are in strict accordance with the 
Mosaic moral Law. 
The Chairman. — Before calling on Professor Wace to reply— if a reply 
there can be w’here there has been no opposition — I may be excu-ed 
for making one short remark. It seems to me that this doctrine of Mr. 
Herbert Spencer’s fails in one great respect, namely, it gives no explaination 
at all as to why we pass moral judgments on actions. (Hear, hear.) It 
seems to me that it would only lead us to form a judgment as to whether a 
course of conduct was expedient or not, having regard to its consequences ; 
but we are conscious that we have in ourselves a notion as to an action 
being right or wrong, utterly irrespective of consequences. We cannot 
define what this feeling is ; it is properly a moral sense. I do not say 
that we have an instinct within us which affords a correct guide as to 
■whether an action is right or wrong. Conscience needs to be cultivated, or 
it may give very wrong judgments. No doubt, in many countries, under a 
wrong system of religion, the conscience is perverted, so as to lead people to 
think things meritorious, which we, under a better system, consider ex- 
ceedingly wrong ; but, at the same time, there is a moral judgment in 
our nature which says a thing is right or wrong, and we feel it to be some- 
thing which perfectly differs from a judgment as to whether an action w ill 
produce beneficial results or not. (Hear, hear ) From this I should draw 
the conclusion that there is, as Professor Stanley Leathes has said, a 
supernatural element in our nature, which is far deeper than all the judg- 
ments that are formed as to the general results of actions — that there is a 
principle implanted in us by which "we judge of things as right or wrongs 
and which was intended to lead us to conform ourselves to the rule of what 
is right and w’rong according to the Divine will. (Applause.) 
Rev. J. W. Buckley. — This thought has occurred to me ; how can Mr. 
Herbert Spencer tell what particular acts will in the long n m produce more 
pleasure than pain ? This is a question not easily answered. It seems to 
me to be impossible for any one to determine what particular deeds will, in 
the course of centuries, — nay, of an eternity, supposing the human race to 
