96 
ORDINARY MEETING, Apeil 1, 1872. 
The Rev. C. A. Row, M.A., in the Chaie. 
The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed, and the follow- 
ing Elections announced : — 
Associates : — Rev. John George Francis Henry Knapp, A.C.K., Yicar of 
St. John’s, Portsea ; William John Sheppard, Esq., 7, Addison Gardens, 
South Kensington, W. ; Mrs. Thomas Geldart, Bowdon, near Man- 
chester. 
Also, the presentation of the following works to the Library : — 
“Proceedings of the Royal Society.” Part 132. From the Society. 
Baird’s •“ Cyclopaedia of the Natural Sciences.” 
From E. Haughton, Esq., M.D. 
The following paper was then read by the Author : — 
FORCE AND ITS MANIFESTATIONS. By the Rev. 
J. McCann, D.D., E.R.S.L., E.G.S., Mem. Viet. Inst., fyc. 
T HE subject of tbe following paper may be thought, at first 
sight, not to harmonize with the objects for which this 
Institute has been established. It may be asked, — “What 
bearing has Force and its manifestations on the great truths 
revealed in Holy Scripture ? ” “ How can a subject so exclu- 
sively physical be made to contribute its quota towards the 
defence of Christianity ? ” It might be replied that all truths 
are so connected together, that it is impossible to distort any 
one, without, in some measure, distorting the remainder. There 
are no parallel lines in the world of thought, all intersect some- 
where; and, although the point of intersection may not imme- 
diately be discoverable, that it exists we may be well assured. 
Our Society has, therefore, wisely made it one object “ to 
promote the real advancement of true science ” by getting rid 
of “ contradictions and conflicting hypotheses.” One aim of the 
present paper is to assist in this work by exposing the unscientific 
assumptions, the contradictory language, the illogical reasoning 
