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religion and science ; but, on the other, I feel also that a crisis 
is come which imposes a weighty obligation on every believer 
engaged in science, at the least to accept such an invitation 
as that which is now offered to myself, for the declaration of 
his own faith, and, according to his ability, to endeavour to 
strengthen that of others. I will not further occupy the time 
of the meeting with any personal remarks, excepting the assur- 
ance that I have, since accepting the invitation, endeavoured 
to get an adequate knowledge of the most prominent subjects 
connected with scientific theological speculations, which you 
would naturally expect to see referred to, and especially with 
such as have attracted attention during the past year. 
And first let me offer my congratulations to the Society on 
its present position and prospects, and on the increasing con- 
sideration and respect with which its opei’ations are regarded 
by men capable of judging. It has attracted to itself repre- 
sentatives in the various departments of science, well capable 
of defending the faith from the attacks of scientific scepticism, 
and standing so high in their several departments of science 
or literature, that their opinions must be received with attention 
and respect. No one also could, I conceive, deny that the 
philosophical chai'acter of the Society lias been most severely 
maintained in all its papers and discussions, and that every 
theory opposed to the belief of the ordinary Christian philo- 
sopher, has been treated with the most scrupulous fairness 
and respect. Personalities have been altogether avoided, and 
an example has been set of the proper way of conducting such 
controversies, which will, we may presume, have considerable 
influence for the avoiding of bitterness and unfairness for the 
future. 
During the past year several excellent papers have been read 
and discussed before the Society, and of these I will mention 
only two, which appear to me to be of great importance at 
the present crisis. I mean that of Professor Nicholson, on 
the General Doctrine of Evolution, and that of Canon Birks 
on the Indestructibility of Force. My reasons for particularly 
mentioning these will be seen in the sequel. 
I would however, in this portion of the Address, take occasion 
to advert to one or two circumstances which influence my 
choice of these two essays for particular mention. There are 
some peculiarities of the present age, which frequently render 
opinions held by men of eloquence and genius, influential to 
a greater degx-ee than the value of their opinions, when calmly 
and philosophically tested, would warrant. If they have had 
for a long time the ear of the public, which is on the whole ill 
