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some delicacy in rising to address the meeting, but it has been intimated to 
me that I should be at liberty to make a few remarks upon the paper, and I 
shaU- do so with the permission of the Chairman. Speaking as an outsider, I 
would merely state what my opinion is with regard to the objects of the 
Society. I do not know how you will get on with the task which 
you . have undertaken ; but I may be allowed to say that, in my 
opinion, the question of the interpretation to be put upon the 
Scriptures should not be excluded from your discussions. From what was 
stated by the essayist it appears that a great deal of latitude is allowed to 
orthodox Christians with regard to this question. Few of them are found to 
agree as to the interpretation which ought to be put upon different parts of 
the Scripture, and many of them rejected altogether a great deal of its 
obvious meaning. It strikes me, however, that the real difficulty connected 
with the question of interpretation is not so much the apparent contra- 
dictions between Scripture and Science, as the contradictions in the 
Scriptural narrative itself 
Mr. Reddie rose to order.— That question does not. come within the scope 
of the objects of the Victoria Institute. And now we are not assembled to 
discuss the principles of the Society, hut to discuss the paper which has 
been read. 
Mr. Heath— I was merely expressing my views upon the subject, but I 
will not enter into any discussion which does not come properly before the 
meeting. I will not, therefore, occupy you with any further remarks. 
Mr. Percy Bunting. — I cannot pretend to any special scientific knowledge ; 
but I am, nevertheless, very glad to be able to join in the vote of thanks 
which has been proposed to the author of the paper. I think that in laying 
before the members a plain statement of the various questions which would 
come under their consideration, without leading them to any fixed con- 
clusions, or bringing before them the conclusions which he may have 
arrived at himself, Mr. Warington has done all he undertook to do, 
and has contributed a really valuable paper to the publications of the 
Society. I only wish that, in the future papers which may be read, those 
questions which have been touched upon by Mr. Warington could be taken 
up systematically and discussed in the order in which he has arranged them. 
I do not know whether the Council have at hand a sufficient number of men 
ready to undertake that duty ; but, if they have, it would be very 
desirable if this suggestion were carried out. Our best thanks are 
due to Mr. Warington for the way in which he has brought the whole 
subject before us, and has grouped together the various objections against 
the Scripture, and the answers which they have drawn forth. I confess, 
however, that several of the topics discussed in the paper appear to me to 
involve questions of exegesis. I do not exactly see how we can get out 
of the difficulties in which we are placed if we exclude the exegetical 
question. Whether the animal mentioned in Leviticus is the hare or not, or 
whether the Hebrew word does not mean some other animal, appear to me to 
be distinctly questions of exegesis. It appears to me that the Society 
