343 
ORDINARY MEETING, March 4, 1878. 
J. E. Howard, Esq., F.R.S., in the Chair. 
The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed ; and the 
following Elections were announced : — 
Member : — The Most Eev. the Lord Plunket, D.D., Bishop of Meath. 
Associates : — The Very Eev. E. B. Moeran, D.D., Dean of Down ; the 
Venerable Archdeacon G. A. Denison, M. A., Highbridge ; the Vener- 
able Archdeacon J. Garbett, M.A., Brighton ; the Venerable Arch- 
deacon H. Fearon, B.D., Loughborough ; the Eev. W. Eliot, M.A., 
Vicarage, Aston, Birmingham. 
Also the presentation of the following Works for the Library 
“Proceedings of the Geological Society.” Part 153. From the Society. 
“ The Epoch of the Mammoth.” By Mr. J. 0. Southall. From the Author. 
“ A Mathematical Paper.” By Mr. S. M. Drach. Ditto. 
The following Paper was then read by the Author : — 
MONOTHEISM, A TRUTH OF REVELATION, NOT A 
MYTH. By the Rev. W. H. Rule, D.D. 
D ID the writers of Holy Scripture receive their knowledge 
of the One True God by divine revelation ; or did they 
derive it, in any degree, from the mythologies of Egypt and 
the East ? 
By reference to the oldest known tests of these mythologies, 
we are not convinced that they contain even the faintest ves- 
tige of pure monotheism. 
The first words of the Book of Genesis record that, in the 
beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth ; and there 
can be no doubt that our first parents received a knowledge of 
this creation from their Creator ; but as to succeeding genera- 
tions, an Apostle writes, that “ when they knew God/' as the 
first human family could not but know Him, “ they glorified 
Him not as God^ neither were thankful ; but became vain in 
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and 
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image 
made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed 
beasts, and creeping things." “ They changed the truth of God 
into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than 
the Creator, who is blessed for ever" (Rom. i. 21 — 23, 25). 
Now the statement that, on this lapse into idolatry, man- 
