44 
metaphysical writers of the last century or the century before. All that I 
can do is to give an outline of the subject itself, without referring to the 
names of authors. In the present paper I was absolutely obliged to do so. 
I have not encumbered my paper with technicalities referring to the opinions 
of authors whose names are now scarcely mentioned except the first two or 
three. I have confined myself to pure abstract reasoning, or at least I 
intended to do so as far as the subject admits of it ; and I have merely 
glanced at the general views of the writers of the realistic school of philosophy, 
and the realistic theory, using those terms merely in an historical sense because 
we have nothing to do with these views here, dealing only as I have done with 
facts. Dr. Rigg said one thing, which, if it had been said when I was 
much younger, I might have smarted under, for he seemed to think that I 
had forgotten my metaphysics. One thing I can say, namely, that I have 
never changed my metaphysics. I have seen in this room to-night an old 
friend with whom I talked metaphysics at college, and I think that he would 
testify that I am very much the same as I was. With respect to those who 
have been invited here this evening, I most earnestly repeat the invitation 
when the second part of the subject is treated ; and I only hope that in 
the meantime they will read carefully for themselves what I have written. 
I shall do my best to prepare by the 1st of March the second paper, which 
will be somewhat more historical, and perhaps not so dry as the present ; 
and those two papers will lead me up to the more purely religious portion of 
the subject. (Applause.) 
The meeting was then adjourned. 
