411 
are now supposed to govern the solar system. I confess that to me there 
have been even prior difficulties to get over in the theories respecting the 
stars. I have never read anything like a rational attempt to reconcile the 
apparent alternate advancing and retreating, or increase and decrease in 
brilliancy, of some fixed stars, with their theoretical position as suns and 
centres of systems like our own, in the illimitable depths of space. Nor 
could I ever satisfy my mind that, whatever their distance from us, their 
own relative distances from one another — as stars of different magnitudes — 
and especially when a star of the first magnitude is apparently near to one of 
the smallest — the one being millions of millions of miles further off than 
the other — would not be apparently different when viewed from one side 
of the earth’s orbit and from another. That that orbit is ‘as a point 7 
merely, compared to the distance of those stars (which is necessary to be 
believed in order to be satisfied that their relative distances would not alter 
in the least to our view), is also to my mind one of the mere mysteries of 
science which seem to be professed rather than believed, or professed to be 
believed, as a kind of poetry, rather than a rational faith, contrary to under- 
standing. Indeed, both the magnitude and magnificence of the earth, as 
well as of its orbit, appear too little considered, and altogether under- 
estimated, in contemplating the imagined, but scarcely more than arith- 
metical, sublimity of the system of the universe, according to our current 
philosophy. And yet there is a meagreness in the solar system upon that 
hypothesis, compared with that which regards the earth as a centre, placed 
there as the habitation of man, God’s chief creation, and surrounded by sun, 
mooD, planets, comets, and stars, all to serve for the adornment and use of 
earth alone, as man’s temporary abode, and for the glory of the Great 
Creator ; while all beyond may be imagined the heaven of heavens, illu- 
mined with the everlasting light and presence of the Eternal God, surrounded 
with angels and beings of a higher order than man is now, and with the 
glorified spirits of men raised to a state of superior existence ; where there 
is and can be no more death, or any of those moral or physical evils which 
are alike the curse and paradox of man’s present state of existence, and 
which mar the fair face of creation.” 
The Chairman.— I am sure we must all give Mr. Reddie our thanks for 
his paper, whatever may be our opinion as to the truth or validity of his 
arguments. At the same time, this is an institution where we wish these 
subjects to be freely discussed ; and at a time when all we believe to be holy 
and all that is dear to us is met with the utmost degree of scepticism, it is 
only right that there should be some who will show that there are some 
reasons for regirding with scepticism even that which is supposed to be 
founded on what is believed to be the highest kind of demonstration — 
mathematical demonstration. I shall be happy to hear what any gentleman 
has to say on the subject, and invite the fullest and freest discussion. 
Charles Brooke, Esq., F.R.S., V.P. — After the very long period of time 
