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say as much as this, that from what I see of the papers you have done me 
the honour to send, I agree with that of Mr. Moule rather than with 
Dr. Thornton’s.” 
He adds that he is disposed to think the subject not open to the great 
uncertainty the latter attributes to it in some parts of his paper. Many of 
these Dr. Thornton has touched on in his letter, which I had the pleasure 
of reading at our last meeting. 
Rev. H. Moule. — Before we commence, I should like to ask if the dis- 
cussion of the two papers can be kept separate and distinct, as then the 
speakers will not be liable to confuse the statements make by one author 
with those made by the other. 
The Chairman. — If a member attributes to an author anything which is 
not contained in his paper it is open to that author to rise to order and 
correct it, and if a member makes a statement which another knows to be 
incorrect, he may rise to order and correct it at once. 
Rev. C. Graham. — I think that will meet the case. 
Mr. Moule. — I am quite satisfied. 
The Chairman. — I may add that the Council, believing that it will not 
affect the real points at issue, except paragraphs 31 to 33 from discussion, as 
they touch upon matters purely theological and controversial. 
Rev. C. A. Row. — The objection which I make to Mr. Gosse’s paper is not 
confined to its details but goes to its great principle, and so far as Mr. 
Moule’s paper is concerned, it is impossible to discuss the two separately ; and 
for this reason, that both Mr. Gosse and Mr. Moule make no reference to 
the important statements of Dr. Payne Smith in his late Bampton Lectures, 
statements which I hold to be so important that in the discussion on Dr. 
Thornton’s paper I drew special attention to them. Those lectures contain 
a view of this case which removes at least half the difficulties which are felt 
respecting the high numbers in connection with the Exodus. I will begin 
by drawing attention to Dr. Payne Smith’s views on this point, supported as 
they are by Professor Rawlinson, who is quoted by Mr. Gosse. Dr. Payne 
Smith lays down, and I think correctly, that it is against the testimony of 
Scripture to suppose that all who came out of Egypt were descended from 
Jacob. He considers that there were not more than 80,000 at the Exodus 
so descended. Ancient nations consisted of several distinct bodies. Jacob’s 
descendants constituted the body of the nobles, and there were also the house- 
holds and clans of the Jewish people. These were largely made up of depend- 
ents and slaves, though treated very differently from slaves in our own day, 
who gradually acquired their freedom in the same manner as in all ancient 
states. Dr. Payne Smith also lays it down that there was originally a plebs 
— that mixed multitude that came out of Egypt forming it ; and that the 
numbers of the families of the patriarchs were manifestly small, as is seen 
from their genealogies ; that none of the ancient proprietors mentioned in 
he Bible were small proprietors, but all large ones ; and that the lands of 
Canaan were assigned in proportion to the size of a man’s clan or household, 
the head of the clan being the chief. I will now read the statements of Pro- 
