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false conclusions, we shall, I think, be led, on the contrary, to the orthodox 
conclusions of the writer of this paper. There is in the close, in the last 
paragraph, a beautiful sentence, which harmonizes with a truth the chairman 
enunciated in his opening remarks. We are not to conceive that nature is 
to be made exactly as we would wish it, if we believe in the existence of a 
God at all. We are not in this sense to construe the truth which lies under- 
neath the doctrine of final causes. This is beautifully set forth in the 
paragraph in question, where we read : — “ We who recognize that God’s 
thoughts are not as our thoughts, may be content, if need be, not to 
know nor to seek for ulterior ends — ends extraneous to the organism itself, 
such as human comfort and convenience — where there is no direct organic 
connection pointing to such ends. It is enough to recognize the symmetry, 
the order, the beauty, the harmony in the organism — things for which the 
principle of final cause will surely account, and of which there is direct 
evidence — without assuming the existence of other purposes, the evidence of 
which is only indirect or even hypothetical.” Now that is tantamount to 
saying that God is in fact His own law, that He furnishes His own end ; 
that He has made the universe for His own glory, and that these signs and 
tokens of beauty and harmony, whether or not we happen to be able to see 
in them anything subsidiary to our own comforts, or tastes, or wants, are yet 
in harmony with Him whose glory is to be manifest in all and through all. 
I take it to be a matter of congratulation for the Victoria Institute that the 
knowledge of its efficiency and importance has reached Christian thinkers on 
the other side of the Atlantic, and that a man so able and distinguished as 
Professor Morris has been led to send us such a paper as this, — a paper 
which I believe is calculated to do immense service to us at the present 
moment in correcting a great many crude modes of expression in regard to 
scriptural evidences and divine things — a paper which will be found a very 
hard morsel for able and candid antagonists in the other camp to deal with. 
I have great pleasure in supporting the resolution, that the vote of thanks of 
this meeting be presented to Professor Morris for the able paper which he 
has contributed to the Transactions of the Victoria Institute. 
Rev. Prebendary C. A. Row. — I agree with Dr. Rigg that the present 
is an exceedingly important paper. Professor Morris has dealt with all the 
metaphysical theories prevalent in this country, and which lie at the root of 
Pantheism. There can be no doubt that this is really the ground on which we 
must fight the battle of belief in a living God. It is necessary that we should 
closely examine the validity of the principles laid down by certain popular 
writers of the present day ; because, if they are valid, there is an end to all belief 
that a God has created this universe. This is the plain issue, and I fully concur 
with Dr. Rigg that the author of tire paper has handled it effectively ; however, 
to my mind the paper has one defect ; namely, it is written in a style which 
makes it difficult for the ordinary class of readers to comprehend its general 
meaning. As to the omission of any reference to Revelation, no doubt Pro- 
fessor Morris felt that his proper subject was to examine into the principles 
which lie at the foundation of Theism, on the ground that it is necessary for 
