The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-06-08 00:00:00

CHRISTIAN EVIDENCE SOCIETY.

Ir. London, on Tuesday, the Marquis of Salisbury presided
at the secoud annual meeting of the Christian Evidence
Society, in Willie's Rooms Among those on the platform
were the Earl of Shaftesbury, Earl Portman°, Lord Dynevor,
the Diehop of Glocester, Bishop Claughton, Mr. Kennaway,
SI P., Rev. Dr. Kennedy, Rev. Dr. !Ogg, Rey. J. Davis, Dr.
Glalstone,

The Bishop of Glocester having opened the meeting
with prayer, Major-General Burrows, the hon. secre-
tary, read an abstract of the report, in which it was
stated that the committee, after encountering great
difficulties, had succeeded in getting a series of 12
lectures on the most important subjects of modern
thought delivered in St. George's-hall during the last
season. The sale of the lectures sines they hail
been published had amounted to upwards of 24,500
single copies of lectures. A collection of these lectures,
published in one volume, had reached a fourth edition
Of the second editiorwonsisting of 1,200 copieti, 1,000 were
taken by a publisher in New York, and 220 by one in
Canada. The Cluirch Missionary Society had taken
100 011413 for India, and the society for the Propaga-
tion of the Gospel had taken 100 copies to be sent to
their missionaries. Aas gee t had just he-n received
from India tor 1.000 copies of the lecture delivered by
the Bishop of Ely. Another society was prepared to
place a considerable number of the voltunea in the
chief hotels on the Continent frequented by English'
and American travellers. Further funds were sill
imperatively required, and the friends of the
cause would feel that the executive committee
ought not to 'be allowed to incur the risk Of pecu
niary loss. With tne purpose of acting on the
more int. lligent classes of society, the committee,
with the assistance of the Dean of Canterbury and
other competent persons, had formed a scheme for the
study of ( 'hristian evidences and for holding examina-
tions on the subject. Nearly 20 churches, chapels, and
schoolrooms in different parts of the metropolis had
been placed at the disposal of the committee, who were
making arrangements to have lectures delivered in
them. Special efforts had been made to counteract the
progress of unbelief among the working daises. The
Hall of Science, in Old-street, had been hired for three
months in order that a series of Tuesday evening
lectures might be given there. It was in this hall that
Mr. Bra.dlaugh was in the habit of delivering addresses to
crowded audienoex on Sunday evening. An important
movementhadbegun in Scotland, and a Christain Evi-
dence Society had been formed. The chairman, in his
opening remarks, analyzed the various forms and causes
of unavowed and declared sceptichm in the present day.
The remedy for the spread of unbelief was not denun-
ciation, not theological acrimony, but calm and search-
ing diaeusaion, which should familiarize the minds of
menvvith the discoveries they had made, and teach them

_beosnee

that the First Cause was not farthor removed
the secondary calves had been made no much more
palpable and striking than they were before. The time
for half-hearted action had pasaed, end this society, he
considered, was entitle,' to Om moot earnest support of
the meeting.
Lord Shaftesbury, in snoring the first resolution, said
that his gnarl el with science was that it did not go feat
enough. Pie wished it would not declare a thing to be
a fact on \ editeedsv and leave it to fester in the
minds of men until Friday, when it was declared Lobe
no fact at all. The mischief had been done and people
I did not see the refutation of the error. He mos ed
. . . .

„
tt That the work of the Christian Evidence society, AB
stated In its first annual report, comprising its lectures in the
east and west of Loudon, and its C1A.05 for the instruction
of the young of both sexes in the Evidenees by the stiCy of
suitable books, desci yes the I,oldial support of tne Christian
piddle as tending to fortify egotist error, to CORIUM the
doubting, and to instruct the ignorant.”
The Bishop of GM:ester, in seconding the resolution,
drew attention to the commehconent of- a new course
of lectures in connection with this Society, to be de-
livered in St. O,orge's•hall during June and July. l'he
Arehbb.hop of Canterbury would peed ie at the first
lecture, which would be delivered by Dr. Mozley, the
Regius Protessor of Divinity at the University of
Oxford. The subject would be " The Pi inciole of
Causation considered in Opposition to Atheistic
Theories."
The next resolution was mi follows :
That the open infidelity and more concealed Scepticism,
both of the upper and lower classes, calling for salon and
organised Sorts to connteract th, same by all Christians,
the meeting heartily supports the Christian Evfience Society,
including so it does those who belong to different sections
of the Church of Christ."
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks
to the chairman.