MRS. HARDINGE BRITTEN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5763, 18 September 1879, Page 3

MRS. HARDINGE BRITTEN.

This ladv gave her second lecture at the Üb-r.fcum'Hall last night to a moderate udh-nce. It bad been announced that she „nld discourse upon any subject given her by he audience,. failing which she would lecture in oi “ Popular Astronomy, or the Wonders of ic Sidereal Heavens.” Mr. Hardings Britten itated that he had had several subjects handed n him, which he read out; after which he asked for a show of hands as to whether any ~f these would be mere acceptable than the advertised subject. The result was in favor f the latter, and the various subjects were : |,cn put to the vote separately, iu order to test the, question fully, astronomy again obtaining the largest show. Mr. Britten then announced that another lecture would be delivered next Sunday evening upon “The 1 Arigin, Progress, and Destiny of the Human Soul.” Mrs. Britten, in opening her address, said there was no subject of science so little known, so little appreciated, and yet so ancient, as astronomy. The study of the .heavens was probably one of the first attempts of science, and yet it was only within the last few centuries that by the aid of instruments astronomers had been enabled to determine anything of its nature. In order to understand the subject, with its peculiar technicalities, we must be dependent upon analogies and illustrations, or the subject could never become popularised. In treating with the subject, she would dispense with scientific terms, her aim lacing to present to her hearers the value and necessity of the study. She considered that wo could never fully understand ourselves until its understood something of the propositions of astronomy. A gaze at the heavens with unaided vision only reveals what, appears to be permanence and stillness, but when telescopes are used, this idea vanishes, and we find that the heavens are composed of swiftly moving bodies, “ wheeling and marching, and forming themselves into squadrons of light.” The subject was one any portion of which required the devotion of a lifetime to comprehend. The lectnress then described the sidereal system at considerable length, arguing that the law by which the several planets were called into existence and revolved round the parent mass, the sun, was iu accordance with what is known as the doctrine of evolution. She asked her audience whether they could doubt that the various heavenly bodies described had not grown like the trees of the forest ? She considered that it was the doctrine of the leaf, the blossom, and the seed merely repeating itself. The whole scheme was one of immutable law, evolutiou being as much the law in the skies as it was iu respect to the fair blos--oms she held in her hand. She then proceeded at considerable length to deal with the constitution of the sun, adopting the theories of Sir John Herschel upon the subject. She spoke of its size aud its distance from the earth, and the appearance it presented to the observer, aud stated in eloquent language what were her own impressions upon viewing the sun through a telescope at the Oincimiatti Observatory. Sheaskedher hearers to conceive what the world would be were the sun blotted out. Life and light and being would then cease, therefore it was obvious that the sun was the parent of all physical matter. She considered that the time would come when the whence and the whitherward of man would be clearly charted out for us by science. She described in impassioned language the wonders of the galaxy, as seen through a telescope; and she considered there was nothing to forbid the idea that all these bodies were inhabited by mightier and grander beings than we can have any conception of. In summing up her deductions, Mr. Britten thought that all angularities of thought which separated us from the truth were being gradually melted away by the aid if science, but bigots were unable to reconcile heir religion with science. She felt confident ,iiat all the heavenly bodies were made for life —all made for souls to inhabit. In concluding her lecture, Mrs. Britten expressed her willingless to answer any questions. After waiting a short time Mrs. Britten proceeded to answer one of the written subjects which had been handed tip at the commencement. This was—“ How did the idea of God, according to the present view of the Christian religion, originate, by revelation, by imagination, or how ?” * Mrs. Britten said that the present idea of God was a growth ; it was not the original idea. An inspection of the various ancient religions would reveal the fact that they all had one basis, that of the sidereal religion. The only conception of t:he antique mind was of the astronomical religion. The presence of God needed no revelation or imagination. He was manifested through his works. The astronomical God would be worshipped to-morrow if every religious book were blotted out of existence. Theorists rejected God because they could not weigh Him in their balances, because they could not pound Him in their mortars. Their feeble senses had no conception of God, the Unknown and Unknowable. God was a Spirit, and could only be worshipped “in spirit and in truth.” One of the audience here asked the lecturess whether the Spiritualists professed to be able to work miracles as Christ and His apostles did?

Mrs. Britten replied that they claimed no such power. Faith was the condition under which the miracles were performed by Christ and His apostles ; and she therefore recommended her interragator to look to the Christian world for the performance of miracles. The religion of every nation was one of miracles, but the Spiritualists laid no claim to such powers. They did not pin their soul’s salvation upon what was said to hare been done thousands of years ago. In answer to another question the lecturess said spiritualists did not say what God could or could not do, but only what he does. After a further pause, Mrs Britten expressed her willingness to answer any further questions, but no one responding she said she had waited patiently, but had not found anyone ready to meet her. She then thanked the audience for their attention, and the proceedings terminated;