" MODERN THOUGHT" Auckland, September 28.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 407, 2 October 1889, Page 5

" MODERN THOUGHT" Auckland, September 28.

Last evening, in the Temperance Hall, Albert-street, the Rev. E. 11. Gulliver lectured on the above subject before a large and appreciative audience r Many were turned away from the doorf. In his opening remarks, the rov. gentleman stated thut this lecture Mas a continuation of that of la*t Sundny exening, in which he had pointed out the causes of " Modern Thought," namely — (1) The fall of Constantinople ; (2) the invention of printing ; (3) the discovery of America and the consequent voyages of circumnavigation and discovery. He had gone so far back for these! causes, for it was from that time that the spirit of inquiry bad arisen. An entire change has taken place in the atmosphere surrounding men — from that of ignorance preceding these events to fchat of knowledge in these later times. Tsew and more perfect methods of inquiry have been discovered to guide us. Instances were given of the struggles that had been necessary before this great change could be brought. In one department of inquiry especially, old ideas had been revolutionised and entirely new ground had to be taken up. He referred particularly to the discoveries relating to the antiquity of man. The old idea was that man had existed on this planet for about 6,000 years, but before the light of inquiiy nnd discovery, this idea had dissolved like the fabric of a vision. The history of Egypt went back for 7,000 year?, but oven then people were highly civilised. Other pi oofs were given of the fact that man must have existed much moro than 6,000 years ago, about which time the * " New Stone People" lited. But earlier than these people there were the " Old Stone People," as is proved by the discoveries in such places ns Kent's Cavern near Torquay. Proofs of man's antiquity were also given from the discoveries connected with- the '* glacial 'period " and the precession of the equinoxes, on which thafc period depended. But'evon in that remote past man must havo been very old, if we judge from the nrtistic and other work found in remains of the glacial period. All these facts show that man must have oxi?ted not for-6,000 year?, but for tens and tons of thousands of years'. ' Wo lost-»nn old tradition, but we gained in the possibilities for man's fnttore power which frlie.»e discoveries oponed to up. The lecturer was interrupted by* frequent burst's of applause. 'At the close a collection was made,' aud after prayer the meettog 'dispersed.,