"MODERN THOUGHT."

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 419, 19 October 1889, Page 4

"MODERN THOUGHT."

Auckland, October 15. A public meeting was held in the Temperance Hall, Albert-street, on Sunday afternoon to decide on the steps to be taken to secure a continuance of the Sunday evening addresses commenced some weeks ago by the Rev. E. H. Gulliver. The lectures have been so successful, up to the present 1 that the Provisional Committee thought some more permanent arrangements should be made. Mr; B. Kent presided at the meeting, and the following resolutions were adopted :—: — Ist. To thank Mr Gulliver for the course of addresses and express the hope that he would consent to continue them. 2nd. To request the Chairman to initiate the formation of a permanent committee of management to arrange for future work. 3rd. To ask Mr Gulliver to write the course of lectures delivered or a treatise ! embodying his views for publication in pamphlet form. The Chairman said that he had considered the question of forming a permanent Committee and submitted the following names, which wore approved by acclamation, viz., Messrs A. Kelly, R. A. Hould, Sourtevant, Fitzsimons. A. Cowley. A. Withy, Dr. Beale, Lymburn and the Chairman. The Rev. Mr Gulliver was not present. At the close ot the public meeting a proDosal was leoeived from the authorities of the Choral Hall offering the use of that building for three months on very liberal terms. The Chairman thereupon called an impromptu moebing of the newly appointed Commitfcee,and it was at once resolved toacceptthegenerousoffer. We are informed that ifc has since been arranged for Mr Gulliver to begin a course of addresses at the Choral Hall on " Civilisation and Progress " next Sunday evening, the hour being altered to 7 o'clock. In the evening the Rev. Mr Gulliver delivered his address on " Miracles " to a lai'ge audience. Mr B. Kent took the chair at 8 p.m., and opened the meeting by announcing to the audience the result of the atternoon meeting and read the resolutions, which he then handed to Mr Gulliver. In reply Mr Gulliver explained his purpose in delivering these lectures, which was &imply the furtherance of truth. He wished to hurt no existing institutions, but to do what good he could outside ordinary orthodoxy. Proceeding to his subject, Mr Gulliver remarked that he stood on very dangerous ground, for around the subject of miracles the battle was raging. Only Bible miracles were accepted by Protestants, but Catholics were move logical, and accepted later miracles as well. He then contrasted the belief in these Bible and sainb miracles with the ridicule heaped on the classical " miracles." Speaking of the miracles recorded by Christ he said they might reasonably be divided into two classes — first, the miracles of healing which might reasonably be ascribed to power latent in humanity* and which appeared in exceptional personages such as Jesus undoubtedly was; and second, the abnormal violations of natural law, which must fall under the same category as the miracles of the Old Testament. He urged thab without scientific evidence as to the truth of the latter class of miracles, our position towards them must be that of a reverent agnosticism.