"MODERN THOUGHT."

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 245, 15 October 1889, Page 3

"MODERN THOUGHT."

PERMANENT ARRANGEMENTS MADE.

REV. E. H. GULLIVER ON "MIRACLES."

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 that tho 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. Tho Chairman said that he had considered the question of forming a permanent Committee and submitted the following name., which were approved by acclamation, viz., Messrs A. Kolly, R. A. Hould, S-urtevant, 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 proposal was received 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 meeting of the newly appointed Committee,and it was at once resolved to accept thegenerousoffer. We are informed that it 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 bhe evening bhe Rev. Mr Gulliver delivered bis address on "Miracles" bo a large audience.

Mr B. Kent took the chair ab 8 p.m., and opened the meoting by announcing bo the audience the result of the afternoon meeting and road the resolutions, which he bhen handed to Mr Gulliver.

In reply Mr Gulliver explainedhis purpose in delivering these lectures, which was simply tho furtherance of truth. Ho 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 more logical, and accepted later miracles as well. He then contrasted the belief in theso" Bible and saint miracles with, the ridicule heaped on iftie 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 bo ascribed lo 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 undor the same category as the miracles of the Old Testament. He urged that without scientific evidence as to bhe truth of the latter class of miracles, our position towards them must be that ofa reverent aguosticism.