On the 1st instant, at Melbourne, Mr. Justice Higinbotham delivered a lecture on the "Relations of Modem Science with the Christian Churches." The known ability of the lecturer, and the commanding notice his deliverance has received in the other colonies, justify the reproduction of the lecture in pamphlet form.

The Judge spoke as follows :—The position of the Christian churches in the world at the present day; their relations to mankind and to one another; the relations of the clergy and the laity to each other in the several churches; the effects of existing disunion between the churches; and the prospect and the means, if any exist, of a return to unity; all these aspects of one most difficult and thorny subject are, we know, often presert, and suggest, disquieting and desponding thoughts to a large and increasing number of educated minds, both lay and clerical, in this day. But such thoughts rarely find adequate and complete expression; they never form the subject of friendly discussion or of deliberation with a view to active effort of any kind. "The disease requireth rest rather than any other cure was the judgment of Bacon in reference to the internal causes of dispute about matters" not of the highest nature in one of the churches. The indolence or hopelessness of educated men has led them tacitly to extend this judgment to "the high mysteries of faith," and "the great parts of the worship of God to which its author intimates that he did not intend to apply it. Most thinking men would agree that controversy, unfruitful at all times, could not be productive of any but mischievous consequences upon these the highest subjects. But may there not be free and also peaceful discussion without controversy? You may be of opinion, perhaps, that a young poet has spoken the word of practical wisdom upon this matter. "Men, said Keats, "ought not to debate or dispute about truth; but they ought to whisper results to one another." The Rev. Charles Strong thinks, as I understood him, that layman should now whisper their page 4 thoughts to one another about the present state of the Christian churches; he is of opinion that the time has come when laymen should confer together with freedom upon questions which affect the very existence for any useful purpose of one and all of the churches. Now, I am one of not a few laymen who believe that the Rev. Charles Strong has placed all laymen in this community under obligations to him.—(Applause.) That his manifest sympathy with our difficulties as laymen commands our gratitude, and that his powerful, and, at the same time, highly courageous advocacy of the layman's right of free thought within the limits of the law binding on us all, entitles him to the united support of every one of us.—(Renewed applause.) And so when Mr Strong expressed a desire that I should tell you, the lay members of this society (Scots' Church Literary Society), my thoughts as a layman upon some one or another portion of this large subject, I felt it to be a duty to comply with his request, without considering my own inclinations. I need not tell you that Mr Strong, although he has brought me here, is not responsible for a word I shall utter. Neither, indeed, do I hold myself responsible; for having accepted this task I have conceived it to be my sole duty to endeavour to place before you in plain speech my real thoughts, whether they be deemed by you to be right or wrong, and whether they be welcome or displeasing to you, without intentional reserve or suppression of my personal opinions and convictions. And if I succeed in doing this I know that I shall give voice and expression to the silent reflection of other laymen also.