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Metaphysical Society

The Metaphysical Society wasBritish society, founded1869 by James Knowles. Manyits members were prominent clergymen.

The members from firstlast were as follows:

Papers were readdiscussed at meetings on such subjects asultimate groundsbelief inobjectivemoral sciences,immortality ofsoul, etc. A descriptionone ofmeetings was given by Magee (then BishopPeterborough) inletterFebruary 13 1873:
"Archbishop Manning inchair was flanked by two Protestant bishops rightleft; on my right was Hutton, editor ofSpectator, an Arian; then came Father Dalgairns,very able Roman Catholic priest; opposite him Lord A. Russell,Deist; then two Scotch metaphysical writers, Freethinkers; then Knowles,very broad editor ofContemporary; then, dressed aslaymanlooking likecountry squire, was Ward, formerly Rev. Ward,earliest ofpervertsRome; then Greg, authorThe CreedChristendom,Deist; then Froude,historian, oncedeaconour Church, nowDeist; then Roden Noel, an actual Atheistred republican,looking very like one! Lastly Ruskin, who readpaper on miracles, which we discussedan hour andhalf! Nothing could be calmer, fairer, or even, onwhole, more reverent thendiscussion. In my opinion, we,Christians, had muchbestit. Dalgairns,priest, was very masterly; Manning, cleverpreciseweighty; Froude, very acute,so was Greg. We only wantedJew andMahommedanmake our Religious Museum complete" (Life, i. 284).
The last meeting ofsociety was held on May 16, 1880. Huxley said thatdied "of too much love"; Tennyson, "because after ten yearsstrenuous effort no one had succeededeven defining metaphysics." AccordingDean Stanley, "We all meantsameif we only knew it."

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