List evening the Rev. Mr Shackleford secured a good audience to listen to his lecture on "The Early MSS. of the New Testament." The lecturer prefaced his re marks by a lengthy description of the ancient writing materials, after which he proceeded to deal with the number ofjthe manuscripts now known to be in existence. These amounted to 1599 copies, not counting dupli cates, the oldest of which dated from the 4th, and sth centuries. The 1590 were not entire copies, but it was considered that there were 27 complete copies of the Bible in existence. After dealing with tho tests of ago the various codices known as the Vaticanus (4th century), Alexandrinius, Ephraemi (sth century), Bezae (6th century), Purpureus (6th century), the rev. gentlemen dealt at length with the latest discovery, that known as the Codex Hinaiticus (4th century), dis covered by Dr Tischendorf in the Convent of St. Catherine in 1848 and 1863. This he dwelt on at length, believing it to be the most important of all. After describing the circumstances of its discovery, &c, he pro ceeded briefly to dea 1 with the proofs of the ex istence of the 4 Gospels between the 4th and Ist centuries. Of the Apoatlic Fathers, who quoted or referred to the Gospels, he named Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, and Polycarp. The first- mentioned was held to have been written about a.d. 90, and con tained many references to the gospels, though not always the exact words. The three epistles of Ignatius (friend of Poly carp) were held to have been written A.D. 107. or 116. Polycarp was a disciple of John the Disciple. Of the Post-Apostolic Fathers there were named as evidences Justin Mar tyr, Ircenius, Clement of Alexandria, Ter tulliaD, Origen, and Cyprian, whose writings dated from Justin Martyr^A.D. 148 (with 200 references), to Origen 254, and Cyprian 258, with numerous quotations. Auxiltisry proofs were to be found in tho works of ISO fathers, besides the following writings : — Epistle of Barnabas, Marcion, The Teaching of the Twelve, Tatian, Muratorian Frag ment, Clementine Homilies, and the Epistle of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne. Be sides these there were the various versions of the Scriptures, notably the old Latin (not later than a.d. 150), and the old Syriac (about 160). The rev. 