REV MARTINEAU AND BELFAST ADDRESS 239 



ciate in Belfast. "The impregnable position of Science," 

 I there say, "may be stated in a few words. We claim, 

 and we shall wrest from Theology, the entire domain of 

 Cosmological theory." Thus Theology, so far as it is 

 represented by Mr. Martineau, and Science, so far as 1 

 understand it, are in absolute harmony here. 



But Mr. Martineau would have just reason to complain 

 of me if, by partial citation, I left my readers under the 

 impression that the agreement between us is complete. 

 At the opening of the eighty-ninth Session of the Man- 

 chester New College, London, on October 6, 1874, he, its 

 principal, delivered an Address bearing the title "Kelig- 

 ion as affected by Modern Materialism"; the references 

 and general tone of which make evident the depth of its 

 author's discontent with my previous deKverance at Bel- 

 fast. I find it difficult to grapple with the exact grounds 

 of this discontent. Indeed, logically considered, the im- 

 pression left upon my mind by an essay of great aesthetic 

 merit, containing many passages of exceeding beauty, and 

 many sentiments which none but the pure in heart could 

 utter as they are uttered here, is vague and unsatisfactory. 

 The author appears at times so brave and liberal, at times 

 so timid and captious, and at times, if I dare say it, so 

 imperfectly informed, regarding the position he assails. 



At the outset of his Address Mr. Martineau states with 

 some distinctness his "sources of religious faith." They 

 are two "the scrutiny of Nature" and "the interpreta- 

 tion of Sacred Books." It would have been a theme 

 worthy of his intelligence to have deduced from these 

 two sources his religion as it stands. But not another 

 word is said about the "Sacred Books." Having swept 

 with the besom of Science various "books" contemptu- 



