REV. J. MARTINEAU AND BELFAST ADDRESS. 231 



ligious emotion to the human soul, as represented by 

 Mr. Martineau. Beyond this I defy him to go; and 

 yet he rashly it might be said petulantly kicks away 

 the only philosophic foundation on which it is possible 

 for him to build his religion. 



He twits incidentally the modern scientific inter- 

 pretation of nature because of its want of cheerfulness. 



* Let the new future/ he says, ' preach its own gospel, 

 and devise, if it can, the means of making the tidings 

 glad.' This is a common argument: 'If you only 

 knew the comfort of belief ! ' My reply is that I choose 

 the nobler part of Emerson, when, after various disen- 

 ehantments, he exclaimed, 'I covet truth.' The 

 gladness of true heroism visits the heart of him who is 

 really competent to say this. Besides, ' gladness ' is 

 an emotion, and Mr. Martineau theoretically scorns the 

 emotional. I am not, however, acquainted with a 

 writer who draws more largely upon this source, while 

 mistaking it for something objective. ' To reach the 

 Cause/ he says, ' there is no need to go into the past, 

 as though being missed here, He could be found there. 

 But when once He has been apprehended by the proper 

 organs of divine apprehension, the whole life of Hu- 

 manity is recognised as the scene of His agency.' That 

 Mr. Martineau should have lived so long, thought so 

 much, and failed to recognise the entirely subjective 

 character of this creed, is highly instructive. His 



* proper organs of divine apprehension ' given, we must 

 assume, to Mr. Martineau and his pupils, but denied to 

 many of the greatest intellects and noblest men in this 

 and other ages lie at the very core of his emotions. 



In fact, it is when Mr. Martineau is most purely 

 emotional that he scorns the emotions; it is when he 

 is most purely subjective that he rejects subjectivity. 

 He pays a just and liberal tribute to the character of 



