80 G 
which Christians themselves differed, so that they might have a pleasant and 
not an acrimonious discussion. He remembered an anecdote of a well-known 
professor at Cambridge, who expressed his wish that German metaphysics 
and German theology were all at the bottom of the German Ocean. He (Pro- 
fessor Lias) did not altogether join in that wish, because he thought that we 
were considerably indebted to German theology ; but if there was anything he 
wished at the bottom of the German Ocean it was the bitterness of their religious 
differences. As to what had fallen from Mr. Dibdin, to his mind the proper 
definition of religion was that it was a “ restraining power.” He would not 
undertake to explain Mr. Matthew Arnold’s “morality touched with emotion.” 
He found it extremely difficult to understand what was meant. How could 
morality be touched by emotion ? He should have imagined that it was we 
who were touched by emotion, and not morality, and that morality was inde- 
pendent in itself from emotions, and was a principle which, under all 
circumstances of our physical state, would still bind us down to do the one 
thing which was right. He thought Matthew Arnold’s definition was very 
unsuitable, but, if he were asked to explain, he could only say that he gave 
up the task in despair. 
The meeting was then adjourned. 
( 
