867 
joicing approval of the Highest Good. There must, in a 
word, be a Philosophy of Life as Responsible throughout ; 
nor would it be complete without a philosophy of Death, as 
consummating this elaborate work of Probation in what 
ought to be its greatest crisis. 
173. That is a satisfactory form of Christianity (and wo 
possess it) which can thus be pointed to as a Positive Institu- 
tion, and a sure Philosophy, in which the facts of Human 
nature at length find their solemn explanation, and the wants 
of Human nature their supply : an institution whose claim 
maybe challenged by its Teachers to be as broad as the whole 
world of moral agency — as “ quge semper, quae ubique, quae ab 
omnibus ,” — “ et scitur et legitur, vere epistola Christi, minis- 
trata a nobis, et Scripta non atramento, sed Spiritu Dei Yivi, 
non in tabulis lapideis, sed in tabulis cordis.” 
The Chairman. — I am sure I need scarcely call on you to return a 
unanimous vote of thanks to Dr. Irons, not only for the valuable paper which 
he has just read, but once more for the two preceding parts of it. No one 
can have listened to a single passage of his valuable writing without admit- 
ting that it contains the deepest thoughts on some of the most important 
subjects on which men can enter. Our best thanks are due to Dr. Irons for his 
valuable thoughts and reasonings ; but as we know that there are no thoughts 
and reasonings which will not admit of others opposing them, and as 
Dr. Irons has written these papers in order to invite discussion and the free 
expression of thought ; and as I am given to understand that there are some 
gentlemen present who differ from the reasoning and conclusions of Dr. Irons ; 
I beg to call on those who have any objections to offer to the paper, rather 
than on those who agree with the Doctor’s line of argument, to favour us 
with their views on the subject. 
Mr. Austin Holyoake. — I did not anticipate, previous to the remarks 
which the Chairman has just made, that I should feel called upon to offer any 
observations on the paper which we have heard read, and which forms 
part of some previous papers on the same subject. The secretary of this 
excellent Institute has been so good as to send those previous papers to me, 
but I did not receive them until Saturday, and I have not had time to read 
them since. I am, however, induced to speak on this occasion by the con- 
ciliatory words of the learned doctor, the author of the paper ; and I must 
state, at the outset, that I have been somewhat disappointed with the argu- 
ment of Dr. Irons, who is a man whom we all know to be a reasoner and 
writer of very great ability. In taking up this subject he could not have 
taken a topic of more permanent interest and concern to the human heart, 
but he has treated it almost exclusively from what you will pardon me for calling 
an orthodox Christian point of view. Now, I will just state how this matter 
appears to me — and I have thought upon it very intently and earnestly for 
VOL. IV. 2 c 
