eminent victorians-第13章

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Prosser；　and　they　seemed　inclined　to　favour　my　proposal。　It

might；　perhaps；　have　kept　back　Lord　Feilding。　But　he　is　like　a

cork。'



The　proposal　was　certainly　not　favoured　by　Manning。　Protests　and

procrastinations；　approving　Wegg…Prossers　and　cork…like　Lord

Feildingsall　this　was　feeding　the　wind　and　folly；　the　time　for

action　had　come。　'I　can　no　longer　continue；'　he　wrote　to　Robert

Wilberforce；　'under　oath　and　subscription　binding　me　to　the　Royal

Supremacy　in　Ecclesiastical　causes；　being　convinced：



（1）　That　it　is　a　violation　of　the　Divine　Office　of　the　Church。



（2）　That　it　has　involved　the　Church　of　England　in　a　separation

from　the　Universal　Church；　which　separation　I　cannot　clear　of　the

character　of　schism。



（3）　That　it　has　thereby　suspended　and　prevented　the　functions　of

the　Church　of　England。'



It　was　in　vain　that　Robert　Wilberforce　pleaded；　in　vain　that　Mr。

Gladstone　urged　upon　his　mind　the　significance　of　John　iii　8。

＇'The　wind　bloweth　where　it　listeth；　and　thou　hearest　the　sound

thereof；　but　canst　not　tell　whence　it　cometh；　and　whither　it

goeth；　so　is　everyone　that　is　born　of　the　Spirit。'＇　'I　admit；'

Mr。　Gladstone　wrote；　'that　the　words　might　in　some　way　be

satisfied　by　supposing　our　Lord　simply　to　mean　〃the　facts　of

nature　are　unintelligible；　therefore；　be　not　afraid　if　revealed

truths　be　likewise　beyond　the　compass　of　the　understanding〃；　but

this　seems　to　me　a　meagre　meaning。'　Such　considerations　could

hold　him　no　longer；　and　Manning　executed　the　resignation　of　his

office　and　benefice　before　a　public　notary。　Soon　afterwards；　in

the　little　Chapel　off　Buckingham　Palace　Road；　kneeling　beside　Mr。

Gladstone；　he　worshipped　for　the　last　time　as　an　Anglican。　Thirty

years　later　the　Cardinal　told　how；　just　before　the　Communion

service　commenced；　he　turned　to　his　friends　with　the　words：　'I

can　no　longer　take　the　Communion　in　the　Church　of　England。'　'I

rose　up；　and　laying　my　hand　on　Mr。　Gladstone's　shoulder；　said

〃Come〃。　It　was　the　parting　of　the　ways。　Mr。　Gladstone　remained；

and　I　went　my　way。　Mr。　Gladstone　still　remains　where　I　left　him。'



On　April　6th；　1851；　the　final　step　was　taken：　Manning　was

received　into　the　Roman　Catholic　Church。　Now　at　last；　after　the

long　struggle；　his　mind　was　at　rest。　'I　know　what　you　mean；'　he

wrote　to　Robert　Wilberforce；　'by　saying　that　one　sometimes　feels

as　if　all　this　might　turn　out　to　be　only　another　〃Land　of

Shadows〃。　I　have　felt　it　in　time　past；　but　not　now。　The　theologia

from　Nice　to　St。　Thomas　Aquinas；　and　the　undivided　unity　suffused

throughout　the　world；　of　which　the　Cathedra　Petri　is　the　centre；

isnow　1800　years　old；　and　mightier　in　every　power　now　than　ever

in　intellect；　in　science；　in　separation　from　the　world；　and　purer

too；　refined　by　300　years　of　conflict　with　the　modern　infidel

civilisationall　of　this　is　a　fact　more　solid　than　the　earth。'



V。



WHEN　Manning　joined　the　Church　of　Rome；　he　acted　under　the

combined　impulse　of　the　two　dominating　forces　in　his　nature。　His

preoccupation　with　the　supernatural　might；　alone；　have　been

satisfied　within　the　fold　of　the　Anglican　communion；　and　so　might

his　preoccupation　with　himself　the　one　might　have　found　vent　in

the　elaborations　of　High　Church　ritual；　and　the　other　in　the

activities　of　a　bishopric。　But　the　two　together　could　not　be

quieted　so　easily。　The　Church　of　England　is　a　commodious

institution；　she　is　very　anxious　to　please；　but　somehow　or　other；

she　has　never　managed　to　supply　a　happy　home　to　superstitious

egotists。　'What　an　escape　for　my　poor　soul！'　Manning　is　said　to

have　exclaimed　when；　shortly　after　his　conversion；　a　mitre　was

going　a…begging。　But；　in　truth；　Manning's　'poor　soul'　had　scented

nobler　quarry。　To　one　of　his　temperament；　how　was　it　possible；

when　once　the　choice　was　plainly　put；　to　hesitate　for　a　moment

between　the　respectable　dignity　of　an　English　bishop；　harnessed

by　the　secular　power；　with　the　Gorham　judgment　as　a　bit　between

his　teeth；　and　the　illimitable　pretensions　of　the　humblest　priest

of　Rome？



For　the　moment；　however；　it　seemed　as　if　the　Fates　had　at　last

been　successful　in　their　little　game　of　shunting　Manning。　The

splendid　career　which　he　had　so　laboriously　built　up　from　the

small　beginnings　of　his　Sussex　curacy　was　shatteredand

shattered　by　the　inevitable　operation　of　his　own　essential　needs。

He　was　over　forty；　and　he　had　been　put　back　once　more　to　the　very

bottom　rung　of　the　laddera　middle…aged　neophyte　with；　so　far　as

could　be　seen；　no　special　claim　to　the　attention　of　his　new

superiors。　The　example　of　Newman；　a　far　more　illustrious　convert；

was　hardly　reassuring：　he　had　been　relegated　to　a　complete

obscurity；　in　which　he　was　to　remain　until　extreme　old　age。　Why

should　there　be　anything　better　in　store　for　Manning？　Yet　it　so

happened　that　within　fourteen　years　of　his　conversion　Manning　was

Archbishop　of　Westminster　and　the　supreme　ruler　of　the　Roman

Catholic　community　in　England。　This　time　the　Fates　gave　up　the

unequal　struggle；　they　paid　over　their　stakes　in　despair；　and

retired　from　the　game。



Nevertheless　it　is　difficult　to　feel　quite　sure　that　Manning's

plunge　was　as　hazardous　as　it　appeared。　Certainly　he　was　not　a

man　who　was　likely　to　forget　to　look　before　he　leaped；　nor　one

who；　if　he　happened　to　know　that　there　was　a　mattress　spread　to

receive　him；　would　leap　with　less　conviction。　In　the　light　of

after…events；　one　would　be　glad　to　know　what　precisely　passed　at

that　mysterious　interview　of　his　with　the　Pope；　three　years　

before　his　conversion。　It　is　at　least　possible　that　the

authorities　in　Rome　had　their　eye　on　Manning；　the　may　well　have

felt　that　the　Archdeacon　of　Chichester　would　be　a　great　catch。

What　did　Pio　Nono　say？　It　is　easy　to　imagine　the　persuasive

innocence　of　his　Italian　voice。　'Ah；　dear　Signor　Manning；　why

don't　you　come　over　to　us？　Do　you　suppose　that　we　should　not　look

after　you？'



At　any　rate；　when　he　did　go　over；　Manning　was　looked　after　very

thoroughly。　There　was；　it　is　true；　a　momentary　embarrassment　at

the　outset：　it　was　only　with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　he

could　bring　himself　to　abandon　his　faith　in　the　validity　of

Anglican　Orders；　in　which　he　believed　'with　consciousness

stronger　than　all　reasoning'。　He　was　convinced　that　he　was　still

a　priest。　When　the　Rev。　Mr。　Tierney；　who　had　received　him　into

the　Roman　Catholic　communion；　assured　him　that　this　was　not　the

case；　he　was　filled　with　dismay　and　mortification。　After　a　five

hour　discussion；　he　started　to　his　feet　in　a　rage。　'Then；　Mr。

Tierney；'　he　exclaimed；　'you　think　me　insincere。'



The　bitter　draught　was　swallowed　at　last；　and；　after　that；　all

went　smoothly。　Manning　hastened　to　Rome；　and　was　immediately

placed　by　the　Pope　in　the　highly　select　Accademia　Ecclesiastica；

commonly　known　as　the　'Nursery　of　Cardinals'；　for　the　purpose　of

completing　his　theological　studies。　When　the　course　was　finished；

he　continued；　by　the　Pope's　special　request；　to　spend　six　months

of　every　year　in　Rome；　where　he　preached　to　the　English　visitors；

became　acquainted　with　the　great　personages　of　the　Papal　court；

and　enjoyed　the　privilege　of　constant　interviews　with　the　Holy

Father。　At　the　same　time；　he　was　able　to　make　himself　useful　in

London；　where　Cardinal　Wiseman；　the　newly　created　Archbishop　of

Westminster；　was　seeking　to　reanimate　the　Roman　Catholic

community。　Manning　was　not　only　extremely　popular　in　the　pulpit

and　in　the　confessional；　he　was　not　only　highly　efficient　as　a

gleaner　of　soulsand　of　souls　who　moved　in　the　best　society；　he

also　possessed　a　familiarity　with　official　persons　and　official

ways；　which　was　invaluable。　When　the　question　arose　of　the

appointment　of　Catholic　chaplains　in　the　Crimea　during　the　war；

it　was　Manning　who　approached　the　Minister；　interviewed　the

Permanent　Secretary；　and　finally　succeeded　in　obtaining　all　that

was　required。　When　a　special　Reformatory　for　Catholic　children

was　proposed；　Manning　car