eminent victorians-第25章

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delivered　innumerable　sermons；　he　produced　an　unending　series　of

devotional　books。　And　he　brooked　no　brother　near　the　throne：

Newman　languished　in　Birmingham；　and　even　the　Jesuits　trembled

and　obeyed。



Nor　was　it　only　among　his　own　community　that　his　energy　and　his

experience　found　scope。　He　gradually　came　to　play　an　important

part　in　public　affairs；　upon　questions　of　labour；　poverty；　and

education。　He　sat　on　Royal　Commissions　and　corresponded　with

Cabinet　Ministers。　At　last；　no　philanthropic　meeting　at　the

Guildhall　was　considered　complete　without　the　presence　of

Cardinal　Manning。　A　special　degree　of　precedence　was　accorded　to

him。　Though　the　rank　of　a　Cardinal…Archbishop　is　officially

unknown　in　England；　his　name　appeared　in　public　documents　as　a

token；　it　must　be　supposed；　of　personal　consideration　above　the

names　of　peers　and　bishops；　and　immediately　below　that　of　the

Prince　of　Wales。



In　his　private　life　he　was　secluded。　The　ambiguities　of　his

social　position；　and　his　desire　to　maintain　intact　the　peculiar

eminence　of　his　office；　combined　to　hold　him　aloof　from　the

ordinary　gatherings　of　society；　though　on　the　rare　occasions　of

his　appearance　among　fashionable　and　exalted　persons；　he　carried

all　before　him。　His　favourite　haunt　was　the　Athenaeum　Club；　where

he　sat　scanning　the　newspapers；　or　conversing　with　the　old

friends　of　former　days。　He　was　a　member；　too；　of　that

distinguished　body；　the　Metaphysical　Society；　which　met　once　a

month　during　the　palmy　years　of　the　seventies　to　discuss；　in

strict　privacy；　the　fundamental　problems　of　the　destiny　of　man。



After　a　comfortable　dinner　at　the　Grosvenor　Hotel；　the　Society；

which　included　Professor　Huxley　and　Professor　Tyndall；　Mr。　John

Morley　and　Sir　James　Stephen；　the　Duke　of　Argyll；　Lord　Tennyson；

and　Dean　Church；　would　gather　around　to　hear　and　discuss　a　paper

read　by　one　of　the　members　upon　such　questions　as：　'What　is

death？'　'Is　God　unknowable？'　or　'The　nature　of　the　Moral

Principle'。　Sometimes；　however；　the　speculations　of　the　Society

ranged　in　other　directions。　'I　think　the　paper　that　interested　me

most　of　all　that　were　ever　read　at　our　meetings；'　says　Sir

Mountstuart　Elphinstone　Grant…Duff；　'was　one　on　〃Wherein　consists

the　special　beauty　of　imperfection　and　decay？〃　in　which　were

propounded　the　questions　〃Are　not　ruins　recognised　and　felt　to　be

more　beautiful　than　perfect　structures？　Why　are　they　so？　Ought

they　to　be　so？'　'　Unfortunately；　however；　the　answers　given　to

these　questions　by　the　Metaphysical　Society　have　not　been

recorded　for　the　instruction　of　mankind。



Manning　read　several　papers；　and　Professor　Huxley　and　Mr。　John

Morley　listened　with　attention　while　he　expressed　his　views　upon

'The　Soul　before　and　after　Death'；　or　explained　why　it　is　'That

legitimate　Authority　is　an　Evidence　of　Truth'。　Yet；　somehow　or

other；　his　Eminence　never　felt　quite　at　ease　in　these　assemblies；

he　was　more　at　home　with　audiences　of　a　different　kind；　and　we

must　look　in　other　directions　for　the　free　and　full　manifestation

of　his　speculative　gifts。



In　a　series　of　lectures；　for　instance；　delivered　in　1861it　was

the　first　year　of　the　unification　of　Italy　upon　'The　Present

Crisis

of　the　Holy　See；　tested　by　prophecy'；　we　catch　some　glimpses　of

the

kind　of　problems　which　were　truly　congenial　to　his　mind。　'In　the

following

pages；'　he　said；　'I　have　endeavoured；　but　for　so　great　a　subject

most

insufficiently；　to　show　that　what　is　passing　in　our　times　is　the

prelude　of　the　antichristian　period　of　the　final　dethronement　of

Christendom；　and　of　the　restoration　of　society　without　God　in

the　world。'　'My　intention　is；'　he　continued；　'to　examine　the

present　relation　of　the　Church　to　the　civil　powers　of　the　world

by　the　light　of　a　prophecy　recorded　by　St　Paul。'　This　prophecy　（2

Thess。　ii　3　to　11）　is　concerned　with　the　coming　of　the

Antichrist；

and　the　greater　part　of　the　lectures　is　devoted　to　a　minute

examination　of　this　subject。　There　is　no　passage　in　Scripture；

Manning　pointed　out；　relating　to　the　coming　of　Christ　more

explicit　and　express　than　those　foretelling　Antichrist；　it

therefore　behoved　the　faithful　to　consider　the　matter　more　fully

than　they　are　wont　to　do。　In　the　first　place；　Antichrist　is　a

person。　'To　deny　the　personality　of　Antichrist　is　to　deny　the

plain　testimony　of　Holy　Scripture。'　And　we　must　remember　that　'it

is　a　law　of　Holy　Scripture　that　when　persons　are　prophesied　of；

persons　appear'。



Again；　there　was　every　reason　to　believe　that　Antichrist；　when　he

did

appear；　would　turn　out　to　be　a　Jew。　'Such　was　the　opinion　of　St。

Irenaeus；　St。　Jerome；　and　of　the　author　of　the　work　De

Consummatione

Mundi；　ascribed　to　St。　Hippolytus；　and　of　a　writer　of　a

Commentary

on　the　Epistle　to　the　Thessalonians；　ascribed　to　St。　Ambrose；　of

many

others；　who　said　that　he　will　be　of　the　tribe　of　Dan：　as；　for

instance；

St。　Gregory　the　Great；　Theodoret；　Aretas　of　Caesarea；　and　many

more。　Such

also　is　the　opinion　of　Bellarmine；　who　calls　it　certain。　Lessius

affirms　that

the　Fathers；　with　unanimous　consent；　teach　as　undoubted　that

Antichrist　will　be　a　Jew。　Ribera　repeats　the　same　opinion；　and

adds　that　Aretas；　St。　Bede；　Haymo；　St。　Anselm；　and　Rupert　affirm

that　for　this　reason　the　tribe　of　Dan　is　not　numbered　among　those

who　are　sealed　in　the　Apocalypse。。。　　　Now；　I　think　no　one　can

consider　the　dispersion　and　providential　preservation　of　the　Jews

among　all　the　nations　of　the　world　and　the　indestructible

vitality　of　their　race　without　believing　that　they　are　reserved

for　some　future　action　of　His　judgment　and　Grace。　And　this　is

foretold　again　and　again　in　the　New　Testament。'



'Our　Lord；'　continued　Manning；　widening　the　sweep　of　his

speculations；　'has　said　of　these　latter　times：　〃There　shall　arise

false　Christs　and　false　prophets；　insomuch　as　to　deceive　even

the　elect〃；　that　is；　they　shall　not　be　deceived；　but　those　who

have　lost　faith　in　the　Incarnation；　such　as　humanitarians；

rationalists；　and　pantheists；　may　well　be　deceived　by　any　person

of　great　political　power　and　success；　who　should　restore　the　Jews

to　their　own　land；　and　people　Jerusalem　once　more　with　the　sons

of　the　Patriarchs。　And；　there　is　nothing　in　the　political　aspect

of　the　world　which　renders　such　a　combination　impossible；　indeed；

the　state　of　Syria；　and　the　tide　of　European　diplomacy；　which　'is

continually　moving　eastward；　render　such　an　event　within　a

reasonable　probability。'　Then　Manning　threw　out　a　bold

suggestion。　'A　successful　medium；'　he　said；　'might　well　pass

himself　off　by　his　preternatural　endowments　as　the　promised

Messiahs。'



Manning　went　on　to　discuss　the　course　of　events　which　would　lead

to　the　final　catastrophe。　But　this　subject；　he　confessed；　'deals

with　agencies　so　transcendent　and　mysterious；　that　all　I　shall

venture　to　do　will　be　to　sketch　in　outline　what　the　broad　and

luminous　prophecies；　especially　of　the　Book　of　Daniel　and　the

Apocalypse；　set　forth　without　attempting　to　enter　into　minute

details；　which　can　only　be　interpreted　by　the　event'。　While

applauding　his　modesty；　we　need　follow　Manning　no　further　in　his

commentary　upon　those　broad　and　luminous　works；　except　to　observe

that　'the　apostasy　of　the　City　of　Rome　from　the　Vicar　of　Christ

and　its　destruction　by　the　Antichrist'　was；　in　his　opinion；

certain。　Nor　was　he　without　authority　for　this　belief。　For　it　was

held　by　'Malvenda；　who　writes　expressly　on　the　subject'；　and　who；

besides；　'states　as　the　opinion　of　Ribera；　Gaspar　Melus；　Viegas；

Suarez；　Bellarmine；　and　Bosius　that　Rome　shall　apostatise　from

the　faith'。



IX



THE　death　of　Pius　IX　brought　to　Manning　a　last　flattering

testimony　of　the　confidence　with　which　he　was　regarded　at　the

Court　of　Rome。　In　one　of　the　private　consultations　preceding　the

Conclave；　a　Cardinal　suggested　that　Manning　should　succeed　to　the

Papacy。　He　replied　that　he　was　unfit　for　the　position；　because

it　was　es