eminent victorians-第5章

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Church；　but　she　had　been　under　an　eclipse　since　the　Reformation；

in　fact；　since　she　had　begun　to　exist。　She　had；　it　is　true；

escaped　the　corruptions　of　Rome；　but　she　had　become　enslaved　by

the　secular　power；　and　degraded　by　the　false　doctrines　of

Protestantism。　The　Christian　Religion　was　still　preserved　intact

by　the　English　priesthood；　but　it　was　preserved；　as　it　were；

unconsciouslya　priceless　deposit；　handed　down　blindly　from

generation　to　generation；　and　subsisting　less　by　the　will　of　man

than　through　the　ordinance　of　God　as　expressed　in　the　mysterious

virtue　of　the　Sacraments。　Christianity；　in　short；　had　become

entangled　in　a　series　of　unfortunate　circumstances　from　which　it

was　the　plain　duty　of　Newman　and　his　friends　to　rescue　it

forthwith。　What　was　curious　was　that　this　task　had　been　reserved；

in　so　marked　a　manner；　for　them。　Some　of　the　divines　of　the

seventeenth　century　had；　perhaps；　been　vouchsafed　glimpses　of　the

truth；　but　they　were　glimpses　and　nothing　more。　No；　the　waters　of

the　true　Faith　had　dived　underground　at　the　Reformation；　and　they

were　waiting　for　the　wand　of　Newman　to　strike　the　rock　before

they　should　burst　forth　once　more　into　the　light　of　day。　The

whole　matter；　no　doubt；　was　Providentialwhat　other　explanation

could　there　be？



The　first　step；　it　was　clear；　was　to　purge　the　Church　of　her

shames　and　her　errors。　The　Reformers　must　be　exposed；　the　yoke　of

the　secular　power　must　be　thrown　off；　dogma　must　be　reinstated　in

its　old　pre…eminence；　and　Christians　must　be　reminded　of　what

they　had　apparently　forgottenthe　presence　of　the　supernatural

in　daily　life。　'It　would　be　a　gain　to　this　country；'　Keble

observed；　'were　it　vastly　more　superstitious；　more　bigoted；　more

gloomy；　more　fierce　in　its　religion；　than　at　present　it　shows

itself　to　be。'　'The　only　good　I　know　of　Cranmer；'　said　Hurrell

Froude；　'was　that　he　burned　well。'　Newman　preached；　and　soon　the

new　views　began　to　spread。　Among　the　earliest　of　the　converts　was

Dr　Pusey；　a　man　of　wealth　and　learning；　a　professor；　a　canon　of

Christ　Church；　who　had；　it　was　rumoured；　been　to　Germany。　Then

the　Tracts　for　the　Times　were　started　under　Newman's　editorship；

and　the　Movement　was　launched　upon　the　world。



The　Tracts　were　written　'with　the　hope　of　rousing　members　of　our

Church　to　comprehend　her　alarming　position　。。。　as　a　man　might

give　notice　of　a　fire　or　inundation；　to　startle　all　who　heard

him'。　They　may　be　said　to　have　succeeded　in　their　objective；　for

the　sensation　which　they　caused　among　clergymen　throughout　the

country　was　extreme。　They　dealt　with　a　great　variety　of

questions；　but　the　underlying　intention　of　all　of　them　was　to

attack　the　accepted　doctrines　and　practices　of　the　Church　of

England。　Dr。　Pusey　wrote　learnedly　on　Baptismal　Regeneration；　he

also　wrote　on　Fasting。　His　treatment　of　the　latter　subject　met

with　considerable　disapproval；　which　surprised　the　Doctor。　'I　was

not　prepared；'　he　said；　'for　people　questioning；　even　in　the

abstract；　the　duty　of　fasting；　I　thought　serious…minded　persons

at　least　supposed　they　practised　fasting　in　some　way　or　other。　I

assumed　the　duty　to　be　acknowledged　and　thought　it　only

undervalued。'　We　live　and　learn；　even　though　we　have　been　to

Germany。



Other　tracts　discussed　the　Holy　Catholic　Church；　the　Clergy；　and

the　Liturgy。　One　treated　of　the　question　'whether　a　clergyman　of

the　Church　of　England　be　now　bound　to　have　morning　and　evening

prayers　daily　in　his　parish　church？'　Another　pointed　out　the

'Indications　of　a　superintending　Providence　in　the　preservation

of　the　Prayer…book　and　in　the　changes　which　it　has　undergone'。

Another　consisted　of　a　collection　of　'Advent　Sermons　on

Antichrist'。　Keble　wrote　a　long　and　elaborate　tract　'On　the

Mysticism　attributed　to　the　Early　Fathers　of　the　Church'；　in

which　he　expressed　his　opinions　upon　a　large　number　of　curious

matters。　'According　to　men's　usual　way　of　talking；'　he　wrote；　'it

would　be　called　an　accidental　circumstance　that　there　were　five

loaves；　not　more　nor　less；　in　the　store　of　Our　Lord　and　His

disciples　wherewith　to　provide　the　miraculous　feast。　But　the

ancient　interpreters　treat　it　as　designed　and　providential；　in

this　surely　not　erring：　and　their　conjecture　is　that　it

represents　the　sacrifice　of　the　whole　world　of　sense；　and

especially　of　the　OldDispensation；　which；　being　outward　and

visible；　might　be　called　the　dispensation　of　the　senses；　to　the

FATHER　of　our　LORD　JESUS　CHRIST；　to　be　a　pledge　and　means　of

communion　with　Him　according　to　the　terms　of　the　new　or

evangelical　law。



They　arrived　at　this　idea　by　considering　the　number　five；　the

number　of　the　senses；　as　the　mystical　opponent　of　the　visible　and

sensible　universe　ta　aisphita；　as　distinguished　from　ta　noita。

Origen　lays　down　the　rule　in　express　terms。　'〃The　number　five；〃'

he　says；　'〃frequently；　nay　almost　always；　is　taken　for　the　five

senses。〃'　In　another　passage；　Keble　deals　with　an　even　more

recondite　question。　He　quotes　the　teaching　of　St。　Barnabas　that

'Abraham；　who　first　gave　men　circumcision；　did　thereby　perform　a

spiritual　and　typical　action；　looking　forward　to　the　Son'。　St。

Barnabas's　argument　is　as　follows：　Abraham　circumcised　of　his

house　men　to　the　number　Of　318。　Why　318？　Observe　first　the　18；

then　the300。　Of　the　two　letters　which　stand　for　18；　10　is

represented　by　1；　8　by　H。　'Thou　hast　here；'　says　St。　Barnabas；

'the　word　of　Jesus。'　As　for　the　300；　'the　Cross　is　represented　by

Tau；　and　the　letter　Tau　represents　that　number'。



Unfortunately；　however；　St。　Barnabas's　premise　was　of　doubtful

validity；　as　theRev。　Mr。　Maitland　pointed　out；　in　a　pamphlet

impugning　the　conclusions　of　the　Tract。　'The　simple　fact　is；'　he

wrote；　'that　when　Abraham　pursued　Chedorlaomer　〃he　armed　his

trained　servants；　BORN　IN　HIS　OWN　HOUSE；　three　hundred　and

eighteen〃。　When；　more　than　thirteen　（according　to　the　common

chronology；　fifteen）　years　after；　he　circumcised　〃all　the　men　of

his　house；　BORN　IN　THE　HOUSE；　AND　BOUGHT　WITH　MONEY　OF　THE

STRANGER〃；　and；　in　fact；　every　male　who　was　as　much　as　eight　days

old；　we　are　not　told　what　the　number　amounted　to。　Shall　we

suppose　（just　for　the　sake　of　the　interpretation）　that　Abraham's

family　had　so　dwindled　in　the　interval　as　that　now　all　the　males

of　his　household；　trained　men；　slaves；　and　children；　equalled

only　and　exactly　the　number　of　his　warriors　fifteen　years

before？'　The　question　seems　difficult　to　answer；　but　Keble　had；

as　a　matter　of　fact；　forestalled　the　argument　in　the　following

passage；　which　had　apparently　escaped　the　notice　of　the　Rev。　Mr。

Maitland：　'Now　whether　the　facts　were　really　so　or　not　（if　it

were；　it　was　surely　by　special　providence）；　that　Abraham's

household　at　the　time　of　the　circumcision　was　exactly　the　same

number　as　before；　still　the　argument　of　St。　Barnabas　will　stand。

As　thus：　circumcision　had　from　the　beginning；　a　reference　to　our

SAVIOUR；　as　in　other　respects；　so　in　this；　that　the　mystical

number；　which　is　the　cipher　of　Jesus　crucified；　was　the　number　of

the　first　circumcised　household　in　the　strength　of　which　Abraham

prevailed　against　the　powers　of　the　world。　So　St。　Clement　of

Alexandria；　as　cited　by　Fell。'　And　Keble　supports　his　contention

through　ten　pages　of　close　print；　with　references　to　Aristeas；

St。　Augustine；　St。　Jerome；　and　Dr。　Whitby。



Writings　of　this　kind　could　not　fail　in　their　effect。　Pious

youths　in　Oxford　were　carried　away　by　them；　and　began　to　flock

around　the　standard　of　Newman。　Newman　himself　became　a　party

chief　encouraging；　organising；　persuading。　His　long　black

figure；　swiftly　passing　through　the　streets；　was　pointed　at　with

awe；　crowds　flocked　to　his　sermons；　his　words　were　repeated　from

mouth　to　mouth；　'Credo　in　Newmannum'　became　a　common　catchword。

Jokes　were　made　about　the　Church　of　England；　and　practices；

unknown　for　centuries；　began　to　be　revived。　Young　men　fasted　and

did　penance；　recited　the　hours　of　the　Roman　Breviary；　and

confesse