eminent victorians-第7章

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His　relations　with　the　Tractarians　had　leaked　out；　and　the　Record

was　beginning　to　be　suspicious。　If　Mrs。　Shuttleworth's　opinion　of

him　were　to　become　general；　it　would　certainly　be　a　grave　matter。

Nobody　could　wish　to　live　and　die　a　mere　Archdeacon。　And　then；　at

that　very　moment；　an　event　occurred　which　made　it　imperative　to

take　a　definite　step；　one　way　or　the　other。　That　event　was　the

publication　of　Tract　No。　90。



For　some　time　it　had　been　obvious　to　every　impartial　onlooker

that　Newman　was　slipping　down　an　inclined　plane　at　the　bottom　of

which　lay　one　thing；　and　one　thing　onlythe　Roman　Catholic

Church。　What　was　surprising　was　the　length　of　time　which　he　was

taking　to　reach　the　inevitable　destination。　Years　passed　before

he　came　to　realise　that　his　grandiose　edifice　of　a　Church

Universal　would　crumble　to　pieces　if　one　of　its　foundation　stones

was　to　be　an　amatory　intrigue　of　Henry　VIII。　But；　at　last　he

began　to　see　that　terrible　monarch　glowering　at　him　wherever　he

turned　his　eyes。　First　he　tried　to　exorcise　the　spectre　with　the

rolling　periods　of　the　Caroline　divines；　but　it　only　strutted　the

more　truculently。　Then　in　despair　he　plunged　into　the　writings　of

the　early　Fathers；　and　sought　to　discover　some　way　out　of　his

difficulties　in　the　complicated　labyrinth　of　ecclesiastical

history。　After　months　spent　in　the　study　of　the　Monophysite

heresy；　the　alarming　conclusion　began　to　force　itself　upon　him

that　the　Church　of　England　was　perhaps　in　schism。　Eventually　he

read　an　article　by　a　Roman　Catholic　on　St。　Augustine　and　the

Donatists；　which　seemed　to　put　the　matter　beyond　doubt。　St。

Augustine；　in　the　fifth　century；　had　pointed　out　that　the

Donatists　were　heretics　because　the　Bishop　of　Rome　had　said　so。

The　argument　was　crushing；　it　rang　in　Newman's　ears　for　days　and

nights；　and；　though　he　continued　to　linger　on　in　agony　for　six

years　more；　he　never　could　discover　any　reply　to　it。　All　he　could

hope　to　do　was　to　persuade　himself　and　anyone　else　who　liked　to

listen　to　him　that　the　holding　of　Anglican　orders　was　not

inconsistent　with　a　belief　in　the　whole　cycle　of　Roman　doctrine

as　laid　down　at　the　Council　of　Trent。　In　this　way　he　supposed

that　he　could　at　once　avoid　the　deadly　sin　of　heresy　and

conscientiously　remain　a　clergyman　in　the　Church　of　England；　and

with　this　end　in　view；　he　composed　Tract　No。　90。



The　object　of　the　Tract　was　to　prove　that　there　was　nothing　in

the　Thirty…nine　Articles　incompatible　with　the　creed　of　the　Roman

Church。　Newman　pointed　out；　for　instance；　that　it　was　generally

supposed　that　the　Articles　condemned　the　doctrine　of　Purgatory；

but　they　did　not；　they　merely　condemned　the　Romish　doctrine　of

Purgatory　and　Romish；　clearly；　was　not　the　same　thing　as　Roman。

Hence　it　followed　that　believers　in　the　Roman　doctrine　of

Purgatory　might　subscribe　the　Articles　with　a　good　conscience。

Similarly；　the　Articles　condemned　'the　sacrifices　of　masses'；　but

they　did　not　condemn　'the　sacrifice　of　the　Mass'。　Thus；　the　Mass

might　be　lawfully　celebrated　in　English　Churches。　Newman　took　the

trouble　to　examine　the　Articles　in　detail　from　this　point　of

view；　and　the　conclusion　he　came　to　in　every　case　supported　his

contention　in　a　singular　manner。



The　Tract　produced　an　immense　sensation；　for　it　seemed　to　be　a

deadly　and　treacherous　blow　aimed　at　the　very　heart　of　the　Church

of　England。　Deadly　it　certainly　was；　but　it　was　not　so

treacherous　as　it　appeared　at　first　sight。　The　members　of　the

English　Church　had　ingenuously　imagined　up　to　that　moment　that　it

was　possible　to　contain；　in　a　frame　of　words；　the　subtle　essence

of　their　complicated　doctrinal　system；　involving　the　mysteries　of

the　Eternal　and　the　Infinite　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　elaborate

adjustments　of　temporal　government　on　the　other。　They　did　not

understand　that　verbal　definitions　in　such　a　case　will　only

perform　their　functions　so　long　as　there　is　no　dispute　about　the

matters　which　they　are　intended　to　define：　that　is　to　say；　so

long　as　there　is　no　need　for　them。　For　generations　this　had　been

the　case　with　the　Thirty…nine　Articles。　Their　drift　was　clear

enough；　and　nobody　bothered　over　their　exact　meaning。　But

directly　someone　found　it　important　to　give　them　a　new　and

untraditional　interpretation；　it　appeared　that　they　were　a　mass

of　ambiguity；　and　might　be　twisted　into　meaning　very　nearly

anything　that　anybody　liked。　Steady…going　churchmen　were　appalled

and　outraged　when　they　saw　Newman；　in　Tract　No。　90；　performing

this　operation。　But；　after　all；　he　was　only　taking　the　Church　of

England　at　its　word。　And　indeed；　since　Newman　showed　the　way；　the

operation　has　become　so　exceedingly　common　that　the　most　steady…

going　churchman　hardly　raises　an　eyebrow　at　it　now。



At　the　time；　however；　Newman's　treatment　of　the　Articles　seemed

to　display　not　only　a　perverted　supersubtlety　of　intellect；　but　a

temper　of　mind　that　was　fundamentally　dishonest。　It　was　then　that

he　first　began　to　be　assailed　by　those　charges　of　untruthfulness

which　reached　their　culmination　more　than　twenty　years　later　in

the　celebrated　controversy　with　Charles　Kingsley；　which　led　to

the　writing　of　the　Apologia。　The　controversy　was　not　a　very

fruitful　one；　chiefly　because　Kingsley　could　no　more　understand

the　nature　of　Newman's　intelligence　than　a　subaltern　in　a　line

regiment　can　understand　a　Brahmin　of　Benares。　Kingsley　was　a

stout　Protestant；　whose　hatred　of　Popery　was；　at　bottom；　simply

ethicalan　honest；　instinctive　horror　of　the　practices　of

priestcraft　and　the　habits　of　superstition；　and　it　was　only

natural　that　he　should　see　in　those　innumerable　delicate

distinctions　which　Newman　was　perpetually　drawing；　and　which　he

himself　had　not　only　never　thought　of；　but　could　not　even　grasp；

simply　another　manifestation　of　the　inherent　falsehood　of　Rome。

But；　in　reality；　no　one；　in　one　sense　of　the　word；　was　more

truthful　than　Newman。　The　idea　of　deceit　would　have　been

abhorrent　to　him；　and　indeed　it　was　owing　to　his　very　desire　to

explain　what　he　had　in　his　mind　exactly　and　completely；　with　all

the　refinements　of　which　his　subtle　brain　was　capable；　that

persons　such　as　Kingsley　were　puzzled　into　thinking　him

dishonest。　Unfortunately；　however；　the　possibilities　of　truth　and

falsehood　depend　upon　other　things　besides　sincerity。　A　man　may

be　of　a　scrupulous　and　impeccable　honesty；　and　yet　his　respect

for　the　truth　it　cannot　be　denied　may　be　insufficient。　He　may

be；　like　the　lunatic；　the　lover；　and　the　poet；　'of　imagination

all　compact'；　he　may　be　blessed；　or　cursed；　with　one　of　those

'seething　brains'；　one　of　those　'shaping　fanatasies'　that

'apprehend　more　than　cool　reason　ever　comprehends'；　he　may　be　by

nature　incapable　of　sifting　evidence；　or　by　predilection　simply

indisposed　to　do　so。　'When　we　were　there；'　wrote　Newman　in　a

letter　to　a　friend　after　his　conversion；　describing　a　visit　to

Naples；　and　the　miraculous　circumstances　connected　with　the

liquefaction　of　St。　Januarius's　blood；　'the　feast　of　St。　Gennaro

was　coming　on；　and　the　Jesuits　were　eager　for　us　to　stopthey

have　the　utmost　confidence　in　the　miracleand　were　the　more

eager　because　many　Catholics；　till　they　have　seen　it；　doubt　it。

Our　father　director　here　tells　us　that　before　he　went　to　Naples

he　did　not　believe　it。　That　is；　they　have　vague　ideas　of　natural

means；　exaggeration；　etc。；　not　of　course　imputing　fraud。　They　say

conversions　often　take　place　in　consequence。　It　is　exposed　for

the　Octave；　and　the　miracle　continuesit　is　not　simple

liquefaction；　but　sometimes　it　swells；　sometimes　boils；　sometimes

meltsno　one　can　tell　what　is　going　to　take　place。　They　say　it

is　quite　overcoming　…　and　people　cannot　help　crying　to　see　it。　I

understand　that　Sir　H。　Davy　attended　everyday；　and　it　was　this

extreme　variety　of　the　phenomenon　which　convinced　him　that

nothing　physical　would　account　for　it。　Yet　there　is　this

remarkable　fact　that　liquefactions　of　blood　are　common　at　Naples…

…and；　unl