Church nor of Anti-Christ's, hanging in the air like Mahomet's coffin between two magnets, as the old fable had it. He was walking himself and leading others in a middle way, as though Christ had never said "I am the way," "No man cometh to the Father, but by Me:" as though Christ's Apostle had never said, "If any man preach any other gospel to you than that I have preached, let him be accursed."

Brief mention has been made, pp 11-13, of the preparatory training Dr. Newman received for what he calls "his mission." The great events which happened at home and abroad, while he was writing his work on the Arians, "brought out into form and passionate expression, the various beliefs which had gradually been winning their way into his mind." In one of his first sermons, he said, "he did not shrink from uttering his firm convictions, that it would be a gain to the country, were it vastly more superstitious, more bigoted, more gloomy, more fierce, in its religion than at that time it showed itself to be." Mr. Oakeley's remark, that while it was Dr. Pusey's office to soothe and conciliate, it was Dr. Newman's to stimulate, and even to startle, will be remembered.

In his work on the Arians, just referred to, Dr. Newman, contrasting heretics and their chief leaders,* says, "The latter should meet with no mercy: They assume the office of the Tempter; and, so far forth as their error goes, must be dealt with by the competent authority, as if they were embodied evil. To spare such is a false and dangerous pity. It is to endanger the souls of thousands, and it is uncharitable towards themselves."

The "form of belief" here displayed to the public gaze is sufficiently startling. It would almost seem as though some grim old Inquisitor, awakened from the sleep of centuries, had sprung from his lair, and, with an appetite, keen from long fasting, was greedily seeking for prey. Such a reproduction of the past is unwelcome; it at first seems as though it cannot be real. It is as if in some sad dream we heard a martyr's doom pronounced, and in the visions of the night, again saw the stake and the fire, and a poor victim of priestly hate and Anti-Christian malice in his dying agony.

When, therefore, a man, (some of whose friends, although he himself has left, still remain in the Established Church,) actuated

* Dr. Newman held "Lutheranism and Calvinism to be heresies repugnant to Scripture."

by such a spirit of bigoted intolerance and blind superstition, proclaims, in his ill-directed zeal,* that he "has a work to do;" that one part of this work is "to keep the Church from being liberalized:" when he avows that he has " fierce thoughts against the Liberals ;" when he declares that they shall "know the difference" as soon as he begins his work; enough is said to justify the conduct of those who think it needful to look to their defences; even, as the weary traveller,—if aroused from his sweet dreams of home-peace by the yells of fierce beasts as they gather round his encampment eager for their prey,-springs from his couch, replenishes the wasting watchfires, and makes sure that his arms are within reach, because he thinks it better to take even unnecessary precaution than to fall a victim to a careless security and inconsiderate confidence; better to lose his repose than his life; better to be disturbed than devoured.

As it was a vital question with Dr. Newman "to keep the Church from being liberalized," it is necessary to state what he meant by "Liberalism." At the commencement of the century, after many years of moral and intellectual declension, the University of Oxford woke up to a sense of its duties, and began to reform itself. The direct instruments of this change and their pupils, the choice fruit of real University Reform, constituted the rudiments of the Liberal Party. Out of this party grew up what Dr. Newman calls "Liberalism."

He grants that liberty of thought is in itself a good; but considers that it gives an opening to false liberty or Liberalism. One or two instances of what he considers Liberalism will be given presently.

"The man who turned the tide at Oxford," he says, "and brought the talent of the University round to the side of the old theology,

*The Lord Jesus, said "These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me." -John xvi. 1, 3.

No persons are so sternly and remorselessly cruel as those under the influence of a blind religious zeal. However amiable may be their natural disposition, if once they imbibe the principle that it is doing God service to remove heretics from the earth, it immediately becomes meritorious in their sight to resist the pleadings of their own natural gentleness. The very sincerity of such persons makes them the more dangerous. Personally, Dr. Newman was said to be amiable and benevolent, so also is Mary (popularly called Bloody Mary) said to have been.

and against what was familiarly called the 'march-of-mind,' was Mr. Keble."* "In and from Keble, the mental activity of Oxford took that contrary direction, which issued in what was called Tractarianism."

“Keble was a man who guided himself and formed his judgments, not by processes of reason, by inquiry, or by argument, but, to use the word in a broad sense, by Authority.” "What he hated instinctively was heresy, insubordination, resistance to things established, † disloyalty, innovation, a critical censorious spirit." "Such was the main principle of the school† which was formed around him." "He carried his love of authority and old times so far, as to be more than gentle towards the [Roman] Catholic religion."

"The Revolution of 1688, was too lax in principle for him and his friends."

Dr. Newman meant by "Liberalism" "false liberty of thought." Among other propositions of "Liberalism," was the following, "That there is a right of private judgment: that is, there is no existing authority on earth competent to interfere with the liberty of individuals, in reasoning and judging for themselves, about the Bible and its contents, as they severally please."

This proposition, Dr. Newman and the Tractarian party earnestly denounced and abjured, following the example of the Papal Church.

The Council of Trent decreed that it pertaineth to "holy mother Church to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures," and that no man should presume to interpret the said Scriptures contrary to the sense she holds.

The present Pope maintains that no person whatever, is warranted to confide in his own judgment as to the true meaning of Scripture.

When Stephen Gratwick, Martyr, 1557, complained that he was treated with cruelty, not being allowed so much as a Testament to look into for his soul's comfort, which he contended all men ought

* See pages 6, 10, 13, and 18.

+Dr. Newman was a principal teacher in the school referred to. See page 28. "My Sermons are calculated to undermine things established." This specimen of precept and practice, may be read in the light of Psalm lv. 21.-" The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords."

to have; the Bishop of Winchester, before whom he was being examined, replied, "No, Sir; we will use you as we will use a child; for if the child will hurt himself with the knife, we will keep the knife from him. So because you will damn your souls with the Word, therefore you shall not have it." The Bishop and Dr. Newman seem to be in accordance.

This "Bishop," however, did not quite agree with the Apostle Peter, who bade the Christians of his day "As new-born babes to desire the sincere milk of the Word, that they might grow thereby."

The Apostle did not denounce men for judging about the Bible and its contents; on the contrary, he distinctly declares that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation, but, on the contrary, open to all. The Scripture did not come by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. As Scripture was not given by the will of man, so neither is the interpretation at the will of man, whether Pope or Prelate. The Holy Ghost, who inspired men to write the Scriptures, now teaches men to understand the Scriptures. (See page 2, Extract from Homilies.)

Had Dr. Newman gone to the Scriptures instead of the Church, he would have escaped the deadly errors of the Papists.

Another proposition denounced and abjured by Dr. Newman and his party, was

That "there are rights of conscience, such, that every one may lawfully advance a claim to profess and teach in matters religious, social, and moral," whatever "to his private conscience seems absolutely true and right."

The Pope also denounces the opinion "that liberty of conscience and worship is the right of every man," and "that citizens are entitled to make known and declare their convictions of whatever kind, either by word of mouth, or through the press, or by other means." The Pope terms the opinion, that liberty of conscience and worship is the right of every man, a delirium, and declares that it is very hurtful to the [Roman] Catholic Church and to souls.

As Dr. Newman denounced and abjured the right of private judgment, and on the contrary, held that there was an authority on earth

competent to interfere with the liberty of individuals in reasoning and judging about the contents of the Bible, and that this authority was vested in the Catholic Church; "his sentiments," to use the words of Dean Goode, "were directly calculated to lead him to Rome: for if the Visible Church only had the right of determining the meaning both of Scripture and Tradition, the course which was taken by our Reformers, is altogether indefensible." "When our Church separated from Rome, her creed was drawn up by comparatively few individuals against the views of the great majority in the Visible Church."

Dr. Newman held that "the Catholic Church is not only bound to teach the truth, but is ever divinely guided to teach it;" "that she is indefectible in it, and therefore not only has authority to enforce, but is of authority in declaring it."

It will be remembered that at the very commencement of the Tractarian Movement, (while still an Anglican,) Dr. Newman kept before him, that there was something greater than the Established Church, and that was the Church Catholic and Apostolic, set up from the beginning, and that the Established Church was the local representative -the presence and organ-of this Church. By the Church Catholic* and Apostolic, he meant the whole of Christendom, whether Roman,

*When the "Catholic" Church is now spoken of, it is highly important that an explanation should be given of what is meant thereby; as in the case of Dr. Newinan, most disastrous consequences were the result of his mistaken opinion of what constituted the "Catholic Church."

The Reformers and Martyrs, taking the Scripture for their Rule of Faith, asserted that the Papal Roman Church was not even a part of Christ's Catholic Church.

Anglicans or Anglo-Catholics who hold that the Anglican and Roman Communions are both branches of One Catholic Church must, also, of necessity hold that both Communions teach the same doctrine. Two branches from one and the saine stem cannot bear different kinds of fruit. "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree evil fruit." If, then, both Communions are branches of the same stem, and bear the same kind of fruit,-teach the same doctrine,-how, upon the Anglican principles of Apostolical Succession and Sacramental Grace, can the separation of the Anglican from the Roman Church at the time of the Reformation be justified? If they do not teach the same doctrine, how can they both be branches of the same Catholic Church?

It must again be said that it is highly important men should explain what they mean when they speak of "the Catholic Church." George Marsh knew what he meant. (see p. 61.) What do Anglo-Catholics mean?