eminent victorians-第17章

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with

him；　and；　when　at　last　a　proposal　was　definitely　made　that　the

English

Government　should　invite　the　Powers　of　Europe　to　intervene　at　the

Vatican；

it　was　rejected。　Manning　always　believed　that　this　was　the　direct

result

of　Mr。　Russell's　dispatches；　which　had　acted　as　an　antidote　to

the　poison

of　Lord　Acton's　letters；　and　thus　carried　the　day。　If　that　was

so；　the

discretion　of　biographers　has　not　yet　entirely　lifted　the　veil

from　these　proceedings　Manning　had　assuredly　performed　no　small

service　for　his　cause。　Yet　his　modesty　would　not　allow　him　to

assume　for　himself　a　credit　which；　after　all；　was　due　elsewhere；

and　when　he　told　the　story　of　those　days；　he　would　add；　with　more

than　wonted　seriousness；　'It　was　by　the　Divine　Will　that　the

designs　of　His　enemies　were　frustrated'。



Meanwhile；　in　the　North　Transept　of　St。　Peter's　a　certain　amount

of　preliminary　business　had　been　carried　through。　Various

miscellaneous　points　in　Christian　doctrine　had　been

satisfactorily　determined。　Among　others；　the　following　Canons

were　laid　down　by　the　Fathers：　'If　anyone　does　not　accept　for

sacred　and　canonical　the　whole　and　every　part　of　the　Books　of

Holy　Scripture；　or　deny　that　they　are　divinely　inspired；　let　him

be　anathema。'　'If　anyone　says　that　miracles　cannot　be；　and

therefore；　the　accounts　of　them；　even　those　in　Holy　Scriptures

must　be　assigned　a　place　among　fables　and　myths；　or　that　the

divine　origin　of　the　Christian　religion　cannot　rightly　be　proved

from　them；　let　him　be　anathema。'　'If　anyone　says　that　the

doctrines　of　the　Church　can　ever　receive　a　sense　in　accordance

with　the　progress　of　science；　other　than　that　sense　which　the

Church　has　understood　and　still　understands；　let　him　be

anathema。'

'If　anyone　says　that　it　is　not　possible；　by　the　natural　light　of

human　reason；　to　acquire　a　certain　knowledge　of　the　One　and　True

God；　let　him　be　anathema。'　In　other　words；　it　became　an　article

of　Faith　that　Faith　was　not　necessary　for　a　true　knowledge　of

God。　Having　disposed　of　these　minor　matters；　the　Fathers　found

themselves　at　last　approaching　the　great　question　of

Infallibility。



Two　main　issues；　it　soon　appeared；　were　before　them：　the。　Pope's

infallibility　was　admitted；　ostensibly　at　least；　by　all；　what

remained

to　be　determined　was：　（1）　whether　the　definition　of　the　Pope's

Infallibility

was　opportune；　and　（2）　what　the　definition　of　the　Pope's

Infallibility　was。



（1）　It　soon　became　clear　that　the　sense　of　the　Council　was

overwhelmingly

in　favour　of　a　definition。　The　Inopportunists　were　a　small

minority；

they　were　outvoted；　and　they　were　obliged　to　give　way。　It　only

remained；　therefore；　to　come　to　a　decision　upon　the　second

question　what　the　definition　should　actually　be。



（2）　It　now　became　the　object　of　the　Inopportunists　to　limit　the

scope

of　the　definition　as　much　as　possible；　while　the　Infallibilists

were

no　less　eager　to　extend　it。　Now　everyone；　or　nearly　everyone；　was

ready

to　limit　the　Papal　Infallibility　to　pronouncements　ex

cathedrathat　is

to　say；　to　those　made　by　the　Pope　in　his　capacity　of　Universal

Doctor；

but　this　only　served　to　raise　the　ulterior；　the　portentous；　and

indeed

the　really　crucial　questionto　WHICH　of　the　Papal　pronouncements

ex　cathedra

did　Infallibility　adhere？



The　discussions　which　followed　were；　naturally　enough；　numerous；

complicated；

and　embittered；　and　in　all　of　them　Manning　played　a　conspicuous

part。　For

two　months　the　Fathers　deliberated；　through　fifty　sessions　they

sought　the

guidance　of　the　Holy　Ghost。　The　wooden　seats；　covered　though　they

were　with　Brussels　carpet；　grew　harder　and　harder；　and　still　the

mitred　Councillors　sat　on。　The　Pope　himself　began　to　grow

impatient；　for　one　thing；　he　declared；　he　was　being　ruined　by　the

mere　expense　of　lodging　and　keeping　the　multitude　of　his

adherents。　'Questi　infallibilisti　mi　faranno　fallire'；　said　his

Holiness。　At　length　it　appeared　that　the　Inopportunists　were

dragging　out　the　proceedings　in　the　hope　of　obtaining　an

indefinite　postponement。　Then　the　authorities　began　to　act；　a

bishop　was　shouted　down；　and　the　closure　was　brought　into

operation。　At　this　point　the　French　Government；　after　long

hesitation；　finally　decided　to　intervene；　and　Cardinal　Antonelli

was　informed　that　if　the　Definition　was　proceeded　with；　the

French

troops　would　be　withdrawn　from　Rome。　But　the　astute　Cardinal

judged　that　he　could　safely　ignore　the　threat。　He　saw　that

Napoleon　III　was　tottering　to　his　fall　and　would　never　risk　an

open　rupture　with　the　Vatican。　Accordingly；　it　was　determined　to

bring　the　proceedings　to　a　close　by　a　final　vote。　Already　the

Inopportunists；　seeing　that　the　game　was　up；　had　shaken　the　dust

of　Rome　from　their　feet。　On　July　18th；　1870；　the　Council　met　for

the　last　time。　As　the　first　of　the　Fathers　stepped　forward　to

declare　his　vote；　a　storm　of　thunder　and　lightning　suddenly　burst

over　St。　Peter's。　All　through　the　morning　the　voting　continued；

and　every　vote　was　accompanied　by　a　flash　and　a　roar　from　heaven。

Both　sides；　with　equal　justice；　claimed　the　portent　as　a

manifestation　of　the　Divine　Opinion。　When　the　votes　were

examined；　it　was　found　that　533　were　in　favour　of　the　proposed

definition　and　two　against　it。　Next　day；　war　was　declared　between

France　and　Germany；　and　a　few　weeks　later　the　French　troops　were

withdrawn　from　Rome。　Almost　in　the　same　moment；　the　successor　of

St。　Peter　had　lost　his　Temporal　Power；　and　gained　Infallibility。



What　the　Council　had　done　was　merely　to　assent　to　a　definition　of

the　dogma　of　the　Infallibility　of　the　Roman　Pontiff　which　Pius　IX

had　issued；　proprio　motu；　a　few　days　before。　The　definition

itself　was　perhaps　somewhat　less　extreme　than　might　have　been

expected。　The　Pope；　it　declared；　is　possessed；　when　he　speaks　ex

cathedra；　of　'that　infallibility　with　which　the　Redeemer　willed

that　His　Church　should　be　endowed　for　defining　doctrine　regarding

faith　or　morals'。　Thus　it　became　a　dogma　of　faith　that　a　Papal

definition　regarding　faith　or　morals　is　infallible；　but　beyond

that；　both　the　Holy　Father　and　the　Council　maintained　a　judicious

reserve。　Over　what　OTHER　matters　besides　faith　and　morals　the

Papal　infallibility　might　or　might　not　extend　still　remained　in

doubt。　And　there　were　further　questions；　no　less　serious；　to

which　no　decisive　answer　was　then；　or　ever　has　been　since；

provided。



How　was　it　to　be　determined；　for　instance；　which　particular　Papal

decisions　did　in　fact　come　within　the　scope　of　the　definition？

Who

was　to　decide　what　was　or　was　not　a　matter　of　faith　or　morals？　Or

precisely　WHEN　the　Roman　Pontiff　was　speaking　ex　cathedra？　Was

the

famous　Syllabus　Errorum；　for　example；　issued　ex　cathedra　or　not？

Grave

theologians　have　never　been　able　to　make　up　their　minds。　Yet　to

admit

doubts　in　such　matters　as　these　is　surely　dangerous。　'In　duty　to

our

supreme　pastoral　office；'　proclaimed　the　Sovereign　Pontiff；　'by

the

bowels　of　Christ　we　earnestly　entreat　all　Christ's　faithful

people；

and　we　also　command　them　by　the　authority　of　God　and　our　Saviour；

that

they　study　and　labour　to　expel　and　eliminate　errors　and　display

the

light　of　the　purest　faith。'　Well　might　the　faithful　study　and

labour　to　such　ends！　For；　while　the　offence　remained　ambiguous；

there　was　no　ambiguity　about　the　penalty。　One　hair's…breadth　from

the　unknown　path　of　truth；　one　shadow　of　impurity　in　the

mysterious　light　of　faith；　and　there　shall　be　anathema！　anathema！



anathema！　When　the　framers　of　such　edicts　called　upon　the　bowels

of　Christ　to　justify　them；　might　they　not　have　done　well　to　have

paused　a　little；　and　to　have　called　to　mind　the　counsel　of

another　sovereign　ruler；　though　a　hereticOliver　Cromwell？

'Bethink　ye；　bethink　ye；　in　the　bowels　of　Christ；　that　ye　may　be

mistaken！'



One　of　the　secondary　results　of　the　Council　was　the

excommunication　of　Dr。　Dollinger；　and　a　few　more　of　the　most

uncompromising　of　the　Inopportunists。　Among　these；　however；　Lord　

Acton　was　not　included。　Nobody　ever　discovered　why。　Was　it

because　he　was　too　important　for　the　Holy　See　to　care　to

interfere　with　him？　Or　was　it　because　he　was　not　important

enough？



Another　ulterior　consequence　was　the　appearance　of　a　pamphlet　by

Mr。　Gladstone；　entitled　'Vaticanism'；　in　which　the　awful

implications　involved　in　the　declaration　of　Infallibility　were

laid　before　the　British　Public。　How　was　it　possible；　Mr。

Gladstone　asked；　with　all　the　fulminating　accompaniments　of　his

most　agitated　rhetoric；　to　depend　henceforward　upon　the　civil

allegiance　of　Roman　Catholics？　To　this　question　the　words　of

Cardinal　Antonelli　to　the　Austrian　Ambassador　might　have　seemed　a

sufficient　reply。　'There　is　a　great　difference；'　said　his

Eminence；　between　theory　and　practice。　No　one　will　ever　prevent

the　Church　from　proclaiming　the　great　principles　upon　which　its

Divine　fabric　is　based；　but；　as　regards　the　application　of　those

sacred　laws；　the　Church；　imitating　the　example　of　its　Divine

Founder；　is　inclined　to　take　into　consideration　the　natural

weaknesses　of　mankind。'　And；　in　any　case；　it　was　hard　to　see　how

the　system　of　Faith；　which　had　enabled　Pope　Gregory　XIII　to

effect；　by　the　hands　of　English　Catholics；　a　whole　series　of

attempts　to　murder　Queen　Elizabeth；　can　have　been　rendered　a　much

more　dangerous　engine　of　disloyalty　by　the　Definition　of　1870。

But　such　considerations　failed　to　reassure　Mr。　Gladstone；　the

British　Public　was　of　a　like　mind；　and　145；000　copies　of　the

pamphlet　were　sold　within　two　months。　Various　replies　appeared；

and　Manning　was　not　behindhand。　His　share　in　the　controversy　led

to　a　curious　personal　encounter。



His　conversion　had　come　as　a　great　shock　to　Mr。　Gladstone。

Manning

had　breathed　no　word　of　its　approach　to　his　old　and　intimate

friend；　and　when　the　news　reached　him；　it　seemed　almost　an　act　of

personal　injury。　'I　felt；'　Mr。　Gladstone　said；　'as　if　Manning　had

murdered　my　mother　by　mistake。'　For　twelve　years　the　two　men　did

not　meet；　after　which　they　occasionally　saw　each　other　and

renewed　their　correspondence。　This　was　the　condition　of　affairs

when　Mr。　Gladstone　published　his　pamphlet。　As　soon　as　it

appeared；

Manning　wrote　a　letter　to　the　New　York　Herald；　contradicting　its

conclusions　and　declaring　that　its　publication　was　'the　first

event　that　has　overcast　a　friendship　of　forty…five　years'。　Mr。

Gladstone　replied　to　this　letter　in　a　second　pamphlet。　At　the

close　of　his　theological　arguments；　he　added　the　following　

passage：　'I　feel　it　necessary；　in　concluding　this　answer；　to

state　that　Archbishop　Manning　has　fallen　into　most　serious

inaccuracy　in　his　letter　of　November　10th；　wherein　he　describes

'my

Expostulation　as　the　first　event　which　has　overcast　a　friendship

of　forty…five　years。　I　allude　to　the　subject　with　regret；　and

without　entering　into　details。'



Mannin