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number of persons。 In the first place; there was the question of

Baptismal Regeneration itself。 This is by no means an easy one to

disentangle; but it may be noted that the doctrine of Baptism

includes: (1) God's intention; that is to say; His purpose in

electing certain persons to eternal lifean abstruse and greatly

controverted subject; upon which the Church of England abstains

from strict definition; (2) God's action; whether by means of

sacraments or otherwiseconcerning which the Church of England

maintains the efficacy of sacraments;' but does not formally deny

that grace may be given by other means; repentance and faith

being present; and (3) the question whether sacramental grace is

given instrumentally; by and at the moment of the act of baptism;

or in consequence of an act of prevenient grace rendering the

receiver worthythat is to say; whether sacramental grace in

baptism is given absolutely or conditionally。



It was over this last question that the dispute raged hottest in

the Gorham Case。 The High Church party; represented by Dr。

Phillpotts; asserted that the mere act of baptism conferred

regeneration upon the recipient and washed away his original sin。

To this the Evangelicals; headed by Mr。 Gorham; replied that;

according to the Articles; regeneration would not follow unless

baptism was RIGHTLY received。 What; then; was the meaning of

'rightly'? Clearly it implied not merely lawful administration;

but worthy reception; worthiness; therefore; is the essence of

the sacrament; and worthiness means faith and repentance。 Now;

two propositions were accepted by both partiesthat all infants

are born in original sin; and that original sin could be washed 

away by baptism。 But how could both these propositions be true;

argued Mr。 Gorham; if it was also true that faith and repentance

were necessary before baptism could come into operation at all?

How could an infant in arms be said to be in a state of faith and

repentance? How; therefore; could its original sin be washed away

by baptism? And yet; as every one agreed; washed away it was。



The only solution of the difficulty lay in the doctrine of

prevenient grace; and Mr。 Gorham maintained that unless God

performed an act of prevenient grace by which the infant was

endowed with faith and repentance; no act of baptism could be

effectual; though to whom; and under what conditions; prevenient

grace was given; Mr。 Gorham confessed himself unable to decide。

The light thrown by the Bible upon the whole matter seemed

somewhat dubious; for whereas the baptism of St。 Peter's

disciples at Jerusalem and St。 Philip's at Samaria was followed

by the gift of the Spirit; in the case of Cornelius the sacrament

succeeded the gift。 St。 Paul also was baptised; and as for the

language of St。 John iii 5; Rom。 vi 3; 4; I Peter iii 21; it

admits of more than one interpretation。 There could; however; be

no doubt that the Church of England assented to Dr。 Phillpotts'

opinion; the question was whether or not she excluded Mr。

Gorham's。 If it was decided that she did; it was clear that

henceforward; there would be very little peace for Evangelicals

within her fold。



But there was another issue; even more fundamental than that of

Baptismal Regeneration itself; involved in the Gorham trial。 An

Act passed in 1833 had constituted the Judicial Committee of the

Privy Council the supreme court of appeal for such cases; and

this Committee was a body composed entirely of laymen。 It was

thus obvious that the Royal Supremacy was still a fact; and that

a collection of lawyers appointed by the Crown had the legal

right to formulate the religious doctrine of the Church of

England。 In 1850 their judgment was delivered; they reversed the

decision of the Court of Arches; and upheld the position of Mr。

Gorham。 Whether his views were theologically correct or not; they

said; was not their business; it was their business to decide

whether the opinions under consideration were contrary or

repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of England as enjoined

upon the clergy by its Articles; Formularies; and Rubrics; and

they had come to the conclusion that they were not。 The judgement

still holds good; and to this day; a clergyman of the Church of

England is quite at liberty to believe that Regeneration does not

invariably take place when an infant is baptised。



The blow fell upon no one with greater violence than upon

Manning。 Not only was the supreme efficacy of the sign of the

cross upon a baby's forehead one of his favourite doctrines; but

up to that moment he had been convinced that the Royal Supremacy

was a mere accidenta temporary usurpation which left the

spiritual dominion of the Church essentially untouched。 But now

the horrid reality rose up before him; crowned and triumphant; it

was all too clear that an Act of Parliament; passed by Jews;

Roman Catholics; and Dissenters; was the ultimate authority which

decided upon the momentous niceties of the Anglican faith。 Mr。

Gladstone also; was deeply perturbed。 It was absolutely

necessary; he wrote; to 'rescue and defend the conscience of the

Church from the present hideous system'。 An agitation was set on

foot; and several influential Anglicans; with Manning at their

head; drew up and signed a formal protest against the Gorham

judgment。 Mr。 Gladstone however; proposed another method of

procedure: precipitate action; he declared; must be avoided at

all costs; and he elaborated a scheme for securing

procrastination; by which a covenant was to bind all those who

believed that an article of the creed had been abolished by Act

of Parliament to take no steps in any direction; nor to announce

their intention of doing so; until a given space of time had

elapsed。 Mr。 Gladstone was hopeful that some good might come of

thisthough indeed he could not be sure。 'Among others;' he

wrote to Manning; 'I have consulted Robert Wilberforce and Wegg…

Prosser; and they seemed inclined to favour my proposal。 It

might; perhaps; have kept back Lord Feilding。 But he is like a

cork。'



The proposal was certainly not favoured by Manning。 Protests and

procrastinations; approving Wegg…Prossers and cork…like Lord

Feildingsall this was feeding the wind and folly; the time for

action had come。 'I can no longer continue;' he wrote to Robert

Wilberforce; 'under oath and subscription binding me to the Royal

Supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes; being convinced:



(1) That it is a violation of the Divine Office of the Church。



(2) That it has involved the Church of England in a separation

from the Universal Church; which separation I cannot clear of the

character of schism。



(3) That it has thereby suspended and prevented the functions of

the Church of England。'



It was in vain that Robert Wilberforce pleaded; in vain that Mr。

Gladstone urged upon his mind the significance of John iii 8。

''The wind bloweth where it listeth; and thou hearest the sound

thereof; but canst not tell whence it cometh; and whither it

goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit。'' 'I admit;'

Mr。 Gladstone wrote; 'that the words might in some way be

satisfied by supposing our Lord simply to mean 〃the facts of

nature are unintelligible; therefore; be not afraid if revealed

truths be likewise beyond the compass of the understanding〃; but

this seems to me a meagre meaning。' Such considerations could

hold him no longer; and Manning executed the resignation of his

office and benefice before a public notary。 Soon afterwards; in

the little Chapel off Buckingham Palace Road; kneeling beside Mr。

Gladstone; he worshipped for the last time as an Anglican。 Thirty

years later the Cardinal told how; just before the Communion

service commenced; he turned to his friends with the words: 'I

can no longer take the Communion in the Church of England。' 'I

rose up; and laying my hand on Mr。 Gladstone's shoulder; said

〃Come〃。 It was the parting of the ways。 Mr。 Gladstone remained;

and I went my way。 Mr。 Gladstone still remains where I left him。'



On April 6th; 1851; the final step was taken: Manning was

received into the Roman Catholic Church。 Now at last; after the

long struggle; his mind was at rest。 'I know what you mean;' he

wrote to Robert Wilberforce; 'by saying that one sometimes feels

as if all this might turn out to be only another 〃Land of

Shadows〃。 I have felt it in time past; but not now。 The theologia

from Nice to St。 Thomas Aquinas; and the undivided unity suffused

throughout the world; of which the Cathedra Petri is the centre;

isnow 1800 years old; and mightier in every power now than ever

in intellect; in science; in separation from the world; and purer

too; refined by 300 years of conflict with the modern infidel

civilisationall of this is a fact more solid than the earth。'



V。



WHEN Manning joined the Church of Rome; he acted under the

combined impulse of the two dominating forces in his nature。 

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