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The confederates matured their plans。 While Newman was making his

arrangements for the Oxford Oratory; Cardinal Reisach visited

London。 'Cardinal Reisach has just left;' wrote Manning to

Monsignor Talbot: 'he has seen and understands all that is going

on in England。' But Newman had no suspicions。 It was true that

persistent rumours of his unorthodoxy and his anti…Roman leanings

had begun to float about; and these rumours had been traced to

Rome。 But what were rumours? Then; too; Newman found out that

Cardinal Reisach had been to Oxford without his knowledge; and

had inspected the land for the Oratory。 That seemed odd; but all

doubts were set at rest by the arrival from Propaganda of an

official ratification of his scheme。 There would be nothing but

plain sailing now。 Newman was almost happy; radiant visions came

into his mind of a wonderful future in Oxford; the gradual growth

of Catholic principles; the decay of liberalism; the inauguration

of a second Oxford Movement; the conversionwho knows?of Mark

Pattison; the triumph of the Church。。。。 'Earlier failures do not

matter now;' he exclaimed to a friend。 'I see that I have been

reserved by God for this。'



Just then a long blue envelope was brought into the room。 Newman

opened it。 'All is over;' he said; 'I am not allowed to go。' The

envelope contained a letter from the Bishop announcing that;

together with the formal permission for an Oratory at Oxford;

Propaganda had issued a secret instruction to the effect that

Newman himself was by no means to reside there。 If he showed

signs of doing so; he was blandly and suavely ('blande

suaviterque' were the words of the Latin instrument) to be

prevented。 And now the secret instruction had come into

operation blande suaviterque: Dr。 Newman's spirit had been

crushed。



His friends made some gallant efforts to retrieve the situation;

but; it was in vain。 Father St。 John hurried to Rome and the

indignant laity of England; headed by Lord Edward Howard; the

guardian of the young Duke of Norfolk; seized the opportunity of

a particularly virulent anonymous attack upon Newman; to send him

an address in which they expressed their feeling that 'every

blow that touches you inflicts a wound upon the Catholic Church

in this country'。 The only result was an outburst of redoubled

fury upon the part of Monsignor Talbot。 The address; he declared;

was an insult to the Holy See。 'What is the province of the

laity?' he interjected。 'To hunt; to shoot; to entertain。 These

matters they understand; but to meddle with ecclesiastical

matters they have no right at all。' Once more he warned Manning

to be careful。 'Dr。 Newman is the most dangerous man in England;

and you will see that he will make use of the laity against your

Grace。 You must not be afraid of him。 It will require much

prudence; but you must be firm。 The Holy Father still places his

confidence in you; but if you yield and do not fight the battle

of the Holy See against the detestable spirit growing up in

England; he will begin to regret Cardinal Wiseman; who knew how

to keep the laity in order。' Manning had no thought of

'yielding'; but; he pointed out to his agitated friend that an

open conflict between himself and Newman would be 'as great a

scandal to the Church in England; and as great a victory to the

Anglicans; as could be'。 He would act quietly; and there would be

no more difficulty。 The Bishops were united; and the Church was

sound。



On this; Monsignor Talbot hurried to Father St。 John's

lodgings in Rome to express his regret at the misunderstanding

that had arisen; to wonder how it could possibly have occurred;

and to hope that Dr。 Newman might consent to be made a

Protonotary

Apostolic。 That was all the satisfaction that Father St。 John was

to obtain from his visit to Rome。 A few weeks later; the scheme

of

the Oxford Oratory was finally quashed。



When all was over; Manning thought that the time had come for a

reconciliation。 He made advances through a common friend; what

had he done; he asked; to offend Dr。 Newman? Letters passed; and;

naturally enough; they only widened the breach。 Newman was not

the man to be polite。 'I can only repeat;' he wrote at last;

'what I said when you last heard from me。 I do not know whether I

am on my head or my heels when I have active relations with you。

In spite of my friendly feelings; this is the judgment of my

intellect。' 'Meanwhile;' he concluded; 'I propose to say seven

masses for your intention amid the difficulties and anxieties of

your ecclesiastical duties。' And Manning could only return the

compliment。



At about this time; the Curate of Littlemore had a singular

experience。 As he was passing by the Church he noticed an old

man; very poorly dressed in an old grey coat with the collar

turned up; leaning over the lych gate; in floods of tears。 He was

apparently in great trouble; and his hat was pulled down over his

eyes as if he wished to hide his features。 For a moment;

however; he turned towards the Curate; who was suddenly struck by

something familiar in the face。 Could it be? A photograph hung

over the Curate's mantelpiece of the man who had made Littlemore

famous by his sojourn there more than twenty years ago he had

never seen the original; but now; was it possible? He looked

again; and he could doubt no longer。 It was Dr。 Newman。 He sprang

forward; with proffers of assistance。 Could he be of any use? 'Oh

no; no!' was the reply。 'Oh no; no!' But the Curate felt that he

could not run away and leave so eminent a character in such

distress。 'Was it not Dr。 Newman he had the honour of

addressing?'

he asked; with all the respect and sympathy at his command。 'Was

there nothing that could be done?' But the old man hardly seemed

to understand what was being said to him。 'Oh no; no!' he

repeated; with the tears streaming down his face; 'Oh no; no!'



VII



MEANWHILE; a remarkable problem was absorbing the attention of

the

Catholic Church。 Once more; for a moment; the eyes of all

Christendom were fixed upon Rome。 The temporal Power of the Pope

had now almost vanished; but; as his worldly dominions steadily

diminished; the spiritual pretensions of the Holy Father no less

steadily increased。 For seven centuries the immaculate conception

of the Virgin had been highly problematical; Pio Nono spoke; and

the doctrine became an article of faith。 A few years later; the

Court of Rome took another step: a Syllabus Errorum was issued;

in which all the favourite beliefs of the modern world the

rights of democracies; the claims of science; the sanctity of

free speech; the principles of toleration were categorically

denounced; and their supporters abandoned to the Divine wrath。



Yet it was observed that the modern world proceeded as before。

Something more drastic appeared to be necessary some bold and

striking measure which should concentrate the forces of the

faithful; and confound their enemies。 The tremendous doctrine of

Papal Infallibility; beloved of all good Catholics; seemed to

offer just the opening that was required。 Let that doctrine be

proclaimed; with the assent of the whole Church; an article of

faith; and; in the face of such an affirmation; let the modern

world do its worst! Accordingly; a General Council the first to

be held since the Council of Trent more than 300 years before

was summoned to the Vatican; for the purpose; so it was

announced; of providing 'an adequate remedy to the disorders;

intellectual and moral; of Christendom'。 The programme might seem

a large one; even for a General Council; but everyone knew what

it meant。



Everyone; however; was not quite of one mind。 There were those

to whom even the mysteries of infallibility caused some

searchings of heart。 It was true; no doubt; that Our Lord; by

saying to Peter; 'Thou art Cephas; which is by interpretation a

stone'; thereby endowed that Apostle with the supreme and full

primacy and principality over the Universal Catholic Church; it

was equally certain that Peter afterwards became the Bishop of

Rome; nor could it be doubted that the Roman Pontiff was his

successor。 Thus it followed directly that the Roman Pontiff was

the head; heart; mind; and tongue of the Catholic Church; and

moreover; it was plain that when Our Lord prayed for Peter that

his faith should not fail; that prayer implied the doctrine of

Papal Infallibility。 All these things were obvious; and yetand

yet might not the formal declaration of such truths in the year

of his grace 1870 be; to say the least of it; inopportune? Might

it

not come as an offence; as a scandal even; to those unacquainted

with the niceties of Catholic dogma? Such were the uneasy

reflections of grave and learned ecclesiastics and theologians in

England; France; and Germany。 Newman was more than usually upset;

Monseigneur Dupanloup was disgusted; and Dr。 Dollinger prepared

himself for resistance

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