eminent victorians-第21节

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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troops　would　be　withdrawn　from　Rome。　But　the　astute　Cardinal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withdrawn　from　Rome。　Almost　in　the　same　moment；　the　successor　of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。'



Manning　replied　in　a　private　letter：



'My　dear　Gladstone；'　he　wrote；　'you　say　that　I　am　in　error　in

stating　that　your　former　pamphlet　is　the　first　act　which　has

overcast　our　friendship。



'If　you　refer　to　my　act　in　1851　in　submitting　to　the　Catholic

Church）　by　which　we　were　separated　for　some　twelve　years；　I　can

understand　it。



'If　you　refer　to　any　other　act　either　on　your　part　or　mine　I　am

not　conscious　of　it；　and　would　desire　to　know　what　it　may　be。



'My　act　in　1851　may　have　overcast　your　friendship　for　me。　It　did

not　overcast　my　friendship　for　you；　as　I　think　the　last　years

have　shown。



'You　will　not；　I　hope；　think　me　over…sensitive　in　asking　for　this

explanation。　Believe　me；　yours　affectionately；



'H。　E。　M。'



'My　dear　Archbishop　Manning；'　Mr。　Gladstone　answered；　'it　did；　I

confess；　seem　to　me　an　astonishing　error　to　state　in　public　that

a　friendship　had　not　been　overcast　for　forty…five　years　until

now；　which　your　letter　declares　has　been　suspended　as　to　all

action　for　twelve。。。



'I　wonder；　too；　at　your　forgetting　that　during　the　forty…five

years　I　had　been　charged　by　you　with　doing　the　work　of　the

Antichrist

in　regard　to　the　Temporal　Power　of　the　Pope。



'Our　differences；　my　dear　Archbishop；　are　indeed　profound。　We

refer　them；　I　suppose；　in　humble　silence　to　a　Higher　Power。。。

You　assured　me　once　of　your　prayers　at　all　and　at　the　most　solemn

time。　I　received　that　assurance　with　gratitude；　and　still　cherish

it。　As　and　when　they　move　upwards；　there　is　a　meeting…point　for

those　whom　a　chasm　separates　below。　I　remain　always；

affectionately　yours；



'W。　E。　GLADSTONE。'



Speaking　of　this　correspondence　in　after　years；　Cardinal　Manning

said：　'From　the　way　in　which　Mr。　Gladstone　alluded　to　the

overcasting　of　our　friendship；　people　might　have　thought　that　I

had　picked　his　pocket。'



VIII



IN　1875；　Manning's　labours　received　their　final　reward：　he　was

made　a　Cardinal。　His　long　and　st