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charity；　the　enthusiasm　of　self…renunciation　these　things　were

all　very　well　in　their　way　and　in　their　place；　but　their　place

was　certainly　not　the　Church　of　England。　Gentlemen　were　neither

fervid　nor　zealous；　and　above　all　they　were　not　enthusiastic。

There　were；　it　was　true；　occasionally　to　be　found　within　the

Church　some　strait…laced　parsons　of　the　high　Tory　school　who

looked　back　with　regret　to　the　days　of　Laud　or　talked　of　the

Apostolical　Succession；　and　there　were　groups　of　square…toed

Evangelicals　who　were　earnest　over　the　Atonement；　confessed　to　a

personal　love　of　Jesus　Christ；　and　seemed　to　have　arranged　the

whole　of　their　lives；　down　to　the　minutest　details　of　act　and

speech；　with　reference　to　Eternity。　But　such　extremes　were　the

rare　exceptions。　The　great　bulk　of　the　clergy　walked　calmly　along

the　smooth　road　of　ordinary　duty。　They　kept　an　eye　on　the　poor　of

the　parish；　and　they　conducted　the　Sunday　Services　in　a　becoming

manner；　for　the　rest；　they　differed　neither　outwardly　nor

inwardly　from　the　great　bulk　of　the　laity；　to　whom　the　Church　was

a　useful　organisation　for　the　maintenance　of　Religion；　as　by　law

established。



The　awakening　came　at　last；　however；　and　it　was　a　rude　one。　The

liberal　principles　of　the　French　Revolution；　checked　at　first　in

the　terrors　of　reaction；　began　to　make　their　way　into　England。

Rationalists　lifted　up　their　heads；　Bentham　and　the　Mills

propounded　Utilitarianism；　the　Reform　Bill　was　passed；　and　there

were　rumours　abroad　of　disestablishment。　Even　Churchmen　seemed　to

have　caught　the　infection。　Dr。　Whately　was　so　bold　as　to　assert

that；　in　the　interpretation　of　Scripture；　different　opinions

might　be　permitted　upon　matters　of　doubt；　and；　Dr。　Arnold　drew　up

a　disquieting　scheme　for　allowing　Dissenters　into　the　Church；

though　it　is　true　that　he　did　not　go　quite　so　far　as　to

contemplate　the　admission　of　Unitarians。



At　this　time；　there　was　living　in　a　country　parish；　a　young

clergyman　of　the　name　of　John　Keble。　He　had　gone　to　Oxford　at　the

age　of　fifteen；　where；　after　a　successful　academic　career；　he　had

been　made　a　Fellow　of　Oriel。　He　had　then　returned　to　his　father's

parish　and　taken　up　the　duties　of　a　curate。　He　had　a　thorough

knowledge　of　the　contents　of　the　Prayer…book；　the　ways　of　a

Common　Room；　the　conjugations　of　the　Greek　Irregular　Verbs；　and

the　small　jests　of　a　country　parsonage；　and　the　defects　of　his

experience　in　other　directions　were　replaced　by　a　zeal　and　a

piety　which　were　soon　to　prove　themselves　equal；　and　more　than

equal；　to　whatever　calls　might　be　made　upon　them。　The

superabundance　of　his　piety　overflowed　into　verse；　and　the　holy

simplicity　of　the　Christian　Year　carried　his　name　into　the

remotest　lodging…houses　of　England。



As　for　his　zeal；　however；　it　needed　another　outlet。　Looking　forth

upon　the　doings　of　his　fellow…men　through　his　rectory　windows　in

Gloucestershire；　Keble　felt　his　whole　soul　shaken　with　loathing；

anger；　and　dread。　Infidelity　was　stalking　through　the　land；

authority　was　laughed　at；　the　hideous　doctrines　of　Democracy　were


being　openly　preached。　Worse　still；　if　possible；　the　Church

herself　was　ignorant　and　lukewarm；　she　had　forgotten　the

mysteries　of　the　sacraments；　she　had　lost　faith　in　the

Apostolical　Succession；　she　was　no　longer　interested　in　the　Early

Fathers；　and　she　submitted　herself　to　the　control　of　a　secular

legislature；　the　members　of　which　were　not　even　bound　to　profess

belief　in　the　Atonement。　In　the　face　of　such　enormities　what

could　Keble　do？　He　was　ready　to　do　anything；　but　he　was　a　simple

and　an　unambitious　man；　and　his　wrath　would　in　all　probability

have　consumed　itself　unappeased　within　him　had　he　not　chanced　to

come　into　contact；　at　the　critical　moment；　with　a　spirit　more

excitable　and　daring　than　his　own。



Hurrell　Froude；　one　of　Keble's　pupils；　was　a　clever　young　man　to

whom　had　fallen　a　rather　larger　share　of　self…assurance　and

intolerance　than　even　clever　young　men　usually　possess。　What　was

singular　about　him；　however；　was　not　so　much　his　temper　as　his

tastes。　The　sort　of　ardour　which　impels　more　normal　youths　to

haunt　Music　Halls　and　fall　in　love　with　actresses　took　the　form；

in　Froude's　case；　of　a　romantic　devotion　to　the　Deity　and　an

intense　interest　in　the　state　of　his　own　soul。　He　was　obsessed　by

the　ideals　of　saintliness；　and　convinced　of　the　supreme

importance　of　not　eating　too　much。　He　kept　a　diary　in　which　he

recorded　his　delinquencies；　and　they　were　many。　'I　cannot　say

much　for　myself　today；'　he　writes　on　September　29th；　1826　（he　was

twenty…three　years　old）。　'I　did　not　read　the　Psalms　and　Second

Lesson　after　breakfast；　which　I　had　neglected　to　do　before；

though　I　had　plenty　of　time　on　my　hands。　Would　have　liked　to　be

thought　adventurous　for　a　scramble　I　had　at　the　Devil's　Bridge。

Looked　with　greediness　to　see　if　there　was　a　goose　on　the　table

for　dinner；　and　though　what　I　ate　was　of　the　plainest　sort；　and　I

took　no　variety；　yet　even　this　was　partly　the　effect　of　accident；

and　I　certainly　rather　exceeded　in　quantity；　as　I　was　fuzzy　and

sleepy　after　dinner。'　'I　allowed　myself　to　be　disgusted；　with　

's　pomposity；'　he　writes　a　little　later；　'also　smiled　at　an

allusion　in　the　Lessons　to　abstemiousness　in　eating。　I　hope　not

from　pride　or　vanity；　but　mistrust；　it　certainly　was

unintentional。'　And　again；　'As　to　my　meals；　I　can　say　that　I　was

always　careful　to　see　that　no　one　else　would　take　a　thing　before

I　served　myself；　and　I　believe　as　to　the　kind　of　my　food；　a　bit

of　cold　endings　of　a　dab　at　breakfast；　and　a　scrap　of　mackerel　at

dinner；　are　the　only　things　that　diverged　from　the　strict　rule　of

simplicity。'　'I　am　obliged　to　confess；'　he　notes；　'that　in　my

intercourse　with　the　Supreme　Being；　I　am　be　come　more　and　more

sluggish。'　And　then　he　exclaims：　'Thine　eye　trieth　my　inward

parts；　and　knoweth　my　thoughts　。。。　Oh　that　my　ways　were　made　so

direct　that　I　might　keep　Thy　statutes。　I　will　walk　in　Thy

Commandments　when　Thou　hast　set　my　heart　at　liberty。'



Such　were　the　preoccupations　of　this　young　man。　Perhaps　they

would　have　been　different；　if　he　had　had　a　little　less　of　what

Newman　describes　as　his　'high　severe　idea　of　the　intrinsic

excellence　of　Virginity'；　but　it　is　useless　to　speculate。



Naturally　enough　the　fierce　and　burning　zeal　of　Keble　had　a

profound　effect　upon　his　mind。　The　two　became　intimate　friends；

and　Froude；　eagerly　seizing　upon　the　doctrines　of　the　elder　man；

saw　to　it　that　they　had　as　full　a　measure　of　controversial

notoriety　as　an　Oxford　common　room　could　afford。　He　plunged　the

metaphysical　mysteries　of　the　Holy　Catholic　Church　into　the

atmosphere　of　party　politics。　Surprised　Doctors　of　Divinity　found

themselves　suddenly　faced　with　strange　questions　which　had　never

entered　their　heads　before。　Was　the　Church　of　England；　or　was　it

not；　a　part　of　the　Church　Catholic？　If　it　was；　were　not　the

Reformers　of　the　sixteenth　century　renegades？　Was　not　the

participation　of　the　Body　and　Blood　of　Christ　essential　to　the

maintenance　of　Christian　life　and　hope　in　each　individual？　Were

Timothy　and　Titus　Bishops？　Or　were　they　not？　If　they　were；　did　it

not　follow　that　the　power　of　administering　the　Holy　Eucharist　was

the　attribute　of　a　sacred　order　founded　by　Christ　Himself？　Did

not　the　Fathers　refer　to　the　tradition　of　the　Church　as　to

something　independent　of　the　written　word；　and　sufficient　to

refute　heresy；　even　alone？　Was　it　not；　therefore；　God's　unwritten

word？　And　did　it　not　demand　the　same　reverence　from　us　as　the

Scriptures；　and　for　exactly　the　same　reasonBECAUSE　IT　WAS　HIS

WORD？　The　Doctors　of　Divinity　were　aghast　at　such　questions；

which　seemed　to　lead　they　hardly　knew　whither；　and　they　found　it

difficult　to　think　of　very　apposite　answers。　But　Hurrell　Froude

supplied　the　answers　himself　readily　enough。　All　Oxford；　all

England；　should　know　the　truth。　The　time　was　out　of　joint；　and　he

was　only　too　delighted　to　have　been　born　to　set　it　right。



But；　after　all；　something　more　was　needed　than　even　the

excitement　of　Froude　combined　with　the　conviction　of　Keble　to

ruffle　seriously　the　vast　calm　waters　of　Christian　thought；　and

it　so　happened　that　that　thing　was　not　wanting：　it　was　the　genius

of　John　Henry　Newman。　If　Newman　had　never　lived；　or　if　his

father；　when　the　gig　came　round　on　the　fatal　morning；　still

undecided　between　the　two　Universities；　had　chanced　to　turn　the

horse's　head　in　the　direction　of　Cambridge；　who　can　doubt　that

the　Oxford　Movement　would　have　flickered　out　its　little　flame

unobserved　in　the　Common　Room　of　Oriel？　And　how　different；　too；

would　have　been　the　fate　of　Newman　himself！　He　was　a　child　of　the

Romantic　Revival；　a　creature　of　emotion　and　of　memory；　a　dreamer

whose　secret　spirit　dwelt　apart　in　delectable　mountains；　an

artist　whose　subtle　senses　caught；　like　a　shower　in　the　sunshine；

the　impalpable　rainbow　of　the　immaterial　world。　In　other　times；

under　other　skies；　his　da