eminent victorians-第4节

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

under　other　skies；　his　days　would　have　been　more　fortunate。　He

might　have　helped　to　weave　the　garland　of　Meleager；　or　to　mix　the

lapis　lazuli　of　Fra　Angelico；　or　to　chase　the　delicate　truth　in

the　shade　of　an　Athenian　palaestra；　or　his　hands　might　have

fashioned　those　ethereal　faces　that　smile　in　the　niches　of

Chartres。　Even　in　his　own　age　he　might；　at　Cambridge；　whose

cloisters　have　ever　been　consecrated　to　poetry　and　common　sense；

have　followed　quietly　in　Gray's　footsteps　and　brought　into　flower

those　seeds　of　inspiration　which　now　lie　embedded　amid　the　faded

devotion　of　the　Lyra　Apostolica。



At　Oxford；　he　was　doomed。　He　could　not　withstand　the　last

enchantment　of　the　Middle　Age。　It　was　in　vain　that　he　plunged

into　the　pages　of　Gibbon　or　communed　for　long　hours　with

Beethoven　over　his　beloved　violin。　The　air　was　thick　with

clerical　sanctity；　heavy　with　the　odours　of　tradition　and　the

soft　warmth　of　spiritual　authority；　his　friendship　with　Hurrell

Froude　did　the　rest。　All　that　was　weakest　in　him　hurried　him

onward；　and　all　that　was　strongest　in　him　too。　His　curious　and

vaulting　imagination　began　to　construct　vast　philosophical

fabrics　out　of　the　writings　of　ancient　monks；　and　to　dally　with

visions　of　angelic　visitations　and　the　efficacy　of　the　oil　of　St

Walburga；　his　emotional　nature　became　absorbed　in　the　partisan

passions　of　a　University　clique；　and　his　subtle　intellect

concerned　itself　more　and　more　exclusively　with　the　dialectical

splitting　of　dogmatical　hairs。　His　future　course　was　marked　out

for　him　all　too　clearly；　and　yet　by　a　singular　chance　the　true

nature　of　the　man　was　to　emerge　triumphant　in　the　end。　If　Newman

had　died　at　the　age　of　sixty；　today　he　would　have　been　already

forgotten；　save　by　a　few　ecclesiastical　historians；　but　he　lived

to　write　his　Apologia；　and　to　reach　immortality；　neither　as　a

thinker　nor　as　a　theologian；　but　as　an　artist　who　has　embalmed

the　poignant　history　of　an　intensely　human　spirit　in　the　magical

spices　of　words。



When　Froude　succeeded　in　impregnating　Newman　with　the　ideas　of

Keble；　the　Oxford　Movement　began。　The　original　and　remarkable

characteristic　of　these　three　men　was　that　they　took　the

Christian　Religion　au　pied　de　la　lettre。　This　had　not　been　done

in　England　for　centuries。　When　they　declared　every　Sunday　that

they　believed　in　the　Holy　Catholic　Church；　they　meant　it。　When

they　repeated　the　Athanasian　Creed；　they　meant　it。　Even；　when

they　subscribed　to　the　Thirty…nine　Articles；　they　meant　it…or　at

least　they　thought　they　did。　Now　such　a　state　of　mind　was

dangerousmore　dangerous　indeed　than　they　at　first　realised。

They　had　started　with　the　innocent　assumption　that　the　Christian

Religion　was　contained　in　the　doctrines　of　the　Church　of　England；

but；　the　more　they　examined　this　matter；　the　more　difficult　and

dubious　it　became。　The　Church　of　England　bore　everywhere　upon　it

the　signs　of　human　imperfection；　it　was　the　outcome　of　revolution

and　of　compromise；　of　the　exigencies　of　politicians　and　the

caprices　of　princes；　of　the　prejudices　of　theologians　and　the

necessities　of　the　State。　How　had　it　happened　that　this　piece　of

patchwork　had　become　the　receptacle　for　the　august　and　infinite

mysteries　of　the　Christian　Faith？　This　was　the　problem　with　which

Newman　and　his　friends　found　themselves　confronted。　Other　men

might；　and　apparently　did；　see　nothing　very　strange　in　such　a

situation；　but　other　men　saw　in　Christianity　itself　scarcely　more

than　a　convenient　and　respectable　appendage　to　existence；　by

which　a　sound　system　of　morals　was　inculcated；　and　through　which

one　might　hope　to　attain　to　everlasting　bliss。



To　Newman　and　Keble　it　was　otherwise。　They　saw　a　transcendent

manifestation　of　Divine　power　flowing　down　elaborate　and　immense

through　the　ages；　a　consecrated　priesthood；　stretching　back；

through　the　mystic　symbol　of　the　laying　on　of　hands；　to　the　very

Godhead；　a　whole　universe　of　spiritual　beings　brought　into

communion　with　the　Eternal　by　means　of　wafers；　a　great　mass　of

metaphysical　doctrines；　at　once　incomprehensible　and　of

incalculable　import；　laid　down　with　infinite　certitude；　they　saw

the　supernatural　everywhere　and　at　all　times；　a　living　force；

floating　invisible　in　angels；　inspiring　saints；　and　investing

with　miraculous　properties　the　commonest　material　things。　No

wonder　that　they　found　such　a　spectacle　hard　to　bring　into　line

with　the　institution　which　had　been　evolved　from　the　divorce　of

Henry　VIII；　the　intrigues　of　Elizabethan　parliaments；　and　the

Revolution　of　1688。　They　did；　no　doubt；　soon　satisfy　themselves

that　they　had　succeeded　in　this　apparently　hopeless　task；　but；

the　conclusions　which　they　came　to　in　order　to　do　so　were

decidedly　startling。



The　Church　of　England；　they　declared；　was　indeed　the　one　true

Church；　but　she　had　been　under　an　eclipse　since　the　Reformation；

in　fact；　since　she　had　begun　to　exist。　She　had；　it　is　true；

escaped　the　corruptions　of　Rome；　but　she　had　become　enslaved　by

the　secular　power；　and　degraded　by　the　false　doctrines　of

Protestantism。　The　Christian　Religion　was　still　preserved　intact

by　the　English　priesthood；　but　it　was　preserved；　as　it　were；

unconsciouslya　priceless　deposit；　handed　down　blindly　from

generation　to　generation；　and　subsisting　less　by　the　will　of　man

than　through　the　ordinance　of　God　as　expressed　in　the　mysterious

virtue　of　the　Sacraments。　Christianity；　in　short；　had　become

entangled　in　a　series　of　unfortunate　circumstances　from　which　it

was　the　plain　duty　of　Newman　and　his　friends　to　rescue　it

forthwith。　What　was　curious　was　that　this　task　had　been　reserved；

in　so　marked　a　manner；　for　them。　Some　of　the　divines　of　the

seventeenth　century　had；　perhaps；　been　vouchsafed　glimpses　of　the

truth；　but　they　were　glimpses　and　nothing　more。　No；　the　waters　of

the　true　Faith　had　dived　underground　at　the　Reformation；　and　they

were　waiting　for　the　wand　of　Newman　to　strike　the　rock　before

they　should　burst　forth　once　more　into　the　light　of　day。　The

whole　matter；　no　doubt；　was　Providentialwhat　other　explanation

could　there　be？



The　first　step；　it　was　clear；　was　to　purge　the　Church　of　her

shames　and　her　errors。　The　Reformers　must　be　exposed；　the　yoke　of

the　secular　power　must　be　thrown　off；　dogma　must　be　reinstated　in

its　old　pre…eminence；　and　Christians　must　be　reminded　of　what

they　had　apparently　forgottenthe　presence　of　the　supernatural

in　daily　life。　'It　would　be　a　gain　to　this　country；'　Keble

observed；　'were　it　vastly　more　superstitious；　more　bigoted；　more

gloomy；　more　fierce　in　its　religion；　than　at　present　it　shows

itself　to　be。'　'The　only　good　I　know　of　Cranmer；'　said　Hurrell

Froude；　'was　that　he　burned　well。'　Newman　preached；　and　soon　the

new　views　began　to　spread。　Among　the　earliest　of　the　converts　was

Dr　Pusey；　a　man　of　wealth　and　learning；　a　professor；　a　canon　of

Christ　Church；　who　had；　it　was　rumoured；　been　to　Germany。　Then

the　Tracts　for　the　Times　were　started　under　Newman's　editorship；

and　the　Movement　was　launched　upon　the　world。



The　Tracts　were　written　'with　the　hope　of　rousing　members　of　our

Church　to　comprehend　her　alarming　position　。。。　as　a　man　might

give　notice　of　a　fire　or　inundation；　to　startle　all　who　heard

him'。　They　may　be　said　to　have　succeeded　in　their　objective；　for

the　sensation　which　they　caused　among　clergymen　throughout　the

country　was　extreme。　They　dealt　with　a　great　variety　of

questions；　but　the　underlying　intention　of　all　of　them　was　to

attack　the　accepted　doctrines　and　practices　of　the　Church　of

England。　Dr。　Pusey　wrote　learnedly　on　Baptismal　Regeneration；　he

also　wrote　on　Fasting。　His　treatment　of　the　latter　subject　met

with　considerable　disapproval；　which　surprised　the　Doctor。　'I　was

not　prepared；'　he　said；　'for　people　questioning；　even　in　the

abstract；　the　duty　of　fasting；　I　thought　serious…minded　persons

at　least　supposed　they　practised　fasting　in　some　way　or　other。　I

assumed　the　duty　to　be　acknowledged　and　thought　it　only

undervalued。'　We　live　and　learn；　even　though　we　have　been　to

Germany。



Other　tracts　discussed　the　Holy　Catholic　Church；　the　Clergy；　and

the　Liturgy。　One　treated　of　the　question　'whether　a　clergyman　of

the　Church　of　England　be　now　bound　to　have　morning　and　evening

prayers　daily　in　his　parish　church？'　Another　pointed　out　the

'Indications　of　a　superintending　Providence　in　the　preservation

of　the　Prayer…book　and　in　the　changes　which　it　has　undergone'。

Another　consisted　of　a　collection　of　'Advent　Sermons　on

Antichrist'。　Keble　wrote　a　long　and　elaborate　tract　'On　the

Mysticism　attributed　to　the　Early　Fathers　of　the　Church'；　in

which　he　expressed　his　opinions　upon　a　large　number　of　curious

matters。　'According　to　men's　usual　way　of　talking；'　he　wrote；　'it

would　be　called　an　accidental　circumstance　that　there　were　five

loaves；　not　more　nor　less；　in　the　store　of　Our　Lord　and　His

disciples　where