Appendix to Chapter XXIX.

369

you could not adopt the paper first proposed to you, I next endeavoured to ascertain whether you would be likely to recant the very words of the sermon, and for this purpose passages were selected as a specimen of what might be required under that head; but to these also you made objections, and the utmost that could be said of the statements which Dr. Jelf took down from your mouth was that they were qualifications of the language of the sermon. These two attempts to bring about a recantation having substantially failed, and it being strongly impressed on my mind that, besides particular objections, an exception had been taken to the general tenor of the sermon, which, of course, no recantation could touch, I at length made up my mind that no course remained but to proceed to what I felt to be a very severe measure, but nevertheless the only alternative, namely— suspension. This is my version of what has passed, and if it differs materially from yours it is because, as a matter of necessity, it was entrusted to a third person, who, however friendly to both of us and admirably qualified for a peacemaker, could not exactly put himself in the place of either.

With regard to my having consulted the Provost of Oriel, I feel satisfied that when Dr. Jelf returns this can be explained to you without any imputation upon my good faith.

In conclusion I leave you at liberty, as I shall feel myself to be, to say that 'certain private communications were made from me to you without leading to any mutually satisfactory result,' and that secrecy is imposed upon you as to the nature of those communications. I shall also consider you at liberty to publish your account of what has passed, if any reports of their nature affecting your character for truth, traceable to an authentic source, shall be circulated.

Believe me to remain,

VOL. II.

B b

Yours very faithfully,

P. WYNTER.

CHAPTER XXX.

NEWMAN'S RESIGNATION OF ST. MARY'S-LUCY PUSEY'S DEATH ADAPTATION OF FOREIGN DEVOTIONAL BOOKS-RENEWED PROPOSAL TO TRANSLATE

SARUM BREVIARY.

THE

1843-1844.

PUSEY had been suspended at the end of the Summer Term of 1843. Before the next Term began, Newman had resigned the Vicarage of St. Mary's.

He has himself pointed out the significance of this step, and how it followed upon a long series of misgivings which had been created by his study of the Monophysite and Donatist controversies, and fostered by the affairs of the Jerusalem Bishopric, Tract 90, and the reiterated Episcopal Charges which had followed1. Nor can it be doubted that the proceedings in connexion with Pusey's sermon on the Holy Eucharist had had their effect in hastening his resolution. All these events appeared to Newman to show that the English Church, so far as she was represented by Ecclesiastical authority in England, offered no welcome or home to primitive and Catholic teaching, but rather treated it as something foreign to her spirit.

As often happens, an incident of less moment, but touching Newman very closely, at last precipitated his decision. A young man who had been for a year living with him at Littlemore, and whose loyalty to the English Church had been the subject of correspondence between Newman and Pusey in August, 1842 2, suddenly joined the Church of

1

'Apologia,' pp. 333-354.

2 See p. 290.

Newman's Reticence with Pusey.

371

Rome1. Newman 'felt it impossible to remain any longer in the service of the Anglican Church, when such a breach of trust, however little he had to do with it, would be laid at his door. It made him realize most clearly how little control he really exercised over his younger followers, and also how great was the attraction of Rome to himself. 6 The truth is,' he writes to J. B. Mozley on Sept. 1, 'I am not a good son enough of the Church of England to feel that I can in conscience hold preferment under her. I love the Church of Rome too well ".'

Pusey could not but be greatly distressed and shocked at such a decision, though it could not have taken him. by surprise. Newman had talked to him as well as Keble on the subject in the preceding Lent. But Pusey had endeavoured to act on the maxim of hoping against hope in Newman's case so successfully that he had up to this point been blind to what was going on in Newman's mind, and still more to what was, humanly speaking, inevitable. From the year 1838 their paths had been diverging from each other. It may be doubted whether Pusey really appreciated the extent of the divergence. He constantly threw himself into Newman's language and position, out of love and trust and deference, and in cases where his own unbiassed inclinations would have counselled hesitation : and he received in turn from Newman constant proofs of affection and sympathy which, although never intended to do so, were likely to disguise the realities of the situation. Newman himself was well aware of this: and Pusey, it must be added, had had opportunities of recognizing it too. Mr. T. Morris' remarkable letter in 18415 was one of several indications which a less resolutely hopeful mind than Pusey's would have appreciated more accurately than he did. But it must be remembered that Keble, not Pusey, was at this eventful time Newman's real confidant: indeed this had been the case for some five years; as was natural

1 'Apologia,' pp. 299, 341. 2 Ibid. p. 342.

Newman's 'Letters,' ii. 423.

See the instructive passage in 'Apologia,' pp. 354, 355. See p. 228.

enough. For Keble was the older man, and sympathized more nearly with Newman's feelings as regards the Reformation. Of his strong inclination towards Rome, Keble of course was aware: to Pusey Newman could not at present break it. James Mozley was the only person in Oxford to whom he had explained the real state of things 1.

The first intimation to Pusey of his immediate intention of resigning was as follows:

REV. J. H. Newman to E. B. P.

Friday, Aug. 25 [1843].

With yours one has come from Lockhart, who has been away three weeks, saying he is on the point of joining the Church of Rome; he is in retreat under Dr. Gentili.

How sick this makes one! the sooner I resign St. Mary's the better --but I will not act hastily.

Pusey replied at once :

Dover, II S. after Trinity, Aug. 27, 1843. It is indeed very sad; I had hoped that once received within the μový he was safe. It is the sorest trial of all: one becomes indifferent to what is said of, or done to, one's-self; one becomes accustomed to hear even those one loves and reverences evil-spoken-of, thinking it a consequence of what one loves and reverences in them; but these things are heavy, because one sympathizes with those who cause the sorrow, and our Church has not yet the strength to hold such. It is very dejecting, year after year, but it too must have its end, in humbling and purifying our Church.

I know the bitterness of losing at last those whom one tried to save; but blessed is he whom Thou chastenest, O Lord.'

With regard to St. Mary's, you will not have thought that, after what you told me, I had any feeling but that of sorrow, that it ought to be so. I thought that you probably meant to avoid connecting your resignation with any act, e. g. my suspension, lest it should cause perplexity. Some perplexity it must for the time cause; but everything else has been turned to good, and so will this too, and all which duty requires.

God comfort you at all times with that comfort wherewith you have comforted others and me.

Newman resigned his living on Sept. 18. Writing to Pusey three days later, Keble described himself as much.

Newman's 'Letters,' ii. 426.

Pusey's Thoughts about the Resignation.

373

grieved but not surprised at Newman's having given up St. Mary's, and asked Pusey what he thought of it. In the same letter he also asked how Pusey was accustomed to meet the Roman challenge about visible unity.

E. B. P. TO REV. J. KEBLE.

[Sept. 23, 1843.]

N.'s giving up St. Mary's is a great blow; I said what I could against it in Lent, but he then told me a private reason, which he said he had named to you,—that young men, who looked in a given direction, misunderstood him, and interpreted in their own sense whatever he said, so that he was in fact leading them whither he wished not. He said that he had named this to you, and that you had said (to the effect) that 'you doubted whether in his situation you could retain St. Mary's without sin,' or 'whether he could retain it without sin.' After this, I had nothing more to say; had it been on public grounds only, I would have urged all I could, but, as it was matter of conscience, I dared say nothing. This seems hardly to agree with your impression; however, it is done now, so do not say anything to N. about my impression.

My feeling about unity is, I believe, the same as N[ewman's], that we have a degree of unity left, although not the highest sort, yet that there is enough to make the Roman, Greek, and our own Church parts of the one Church, though, with holiness, unity has been impaired, and we all together suffer for it. It has come as a comfort to me that most of the marks of unity, mentioned in Eph. iv, remain, and that so we may be one body still, as having the Presence of the One Spirit, One Lord, one hope, one faith (that of the Creeds sanctioned by the whole Church), one baptism, One God and Father of all. The very language of St. Cyprian seems also a comfort, since he insists so much that what is really cut off must die; since then our present state after 300 years shows that, however maimed, we have a vigorous and increasing life, we are not cut off. I cannot but strongly hope that however the Reformation may have been carried on, it has been overruled, so that our Church should be the means of some great end in acting upon the whole Church, and that through her means we may all be brought into one upon some primitive basis. At present, we seem providentially kept apart, lest we borrow each others' sins. If but holiness grow in both, then all the hindrances to union will somehow fall off, like Samson's withs. While then we are promoting, by His help, truth and holiness, we are in the most direct way preparing for union.

I cannot think much of the Roman challenge for a more visible unity, which one should have expected from Holy Scripture, until they can show the holiness also, which Holy Scripture foretells; if they did, or when they do, we shall soon be at one. At present, the whole Church seems to have forfeited the highest degrees of both; it was