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troops would be withdrawn from Rome。 But the astute Cardinal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withdrawn from Rome。 Almost in the same moment； the successor of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