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VIII
IN 1875； Manning's labours received their final reward： he was
made a Cardinal。 His long and strange career； with its high
hopes； its bitter disappointments； its struggles； its
renunciations； had come at last to fruition in a Princedom of the
Church。 'Ask in faith and in perfect confidence；' he himself once
wrote； and God will give us what we ask。 You may say； 〃But do you
mean that He will give us the very thing？〃 That； God has not
said。 God has said that He will give you whatsoever you ask； but
the form in which it will come； and the time in which He will
give it； He keeps in His own power。 Sometimes our prayers are
answered in the very things which we put from us； sometimes it
may be a chastisement； or a loss； or a visitation against which
our hearts rise； and we seem to see that God has not only
forgotten us； but has begun to deal with us in severity。 Those
very things are the answers to our prayers。 He knows what we
desire； and He gives us the things for which we ask； but in the
form
which His own Divine Wisdom sees to be best。'
There was one to whom Manning's elevation would no doubt have
given a peculiar satisfactionhis old friend Monsignor Talbot。
But this was not to be。 That industrious worker in the cause of
Rome had been removed some years previously to a sequestered home
at Passy； whose padded walls were impervious to the rumours of
the outer world。 Pius IX had been much afflicted by this
unfortunate event； he had not been able to resign himself to the
loss of his secretary； and he had given orders that Monsignor
Talbot's apartment in the Vatican should be preserved precisely
as he had left it； in case of his return。 But Monsignor Talbot
never returned。 Manning's feelings upon the subject appear to
have been less tender than the Pope's。 In all his letters； in all
his papers； in all his biographical memoranda； not a word of
allusion is to be found to the misfortune； nor to the death； of
the most loyal of his adherents。 Monsignor Talbot's name
disappears suddenly and for ever like a stone cast into the
waters。
Manning was now an old man； and his outward form had assumed that
appearance of austere asceticism which is； perhaps； the one thing
immediately suggested by his name to the ordinary Englishman。 The
spare and stately form； the head massive； emaciated； terrible
with the great nose； the glittering eyes； and the mouth drawn
back and compressed into the grim rigidities of age； self…
mortification； and authoritysuch is the vision that still
lingers in the public mind the vision which； actual and
palpable
like some embodied memory of the Middle Ages； used to pass and
repass； less than a generation since； through the streets of
London。 For the activities of this extraordinary figure were
great and varied。 He ruled his diocese with the despotic zeal of
a born administrator。 He threw himself into social work of every
kind； he organised charities； he lectured on temperance； he
delivered innumerable sermons； he produced an unending series of
devotional books。 And he brooked no brother near the throne：
Newman languished in Birmingham； and even the Jesuits trembled
and obeyed。
Nor was it only among his own community that his energy and his
experience found scope。 He gradually came to play an important
part in public affairs； upon questions of labour； poverty； and
education。 He sat on Royal Commissions and corresponded with
Cabinet Ministers。 At last； no philanthropic meeting at the
Guildhall was considered complete without the presence of
Cardinal Manning。 A special degree of precedence was accorded to
him。 Though the rank of a Cardinal…Archbishop is officially
unknown in England； his name appeared in public documents as a
token； it must be supposed； of personal consideration above the
names of peers and bishops； and immediately below that of the
Prince of Wales。
In his private life he was secluded。 The ambiguities of his
social position； and his desire to maintain intact the peculiar
eminence of his office； combined to hold him aloof from the
ordinary gatherings of society； though on the rare occasions of
his appearance among fashionable and exalted persons； he carried
all before him。 His favourite haunt was the Athenaeum Club； where
he sat scanning the newspapers； or conversing with the old
friends of former days。 He was a member； too； of that
distinguished body； the Metaphysical Society； which met once a
month during the palmy years of the seventies to discuss； in
strict privacy； the fundamental problems of the destiny of man。
After a comfortable dinner at the Grosvenor Hotel； the Society；
which included Professor Huxley and Professor Tyndall； Mr。 John
Morley and Sir James Stephen； the Duke of Argyll； Lord Tennyson；
and Dean Church； would gather around to hear and discuss a paper
read by one of the members upon such questions as： 'What is
death？' 'Is God unknowable？' or 'The nature of the Moral
Principle'。 Sometimes； however； the speculations of the Society
ranged in other directions。 'I think the paper that interested me
most of all that were ever read at our meetings；' says Sir
Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant…Duff； 'was one on 〃Wherein consists
the special beauty of imperfection and decay？〃 in which were
propounded the questions 〃Are not ruins recognised and felt to be
more beautiful than perfect structures？ Why are they so？ Ought
they to be so？' ' Unfortunately； however； the answers given to
these questions by the Metaphysical Society have not been
recorded for the instruction of mankind。
Manning read several papers； and Professor Huxley and Mr。 John
Morley listened with attention while he expressed his views upon
'The Soul before and after Death'； or explained why it is 'That
legitimate Authority is an Evidence of Truth'。 Yet； somehow or
other； his Eminence never felt quite at ease in these assemblies；
he was more at home with audiences of a different kind； and we
must look in other directions for the free and full manifestation
of his speculative gifts。
In a series of lectures； for instance； delivered in 1861it was
the first year of the unification of Italy upon 'The Present
Crisis
of the Holy See； tested by prophecy'； we catch some glimpses of
the
kind of problems which were truly congenial to his mind。 'In the
following
pages；' he said； 'I have endeavoured； but for so great a subject
most
insufficiently； to show that what is passing in our times is the
prelude of the antichristian period of the final dethronement of
Christendom； and of the restoration of society without God in
the world。' 'My intention is；' he continued； 'to examine the
present relation of the Church to the civil powers of the world
by the light of a prophecy recorded by St Paul。' This prophecy （2
Thess。 ii 3 to 11） is concerned with the coming of the
Antichrist；
and the greater part of the lectures is devoted to a minute
examination of this subject。 There is no passage in Scripture；
Manning pointed out； relating to the coming of Christ more
explicit and express than those foretelling Antichrist； it
therefore behoved the faithful to consider the matter more fully
than they are wont to do。 In the first place； Antichrist is a
person。 'To deny the personality of Antichrist is to deny the
plain testimony of Holy Scripture。' And we must remember that 'it
is a law of Holy Scripture that when persons are prophesied of；
persons appear'。
Again； there was every reason to believe that Antichrist； when he
did
appear； would turn out to be a Jew。 'Such was the opinion of St。
Irenaeus； St。 Jerome； and of the author of the work De
Consummatione
Mundi； ascribed to St。 Hippolytus； and of a writer of a
Commentary
on the Epistle to the Thessalonians； ascribed to St。 Ambrose； of
many
others； who said that he will be of the tribe of Dan： as； for
instance；
St。 Gregory the Great； Theodoret； Aretas of Caesarea； and many
more。 Such
also is the opinion of Bellarmine； who calls it certain。 Lessius
affirms that
the Fathers； with unanimous consent； teach as undoubted that
Antichrist will be a Jew。 Ribera repeats the same opinion； and
adds that Aretas； St。 Bede； Haymo； St。 Anselm； and Rupert affirm
that for this reason the tribe of Dan is not numbered among those
who are sealed in the Apocalypse。。。 Now； I think no one can
consider the dispersion and providential preservation of the Jews
among all the nations of the world and the indestructible
vitality of their race without believing that they are reserved
for some future action of His judgment and Grace。 And this is
foretold again and again in the New Testament。'
'Our Lord；' continued Manning； widening the sweep of his
speculations； 'has said of these latter times： 〃There shall arise
false Christs and false prophets； insomuch as to deceive even
the elect〃； that is； they shall not be deceived； but those who
have lost faith in