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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