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differ。。。。 With a man who reads and reasons I can have no
controversy； and you do both。' Archdeacon Hare was pleased； but
soon a rumour reached him； which was； to say the least of it；
upsetting。 Manning had been removing the high pews from a church
in Brighton； and putting in open benches in their place。 Everyone
knew what that meant； everyone knew that a high pew was one of
the bulwarks of Protestantism； and that an open bench had upon it
the taint of Rome。 But Manning hastened to explain： 'My dear
friend；' he wrote； 'I did not exchange pews for open benches； but
got the pews （the same in number） moved from the nave of the
church to the walls of the side aisles； so that the whole church
has a regular arrangement of open benches； which （irregularly）
existed before 。。。 I am not today quite well； so farewell； with
much regardYours ever； H。 E。 M。' Archdeacon Hare was reassured。
It was important that he should be； for the Archdeacon of
Chichester was growing very old； and Hare's influence might be
exceedingly useful when a vacancy occurred。 So； indeed； it fell
out。 A new bishop； Dr。 Shuttleworth； was appointed to the See；
and the old Archdeacon took the opportunity of retiring。 Manning
was obviously marked out as his successor； but the new bishop
happened to be a low churchman； an aggressive low churchman； who
went so far as to parody the Tractarian fashion of using Saints'
days for the dating of letters by writing 'The Palace； washing…
day'； at the beginning of his。 Andwhat was equally serioushis
views were shared by Mrs。 Shuttleworth； who had already decided
that the pushing young Rector was 'tainted'。 But at the critical
moment Archdeacon Hare came to the rescue； he persuaded the
Bishop that Manning was safe； and the appointment was accordingly
madebehind Mrs。 Shuttleworth's back。 She was furious； but it
was too late； Manning was an Archdeacon。 All the lady could do；
to indicate her disapprobation； was to put a copy of Mr。
Bowdler's book in a conspicuous position on the drawing…room
table； when he came to pay his respects at the Palace。
Among the letters of congratulation which Manning received； was
one from Mr Gladstone； with whom he had remained on terms of
close friendship since their days together at Oxford。 'I
rejoice；' Mr Gladstone wrote； 'on your account personally； but
more for the sake of the Church。 All my brothers…in…law are here
and scarcely less delighted than I am。 With great glee am I about
to write your new address； but； the occasion really calls for
higher sentiments； and sure am I that you are one of the men to
whom it is specially given to develop the solution of that great
problemhow all our minor distractions are to be either
abandoned； absorbed； or harmonised through the might of the great
principle of communion in the body of Christ。'
Manning was an Archdeacon； but he was not yet out of the woods。
His relations with the Tractarians had leaked out； and the Record
was beginning to be suspicious。 If Mrs。 Shuttleworth's opinion of
him were to become general； it would certainly be a grave matter。
Nobody could wish to live and die a mere Archdeacon。 And then； at
that very moment； an event occurred which made it imperative to
take a definite step； one way or the other。 That event was the
publication of Tract No。 90。
For some time it had been obvious to every impartial onlooker
that Newman was slipping down an inclined plane at the bottom of
which lay one thing； and one thing onlythe Roman Catholic
Church。 What was surprising was the length of time which he was
taking to reach the inevitable destination。 Years passed before
he came to realise that his grandiose edifice of a Church
Universal would crumble to pieces if one of its foundation stones
was to be an amatory intrigue of Henry VIII。 But； at last he
began to see that terrible monarch glowering at him wherever he
turned his eyes。 First he tried to exorcise the spectre with the
rolling periods of the Caroline divines； but it only strutted the
more truculently。 Then in despair he plunged into the writings of
the early Fathers； and sought to discover some way out of his
difficulties in the complicated labyrinth of ecclesiastical
history。 After months spent in the study of the Monophysite
heresy； the alarming conclusion began to force itself upon him
that the Church of England was perhaps in schism。 Eventually he
read an article by a Roman Catholic on St。 Augustine and the
Donatists； which seemed to put the matter beyond doubt。 St。
Augustine； in the fifth century； had pointed out that the
Donatists were heretics because the Bishop of Rome had said so。
The argument was crushing； it rang in Newman's ears for days and
nights； and； though he continued to linger on in agony for six
years more； he never could discover any reply to it。 All he could
hope to do was to persuade himself and anyone else who liked to
listen to him that the holding of Anglican orders was not
inconsistent with a belief in the whole cycle of Roman doctrine
as laid down at the Council of Trent。 In this way he supposed
that he could at once avoid the deadly sin of heresy and
conscientiously remain a clergyman in the Church of England； and
with this end in view； he composed Tract No。 90。
The object of the Tract was to prove that there was nothing in
the Thirty…nine Articles incompatible with the creed of the Roman
Church。 Newman pointed out； for instance； that it was generally
supposed that the Articles condemned the doctrine of Purgatory；
but they did not； they merely condemned the Romish doctrine of
Purgatory and Romish； clearly； was not the same thing as Roman。
Hence it followed that believers in the Roman doctrine of
Purgatory might subscribe the Articles with a good conscience。
Similarly； the Articles condemned 'the sacrifices of masses'； but
they did not condemn 'the sacrifice of the Mass'。 Thus； the Mass
might be lawfully celebrated in English Churches。 Newman took the
trouble to examine the Articles in detail from this point of
view； and the conclusion he came to in every case supported his
contention in a singular manner。
The Tract produced an immense sensation； for it seemed to be a
deadly and treacherous blow aimed at the very heart of the Church
of England。 Deadly it certainly was； but it was not so
treacherous as it appeared at first sight。 The members of the
English Church had ingenuously imagined up to that moment that it
was possible to contain； in a frame of words； the subtle essence
of their complicated doctrinal system； involving the mysteries of
the Eternal and the Infinite on the one hand； and the elaborate
adjustments of temporal government on the other。 They did not
understand that verbal definitions in such a case will only
perform their functions so long as there is no dispute about the
matters which they are intended to define： that is to say； so
long as there is no need for them。 For generations this had been
the case with the Thirty…nine Articles。 Their drift was clear
enough； and nobody bothered over their exact meaning。 But
directly someone found it important to give them a new and
untraditional interpretation； it appeared that they were a mass
of ambiguity； and might be twisted into meaning very nearly
anything that anybody liked。 Steady…going churchmen were appalled
and outraged when they saw Newman； in Tract No。 90； performing
this operation。 But； after all； he was only taking the Church of
England at its word。 And indeed； since Newman showed the way； the
operation has become so exceedingly common that the most steady…
going churchman hardly raises an eyebrow at it now。
At the time； however； Newman's treatment of the Articles seemed
to display not only a perverted supersubtlety of intellect； but a
temper of mind that was fundamentally dishonest。 It was then that
he first began to be assailed by those charges of untruthfulness
which reached their culmination more than twenty years later in
the celebrated controversy with Charles Kingsley； which led to
the writing of the Apologia。 The controversy was not a very
fruitful one； chiefly because Kingsley could no more understand
the nature of Newman's intelligence than a subaltern in a line
regiment can understand a Brahmin of Benares。 Kingsley was a
stout Protestant； whose hatred of Popery was； at bottom； simply
ethicalan honest； instinctive horror of the practices of
priestcraft and the habits of superstition； and it was only
natural that he should see in those innumerable delicate
distinctions which Newman was perpetually drawing； and which he
himself had not only never thought of； but could not even grasp；
simply another manifestation of the inherent falsehood of Rome。
But； in reality； no one； in one sense of the word； was more
truthful than Newman。 The idea of deceit would have been
abhorrent to him； and indeed it was owing to his very desire to
explain what he had in his mind exac