Liberalism and Newman:
The Anglican Vision and Response
A Doctoral Dissertation by Father John McCloskey
Chapter 4: Acta (continued)
F. Hampden Again
In 1836 R.D. Hampden, an old foe of Newman, is proposed for the chair of Divinity in Oxford. In 1834 he had occupied the chair of Moral Philosophy against the opposition of Newman. Later in the same year they engaged in heated controversy over Hampden's "Observations on Religious Assent" which favoured the removal of the religious requirement from Oxford as a basis for admission. Newman writes to a friend "Our persecution is on the eve of the beginning. The first stroke will have fallen if Hampden (or other such forerunner of Antichrist for it does not now to mince matters) be placed in the Divinity Chair." 48 Still on the subject of the possible appointment of Hampden Newman concludes that if it comes true, it is a sign that the Church must be separated from the State, which in the long run could be a positive development. For speaking supernaturally the Church must have precedence over the State.
Let us preach and teach, and develop our views in to system, and in all likelihood we may be instruments in the preservation of the Church, and if it loses in extent, if it is separated from the State, if it has certain parties torn from it, all this is most grievous but still the better sort will be brought into clearer and more complete Christianity and the Church will be purer. As patriots we may sorrow but I suppose the Church ought to be dearer to us than country, and if the latter loses, the former will gain. 49
His strong opposition to Hampden continued. He thought in terms of a possible petition to the King and wrote a pamphlet attacking Hampden's doctrinal views. However Newman, always forthright, does not hesitate to inform Hampden directly that "the first duty of us all seems to be the defense of the divine truth." 50 To understand the depth of the animus that Newman had against Hampden and what he represented we must go to a letter written to a fellow member of the Movement.
There is no doctrine, however sacred, which he does not scoff at, and in his Moral Philosophy adopts the lowest and most groveling utilitarianism as the basis of Morals. He considers it a sacred duty to live to this world-and that religion by itself injuriously absorbs the mind. This man, judging from his writings, is the most lucre loving, earthly minded, unlovely person one ever set eyes on... The Heads of the House are betraying us in Oxford and we mean to go to any length in opposing them... Oxford is the only strong hold of truth in the country. 51
Newman had a great gift for the use of the language and the invective directed towards Hampden is worthy of his reputation. Newman viewed the election of Hampden as the falling of the main bulwark that connected Oxford to orthodox Anglo-Catholicism. And as went Oxford, went the whole Church.
As events seemed to go from bad to worse, the apocalyptic vision of Newman, always bubbling close to the surface, appears again, always mixed with a measure of confidence in the principles which he was upholding. "I feel the principles in my volumes must work men up to a higher point when they are understood... Indeed, I view this world as a great contest between good and evil, and believe at this moment in particular a special struggle is going on among us." 52
Newman always worked with an eye to History, reflecting perhaps his many years of study in that discipline. Although never a fatalist, he was always a realist. The events that were taking place during this period in State, Church, and University were not at all encouraging. They told him that, for the moment, he was fighting a losing cause.
And in the present case, if Rationalism is to come in upon us, a strong protest, obviating all dangers of its sneaking in, is a very great point. The date of Rationalism in this way will be clearly marked out. 53
In this way when history was written at least the historian could see that there were some who remained faithful in the age of unbelief.
He continued faithfully with his preaching and pastoral work and maintained his relationship with the University. He did note somewhat of an increase in interest in the ideas of the Movement and, showing some knowledge of political economy, writes, "We are raising a demand for a certain article – and we must furnish a supply. Men are curious after apostolical principles and we must not let the season slip, the seizing of opportunities is the beginning, middle, and end of success, or rather to put it higher, is the way in which we cooperate with the providential course of things." 54
He spoke as a practical realist and not an academic visionary. If his religious faith was boundless so were his organizational abilities. "Our only power (humanly speaking) of doing anything is by building on the ground, not in the air, upon things as we find them, not as we could wish them. The Anglican system of doctrines is, as a matter of fact, not complete." 55 The more he fought in defense of the Anglo-Catholic system the more he realized that there was something lacking fundamentally in the Anglican Church, that no amount of tinkering reform could replace.
In the fall of 1836 Newman set up another educational project to serve in laying down the foundation for an increasingly hopeless reform. "Pusey is setting on foot a library of the Fathers. He and I are to be the editors." 56 In his ventures, Newman does not hesitate to use any legitimate human means to advance his cause. He knew full well that money was essential to maintain the publishing of the Tracts and to begin the new project; thus he did not hesitate to resort to fundraising. "As to a Subscription, it would have this good, that we should know our friends, and be tending to form what is invidiously called a party, but in truth, is a rallying point for the Church." 57
Newman's life of action continued right up to the publication of Tract 90 in January 1841 followed some months later by his retirement from public life. Ever obedient to his bishop he suspended the publication of the Tracts and withdrew to Littlemore from which he would not reappear until after his conversion. His life as an active figure in the Anglican Church thus ends suddenly with another crushing defeat of his ideas, a seemingly sad end for a man destined to be a great prelate inside the Anglican Church. However, as he wrote to his friend Keble, "This life is very short, and it is a better thing to be pursuing what seems God's call than to be looking after one own comfort." 58
The commitment of Newman was total and continued to grow as he delved deeper into the mysteries of Revelation. He would have agreed that "Revealed truth does not merely claim the homage of our intellect, it satisfies the aspirations of our hearts." 59
Our hearts are made to love and in a truly great heart such as Newman's this love had to find expression in a life of constant activity combined with the highest form of religious contemplation of the eternal verities. "A man's moral self is concentrated in each moment of his life; it lives in the tips of his fingers and the spring of his insteps. A very little thing tries what a man is made of." 60 His life was a constant set of trials whether they be personal or related to the university or parish in addition to the constant anguish produced by the decay into liberalism of the Anglican Church. We have seen what Newman was made of and more importantly God's judgment was shown by the granting of the supreme grace of conversion.
This response in action to liberalism was directed finally towards his conversion. For many years he had repeatedly given his best efforts towards restoring Catholic truth to the Anglican Church. In 1845 arrived the moment for the final decision. "Faith is a venture before a man is a Catholic, it is a gift after it. You approach the Church in the way of reason, you enter into it in the light of the Spirit." 61
His conversion was the most effective response to Liberalism. "It is one of those breathless moments in history when a great soul has given up its hesitations and handed over the controls of its destiny to Almighty God." 62
