Liberalism and Newman:
The Anglican Vision and Response
A Doctoral Dissertation by Father John McCloskey
Chapter 5: Verba (continued)
As we have seen earlier, probabilities play an important role in the Newman epistemology of belief. The argument of probability along with the study of history convince Newman that divine infallibility must exist in some visible apparently human institution. The only institution that has existed continuously since the time of Christ and in fact founded by Him is the Roman Church. Thus later referring to the Church he will be able to state that "the essence of all religion is authority and obedience." 110 This is the Anglican work in which he must fully responds to the liberal challenge and to his satisfaction, at least, thus vanquished his own lingering doubts and difficulties with theological and historical arguments. The value of the book was immediately appreciated by Roman Catholics, including the well-known Roman theologian, Perrone and was later to have an important impact on the Second Vatican Council.
He continued to stress obedience as the sure way to salvation inside a divinely constituted Church. "And as obedience to conscience, even supposing conscience ill-formed, tends to be the improvement of our moral nature, and ultimately of our knowledge, so obedience to our ecclesiastical superior may subserve our growth in illumination and sanctity, even though he command what is extreme or inexpedient or teach what is external to his legitimate province." 111 The Liberal cannot conceive of any authority that does not proceed from an agreement among people that can be changed according to circumstances. Newman, on the other hand, insists on obedience not only as a moral good, but as necessity which is a complete rejection of the ideals of the Enlightenment.
However, Newman does not remain on the purely intellectual level in his apologetic for the necessity of dogma and infallible authority. As a person who had studied Aristotle thoroughly in his youth, therefore he does not neglect an appeal to basic common sense. "The common sense of mankind does but support a conclusion thus forced upon us by analogical consideration. It feels that the very idea of revelation implies a present informant, and guide, and that an infallible one." 112 Newman knew well that throughout history men had always searched for guidance from above, whether through pagan priests, astrologers, or a formal hierarchical religion. The appeal to private judgment or a complete reliance on reason was a recent development. The reality of the goddess of Reason being enthroned in the Cathedral of Notre Dame is an aberration that clearly cannot satisfy for long the needs of the human heart nor of the human intellect... If a guide does not offer complete assurance, why follow him at all? As Newman so aptly puts it, "a revelation is not given if there be no authority to decide what it is that is given." 113
This argument can be used as a proof of the need for the Church to interpret and for the role of tradition in Revelation. If Christ had not founded a hierarchically structured Church and sent the Holy Spirit to guide it, it is hardly likely that Revelation would have arrived to us in the present day.
Newman strikes the key note when he insists that if Christianity is both social and dogmatic and intended for all ages, it must humanly speaking have an infallible expounder. Else you will secure unity of form at the loss of unity of doctrine or unity of doctrine at the loss of unity of form; you will have to choose between a comprehension of opinions and a resolution into parties, between latitudinarianism and sectarian error. 114
The history of religion since Luther's break in 1517 reveals clearly that no religion, aside from Catholicism, has remained pure in its doctrine without losing a portion of its faithful and that those religions most "tolerant" in doctrine only maintain their membership through habit and not through belief. History has shown unequivocally since Newman's time both the loss of doctrine and of faithful leaving organized religion of marginal concern to the great majority of people out side the Catholic fold. Newman insists that the way to salvation is indeed narrow for the truth is one and it is communicated wholly in the Roman Church.
For those who find it difficult to accept the doctrine of infallibility of the Church as antirational Newman says, "The doctrine of infallibility is a less violent hypothesis than the sacrifice either of faith or charity." 115 When the very salvation of the soul is at stake intellectual pride becomes a most deadly and ultimately damning vice. However, as Newman says, both charity and faith as theological virtues are inexorably intertwined and if one falters, the other may soon follow. Good will and humility are pre-requisites for reception of the grace that enables man either to initially convert or repent in order to again become a living member of the Church.
Therefore Newman brought his readers up to the crucial decision, whether to remain in a heretical sect or adhere to the whole Catholic truth. In relating his experience as the book progresses he both warns and encourages the readers regarding the irresistible attractiveness of the Roman faith. Some of his own followers had, in fact, advanced more quickly down the road to conversion than he but none had so deeply pondered, meditated, examined, and studied the rationale for conversion. "It is trifling to, receive all but something which is as integral as any other portion; and on the other hand, it a solemn thing to accept any part for, before you know where you are, you may be carried on by a stern logical necessity to accept the whole." 116 As we have seen earlier, Newman was attached to the concept of duty perhaps as a result of his deep study of Roman literature, and did not shrink from accepting the consequences of his conclusions; this, his final Anglican work revealed to him that the Catholic Church was the only sure way to salvation and safe refuge from the ravages of Liberalism.
He has clearly satisfied himself through his writings and prayer that the Church of Gregory XVI and Monsignor Wiseman was the true one. Now his mission would be to demonstrate to others the truth of his discovery. "Did St. Athanasius or St. Ambrose come suddenly to life, it cannot be doubted to what community he would take to be his own." 117 He dedicates many chapters in the volume to prove that the Roman Church has shown itself infallible throughout history.
The one essential question is whether the recognized organ of teaching, the Church herself acting through Pope or Council as the oracle of heaven, has ever contradicted her own enunciations. If so, the hypothesis I am advocating is at once shattered; but till I have positive and distinct evidence of the fact, I am slow to give credence to the existence of so great an improbability. 118
He shows to his satisfaction that the Church has never erred in matters of faith and morals. Developed, yes, erred never. He traces the development as it is carefully watched over, guided, and corrected by the Church when necessary. He chides the Protestants for their supposed rigidity in adhering only to the doctrines pronounced in the very earliest centuries of Christianity. "Nay, one cause of corruption in religion is the refusal to follow the course of doctrine as it moves on, and an obstinacy in the notions of the past." 119 Newman shows that the liberal Protestants are not quite so liberal as they appear.
The problem of authority could not be resolved simply by the liberal Protestants and in their minds resided the image of a corrupt and tyrannical Roman Pontiff presiding over a scheming and worldly Council with the end of inventing new doctrines to serve their temporal necessities. Newman, on the other hand, attempts to show that the Magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church, was divinely established to protect the divine truth from bad interpretation and corruption, assisted by the Holy Spirit. The title of the Roman Pontiff as Servus Servorum Dei is a reality and no truer than in his role as guardian of the orthodox faith. "Councils and Popes are the guardians and instruments of the dogmatic principle, they are summoned into action at the call of the principle." 120
The concept of heretical thought within the sphere of Protestantism was already disappearing as tolerance became the watch work and the final disintegration began. As the dogmatic principle faded away in these sects, religious controversy ceased to be of interest and materialism came firmly to the helm. People now were willing to die for their country, on account of nationalism, but not for their faith. Newman believed that if a faith was not worth fighting and dying for, then it was demonstrably false.
Newman, whose own struggle with his conscience is so well documented, then appeals to what the liberals always use as the final arbiter of moral truth, their own unformed conscience. "What Conscience is in the history of the individual mind such was the dogmatic principle in the history of Christianity." 121 The reader, whatever his religious convictions, realizes that if man does not possess a mental faculty to guide him, he cannot act freely or morally. Newman insists that the dogmatic principle is the final arbiter, the court of last appeal, that enables the Church to pursue her mission so confidently. He goes further to explain that "Dogmatism is a religion's profession of its own reality as contrasted with other systems, but polytheists are Liberals, and hold that one religion is as good as another." 122
A religion that has no formulated Creed, in the view of Newman, would be a religion that does not profess belief in its own veracity. Any religion claiming to be divinely inspired would by nature possess truths to which its followers must assent or risk exclusion from the community of believers.
Newman could not find this principle in the Anglican Church and he presses the point to better show the claims of the Roman Church, which does not say that one religion is as good as another.
What the Liberals of that day or their successors, the neo-modernists of our period constantly emphasize are the claims of progress, the need for change to fit the times to so widen the scope of the Church to include everyone, believer or not, a Church full of "anonymous" Christians. While Newman was showing the development of dogma, he was ever insisting that the Church, in its essence, is immutable, that it can only grow in the understanding of its essential truths.
Indeed it is one of the most popular charges against the Catholic Church at this very time, that she is "incorrigible," change she cannot, if we listen to St. Athanasius or St. Leo; change, she never will, if we believe the controversialist or alarmist of the present day. 123
The very fact of its unchanging stability through the centuries should persuade those of good will that the Roman Church is divine. This immutability proved to be the clinching argument for Newman and he strove to convince his readers, Liberal or no, of the same.
Newman closes the book with a call to conversion and decision based on what he has explained so thoroughly and systematically in the volume. He takes for granted that the grace of God will not fail those who cooperate.
Such were the thoughts concerning "the Blessed Vision of Peace" of one whose long-continued petition has been that the Most Merciful would not despise the work of His Own Hands, nor leave him to himself – while yet, his eyes were dim, and the breast laden, and he could but employ Reason in the things of Faith. 124
Thus he returns to the basic theme of his apologetic for the Catholic faith against the Liberal intrusions. Reason can be useful in an understanding and drawing near to the Faith, but it cannot substitute for the divine grace of God and the guidance of the Magisterium of the Church.
The Gracious and merciful God, the Father of Lights that in all our exercises of Reason, His Gift,
we may thus use it, as He would have us, in the obedience of Faith, with a view to His glory, with an aim at His Truth, in dutiful submission to His Will, for the comfort of his elect, for the edification of Holy Jerusalem, His Church. 125
The proper end of the faculty of reason is God. Only pride, the sin of our first parents, keeps this faculty from its proper end. Newman asks of the Liberal a submission, an act of faith. For in the last analysis they choose God or themselves.
