eminent victorians-第21章

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striking　measure　which　should　concentrate　the　forces　of　the

faithful；　and　confound　their　enemies。　The　tremendous　doctrine　of

Papal　Infallibility；　beloved　of　all　good　Catholics；　seemed　to

offer　just　the　opening　that　was　required。　Let　that　doctrine　be

proclaimed；　with　the　assent　of　the　whole　Church；　an　article　of

faith；　and；　in　the　face　of　such　an　affirmation；　let　the　modern

world　do　its　worst！　Accordingly；　a　General　Council　the　first　to

be　held　since　the　Council　of　Trent　more　than　300　years　before

was　summoned　to　the　Vatican；　for　the　purpose；　so　it　was

announced；　of　providing　'an　adequate　remedy　to　the　disorders；

intellectual　and　moral；　of　Christendom'。　The　programme　might　seem

a　large　one；　even　for　a　General　Council；　but　everyone　knew　what

it　meant。



Everyone；　however；　was　not　quite　of　one　mind。　There　were　those

to　whom　even　the　mysteries　of　infallibility　caused　some

searchings　of　heart。　It　was　true；　no　doubt；　that　Our　Lord；　by

saying　to　Peter；　'Thou　art　Cephas；　which　is　by　interpretation　a

stone'；　thereby　endowed　that　Apostle　with　the　supreme　and　full

primacy　and　principality　over　the　Universal　Catholic　Church；　it

was　equally　certain　that　Peter　afterwards　became　the　Bishop　of

Rome；　nor　could　it　be　doubted　that　the　Roman　Pontiff　was　his

successor。　Thus　it　followed　directly　that　the　Roman　Pontiff　was

the　head；　heart；　mind；　and　tongue　of　the　Catholic　Church；　and

moreover；　it　was　plain　that　when　Our　Lord　prayed　for　Peter　that

his　faith　should　not　fail；　that　prayer　implied　the　doctrine　of

Papal　Infallibility。　All　these　things　were　obvious；　and　yetand

yet　might　not　the　formal　declaration　of　such　truths　in　the　year

of　his　grace　1870　be；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　inopportune？　Might

it

not　come　as　an　offence；　as　a　scandal　even；　to　those　unacquainted

with　the　niceties　of　Catholic　dogma？　Such　were　the　uneasy

reflections　of　grave　and　learned　ecclesiastics　and　theologians　in

England；　France；　and　Germany。　Newman　was　more　than　usually　upset；

Monseigneur　Dupanloup　was　disgusted；　and　Dr。　Dollinger　prepared

himself　for　resistance。　It　was　clear　that　there　would　be　a

disaffected　minority　at　the　Council。



Catholic　apologists　have　often　argued　that　the　Pope's　claim　to

infallibility　implies　no　more　than　the　necessary　claim　of　every

ruler；　of　every　government；　to　the　right　of　supreme　command。　In

England；　for　instance；　the　Estates　of　the　Realm　exercise　an

absolute　authority　in　secular　matters；　no　one　questions　this

authority；　no　one　suggests　that　it　is　absurd　or　exorbitant；　in

other　words；　by　general　consent　the　Estates　of　the　Realm　are；

within　their　sphere；　infallible。　Why；　therefore；　should　the　Pope；

within　his　sphere　the　sphere　of　the　Catholic　Church　be　denied

a

similar　infallibility？　If　there　is　nothing　monstrous　in　an　Act　of

Parliament　laying　down　what　all　men　shall　do；　why　should　there　be

anything　monstrous　in　a　Papal　Encyclical　laying　down　what　all　men

shall　believe？　The　argument　is　simple；　in　fact；　it　is　too　simple；

for　it　takes　for　granted　the　very　question　which　is　in　dispute。

Is　there　indeed　no　radical　and　essential　distinction　between

supremacy　and　infallibility？　Between　the　right　of　a　Borough

Council　to　regulate　the　traffic　and　the　right　of　the　Vicar　of

Christ　to　decide　upon　the　qualifications　for　Everlasting　Bliss？



There　is　one　distinction；　at　any　rate；　which　is　palpable：　the

decisions　of　a　supreme　authority　can　be　altered；　those　of　an

infallible　authority　cannot。　A　Borough　Council　may　change　its

traffic　regulations　at　the　next　meeting；　but　the　Vicar　of　Christ；

when　in　certain　circumstances　and　with　certain　precautions；　he

has　once　spoken；　has　expressed；　for　all　the　ages；　a　part　of　the

immutable；　absolute；　and　eternal　Truth。　It　is　this　that　makes　the

papal　pretensions　so　extraordinary　and　so　enormous。　It　is　also

this　that　gives　them　their　charm。　Catholic　apologists；　when　they

try　to　tone　down　those　pretensions　and　to　explain　them　away；

forget　that　it　is　in　their　very　exorbitance　that　their

fascination　lies。　If　the　Pope　were　indeed　nothing　more　than　a

magnified　Borough　Councillor；　we　should　hardly　have　heard　so　much

of　him。　It　is　not　because　he　satisfies　the　reason；　but　because　he

astounds　it；　that　men　abase　themselves　before　the　Vicar　of

Christ。



And　certainly　the　doctrine　of　Papal　Infallibility　presents　to　the

reason　a　sufficiency　of　stumbling…blocks。　In　the　fourteenth

century；　for　instance；　the　following　case　arose。　John　XXII

asserted　in　his　bull　'Cum　inter　nonnullos'　that　the　doctrine　of

the　poverty　of　Christ　was　heretical。　Now；　according　to　the　light

of　reason；　one　of　two　things　must　follow　from　thiseither　John

XXII　was　himself　a　heretic；　or　he　was　no　Pope。　For　his

predecessor；　Nicholas　III；　had　asserted　in　his　bull　'Exiit　qui

seminat'　that　the　doctrine　of　the　poverty　of　Christ　was　the　true

doctrine；　the　denial　of　which　was　heresy。　Thus　if　John　XXII　was

right；　Nicholas　III　was　a　heretic；　and　in　that　case　Nicholas's

nominations　of　Cardinals　were　void；　and　the　conclave　which

elected　John　was　illegal　so　that　John　was　no　Pope；　his

nominations　of　Cardinals　were　void；　and　the　whole　Papal

succession　vitiated。　On　the　other　hand；　if　John　was　wrongwell；

he　was　a　heretic；　and　the　same　inconvenient　results　followed。

And；　in　either　case；　what　becomes　of　Papal　Infallibility？



But　such　crude　and　fundamental　questions　as　these　were　not　likely

to　trouble　the　Council。　The　discordant　minority　took　another

line。　Infallibility　they　admitted　readily　enough；　the

infallibility；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　Church；　what　they　shrank

from　was　the　pronouncement　that　this　infallibility　was

concentrated　in　the　Bishop　of　Rome。　They　would　not　actually　deny

that；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　so　concentrated；　but　to　declare

that　it　was；　to　make　the　belief　that　it　was　an　article　of　faith

what　could　be　more　it　was　their　favourite　expression　more

inopportune？　In　truth；　the　Gallican　spirit　still　lingered　among

them。　At　heart；　they　hated　the　autocracy　of　Rome　the　domination

of　the　centralised　Italian　organisation　over　the　whole　vast　body

of　the　Church。　They　secretly　hankered；　even　at　this　late　hour；

after　some　form　of　constitutional　government；　and　they　knew　that

the　last　faint　vestige　of　such　a　dream　would　vanish　utterly

with　the　declaration　of　the　infallibility　of　the　Pope。　It　did　not

occur　to　them；　apparently；　that　a　constitutional　Catholicism

might　be　a　contradiction　in　terms；　and　that　the　Catholic　Church；

without　the　absolute　dominion　of　the　Pope；　might　resemble　the

play

of　Hamlet　without　the　Prince　of　Denmark。



Pius　IX　himself　was　troubled　by　doubts。　'Before　I　was　Pope；'

he　observed；　'I　believed　in　Papal　Infallibility；　now　I　feel　it。'

As　for　Manning；　his　certainty　was　no　less　complete　than　his

master's。　Apart　from　the　Holy　Ghost；　his　appointment　to　the　See

of　Westminster　had　been　due　to　Pio　Nono's　shrewd　appreciation　of

the　fact　that　he　was　the　one　man　in　England　upon　whose　fidelity

the　Roman　Government　could　absolutely　rely。　The　voice　which　kept

repeating　'Mettetelo　li；　mettetelo　li'　in　his　Holiness's　ear；

whether　or　not　it　was　inspired　by　God；　was　certainly　inspired　by

political　sagacity。　For　now　Manning　was　to　show　that　he　was　not

unworthy　of　the　trust　which　had　been　reposed　in　him。　He　flew　to

Rome　in　a　whirlwind　of　Papal　enthusiasm。　On　the　way；　in　Paris；　he

stopped　for　a　moment　to　interview　those　two　great　props　of　French

respectability；　M。　Guizot　and　M。　Thiers。　Both　were　careful　not　to

commit　themselves；　but　both　were　exceedingly　polite。　'I　am

awaiting　your　Council；'　said　M。　Guizot；　'with　great　anxiety。　It

is　the　last　great　moral　power　and　may　restore　the　peace　of

Europe。'　M。　Thiers　delivered　a　brief　harangue　in　favour　of　the

principles　of　the　Revolution；　which；　he　declared；　were　the　very

marrow　of　all　Frenchmen；　yet；　he　added；　he　had　always　supported

the　Temporal　Power　of　the　Pope。　'Mais；　M。　Thiers；'　said　Manning；

'vous　etes　effectivement　croyant。'　'En　Dieu；'　replied　M。　Th