PANEGYRIC OF THE LATE CARDINAL NEWMAN, BY THE CARDINAL-ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 3, 17 October 1890, Page 23

PANEGYRIC OF THE LATE CARDINAL NEWMAN, BY THE CARDINAL-ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY.

(Freeman's Journal, September 20.) (Concluded.) In 1854 Dr. Newman entered upon a new field of Übour in connection with the Catholic Uoiversity of Ireland. The Bishops of that venerable Church, desirous to secure lor their Catholic people the advantages of University education hitherto denied them, chose Newman as the first Rector of tbe institution, which they resolved to found. The whole Christian world ratified their choice, for as Rector he was one whom for his virtues all should revere, whi st by his learning, hie University experience, his literary fame, he was admirably suited to open to Irish youth the sealed fountains of higher knowledge, and to guide them in the pleasant paths of scientific pursuitg. At every step difficulties beset the new University, and looking back to-day after forty years of unceasing struggles it must seem to be well nigh miraculous that it has been able to keep ever unfurled the banner of religious education, and that it has been so long a sourca of strength and blessing to Ireland in upholding the sacred causa of religion and patriotism. Tbe very difficulties which have beset its path are perhaps a sure guarantee that it is designed to realise at no distant day the hopes and the promises to which Newmau gave utterance in one of bis memorable discourses: — "I look towards a land both old and young (he says), old in its Christianity, young in the promise of its future ; a nation which received grace before the Saxon came to Britain, and which has never quenched it ; a church which comprehends in its history the rise and fall of Canterbury and York, which Augustine and Pauliuus found, and Pole and Fisher left behind them. I contemplate a people which has bad a long night and will have an inevitable day. lam turning my eyes towards a hundred years to come, and I dimly see the island I am gazing on become the road of passage and union between two hemispheres and the centre of the world. I see its inhabitants rival Belgium in populoußness, France in vigour, and Spain in enthusiasm ; and I see England taught by advancing years to exercise in its behalf that good sense which is her characteristic towards everyone else. The capital of that prosperous and hopeful land is situate in v beautiful bay, and n«ar a romantic region ; and in it I see a flourishing University, which for a while had to struggle with fortune, but which, when its first founders and servants were dead and gone, had successes far exceeding their anxieties. Thither, as to a sacred soil, the home of their fathers, and the fountain-head of their Christianity, students flock from East, West, and South, from America and Australia and India, from Egypt and Asia Minor, with the ease and rapidity of a locomotive not yet discovered, and last, though not least, from England, all speaking one tongue, all owning one faith, all eager for one large, true wisdom ; and thence, when their stay U over, going back again to carry peace to men of good will overall the earth." In the year 1864, Cnarles Kingaley 'a accusations against Catholic theologians in general, and that Newman in particular, had been want ing in truthfulness and sinceiity, called forth the "Apologia, ' which has been universally regarded as one of the most remirk&ble writings of the present age. Like the Confessions of St. Augustine, it sets vividly before us the struggles and trials of a powerful mind resulting in the triumph of Faith. Dr. Newman threw, as it were, the lime-light upon his intellectual nature, analysed his own motives, explaining his own beliefs and his own reasons for holding them. Even those most j hostile to the Catholic Ohurch could not withhold their admiration. Never waa an intellectual triumph over a discomfited aiversary more complete. There was one calumny to which Dr. Newman briefly refers in the " Apologia." It could not be denie 1 that be had quitted the Anglican Church and been received into the Catholic fold. But very sooa reports were busily circulated, and eagerly repeated, that he was sorry for the step which he had takeD, that his mind was uneasy, and that he only awaited the opportune moment to become once more the champion of Anglicanism. I'o this he replied :— " From the time that I became a Catholic I have no further hisiory of my religious opinions to relate. I have had no variations to record, and have ha 1 no anxiety of heart whatever. I have been in perfect peace ani contentment. I have never had one doubt. It was like cjming into port after a rough sea, and my happiness on tnat s-core remains to this day witrout interruption." Writing, to the Globe newspaper on the 28th June. 1862, he enters more fully into the same matter :— " I have not had (he says) one moment's wavering of trust in the Catholic Church ever eince I was received into hex fo'd. I hold, and ever have held, that her Sovereign Pontiff is the centre of unity and the Vicar of Christ, and I ever have had, and have still, an unclouded faith in ber creed in all its articles, a supreme satisfaction in her worship, discipline, aud teaching, and an eager longing and a hope that the many dear friends whom I have lefc in Protestantism may be partakers of my happiness. This being my state of miad, to add, as I hereby go on to do, that I have no intention, and never had any intention, of leaving tbe Catholic Church and becomiag a Protestant again, would be superfluous, except that Protestants are always on the look-out for some loophole or evasion in a Catholic statement of fac s. Therefore, in order to give them full satisfaction, if 1 can, I do hereby profess ex animo, with an absolute internal asseit and consent, that Protestantism is the dreariest ot possible religions ; that the thought of tbe Anghc-in service mikes me shiver, and the thought (f the Thirty-nine Articles ruakea me shudder. Ketura to the Church ot England 1 No. The net is broken, and we are de ivered. I should be a consummate tool, to use a unld term, if in my old age I left the lan ' flowing with milk and honey, for the city of confusion and thj house of bcndage." In subsequent ycara Dr. Newman was accused of rejecting the Vatican Council and of a willingness to accept the definition of tho Papal Infallibility. In his reply to Mr. Gladstone's " Vaticanism " he dtclared euch an accusation to bo "an unmitigated and most ridiculous untruth." He had always as a Catholic held and preached tie doctrine of the authoritative and infallible teaching of the

Sovereign Pontiff and the decrees of the Vatican Council only served to bring into bolder relief what had always baen the faith of the Church. The " Grammar of Assent " is, perhaps, the most philosophical of Newman's writings. He contends that conscience, the universe with its manifold wonders, and the march of Providence predispose the soul for revelation. To argue on the truth of the Christian religion with a sceptic who rejects tbe truths of natural religion would be to cast pearls before swine. But to minds believing in God and in a future judgment, Christianity comes with a certitude of its truth which no reasoning mind can gainsay. Two of his works are written in a lighter vein. In "Callista "fiction is made subservient to the cause of revealed truth. It presents a picture of the conflict of Christianity with Paganism, and the heroism which religion alone can inspire. In '' Loss and Grain " we have a picture of Oxford life as it was half a century ago. A neverending pleasantry at tbe expense of tbe Anglicanism and Ritualism of those days leads ou to deep thought and wisdom. It has been remarked that without this little book the reading public would never have known how mirthful Newman could be, and yet withal how hard he could strike his religious opponents in the midst of pleasantness and kindlinesas. Of his poemß I need not speak. It would ba difficult to fini sweeter or more delicate flowers of poetry than those which the " Dream of Gerontius " presents ; and some of his shorter poems, like " Leal Kindly Light," have become familiar as household words in English-speaking Christian homes. One of Newman's most remarkable conquests to the faith wal Father Faber, who, as suparior of the Oratory in London, laid up a rich store of merit in a short time, and, many years before bis spiritual master, was summoned to his reward. Whilst Newman waa as yet in the Anglican church, Faber looked to him for guidance, and his letters written at that time reveal the fact that Newman before his conversion was particularly averse to devotion to the Blessed Tirgin. He imposed as a special obligation on his disciple that be should not invoke her aid. In August 1844, Faber writes to him : " I have written to you to ask you to remove your prohibition against invocating Oar Blessed Lady and the Saints." Again, in November : " I want you to revoke your prohibition of invoking Our Blessed Lady. Ido not know whether I ask this in a lower and lesa spiritual mood than usual, or whether the mere pain I feel in not speaking to the Blessed Mother of God drives ma to it ; but Ido feel somehow weakened for the want of it, and fancy I should get strength if I did." After his conversion how changed were Newman's sentiments regarding devotioa to the Mother of God I la his discourses to mixed congregations he writes that the coming of Our Saviour " was a season, of grace and prodigy, and these were to ba exhibited ia a special manner in the persoa of His Mother. The course of ages was to ba reversed ; the tradition of evil was to be broken ; a gate of light was to be opened amid the darkness, for tha coming of the Just— a Virgin conceived and bore Him. It was fitting, for His honour and glory, that she, who was the instrument of His bodily presence, should first hi a miracle of His grace ; it was fitting that she should cnumph where Kve had failed, and should bruise the serpent's head by thespotlessnessof her sanctity. She began where others end, whether in knowledge or in love. She was from the first clothed in sinctity, sealed for perseverance, luminous and glorious in God's sight, and incessantly employed in meritorious acts, which continued till her last breath. . . . Why should we wonder at hearing that Mary, the only spotless child of Adam's seed, has a transcendent influence with the God of grace ? And if the Gentiles at Jerusalem sought Philip, because he was aa apostle, when they desired accjas to Jesus, is it strange tbat the Mother should have power with the Son, distinct in kind from that of the purest angel and the moßt triumphant saint ? If the Creator comes on earth in the form of a servant and a creature, why may not His Mother, on the other hand, rise to be the Qaeen of heavea, anl be clothed with the sun, and have the moon undor her feet ? Such art thou, Holy Mother, in the creed and in the worship of the Church, the defence of many truths, the grace and smiling light of every devotion. In thea, O Mary, is fulfilled, as we can bear it, aa original purpose of the Most High. Thy very face ami form, de ir Mother, speak to U9 of the Eternal ; not like earthly beauty, dangerous to look upon, but like the morning star, which is thy emblem, bright and musical, breathing purity, telling of heaven, and infusing poace. 0 harbinger of day 1 O hope of the pilgrim I lead us still a* thou hast led in the dark cigjht a3rosi the bleak wilderness, guide us on to our Lord Jesus, guide us home." In 1879, at the hands of Pope Leo XIII., Newman received the honours of the Cnrdinalate. I had the privilege of standing beside him on that occasion whilet his many friends in Rom.3 presented their cjngratulations, and I was also with him when a few days later, on receiving the insignia of tbe Caidinalate, he delivered his discourse on Liberalism in religion, which found an echo throughout the Catbolic world. He took care, however, to leave no doubt as to toe nature of the Liberalism which he condemned. "Liberalism in religion," ha said, "is the doctrine that there is no positive truth in religion but that one creed ia as good as aaother. Aad this is the doctrine which is gaining suoatauce ani force. — It ia inconsistent with the recognition of any religion as true. It teaches that all are to be tolerated aa matters of opinion. Revealed religion is for them not a truth but a sentiment or a taste, not aa objective fact, not miraculous, and it ia the right of each individual to make it say j'ist what stakes his fancy. Hitherto it has been considered that religion alone, with its supernatural sanctions, was strong enough to secure the submission of the masses of the populations to law and order. Now, philosophers and politicians are beut on satisfying this problem without the aid of Christianity. ' Congratulations on his promotion to the Cardinalate poured in from all quarters, but perhaps no congratulations or gifts were more prized by him than the address and the accompanying gift forwarded by onu whose memory will long be chenshed amongst us, the Right Hon. William Bede Dalley, in the name of the Catholics and other admirers and friends of this Avchdioeese o£ Sydney.

For twenty years after his conversion the fair name of the illustrious deceased was aspersed with eveiy thing most vile. The Protestant pulpit and press appeared to have conspired together against him to peraue him with envenomed hatrud, and all their accusations were combined in the slanderous attack of Rev, Mr. Kingsley. 1 1 pleased Providence that Newman should outlive their assaults 25 years, and never perhips has the judgmeot of an enlightened public been mare completely reversed than has that of England during tha past quarter of a century. To-day, no matter how men's opinions may differ on other things, no words but those of eulogy are heard friend and foe alike offer the laurel wreath upon his bier, and all of one accord proclaim tnat to the illustrious decease i a prominent place must be assigned among those who by their enlightenment, disinterested sacrifice, stainless virvue, and literary merit, have shed undying lustre on the Empire. Some one, perhaps, will say England haß not been oon verted. Is not this proof that the work of Newman and his companions has been in vain ? It is quite true that England has not been converted ; bat none the less, the promise of the second spring* time has not been blighted, nor have the hopes of the blessing of God's mercy on England been frustrated. I do not know, indeed, that the number of Catholics in England to-day is as great as it may have been forty years ago. In 1850 they were probably more than a million and a half, in 1873 the present illustrious Cardinal -Archbishop of Westminster, relying on the most accurate statistics that could be obtained, estimated their number at " about one million and a half." Only the other day the details presented at the Catholic Truth Conference still reckoned them as not exceeding a million and a half. And what renders this numerical sterility the more striking is the fact that the population of the Empire has developed in vast proportions durirjg the same period. All this may perhaps be in part explaiaed by the continual stream of emigration which led very many of the Catholics of the humbler classes to the shores of Canada and the United States. Bat it appears to me that during the past fifty years three causes at least have had their share in robbing the Church of many who otherwise would have been tier devoted sons. The first of these is the national antipathy against Ireland and her Catholic people manifested by many of tte clergy no less than of the laity in England. The eecond cause is the long felt want of due provision for the spiritual requirements of the humbler classes, and in particular of religious education for the children and of religious instruction for the adults. As the third cause I would reckon the prevalence of intemperance in the great cities and among the manufacturing classes. During these past days I have seen it stated by one well conversant with the religious condition of England, that during the 50 years just elapsed vast numbers have been lost to the Chnrcn through this terrible scourge of drunkenness. But despite all this a great deal has been achieved. The conversion of a nation as of an individual proceeds solely from the mercy of God. That in His own time God will show His mercy to Great Britain I have no doubt. The times and seasons are in His hands ; but looking at matters in a human light, we cannot fail to recognise that, during the past 50 years, marvellous work has been done to prepare the way for thiß triumph of God's mercy. The prejudices which so long blinded the English people against Catholic truth have been overcome, calumnies have been refuted, and barriers removed. The Catholic Church has been brought before the enlightened public of England in all her beauty and dignity, and her religious mission has been unmistakably proclaimed, so that they who run may read, that she bears the divine commission to be the teacher of divine truth. As a result we see at the present day that many of the moat distinguished men of England, among her statesmen, her diplomatic staff, the champions of her freedom by land or sea, the ornaments of the Bench and of the B «r, and the aseertors of the people's rights in Parliament are found to glory in the Catholic name. In accomplishing this no one will question that Newman and his brother converts of Oxford in conjunction with the venerable Bishops of the English Church have had an impoitant part. In one of his discourses Cardinal Newman speaks of the Apostle St. John as having outlived all his frieads, and having had to experience the dreariness of being solitary in his old age : " he had to live in his own thoughts (ho says), without familiar friends, with those only about him who belonged to a younger generation. Of him were demanded by his gracious Lord, as pledge of his faith, all his eye loved and his heart held converse with. He was as a man moving his goods into a far country, who at intervals and by portions sends them before him, till his present abode is well nigh unfurnished." la this as in other ways the illustrious deceased may be said to have been made Uke the Apostle of love. He was like to him in that his virtuous life, his ministering at the altar, hia career of teaching for the comfort of the faithful were prolonged beyond the ordinary space. He waß like him in the unwearying pursuit of heavenly wisdom, in his grasp of divine truth ; zeal for Holy Courch ; iv devotion to the immaculate Virgin ;in love for Our Blessed Lord. Who can doubt that be is associated wi h the chosen Apostle in his eternal reward 1 He, too, has heard the sentence :— " Well done, them good and faithful servaut." His prayers shall henceforth be offered before God's throne, for the Church which he loved t>o well. The example of his virtues and the fruits of his unwearied toil are our prized heritage ; and his writings shall long continue to impart to those that are within the saving fold and to those that are without lessons of heavenly wißdom. ♦• Being dead, yet he speaketh."