upon Newman to discontinue the publication, a request with which he at once complied. Yet, in his letter to the Bishop on the matter, although he tendered ready submission,-for Newman was in no wise contumacious and too great a man to miss the grace of humility, -he calmly defended the positions assumed in his Tract and in the series as a whole.

Tract No. 90 was designed to show that much Roman doctrine might be held consistently with subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles; that the Articles do not contravene Catholic teaching,-as far as this coincides with that of the Fathers and the Primitive Church; that they only partially oppose Catholic dogma and are mainly directed against certain special errors of Rome.

"But between the months of July and November," says the biographer, "in this same year, 1841, Newman received three blows which crushed him to the earth. In the course of a translation from Saint Athanasius "-a series of these versions had been issued, together with the Tracts, called a "Library of Translations from the Greek and Latin Fathers," Newman editing, in conjunction with Keble and Dr. Pusey,-" his old doubts started again to life. In re-perusing the history of the Arians he came anew upon the truths taught by the primitive Church. They stood out before him with increased clearness and he was continually beset by his old thought, that, after all, the Church of Rome was in the right.'

He was suffering tortures from this dislocation of things, spiritually, when the second blow fell.

The Bishops, one after the other, denounced the Tracts. In this general Episcopal action Newman saw his condemnation.

Under the third blow he could no longer keep silence. It was in regard to the famous bishopric of Jerusalem. He drew up a solemn protest which he sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as to his own Diocesan.

But Newman's career, in connection with the Oxford Movement was over. He withdrew to meditate in quiet upon his future course. And he had many allied topics for meditation.

For he was in a net-work of difficulties. His influence over others had become very great. The whole Tractarian movement circled round him. Its supporters looked to him as its head: and any important decision on his part was liable to disorganize it or destroy it altogether. Then, there were many young people under his care, placed there by confiding Anglican relatives. He could not allow

these to enter the Roman Church-as many of them were inclined to do-unless his own convictions, on the whole matter, should grow more clear. He could not lead others toward a step which he was not, himself, ready to take. Upon his College, upon the English Church, upon the world of letters, even, his action would take effect. His very strength as a leader and teacher made him weak at this juncture. The Valley of Decision was, to him, a valley of darkling shadows.

"His soul," says the biographer, " was rent by attractions and repulsions, at war with each other."

He could not go to Rome "on account of the honors paid to the Virgin Mary and the Saints."

"His chief desire, nevertheless, was for union with Rome, as of Church with Church."

His first action was to resign his position as editor of the British Critic and it passed over into the hands of Ward and Oakley. This review had been the chief organ through which these thinkers imposed their views on the Oxford party. Of Ward it has been said that his writings always tended to establish a comparison between the Church of England and the Church of Rome. As a general result, this comparison grew more favorable to the claims of the latter— claims that were far from losing force, as felt by these men amid the on-rushing of events. As to Ward, personally, nothing can add to the poetic tribute paid him by Lord Tennyson. In this elegant sonnet we find the generous analysis of friendship, expressed with great beauty and alive with poetic power.

In 1843 the British Critic was discontinued, to be replaced by a more moderate publication, the Christian Monitor, edited and directed by Dr. Pusey.

It was now Pusey's turn to receive rebuke. In consequence of a sermon on "The Holy Eucharist, a Comfort to the Penitent," preached before the University, he was suspended from preaching by the Vice-chancellor for three years, on the allegation that his language on the subject of the Real Presence was beyond what is sanctioned by the Formularies of the Church of England. Dr. Pusey entered protest, however, and appealed to the teaching of former English divines.

In the same year Newman reached two most important and significant decisions; in February he wrote a formal retraction of all the harsh and painful things he had said or written against the

Church of Rome and in September he resigned the Vicarage of Saint Mary's at Oxford.

The new Puseyite review raised much excitement and alarm. Party susceptibilities grew more intense; there was war in the air. Ward, however, rose to the height of the occasion. He went to work at once and produced his famous book, "The Ideal of a Christian Church."

For six months the authorities took no official cognizance of its publication; a committee, nevertheless, examined the work. A certain number of alarming propositions were culled from it and laid before the entire Faculty.

Then, the authorities held session. Ward's book was quickly condemned and he, himself, deprived of his University degrees.

The day of Ward's condemnation,-being that, also, of his book,February 13, 1845, marks a memorable point in this religious drama of England.

"From this hour," says the Ecclesiastical Review, "it was plain what would become of a goodly number of these men, full of virtue, ability and learning, who but recently gave promise of remaining forever valiant servitors of the English Church. If, up to this point, there had been room to doubt, in many cases, whether they would linger in her fold or not, this doubt could no longer exist. It was now only a question of time, how soon they would break the bonds. which held them to that body and renounce their ancient allegiance.

"An infallible sign was showing what must needs be done by those who had struggled so painfully-often, indeed, so pitiably-to keep faith with God and conscience; on one side, they were invited to come, on the other, they were bidden with asperity of scorn, to go. What resulted could be no secret to anyone."

During the autumn and the year ensuing, the friends, whose names and faces had been so long familiar in Oxford, disappeared from their places, withdrawing one after the other.

In September, 1845, Ward was received into the Catholic Church. In October, Newman likewise sought admission. Later, Faber, Manning, Spencer, Oakley, Morris and others followed.

The Oxford Movement had done its work. The results of that work are facing us to-day.

The wave which swept Romeward was of priceless value to her communion. It is a curious study of influence, as from one mind to and upon another. Cardinal Wiseman, in some mysterious spiritual

way, touched Newman; the latter, again, flung his wonderful power over Faber, whose poems are touching the whole world-Anglicans, Dissenters and Catholics alike—while his prose works form the best of weapons for the Catholic cause; and thus we see the links forgedthe first few links-of an endless chain. The growth of the Roman Church in England, of late, has been something phenomenal and the seed sown at Oxford-how or why the Lord of the harvest alone knows!—in the hearts of Newman, Ward and Manning is still bearing abundant fruitage.

Throughout the Anglican Church the power of the Oxford Movement, though less direct, has been no less actual. The teaching of Keble and Pusey, who remained within her pale, only brought it to bear more fully on the men of their day and generation. It has been and still is permeating her whole life, not alone in Great Britain but throughout her world-wide empire. Even here, in the Episcopal Church of the United States, its touch is daily felt. The number of so-called "High Church" Bishops has been steadily increasing for the last twenty-five years; and what that means of spiritual change among her laity and lower clergy is past human estimate.*

What will be the end of this silent change of attitude toward the vital truths of the Oxford Movement, what this intimate molecular alteration of feeling may bring about, at last, it is hard to tell. But we may well thank God, every day, for its practical fruitage in selfsacrifice, in larger measure of Christian giving, in sisterhoods and brotherhoods-both unknown of old-in organized charities, in a fuller ritual, in retreats and humilities of prayer.

That the outcome of a willing reception of Divine truths-as of Absolution, the Real Presence and the like should be the illumination of heart that leads to the reception of more truth, is to be expected; that more of Christ and more of grace should bring the Anglican Church into more sympathy with those who know and prize a like grace is to be hoped for; and the lesson of closer comprehension of each other and a deeper charity should come out of it all-and to us all. Gardiner, Me.

CAROLINE D. SWAN.

* Within the past few weeks one of the ablest and most conscientious representatives of this movement-Rev. Fr. Maturin of Philadelphia has become a convert to Roman Catholic faith.-The Editor.

CARDINAL GIBBONS' NEW BOOK.

THE AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST. By James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore. Baltimore, New York, and London: John Murphy & Company. 1896.

THIS book was sent to me by the publishers with a special request that I would write a review of it, and I gladly comply because, after a careful reading of the work, I find that I can, in the main, speak well of it. I must say, however, that I have no sympathy with the rhetorical unmixed laudations that various Catholic hack writers have already heaped upon the Cardinal's excellent book, and if I at all understand what seems to me to be the sweet simplicity and sincerity of his nature, he is one of the last men on earth to derive any pleasure from such fulsome and senseless flattery. In truth Cardinal Gibbons has always seemed to me nearer akin to a select circle of Protestant preachers who were among the friends and idols of my own early ministerial life than to any of the Catholic prelates of our time or of preceding times.

I refer particularly to such men as the Rev. Albert Barnes, and the Rev. Dr. Boardman (Presbyterians of Philadelphia) and the Rev. Dr. William Adams and Rev. H. B. Smith, also Presbyterians, of New York, and the Rev. Dr. Leonard Bacon-Congregationalist, of New Haven-all of whom were still in their later prime about forty years ago and they were all learned men, gifted men, and of the sincerest type of Christian life and orthodoxy. I may be pardoned for adding here that between those men and the upstart impertinent nobodies of the Parkhurst type-who occupy their old pulpits in these days, there is such a gulf of descent that I often wonder what this nineteenth century may yet come to if the present rate of fearful ministerial degradation goes on.

It gives me pleasure to say in this connection that the reading of Cardinal Gibbons' latest book has confirmed my good opinion of the man. Nevertheless my criticism of his work will not be wholly in praise.

The salient and striking points of the book-are FIRST its beautiful and exalted piety; so evident and so sincere that none but sheer blasphemers could question or do other than admire it.