SPEECH OF HIS EMINENCE IRE CARDINAL NEWMAN /* ■ - N * % v; 1 '■ ON THE RECEPTION OF THE “ BI&LIET TO „ AT CARDINAL HOWARD S PALACE IN ROME ON THE 12 th OP MAY 1879. WITH THE ADDRESS OF THE ENGLISH-SPE^KINC CATHOLICS IN ROME AND HIS EMINENCE’S REPLY ' TO IT. AT THE ENGLISH COLLEGE ON/" THE 14 tJ * OF MAY 1879. y- ROME LIBRERIA SPITHOVER 1879 w ' ■;> . ' f ANSWER OF CARDINAL NEWMAN TO THE ADDRESS OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING CATHOLICS IN ROME. Your affectionate address, introductory of so beau- tiful a present, I accept as one of those strange fa- vours of Divine Providence which are granted to few. Most men, if they do any good, die without knowing it; but I call it strange that I should be kept to my present age, an age beyond the age of most men, as if in order that on this great spot were I am per- sonally almost unknown, I might find kind friends to meet me with an affectionate welcome and to claim me as their spiritual benefactor. The tender condescension to me of the Holy Fa- ther, has elicited in my behalf, in sympathy with him a loving acclamation from his faithful Children. My dear Friends, your present which, while God gives me strength, I shall avail myself of in my daily Mass, will be a continual Memento in His sight both of your persons and of your several intentions. When my strength fails for that great action then in turn I know well that I may rely on your taking up the duty and privilege of intercession and praying for me, that with the aid of the Blessed Virgin and all Saints, I may persevere in faith, hope, and charity, and in that Grace which is the life of the soul, till my end comes. John Henry Newman. SPEECH OF HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL NEWMAN 4 ON THE RECEPTION OF THE “ BIGLIETTO „ AT CARDINAL HOWARD’S PALACE IN ROME ON THE 12 th OF MAY 1879. WITH THE ADDRESS OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING CATHOLICS IN ROME AND HIS EMINENCE’S REPLY TO IT, AT THE ENGLISH COLLEGE ON THE 14 th OF MAY 1879. ROME LIBRERIA SPITHOVER 1879 f "l.Ql'1 A/ V SPEECH OF HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL HEWMAN ON THE RECEPTION OF THE BIGLIETTO AT CARDINAL HOWARDIS PALACE ON THE 12 th OF MAY 1879. Vi ringrazio, Monsignore, per la participazione che m’ avete fatto, dell’alto onore che il Santo Padre si i e degnato conferire sulla mia umile persona, and, if I ask yonr permission to continue my ad- dress to you, not in your musical language, but in my own dear mother tongue, it is because in the latter I can better express my feelings on this most gracious announcement which you have brought to me, than if I attempted what is above me. First of all then, I am led to speak of the wonder and profound gratitude which came upon me, and which is upon me still, at the condescension and love towards me of the Holy Father in singling me out for so immense an honour. It was a great surprise. Such an elevation had never come into my throughts, and seemed to be out of keeping with all my ante- cedents. I had passed through many trials, but they were over; and now the end of all things had almost come to me, and I was at peace. And was it pos- sible that after all I had lived through so many years for this? Nor is it easy to see how I could have borne so great a shock, had not the Holy Father resolved on — 6 — a second act of condescension towards me, which tempered it, and was to all who heard of it a tou- ching evidence of his kindly and generous nature. He felt for me, and he told me the reasons why he raised me to this high position. Besides other words • of encouragement, he said his act was a recognition of my zeal and good service for so many years in the Catholic cause; moreover, he judged it would give pleasure to English Catholics, and even to Pro- testant England, if I received some mark of his favour. After such gracious words from his Holiness, I should have been insensible and heartless, if I had had scruples any longer. This is what he had the kindness to say to me, and what could I want more? In a long course of years I have made many mistakes. I have nothing of that high perfection, which belongs to the writings of Saints, vi : that error cannot be found in them ; but what I trust that I may claim all through what I have written, is this, — an honest intention, an absence of private ends, a temper of obedience, a wil- lingness to be corrected, a dread of error, a desire to serve Holy Church, and, through Divine Mercy, a fair measure of success. And I rejoice to say, to one great mischief I have from the first opposed myself. For 30, 40, 50 years I have resisted to the best of my powers the spirit of liberalism in religion. Never did Holy Church need champions against it more so- rely than now, when, alas ! it is an error overspreading, as a snare, the whole earth; and on this great occa- sion, when it is natural for one who is in my place to look out upon the world, and upon Holy Church as in it, and upon her future, it will not, I hope, be 7 — considered out of place, if I renew the protest against it which I have made so often. Liberalism in religion is the doctrine that thereis no positive truth in religion, but that one creed is as good as another, and this is the teaching which is gaining substance and force daily. It is inconsistent with any recognition of any religion, as true. It teaches that all are to be tolerated, but all are matters of opinion. Re- vealed religion is not a truth, but a sentiment and a taste; not an objective fact; not miraculous: and it is the right of each individual to make it say just what strikes his fancy. Devotion is not necessarily founded on faith. Men may go to Protestant Churches and to Catholic, may get good from both and belong to neither. They may fraternize together in spiritual thoughts and feelings, without having any views at all of doctrine in common, or seeing the need of them. Since then, religion is so personal a peculiarity and so private a possession, we must of necessity ignore it in the intercourse of man with man. If a man puts on a new religion every morning, what is that to you? It is as impertinent to think about a man’s religion as about his sources of income or his ma- nagement of his family. Religion is in no sense the bond of society. Hitherto the civil Power has been Christian. Even in countries separated from the Church, as in my own, the dictum was in force, when I was young, that: "Christianity was the law of the land”. Now, every where that goodly framework of society which is the creation of Christianity is throwing off Christianity. The dictum to which I have referred, with a hundred others which followed upon it, is gone, or is going - 8 - every where; and, by the end of the century, unless the Almighty interferes, it will be forgotten. Hitherto, it has been considered that Religion alone, with its supernatural sanctions, was strong enough to secure submission of the masses of our population to law and order; now the Philosophers and Politicians are bent on satisfying this problem without the aid of Christia- nity. Instead of the Church’s authority and teaching, they would substitute first of all a universal and a thoroughly secular education, calculated to bring home to every individual that to be orderly, industrions and sober is his personal interest. Then, for great working principles to take the place of religion, for the use of the masses thus carefully educated, it pro- vides, the broad fundamental ethical truths, of ju- stice, benevolence, veracity, and the like ; proved expe- rience; and those natural laws which exist and act spontaneously in society and in social matters, whether physical or psychological; for instance, in government, trade, finance, sanitary experiments, and the intercourse of nations. As to Religion, it is a private luxury, which a man may have if he will; but which of course he must pay for, and which he must not obtrude upon others, or indulge in to their annoyance. The general character of this great apostasia is one and the same every where; but in detail, and in character, it varies in different countries. For myself, I would rather speak of it in my own country, which I know. There, I think, it threatens to have a for- midable success; though it is not easy to see what will be its ultimate issue. At first sight it might be thought that Englishmen are too religious for a mo- vement which, on the continent, seems to be founded 9 - on infidelity; but the misfortune with us is, that, though it ends in infidelity as in other places, it does not necessarily arise out of infidelity. It must be recol- lected that the religious sects, which sprang up in En- gland three centuries ago, and which are so powerful now, have ever been fiercely opposed to the Union of Church and State, and would advocate the unchristia- nizing of the monarchy and all that belongs to it, under the notion that such a catastrophe would make Chris- tianity much more pure, and much more powerful. Next the liberal principle is forced on us from the neces- sity of the case. Consider what follows from the very fact of these many sects. They constitute the religion, it is supposed, of half the population; and, recollect, our mode of government is popular. Every dozen men taken at random, whom you meet in the streets, has a share in political power, — when you inquire into their forms of belief, perhaps they re- present one or other of as many as seven religions; how can they possibly act together in municipal or in national matters, if each insists on the recognition of his own religions denomination ? All action would be at a dead lock, unless the subject of religion was ignored. We cannot help ourselves. And thirdly it must be borne in mind, that there is much in the liberalistic theory which is good and true ; for exam- ple, not to say more, the precepts of justice, truth- fulness, sobriety, self-command, benevolence, which, as I have alrelady noted are among its avowed prin- ciples, and the natural laws of society. It is not till we find that this array of principles is intended to supersede, to block out, religion, that we pronounce it to be evil. There never was a device of the Enemy, — 10 - so cleverly framed, and with such promise of success. And already it has answered to the expectations which have been formed of it. It is sweeping into its own ranks great numbers of able, earnest, virtuons men, elderly men of approved antecedents, young men with a career before them. Such is the state of things in England, and it is well that it should be realized by all of us; but it must not be supposed for a moment, that I am afraid of it. I lament it deeply, because I foresee that it may be the ruin of many souls; but I have no fear at all that it really can do aught of serious harm to the Word of God, to Holy Church, to our Almighty King the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Faithful and True, or to His Yicar on earth. Christianity has been too often in what seemed deadly peril that we should fear for it any new trial now. So far is certain; on the other hand, what is uncertain, and in these great contests commonly is uncertain, and what is com- monly a great surprise, when it is witnessed, is the particular mode in the event by which Providence rescues and saves his elect inheritance. Sometimes our enemy is turned into a friend; sometimes he is despoiled of that special virulence of evil which was so threatening; sometimes he falls to pieces of him- self; sometimes he does just so much as is beneficial, and then is removed. Commonly the Church has nothing more to do than to go on in her own pro- per duties, in confidence^ and peace ; to stand still and to see the salvation of God. Mansueti liereclitabunt terrain, Et delectabuntur in multitudine pads . ADDRESS TO CARDINAL NEWMAN FROM THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING CATHOLICS IN ROME MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EMINENCE We your devoted English, Scotch, Irish, and Ame- rican Children, at present residing in Rome, earnestly wishing to testify our deep and affectionate veneration for your Eminence’s Person and Character, together with our hearty joy at your elevation to the sacred Purple, venture to lay this humble offering at your feet. We feel that in making you a Cardinal, the Holy Father has not only given public testimony to his ap- preciation of your great merits, and of the value of your admirable writings in defence of God and his Church, but has also conferred the greatest possible ho- nour on all English-speaking Catholics, who have long looked up to you as their spiritual Father, and as their Guide in the paths of holiness. We hope your Eminence will excuse the shortness and simplicity of this address which is but the expression of the fee- ling contained in your Eminence’s Motto : “Heart speaking to heart”: for your Eminence has long won the first place in the hearts of all. That God may greatly prolong the years which have been so devoted to His Service and the cause of truth is the earnest prayer of your Eminence’s faithful and loving Children. Delivered at the English College May 14. 1879,