IMlv^-9 41
W2B

Ward

.Wa-v-olj

TO THE REV. DR. PUSEY,
CANON OF CHRIST CHURCH, &c.

My Dear Sir, —
As my name has been brought into rather painful juxtaposition with yours, in a
Letter sent by Mr. Golightly to the Standard newspaper, it is perhaps better, if you will
kindly allow it, that I should address a few words to you on the subject. On the general
question of the propriety of recording what passes iu free and unsuspicious conversation,
especially between persons so well acquainted with each other as Mr. Golightly's inform
ant and myself, I shall Hot here speak. One danger at least must plainly result from
such a practice, the danger of very considerable misapprehension ; and something of the
sort seems to have occurred on the present occasion. Mr. Golightly's statement is, that
I " told a friend of his in the course of the present month, that a certain party in this
place might now be considered to be divided into disciples of Mr. Newman and Dr. Pusey;
the latter opposed, the former no longer opposed, to Rome." "What is the precise mean
ing of these last words, which Mr. Golightly has printed in capitals, it might be difficult
to determine; but as I did not wish to trust my own memory on the subject, I called
upon Mr. Golightly's informant, a gentleman who considers himself, as Mr. Golightly truly
says, to differ very widely from those opinions which I have been taught to receive as
true, but who is wholly incapable of the least approach to intentional misstatement.
From him I learnt that the conversation alluded to took place several months since,
though he had only mentioned it to Mr. Golightly within the present month. I am
speaking on his authority when I say, that his own account of this conversation was as
nearly as possible what follows : Mr. Golightly was expressing his suspicions that
yourself and Mr. Newman differed in your manner of regarding the Church of Rome,
find his friend answered, " Ward recognises a distinction between them in that respect,
and says that some follow the one, some the other ; he sa3's that Pusey has a strong
feeling against Rome, but Newman has no such feeling at all."
I think the difference between this statement and Mr. Golightly's is not altogether
unimportant. It would appear from his Letter that I was divulging some definite

resolution of Mr. Newman's^ and some conscious division of those who have been taught?
by the Tracts for the Times and other such publications into followers of yourself and
followers of him. Nothing, it will appear, can be more unfounded than the idea of my
having so expressed myself. I alluded to what has always appeared to me (though I
know that you think I do not do justice to your sentiments on the matter) a general
difference of feeling on one subject, the light namely in which the' Roman Church
should be regarded; and that a subject not of doctrine but of opinion, relating to feeling
rather than to action, theoretical rather than practical, a difference the knowledge of
which I did not profess to derive from any secret information, hut from apparent phe
nomena, (such as the general tone of your respective writings when alluding to our
Sister Churches,) a difference which you have allowed me to speak of unreservedly to
yourself. I may add, though I cattnot call to mind, one way or other, this particular case, that
usually when I have alluded to this difference, I have taken particular pains to point
out that such difference on matters of opinion only made your united testimony the
stronger in matters of doctrine : and that differences as to facts are altogether con
sistent with the most entire agreement in principles.
Nor need Mr. Golightly have referred to so doubtful an evidence as the report, after
a long interval, of the impression made by a certain conversation, for my acknowledgment
of difference of opinion among English Catholics on this subject. I have spoken in print
of " the harsh and unkind manner in which our Sister Churches are spoken of even by
Catholic-minded and most highly respected persons." (Few More Words &c. p. 32.) And
I may refer to the same Pamphlet for an answer by anticipation to the charge that such
acknowledgment involves disaffection in the case of any one to our branch of the
Church. " To remain in our own Church," I have said, " and by God's help endeavour to
elevate its tone, cannot be looked upon by the Catholic Christian as only the cold
performance of a duty, hut as a labour of love." (Few Words &c. p. 44, Few More Words
p. 41.) In another place I have protested against the notion of its being " inconsistent
with the position of a member of our Church to think other Churches more pure and
apostolical," (Few More Words, p. 81,) and have maintained that if ours be a branch of
the Church, it is " a plain sin for any one of us to leave it." (p. 30.)
It may be as well to state in this place my strong and deliberate conviction that Mr,
Newman is exercising at present an influence incomparably greater than any other per
son, in retaining within the pale of our own communion those who might be tempted to
quit it : a conviction founded not : only on abstract reasonings, but on my knowledge of
individual facts.
Mr. Golightly has stated on the same authority, that Mr. Newman, though no longer
Editor, still exercises a general superintendence over the British Critic. I have again

the authority of his informant for saying that his statement was to this effect, — That
Mr. Newman generally saw the articles in the British Critic before they appeared, but
that he had not seen the one on Dr. Faussett. This certainly was my own impression ;
but I find on enquiry that so much as this is not true ; for that Mr. Newman does not
ordinarily see them at all.
As I have begun on this subject, it will be better not to omit allusion to the mention
made by Mr. Golightly of my visit to Oscott ; though you are in no way personally
concerned with that visit. The extent of my stay there was from a Thursday evening to
the forenoon of the following Saturday ; in all, not forty-eight hours. It is not, I believe,
peculiar to persons of Catholic sentiments to visit with interest the establishment at
Oscott ; indeed I believe several strong Protestants have done so. Certainly I should not
do justice to my own feelings if I did not acknowledge the very great kindness and
attention with which, going as I did without any special claim upon the hospitality
of its inmates, I was honoured, and the very favourable impression produced on my
mind by all that I saw there ; but I believe the same attention has been experienced
and the same impression received by many who would differ considerably from myself in
matters of reUgion. I will add that the idea of going to see it was entirely from myself;
I was neither invited by any Roman Catholic, nor advised to go by any member of the
English Church. I communicated by letter my intention to Mr. Newman ; but though
I did not consider him in his answer absolutely to advise the relinquishment of my pur
pose, his reply was certainly rather in that direction than in the opposite; and he
strongly warned me against the possible dangers of such a proceeding. However, when
there, I carefully abstained from taking part in any of their services ; while, on the other1
hand, members of our Church are I believe constantly in the habit of attending the
Presbyterian worship in Scotland, without any censure or remonstrance.
It is a mistake to say that " the Bishop of London has forbidden my officiating in his
diocese." I have received no such communication from his Lordship; though I have
reason to know (and this is all that I know) that the minister of one chapel in that
diocese has been requested by the Bishop not to ask me to preach for him : nor even in
that case were any opinions of mine assigned as a reason for the request.
May I be allowed to hope that I have given you no pain by anything I have said in
this letter of yourself personally, and to subscribe myself, with every feeling of respect
and gratitude,
My Dear Sir,
Yours very faithfully,
W. G. WARD,
JBalliol College, Die. 6th, 1S+1.

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