value in preserving public order, furnished by the strenuous resistance of the Papacy and Ultramontanism to secret societies, revolutionary societies, Communism, Fenianism, Mazzinism, and other dangerous political conspiracies. Nothing can be more true than the general assertion, that the Papacy and Ultramontanism are opposed to all such organisations. But why? Because they are not under Papal management, and are not working for Papal objects, but for objects totally different and even adverse. The Papacy and Ultramontanism are jealous of all confederacies except their own. They wish to keep the undivided allegiance of 200,000,000 of Roman Catholics at their own disposal. There must be no conspiracy except the Ultramontane.

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§ 4. THE MINIMIZING FAITH.

THOSE who have not the honour to be of the Papal communion, will look with interest at the Minimizing system. It is an ingenious and elaborate attempt to effect the removal of those difficulties which Ultramontanism presents; and with this object, while admitting the entire system of Ultramontanism in the abstract, it endeavours to neutralise it in the concrete, and to exempt the individual from the necessity of believing any more definitions, or yielding to any more commands of the Papacy than the discretion of his private judgment is inclined to adopt,

It will be not altogether unsatisfactory to Liberals to perceive that even under the wing and patronage of Ultramontanism, principles to which they own an alliance are spreading fast. I am persuaded that I should be doing injustice to those who have brought the Minimizing system to maturity, if I were to suppose that their doctrines are merely put forward ad captandum, to protect an embarrassed theology from the consequences of its own claims to blind the eyes of opponents by distinctions which represent no convictions. I would do them the justice of believing in their sincerity-in the substantial

reality of the difficulties which they profess to assuage, in the truthful and bonâ fide character of the reasoning which they adopt. We are too well acquainted, at least, with the tone and spirit of him who has chiefly instituted this new movement in England, to doubt that the difficulties which he attempts to resolve for others have an echo in his own breast. The indignation which he has so continually exhibited at Ultramontanism when nakedly stated is calculated to confirm such a persuasion; nor is it diminished by the moral opposition so long offered by him to the proposed enactment of Papal Infallibility, of which as he informs us he continually said, 'I will not believe that the Pope's Infallibility will be defined till defined it is." Such a definition appeared to him eminently imprudent, because calculated to arrest the progress of proselytism. The step, however, having been taken, he very properly endeavours, in the interest of Romanism, to make the best of it, and to obviate its evil effects. The present case will at once recall to memory the circumstances attendant on the publication of Tract XC.', in which the same author endeavoured to pacify the uneasy minds of some, by eliminating Protestantism from the Thirty-nine Articles, and making them speak the sentiments of Rome. In the same way now, the same distinguished writer, taking Ultramontanism for granted, proceeds to subject it to such a process, that every trace of

1 Newman, Letter to Duke of Norfolk, p. 96.

matter disappears, and it becomes a pure abstraction which has nothing whatever to do with this sublunary world. It is remarkable that the same intellect should have had the honour of initiating a new theology in each communion which it has successively been privileged to enlighten; and a theology which in each case presents so much similarity of idea. And as in one case it proved eventually that the theology ostensibly propounded to meet the scruples of others only was, in fact, intended to meet scruples nearer home; so, it may be inferred, is it in the case now before us; although the personal difficulties of the writer have been studiously kept out of sight.

6

The important position of this ecclesiastic as the leading convert to the Church of Rome, and as the individual selected some years since by the Roman Catholic hierarchy of Ireland to preside over the Catholic University,' lends additional weight to the Minimism which he advocates. His work also appears to represent the views of a powerful body amongst his co-religionists, including the Duke of Norfolk, and many others; for undertaken, as it was, at their repeated and pressing desire, it has been received by them with complete satisfaction, and without the slightest mark of dissent. Nor is it to be forgotten that this writer appears in the present case as the chosen spokesman and champion of the Roman Catholic body; whereas Drs. Manning and Capel and others have merely written on their own private responsibility. We may hence conclude that the Roman Catholics gene

rally prefer the Minimism of Father Newman to the naked Ultramontanism which is represented by Manning and other direct agents of the Papacy.

But we may go farther than this. Even the Ultramontane prelate Capel, selected by the English Roman Catholic hierarchy to preside over their University,' is anxious to prove (as appears from his letter in the Times 1) that his theology is entirely in accordance with that of Dr. Newman, and is drawn from the same source, the work of Bishop Fessler (late secretary of the Vatican Synod) on true and false infallibility-a work which has had the honour, it appears, of being approved by his Holiness Pius IX.2 The doctrine of Minimism, therefore, is fortified by the highest authorities in the Church of Rome; and whoever presumes to dispute it seems to be in danger of ecclesiastical censures. A system approved by Pius IX. himself must of course command general assent. Even Dr. Manning, it may be observed, does not dare to let fall a single syllable against it.

Let us then consider this popular and highly authorised system.

In the first place, and above all things, Minimism, or minimizing Ultramontanism, is of the most unimpeachable orthodoxy. It is impossible for the Pope himself to find a flaw in its faith.

It professes to believe that the Pope is infallible; 3

1 Times, Jan. 19, 1875.

2 Newman, p. 112.

3 Newman, Letter to Duke of Norfolk, p. 17, 99.