第68章

Thesocialevilswereseriousenough。Dogmatictheologymaynotseematfirstsighttobethemostappropriateremedy；but，ifitwere，itcertainlyneededabetterarmyofdefenders。Theidealchurchmusthaveatheologicalschool，abodyoftrainedteacherscapableofmeetingtheassaultsofunbelievers，ofpointingoutthetrueresultsofbiblicalcriticism，ofscientificandhistoricalinquiries，andofdefiningtheattitudeofthechurchinregardtothem。(221*)Wardisawaketothegrowthofanewinfidelity，moredangerousthanthatofthelastcentury。Carlyle，Kant，Michelet，andMilmanarementionedasrepresentingdifferentmanifestationsofthisevilspirit。

Strauss，too，issellingmorerapidlythananyforeignwork。(222*)Moreover，’Protestantism，’ashemaintains，isutterlyeffeteandunabletocopewiththeantagonist。The’theoryofprivatejudgment’involvesdoubt，andwilltendinevitablyto’Comte’sphilosophy。’(223*)ComtewasrepresentedinEnglandbyMill，whowasaccordinglythebuttofWard’ssharpestattacks。

IfWardthusexpressestheseminalprincipleofthemovement，Newmanwasthemostefficientleader。Newman，ashetellsusintheApologia，heldthreedoctrines：first，the’principleofdogma，’whichwasthe’fundamentalprinciple’ofthemovementof1833，andwastheantithesisof’liberalism’；secondly，theprinciple，impliedbythis，ofa’visiblechurch’；andthirdly，thedoctrinethatthePopewasantichrist。(224*)Thelast，ofcourse，vanished；butthetwoothersremainedandonlytookasharperforminhismind。ThehistoryofhisthoughtissimplythehistoryofhisgrowingconvictionthatthetrueauthoritywasthatofRome，notoftheAnglicanChurch。(225*)The’principleofdogma’isequivalenttothestatementthat’religionasaneresentiment’wastohim’adreamandamockery。’Theliberalprincipleappliedtotheologymeansthesubstitutionofvaguefeelingfordefinitetruth。Buttospeakabsolutelyofa’principleofauthority’istoraiseadifficulty。Tobelieveinauthorityistogroundmybeliefonthebeliefofsomeoneelse。

Thereforethequestionsremain：whydoestheauthoritybelieve，andwhyshouldIacceptitsbeliefasauthoritative？TheChurchmustbecompetenttojudge，andImustbeabletojudgeofitscompetence。

ThespecialanswergivenbyWardandNewmantothesepointsgivestheirtrueposition。Firstofallthedogmatists，agreeingsofarwiththeliberals，wereconvincedthattheordinaryopinionsofthedayledtoinfidelityortocompletescepticism。

Aperfectlyconsistentmindmust，asNewmandeclared，acceptCatholicismorAtheism。Anglicanismis’thehalf-wayhousetoRome，andLiberalismisthehalf-wayhouse’toAtheism。(226*)

Protestantism，again，asinvolvingtherightofprivatejudgment，mustlead，asWardagreed，toComte。Takensimply，suchsayingsamounttopurescepticism。ToadmittheconsistencyofAtheismistoadmitthatyouhavenogroundsofconfutingtheAtheist。Upontheassumptionscommontoboth，thescepticwouldgetthebetteroftheProtestant。TherationalisedtheologyofPaleyhadreallygivenawaythekeyoftheposition。Itcouldnotpermanentlyholdoutagainstthelegitimatedevelopmentoftheeighteenthcenturyinfidelity。’Asasufficientbasisfortheism，’saysWard，theargumentfromfinalcausesis’absolutelyandcompletelyworthless’。(227*)andhedeclaresthatPaley’sargumentisquiteunabletoproveGod’slove，orgoodness，orjustice，orpersonality。(228*)ButPaleyandhiscontemporarieshadexplicitlygivenupanyotherargument。AProtestant，then，waslogicallyboundtoAtheism。Newmanagrees。’Ihaveeverviewedthisargumentwiththegreatestsuspicion，’hesays，andforgoodreasons。Itmayprovethepowerand，inlowerdegrees，thewisdomandthegoodnessofGod；butitdoesnotprovehisattributesasjudgeandmorallegislator。(229*)Soagain，Newmandeclared(230*)

thatitwas’agreatquestionwhetheratheismisnotasphilosophicallyconsistentwiththephenomenaofthephysicalworld，takenbythemselves，asthedoctrineofacreativeandgoverningpower。’Paley’sproofofChristianityisnaturallyasunsatisfactoryashisproofoftheology。InoneoftheTractsfortheTimes，(231*)Newmanappliedwhathecalleda’kill-or-cure’

remedy。Heargued，thatis，thatifhisantagonistsrejectedhisdoctrinesforwantofScriptureproof，theywouldhavetoabandontheirownforthesamereason。Afterrecallingandenforcinganumberoftheobjectionsmadebyscepticstothehistoricalevidence，heconcludesthattheevidenceisbyitselfinsufficient。Shallweforthatrea