Edwin Abbott Abbott

“ After a most careful study of Newman based upon the Tractarian literature generally -and especially upon Newman's own letters, of which, till recently, the world has known very little- I have deliberately come to conclusion that Newman says many things which in an ordinary man would argue insincerity, but do not argue insincerity in him. ”

“ But I will risk that. Better to bear such charges from a few Newmanians who are too angry to know what they are saying, than to encourage, by silence, a suspicion in ordinary readers that I have waited for the death of an eminent man in order to attack him with impunity.
In the course of my remarks I shall have to attack Mr. R.H. Hutton. I do it with regret; but he has forced me to it. Hiterto I have studiously avoided giving him pain. In Philomytus I have analysed passage after passage from Newman's works, and have exposed their errors and fallacies. ”

“ Abbott evidently does not think the worse of himself for taking all possible credit for formally acquitting Newman; "and finally to bring against me (in the words above quoted) an approximation to a charge of falsehood.
In answer to a letter covering so much ground, I was necessarily obliged to write a long and somewhat technical reply, in which I convincted him of manifold errors and definitely met his charges of "unfairness", leaving my "sincerity" -as I suppose most men of honour would have done in such a case- to take care to itself. ”

“ Hutton's Cardinal Newman quoted with expressed, or implied, approval. It was open to me (and I sometimes doubted whether it was not incumbent on me) to conclude each exposure with a moral -saying in effect, "See what Newmanianism brings a man to! And this, too, not a fool, but a really able man! ”

“ I go with Coleridge, and think those who differ from Coleridge to be (from a Shakespearian point of view) fools; but I do not either call or think them knaves; and I should except them neither to call nor to think me a knave. ”

“ You have not fairly represented the meaning of your words, in asserting 'I said no more than that monks and nuns were perfect Christians'. You went on to say, ' In whom would our Saviour see the features of the Christians, whom He and His Apostles left behind them BUT in THEM?' Now if a man says, 'were would you find the book but in the bookcase?' he means, or at all events ought naturally to be interpreted to mean, that the book would be found in the bookcase, and nowhere else. ”

“ Now here Newman made very merry with Kingsley's indignation at the possible effects of such language upon "hot-headed" young men, and scoffed at him in the second person with what will seem (I think) to many of my readers more than "a spice of insolence" :-"Hot-headed young men! Why, man, you are writing a Romance. ”

“ The fact is that Newman thought so ill of some portions of it that he afterwards entirely rewrote them. Consequently when Mr. Hutton speaks (p.180) of "logical sequence" as being "the fifth test of development", he hought, according to the later edition, to have written "fourth"; and as for what he says in detail about this "logical sequence", the reader will see at once that Mr. Hutton remarks are absolutely out of place, except for those rare readers who happen to possess the first edition of the Essay [1] . ”

“ Mark, and beware, the results of five and twenty years' study of Newman!!"
But I did nothing of the kind. In almost every instance I simply acknowleged Mr. Hutton's volume as the source of my extract. I left him alone, where Truth itself almost dictated that I should give him at least a passing touch. I sought peace and ensued it (so far as Mr. Hutton is concerned) ; but he prefers war; and -since, under the present circumstances, war against Mr. Hutton appears likely to be the best mode of waging war for Truth -war let it be. But it shall be real war; fighting, not cudgelling. ”

“ Such letters as I have received already (within little more than a fortnight from the date of publication) , from eminent men well fitted to weigh evidence and to discuss the special questions here treated, lead me to hope that my book is not only substantially accurate but also helpful to the cause of religious truth. ”

“ If he had put that question to himself in February 1843 and answered it in affirmative, who could have disputed it? Endeavouring to make the kindest answer, what could any man of honour have said to him except this, "Your own conscience must answer this question. ”

“ But it was of course impossible to attempt to dispel that kind of legendary exaggeration which had gradually attached itself to the popular estimate of Newman's work, without giving pain to some of his admirers.
When a man of such high intellectual standing as Mr. ”