John Henry Newman

“ How can we "hold fast the form of sound words," and "keep that which is committed to our trust," if our influence is to depend simply on our popularity? Is it not our very office to oppose the world, can we then allow ourselves to court it? to preach smooth things and prophesy deceits? to make the way of life easy to the rich and indolent, and to bribe the humbler classes by excitements and strong intoxicating doctrine? Surely it must not be so;—and the question recurs, on what are we to rest our authority, when the State deserts us? ”

“ The scattered limbs of sacred truth, which are presented to our view, may seem to us at first sight like the dry bones, which the prophet saw in the valley of vision: but the word of prophecy may yet bring them together, may cover them with sinew, and flesh, and skin, and fill them with a living spirit; the breath from the four winds may breathe upon the slain, and they may "stand up" upon their feet, before our eyes, "an exceeding great army." ”

“ We beseech Thy goodness, Thou lover of men, that by the mystery of Thy Holy name, thou wilt repel and restrain all the adverse and wicked spirits and powers, for Thou hast called Thy servants, who come from darkness to light, from death to life, from error to acknowledgment of truth, and from worship of idols to the knowledge of Thee, O God of truth. ”

“ Christ had not died: our nature was not yet placed at God's right hand: the ever-blessed Son of God had not yet become man, that we, whom "He is not ashamed to call brethren," might be sons of God, as being in and of Him. One must speak tremblingly of such a mystery: but one dare not lower the greatness of our new creation, nor conceal the immensity of our Birthright, although our feeble brain may turn dizzy, and our faint hearts sink at the exceeding weight of such glory. We dare not shrink from avowing it, although we too may have turned "our glory into shame." Sons of God! ”

“ Can we conceive a greater calamity to have occurred at the time of our Reformation, one which the Enemy of man would have been more set on effecting, than to have entangled the whole of the Church Catholic in the guilt of heresy, and so have forced every one who worshipped in spirit and in truth, to flee out of doors into the bleak world, in order to save his soul? ”

“ They habitually look, not only "through nature up to nature's God," but through the wide expanse of the social and moral world around them,—through the habits, opinions, and institutions, of their time and country,—through the strife of politics, and the din of the unruly multitude,—to that eternal Being who reigns above them all; whose will and whose counsels are in truth interwoven with them all,—and who works out His own great designs as surely by the operation of these jarring and unruly elements, as by the more tranquil and steady processes of the world of inanimate nature. ”

“ We, O Lord, observing these thy gifts and precepts, lay upon thine Altar the sacrifices of bread and wine, beseeching the deep goodness of thy mercy, that the holy and undivided Trinity may sanctify these Hosts, by the same Spirit through which uncorrupt virginity conceived Thee in the flesh: that when it has been received by us with fear and veneration, whatever dwells in us contrary to the good of the soul may die; and whatever dies, may never rise again! ”

“ Do ye only ask for me power from within and from without, that I may not only speak, but also feel; not only bear the name of Christian, but approve myself one; for if I approve myself one, I shall be entitled to the name, and shall be reckoned to have been faithful, when the world seeth me no more. For nothing visi­ble is abiding; visible things are temporal; things invisible are eternal. For our God; which is Jesus Christ, assumes a more visible reality in His union with the Father. This is no time for holding peace. When Christianity is hated of the world, it calls for high exertions. ”

“ Great is the Baptism set before you, a ransom to captives, forgiveness of transgressions, death of sin, new-birth of the soul, garment of light, holy indissoluble seal, chariot to heaven, delight of paradise, pledge of the kingdom, gift of adoption ”

“ Yet how can any man say that he believes in Christ, when he does not those things which Christ has commanded him to do? How shall the reward of faith belong to the man who keeps no faith with the commandment? Such an one is surely tottering, and will fall away, wafted about by the blasts of error, like dust in a whirlwind; for he who walks not in the way of truth, can make no advance toward salvation. ”

“ Wretched incredulity! to deny to God His own characteristics, simplicity and power. What, then? is it not wonderful that even a bath should wash away death? surely; but let us even be the more ready to believe, if its marvellousness, forsooth, is made a reason for unbelief. For what should be the character of divine works, but surpassing marvellousness? We, ourselves, marvel also, but because we do believe. Incredulity marvels without believing; at what is simple, as being contemptible; at what is great, as being impossible. ”

“ To lecture, as you call it, is quite beyond me, since at best I have but a smattering of reading in Church history. The more's the pity; though I have as much as a great many others: for ignorance of our historical position as Churchmen is one of the especial evils of the day. Yet even with a little knowledge, I am able to see certain facts which seem quite inconsistent with notions at present received. For my practice, I should be ashamed of myself if I guided it by any theories. Here the letter and spirit of the Liturgy is my direction, as it is of all classes of Churchmen, high and low. ”

“ Then you will honor us, with a purer honor than you do now, namely, as those who are intrusted with the keys of heaven and hell, as the heralds of mercy, as the denouncers of woe to wicked men, as intrusted with the awful and mysterious gift of making the bread and wine Christ's body and blood, as far greater than the most powerful and the wealthiest of men in our unseen strength and our heavenly riches. ”

“ I am loath to subjoin the mention of a second, yea of a last, hope; lest treating again of a yet remaining aid of penitence, I should seem to mark out a space for sin. God forbid, that men should so interpret this, as if a door was open to sin, because it is open to repentance; and the redundancy of divine benevolence should make human rashness to wax wanton. Let no one become the worse, because God is the more good: sinning again, because there is again forgiveness: there will be an end of escaping, if there is not of offending. ”

“ How great the honour and the peace, to go hence into joy, to go through straitness into glory, to shut the eyes suddenly, by which the world is seen, to open them again forthwith, and to see Almighty God! ”

“ Lord have mercy upon us, and give us grace, that while we live in this miserable world, we may through thy help bring forth this and such other fruits of the Spirit, commended and commanded in thy holy word, to the glory of thy name, and to our comforts, that, after the race of this wretched life, we may live everlastingly with thee in thy heavenly kingdom, not for the merits and worthiness of our works, but for thy mercies sake, and the merits of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all laud, honour, and glory, for ever and ever. ”

“ For surely the blessed Apostle St. Paul teaches the same thing, and indicates the sacredness of unity in these words: 'There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God.' This unity it is our duty to hold and vindicate with firmness, especially we bishops who preside in the Church, that we may approve our Episcopal authority to be founded in one indivisible principle. Let no man injure the brotherhood by deception; let no man corrupt the truth of our faith by faithless concessions. ”

“ They trace, alike in the events which befal themselves, and in the varying scenes which succeed each other before their eyes on the great theatre of life, a Presence and an Agency of which mankind at large know nothing. Things visible and tangible they feel to be but the screen and vail of the things invisible and intangible behind them; or, at most, to be the adjuncts and comparatively unimportant accompaniments of the great system in which their spirits really move. They view the things of earth as being, as in truth they are, necessarily connected with the things of heaven. ”

“ In that retrospective view it will undoubtedly be seen, that the world, in systematically afflicting the Church, is but doing its appointed part. May the part assigned to ourselves be the happier one of witnesses for God's truth and defenders of His Holy Institution. May we, seeing God in all things,—habitually contemplating the Almighty as now revealed to the eye of faith alike in His Church and in His world,—prepare ourselves, through His Grace, for that fuller and more perfect contemplation of Him, which shall hereafter be the privilege of the redeemed in Heaven. ”

“ The same singleness of mind ought to be seen in the Church, and the same intercourse of affection be maintained; our love of the brotherhood ought to have its pattern in the doves; our mildness and gentleness to be copied from lambs and sheep. Has the spirit of a Christian aught to do with the fierceness of the wolf, or the rage of the dog, the deadly poison of serpents, and the untamed ferocity of wild beasts? We should rejoice that such foes are shut out from the Church, lest they waste the doves and the sheep of Christ, by their cruel and poisonous contagion. ”

“ Grant us, gracious Lord, so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink His Blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by His body, and our souls washed through His most precious blood ”

“ We, O Lord, have set before Thee thine own, out of thine own gifts; and we pray and beseech thee, O thou lover of mankind, to send down from thy holy heaven, the habitation of thy dwelling, from thine infinite bosom, the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy One, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who spake in the Law, in the Prophets, and in the Apostles; who is every where, and fills all things ”

“ He speaks to those who have newly turned from wickedness. He pities and fills them with righteousness. Trust, O mortal, in him who is both God and man; who suffered and is worshipped, even a living God. Ye servants, put your trust in him who was dead; yea, all men, trust in him who out of all men alone is God. Believe and receive salvation as your reward; seek out God, and your soul shall live. . . . . The most sublime philosophers could but guess, and speak darkly about wisdom, but the disciples of Christ have seen and proclaimed it. ”

“ Blessed be God, He hath opened the eyes of many, especially in this city, who now see "the things that belong to their everlasting peace," and therefore are as constant at their public devotions, as they are at their private business. And I trust in His infinite Goodness and Mercy, that He who hath "begun so good a work among us," will one day perfect it, that we may all meet together "with one heart, and with one mouth to pray unto him," and praise and glorify His great name every day in the week, both in this city, and all the kingdom over. ”

“ How gently does He deal with us; not as a teacher with his disciples, nor as a master with his servants, nor as a God towards His creatures, but as a father instructs his sons! Moses confessed that he exceedingly feared and quaked when he heard concerning the word of God; but thou, who hearest that Word Himself, hast thou no dread, no distress of mind? no reverence, and earnestness withal to learn the truth? earnestness for salvation, fear of his wrath, delight in his promises, anxiety for acceptance, to rescue thee from condemnation? ”

“ It is, undoubtedly, often very painful to speak of, or to avow, any of one's own religious practices, especially when asked in an irreverent spirit,—it seems like profaning the sanctuary of one's own heart;—yet there is in most minds that instinctive respect for a man's honest conviction, as well as for the simple straight-forwardness, which, when called upon, would cheerfully state the truth, that any unaffected avowal that we thought it our duty to fast, would instantly command respect—often perhaps lead to inquiry. ”

“ But when he said plainly, "It is the youth I demand of thee, the soul of a brother," the old man groaned from the bottom of his heart, and shedding a few tears at the thought, answered him, "He is dead." "How then did he die, and by what death?" "He is dead," he said, "to God, for he has ended in becoming wicked and abandoned, and to sum up all, a robber, and now instead of the Church, he has taken to the hills with an armed band of robbers like himself." ”

“ The last refuge of a sinner is Alms. It is an act of turning our Master's goods innocently to our own advantage, and making to ourselves friends of His; heaven being the patrimony and inheritance of the poor; and by our alms we engage them to solicit the mercy of God for us. This is the only way to sanctify riches, which are almost always either the fruit or the seed of unrighteousness and injustice. And indeed we are more obliged to the poor, than they to us. Earthly riches are almost always abused, without an extraordinary grace. ”

“ If it be asked, whether in saying that the Christian doctrine is immutable, I maintain that Divine doctrine can make no advance in the Church, let me answer at once that I maintain just the reverse. Who indeed is so niggardly towards mankind, so abandoned by God, as to try to forbid it? However, it must be such an advance as is truly an increase of the faith, not a change. ”

“ He who receives unworthily, or in an improper state of mind, either ordination or consecration, may probably receive to his own soul no saving health from the hallowed rite; but while we admit, as we do, the validity of sacraments administered by a Priest thus unworthily ordained, we cannot consistently deny that of ordination, in any of its grades, when bestowed by a Bishop as unworthily consecrated.
The very question of worth, indeed, with relation to such matters, is absurd. Who is worthy? Who is a fit and meet dispenser of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? ”

“ Thus does he exhort men to the holy bath, to their salvation, to their illumination, almost crying out to them, "Child, I give unto thee earth, and sea, and heaven; yea, all that is therein, I freely grant to thee: only, O my child, thirst for thy Father's presence. God will reveal himself to thee without price; truth is not dealt out as by a trader. He gives thee all things that fly, and swim, and walk the earth; all these things has thy Father framed for thy enjoyment, so take and be thankful. Those who are but spurious born are forced to buy their possessions with silver ”

“ If any one of the heretics be asked, how he proves that we ought to abandon the universal and ancient faith of the Church Catholic, he will promptly reply, "It is written;" and on the spot is ready with a thousand texts and proofs, some from the Law, some from the Psalms, some from the Apostles, some from the Prophets; with the view of precipitating the unhappy soul, by a new and perverse interpretation of them, from the secure pinnacle of Catholicism into the gulf of heresy. Moreover, they add promises which wonderfully deceive incautious men. ”