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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2024
Newman's article, ‘On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine’, which appeared in the Rambler in July 1859, has become a natural reference point when people consider the sensus fidelium. It is helpful, therefore, to know how the article came to be written and important to be clear about what it actually said. Newman was not supporting some loose exercise in democracy, but was pointing to a vital process for the health of the Church, and encouraging the lay faithful and their pastors to work together. There are lessons too to be learnt from the way people behaved in the aftermath of the controversy. The episode may also be seen as illustrating Newman's life in a nutshell.
1 ‘On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine’, Rambler, vol.1, n.s., Part II, (July 1859) pp.198–230Google Scholar; cf. Coulson, John (ed.), On Consulting the faithful in Matters of Doctrine, (London, 1986)Google Scholar.
2 Tristram, Henry, (ed.), John Henry Newman: Autobiographical Writings, (London, 1956), p.259Google Scholar.
3 Dessain, C. S. et al (eds.), The Letters and Diaries of John Henry Newman xviii, (London, 1968), p.487Google Scholar; volumes cited hereafter as L.D.
4 It may be worth remembering that the Catholic hierarchy had only been restored in 1850. These were early days. The bishops already recognized the importance of education and, even if mistaken in this case, were perhaps understandably anxious to safeguard their control.
5 L.D. xix, p.96.
6 See Autobiographical Writings, p.259.
7 1 Peter 5.3; L.D. xix, p.129, n.3.
8 Letter from John Gillow, L.D. xix, p.129.
9 See Gillow II, pp.477‐8, quoted in L.D.xix, p.586.
10 L.D. xix, p.134, n.3.
11 L.D. xix, p.136.
12 L.D. xix, pp.140‐1, 150.
13 ‘On Consulting the Faithful’, Coulson (ed.), p.53. Subsequent references are to this edition.
14 Ibid., pp.54, 56.
15 Ibid., p.64.
16 Ibid., p.65.
17 Ibid., p.66.
18 Ibid., pp.66‐7.
19 Ibid, p.68.
20 Ibid., p.72.
21 Ibid., p.73.
22 Coulson, John, Newman and the Common Tradition, (Oxford, 1970), p.115Google Scholar.
23 L.D. xix, p.151.
24 It was the time when St Jerome wrote, ‘the whole world groaned and marvelled to find itself Arian’ (Dialogue against the Luciferians, 19).
25 ‘On Consulting the Faithful’, pp.75‐6.
26 See L.D. xix, pp.204‐5.
27 L.D. xix, p.206.
28 See L.D. xx, p.191, xxii, p.157.
29 L.D. xix, p.207.
30 L.D. xix, pp.206‐7, n.3.
31 See L.D. xxii, p.39.
32 This was significant. In particular Brown had translated ‘general councils’ as ‘concilia oecumenica’, although there were none between 325 and 381, and ‘the body of bishops’ as ‘corpus episcoporum’, which gave a formal weight to the expression that Newman had not intended. He came in time to realize, however, that his particular references to suspense, general councils, and the body of bishops could be open to misinterpretation. (See Newman's explanation in the appendix to his later edition of The Arians of the Fourth Century, (uniform edition, 1871), pp.466‐68).
33 L.D. xix, pp.289‐90.
34 See L.D. xix, p.333.
35 See L.D. xix, p.333, n.2.
36 L.D. xxiii, p.226, n.1.
37 L.D. xx, p.447.
38 L.D. xxiii, pp.222, 224‐5.
