Page 167 - DENG402_HISTORY_OF_ENGLISH_LITERATURE

History of English Literature

Notes day. His speech formally inaugurated the Movement, and even Newman accepted Keble as its
“true and primary author.” But it must be noted that Keble only provided the spark; the fuel had
already been piling for long. Keble was a quiet, simple, and modest man not of much literary
pretension, but known for his anonymous book of sacred poems, The Christian Year, published in
1827. According to Hugh Walker, “there is nothing great in his life or in his works.” Anyway, he
is the accepted pioneer of the Oxford movement.
Keble’s sermon was followed by the generation of intense feeling in like-minded men of Oxford.
They included Newman, Froude, Pusey and many more. Their concerted action crystallized in the
publication of Tracts for the Times, the first of which came in September 1833. It was entitled
Thought on the Ministerial Commission, respectfully addressed to the Clergy. The publication of
the tracts continued till 1841 with contributions from many hands. However, Newman who wrote
some twenty-nine of them was, as Hugh Walker puts it “the soul of the Tracts.” None approached
him in the clarity of thought as well as of expression.
The avowed aim of the Tracts was to create public opinion in I favour of “the privileges of the
Church and against Popery and Dissent.”” However, slowly and steadily the trend of thought as
expressed in the Tracts showed evidence of moving towards the Church of Rome and away from
the Church of England. Things came to a headiffthe famous (rather notorious) Tract XC, which
came from Newman’s pen. In it Newman showed his Romish tendency by taking upon himself the
task of arguing that the thirtynine Articles were in no way opposed to the Council of Trent. In
other words, he was making plea for the Church of Rome and undermining a universally accepted
Anglican view. This tract created a tremendous commotion. All the Anglican bishops condemned
it vociferously.

Did u know? Newman’s conversion was complete after he had read articles by Wiseman,
the able leader of the English Roman Catholics.

The general hostility which Newman provoked made it impossible for him to continue staying at
Oxford. So he took refuge at Littlemore. He resigned his ecclesiastical living at Oxford in September
1843 and joined lay communion. Some of his ardent followers also joined him at Littlemore.
Meanwhile, W. G. Ward, an ebullient and energetic follower of Newman, published what W. H.
Hutton calls “a heavy and exasperating book”-The Idea of a Christian Church. Ward openly
favoured the Roman Church pointing to what he described as the “most joyful, most wonderful,
most unexpected sight! We find the whole cycle of Roman doctrine gradually possessing members
of English churchmen.” It was a very provocative book. The scandalised members of the University
at a convocation held on February 13, 1845 withdrew from Ward the degrees of B. A. and M. A. The
book had a wide influence but it is poor literature. Well did Jenkyns. The Master of Balliol, tell
Ward: “Well. Ward, your book is like yourself; fat, awkward, and ungainly.”
Newman’s conversion to Roman Catholicism was formally complete when on October 9, 1845 he
became a member of the Church of Rome. Later, in 1879, the Pope made him a cardinal. But after
1845 the Oxford movement spread beyond Oxford. The “brethren” were no longer perfectly
united. Some like Ward accepted Roman Catholicism, but others like Pusey continued their work
staying within the Anglican fold.

21.4 The Literary Aspect of the Movement
The Oxford movement was basically a religious movement. Directly, it had nothing to do with
literature. However, the numerous writings which it threw up had some repercussion on
contemporary literary taste and style. Previously also, divines had exerted some influence on
literature even when they had written’ on purely religious themes. W. H. Hutton maintains in this
context: “The Oxford movement certainly belongs to the history of English religion more definitely
than to the history of English literature; but it had great influence, outside its own definite members
on the literary taste of its age.” But out of the whole mass of the literature the Movement gave rise

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