Page:History of Freedom.djvu/531

 CONFLICTS WITH ROME 487

overcomes the natural reluctance to forsake a beaten path, and by insensible degrees constrains the mouth- piece of tradition to conform itself to the new atmosphere with which it is surrounded. The slow, silent, indirect action of public opinion bears the Holy See along, \vithout any demoralising conflict or dishonourable capitulation. This action belongs essentially to the graver scientific literature to direct: and the inquiry what form that literature should assume at any given moment involves no question which affects its substance, though it may often involve questions of moral fitness sufficiently decisive for a particular occasion. It was never pretended that the H01ne and Foreign Re- view represented the opinions of the majority of Catholics. The Holy See has had their support in maintaining a view of the obligations of Catholic literature very different from the one which has been upheld in these pages; nor could it explicitly abandon that vie\v without taking up a new position in the Church. All that could be hoped for on the other side was silence and forbearance, and for a time they have been conceded. But this is the case no longer. The toleration has now been pointedly with- drawn; and the adversaries of the Roman theory have been challenged with the summons to submit. If the opinions for which submission is claimed were ne\v, or if the opposition now signalised were one of which there had hitherto been any doubt, a question might have arisen as to the limits of the authority of the Holy See over the conscience, and the necessity or possibility of accepting the view which it propounds. But no problem of this kind has in fact presented itself for consideration. The differences which are now proclaimed have all along been acknowledged to exist; and the conductors of this Review are unable to yield their assent to the opinions put forward in the Brief. In these circumstances there are two courses \vhich it is impossible to take. It would be wrong to abandon principles \vhich have been well considered and are sincerely held, and it would also be wrong to assail the