Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/198

 the ritual which explained these doctrines. Newman, with his ascetic nature, must have overpoweringly felt the need of ritual to aid devotion and true worship. And this he would find to excess among the Romanists. I cannot help thinking that he was largely drawn to Rome for some such reason as this.

John Keble and Newman were great friends, and Keble knew Newman through nearly all his struggles just before the latter joined Rome. In fact, Newman often asked him his advice in his troubles and doubts. The correspondence between these two men is most pathetic reading. I will give you a few extracts from it. Keble wrote in 1843, "Believe me, my very dear Newman, that any thought of wilful insincerity in you can find no place in my mind. You have been and are in a most difficult position, and I seem myself in some degree able to enter into your difficulties."

When Newman was talking of withdrawing from the Ministry of the Church, as his troubles first came upon him, Keble wrote, "My feeling is that your withdrawing from the English Ministry, under present circumstances, will be a very perilous step &hellip; as I fear it would, in every respect," bring you "nearer, what I must call, the temptation of going over."

Again, Keble wrote, "Another thought one has is of the utter confusion and perplexity, the astounding prostration of heart and mind into which so many would be thrown, were their guide and comforter to forsake them all at once, in