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English schoolboys in 1830。 Then； more than ever； his deep
consciousness of the invisible world became evident； then； more
than ever； he seemed to be battling with the wicked one。 For his
sermons ran on the eternal themes of the darkness of evil； the
craft of the tempter； the punishment of obliquity； and he
justified the persistence with which he dwelt upon these painful
subjects by an appeal to a general principle： 'The spirit of
Elijah；' he said； 'must ever precede the spirit of Christ。'
The impression produced upon the boys was remarkable。 It was
noticed that even the most careless would sometimes； during the
course of the week； refer almost involuntarily to the sermon of
the past Sunday； as a condemnation of what they were doing。
Others were heard to wonder how it was that the Doctor's
preaching； to which they had attended at the time so assiduously；
seemed； after all； to have such a small effect upon what they
did。 An old gentleman； recalling those vanished hours； tried to
recapture in words his state of mind as he sat in the darkened
chapel； while Dr。 Arnold's sermons； with their high…toned
exhortations； their grave and sombre messages of incalculable
import； clothed； like Dr。 Arnold's body in its gown and bands； in
the traditional stiffness of a formal phraseology； reverberated
through his adolescent ears。 'I used；' he said； 'to listen to
those sermons from first to last with a kind of awe。'
His success was not limited to his pupils and immediate auditors。
The sermons were collected into five large volumes； they were the
first of their kind； and they were received with admiration by a
wide circle of pious readers。 Queen Victoria herself possessed a
copy in which several passages were marked in pencil； by the
Royal hand。
Dr。 Arnold's energies were by no means exhausted by his duties at
Rugby。 He became known not merely as a headmaster； but as a
public man。 He held decided opinions upon a large number of
topics； and he enunciated thembased as they were almost
invariably upon general principlesin pamphlets； in prefaces；
and in magazine articles； with an impressive self…confidence。 He
was； as he constantly declared； a Liberal。 In his opinion； by the
very constitution of human nature； the principles of progress and
reform had been those of wisdom and justice in every age of the
worldexcept one： that which had preceded the fall of man from
Paradise。 Had he lived then； Dr。 Arnold would have been a
Conservative。 As it was； his Liberalism was tempered by an
'abhorrence of the spirit of 1789； of the American War； of the
French Economistes； and of the English Whigs of the latter part
of the seventeenth century'； and he always entertained a profound
respect for the hereditary peerage。 It might almost be said； in
fact； that he was an orthodox Liberal。 He believed in toleration
too； within limits； that is to say； in the toleration of those
with whom he agreed。 'I would give James Mill as much opportunity
for advocating his opinion；' he said； 'as is consistent with a
voyage to Botany Bay。'
He had become convinced of the duty of sympathising with the
lower orders ever since he had made a serious study of the
Epistle of St。 James； but he perceived clearly that the lower
orders fell into two classes； and that it was necessary to
distinguish between them。 There were the 'good poor'and there
were the others。 'I am glad that you have made acquaintance with
some of the good poor；' he wrote to a Cambridge undergraduate。 'I
quite agree with you that it is most instructive to visit them。'
Dr。 Arnold himself occasionally visited them； in Rugby； and the
condescension with which he shook hands with old men and women of
the working classes was long remembered in the neighbourhood。 As
for the others； he regarded them with horror and alarm。 'The
disorders in our social state；' he wrote to the Chevalier Bunsen
in 1834； 'appear to me to continue unabated。 You have heard； I
doubt not； of the Trades Unions； a fearful engine of mischief；
ready to riot or to assassinate； and I see no counteracting
power。'
On the whole； his view of the condition of England was a gloomy
one。 He recommended a correspondent to read 'Isaiah iii； v； xxii；
Jeremiah v； xxii； xxx； Amos iv； and Habakkuk ii'； adding； 'you
will be struck； I think； with the close resemblance of our own
state with that of the Jews before the second destruction of
Jerusalem'。 When he was told that the gift of tongues had
descended on the Irvingites at Glasgow； he was not surprised。 'I
should take it；' he said； 'merely as a sign of the coming of the
day of the Lord。' And he was convinced that the day of the Lord
was coming'the termination of one of the great aiones of the
human race'。 Of that he had no doubt whatever； wherever he looked
he saw 'calamities； wars； tumults； pestilences； earthquakes；
etc。； all marking the time of one of God's peculiar seasons of
visitation'。 His only uncertainty was whether this termination of
an aion would turn out to be the absolutely final one； but that
he believed 'no created being knows or can know'。 In any case； he
had 'not the slightest expectation of what is commonly meant by
the Millennium'。 And his only consolation was that he preferred
the present Ministry； inefficient as it was； to the Tories。
He had planned a great work on Church and State； in which he
intended to lay bare the causes and to point out the remedies of
the evils which afflicted society。 Its theme was to be； not the
alliance or union； but the absolute identity of the Church and
the State； and he felt sure that if only this fundamental truth
were fully realised by the public； a general reformation would
follow。 Unfortunately； however； as time went on； the public
seemed to realise it less and less。 In spite of his protests； not
only were Jews admitted to Parliament； but a Jew was actually
appointed a governor of Christ's Hospital； and Scripture was not
made an obligatory subject at the London University。
There was one point in his theory which was not quite plain to
Dr。 Arnold。 If Church and State were absolutely identical； it
became important to decide precisely which classes of persons
were to be excluded； owing to their beliefs； from the community。
Jews； for instance； were decidedly outside the pale； while
Dissentersso Dr。 Arnold arguedwere as decidedly within it。
But what was the position of the Unitarians？ Were they； or were
they not； members of the Church of Christ？ This was one of those
puzzling questions which deepened the frown upon the Doctor's
forehead and intensified the pursing of his lips。 He thought long
and earnestly upon the subject； he wrote elaborate letters on it
to various correspondents； but his conclusions remained
indefinite。 'My great objection to Unitarianism；' he wrote； 'in
its present form in England； is that it makes Christ virtually
dead。' Yet he expressed 'a fervent hope that if we could get rid
of the Athanasian Cre