The Symbolic End Of Gladstone's Theocratic Toryism
The defining moment in which many historians have gone onto argue as the symbolic end to Gladstone’s theocratic Toryism was Peel’s proposal to increase state funding for Maynooth Catholic College in Ireland. Conservatives were outraged by Peels proposal to support a Catholic seminary. They saw this as unnecessary for Britain, a Protestant state, to finance a Catholic seminary. Gladstone was ‘appalled’ by the idea says Helmstadter, as he recognised the challenge this proposed upon his standing views in connection to his own principles within the Church and State. (Helmstadster, Conscience and Politics pp.33-4) Gladstone, as pointed out by Matthew, viewed Maynooth as a battle cry for national religion. (Matthew, 65) The Maynooth Crisis compelled