416 REFORM YOUR UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. 



suhscriptione tribus articulis in canone tricesimo sexto comprehensis, in hancf 

 formam npud registrarium vestrum in posterum subscribant. 



" I, A. B., do declare that I am bonu fide a member of the Church of England 

 as by law established."* 



It appears therefore that in the year 1613 the University passed a 

 grace, bearing date July 13, in pursuance of the King's letter, whereby 

 all bachelors in divinity, and doctors in divinity, law, and physic, are 

 required to subscribe the three articles of the 36th canon. In 1616, 

 King James directs that all persons taking any degree whatsoever shall 

 subscribe. The University never passed any grace or statute, as in the 

 former case, constituting this the law of the University : the subscrip- 

 tion therefore required of persons taking the degrees of bachelor and 

 master of arts, and also the degrees of bachelor of laws and of medicine, 

 was only on the authority of the King's direction. Now if in the former 

 case it was necessary to pass a grace, to render subscription legal and 

 compulsory upon those of whom it was demanded, it must for the same 

 reason have been necessary in the latter. It follows therefore that, in 

 the latter case, the subscription was illegally demanded ; and it appears 

 that in the year 1661 it was so considered. A declaration that the 

 individual is bond fide a member of the Church of England, has been 

 substituted, instead of subscription, at the time of proceeding to the 

 degrees of bachelor in arts, laws, and physic. The subscription is still 

 demanded of those who take the degree of master of arts, upon no other 

 authority than that of King James's direction. No person, therefore, can 

 be admitted to any degree who cannot, at least, conscientiously declare 

 himself a member of the Church of England ; and thus a large class of 

 the community are prevented from participating in the benefits of a 

 University education. 



In concluding our remarks upon this most important subject, we shall 

 only observe first, that the imposition of subscription, upon candidates 

 for degrees, cannot be justified upon any principle of safety to the 

 establishment : secondly, that it is unjust towards the persons of whom 

 it is required : thirdly, that it is contrary to the interests of the 

 University. 



And first, it is unnecessary as a safeguard to the establishment. For 

 the clear illustration of this, let us take a case and we could instance 

 many : Four years ago a gentleman distinguished himself, at the general 

 examination for degrees, both as a mathematical and as a classical 

 scholar : he could not conscientiously declare himself to be bond fide a 

 member of the Church of England, and therefore his degree was refused. 

 Upon what principle ? Not that the discipline and doctrines of the 

 Established Church would have been endangered ; for if the individual 

 in question had presented himself to a bishop for ordination, it would 

 then have been time enough to have examined his religious tenets, and 

 to have required his solemn assent to the doctrines and discipline of that 

 Church, of which he sought to become a minister. Had he been a can- 

 didate for a fellowship in the college, of which he was a member, the 

 society might in conformity with their statutes and in the spirit of their 

 foundation have called on him to subscribe; nor should we have 

 questioned the justice or propriety of such a step. 



* Statutes of the University of Cambridge, p. 441. 



