MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 533 



settled the doctrines of our church regarding the most abstruse points of 

 Christianity, should be considered accurately and infallibly right. Nu- 

 merous members of the establishment itself manifested an anxiety to be 

 released from subscription to points of belief which the controversies of 

 learned men had rendered dubious : a society therefore was formed, 

 principally of clergymen, with Archdeacon Blackburne at its head, but 

 joined by some members of the legal and medical professions, for the 

 purpose of obtaining relief from subscription to the thirty-nine articles; 

 and a petition, drawn up and signed by about 240 of these persons, was 

 presented to the house of commons. It stated that whilst the fundamental 

 principles of protestantism consisted in the right of private judgment, and 

 reference to the exclusive authority of scripture, they were required to 

 acknowlege that certain articles of faith and doctrine, drawn up by 

 fallible men, were all agreeable to holy scripture. Such subscription was 

 represented as a great hinderance to the spreading of true religion ; since 

 it discouraged free inquiries into the real sense of the sacred writings, 

 divided communions, and caused animosity among protestants, even of 

 the establishment itself; that it afforded occasion to unbelievers for 

 charging them with prevarication, and with interested or political views 

 in subscribing to articles which they could not believe, and about which 

 hardly two were agreed in opinion : also that it afforded a handle to 

 papists for reproaching them with inconsistency regarding their separation 

 from the Roman church. 



. " The students of civil law and physic complained of the universities, 

 particularly of one, where they were obliged, at their first admission, and 

 at an age totally unfit for disquisitions and decisions in affairs of such 

 moment, to subscribe their unfeigned assent to a variety of theological 

 propositions, in order to obtain academical degrees in their respective 

 faculties ; and that their private opinions on such subjects could be of no 

 consequence to the public. They also lamented the misfortune of their 

 sons, who at an immature age might be irrecoverably bound down to the 

 opinions and tenets of ages more bigoted and far less informed than their 

 own/' 



The petition presented to the house of commons was rejected by a large 

 majority ; on which Mr. Hughes says, after observing that Cambridge 

 had wisely made the concession to a certain extent : 



" On this interesting subject one or two passing observations may be 

 allowed. It would seem, that the clergy of our establishment are pre- 

 cluded by the very act of subscription from bringing forward any plan of 

 altering the articles and liturgy of their church : yet it is well known that 

 there are many among them anxious to see such alterations made, as might 

 relieve tender consciences, and be the means of drawing numerous recu- 

 sants within the pale of its communion. Is it not then a duty incumbent 

 on the legislature to take this subject seriously into consideration? The 

 country contains an abundance of pious and learned men, into whose 

 hands a revisal of our forms might be committed, without the least 

 danger to any point of vital importance : nor should it ever be forgotten, 

 that a system of exclusion may be carried too far for the safety of that 

 very establishment which it is intended to protect/' 



The illustrations of this volume consist of well-executed views of the 

 Sortie of Gibraltar, and Sir Sidney Smith at Acre. 



The Works of Pope. A New and Illustrated Edition ; with Life, 

 Notes, and Critical Notices on each Poem. By the Rev. 

 G. CROLY, LL.D. Vol. II. A. J. Valpy, M.A., London. 



This volume of Mr. Valpy's elegant edition of Pope contains several of 

 the gems of the great moral poet the " Epistles of Abelard and Eloisa/' 

 M.M. No. 5. 3 Z 



