The high Orthodoxies should not attempt coups de main. Their
natural movement is slow, and like nature itself, they can never do anything of consequence without an ample allowance of time. The attempt to exclude Dean Stanley from the University pulpit to which he had been nominated as Select Preacher by the authorities at Oxford was only divulged to the world yesterday week, and the vote itself had to be taken last Wednesday. Of course, the move- ment was a failure. In spite of the Vice-Chancellor's (Dr. Liddell's) mistake in engaging Mr. Bargon in a correspondence in which, technically, Mr. Burgon certainly had the better, —for it is as absurd to say that the exercise of a regular electoral right conceded by the Statutes implies a vote of censure on the authorities even if it results in rejecting a candidate of their nomination, as it is to call an adverse vote in Parliament against a particular clause of a particular bill a vote of censure on those who moved its adoption,—the opposition on Wednesday was a failure. The Londoners and the laymen mustered strong, and the vote showed 349 Placets to 287 Non-Placets. It is interesting to know that the porters and guards of the Great Western Railway were strong for the Dean of Westminster, and rejoiced in his victory. Dr. Goulburn, Dean of Norwich, on whose letters on the matter,—not pleasant ones,—we have commented elsewhere, has resigned his own Select Preachership in dudgeon at his brother Dean's election,—and has done this on strictly conscientious grounds, he says, and no doubt thinks. May we suggest to him to sift his motives again ? If he wants to express his grave disapprobation of the system which permits so latitudinarian a divine as Dr. Stanley,—and that is what he says,—to teach in its name, would it not be a more impressive demonstration to give up the Deanery, and retire into some voluntaryist Episcopalian Church ? If it is a mere burst of theological spleen, would it not be more Christian to wrestle with himself instead of with his colleague ? The odium theologicwn does not conduce to self-knowledge.
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