14 MARCH 1868, Page 2

On Thursday the Oxford and Cambridge Conservatives, headed by Lord

Cranborne, waited on the Archbishop of Canterbury to pour out their dread of the Oxford Tests' Abolition Bill, and requested Dr. Longley to oppose it with all his power. This the venerable Archbishop very gladly promised to do, and we may congratulate ourselves that his power in the matter is nothing to speak of. Besides, he may change his mind before midsummer, if he should tome under liberal influence as persuasive as is S. Oxon's on the Conservative side. The worthy Archbishop does not take long to change his mind. The Archbishop expressed his opinion that if once the Universities were set free from tests "religious teaching would in time be altogether abolished,"—which shows painfully on what the Archbishop really leans his belief in the power of our Church. Directly the door is opened for scepti- cism, the vacuum of faith will prove to be so great that the cold air will rush in. Is the vacuum any less dangerous for being artificially protected?