The Times argues very strongly in favour of separating the
Regius Professorship of Hebrew at Oxford from the Canonry of Christ Church, and permitting the Crown to appoint a lay- man to the Chair. We should heartily support its recom- mendation, which is sure ultimately to be accepted, were it not for one consideration. It is almost absurd to retain a custom under which Oxford may be compelled to put up with a second-rate Hebraist, because no prominent one hap- pens to be in Orders, and under which a scholar like Mr. Robertson Smith is excluded by law ; but there is a word to be said for learning within the Church of England. A clergyman who becomes a scholar, and especially an Oriental scholar, rarely finds his prospect of promotion advanced thereby ; and. if no reward attends such study, it will be very apt to die out. That is a great evil, especially in an age when laymen are pro- found scholars, and criticism spares nothing ; and as the Church provides the endowment of the Chair, her servants may fairly claim a preference in filling it. Still, the system, if bene- ficial to the Church, is most unjust to the University, which is not only precluded from obtaining the best teacher, but is forced to accept as its sole teacher of Hebrew one who is bound beforehand not to contest certain theological conclusions.
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