1 section of the Ultra-bigoted and High Tory members of
Convo- cation held a tneetiog at Oxford on the 24th ultimo, and adopted a re- quisition to the Vice- Chancellor of the University, praying him to coavene a meeting. of the Heads of Houses to consider the propriety of submitting to Convocation an address to the Archbishops and Bishops, to the effset "'that their Lordships would be pleased to accept from candidates for holy orders a certificate t,f ittentlance at the keture. of the Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity in the University at Os fidd. in lieu or the certificate of attendance at the lectures of this Regius Professor of Ili' laity in the same University, so long as the chair atilt, Regius Prt,fessor of Divinity continues to be tilled by one in the soundness of a hose doctrinal opitionis the Utnversity can place no confidence."
This, of course, was intended to stigmatize Dr. Hampden, the new Regius Professor, and to punish him for his efforts to procure the ad- tuis-ion of Dissenters into the University. Not content with this efforvesence of spleen, the same clique reassembled on the following day, and adopted a requisition to the Vice-Chancellor- '. That be MOIlid be pleased to summon a meeting of Muhl of Houses to take into eusssieistiou t he best means of giving Convocation au opportunity of disavowing and condemning the evil principles told doctrines contained in, the 'komplett Lectures and other Ns riCugs of I R. Hampden."
These, said the hyperbolical Standard on Saturday, are " the most important documents connected with the interests of Christianity which have appeared in modern times!" Well—these momentous documents were taken into consideration by the Heads of Houses, convened for that purpose by the Vice-Chancellor, on Monday, and—rejected by nuc:odly and corrupt majorities ; the first by 19 to 6, and the second by 15t)10.
On Thursday, another requisition to the Vice-Chancellor, in which the slanders against Dr. Hampden are repeated, was in process of signature. We presume the Heads of Houses will not stultify them- selves by reversing decisions not a week old.
The grossly disgusting hypocrisy of the whole proceeding is mani- fest from the facts that the sermons to which exception is now taken, were preached by Dr. Hampden from the University pulpit four years ago, and subsequently published without incurring any mark of dis- approbation ; and that, since their publication, Dr. Hampden has been appointed Head of a College, and Professor of Moral Philosophy. The person who was most distinguished in this attack on Dr. Hamp- den, is the Reverend Vaughan Thomas, of Corpus Christi ; whose anxiety for the good of the Church has not prevented him from in- curring the guilt of scandalous pluralism; for we find it stated by a correspondent of the Horning chronicle, Who gives the Report of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners as his authority, that Mr. Thomas holds these livings-- Duntesbourne (Rectory), Gloucestershire, 2501. a year ; Yarnton (Vicarage), Oxfordshire, 221/. a year ; Stoneleigh (Vicarage), Warwickshire, 5201. a year.
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