and, there could be no other guarantee of its
maintenance than the assurance that its doctrines would be honestly
taught, and its ritual observed by the whole body of the conforming
clergy.

"Thus the _Reformation subscriptions aimed at the prevention of covert
Popery_, a danger to which the Reforming laity felt that they were
exposed by the strong wishes of a majority of their own class; by the
undissembled bias of many of the parochial clergy; and by the secret
bias of some even of the bi-hops; whilst the diminution of their
absolute control over the clergy lessened the power of enforcing the new
opinions when the bishop was sincerely attached to them."

The entire article is of value both for its historical information as to
the history of Tests in the English Church, and for its mode of
advocating the retention of subscription to the Articles, as at present
enforced.

* * * * *

[Subscription came with the English Reformation.]

The Report of the Royal Commission of 1864, on Subscription in the
English Church, supplied a complete account of all the changes in
subscription from the Reformation downwards. Reference may also be made
to Stoughton's "History of Religion in England," for the incidents in
greater detail.

Perhaps the most remarkable defence of Liberty, as against the
prevailing view in the English Church, is Dean Milman's speech before
the Clerical Subscription Commission, of which he was a member. It is
printed in _Fraser's Magazine_, March, 1865, and is included in the
criticism of the _Quarterly Review_ article, already quoted.

The Dean's Resolution submitted to the Commission was as follows:--

"Conformity to the Liturgy of the Church of England being the best and
the surest attainable security for 'the declared agreement of the Clergy
with the doctrines of the Church'; with many the daily, with all the
weekly public reading of the services of the Church of England
(containing, as they do, the ancient creeds of the Church Catholic), and
the constant use of the Sacramental offices and other formularies in the
Book of Common Prayer, being a solemn and reiterated pledge of their
belief in those doctrines, the Subscription to the thirty-nine Articles
is unnecessary. Such Subscription adds no further guarantee for the
clergyman's faithfulness to the doctrines of the Church; while the
peculiar form and controversial tone in which the Articles were compiled
is the cau