[35] Private opinion, or judgment, it is very clear, cannot be controlled by Subscription, or by any other means; yet peace might be preserved, to a great extent, if the Church had the power to enjoin silence on any particular point amongst its ministers. In some respects it would be dangerous to grant such a power; but the wisest human arrangements are frequently only choosing the least of two evils.
The recent sentence on Dr. Pusey may be very proper as regards the religious instruction offered to students at an university, but will of course decide nothing as to the general controversy. Only the voice of the Church can effect this, and it is time that the Church should at least be able to speak, though its first decision might endanger the existence of the Establishment. Faith, however, is a better counsellor than Fear.
[41] “What is the Meaning of Subscription?” Longmans. 1841.