The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-27 00:00:00

CHURCH QUESTIONS.

A correspondent of the Times,• in referring to
Lord Ebury s letter, expresses a strong desire to see a
reduction in the number of dogmas belonging to all
the Christian Churches. He quotes the words of
Erasmus, who advised • the Pope and the prelates
of his day to " reduce the dogmas necess.xy
to be believed to the smallest possible number,
and. on. other points leave every one free to
believe what he ple: ses." If such advice had been
followed the writer believes that most of the great
schisms of the Church might have been avoided, am'
lie holes it to be fully in accordance with the spirit of
the Apostle's teaching, who only insisted on three points
—repentance, faith in a Saviour, and a reformed life.
If universal adhesion to minor doctrines had been
indispensable, St. Paul would not have pu•sed them
by without a word. The present age thin!.s it neces-
sary to believe more but to do less, and the acerbity
of modern religious controversialists is much to be
regretted.

" A. DorsetsLire Incumbent," writing on a simil r
topic, considers that the antecedents of Mr. Gladstone,
Lord Ilatherley, ond Sir J. P. Coleridge are suffi-
cient guarantee of their good intentions towards the
English• Church. Ile believes the change in Ireland
will really strengthen the Church, and he greatly de-
plores the mistakes made by English Churchmen,
more especially by members of -the University of
Oxford, in rejecting men like Mr. Gladstone and Sir
Bounden Palmer.

WOMAN'S DEGREES.
Cambii'r, University h: s. very oblioingly placed
a d ',l*(!` ~t tl!o diS,I)SA of Vie ladips of Envinn,l.
m tne subjects to be read up is French, as
fAounodnwgritten in C orneille, Moliere, andChateaUbiland,
Amongst the works selected are "Horace," "Le verre dEau," ." Atala," and " Les Precieuses," all tales of
love, and that not always of the purest
kind. The
two first-named are not perhaps so marked by what
is objectionable ; but the mysticism of " Atala," is
hardly fit for " gushing eighteen," and "Les
Precieuies " contains expressions which would shock
the more refined manners of this generation.
Altogether it is a pity that the authorities have not
made their selections with better judgment.
THE UNIVERSITT BOAT-RACE.
If the Cantabs have abandoned the idea of pulling
this year between Mortlake and Hammersmith, it is
without knowing it. They are in full training, and
on Monday went out with Mr. J. R. Selwyn and did
good work. Mr. Willan has been coaching Oxford,
and has now taken his accustomed place of No. 4.
Mr. Darbishire, the victorious " stroke " of last year,
has been transferred from 6 to his old position.
LORD ZETLAND AND THE FREEMASONS.
Mr. Clabon - writes, with reference to Lord
Eliot's.' recent letter about Lord Zetland and
the Freemasons, that Lord Eliot was right in
affirming that the Grand Master would not permit
the proposed commemoration.to partake of a personal
benefit to himself. But it has not yet been decided
what form it shall assume. Lord Eliot's proposal to
establish university scholarships in connection with
the Freemasons' Boys' School will be considered,
together With about twenty other schemes whichhavo
been suggested.

The Press says :—" The Empress Charlotte has
been for the last two months in a calm state, and has be-
come extremely inactive. Often she does not get up at
all, but passes two daye in bed. In consequence she is
getting extramlinarily stout. When she is urged to get
up, she almost invariably replies that as the pictures want
to run away she is obliged to watch them."

lieutenant Nolan's instrument for measuring the
distance to inaccessible objects, for the use of coast and
field batteries,-was successfully tried at Shoeburyness, in
comparison with the usual service method of guessing
similar distances.

FOREIGN NOTES.

TURKEY AND GREECE.

According to the Independence Beige, the creek Govern-
ment is preparing to publish a memorial in defence of its
recent policy. This document, which Greece would not
lay before the Conference, as the authority of that tribunal
was not recognised, is certainly a remarkable speci-
men of its kind, provided it resembles the sketch
given in the Belgian paper. It begins by disposing
of the Turkish ultimatum, taking the last point first.
The fourth and fifth demands it treats as of no import.
ance—one of them was to the effect that Greece should
respect international law for the future; the third is
admitted without restriction ; but the first and second are
opposed to the law of nations. Greece thinks
herdelf the injured party, and demands reparation
for injuries inflicted on Greek subjects. Hobart Pasha
must be brought to trial for his treatment of the Enosis.
These conditions being satisfied, Greece is ready to allow
the Cretans to return to their island, to forbid all State
officers, military or civil, to take up arms on behalf of the
insurgents, and to put a stop to privateering. What
benefit the Greek Government can reasonably expect from
this publication is by no means clear.
The Times Berlin correspondent, a writer of very belli-
cose temperament, says that Count Stackelberg at the
opening of the Conference announced his inability to sign
any minutes or protocol severely censuring Greece ; hence
the guarded wording of the declaration. England, too,seems
to have been solicitous that the form,given to this final vote
should not contain anything that might Le taken as a
menace. In the course of the debates an important motion
introduced Ly Austria and the Porto was rejected. These
Powers desired the Conference to declare that in the event
of any future controversies arising between Turkey and
Greece neutrality would be observed by the' rest of
Europe. The motion produced an animated debate, but,
other Powers being of opinion that to endorse it would be
tantamount to handing Hellas over to the Ottomans, it
was eventually•thrown out. It is now beyond doubt that
the summary of the declaration first given is correct.