the Rev. W. Turner , Jun. , MA., Lives of the eminent Unitarians

In this respect the universities of England differ from those of every other country of Protestant Europe, which are open to persons of every class and religious profession, without distinction. The peculiarity is not one which we have any reason to be proud of; and, in fact, it has greatly tended to aggravate the bitter sectarian spirit in which it originated, and which interferes in this country, to such a lamentable extent, with the comfort of social intercourse, and with the just practical influence of religious principles and feelings among all parties. But one important consequence has been, that the Dissenters, finding themselves unjustly debarred from those opportunities of liberal education which were intended for all, and being, for the most part, unwilling to forego the services of a learned ministry, have made great exertions to supply the deficiency, as far as was practicable, in private institutions; and though these institutions have, doubtless, been of various and unequal merit, yet upon the whole, and when the disadvantages with which they have had to struggle in the unfair competition are taken into the account, there is no reason to think that in really valuable learning, or in any of the accomplishments which are desirable in a minister of religion, their alumni have been materially inferior to those of more favoured establishments. The unbiassed and unprejudiced historian of letters (if such a person should ever be found) will be ready to admit that a very fair proportion of the most distinguished scholars and divines of