'This is a very stimulating reflection on church-state relations in nineteenth-century England by a very distinguished scholar. I am confident that it will be of enormous interest to scholars and practitioners of ecclesiastical law not only in the Church of England but beyond to Anglicans more widely and indeed to historians of the free churches. The study is also richly documented (the author's use of the records of debate in Parliament and in Convocation is superb), and it contains a host of examples which indicate the hugely personal elements of the wider story. The writing style is very cultured - it is also tight and lucid. I have very much enjoyed reading the book, which I found fascinating, refreshingly novel and very thought-provoking.' Norman Doe, Cardiff University