▁turning ▁into ▁an ▁idle ▁sport ing ▁man , ▁which ▁then ▁seemed ▁my ▁probable ▁destination ." ▁He ▁therefore ▁en rolled ▁Charles ▁at ▁Christ ' s ▁College , ▁Cambridge ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 ▁for ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁as ▁the ▁qual ification ▁required ▁before ▁taking ▁a ▁special ised ▁div inity ▁course ▁and ▁becoming ▁an ▁Ang lic an ▁par son . ▁He ▁en rolled ▁for ▁an ▁ordinary ▁degree , ▁as ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁only ▁capable ▁mathemat icians ▁would ▁take ▁the ▁Tri pos . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁the ▁only ▁way ▁to ▁get ▁an ▁hon ours ▁degree ▁was ▁the ▁mathematical ▁Tri pos ▁exam ination , ▁or ▁the ▁classical ▁Tri pos ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 2 , ▁which ▁was ▁only ▁open ▁to ▁those ▁who ▁already ▁had ▁high ▁hon ours ▁in ▁mathematics , ▁or ▁those ▁who ▁were ▁the ▁sons ▁of ▁pe ers . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁respect able ▁career ▁for ▁a ▁gentleman ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁most ▁natural ists ▁in ▁England ▁were ▁cl erg ymen ▁in ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁Gilbert ▁White , ▁who ▁saw ▁it ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁duties ▁to ▁" expl ore ▁the ▁w onders ▁of ▁God ' s ▁creation ". ▁Charles ▁had ▁concerns ▁about ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁declare ▁his ▁belief ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁dog mas ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England , ▁so ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁hunting ▁and ▁fish ing , ▁he ▁studied ▁div inity ▁books . ▁He ▁was ▁particularly ▁convinced ▁by ▁the ▁reasoning ▁of ▁the ▁Rev d . ▁John ▁Bird ▁Sum ner ' s ▁Ev id ences ▁of ▁Christian ity