The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-16

Tyng does not abate as the trial advances.
The chapel of st. Peters church has been
filed from day to day with sympatnizlng
crowds Of ladies and gentlemen. II was
Mr.. Tyngs object to acquire notoriety 1t must
be admitted he has been not q little successful
His name fills the land. Henceforward the
reverend gentleman is little likely to have
reason to lament the absence of an audience.
Mr.. Tyng's is one of those cases which are
so inextricably mixed up with sentiment that
the real merits are liable to be overlooked.
The real merits Of the case. however, it is de-
sirable that the public should know and under
stand. Mr.. Tying has been accused and
brought to trial for violating certain canons OF
the Protestant Episcopal Church. 1t is unde-
niable that the oanons said to be violated form
part Of the laws of said Church. 1t has never
been pleaded by Mr. Tying or by Mr.. Tyng's
friends-it has not been pleaded by the defence
at the trisi-that such canons do not exist 1t
is written in the statute book of the Church
that 10 clergyman shall oficiate in the parish
of another without consent Of the authorities
ri said parish. 1t is also written that certain
particular forms shall be attended to in per-
Torrance of the morning service. Whether Mr..
Tying has been guilty of violating this latter
canon we know not, but it is undeniable that he
violated the former. He did preach in a certain
parish and in Methodist church without con-
sent Of the proper authorities Of said parish.
He did not only preach WITHOUT consent, but
after having been formally warned of the risk
he was running. Judged, then, by the letter of
the law, we have no hesitation in saying Mr..
Tying must be accounted guilty. He knew the
law; he broke it and broke it willingly. 1t
will not surprise US if this be the view of the
case taken by his ecclesiastical superiors and
il Mr.. Tying be condemned accordingly.
Condemnation, however, is not necessarily
disgrace. To suffer in righteous cause is
always honorable. To the successful resist
ance Of obnoxious laws we owe not feew Of
the blessings of which, in this nineteenth CEN
fury and in these United States, we have so
much cause to be proud. Is there anything in
the case of the Rev. Stephen H. Tying which
would justify US, in the event Of his being de-
prived of his living and cut of from the
Church, in ranking him with the martyrs and
reformers Of the pastf We fear he would look
a small man, Intellectually, at least beside
such men as Luther and Knox. It Is not to be
denied, however, that in the course of the
trial there was brought out certain amount
of exculpatory evidence. It did appear that
the obnoxious canon was not uniformly at
tended to, and that Mr. Tying was neither the first
nor the only transgressor. If Mr.. Tying had
reason to regard the canon as practically obso-
lete-if, fortified by the example and experience
of others, he felt emboldened to ignore its
existence-then his conduct is presented to US
in an entirely new light. Remembering the
higher law, which commands the gospel mes
senger TO Ego into all tho world and preach
the gospel to every creature" it is extremely
Gfficult Tor us to justify the canon which con-
denns Mr.. Tying for preaching the gospel in q
neighhoring parish. Justification, in fact, is
| impossible The canon smscks too much of
tyranny and pride; it reveals the spirit Of the
most offensive species Of bigotsy; it is con-
demned by the common sense of every right
thinking man. Conceived in circumstance
and enacted for purposes which haveno longer
place in the modern world its continued
existence is as unnecessary as it is absud, and
the Church in which so obnoxious and urscrip-
tural statute remains unrepealed cann&t be
said to be in harmony with the advanced in,elli-
gence and liberal sentiments of the age. 1t was
not, therefore, unnatural for young and entha-
siastic divine, imbued with love Of liberty
and let US hope also with the love of human
souls--eager for fame and not unwilling to
climb the steep ascent, to ignore the existence
Of so obnoxious law, and when he found it
pushed into his way to resolve to test its
strength. 1t might have been wiser and more
dgnifed-it would certainly have been more
becoming an order-loving churchman--had Mr..
Tying obeyed the law and legitimately sought
its repeal. This, however he did not do and if
in the course be has taken he has erred, he has
erred in company with many noble and many
WISE
The deposition Of Mr. Tying will be no loss,
but rather gain, to him personally. Admir-
ing crowds will flock to hear him. A new
temple will be raised to bis honor, and new
Christian association will probably perpetuate
bis name. 1t will be otherwise with the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church. Whatever Mr.. Tying
will gain, and more than Mr.. Tying will gain,
the Church will lose. 1t will find itself alien
ated from popular sympathy and will have
lastingly affixed TO it the damaging character
istics Of retrograde and intolcrant How the
trial shall end we know not We cannot say
that we are disposed to expect great things
from Mr.. Tyng's ecclesiastical superiors. The
conduct of the court hitherto has not been
marked with wisdom. Looking, in fact, at this
case o. whole, judging from what has actually
taken place In court and remembering that oil
these reverend gentlemen claim to hold Office
| by divine appointment, we feel ourselves ire
sistibly impelled to one Of two conclusions
either to question their claim or to doubt the
wisdom that apnointed them