New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-27
CASH AND CONTUMACY.

these mOueTn Illnes anu "o hi"J ~" "
perhaps, to allude to the subject, because IL Is
one of secular interest having direct bear
ing upon the peace, the progress, and the
prosperity of society. Clergymen are among
the chief teachers and promoters OF public
morality, although they are not the only ones;
but it is needless for us to say that the
Church makes higher claim for them than
this-the claim of divinely delegated
authority. The congregational form or
church government, which is republican
at least if not democratic, has done
much, aided by the leading poiiflcai
idea of the nation, to diminish the
sacred character of the priestly office; and
the danger has been that the reaction from
unauestioning obedience to pulpit government
might weaken the real respect to which the
clergy are entitled and which every sensl-
BILE and honest man is ready to concede. FER
baps the main error of the sacred profession
at this time is the perfect willingness with
which. in all save one or two sects, 1t yields 10
the demands of the congregations wiling
ness which disarranges the relation or
teacher and pupil, and leaves tne
Church substantially without any acknowl-
edged head. Against this tendency, clergyman
of first rate executive ability, and thoroughly
well bridled temper, will be usually able to
maintain himself; good many clergymen,
loving above all things peace, will drift INTO
the current of the laity; while the rest, not
strong enough successfully to assert them
selves and not wise enough to yield, will pass
their lives in a perpetual conflict, tempered
only by q succession of installations. 30 we
are compelled to acknowledge that In all hu-
man affairs, even when they assume a divine
aspect. there are always an lnfrmity and q
perpetual short coming.
Singularly enough the latest Chicago trouble
is not in the Congregational nor yet III the
Anglo Catholic, but in the Roman Catholic
Church. For years John NJ. Ryan has been
priest in the diocese of Bishop Duggan, who
made and has now unmade him. According
to the episcopal theory Mr.. Ryan should sub
nit with unquestioning resignation to the de-
cree of the Bishop, without whose assent he
could not have become priest at all. lie
does nothing of the kind. He treats his Bishop
precisely as if he were any other man. lie
brings an action (Ryan v. Duggan) IN the
secular courts-an action sounding in damages
lalu III lUb gum VI D~''NNN'
forth that the annual income of his office,
from which the Bishop has ousted him, was
SIS 900; that he held his office by life
tenure; that the Bishop, instead of summary
turning him out, should have called council
to investigate the charges against him; and
that he should have been informed OF the
nature and character of such charges. All
this seems to be, from a human point OF view,
extremely proper. At common law here IS
at least prima facie case for the plalntin,
who has been turned out of his place, and
who has thereby lost handsome income.
Still. in thus considering the matter, we can
not rid ourselves of certain sense of neon
gruity. Mr.. Ryan is Bishop Duggan's spiritual
son, as such owing obedience and acqulescence
in the paternal decisions. A Catholic council
which sustained this froward and disobedlent
child would hopelessly demOralize the pres
tige of the right reverend father, and bring
all Bishops throughout the land into con-
tempt. Mr. Ryan himself would not have
treated with much lenity cOntumacious mem
Der of his own congregation, yet he holds the
same relation to the Bishop which good lay
Catholic holds to his priest OF course, we
are speaking of theories. Everybody knows
that, in this country at least, the practice Is
loose enough
A man need not be of an unusually reve-
rental character to be a little shocked at find
ing the money element-the $4,000 per annum
so marked in this and in many similar cases.
Primitive Christianity, as everybody knows,
taught contempt of filthy lucre-of all which
moths might corrupt and thieves feloniously
abstract. Some of the largest and most i'm
portant orders of the Roman Catholic Church
are vowed to absolute and literal poverty. 1t
is true that Popes and Cardinals and Arch
bishops and Bishops have not always been
free from the sin of avarice but it is equally
true that in theory they have held their great
possessions as the trustees OF the Church.
Yet here is the Rev. Mr.. Ryan pleading that
he made $4,000 per annum by preaching the
gospel, Just as he might plead that he
made an equal sum by running
cotton mill, or by the royalty. Of
a patent pillow. Are we not, however reluct-
antly, obliged to admit that he voluntarily
yulgarizes his callingf-that he lamentably
fails to magnify his offcef We are not blam-
ing him any more than we are blaming his
Bishop. We are simply pointing out an in
congruity which may have deplorable secular
consequences. We do not see how any
sincere and conscientious Roman Catholic or
Episcopalian can consistently bring an action
at law against his Bishop, on account of his
official proceedings, to recover the sum OF
$4,000; for though he might get verdict, as
a child of the Church he would hardly know
what to do with the money.
Ill ., h. ala of I'll