Smyrna times., 1873-09-03
Cash and Contumacy.

Chicago seems destined to send us good |
many illustrations Of the divided and diverse !
character of the clerical office as it exists in !
these modern times; and We may be allowed, |
perhaps, to alude to the subject, because it is |
one OF secular intersest, having direct bear
ing upon the peace, the progress, and the pros
perlty OF society. Clergymen are among the
chief teachers and promoters Of public moral !
lty, although they are not the only ones; but
1t IS needless tor US to say that the Church
makes higher claim for them than this-the
claim OF dlvney delegated authority. The
congregational form OF church governments
which Is republican at least if not democratic,
has done much, aided by the leading political
idea OF the nation, to diminish the sacred
character OF the priestly office and the danger
has been that the reaction from unuuestioning
obedience to pulpit government might weaken
the real respect to which the clergy are entitled
and which every sensible and honest man is
ready to concede. Perhaps the main error of
the sacred profession at this time is the perfect
Willingness with which, in all save enc or two
sects, 1t yields to the demands Of the congre-
gatlon-a willingness which disarranges the
relation OF teacher and pupil, and leaves the
Church substantially without any acknowl-
edged head. Against this tendency, clergy
man OF hrst-rate executive ability, and thor
oughly well brldled temper, will be usually able
to maintain himself; good many cergymen,
loving above all things peace, will drift into
the current of the laity; while the rest, not
strong enough successfully to assert themselves
and not wise enough to yield, will pass their
lives In perpetual conflict, tempered Only by
succession of installations So we are com
PEELED to acknowledge that in all human affairs,
even when they assume divine aspect there
are always an infrmlty and perpetual short
coming.
Singularly enough the latest Chicago trouble
| IS not IN the Congregational nor yet in 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 unquestlOning resignation to the de-
cree OF the Bishop, without whose assent he
could not have become a priest at all He
does nothing OF the kind. He treats his Bishop
! precisely as 1t he were any other man. He
brings an action Ryan V. Duggan) in the
secular courts-an action sounding in damages
lald IN the exemplary sum Of $25, 900. lie sets
| forth that the annual income OF his office, from
which the Bishop has Ousted him, was s., 600;
that he held his office by life tenure ; that
the Bishop, instead Of summarily turning him
out, should have called council to investigate
the charges against him; and that he should
have been informed of the nature and charac-
ter OF such charges. All this seems to be,
from human point OF view, extremely proper
At common law here is at least Drintd flcte
case for the plaintiff, who has been turned out
OF his place, and who has thereby lost hand
some income. Still, i'll thus considering the
matter, We cannot rid ourselves of certain
sense OF incongruity. Mr. Ryan is Bishop
Duggan's spiritual son, as such owing ODE
dlence and acqulesence in the paternal deci-
SlOns. Catholic council which sustained
this troward and disobedient child would hope
eSsly demoralze the prestige Of the right rev.
erend father and bring all Bishops through
out the land into contempt Mr.. Ryan him
self would not have treated with much lenity
a contumaci9us member of his own congrega-
ton, yet he holds the same relation to the
Bishop which good lay Catholic holds to his
priest. vi course, we are speaking of theo-
ries. Everybody knows that, in this country
at least, the practice is loose enough.
A man need net be of an unusually reveren-
tlal character to be little shocked at finding
the money element-the $1,000 per annum-
so marked in this and in many similar cases.
! Primitive Christianity, as everybody knows
taught contempt Of filthy lucrc-of all which
motls might corrupt aud thieves teloniously
abstract. SOTe of the largest an most i'm
pOrtant orders of the Roman Catholic Church
are vowed to absolute and literal poverty Il
Is true that POpes and Cardinals and Arch.
bishops and Bishops have not always been
tree from the sin OF avarlce; hut 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 gos-
pel just Az he might plead that he made an
equal sum by running a cotton mill, or by the
royalty Of patent plow. Are we not, how
ever reluctantly, obliged to admit that he vol
unfairly vulgarizes his calling ?-that he Ia
mentally fails to magnify his office We are
not blaming him any more than we are blam.
ing his Bishop. We are simply pointing out
an incOngruity which may have deplorable
secular consequences We do not see hcw any
sincere and conscientious Roman Catholic or
Epscopaan 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.-N Y. Tribune.