The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-03-11
4 STRANGELY Fo0LIsH CLERGYMAN

1t appears that the Rev. Mr. Putnam, o.
Paul's Episcopal Church, on Jersey City
Heights, has got into trouble with his con
gregation, and from the nature of his diff
cuties it is plain that the hapless clergy
man is not fit for the ministry of a fashion
able church. 1t is not alleged that he is
immoral. 1t lie not pretended that he is
unorthodox. His opinions in regard to tn Q
use of millinery in the service of the altar
are not distastefnl to his parishioners. The
fatal defect In his character lie that he loves
"poor" company. He has propensity for
congregation and finding ont how they
stand the hard times, instead of devoting
himself to pastoral visits among the rich
members. He has an unhealthy and NOR
bid desire for visiting the sick and the
sicker they are and the more they suffer
from want, the more he seems to enjoy their
company. This diseased imagination ia al
ways urging him to go in search of the halt
and the blind, and pilot them to hospitals.
In fact be is behaving in very aggrava
ting fashion towards the eminently
respectable people who pay him large
salary. The consequence of his loss of time
in bad company was that he bad to neglect
study, and grew careiessin the c"mposition
of his sermons. He ceased to sling he CAV
and festive metaphor with his accustomed
grace and ease; the lofty hyperboe no
longer leaped in exuberant vitality along
the margin of his flowing eioquence; the
fitful flashes of fancy played not among the
mountain peaks of his religious thought
the voice of the bold personifcation failed
hortations. He neglected the sprightly
synecdoche for the sick bed. He troubled
himself about beef soup for beggars rather
than about flowers of rhetoric. He set a
good turn done to neighbor, above pretty
turn of expression. The result was that
his congregation missed the glttering gen
erality and the polished platitude with
which their Sabbath had been cheered so
long. They felt that they were falling be-
hind other churches that paid no more than
they did for n clerical orator, ard their
complaints were loud aud bitter. The un
fortunate pastor has spent the best years of
his life in their service, and ia not we'll
prepared to be turned out to look for q new
situation; but he is willing to submit to
whatever trials are sent upon him. He con-
fesses with tears that his sermons ars not
as good as they ought to be, but he pr omises
amendment though not pledging himself to
give up his low associations with the sick
poor.
Mr.. Cox, one of the vestrymen said, that
number were willing to overlook ocea-
sional deficiencies in the sermons, bnt
others were not 50 lenient, and at least half
OF the vestry thought that Mr.. Putnam
should reeigD, and one vestryman had said
that If Mr.. Putnam did not resign, he (the
Vestryman) would seek another church.
In December the vestry had several
meetings to talk over the question of ask
ing Mr.. Putnam to resign, and at two of
them Mr.. Putnam was present. AT the
second of these Mr.. Harrison said, that
the only remedy he could devise was
Mr.. Putuam's resignation, on hearing
which Mr.. Putnam, in tremulous tones,
said that if by 30 doing he could bring
about any good to st. Paul's parish, or pre-
vent evil from happening to it, he would
Immediately resign. When his presence
became the occasion OF a division OF the
church, it was time for him to go. No action
was taken at the time, but now it ia the in
tention of the highly respectable to
bring m tters to an issue, and the proba-
bilities are that in few days Mr.. Putnam
will be- forced to leave church which he
has bnilt up and lsbored for during the
past II years.-N. I. Sun.