The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-01
CLERICAL BLACK SHEEP.
Notable Instances of Lapsing from
Grace Among England's Clergy.
Would-Re Theatrical Chaplain, the Man
Who Supports Bradlaugh, and Two
Others Who Got Drunk.
Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal
LONDON, Aug 18.-The clergy of the Church
Of England are moral and highly respecta-
BILE class of people for the most part, but that
there are a few black sheep among them the
developments of the past few days have
made painfully evident. What is to be
thought, for instance, of the gentleman who
has asked leave of Mr.. Irving to accompany
the Lyceum troupe across the Atlantic in
the capacity of honorary chaplain" 1t is
not denied that Mr.. Irving is a wonderfully
good actor, nor that he takes with him very
competent set of assistants, and it is crafty
ing to know that the Lyceum company are
all persons of good character, but are they
30 exceptionally pious that their superiority
over other players deserves to be marked in
the manner suggested? Ordoes the,clergyman
mean to imply by his proposal that they are
so much worse than Others as to need spe-
cial praying for? Possibly this gentleman
is herald of the new dispensation which we
are told is about to dawn, when
theatrical performances will be opened
with religious worship and the old
fashioned prologue be revived in the form
of short sermon; or it may be he is an
agent of the society here which makes a
speciality of preaching the gospel to theatrical
people, and that his offer of gratuitous
services as chaplain is the entering wedge of
a plan for the conversion of the Irving COM
pany from the error of their ways. But the
most charitable and reasonable supposition
is that this aspiring clergyman is a crank.
IT, however his preferred services should be
accepted the novelty of the arrangement
would not be wholly out of keeping with
other incidents of the Irving furore. Church
and state are very closely connected here,
and as the Prince of Wales, the Prime
Minister and the Lord Chief-justice have
fallen on the departing actors neck and
kissed him a fearful goodbye, some recogni-
ton from the ecclesiastical authorities would
seen to be just the thing. Apropos of the
prominent part the Lord Chief-j justice took
at the Irving banquet, and of his enthusiastic
patronage of stage people generally, some
malicious individual has started the rumor
that his lordship, on his return from Amer
lea, will devise new code of laws specially
suited to the morals of actors and actresses.
Such a code would not be leone to some
of the profession but the majority, it is
understood, would rather matters should re-
main as they are Not that they object to
having peculiar privileges conferred upon
them; what they are afraid OF is the increased
Crowding of the ranks which the new ar
rangement would be likely to cause.
ANOTHER CASE.
The many people who consider the con-
duct of Mr.. Irving's would-be chaplain rep
h ~, ID
Mr.. Headlam, who presided at a recent
Bradlaugh demonstration in Trafalgar
Square. One of the papers say:
"a clergyman who fraternizes with Mr.
Bradlaugh is an enemy of the church and of
religion. 1t is noticeable that Mr. Headlam
studiously refrained from avowing any diff
ference of opinion from Mr.. Bradaugh, but
talked a lot of trash about supporting con-
stitutional rights against oppression and tyr
amy. Which party in the church claims
Mr.. Headlam? Or do they all spurn him?'
Considering the influence for evil which
the great iconocast is exertlng over the
youth of this country it is no wonder church
people are indignant at any countenancc
shown him by ministers of the gospel. The
thing that has most amazed and shocked
me in my studies of English life is the alarm
ing prevalence of atheistic notions among
the rising genertion, and the large number
of young people l have found with the pub
lications of the most advanced free
thinkers in their hands. And these juvenile
atheists, it is extremely painful to observe are
examining their heads, not simply witt argu-
ments against the Bible and the CT. 'istian
religion, but with the vilest teachings of So
called social philosophy. have met youths
OF this class in the most respectable families,
but the place where this species of depravity
shows its greatest strength is in HYDE Park
on a Sunday afternoon. There ar oppor-
tunity is afforded to harangue the crowd
and | have heard young fellows who could
not be more than twenty, and on whose lip
the down was just beginning to show itself
deliver themselves of sentiments that were
perfectly horrfying. 1t is hardly supposable
these hedgelings make any converts. They
do succeed however, in making display of
their ignorance and lack of decency, and one
readily sees in their shameless performances
an explanation, if not publication. of the
loathng which the better class of English
people feel for the man who leads and in
spires them. Against the teachings and the
influence of Bradlaugh the clergy, it is felt,
should, OF all people, oppose the unbroken
strength of both precept and example
When. therefore, gentleman of the cloth
steps before the public in the role of a Brad
laugh sympathizer there is as a matter of
course, widespread Indignation and the rev.
erend offender is not long in discovering that
he has put his foot into hornets nest
THE WORST OF ALL
But the cases against the two clergymen
already referred to involve lapses that are
trivial and Insignificant as compared with
two others that have just occurred. call
attention to these not from any desire to
present the English clergy in bad light,
but to trace the developments TO their causes
and to show the effect they are likely to
Lave in rectifvino delet erinus habits and cus-