The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-26
There Was Money In IT,


There Was Money In It."
1t never looks well for members of stthe
cloth'' to appear in secular courts as liti-
giants. Ministers of religion are supposed
to be messengers of peace, promoters of
harmony, not partakers in the strifes OF
this world
a suit recently fled in Detroit makes
showing that is in more than one way dis
creditable to associates in holy orders.
Rev. JOHN CARROLL is rector of Grace
Episcopal church III that city. Rev. ELI
LEMoNTAIs is assistant rector. The latter
brings action against the former to re-
cover 90, 900 for unpaid salary. The SER
vices rendered do not appear to be dis
puted and the amount claimed is for two
years work. ''The laborer is worthy of
his hire,' and it seems as though it
ought to be paid in this case under terms
of a contract.
But the circumstances that have been
brought to light in consequence of the
litigation are more unpleasant to contem-
plate than the contention over the salary.
The assistant rector complains that he
had to attend to the ''menial works.
The labors that come under that designa-
tion are, s'attending the funerals of poor
folks and praying with poor sick peo-
ple." Why that should be considered
mental work will not appear in the ordi-
nary mind, but it is explained by the
further fact! that the rector attended
funerals and prayed with sick people, but
:'only where the rich were involved and
there was money in it.
This draws a distinction that is in
a high degree repugnant to religious
feeling. The line between the rich and
the poor is unpleasant enough in
worldly affairs. But when it is made
SO vivid in church matters, it is
startling in its invidious incongruity.
Imagine the founder OF the Christian
religion sending PETER or JOHN to min
lister among the poorer people, while he
retained the ministry to the rich himself.
And if possible, fancy his giving as a
reason for his choice of labor that ''there
was money in it!'
The fee system is bad enough in judicial
affairs, in courts and their officers. But
when it enters into and governs conduct
in the Christian ministry the evil is i'm
measurably aggravated. The cure OF
souls demands the support of the curate
or rector of course. But that should not
be made the means of religious merchan-
disc nor an incentive to division of work
into profitable and mental. ssThere is
money in it.' That is the popular idea
of the work OF the ministry. 1t is
one of the strongest promoters
of infdelity. 1t keeps thousands
OF people away from the churches. "They
preach for hire and divine for money!
was an ancient complaint against the
priests of that time. Is it not applicable
to many in the nineteenth century? And
does it not detract from their usefulness
and bring their occupation down to the
level of any other profession, and place
the religious hireling in the same cate
CORY as any other rustler for cash?
The kind OF clerical piety which is too
high-toned to minister to the poor but
does it by deputy, mingling only with
the upper circles and officiating solely
where there is money in it, may pass
muster in silk-clad and kid gloved
Christendom. But how will it be classed
when it is said concerning feeding the
hungry, clothing the naked and visiting
the sick and the prisoner: "Inasmuch as
We did it not to the least OF these. ye did
it not to me-" Will it not be placed in
the same grade as other mammon wor-
ship, and with that grade of being which
grubbed in grosser matters simply be-
cause there was money in it?