The Washington times., 1905-01-07
Vicissitudes of a Priest
Who Has No
Charge.
UNTITLED FOR BUSINESS
His Age and Conscience
Prove Bar to His
Success.

PHILADELPHIA. Jan. THE Rev.
DR.. Ingram n. w. Irvine, whose efforts
| to secure reinstatement IN the Protest
ant Episcopal Church and whose
charges against Bishop Talbot have
brought him into great prominence late
ly. has written an interesting story of
the unusual hardships and difficulties
which confront the unfrocked priest in
seeking to earn living for himself and
his family outside the pale Of the
church
His statement is a pathetic revelation
OF the many obstacles which such a
man must meet in his struggles with
the world. Educated for the priesthood.
where he is taught to ignore worldly
matters as far as possible, he finds him
self at middle age thrown into the
terrible competition of modern Industrial
life. Without special training for any
trade or calling except the ministry. he
is compelled to seek some Iowly clerical
position. Failing to secure this because
OF his age and inability to adapt him
self to the peculiar requirements of his
would-be employer, he is forced to turn
TO other lines, such as book canVassing
or soliciting business for more or less
shady enterprises
Here his conscience stands in his way.
so far as success Is concerned. and the
| unfortunate man is driven to try still
other expedients. The experience. IL is
to be feared, is typical of that of many
ministers deprived of their charges.
whether or not through their own c1,I-
pability.
It is described with much force by DR.
Irvine. Taking as his theme s.The
Vicissitudes of a Priest Without
charge, he writes as follows:
Dr.. Irvine's Views.
The question may naturally be asked
whether the clerical calling is unlike
that OF engaging In any secular pursuit
reply that 1t differs In every resneo.
The call to the priestly Office consists of
| an obedience TO the irresistible voice Of
God, the Holy Ghost echoins through
the soul and mind of a mortal man. II
| Is the response Of a human heart to the
constrain1ng love of that Heart Of
Hearts-the sacred Heart of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ It is the
| answer of a confiding child Of clay to
the soiemr Of the Eternal
rather: Here e-Ll-send mel
| ''Au secular calliogs, when entered
| into with honest ana upright aims. are
| under Gods watchful eye, and nave His
appreciation. for Christ, as a master
mechanic. has sanctified all by His hay-
| ing entered the workshop OF Nazareth
and supported His Virgin Mother with
| the reward Of His toll. He touched
every phase OF life to ennoble and en-
courage mankind:
| Labor is sweet. for Thou hast toiled,
And care is light, for Thou hast cared.
Distinction Between CalIings.
| the two callings- The man of secular
pursuits looks for and must have, day
| by day, the reward of his exertions in
dollars. He cannot succeed without these
in abundance. He would be unwise TO
launch out into any project unless he
saw the reward in sight within reason
able time-a month, a year or some we'll
defined limitation, while, on the con-
trary, the young man who enters the
priesthood Of Jesus Christ hears the call
of his Blessed Master just at the point
where that Master gave up earthly pur-
| suits and,
LAS of old Saint Andrew heard II
By the Galileean lake.
Turned from home, and toll and kindred,
Leaving all for His dear sake
forever turns his back on all that the
! world has TO offer He is henceforth a
l
There, then, at that dividing line be-
| tween the secular and sacred calling. the
young man finds himself. with others
who have chosen the priestly life And.
as he kneels before the altar of God
| to have the indelible character of the
| priesthood stamped upon his manhood
those officiating and taking part In that
service pray to God for the only reward
| that he and the others may expect:
"'As laborers in Thy vineyard,
Stiil faithful may they be.
Content to bear the burden
OF weary DAYS for Thee;
| To ask no other wages
When Thou shalt call them home
But to have shared the travail,
Which makes Thy Kingdom Come
Now we have the call of God and
the reward Of faithruI ministerial life.
Possibly. between these two there may
be an expanse of years. And 1t is just
! in this period that the yicissitudes of a
priest without a charge may be discov-
cred
| Ceases to Be Layman.
God calls each man There is no
question about that. The church does
not call any man. IT appertairs 10 the
office of the Holy Ghost TO select man
| for the priesthood The church only
bears witness to the fact. Once a man
is ordained he forever ceases 10 be a
| laynan. Even II deposed, ne does not
cease TO be a priest. ALL at most that
the privilege Of nin.sterinR at the al
/ tars of that portion OF the church to
which he belongs. All of his acts and
Continued on Eighth Page.)
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