The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11
The "Confessions" Of . Question
able Clergyman.

Here IL a minister Of the Gospel
who should be ashamed OF himself.
The more interesting his book is.
and 1t Is interesting. the more
ashamed he should be Of it-Confcs-
stons OF a Clergyman Mcbride. Mast
and Company)-and OF himself,
ANONYMOUS. For the qualities that
make II interesting are those which
are least decorous IN the pulpit. leas.
admirable in a pastor. And TO say
hat n minister Of the Gospel should
be softer spoken than a lay" per-
haps a journalistic. critic OF human
conduct is not to say hat the cleri-
cal backbone should be as the skeleton
OF a boiled salmon. But ministers OF
the Gospel privileges OF free
speech far in excess OF what pro-
priety prescribes for plain folks. and
are most ~irreverent takers. Dismiss
ing the slang. the slovenly compost
ton. he affectation. the stra!ning
after effect OF these confessions" as
immaterial. the simple reader will
wonder how the clergyman can Jus
tify his arra!gnment OF his fellow
clergymen. his apparent disloyalty 10
his employers. Anonymous author
ship, travelling under protection OF
membership in the institution whose
agents OF administration II a~ssails. Is
not attractive; but II the book Is not
a work of the imagination, the au-
thor, who presents himself as a doc
tor OF divinity Inc an ornament OF
who's Who" cannot long maintain
his incognito.
The v~ariously assorted distresses Of
clergymen are all In his narrative OF
professedly personal experience: the
unfitness for the profession OF many
who enter II as a snug harbor for
mediocre intelligence or out and out
incompetence, degrading their calline
before the world n cutting down the
mundane compensation to which In
telligent, energetic and faithful prac-
tltioners are entitled; the sapless
theology OF the s%eminaries; the
tyranny Of rich trustees, and the
sloth Of congregations.
We find II exceeding hard, however.
to believe: not that clergymen have
such experiences as are here set forth.
or eve that n clergyman may
have had them although the sug-
gestion In decidedly that which Is
familiar in fiction of eclectic passages
from many persons experience con-
centrated in the history Of some,
imagined superman, whether college
student, business man, newspaper
man or clergyman. type of a %"class"
but that any minister OF the Cos
pei could close his book with words
like these: 81 am not saying there
Is not n type OF clergyman who makes
sacrifices. II liz the type with a large
salary, n fine parsonage. a gorgeous
church. and parishioners who trust
their minister so implicitly hat they
can snore while he reads his help
less little compositions. or go g%olfn~.
There's your martyr. There's your
hero, For he il denying himself his
hearts one passionate, burning de-
sire, the gentlcmanly and on tho
whole reasonable luxury of blowing
out his brains" In other words, tn.
man who cannot succeed in n diff
cult task or who is not made of stern
enough stuff to stick to his tasl;
even IL full success is impossible,
though the task in itself be of a no.
bility not measurable in terms Of
tangible success-such a man profess
ing the special beliefs of Christianity.
In addition to the common sense OF
the pagan world. Is justified in his
disbursement in committing sui
eide, the refuge Of the detected em-
bezzler. the confessed failure in life"
and the murderer who would avoid
the chair. As to blowing out his
brains" the answer is OBVIOUS.
Would any minister Of the Gospel.
rural, suburban or metropolitan, say
even under cover Of anonymous pub