Year: 1874

NJ the same lme cOngratulAto UovoiHok -
I den on the fact that il is now open to him to
win this trophy for his fame.


Tho Clerical Observation-Disclosures
and Beecher.


| The Beecher case was in the courts yester-
day and goes over until Monday. The Moul-
ton case, which, after all, is only side issue
in the Beecher scandal, will be called up to-
day in the federal Court Both sides are fight
ing for time. The Beecher lawyers want the
Moulton-Proctor case tried first because a ver-
dict against Moulton would have a moral
effect in favor of Beecher. The Tilton law
yers desire the civil suit to be tried first be-
cause they feel that it is their strongest case
The ablest lawyers at the New York Bar
are pitted against each other, with General
Butler as reinforcement 1t does seem pity
that Beecher's friends should drag the maiden
name and fame of an esteemed and gifted
young lady into the courts for the purpose of
protecting their CLIENT but many curious
things have been done in this deplorable con-
test. The comfort is that the end must come
soon. The Glendenning case has come to an
end. The Jersey City Presbytery find that
Glendenning has committed none of the
crimes charged against him that he did not
seduce Miss PomerQy but that he behaved
in ON absurd, trifing and unclerical manner
in his attentions to young lady he never in
tended to marry. Accordingly, after acquitting
him of any crime, they dismiss him from the
ministry for his follies.


This is .enient verdict and a severe SEN
tence. We are bound to accept it as just
But we think it would be wise for some Of our
reverend friends to consider the propriety of
establishing 80 society for the protection of
the character of clergymen." There is
scarcely mail that does not bring us "a new
development" or "a religious sensation" or
an astounding outrage on the part Of
some clergyman Somehow or sother these
scandals are connected with women. We do
not often hear of clergymen committing as
sault and battery, or being arrested for drunk
and disorderly conduct, or stealing, or any of
the general run of offences that burden the
statute books. The scandal which aston
ished the civilized world in Brooklyn
seems to have generated brood Of small
scandals. In al Of them-except, perhaps,
that of the Catholic priest in Philadelphia
whose doubts about the infallibility of the
Pope took SO grotesque and personal
o turn-the congregations Of the assailed
clergymen only drew closer and closer
to their pastors In Plymouth church the
religion Of Jesus Christ has been succeeded by
o religion the supreme commandment of which
is to believe in the integrity of M. Beecher.
Mr.. Glendenning has had, in all his trials,
the most comforting support from his
congregation, and will no doubt be
preaching next Sunday to faithful rem
nant Of his followers; the Frankfort clergy
man, Cooper, receives letter from his flock
expressing their adherence of his assailant
and although in West Chester it is proposed
to ''execute summary vengeance" upon the
latest accused clergyman, his parishioners are
Jealous in his defence. This certainly shows
the value Of the religious relation, in the fact
that it binds the congregation with personal
tie to the pastor Certainly the fame of o
person who accepts the sacred calling-a call
ing peculiarly susceptible to slander-would
rest upon uncertain tenure if at the first
breath of suspicion his congregation would
fall from him. Wicked or worldly men, we
fear, take peculiar pleasure in the down.
fall of clergyman. Somehow the assump-
ton that human being like the rest of
us should be the paragon of virtue. the in
structor In discipline, the monitor Of error,
the minister Of Jesus Christ, the champion
and ambassador of the supreme and awful
power which rulea the universe-this assump-
ton, which is involved in the clerical Office,
becomes, as it were, rebuke to the mass Of
mere worldly men, who, in their hearts, be-
lieve that religion is hypocrisy and rejoice in
the downfall of clergyman because it is
simply manifestation of insincerity and
| deceit.


As we say. the existence of this worldly
feeling makes the ministerial calling more and
more dangerous. It imposes upon those who
accept it severe caution. We are far from
thinking that because man is q clergyman
he should not be as other men in his tastes,
accomplishments and ways of ife-that he
should not have the resources of gentleman
in all things. But the respect he owes his
holy place, the vast power he holds upon the
hearts and lives Of innocent, trusting, credu-
lous and not always over-intelligent masses,
and the shock which comes to so many
thousands by such scandal as we saw
in Brooklyn, should impose upon every
Clergyman the most rigid method Of lite. If
he objects to the limitations thus implied then
the pulpit is not his vocation. If he feels
that he is called upon to serve Christ, then he
must do all that is required in that service.
The Catholic Church, by its extraordinary
discipline, removes from its ministers many
Of the temptations which surround the cler-
pymen of the Protestant branches But the