“Gentlemen,” said Dr. Tempest, seating himself at once in an armchair placed at the middle of the table, “I think it will be well to explain to you at first what, as I regard the matter, is the extent of the work which we are called upon to perform. It is of its nature very disagreeable. It cannot but be so, let it be ever so limited. Here is a brother clergyman and a gentleman, living among us, and doing his duty, as we are told, in a most exemplary manner; and suddenly we hear that he is accused of a theft. The matter is brought before the magistrates, of whom I myself was one, and he was committed for trial. There is therefore primâ facie evidence of his guilt. But I do not think that we need go into the question of his guilt at all.” When he said this, the other four all looked up at him in astonishment.
“I thought that we had been summoned here for that purpose,” said Mr. Robarts.
“Not at all, as I take it,” said the doctor. “Were we to commence any such inquiry, the jury would have given their verdict before we could come to any conclusion; and it would be impossible for us to oppose that verdict, whether it declares this unfortunate gentleman to be innocent or to be guilty. If the jury shall say that he is innocent, there is an end of the matter altogether. He would go back to his parish amidst the sympathy and congratulations of his friends. That is what we should all wish.”
“Of course it is,” said Mr. Robarts. They all declared that was their desire, as a matter of course; and Mr. Thumble said it louder than anyone else.
“But if he be found guilty, then will come that difficulty to the bishop, in which we are bound to give him any assistance within our power.”
“Of course we are,” said Mr. Thumble, who, having heard his own voice once, and having liked the sound, thought that he might creep into a little importance by using it on any occasion that opened itself for him.
“If you will allow me, sir, I will venture to state my views as shortly as I can,” said Dr. Tempest. “That may perhaps be the most expeditious course for us all in the end.”
“Oh, certainly,” said Mr. Thumble. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“In the case of his being found guilty,” continued the doctor, “there will arise the question whether the punishment awarded to him by the judge should suffice for ecclesiastical purposes. Suppose, for instance, that he should be imprisoned for two months, should he be allowed to return to his living at the expiration of that term?”
“I think he ought,” said Mr. Robarts;—“considering all things.”
“I don’t see why he shouldn’t,” said Mr. Quiverful.
Mr. Oriel sat listening patiently, and Mr. Thumble looked up to the doctor, expecting to hear some opinion expressed by him with which he might coincide.
“There certainly are reasons why he should not,” said Dr. Tempest; “though I by no means say that those reasons are conclusive in the present case. In the first place, a man who has stolen money can hardly be a fitting person to teach others not to steal.”
“You must look to the circumstances,” said Robarts.
“Yes, that is true; but just bear with me a moment. It cannot, at any rate, be thought that a clergyman should come out of prison and go to his living without any notice from his bishop, simply because he has already been punished under the common law. If this were so, a clergyman might be fined ten days running for being drunk in the street—five shillings each time—and at the end of that time might set his bishop at defiance. When a clergyman has shown himself to be utterly unfit for clerical duties, he must not be held to be protected from ecclesiastical censure or from deprivation by the action of the common law.”
“But Mr. Crawley has not shown himself to be unfit,” said Robarts.
“That is begging the question, Robarts,” said the doctor.
“Just so,” said Mr. Thumble. Then Mr. Robarts gave a look at Mr. Thumble, and Mr. Thumble retired into his shoes.
“That is the question as to which we are called upon to advise the bishop,” continued Dr. Tempest. “And I must say that I think the bishop is right. If he were to allow the matter to pass by without notice—that is to say, in the event of Mr. Crawley being pronounced to be guilty by a jury—he would, I think, neglect his duty. Now, I have been informed that the bishop has recommended Mr. Crawley to desist from his duties till the trial be over, and that Mr. Crawley has declined to take the bishop’s advice.”
“That is true,” said Mr. Thumble. “He altogether disregarded the bishop.”
“I cannot say that I think he was wrong,” said Dr. Tempest.
“I think he was quite right,” said Mr. Robarts.
“A bishop in almost all cases is entitled to the obedience of his clergy,” said Mr. Oriel.
“I must say that I agree with you, sir,” said Mr. Thumble.
“The income is not large, and I suppose that it would have gone with the duties,” said Mr. Quiverful. “It is very hard for a man with a family to live when his income has been stopped.”
“Be that as it may,” continued the doctor, “the bishop feels that it may be his duty to oppose the return of Mr. Crawley to his pulpit, and that he can oppose it in no other way than by proceeding against Mr. Crawley under the Clerical Offences Act. I propose, therefore, that we should invite Mr. Crawley to attend here—”
“Mr. Crawley is not coming here today, then?” said Mr. Robarts.
“I thought it useless to ask for his attendance until we had settled on our course of action,” said Dr. Tempest. “If we are all agreed, I will beg him to come here on this day week, when
