'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 for 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 by 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 guilty by a jury--he would, I think, neglect in 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 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 I agree with you, sir,' said Mr Thumble.
'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 own course of action,' said Dr Tempest. 'If we are all agreed, Iwill beg him to come here on this day week, when we will meet again. And we will then ask him whether he will submit himself to the bishop's decision, in the event of the jury finding him guilty. If he should decline to do so, we can only then form our opinion as to what will be the bishop's duty by reference to the facts as they are elicited at the trial. If Mr Crawley should choose to make to us any statement as to his own case, of course we shall be willing to receive it. That is my idea of what had better be done; and now, if any gentleman has any other proposition to make, of course we shall be pleased to hear him.' Dr Tempest, as he said this, looked round upon his companions, as though his pleasure, under the circumstances suggested by himself, would be very doubtful.
'I don't suppose we can do anything better,' said Mr Robarts. 'I think it a pity, however, that any steps should have been taken by the bishop before the trial.'
'The bishop has been placed in a very delicate position,' said Mr Thumble, pleading for his patron.
'I don't know the meaning of the word "delicate",' said Robarts. 'Ithink his duty was very clear, to avoid interference whilst the matter is, so to say, before the judge.'
'Nobody has anything else to propose?' said Dr Tempest. 'Then I will write to Mr Crawley and you, gentlemen, will perhaps do me the honour of meeting me here at one o'clock this day week.' Then the meeting was over, and the four clergymen having shaken hands with Dr Tempest in the hall, all promised that they would return on that day week. So far, Dr Tempest had carried his point exactly as he might have done had the four gentlemen been represented by the chairs on which they sat.
'I shan't come again all the same, unless I know where I'm to get my expenses,' said Mr Quiverful, as he got into the gig.