JUNE 237 



the clergyman apparently is both accuser and judge : for, even if 

 he refers to his bishop, the statement of the case must necessarily 

 be ex parte. Yet the verdict which he is empowered to give 

 carries a very severe penalty — nothing less, indeed, than that a 

 man's body should be refused Christian burial. Were that man 

 still living, if such a verdict chanced to be given against him 

 unjustly, one can imagine no injury that would entitle him to 

 heavier damages. Yet this formidable power — for it is formidable, 

 both in its spiritual aspects and in the effect that may be produced 

 upon the minds and interests of survivors, to say nothing of the 

 memory and repute of the deceased— is left in the hands of an 

 individual, who might conceivably — though perhaps this rarely 

 happens — be so prejudiced as to be incapable of forming a just 

 and liberal opinion. 



A century or so ago our forefathers condemned suicides to be 

 buried at four cross-roads with a stake driven through their 

 breasts, yet there must have been cases where such treatment was 

 hard upon suicides. ^Ve have abandoned that practice, but 

 apparently a single clergyman can still pass what — leaving out the 

 stake and the cross-roads — is a similar sentence of excommunica- 

 tion from the company of the Christian dead. 



Needless to say, I am not venturing to criticise the conduct 

 of ministers who have the assurance of their convictions and put 

 them into practice, for if a matter is left to their decision they 

 must decide. Most people, however, would rather be rid of such 

 a responsibility. Once I knew a clergyman who boldly excommu- 

 nicated a parishioner, of whose conduct he disapproved, with bell, 

 book, and candle, quite in the high old fashion. I admired his 

 courage very much, but others, including his bishop, took a 

 different view. Yet the case of the living man is better than 

 that of the dead, for the one can bring an action and the other 

 cannot. 



It is pointed out in the newspaper that on January 21 the 

 minimum temperature was 5o'8°, and on June 14, 48"4'^. What 

 a commentary upon our climate. 



