The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-13
RecoiI of Stolen Guns in the Pulpit.

The perils of the practice somewhat common
in England, of delivering borrowed, bought, or
stolen sermons as original, is well illustrated,
says DR.. Doran, in an incident which. occurred
In one of the western villages OF the Kingdom.
The rector and the curate had been absent
for some time; but they were efficiently repre-
sented while they were away. They returned
to resume duty on the same day. The curate
toek the morning service, while the rector
offciated for friend in a neighboring parish;
but the rector was present in the even.
ing to preach after the curate had read prayers;
The sermon in the. morning was SO good
that the members OF the congregation con-
graduated themselves on the effects which
change of air had on the preachers style
assembled the pulpit In the evening they hoped
that q judcious holiday time had had the same
effect upon HIM, and they felt they would be
the better able to judge when they heard HIM
subject of the curate's illustration in the fore
noon. Very soon, however they found that 1t
was not only the same text but the same
sermon; and then the faces OF the con-
gregaton assumed variety of expressions
that might have defed Heir Schultze himself
to represent. There was but one placid
countenance in the whole church, aud that
was the preachers, who went on quite uns
conscious of the days history and its conse
quences. There was but one face besides that
did not bear upon 1t an expression of fun, or
comic surprise, or laug ghable perpleXlty and
puzzlement, and that was the curate's. He,
good man looked the more concerned and
abashed as he tried to look otherwise-the
more he stroVe to assume a guise of indiffer-
ence, the more intensely horrifed he grew.
In short the two worthy personages had, un-
known TO each other, purchased a dozen or
so of Autographed manuscript sermons, and
they had the ill-luck, without communica-
tion with each other, to select the same
sermon wherewith to inaugurate their re-
turn to the old pasture. The people, how
ever were good natured people, the two
cergymen were worthy men, and, beyond a
harmless Joke or two, no harm came Of this little
misadventure. II is more dangerous, perhaps.
to preach the printed than the written sermons
of other people. remember an illustration of
| this in the case of popular preacher On
| leaving his church, where he had delivered a
| very original discourse, he asked clerical
friend who had been present, what he thought
| of the sermon. The friend spoke of it in terms
OF the warmest praise, and then the subject was
| dropped. In the course of the folio wing week,
| however the friend for purposes of his
| own, purchased three volumes of sermons de-
| lyered and printed in America dozen yeara
before. In the second volume, opening it by
| chance, he came upon the very original sermon
| that his friend had preached and asked his
| opinion on the previous Sunday! He quietly
| put that volume in his pocket and went down
| to the chapel. "Jaek, said he-they were both
| of the free and easy style of popular preachers
| Jack what rascals these Yankees are ! Here
Ua6ine out the book) ''they have taken the ex
cellent sermon heard you preach last Sunday
| and printed it-a dozen years agoW jack
| laughed, hummed a tune, and offered his friend
q cigar, aud walked away to one OF the theatres