The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-01-01
Here it ends, not finished.
CHAs. c. WALcuTT,
Warden Ohio Peuiteutiary.
On Preaching Other Mems SER
mons,


By REV. J. P. THoMPsON, D. D.
The American pulpit is pledged
against plagiarism as the objectionable
lsiu. A preacher detected in the use Of
borrowed sermons loses caste in the
profession, and has little mercy TO hope
for from the press and the public.
Even an unconscious Borrowings
when, after reading a strong and elo-
Iqusnt writer, one undesignedly appro-
ipriates and reproduces his thoughts,
his method, his tropes, and illustrations,
without servilely copying bis language
lis deemed discreditable in man of
sufficient calibre and education to have
thoughts and expressions of his own.
Have you read Pressense's Jesus
Christ" asked one minister Of another,
who had just preached a sermon upon
the character of Jesus. "No,n replied
the preacher, with tone and emphasis
that suggested feeling of injured in
nocence. i "Why do you ask ~ E'0h n
rejoined the first quickly, 81 saw no
trace of him in your sermon; it wasn't
that at ALL only desired your opinion
of the book" So sensitive are clergy
men Of honor and culture to the faint
est suspicion Of using the words or
thoughts Of others, without proper
acknowledgment Even the uupublish-
ed manuscript sermons adapted 10 con-
lgregatiOns Of various grades, so often
advertised in England, and used by
English clergymen with no suspicion Of
limpropriety or fear Of disgrace, would
find no market in this country.
All this is most creditsble to the
American clergy. 1t indicates a high
average grade Of education and a nice
standard of honor-s perceptio of the
becoming which one has righ. to look
for in public teacher of truth.
The Rev. John Angel James, of Biz
minghsm, England, once left his pulpit
in charge of young minister, who
greatly astonished his congregation by
preaching a sermon that they had heard
from their pastor a little while before.
Complaint being made to Mr.. James,
on his return, of the audacity of his
young substitute, he said it was clear
that one of them had repeated the
other; but he himself was the offender,
for having heard this preacher with
much delight, upon a certain public
occasion, and being hurried in his pre-
parations for the following Sabbath, he
had reproduced from memory tbs dis
course which his young friend had now
visited upon him in bis own pulpit
Such an incident in an American pulpit
would have almost proved case of
" my double and how he undid me,
yet it detracted nothing from the stand |
ing Of Mr.. James. The young man
received credit for his cleyerness, and |
Mr.. James for his msgnauimity, while
the sffair passed as an excellent Joke.
We are proud of a tone and standard |
among American preachers that render
the practice Of borrowing sermons un-
professional and discreditable.
But while adbering to this standard
of clerical and literary honor, may it
not still be possible and proper for
clergymen TO use occasionally the ser
mons of others, for their own relief,
aud to the advantage of their congrega-
tions9 If this is done with an open
acknowledgment all offence against
honor is removed; and if done with
Judgment and timely adoption, might
not the reading of borrowed sermons
give a pleasing and useful variety to
the preachers, especially in parishes
where opportunities of bearing strangers
are infrequent?
Not long since one ofthe most popular
clergymen of Boston announced to his
congregation that he would read to (
hem, in course, Liddon's hampton
Lectures on the Divinity of Christ.
This clergyman was himself capable Of
presenting the subject of the lectures
but he chose TO use material 1
with great learning and care,
and with special reference to the latest
phases of criticism, instead of eulling
rom this extracts to enrich and adorn
ais own discussion of the theme. He L
nay have felt-as every one feels who {
mas the care Of large parish-the i'm I
of deyoting time and care {
enough to special series of discourses
without sighting other portions of his j
work, aud so have preferred to use !
hese "Uniyersity sermons of an ae- G
scholar and thinker. The /
experiment. was successful The SER
mons were read, at an extra weekday 4
erviee, to crowds of eager listeners. Il
This example gives pertinenSe to the i
query of friend; "Tould d
lot country preachers, or the majority il
# them, do far more good by occasion {
i preaching of sermons by old English d
livinss, such as DR.. South? Would {
lot the preachers gain by the rest, and 0
he people gain by the qualityl" Is