The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-12-26
Pulpit Plagiarism.

One of the Chicago papers has exposed
a recent instance of plagiarism IN an
almost cruel fashion. An eminent di-
vine of that city-a doctor of divinity .
too, by the way-preached an eloquent
discourse on the loss ofthe Vile du Ha-
yer. The sermon was printed entire IN
the Tribune of the next morning, and
from its timeliness and beauty must
have faund thousands of readers. But
the Post of that city, day or two alto
wards, printed portions Of this discourse
in parallel columns with extracts from
a sermon of DR.. Chaplin on the loss Of
the Arctic some fifteen years ago. The
co1ncidence-of thought, sentiment, illus
tration, metaphor, and phraseology Is
certainly wonderful. 1t cannot be ex-
planned away The Chicago divine evil
IDENTIFY does not appreciate the signih-
canoe of quotation marks. He is GER
tainly taking preacher. Chicago can
congratulate herself on having a pious
Hooker for one of her preachers. But
one thing should be said in his favor.
He stole we'll He took good thing. I
4 few years ago a young man was .
brought before council of Boston min
listers for preaching a cermon of one of
them as his own, but the sufferer begged |
the thief might be excused in conse-
quence of the excellent judgement and
taste he had shown in the selection. The
Chicago divine should be mercifully
dealt with on account of his admirable
discrimination. 1t is not every preacher
who has the good sense to piece out his
shortcomings and fortify his incompe-
tence with DIR. Chapin's glowing and
fervid defamation.
There is doubtless good deal more
pulpit plagiarism than most people are
aware Of It was only a short time ago
that another Chicago divine Sas detect
ed in preaching the sermon of an East
ern clergyman, and excused the act on
the ground that it was used with the au-
thor's consent. Perhaps the two had
swapped sermons, which cost less money
than an exchange Of pulpits. With 80
many men preaching on the same gener-
al topics year after year, there must be
a great similarsty in thought, sentiment,
and ILLUSTRATION; and minds of moderate
ability and fertility will be naturely
tempted to use material that is at hand,
and better than anything they are able
to produce on the spur of the moment,
| -, 50 rsff1ob aaGiaF
to copp than to create that it is not
strange that men of real talent who are
pressed for time by exacting engage
ments should turn to fayorite author
instead of taking their tried brains. In
England the custom Is far more general
than here. One of our distinguished
New York clergymen once heared
popular London divine deliver one OF
DIR. Grcenwood's beautiful discourses in
a truly fervid fashion, and when asked
if he ever heared anything like that IN
America, replied "No; but have
read something like it," and produced
the volume. A well-known English
reader made a great sensation in London
few years ago by preaching Claiming
and Buckminster's and Dewey's ser
. mons as his own. The sale oflithograPh
ed sermons, done in a course hand anc
we'll blotted and scratched, is extensive
and in many English papers sermon
suited for all occasions are advertised
: for sale. Who would abandon fox
hunt to write sermons when they cal
buy one more. defying than they cal
write for paltry ten shillings? 1e
the thing is always disreputable anc
whoever is suspected of restoring to suel
tricks loses caste with the best minds
The American preacher who gave
chapter from DIR. bricks Sidereal Heav
ems as an original lecture was sufficient
!, Iy FURNISHED by its publication. Amer
) ican congregations demand intellectua
integrity. They prefer original driva
to olen -e1oquence, and will pardon al
honest stupidity while uniting to crus
: a brilliant fraud.
= But there is plagiarism Of ideas
n methods, and arguments that is far NOR
e frequent than verbel appropriation W
o have noticed, and eminent divines VIII
n would commit suicide sooner than tax
is BODY of another's discourse have n
is scrupIes against taking its soul. Indeed
" ideas are regarded as common propert
r and taken by whoever caree for then
le There are a large number of stock 'llu
" trations which seem to belong TO wh
r ever uses them. Macaulay's New Zea
e, ander has long pedigree. The frame
f. work of Coleridge's magnificent hymn
ne Mont Blanc was borrowed from Free
he erca Brun. SHAKESPEARE was the prIn'
a of plagiarists, but he piilaged hteratu
Sc as conuuerer, instead of committir
ri petty larceny. Some minds need u
d. suggestion and provocation of mo
lat stimulative intellects to set them fair
ng at work. They require the ,fertilizu
le- pollen of anothers thought to make the
he productive They give back what tn
To- absorb i'll what is characterized an orlt
he nal as anything they appropriate. L
to ery sermon of Beecher suggests Chi
ro- mers and Claiming. The thought
go Robertson circulates in endless undul
-Itions through all our pulpits and reliI
ougs literature. Emerson breaches
No cry Sunday to more congregations tn
he is aware of Indeed, the discou
that is appropriated bodily becomes
on. entirely different thing as it is deliver
from another's lips and is charged W
a. another's spirit. When Mirabea
friend complained that the Assent
~, would not listen to him, that fiery a
impetuous leader asked for his spec
ou' and the day electrified the Assembly
OF uttering as his own the words they |
refused to hear from another.
). words were the same; the force and
that made them thrilling and eleci
." were not his friends but his own. [