The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-04
A Preachers Trick.

This minister had been invited to
preach as candidate in little rural
church in Northern Pennsylvania where
the members, although only on par with
most distant country churches, liked to
hatter themselves that they were "pretty
we'll posted" Before starting for the
place, the minister met an old clerical
friend, who had some experience in the
same neighborhood, and who advised
him to "Give them some Latin and
Greek: it will tickle their vanity, and
they'll set you down for a very smart
man."
There was little difficulty in the
way of the minister's giving his hearers
a dose of Latin and Greek, for he kuew
no more of either language than the
people he was to preach to. But he was
equal to the emergency. He was a ma.
tive of Wales, aud spoke Welsh as we'll
as he did English, though these two were
the only languages he knew anything
about. When he had got nicely into
the sermon, he introduced little passage
of Scripture, and said: This passage,
brethren, has been slightly altered in the
translation. 1t is only the original He.
brew that you can grasp its full meaning.
l will read it to you in Hebrew, so that
you may comprehend it more exactly"
and he gave them the passage in very
good Welsh. The old deacons looked at
each other, aud nodded approval, as
though they would say: That's the stuff
that's the kind of thing we want"
Presently the minister, who saw by the
faces of his hearers that he had made a
hit, came upon another Sculpture pas.
sage that could not be correctly rendered
in English. "This passage" said he, has
to be read in the original to be apprecia-
ted. In all the languages there is none
I know in which the meaning can be so
we'll expressed as in Greek. l will read
you the verse in Greek" and again he
gave them long Welsh sentence. Again
the Deacons nodded approvingly, and be-
fore long the minister found it was neces-
sary to read a verse in Latin, $50 his
hearers might understand it thoroughly" "
and gave Them a little more Welsh.
Everything was going along smoothly,
and the minister, as he approached the
end of his sermon, thought he would
give them Just one more taste of the dead
languages. II am about to read you" )"
said he, another passage on this subject.
But it is another of those passages that
have been altered in the Translation, and
I will read it to you in the Chaldeic, in
which it was written" He was just
about to give them little more Welsh
when, casting his eye over the congrega-
ton, he saw seated near the door jolly
looking man, who was holding his sides
tight to keep from bursting with laugh
ter. The minister took in the situation
in an instant. Here was man in the
church who understood Welsh, and who
was laughing at the trick that had been
played upon the congregation. But not
a feature in the ministers face changed.
Fixing his eyes stright upon the laugh
ing man, just as the congregation thought
he was about to give them the Chaldaic
version, he said again in Welsh (:
"For Gods sake, my friend, don't say a
word about this till l have chance to
talk with you"
The congregation went home satisfied
that they had listened to one of the most
learned of sermons; the laughing man
never told the story, and the minister
was soon settled over the church, the
people believing that a clergyman who
could read the Scriptures in five langua-
ges was just the man for them.