Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-02-29
A Preachers Trick.
TNeW York Times

This minister had been invited to preach
as candidate in a little rural curch in
Northern Pennsylvania, where the men,
bers, although only on a par with most
distant country churches, liked to Aatter
themselves that they were pretty we'll
posted" Before starting for the place, the
minister met an old clerical friend, who
had had some experience in the same neigh
borhood, and who advised HIM to give
them some Latin and Greek: it will tickle
their vanity, and they'll set you down for
q very smart man."
There was q little difficulty in the way
of the minister's giving his hearers dose
of Latin and Greek, for he knew no more
of either Language than the people he was
to preach to. But he was equal TO the emer-
gency. He was a native of Wales, and
spoke Welsh as well 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
a little passage of scripture, and said; This
passage, brethren has been slightly altered
in the translation. 1t is only in the origi-
nal Hebrew that you can grasp its full
meaning. will read it toyou 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, and nodded approval as though
the kind of thing we want" -
Presently the minister, who saw by the
faces of his hearers that he had made hit,
come upon another scripture passage that
could not be correctly rendered in English.
''This passage" said he, "has to be read
in the original 10 be appreciated. In all
the languages there is none know in
which the meaning can be so we'll expressed
as in Greek. l will read you this verse j..
Greek" and again he. gave then long
Welsh sentence Again the deacons nod
ded approyingly, and before long the min
lister found it necessary to read verse in
Latin, $50 his rearers might understand it
thoroughly" and gave them little more
Welsh,
Every thing was going along smoothly,
and the minister, as he approached the end
Of his sermon, thought he would give them
Jest one more taste of the dead languages
IT 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 tranlation, and l will read it to you
He was Just about to give them little more
Welsh when, casting his eyes over the con-
pregation, he saw seated near the door a
10 ly looking man, who was holding his
sides tight to keep from bursting with
laughter. The minister took ia the situa-
ton in an instant. Here was q man in the
church who understood Welsh, and who
was laughing at the trick that had been
played upon the congregation. But not
feature in the minister's face changed.
Fixing his eyes straight upon the laughing
man, lust as the congregation through
he was about to give them the Chaldaie
version he said again in Welsh .E--.
"For Gods sake, my friend don't say a
word about this till have chanc to talk
with you"
The congregation went home satisfied
that they had listened to one of the most
learned of sermons the laughing imam
soon settled over the church. the people
believi ing that q clergyman who could read
the scriptures in five languages was just
the man for them.