The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-04-12
The elergyinan's isuse.

A minister had been invited to preach
as candidate in a rural village liz Nor
theEn Pennsylvania where the members,
allhough only on par with distant
country churches. liked to 1atter them
selves thatthcy we're pretty. well posted
Before starting for The place, the minis-
ter met an old clerical friend, who had
had some experience in the same neigh@
borhood, and who advised him to ..Givs
them some Latin and Greek; it will
tickle their vanity.i and. they'll set, you
down for very smart man"
f. There-was-a little difficulty In the way
OF the minister's giving his hearers q
dose Of Latin or Greek, for be knew no
more OF either language than the people
he was TO preach to. But he was equal
is the emergency He was q native Of
Wales, and spoke Welsh as we'll as be
did English, although these two 1S1s
euages we're all he knew anything about.
When be got nicely into the sermon he
introduced . little passage Of scripture,
and said: ~ go =
"Tbis passage. brethern, has heen
EsGghtly altered in the translation. 1t is
only in the original Hebrew that you
fcan grasp It's full meaning twill read
il to you in Hebrew. 80 that you. may
Icomprehend it more exactly" and be
|eave them passage in very good Welsh.
tThe. .oldsdescons looked at each sotLer
and nodded approval as much to say,
|"Thai's the stuff; that's the kind OF thing
We. wants! as .Ei.Y sns n
Z Presently the ministers. Who saw. by
the tsces Of bis hearers that he had made
lashits came upon notherscripturslspas
Usage thatcould not he cosrectly render
ed in English. This passage, said he,
lshas. to, be read in the Original ito be
appreciated. In all, the languages. there
|is none know in which the meaning
can be so well expressed as ip Geek.
will read }bu the, verse in Greek. And
be gave them a long Welsh sentence.
Again the deacons nodded approvingly,
lsnd before long the minister found it
necessary to read verse ip, Latin, $50
that his hearers might pnders,snd it
more thoroughly" and gave them lit
tile. more Welsh
Everything was going along smooth@
lily, and the minister, as he approached
the end Of bis sermon, thought be would
! give them just one more taste of the
! dead languages, 81 am about TO read
to you" said he, ssanoiher prssage on
, tthis subject Batitis another OF those
! .lpsssages that have been altered. in the
translation, and / will read 1t to you In
! ithe Chaliaic.in which It wss written =
He was about 20 give them little
more, Welsh, when, casting bis eye over
; the congregation, be saw seated near the
door a. a.jolly-looking man, who was hold
ling his sides 70 keep from bursting with
laughter. The minister took in the Sit
uation 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,
. Bnt not feature in the ministers face
! changed. Fixing his eyes straight on
h the laughing man, just as the congrega.
tion thought he vas going to give them
The Chaldsic version, he said again In
Welsh: a
.".For Gods sake; mr friend, don.l
say word about this ill have chance
to talk with YOU"
The Congregation went home satisfied
: . that they had listened to one ofthc mos,
learned OF. setmons; the laughing man
never. told the story, and the minister
! was sooD settled over the church, The
ipeople believing that a. clergyman who
Z could read the scriptures. in Eve lan-
guages was just the man for them.,