The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-11-11
A Tribute To Elder Sweeney.

he resignation of Ed. j. S. Sweeney.
Below is reurlnted a portion of the artl-
Gle that will prove of interest to many
of THE NEWS readers
For twenty eight years ne
has been the pastor vi
that church 1t has been built up ny
his strong Individuality of character
*** Out of the thirteen hundred mem-
bers there would probably be nifty VINO
would vet to call some other minister.
To most men, this opposition would
seem insignificant, but for Elder
Sweeney it is sufficient to cause him 10
resign Last Sunday, when he stated
that he would sever his connection with
the congregation, there were scores
present who remembered the many
kindly offices he had performed for them
and they could not hold back the tears
A majority of them were in favor OF
starting a new church, erecting modern
baildipg and installing him as pastor or
it. Elder Sweeney opposed this move
and said he resigned in good faith, ana
that he would retire from the ministry
in Paris. He does not propose to go
away from the city, but will live and
die there and his grave will be among
the graves of many whom he took into
| the church.
"rhis is a turning point in the his
tory of the great Christian Church at
Paris. 1t has, for years, directed the
affair, certainly of Bourbon County,
probably of Central Kentucky. Its
members were among the wealthlest
and most influential citizens of this
section. They were united, and conse-
quently. powerful. From this time on,
it is very safe to say that its power
and influence will decline, and that
other churches that have 80 | ny been
overshadowed by it will receive renew
ed impetus, and will soon out-rival 1t.
Among the ministers spoken of as sue
cessor to Elder Sweeney is Mr.. e. A.
Thomas, a young man who has charge
of church some miles out from Paris.
He is theological graduate of recent
date, and he is now enjoying his first
charge. He could no more fill Elder
Sweeney's place than Lilliputian could
wear the boots of Broddinag, yet there
are some members of this congregation
who think it would be great improve
ment upon the man who has made the
church a power, who for nearly thirty
years has preached to them and has
never preached a sermon that was not
full of instruction. Think of Mr..
Thomas forcing his logic and eloqaeuce!
Picture him in debate With such
giants as Miller, Ditz.er aud
Hiner Elder Sweeney met all
these men i'll debate and
proved himself worthy of their truest
steel. His sermons, upon great occa
sions, were so novel in conception, rich
in imagery and replete in pathos that
his fame soon spread beyond the con-
| fines of his state, and he was looked
upon as the leader of the ministers of
his denomination. He is no ordinary
man in any sense of the word. He Can
tear great sorrow without complaint,
hiding the wounds in his own heart
while he ministered to those of others.
He has given the Paris people great
deal more than they have ever given
him, if they will but lay aside the sordid
habit they have of computing by dollars
and cents. Speaking of the dollars and
cents part of it suggests the foreign
mission question again. Elder Sweeney
is intensely practical. He certainly
would never make Col. Sellers. The
visionary was almost wholly omitted
from his make up. He believed that his
fellow Americans should be educated
first. It seemed to him that home mis-
sions should take precedence that they
would pay the church better, pay the
government better, pay the world bet
ter. He looked upon one christianized
Anglo-SaxOn as worth a dozen re
deemed Chinese. He preached home
sermons, practical sermons. His sue
cessor may be fluent speaker and up
to all the little namby- pambyism and
goody-goody, lace ruffied ideas, but I'M
less he has his mind and heart and soul
imbued with the strong Americanism
and practical religion of Elder Sweeney,
he won't last long with the pillars of
the Paris Christian Church. -