The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-29
: ***+*+***+*++*'
"sWAT THE PREACHERS"
+ + + + + + + + + + + + !
IL sysgE sgsfss .esss..% :

s-~isgF ssssssiis 1,r = .
Being a preacher is not the eineh
that some folks imagine. No matter
what he is or does, he is sure to dis
please somebody-usually seVerai
somebodies. The tastes and opln-
ions of different people are contra
dictory. How is one poor human to
accommodate himself to these anti
podal predictions? Whichever al
tentative he chooses he is bound to
incur unfavorable comment.
If his sermons have length, they
are too elaborate or too repetitious;
he dives deeper, stays under longer,
and comes up dryer than anybody
else. If they have brevity, they are
superficial, inadequate, merely nice
little talks; and it is well known
fact that he is too lazy to study out
discourse that is really worth hear
ing. If his message is fortnight and
unadorned it is commonplace, tire
somely platitudinous; if it has grace
of diction and flights of fancy, it is
E flowery florid, impractical-in short,
it is lust hot air. If illustrations are
omitted, his thought is presented too
abstractly and therefore uninterest-
ingly: if they are included, he tells
too many graveyard yarns" If he
breaches the simple gospel, he is old
fashioned, purveyor Of ancient tru-
d isms; if he introduces dictum of
= science or refers approvingly to any
thing a higher Critis has said, he is
dangerously radical. If he talks
about the love of Jesus and the con-
ISOLATION of grace, he is sentimental
and effeminate; if he advocates any
civil reform or points out anything
wrong in the practices of the people
he is meddlesome, a contemplate in
terloper, and is reminded not too po-
litely that other folks have been in
town longer than he has. Thus is
the path of his preaching beset with
endlessly battling contrarlety and
the scoffers scoff on.
As to his department, the whims of
K a molly public pursue him every
It where with similarly conflicting dis
q appreciation Let him dress modish-
:, " and Immediately, and he is ac-
: cused of vanity, ostentation, and ar
$ istocratic leanings. But let him be
l. too preoccupied with more important
e things to care over much for the set
of his tie or the crease of his trous-
y ers. and he is described as boorish,
e if not slovenly. Let him belong to a
e club or two. or occasionally sit down
W for a chat with the loungers in some
place of business, and he is regarded
as a worldlian and a loafer. On the
le other hand, let him avoid all unnec.
ot essarv contact with his fellowmen
and he is set down as a poor clolster
. ed dreamer. utterly out of touch witt
- the affairs of men. Let him root II
ID the bleachers, and he is shockingl!
IN unidentified, out of his place entirely
o. But let him rail at baseball, and he il
=, denounced as fanatical fool. LIE
~ him attempt neutrality on questions
ID of the day, refusing to be drawn int
Id heated discussions, and he is desplse'
,ir as a weakling and coward who dare
not risk his purse or his popular
" ty in espousal of dangerous cause
he On the contrary, let him speak GU
to positively his convictions, and he be
comes to certain eyes an lmpuden
marplot and enemy to be humbled
In a word, he is doomed to the dis
pleasure of the eensorious whethe
Nv he plays or prays, whether he fiirts o
fasts, whether he chews tobacco o
eschews it.
III But why should he worry? Cel
is tainly folks are determined to fin
,at fault with him; for they do not low
the preachers cause. A change @
u heart might modify, if not cure thei
o. carping, In the meantime, the sco1
ks, fers will scott on.
49,, NONENITY.