THE SERMON TRADE.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1003, 10 September 1872, Page 3

THE SERMON TRADE.

A curious correspondence, says tbe 'Liverpool Mercury,' has come into our possession, for the authenticity of which we can vouch. It consists of a series of letters which passed between a person who made it his trade to write sermons and a Church of England clergyman, who made it his business to preach them in a church some forty or fifty miles from Lirerpool. The sermon writer would appear to have been an obscure newspaper reporter out of work. The clergyman (who carried on the correspondeuce under a feigned name, and had his letters and M.S.B. addressed under cover to his grocer) was a much esteemed rector—none of your wild young curates, but a reputable middle aged parochial personage, with a living of his own to subsist on. The terms agreed on, after some higgling, were three sermons for 255. It would seem that two of the sermons had been delivered, and the writer of them, being either distrustful or " hard up," has applied for something on " account." At all events, he gets this letter: —'Dear Sir —If you will send me a sermon forthwith on the Christian's victory over death, founded upon a similar passage to the one in Ist Corinthians, 15 chapter—"The last enemy, <&c.— and I approve of it, then I will remit you the 255., upon receipt of which you can send as soon as possihle throe more on stirring subjects suitable for Sabbath eveuhlg uses." The sermon £oes-, and in reply comes this letter : "Dear Sir—l have just received M.S. Shall not need it to-morrow. Approve ■of it with one exception, which I hould like you to remedy. Will thou remit you. Having given a description of man when death ent< red into the World, I think-, in as glowing language as possible, a description should be given of Christ's resurrection from the dead-, when death was conquered and the devil defeated. Let me have this appendage as soon as possible. Will then fulfil before mentioned agreement, upon receipt of which you ftill please send two more at once on striking subjects dressed in as glowing jlowery (italics in original) language as you like." At this point the correspondence, except so far as it relates to remittance, breaks off for a month, from which wo judge that the writer laid on the color with a sufficiently unsparing hand. Then We get this : "Dear Sir —Having been from home, I did not receive yours until this day. Approve of it if you will please append a graphic description of God's love manifested in the gift of his Son for sinners, coupled with a glowiug description of Christ's dying on the Cross, the consummation of love. Was too late this evening for P. 0.0. Will send it on Monday.'* The next letter sets forth that " one of the last sent (that on ' wheat and tares') could not be used, having taken the very same subject only a few Sundays before." " Can you take this back," the clergyman proceeds, " and send toe two, one on the nature and advantages of faithful prayer, founded on such a subject as the Syrophcenician woman—should like that subject—the other on the rewards of a holy life, founded on such a passage as ' Say ye to the righteous,' &c, or ' There remains, therefore, a rest of the people of God.' "Your attention will oblige." The concluding letter of the series is too long to quote in full. It begins about the " account" and the " remittance," and goes on to ask for a sermon on the words, " Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord." The writer is to " adopt his own course in introduction," but he is to get in a description, " in as forcible and graphic language as possible"— of tbe " first apostle—fishermen, tax-gatherers," &c. —and contrast them with the great ones, the leading ones, of this day." He is also to "bring iu tbe Information, Martin Luther." &c, in " as glowing language 18 possible," and then to describe " the position of the Church at the present

day perfect machinery every advantage taken for a glorious ingathering of souls," &c. After this there is to be a " vivid picture" drawn of " tho sinner saved, not by the visible hand stretched from Heaven, not by a perceptible voice ringing forth from the throne, not by an angel with his brilliant wings, nor by might, nor by power, but by," <fcc. Lastly, the "door of Heaven" is to be " seen distinctly open, with the saved Christian triumphantly entering it." " You will perceive from the above sketch," says the clergyman, " that I like the flowery style. Will you try to accommodate me ?" This last sermon seems never to have been written. "Whether it was beyond the reporter's power, or whether he got something better to do does not appear. All that does appear iu tho correspondence suddenly ceases, and does not get resumed.