Dr. F.—I never saw such a man as you are. You can be satisfied with any kind of preaching. I never saw you present when any man preached, when you did not appear satisfied, no matter how bungling he was.
Dr. P.—I think but little about preachers, have fewer favorites, and more rarely speak in praise or complaint of preachers, than almost any man you can find. I am not thinking of the messenger, but of the message.
Dr. F.—I can not bear a prosing, stammering and dry preacher. I have not heard our preacher present anything new in three months. I like to learn something when I go to hear preaching.
Dr. P.—When were you at meeting last? I do not recollect seeing you for some three months in the meeting house.
Dr. F.—I have been pressed with—I have not been very well—the preaching has not suited me, and there are many in the church that should have been excluded long since.
Dr. P.—No wonder you have heard nothing new from our brother; for you have not heard him at all. If his preaching had been the best in the world, it would have done you no good, while you did not hear it. I will tell you, my dear brother, how to make preaching better to us: Read the Scriptures every day; pray night and morning; talk to every one you meet about religion, and your heart will be full of the theme. You will then like to hear any man who can preach at all. Attend all the meetings, participate in the songs, prayers, exhortations and all the other parts of public worship, and you will then be interested in all that you hear from good men.
Dr. F.—Your notions of preaching will not do. Our city is one of intelligence. This community, you must recollect, is highly enlightened, and we must have a man here that keeps pace with the age. We frequently have statesmen, lawyers, physicians and men of the first rank in attendance, and it is useless to think of interesting these with any common talents. We must have a man of taste, refinement, and highly accomplished.
Dr. P.—When did our Lord ever try to arrest the attention of the elite of this world by show, by mere human polish and flourish? Never, never, Doctor, as you certainly know. Are you not aware, my dear sir, that the wisdom of God is not in this vain and worldly thing that you speak of? Sensible people, those truly enlightened and great, can understand the gospel, appreciate and receive it, when it is simplified and made appreciable to the masses of the people. Not only so, doctor, but the class you aim to please, though enlightened in the things of the world, and accomplished, they are more unenlightened in the things of the kingdom of God, than many that you never think of pleasing. I am for a preacher that will try to please the Lord, whether he pleases your distinguished men or not.
Dr. F.—We have had some of the best speakers in the world here, and the truth is, the people here know what good talent is, and they will not be satisfied with ordinary men. The people here have been well taught. No man can attract attention here unless he is a superior man.
Dr. P.—That the people here have heard some men of good preaching talent, is true; but that they are well-read and well taught in christianity, is far from true. That they understand Jesus or the apostles well, is far from true. Many perfectly country places and rural districts contain far more gospel light than may be found in the bounds of our congregation. We presume that we are wise, while many plain men from the country are astonished when they converse with us, that we are so ignorant. To be plain with you, my dear brother, I know of no place where there is, at this time, more need of plain, old-fashioned, New Testament preaching than here. It is not worldly show that we need; we have that now in abundance. We need the simple teachings of Jesus, solemnly and affectionately impressed upon our hearts, by some good man who loves us and will try to save us. In the place of being inflated with the conceit that we are well taught, far advanced and highly elevated in christian attainments, so that no man except one of the most exalted accomplishments can teach us, we should be sensible of what is the true state of the case, viz: That almost any plain and good man who preaches among us, can teach us many useful lessons that we do not know.