No man was known to preach shorter sermons or to explain away the book of Genesis more agreeably than the rector of St.Asaph's; and if he found it necessary to refer to the Deity he did so under the name of Jehovah or Jah, or even Yaweh in a manner calculated not to hurt the sensitiveness of any of the parishioners.

People who would shudder at brutal talk of the older fashion about the wrath of God listened with well-bred interest to a sermon on the personal characteristics of Jah.

In the same way Mr.
Furlong always referred to the devil, not as Satan but as Su or Swa, which took all the sting out of him.

Beelzebub he spoke of as Behel-Zawbab, which rendered him perfectly harmless.

The Garden of Eden he spoke of as the Paradeisos, which explained it entirely; the flood as the Diluvium, which cleared it up completely; and Jonah he named, after the correct fashion Jon Nah, which put the whole situation (his being swallowed by Baloo or the Great Lizard) on a perfectly satisfactory footing.