"Ah, poor, lost, ignorant one," exclaimed the parson, "you are in error;
sunk in superstition!"

"I hope your assertions do not prove me so."

"Paul, child, don't you speak so to the minister," interrupted old Mrs.
Prying. "He is for your good, and desires to make you a Christian."

"Ma'am, I don't wish to insult any body, as I said before; but I can't
hear my religion run down and misrepresented while I know the contrary
to be the fact."

"Well, madam, let me alone; I will soon catch the lad in his own Jesuit
net. Paul, you _know_ the Bible, you think; where in the Bible do you
find it ordered to fast from flesh on Fridays?"

"Where in the Bible," said Paul, "do you find it ordered to keep Sunday
holy instead of Saturday, the Sabbath? where are you ordered to build
churches? where do you find authority for establishing feasts and fasts?
where to hold synods or assemblies? where to baptize infants?"

"O Paul, the Bible does not order these things expressly; but the
Christian church does."

"Well," said Paul, "it is only our church that forbids her children the
use of flesh on Friday; and 'he that does not hear the church, let him
be to thee as the heathen and publican.'"

"But you ought not to obey the church in what is evidently wrong; and it