"Is it slavery in one to obey his parents in what is good and useful?"

"No."

"Well, then, the church is my mother; and when she prohibits an
indifferent thing, I, as a good child, am bound to obey her,
particularly when I have the promise of Christ that she can never
err--that 'the gates of hell can never prevail against her.' We have an
instance in this very county," said Paul, now warming into the argument,
"of the effects of a prohibitory law. A few years ago it was no harm to
fish for pickerel in the lakes and brooks of this county; but some of
the people petitioned the legislature, and got a law passed forbidding
the fishing for such fish for twenty years; and now, whoever is detected
in violating the law is fined or imprisoned. So it was no sin to eat
meat on Friday; but the church, for wise reasons, and to encourage
mortification, has forbidden its use; and so now, after the prohibition,
just as after the passage of the law in regard to fishing, whoever
knowingly violates the law disobeys the church; and he who disobeys the
church, or his parents, offends God, and will be punished by
imprisonment, death, or eternal condemnation."

"That boy will never do any good, and is a dangerous viper in a family,"
said the parson, abruptly rising, and taking his hat.

"Well done, my young paddy," said uncle Jacob, as he saw the dominie
retire; "you have beaten the minister holler. Ha! ha! ha! I am really
glad you silenced his gab, for he is 'tarnally blabbing about his
religion; though I think he hain't much of it himself, except
counterfeit stuff, like a bad bill,--ha! ha!--that he wants to pass."