CHAPTER XLII. THE RESULT.

"Yes,figurativelyandliterallytoo,"saidfatherBonnie,laughing."Letthemcomedownhere,andseewhatthey'llget!Iftheywillsetthecountryinablaze,theyoughttobethefirstonestobewarmedatthefire.Formypart,brethren,Imustsaythatyoulosetimeandstrengthbyyouradmissions,allofyou.Youdon'thitthebuckintheeye.IthanktheLordthatIamdeliveredfromthebondageofthinkingslaveryasin,oranevil,inanysense.OurabolitionistbrethrenhavedoneonegoodthingtheyhavedrivenusuptoexaminetheScriptures,andtherewefindthatslaveryisnotonlypermittedbutappointed,enjoined.Itisadivineinstitution.Ifanorthernabolitionistcomesatmenow,IshaketheBibleathim,andsay,'Nay,but,ohman,whoartthouthatrepliestagainstGod?'Hathnotthepotterpowerovertheclay,tomakeonelumptohonor,andanothertodishonor?Itellyou,brethren,itblazesfromeverypageoftheScriptures.You'llneverdoanythingtillyougetontothatground.Aman'sconscienceisalwayshangingontohisskirtshegoesonjustlikeabearwithatraponhislegs—can'tmakeanyprogressthatway.Youhavegottogetyourfeetontherockofages,Icantellyou,andgetthetrapoffyourleg.There'snothinglikethestudyoftheScripturestoclearafellow'smind." "Well,then,"saidClayton,"woulditnotbewelltorepealthelawswhichforbidtheslavestolearntoread,andputtheScripturesintotheirhands?Theselawsarethecauseofagreatdealofmiseryandimmoralityamongtheslaves,andtheyfurnishabolitionistswithsomeoftheirstrongestarguments." "Oh,"saidfatherBonnie,"thatwillneverdo,intheworld!Itwillexposethemtowholefloodsofabolitionandincendiarydocuments,corrupttheirminds,andmakethemdiscontented." "Well,"saidDr.Cushing,"IhavereadDr.Carnes'book,andImustsaythatthescripturalargumentlies,inmymind,ontheotherside." "HangDr.Carnes'book!"saidfatherBonnie. "Figuratively,Isuppose,"saidDr.Packthread. "Why,Dr.Carnes'muchlearninghasmadehimmad!"saidfatherBonnie."Idon'tbelieveanythingthatcan'tbegotoutofaplainEnglishBible.WhenafellowgoesshufflingoffinaHebrewfog,inaLatinfog,inaGreekfog,Isay,'Ah,myboy,youaretreed!youhadbettercomedown!'Why,isitnotplainenoughtoanyreaderoftheBible,howtheapostlestalkedtotheslaves?Theydidn'tfilltheirheadswithstuffabouttherightsofman.Now,seehere,justataventure,"hesaid,makingadiveatapocket-Biblethatlayonthetable,—"now,justletmereadyou,'Masters,giveuntoyourservantsthatwhichisjustandequal.'Sho!sho!thatisn'ttheplaceIwasthinkingof.It'shere,'Servants,obeyyourmasters!'There'sintothem,yousee!'Obeyyourmastersthatareintheflesh.'Now,theseabolitionistswon'tevenallowthatwearemasters!" "Perhaps,"saidClayton,quietly,"iftheslavescouldread,they'dpaymoreattentiontothefirstpassagethatyoufavoreduswith." "Oh,likely,"saidfatherBonnie,"because,yousee,theirinterestsnaturallywouldleadthemtopervertScripture.Ifitwasn'tforthatpervertinginfluenceofself-love,I,formypart,wouldbewillingenoughtoputtheScripturesintotheirhands." "Isuppose,"saidClayton,"there'snosuchdangerinthecaseofusmasters,isthere?" "Isay,"saidfatherBonnie,notnoticingtheinterruption,"Cushing,yououghttoreadFletcher'sbook.Thatbook,sir,isasweater,IcantellyouIsweatoverit,IknowbutitdoesupthisGreekandHebrewworkthoroughly,Ipromiseyou.ThoughIcan'treadGreekorHebrew,Iseethere'sheapsofitthere.Why,hetakesyouclearbacktothecreationoftheworld,anddragsyouthr