The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-03-30

p.
for it was past six O'Clock, and he
had knocked off work for the day
His shirt sleeves were still tucked
up, and his arms were folded care
lessly over his broad chest. He
was strong of limb and voice, and
the words he had just uttered had
rolled out in firm, deep tones. Par
sons, the blacksmith, was not by
any means an ill-tempered man, but
he was positive in slight degree;
perhaps his consciousness oi
superior power made him preemtory
"But it is so, Parsons said the
carpenter, who also had finished his
work, and had looked in at the
blacksmith's about a Job he wanted
done on the morrow; 'you can't go
against scripture anyhow.
81 should think not" interposed
the village shoemaker, who had
brought in his tea kettle to boil his
water for tea at the yet unex-
tinguished forge fire, seeing that il
was summer time, and his own
kitchen fire was unlighted. at
would be as bad as being an infidel
at once to contradict what the bible
says"
"Ah, but" added Everest the
tailor, who, seeing Wicks the car
penter entering the blacksmith s
shop and Rands the shoemaker fol
lowing him, had determined to make
one of the party, and, nimbly leap
ing off his board, had stepped across
the read in time to join the good
natured argument. The carpenter
had set it on foot, and it took its
rise from a sermon they had all
heard on the previous Sunday. 1t
may be promised that the tailor
liked to side with the blacksmith,
if possible, in all disputes, as if he
had feeling of security in going
with the stout and firm Tom. Par
sons. 'Ah. but" said Everest,
''there are different ways of looking
at thing, and various interpreta-
tions OF scripture"
81 don know rejoined Mr.
Wicks, doubtfully; "we are told,
you remember, that no scripture is
of private Interpretation"
(Which does not mean that we
are to have no thoughts about the
bible for ourselves, 1 suppose,
neighbor Wicks; and that we are to
leave it all to ministers to put what
Interpretation they like upon differ
ent parts of it, and we to have ne'er
voice Of our own in the matter
Why, man," the blacksmith went
on, that's just like Roman Catholics.
If the priests in England let the
people read the bible (because in a
free country they can't very well
hinder their doing it), they take care
to say, Don't think about what you
read, good folks; we'll do all that
sort of thing for you
"Well, well, don hold with that
either" said Mr.. Rands, hurriedly,
"Free inquiry is every mans birth
right-every Englishman's at any
rate"
"And so it brings me back to
what said,' continued the black
smith. 81 can't see it in the light
that Hr. Gresham does. Why, he
made out, or tried to make out, that
a man might be next to an angel
"Stop, Parsons; he didn't say that
man might be, exactly; he said, if
it were possible for man to be SO, y
interposed the carpenter.
''It comes to the same thing,
Wicks; but put it your way if you
will, that if it were possible for a
man to be perfect in everything,
and yet should commit one sin in
all his life, hewould be on the same
level with the terriblest sinner as
ever lived and breathed on the
earth. Wasn't that it?'
"Yes, pretty near it, Parsons. On
the same level, he said, as wanting
salvation by grace, and not earning
heaven by works. l think these are
pretty nearly Mr.. Gresham's own
words" replied Wicks.
"Uncommon hard lines, though,
cried the tailor; 'and so, because q
man makes a slip Or two as he goes
along, he is to be put down with the
biggest rogues. This may suit Mr.
Gresham, but"
''But what does the bible say,
Everest2" demanded the shoemaker
in some haste.
"You know Mr.. Gresham is not
the preacher to say anything al
random, without having scripture
to back it; and you remember the
texts he brought out to prove his
words, such as, Cursed is every one
that continueth not in all things
which are written in the Book OF
the Law and, 'WhosoeVer shall
keep the whole law, and yet offend
in one point, he is guilty of all.
You can't say that Mr.. Gresham
said more than this, anyhow"
That's all very well, Rands.
know the bible says that, and dom
mean to 90 against the bible; but
to my way of thinking, those texts
must have a different sort of mean
ing than he puts upon them. Il
| OtS nO6 SOalNl 1ALAA SASA ohe
blacksmith repeated the objection
he had before urged, in pretty neal
the same words.
Il don't see, however" said the
carpenter, in reply, ''that it makes
much difference to us, Parsons; be
cause 1 fancy we are not among the
almost perfect ones who don't neeC
salvation by grace, as you seem t.
think. Maybe the whole don
need a physician, but only such a
are sick, as the Lord Jesus Chris
said; but then we aren't whole, yoI
know"
That's neither here nor there
Wicks, l am standing up for tn
principle of the thing; and, accord
ing to my views, there's a hitcl
somewhere.
sAnd what is the hitch, frien,
Parsons?' The voice was a grave
pleasant voice; and when the dis
putant looked round, behold, Nh
Gresham himself was at the ope
, door. The men looked rather cor
fused at first; they did not know
while they were engrossed wit
their dispute, that the living sui
iect of il was so. near them.