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226 UNCLE HARRY.

day: blessed be his name; he never will leave me or forsake me; I have good hope of that."
13. "Well, how did you obtain religious instruction where you lived, as you say there was no preacher of the gospel in the neighborhood?" "Why, by the mercy of my God, I learned to read the Bible; and that showed me the way to Jesus. But now I think of it: when the Roman Catholics heard that I was concerned about my soul, they sent for me, and tried hard to get me to join them.
4 [14]. "There was a priest at Port Tobacco, whose name was Mr. O'Neal; he talked to me a great deal. I remember he said to me one day, 'Harry, now you are concerned about your soul, you must come and join the Catholic church.' 'What for,' said I, 'Mr. O'Neal?' 'Because,' said he, 'it is the true church.' 'Then,' said I, 'if the Catholic church will lead me to Jesus, I will join it with all my heart, for that is all I want;' and Mr. O'Neal said, 'If you will join the church, I will warrant that you shall go to heaven.' 'How can you do that, Mr. O'Neal?' said I.
15. "Then he told me that a great many years ago, our Saviour came into the world, and he chose twelve apostles, and made St. Peter their head; and the pope succeeded St. Peter; and so all that join the pope, belong to the true church. 'Then,' said I, 'why how do you know that, Mr. O'Neal?' 'Because,' said he, 'our Saviour told Peter, I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and what-

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soever you bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.'
16. "And I said, 'The Lord knows how it is, Mr. O'Neal; I am a poor ignorant creature, but it always did seem to me, that Peter was nothing but a man like the other apostles;' but Mr. O'Neal said, 'No, he was the head and chief of the apostles; for our Saviour said again, Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' And I asked him. 'Now, do you think Peter was that rock, Mr. O'Neal?' He answered, 'To be sure he was;' and I said again, 'The Lord knows how it is; but it never did seem so to me.
17. "'Now I think it was just so:--when Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, our Saviour told him, Thou art Peter,'" (while the old man repeated the words, Thou Art Peter, he pointed his finger at me, and looked me directly in the face, but as soon as he began the following part of the quotation, he brought his hand briskly down to his knee, saying with emphasis, as he looked at himself,) "'and upon this rock will I build my church; and that rock was Christ; for it is written in another place, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded; and that corner stone is Christ.'
18. "Then Mr. O'Neal said to me, 'Why, Harry,