The Irishman and the Priest
NEVER was a better answer made than a poor Irishman made to a Catholic priest, while defending himself for reading the Bible. “But,” said the priest, “the Bible is for the priests, and not for the likes o’ you.” “Ah! but, sir,” he answered, “I was reading in my Bible, ‘You shall read it to your children,’ an’ sure the priests have got no children.” “But Michael,” says the priest, “you can not understand the Bible. It is not o’ you to understand it, my man.” “Ah! very well, your riverance, if I can not understand it, it will do me no harm, and what I can understand does me a heap o’ good.” “Very well, Mike,” said the priest, “you must go to the church, and the church will teach you; the church will give you the milk of the word.” “And where does the church get it from but out of the Bible? Ah! your riverance, I would rather keep the cow myself.”—Selected.