To judge from
his proceedings, you would conclude that he had no faith in any of the
popular arguments, such as those employed by Paley, Horne, &c. He sat
watching, like an animal we need not name, for some stray thought to
pounce upon. He tried every device to draw me from the question, and
showed, not only the greatest reluctance, but a fixed determination, not
to come any nearer to it himself than he could possibly help. He has
shown nothing like courage, nothing like confidence in the goodness of
his cause, nothing like openness, candor, or generosity; nothing but
craft and cunning. He has never fought like a soldier, but dodged like
an assassin. Honorable men _give up_ a cause that can't be honorably
maintained. For myself, ye are witnesses, I came out openly, boldly, and
at once, and gave my opponent the best opportunity he could have of
grappling fairly with my arguments. But he would not meet them. He slunk
behind his mud-battery, and instead of firing shot and shell, spurted
forth filth. By-and-by he took my old deserted battery, and began to
play upon me with my worn-out guns and wooden shot, till his friends
compelled him to give up. He complained that I had taken up my position
on Mount Horeb, and pattered him with grapeshot from the old Jewish
armory, and besought and urged me to plant myself on Mount Tabor, or the
Mount of Olives, and try what I could do with Christian ammunition.
Pages:
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521