"That is the very gloriousness of the doctrine," said Freeborn, "that it is preached to the worst of mankind. It says, 'Come as you are; don't attempt to make yourselves better. Believe that salvation is yours, and it is yours: good works follow after.'"
"On the contrary," said Charles, continuing his argument, "when it is said that justification follows upon baptism, we have an intelligible something pointed out, which every one can ascertain. Baptism is an external unequivocal token; whereas that a man has this secret feeling called faith, no one but himself can be a witness, and he is not an unbiassed one."
Reding had at length succeeded in throwing that dull tea-table into a state of great excitement. "My dear friend," said Freeborn, "I had hoped better things; in a little while, I hope, you will see things differently. Baptism is an outward rite; what is there, can there be, spiritual, holy, or heavenly in baptism?"
"But you tell me faith too is not spiritual," said Charles.
"Well," said Charles, somewhat puzzled, "at least you do not think it holy."
"If it is holy," continued Charles, "it has something good in it; it has some worth; it is not filthy rags. All the good comes afterwards, you said. You said that its fruits were holy, but that it was nothing at all itself."
There was a momentary silence, and some agitation of thought.
"Oh, faith is certainly a holy feeling," said No. 1.
"No, it is spiritual, but not holy," said No. 2; "it is a mere act, the apprehension of Christ's merits."
"It is seated in the affections," said No. 3; "faith is a feeling of the heart; it is trust, it is a belief that Christ is _my_ Saviour; all this is distinct from holiness. Holiness introduces self-righteousness. Faith is peace and joy, but it is not holiness. Holiness comes after."
"Nothing can cause holiness but what is holy; this is a sort of axiom," said Charles; "if the fruits are holy, faith, which is the root, is holy."
"You might as well say that the root of a rose is red, and of a lily white," said No. 3.
"Pardon me, Reding," said Freeborn, "it is, as my friend says, an _apprehension_. An apprehension is a seizing; there is no more holiness in justifying faith, than in the hand's seizing a substance which comes in its way. This is Luther's great doctrine in his 'Commentary' on the Galatians. It is nothing in itself--it is a mere instrument; this is what he teaches, when he so vehemently resists the notion of justifying faith being accompanied by love."