"You are right, Elfie," he said. "I do not see how those who honour the authority of the Bible and the character of Jesus Christ can deny the truth of his own declaration. If that is false so must those be."
Fleda took the Bible and hurriedly sought out another passage.
"Grandpa shewed me these places," she said, "once when we were talking about Mr. Didenhover--_he_ didn't believe that. There are a great many other places, grandpa said; but one is enough;"--
She gave him the latter part of the twentieth chapter of John.--
"You see, Mr. Carleton, he let Thomas fall down and worship him and call him God; and if he had _not_ been, you know----God is more displeased with that than with any thing.'
"With men's worshipping any other than himself. He says he 'will not give his glory to another.'"
"I am afraid I can't find it," said Fleda,--"it is somewhere in Isaiah, I know"--
She tried in vain; and failing, then looked up in Mr. Carleton's face to see what impression had been made.
"You see Thomas believed when he _saw_" said he, answering her;--"I will believe too when I see."
Her voice suddenly checked, she bent her face down again to her little Bible, and there was a moment's struggle with herself.
"Are you looking for something more to shew me?" said Mr. Carleton kindly, stooping his face down to hers.
"Not much," said Fleda hurriedly; and then making a great effort she raised her head and gave him the book again.
"Look here, Mr. Carleton,--Jesus said, 'Blessed are they that have _not_ seen and yet have believed.'"
Mr. Carleton was profoundly struck, and the thought recurred to him afterwards and was dwelt upon.--"Blessed are they that have _not_ seen, and yet have believed." It was strange at first, and then he wondered that it should ever have been so. His was a mind peculiarly open to conviction, peculiarly accessible to truth; and his attention being called to it he saw faintly now what he had never seen before, the beauty of the principle of _faith_;--how natural, how reasonable, how _necessary_, how honourable to the Supreme Being, how happy even for man, that the grounds of his trust in God being established, his acceptance of many other things should rest on that trust alone.