. 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.

"_I_ tell you!" cried Freeborn, "when?"

"Well," said Charles, somewhat puzzled, "at least you do not think it
holy."

Freeborn was puzzled in his turn.

"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."

"I cannot assent to that doctrine,"