Doc. of Faith (Dick) n. 42

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42. The angel said that with him who was in faith separated from charity, he discoursed as follows: "My friend, what are you?" He replied, "I am a Reformed Christian." "What is your doctrine, and the religion you form from it?" He replied that it was faith. He then asked, "What is your faith?" and he answered, "This is my faith: God the Father sent His Son to make satisfaction for mankind, and they are saved who believe this." The angel then asked him, "What more do you know respecting salvation?" He replied that salvation was through that faith alone. The angel further asked, "What do you know respecting redemption?" He replied that this was effected by the passion of the cross, and that the merit of the Son is imputed through that faith. The angel then asked, "What do you know of regeneration?" He replied that this is effected by that faith. Again, "What do you know of repentance and the remission of sins?" and he answered that they are effected by that faith. Then the angel said, "Tell me what do you know about love and charity?" and he answered that they are that faith. Again, "Tell me what do you know about good works?" and he answered that they are that faith. Again he said, "What do you think about all the commandments in the Word?" and he replied that they are included in that faith. Then the angel said, "You will therefore do nothing?" To this he replied, "What can I do? I cannot do good, which is good, of myself." Again he asked "Can you have faith of yourself?" and he replied that he could not. The angel thereupon asked, "How then can you have faith?" to which he replied, "This I do not inquire into. I must have faith." At length the angel said, "Surely you know something more respecting salvation?" and he answered, "What more should I know when salvation is effected by that faith alone?" Then the angel said, "You answer like one who plays but one note on his pipe: I hear nothing but faith. If you know this and no more, you know nothing. Go and behold your companions." He went away and found them in a desert place where there was no grass. He asked why that was so, and the answer he received was, "Because there is nothing of the Church in them."


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