"Certainly not," said Freeborn; "'condition' is a legal word. How can salvation be free and full, if it is conditional?"
"There are no conditions," said No. 3; "all must come from the heart. We believe with the heart, we love from the heart, we obey with the heart; not because we are obliged, but because we have a new nature."
"Is there no obligation to obey?" said Charles, surprised.
"No obligation to the regenerate," answered No. 3; "they are above obligation; they are in a new state."
"But surely Christians are under a law," said Charles.
"Certainly not," said No. 2; "the law is done away in Christ."
"Take care," said No. 1; "that borders on Antinomianism."
"Not at all," said Freeborn; "an Antinomian actually holds that he may break the law: a spiritual believer only holds that he is not bound to keep it."
Now they got into a fresh discussion among themselves; and, as it seemed as interminable as it was uninteresting, Reding took an opportunity to wish his host a good night, and to slip away. He never had much leaning towards the evangelical doctrine; and Freeborn and his friends, who knew what they were holding a great deal better than the run of their party, satisfied him that he had not much to gain by inquiring into that doctrine farther. So they will vanish in consequence from our pages.