"My dear father," replied Ben eagerly, "I mean not the least reflection on Faith, but solely on those hypocrites who abuse it to countenance their vices and crimes."
"O then, if that be your aim, go on, Ben, go on."
"Well, sir, as I was saying, not only the Jews and Heathens, but the Christians also have their fig-leaf substitutes for Moral Goodness. Because Christ has said that so great is the Divine Clemency, that if even the worst of men will but have faith in it so as to repent and amend their lives by the golden law of 'love and good works,' they should be saved, many lazy Christians are fond of overlooking those excellent conditions 'Love and Good works,' which constitute the moral image of the Deity, and fix upon the word Faith for their salvation."
"Well, but child, do you make no account of faith?"
"None, father, as a fig-leaf cloak of immorality."
"But is not faith a great virtue in itself, and a qualification for heaven?"
"I think not, sir; I look on faith but as a mean to beget that moral goodness, which, to me, appears to be the only qualification for Heaven."
"I am astonished, child, to hear you say that faith is not a virtue in itself."
"Why, father, the Bible says for me in a thousand places. The Bible says that faith without good works is dead."
"But does not the Bible, in a thousand places, say that without faith no man can please God?"