"Yes, father, and for the best reason in the world; for who can ever hope to please the Deity without his moral image? and who would ever put himself to the trouble to cultivate the virtues which form that image, unless he had a belief that they were indispensible to the perfection and happiness of his nature?" "So then, you look on faith as no virtue in itself, and good for nothing unless it exalt men to the likeness of God?" "Yes, sir, as good for nothing unless it exalt us to the likeness of God--nay, as worse; as utterly vile and hypocritical." "And perhaps you view in the same light the IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS, and the Sacraments of BAPTISM and the LORD'S SUPPER." "Yes, father, faith, imputed righteousness, sacraments, prayers, sermons; all, all I consider as mere barren fig-leaves which will yield no good unless they ripen into the fruits of BENEVOLENCE and GOOD WORKS." "Well, Ben, 'tis well that you have taken a turn to the printing business; for I don't think, child, that if you had studied divinity, as your uncle Ben and myself once wished, you would ever have got a _licence_ to preach." "No, father, I know that well enough; I know that many who think themselves mighty good Christians, are for getting to heaven on easier terms than imitating the Deity in his moral goodness. To them, faith and imputed righteousness, and sacraments, and sour looks, are very convenient things. With a good stock of these they can easily manage matters so as to make a little morality go a great way. But I am thinking they will have to _back out_ of this error, otherwise they will make as bad a hand of their barren faith, as the poor Virginia negroes do of their boasted freedom." "God's mercy, child, what do you mean by that?"