The conversation with the clergyman who had a faith that was sepa-
rate from goodwill went like this:
The angel said, “Friend, who are you?”
“I am a Protestant Christian,” he replied.
“What is your doctrinal point of view and your religion?”
“Faith.”
“What is your faith?”
“My faith is that God the Father sent the Son to take the damnation
of the human race on himself. We are saved by that.”
The angel then asked, “What else do you know about salvation?”
“Salvation is accomplished through that faith alone.”
“What do you know about redemption?”
“Redemption was brought about through the suffering on the cross.
The Son’s merit is assigned through that faith.”
“What do you know about regeneration?”
“It happens through that faith.”
“Tell me what you know about love and goodwill.”
“They are that faith.”
“Tell me what you think about the Ten Commandments and the
other teachings in the Word.”
“They are in that faith.”
The angel then said, “Is there nothing for you to do?”
“What shouldI be doing? I can’t do anything genuinely good on
my own.”
“Can you have faith on your own then?”
“I don’t go into that. I must simply have faith.”
Finally the angel said, “Is there anything else whatever that you know
about salvation?”
“What else would there be, since salvation comes through that faith
alone?”
Then the angel said, “You give answers like someone playing the
same note again and again on a flute. I am not hearing anything but
faith. If you know faith but you don’t know anything else, you don’t
know anything. Go see your companions.”
The clergyman then left. When he met his companions in the desert,
the place was devoid of even as much as grass. Upon his inquiring why
that was, they answered that inside themselves they had nothing related
to the church.
§391 faith 481