seduce not the flock." On hearing these things, the greater part of the flock on the left hand receded, and joined themselves to the flock on the right; some of the clergy also then said, "We have heard what we did not know before; we are pastors; we will not leave the sheep." And they receded along with them, and said, "That man spoke a true word: who can say, when he does any thing from the Word, thus from the Lord, from his will and command, I do this from myself? Who that does any thing from the will and command of a king, says, I do this from myself? Now we see the Divine Providence, why a conjunction of faith and works has not been discovered, which the body of ecclesiastics might acknowledge; it could not be discovered, because no such conjunction can exist; for theirs is not a faith in the Lord, who is the Word, and therefore neither is it a faith from the Word." But the other priests went away, flourishing their caps, and crying out, "Faith alone! faith alone for ever, notwithstanding!" END OF VOL. I. |