{"id": "card_n_9b55dbdfbf9b", "kind": "note", "title": "Pilgrim's Progress §187: FAITH.", "body": "FAITH. That is true; but to be profited by such things in our talk should be that which we design. Talkative's fine discourse TALK. That is it that I said; for to talk of such things is most profitable; for by so doing, a man may get knowledge of many things; as of the vanity of earthly things, and the benefit of things above. Thus, in general, but more particularly by this, a man may learn the necessity of the new birth, the insufficiency of our works, the need of Christ's righteousness, &c. Besides, by this a man may learn, by talk, what it is to repent, to believe, to pray, to suffer, or the like; by this also a man may learn what are the great promises and consolations of the gospel, to his own comfort. Further, by this a man may learn to refute false opinions, to vindicate the truth, and also to instruct the ignorant. FAITH. All this is true, and glad am I to hear these things from you. TALK. Alas! the want of this is the cause why so few understand the need of faith, and the necessity of a work of grace in their soul, in order to eternal life; but ignorantly live in the works of the law, by which a man can by no means obtain the kingdom of heaven.", "source": {"label": "John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress (1678)", "url": "/canon.html?ref=pilgrim_187", "ref": "§187", "authority_tier": "external_aligned"}, "shelf": "classics", "box": "pilgrims_progress", "bands": ["pilgrim", "bunyan", "allegory"], "connections": [{"to_card_id": "card_n_9b8c7669b01d", "relationship": "same_section", "origin": "nesting_2026_06_12"}, {"to_card_id": "card_n_9a67c8338a95", "relationship": "same_section", "origin": "nesting_2026_06_12"}], "author": "engine", "created_at": "2026-05-19T13:07:21.411062+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-05-19T19:57:55.618874+00:00", "visibility": "public", "lifecycle_stage": "public", "volatility": "permanent", "metrics": {"paperclips_count": 0, "helpful_count": 0, "not_helpful_count": 0, "cite_count": 4, "walks_through_count": 0, "flagged_count": 0}, "source_hash": "5b9700774509fb95c28d646a40925fd8930c41d2a0f09a9371be394389e0edd3", "witnesses": [{"class": "manuscript_tradition", "label": "First edition Nathaniel Ponder, London 1678 — original imprint", "ref": "Ponder-1678"}, {"class": "critical_edition", "label": "Oxford World's Classics — Roger Sharrock, 1960/1984", "ref": "Sharrock-OWC"}, {"class": "republication", "label": "Project Gutenberg — Pilgrim's Progress", "url": "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/131", "ref": "PG-131"}, {"class": "republication", "label": "Internet Archive — multiple editions", "url": "https://archive.org/search?query=pilgrim%27s+progress+bunyan", "ref": "IA-Bunyan"}, {"class": "non_government_archive", "label": "Christian Classics Ethereal Library", "url": "https://www.ccel.org/ccel/bunyan/pilgrim.html", "ref": "CCEL-Bunyan"}, {"class": "citation_tradition", "label": "Cited extensively by Spurgeon, Edwards, modern Reformed writers", "ref": "Spurgeon-Edwards-cites"}], "witness_status": "passed", "witness_status_reason": "6 witnesses across 5 independence classes: ['citation_tradition', 'critical_edition', 'manuscript_tradition', 'non_government_archive', 'republication']", "surface": "secular"}