3437. There was much discussion with him regarding higher knowledge of faith - as that true life could never exist except through such knowledge, that without life acquired by means of higher knowledge of faith, or by means of the doctrine of faith - that is, by faith itself, they would have no need for a revelation of the Word, neither the Word of the New nor of the Old Testament. Then, so that he would be convinced, I was prompted to add that they would have had no need of his preaching to instruct them how life should be, and that the faith would be rejected.
[2] Finally, I said that there would be no need for him to discuss the matter with me, for then life would be poured in directly, without the Word, and without his preaching. Since he is unable to respond to these points, he once or twice admitted that it was right; but because he was of that persuasion, he still returns to his own conviction, even wanting to retract the words I have written in this paragraph.
This also he wishes to slip in, that he had thought that man is regenerated, and thus obtains life, while unaware of it. On this matter I had also been granted to speak with him earlier - that is, that regeneration occurs in this way. But still by means of higher knowledge of faith.
3437. Conversing with him largely concerning the knowledges of faith, that no true life can ever be given except through such knowledges: that without life by the knowledges of faith, or by the doctrine of faith, that is, by faith, there would be no need of the revelation of the Word, either the Word of the Old Testament or the New; in order that this might be evinced, it was given to say that otherwise there would have been no need of his preaching, in order to instruct as to the conduct of life, and the rejection of faith; nor would there have been any need of his disputing with me on the subject, as life might have been immediately infused without the Word and without his preaching: to all which, because he was unable to answer, he confessed once or twice that it was so, but because he was in the persuasion [before mentioned] he returns to it again, and wishes to retract the words, which I have written in this paragraph. This also he wishes to insinuate, that man is regenerated while ignorant of it, and thus obtains life; concerning which it was also previously given to speak with him and to say, that such is indeed the case with regeneration, but yet [that it is effected] by the knowledges of faith, and that although man is ignorant of it at the time, yet in a state of adversity and temptation, when bodily things recede, the things that are of faith are recalled by the Lord to his mind.
3437. Loquutum cum eo, de cognitionibus fidei, plura, quod nusquam dari queat vera vita, nisi per cognitiones fidei, quod absque vita per cognitiones fidei, seu per doctrinam dei, hoc est, per fidem, non opus haberent revelatione Verbi, nec Verbo novi nec veteris Testamenti; tum ut evinceretur, dicere datum, quod non opus habuissent praedicatione ejus, ut instrueret, quomodo se haberet vita, et quod rejiceretur fides, tandem quod non opus haberet disputare mecum de eo, nam sic immediate infunderetur vita, absque Verbo, et absque praedicatione ejus, quibus quia non respondere potest, fassus semel aut bis quod ita esset, sed quia in persuasione, redit usque ad suam persuasionem, et vult quoque retrahere verba, quae in hac paragrapho scripsi; hoc tamen insinuare vult, quod putaverit hominem regenerari, eo nesciente, et sic vitam adipisci, de qua re prius cum eo loqui quoque datum erat, nempe quod regeneratio ita se habeat, sed usque per cognitiones fidei, et tametsi