4077. About the love of faith
I very clearly realized, when thinking about faith, that faith alone cannot save, since faith is a matter of thought. For what is faith? No one denies that those are matters of faith that are contained in the articles of faith, in the doctrine of faith - otherwise, apart from doctrine, there is no faith. The doctrine of faith plainly declares that the principal law is the love of the neighbor [Matt. 22:39, Mark 12:31]. Since this is the principal law, it is the principal tenet in the doctrine of faith, so that unless one loves the neighbor, one does not have faith. Thus they cannot but become insane who want to separate faith from the life of love, and of doing good works, and say that faith alone saves without our loving the neighbor as ourselves, consequently without a life of love. 1748, 26 Nov. Faith is life, and to live according to those tenets of faith is not to think, for the tree is known by its fruit [Matt. 7:16, 20; Luke 6:44].
4077. CONCERNING THE LOVE OF FAITH.
When thinking of faith, it was manifestly perceived, that faith alone cannot save, since faith is of thought. What [I would ask] is faith? No one denies that those things are of faith which are in the articles of faith, in the doctrine of faith, since abstractedly from doctrine there is no faith. The doctrine of faith plainly declares that the love of the neighbor is the principal law; and since this is the principal law, it is the principal point in the doctrine of faith; wherefore unless one loves his neighbor, he is destitute of faith. Thus they cannot but rave who would separate faith from the life of love and good works, and say that faith alone is saving apart from loving our neighbor as himself and thus apart from the life of love.
4077. De amore fidei
Perceptum manifeste, cum de fide cogitaverim, quod fides sola non possit salvare, cum fides sit cogitationis, nam quid fides? nullus negat, quod fidei sint quae in articulis fidei, in doctrina fidei, alioquin abstracte a doctrina est nulla fides; doctrina fidei dicit clare, quod principalis lex sit amor proximi [Matth. XXII: 39, Marc. XII: 31], cum hoc principalis lex, est principale in doctrina fidei, quare nisi quisque amat proximum, non habet fidem: sic non possunt aliter ac insanire, qui volunt separare fidem, a vita amoris, et bonis agendis, et dicere, quod fides sola salvet, absque quod aliquis amet proximum sicut semet, proinde, absque vita amoris. 1748, 26 Nov. Fides est vita, et vivere secundum illa fidei, non est cogitare, nam ex fructu cogniscitur arbor [Matth. VII: 16, 20, 20; Luc. VI: 44].