4171. About faith
There was a certain one who while living in the body had held as a principle that faith can save, such as the faith of the Athanasian Creed, which they teach to little children. This person spoke with me about faith, whom I asked, What is faith but knowledge, and higher knowledge, for the sake of use - for the sake of the use that one may become good? It is nothing but knowledge, I said, and whoever thinks they are saved by knowledge, or by higher knowledge by itself, is insane. Since all higher knowledge is for the purpose of becoming good. He becomes even more insane who has imbued such notions and made them the principles of his faith to the point of believing them.
Being given light in order to realize that it was so, he confessed in front of the others that he had been deceived, and that faith is still of no avail except in order thereby to become a good person. This faith is for the sake of being gifted with charity. 1749, 12 March. 1
Footnotes:
1. Astrological symbol of the sun, meaning Sunday.
4171. CONCERNING FAITH.
There was a certain one who, while he lived in the body, held as a principle, that faith [alone] is saving; as, for instance, the faith of the Athanasian Creed, which is taught to children. This person spoke with me on the subject of faith, and I asked him what else faith was than science and knowledge? what it amounted to, except as it related to use to the use of a man's being made good; and that as it was nothing else than [bare] science, one would be insane to think science alone or knowledge could save, since all knowledge is in reference to the end of a man's becoming good. Still more insane would he be who should imbue himself with such notions, and make them the principles of his faith. Light was granted him to perceive the truth of this, and he confessed it before others, saying that he had been deceived, and that faith [of itself] was nothing, except so far as it made a man good; that is, except so far as it could be made the means of endowing him with charity. - 1749, March 12.
4171. De fide
Erat quidam qui dum vixit in corpore pro principio habuit quod fides salvare possit, sicut fides Athanasii, et quam docent infantibus, qui mecum loquutus, de fide, cui dictum quid fides, nisi scientia et cognitio, nisi propter usum, nisi propter usum ut bonus fiat? est nihil nisi scientia, et quod insanus sit, qui putat salvare solam scientiam, aut cognitionem, cum cognitio omnis sit propter finem ut bonus fiat, magis insanit, qui talia imbuerit sibi et principia sibi fecerit, ut credat iis; dabatur ei lux ut perciperet, quod ita, fassus est coram aliis, quod deceptus, et quod nihil usque fides, nisi ut fiat bonus; haec est propter id ut charitate donetur. 1749, 12 Martius.