5031. Those, however, who have truths without goodness falsify truths, as is obvious from the fact that they reject goodness from their theology, which [goodness] they consign to moral doctrine, [saying that] faith alone saves, as a result of which many believe that doctrinal faith by itself is saving, that a person can become righteous through faith alone, about which they speak a great deal and few understand anything, that a person can be saved through faith in the last hour of life however a person has lived, that introduction to heaven is out of mercy and this even in the other life, so that devils themselves can be saved out of mercy, besides many other similar things.
[2] From this it is evident what the nature of the doctrine is and thus what the nature of the Church is if truth is present without goodness and goodness without truth. There was a certain individual who thought from the principal of faith alone about the doctrine of his Church, taking goodness out of account. It was Dahlborg. 1And he ran through everything in the light of this principal and could not find anything true, but when he let goodness into his thinking, by applying it to particular instances, he saw many things.
Footnotes:
1. Dahlborg (1675ֱ723), though Dr. Achatius Kahl says the correct spelling is Dalborg, was a Swedish clergyman renowned for his oratorical gifts. He was suspected of Pietistic tendencies (Narratiunculae 19).
5031. (But they [who] are in truths without good, falsify truths, as may be evident from the fact that they reject good works from their theology, and consign it to moral doctrine; that [they teach that] faith alone saves, by which many believe that doctrinal faith alone saves; that man can be justified by faith alone, of which they talk much and few understand anything; that man can be saved by faith in the last hour of life, no matter how he had lived; that introduction into heaven is of mercy, and this even in the other life, so that the devils themselves are able to be saved out of mercy: besides many similar notions.) Hence it is apparent of what quality is doctrine, and thence of what quality is the Church, if truth is without good and good without truth. There was a certain one, who thought from the principle of faith alone concerning the doctrinals of his Church - removing good. It was Dalborg, and he went over everything on that principle and could not light upon any truth; but, when he admitted good, he saw many things, by means of certain accommodations.
5031. Illi autem [qui] in veris sunt absque bono, falsificant vera, ut constare potest ex eo, quod ex theologia illorum rejiciant bona opera, quae in moralem doctrinam conjiciunt, quod sola fides salvet, per quod plerique credunt, quod solum fides doctrinalium salvet, quod justificari possit homo per fidem solam, de qua multum loquuntur, et pauci aliquid intelligunt, quod salvari possit homo per fidem in ultima vitae hora, utcunque vixerat, quod introductio in coelum sit ex misericordia, et hoc in altera vita, sic ut ipsi diaboli ex misericordia possint salvari, praeter plura similia.
[2] Inde patet, qualis doctrina, et qualis inde Ecclesia, si verum est absque bono, ac bonum absque vero. - Erat quidam qui ex principio de sola fide cogitavit de doctrinalibus Ecclesiae suae, removendo bonum, erat Dahlborg, et percurrit omnia in eo principio, nec potuit invenire aliquod verum, sed cum admitteret bonum, videbat plura, per quasdam applicationes.