5063. I spoke with them further, saying that true Christianity consists in this: Christians should live in charity toward the neighbor, which is to be honest, to be just, to be upright, to do what is honest, just, and good on account of these things, and to value and revere them as Divine, because the Divine nature of the Lord is in them since they are from Him, as they too know. For they say that there is nothing good with them except that which comes from above, that is, from God, and consequently the question of whether they are Christians should be considered from the goodness of their life, and whether or not they have the true faith ought not create dissension. The reason it is otherwise is because Christianity is in poor condition. There was also conversation to the effect that the things someone believes to be true ought not immediately to be cast aside on the basis of some false inference, and that those who do this should not be esteemed, and therefore no one should be harassed or injured in regard to his or her faith, besides many other things. Concerning the Lord it was said that He was conceived by Jehovah and that therefore He called Jehovah His Father, and that this is very well-known in all of Christendom, and that from this they could have concluded that His Human is an effigy of the Father, thus Divine. But while Christians know this, they still draw no conclusion from it. They also know that He rose as to the body and took everything of the body with Him and that this too is very well-known. But because on the basis of [their] doctrine they imagine that their body as well is going to be resurrected in the same fashion at the time of the Last Judgment, they draw no conclusion from this. The Mohammedans wondered that Christians were so stupid, saying that they had ignored these two things. When I spoke with them about various things from the Word and which doctrines of the Church are true, I sensed holiness from them.
5063. I spoke further with them, [saying] that true Christianity consists in this: that men ought to live in charity towards the neighbor, that is, to be sincere, to be just, to be upright; thus, to practice sincerity, justice and goodness for the sake of those things, and to esteem them and venerate them as Divine, because the Divine of the Lord is in them, inasmuch as they are from Himself - which also, they know, for they say that there is nothing of good with them save what comes from above, that is, from God; and thus, that the question whether they are Christians, ought to be weighed from the good of life. I said, moreover, that true faith does not necessarily produce dissensions: that the case is otherwise, is because Christianity is in a corrupt condition. It was also said, that it is not right for anyone to discard, from some reasoning, the things which he believes to be true, immediately, and that such as do so, are not entitled to esteem; and that, therefore, no one should be molested, or injured, in his faith - besides many other things. It was said concerning the Lord, that He was conceived by Jehovah, and that, therefore, He called Jehovah His Father, and that both the former and the latter facts are perfectly well known in the whole Christian [world]; also, that they [i.e. the Christians] might thence have concluded that His Human is the similitude of the Father, and therefore Divine, but that though they know that, they conclude nothing about it. They [i.e. Christians] also know that He rose again, as to the body, and took all things of the body with Him; and this, also, is perfectly well known; but, because they suppose, from doctrine, that their own bodies, also, are to be in like manner raised at the Last Judgment, they draw no conclusion [as to the Lord's Divinity] from thence. They wondered that Christians should be so stupid, saying that they themselves were unaware of those two points. When I spoke with them concerning various things which were from the Word, and which were of the true doctrine of the Church, they became conscious of holiness from them.
5063. 1
Loquutus porro cum illis, quod verus Christianismus in eo consistat, quod vivere debeant in charitate erga proximum, quod est sinceros esse, justos esse, probos esse, sic sincerum, justum et bonum facere propter illa, ac aestimare illa et venerari ut Divina, quia Divinum Domini est in illis, quoniam ab Ipso, quod etiam sciunt, nam dicunt quod nihil boni apud illos nisi quod desuper, hoc est, a Deo veniat: et sic quod ex bono vitae considerandum num Christiani sunt, et quod veram fidem non oporteat dissidia facere, quod aliter sit est causa quia cum Christianismo male se habet; etiam loquutum est, quod illa quae aliquis vera esse credit, non oporteat objicere statim, ex quadam ratiocinatione, et qui hoc faciunt, sint tales qui non aestimandi, ac ideo non aliquis in sua fide lacessendus seu laedendus; praeter plura. Dicebatur de Domino, quod conceptus sit a Jehovah, et quod ideo Jehovam vocaverit Patrem suum, et quod illud et hoc notissimum sit in toto Christiano [orbe], et quod inde concludere potuissent, quod Humanum Ipsius sit similitudo Patris, ita Divinum; sed quod illud sciant, sed nihil de eo concludant: sciunt etiam quod resurrexerit quoad corpus, et omnia corporis secum tulerit, et quod hoc etiam notissimum est, sed quia ex doctrina putant quod etiam illorum corpore resurrecturi sint similiter ultimo judicio, nihil inde concludunt: mirati quod Christiani tam stupidi essent, dicentes quod duo illa ignoraverint. Cum loquutus cum illis de variis quae ex Verbo, et quae doctrinae verae Ecclesiae, appercepi sanctum ab illis.
Footnotes:
1. numerum abscissum in ms. restituimus; 5062 conformiter auctoris indicio videas post 5060 insertum