5881. About charity's life within a person
I came to the realization that people in the Christian world can never have the life of charity unless when they are thinking about the Lord they are thinking of His Divinity. To think about what is Divine only when one is taken up with doctrinal matters and not when one is thinking outside this context is not thinking about the Lord's Divinity, nor is one thinking about the Lord's Divinity when one prays to the Father on account of the Son, one does not then have the Lord in one's mental image of the Divine. I also realized that all who think of the Lord's Divinity when thinking about the Lord have the life of charity, for it is the Lord Himself who is then leading. It was ob-
[5881] 1/2. served also that many said that charity and not faith is the essential of the Church, believing that by saying this they would be saved before others, but these who said this from the principal alone and not from a life [of charity] differed not at all from those who trusted in faith alone. A certain one said that he had heard that because he believes in charity he has the life of charity, just as one who believes in faith has the life of faith. From this it was clear that they had believed that life is present in someone apart from the life lived.
5881. THE LIFE OF CHARITY WITH MAN.
It was perceived, that, in the Christian globe, man is by no means able to be in the life of charity, unless, when thinking about the Lord, he thinks of His Divine. To think about His Divine only when one is in the doctrinal, and not when he is thinking apart from that, is not thinking of the Lord's Divine. Nor does a man think of the Lord's Divine when he prays the Father for the sake of the Son: he does not then have the Lord in his idea of the Divine. It was also perceived that everyone, who, when thinking of the Lord, thinks about the Lord's Divine, is in the life of charity; for, him the Lord leads.
5881a. It was observed, too, that many declared charity and not faith to be the essential of the Church, believing that thus they would be saved in preference to others; but they who said this from a principle only, and not from life, do not in the least differ from those who are in faith alone. A certain one said that he understood that he, since he believes in charity, has the life of charity, just as he who believes in faith has the life of faith. Hence it was manifest that they believed life to dwell in anyone, apart from actual living.
5881. De vita charitatis apud hominem
Perceptum est quod homo in Christiano orbe nequaquam possit esse in vita charitatis nisi dum cogitat de Domino cogitet de Divino Ipsius, cogitare de Divino cum modo in doctrinali est, et non cum extra id cogitat, non est cogitare de Divino Domini; nec cogitat de Divino Domini cum orat Patrem propter Filium, tunc non habet Dominum in idea Divini, perceptum etiam est, quod omnis qui cogitat de Divino Domini, cum de Domino, in vita charitatis est, nam Dominus ipsum ducit. Obser-
[5[881] 1/2. vatum quoque est, quod pluries dixerint charitatem esse essentiale Ecclesiae non fidem, credentes quod sic salvarentur prae aliis, sed qui hoc dixerunt ex solo principio non ex vita, prorsus nihil differunt ab illis qui in sola fide, quidam dixit quod audiverit, quod is quia credit charitatem habeat vitam charitatis, sicut qui credit fidem habeat vitam fidei, inde patuit, quod crediderint vitam inesse alicui absque vita.