5926. About faith
I spoke in the presence of Melancthon about faith alone, [saying] that a spirit is not a spirit other than from his own goodness or evil and that he entirely resembles the quality of his goodness and evil, both as to face and body and to his way of speaking, for what he is like is heard from his speech; and I said that the faith he has is proportional to his goodness, that is to say, to the amount and quality of goodness he has in respect to the way he lives. This was also shown in an actual experience. The spirit was shown his nature, which can happen in the spiritual world, and then what his inward nature was as regards goodness appeared in every respect, and then he was also shown that he has no more faith than proceeds from his goodness and that the remainder which he calls faith is more external, outside him, skin deep as it were. Many saw this and a certain one who earlier had believed that there is faith alone and thus that it saves, came forward and cried out that he now saw that no one has more of faith than he has of charity. For this reason they should be called skin-spirits.
5926. FAITH.
I spoke in the presence of Melancthon concerning faith alone, that a spirit is not a spirit save from his good or evil, and that his whole bulk is as are his goods and evils, both as to the face, and as to the body, and the speech; for from the speech is heard what he is; and that thus he has faith in the same degree that he has good; but of what degree and quality he is as to life, was also shown by living experience. Of what kind his spirit is, was shown - which can take place in the spiritual world - and then his whole inward nature appeared such as it is, as regards good; and it was also then shown that he has no more faith than as much as proceeds from his good, and that the residue which he called faith, is in front outside of him, as it were in the skin. Many said this; and a certain one who previously believed that faith alone does exist, and salvation thereby, advancing, cried out that he now saw that no one has more faith than he has charity. Wherefore, they [i.e. such spirits as Melancthon] should be called cutaneous spirits.
5926. De fide
Loquutus sum in praesentia Melancthonis, de sola fide, quod spiritus non sit spiritus quam a suo bono vel malo, et quod sit totus quantus sicut ejus bonum et malum, tam quoad faciem quam corpus, [et] loquelam, nam ex loquela auditur qualis est, et [quod] sic tantum ei fidei sit quantum est ei boni, seu quantus [et] qualis ille est quoad vitam, [hoc] ostensum etiam per vivam experientiam, spiritus ostensus qualis est, quod fieri potest in mundo spirituali, et tunc apparuit totus intus qualis erat quoad bonum, et ostensum tunc quoque quod non plus fidei ei sit quam quantum ex bono ejus procedit, et quod reliquum quod vocat fidem sit exterius extra illum sicut in cute; hoc viderunt plures, et quidam qui prius credidit solam fidem dari, et sic salvare, progressus clamavit, quod nunc viderit, quod non plus fidei sit alicui, quam quantum ei charitatis. Quare vocandi sunt cutanei.