6002. About faith as it is with the English
Most of the Anglican Bishops and priests did not want to hear anything other than that faith alone justifies and that faith alone produces good works, and they did not want to give up anything of this error whatever, because they had confirmed themselves in it with various [arguments] and because they study the world more than heaven. As a consequence of this error they believe that faith alone produces the endeavor to do what is good, which they do not realize is the will, and that all that they do is accepted, good, and living because a person then possesses righteousness. From this they believe that the evils of their life are not imputed to them and that they themselves cannot do good in life without it being meritorious. As a result they think nothing about how one lives, nor about evil in life, nor about good; in fact they do not know what evil and good are except for what is in the commandments of the Decalogue. As a result they do not know what charity is, or what the neighbor is, because they believe that faith by itself produces good. They say that everything in them is good and that they themselves have no need to think about doing good. When their prayer at the holy supper is read to them, they hesitate and at first say that doing good is the fruit of faith, but because this is contradictory, they say it must be so said for the people who do not know the mysteries of the Church. On this account it was said to them that only the leaders of the church have this erroneous faith, not the people. They say in addition that a person is moved like a piece of wood to doing what is good, because God is doing it while a person is unaware or [mentally] asleep. But they were shown that people are not pieces of wood, because they are constantly
6002. DISCOURSE WITH ENGLISHMEN ABOUT FAITH.
Most of the English Bishops and Priests are unwilling to hear anything else than that faith alone justifies, and that faith alone produces good works; nor are they willing to give up anything of this error, since they have confirmed themselves therein by various arguments, and because they care for the world more than for heaven. By reason of that error they believe that faith alone produces the striving after good. They are not aware that it is the will [that produces this], and that thus everything they do is accepted, good, and made alive, because the man is in righteousness. Hence it is that they believe that the evils of their life are not imputed to them, and that they are not able themselves to do the good of life without its being meritorious. Hence they think nothing about life, neither about the evil nor about the good thereof; yea, they do not know what evil and good are, save what is in the Commandments of the Decalog. Hence it is that they do not know what charity is, or what the neighbor; for, inasmuch as they believe faith alone produces good, they declare everything to be good that characterizes them, and that they have no need to think about the doing of good. When their prayer at the Holy Supper is read before them, they hesitate, and at first say it is the fruit of faith; but, as this is contradictory, they say that it must be thus stated for the people, who are unacquainted with the deeper things of the Church. On this account, they were told that only the clergy are in that monstrous faith, but not the people. They also say, that man is swayed to good, like a stock, inasmuch as God operates it, while man is ignorant or asleep;
6002. De fide cum Anglis
Plerique ex Episcopis et sacerdotibus Anglicanis non volunt audire aliud quam quod sola fides justificet, et quod sola fides producat bona opera, nec volunt quicquam ab hoc errore remittere, quia per varia se confirmaverunt in illo, et quia student mundo plus quam coelo; ex illo errore credunt, quod sola fides producat conatum ad bonum, quem nesciunt quod sit voluntas, et quod sic omne quod faciunt sit acceptum, bonum et vivificatum, quia homo in justitia, inde est, quod credant mala vitae illorum non illis imputari, et quod bonum vitae non possint ipsi facere nisi foret meritorium, inde nihil cogitant de vita, neque de malo ejus, neque de bono, imo nec sciunt quid malum et bonum, nisi quod in praeceptis decalogi, inde est quod nec sciant quid charitas, et quid proximus; nam quia credunt solam fidem producere bonum, dicunt omne esse bonum quod apud illos, nec [se] opus habere cogitare de faciendo bono; quum coram illis lecta est precatio eorum ad sacram coenam, haesitant, et dicunt primum, esse fructum fidei, sed quia hoc contranititur, dicunt ita dicendum est populo qui non scit arcana Ecclesiae: quare illis dictum est, quod soli antistites in erronea illa fide sint, non autem populus. - Dicunt etiam hominem agi sicut stipes ad bonum, quia Deus operatur id homine nesciente vel dormiente, sed ostensum illis quod non sicut stipes, quia accipit