6017. About Moravians
I was with Moravians who confessed their errors, and who began to want to receive truths, because they see that they are in a miserable state and thus [it was not happening] as they believed, which was that they were going to come into heaven before others. I spoke with them about the Lord, whose Divine they did not yet want to accept. They wish to call Him God, as men [did], scarcely as the angels [do]. They acknowledge that living well brings about [salvation], not faith alone, and that what is good must be done is if from oneself. I spoke with them about baptism, that they had made it unimportant, but still had retained it on account of the reformed, and that [for them] the holy supper was only a token, and that they did not regarded it holy, as others do.
6017. THE MORAVIANS.
I was with Moravians who confessed their errors, and began to be willing to receive truths, because they see that they are in a miserable state, and that thus it did not turn out as they have believed, namely, that they would enter heaven in preference to all others. I spoke with them concerning the Lord, whose Divine they were not yet willing to accept. They were willing to call Him God, just as men, as, for example, in the case of Aaron, 1have been called; but scarcely as angels 2have been so spoken of. They acknowledged that life avails, and not faith alone; and that good ought to be done as of one's self. Respecting baptism, I said that they had made it of no account, but still retained it on account of the Reformed; and that the holy supper was, with them, a mere form, nor did they account it holy as others do.
Footnotes:
1. The allusion is, of course, to Moses being to Aaron "instead of God" (Exod. 4:18). -TR.
2. It was in reference to an angel that "Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God" (Judges 13:22). -TR.
6017. De Moravianis
Eram cum Moravianis, qui fassi sunt suos errores, et qui coeperunt velle recipere vera, quia vident se in misero statu, et sic non sicut crediderunt, quod illi prae caeteris venturi in coelum, loquutus cum illis de Domino, cujus Divinum nondum acceptare volebant, vocare illum Deum voluerunt sicut homines ut Aharon, vix ut angeli; agnoscebant quod vita faciat, et non sola fides, et quod bonum faciendum sicut a se, de baptismo loquutus quod id vanum fecerint, sed usque habuerint propter reformatos, et quod sancta coena esset modo sigillum, nec id fecerunt sanctum, ut alii.