6074. About Zinzendorf
He was with me for several days, and he listened to and perceived what those who were with me from the Lord said about charity and faith, and about what happens to those who have faith alone, in doctrine and in life, [namely] that they are in a miserable state, and also that there is no faith at all, where is no charity. And he was told what charity is, and was stupefied; and in addition [he was told that] the whole Word is the Lord. He saw this, that the prophetic parts are nothing [apart from this], and much else, and he grieved that he had not known this in the world. Besides this, he was sent to an individual from that congregation, saying to him that he now does what he wants, that it is not as they believe in the world, and he left.
I spoke with him about three great errors:
1. ) That the Lord is the adoptive son of God, by which he denied His Divine was from Himself.
2. ) That they rejected the Word of the Old Testament, and that they read the Evangelists with something of contempt, valuing only Paul's epistles.
3. ) That they excluded the works of charity from religion and almost condemned them. It was shown that all those who do so close heaven to themselves. He believed that he was enlightened, but it was shown that no enlightenment is possible when these three errors have been accepted.
6074. ZINZENDORF.
He was with me for several days, and heard and perceived what they who were with me from the Lord [thought] about charity and faith, and what befell those who, in doctrine and in life, are in faith alone, [namely], that they are in a wretched condition and, further, that there is not any faith where there is not charity: it was also told him what charity is. On being told, he was amazed as, also, at the fact that the whole Word is the Lord. He saw this; also, [that he had been in error in believing] that the propheticals were nothing, 1and many other things; he was also grieved that he did not know this in the world; and being sent to one of the same communion, he told him that he may now do as he will, that it is not as they believe in the world, and withdrew.
I conversed with him about the three great errors:
(1) that the Lord is the adoptive Son of God - by which he denied that His Divine is from Himself;
(2) that they discarded the Word of the Old Testament, and read the Evangelists with a certain contempt, esteeming only the epistles of Paul;
(3) that they have quite excluded from religion, and almost condemned, the works of charity. It was also shown that all who so do, close heaven against themselves. He believed that he was enlightened; but it was shown him that enlightenment is not conferred, while those three errors are entertained.
Footnotes:
1. That the Moravians, of whose religiosity Zinzendorf was the founder, do this, is explicitly stated in n, 6081(2), below. See also the statement numbered "(2)" in the present section. It should be mentioned that the portion in brackets is inserted by the Editor of the Latin. -TR.
6074. De Zinzendorfio
Erat apud me per aliquot dies, et audivit et percepit quid illi qui a Domino erant apud me, de charitate et fide [dixerunt], et quid contigit illis qui in sola fide sunt, doctrina et vita, quod in misero statu sint, tum etiam quod non aliqua fides sit ubi non charitas, et dictum ei quid charitas, tunc obstupuit, etiam super id quod totum Verbum sit Dominus; vidit hoc, quod prophetica nihil [aliud] sint, et plura alia, et doluit quod hoc non sciverit in mundo; etiam missus ad unum ex illa congregatione, dicens illi, quod nunc faciat quid velit, quod non ita sit sicut credunt in mundo, et recessit.
[2] Loquutus sum cum illo de tribus erroribus magnis
1) quod Dominus sit adoptivus Filius Dei, ex quo Divinum Ipsius a se negabat.
2) Quod Verbum Veteris Testamenti rejecerint, et quod Evangelistas cum aliquo contemtu legerint, solum Pauli epistolas aestimando.
3) Quod opera charitatis ex religione prorsus excluserint et fere damnaverint. Et ostensum est, quod omnes qui ita faciunt, claudant sibi coelum. Credidit quod fuerit illustratus, sed ostensum ei quod illustratio non detur, cum illa tria accepta sunt.