Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 519charity, see in the small work on the Last Judgment, n. 33–39; andthat man after death is such as his life was in the world, and notsuch as his faith was, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n.470–484; also what charity is, and what faith is in its essence, seethe Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 84–122.)250d.[9] From what has now been presented let it be consideredwhether having faith is anything else than living it; and whetherliving it is not merely knowing and thinking, but also willing anddoing; for faith is not in man when it is only in his knowing andthinking, but when it is also in his willing and doing. Faith in manis the faith of the life, but faith not yet in man is the faith of thememory and of thought therefrom. The faith of the life meansbelieving in God; but believing those things that are from God, andnot believing in God, is historical faith, which is not saving. Whothat is a true priest and good pastor does not wish that men shouldlive aright; and who does not know that the faith of knowledges,based on what another has said, is not the faith of the life, buthistorical faith?[10] Faith of the life is the faith of charity, for charity is life. Buteven though this be so, still I foresee that those who have confirmedthemselves in the doctrine of faith alone and of justification byfaith will not recede from it, because they connect falsities withtruths; for they teach truths when they teach from the Word, butfalsities when they teach from doctrine; and they thereforeconfound these things by saying that the fruits of faith are thegoods of life, and that these follow from faith, and yet that thegoods of life contribute nothing to salvation, but that faith alonesaves. Thus they both join and separate the two; and when theyjoin the two they teach truths, but only before the people, who donot know that they are inverting things, and that they say thesethings of necessity, in order that their doctrine may cohere with theWord; but when they separate the two they teach falsities, for theysay that faith saves, and not the goods of charity which are works,not knowing then that charity and faith act as one, and that charity