Continuation.- The Lord provides for every nation a universal medium of salvation. It is evident from what was said above that in whatever religion a man lives, he is able to be saved. For he is acquainted with the evils, and from evils with the falsities that are to be shunned, and when he shuns them, he becomes acquainted with the goods which ought to be done, and the truths which ought to be believed. The goods which he does, and the truths which he believes, before he has shunned evils, are not goods and truths in themselves, because they are from man and not from the Lord. The reason why they are not goods and truths in themselves before this, is that they do not live in man. The man who is acquainted with all the goods and truths that can possibly be known, and does not shun evils, knows nothing; for his evils absorb them and cast them out, and he becomes foolish, not in the world, indeed, but afterwards. But the man who is acquainted with few goods and truths, and shuns evils, knows the former, adds many others to them and becomes wise, if not in the world, yet afterwards.

Since therefore every one of any religion whatever is acquainted with the evils, and from evils with the falsities, which ought to be shunned, and, as he shuns them, becomes acquainted with the goods which ought to be done, and with the truths which ought to be believed, it is evident that a universal medium of salvation has been provided by the Lord in the case of every nation possessing a religion.

[2] This medium exists in all fullness with Christians; it exists also, although not in fullness, with Mahometans and heathens; all other things, which make a distinction between them, are either matters of ceremony, in themselves indifferent, or they are goods which may be done or not done, or truths which may be believed or not believed, and yet a man be saved.

A man sees what the quality of goods and truths is, after evils are removed; the Christian seeing it from the Word, the Mahometan from the Koran, and the heathen from his religion. The Christian sees from the Word that God is one; that the Lord is the Saviour of the world; that all good and truth, really such in themselves, are from God, and nothing from man; that there are Baptism and the Holy Supper; that there are a heaven and a hell; that there is a life after death, and that he who does good enters heaven, and he who does evil goes to hell. These things he believes from truth, and does them from good, if he is not in evil. All other things, which are not in agreement with these and the Decalogue, he may omit. The Mahometan sees from the Koran that God is one; that the Lord is the Son of God; that all good is from God; that there are a heaven and a hell; that there is a life after death, and that the evils named in the commandments of the Decalogue are to be shunned. If he acts according to the latter, and believes the former, he is also saved. The heathen sees from his religion, that there is a God, that He is to be hallowed and worshipped, that good is from Him; that there are a heaven and a hell; that there is a life after death; that the evils named in the Decalogue are to be shunned. If he acts according to the latter, and believes the former, he is saved. And because most of the heathen perceive God as a man, and God-Man is the Lord, therefore also after death, when they are instructed by angels, they acknowledge the Lord, and afterwards receive truths from Him of which they were before ignorant. That they have neither Baptism, nor the Holy Supper, is not a ground of condemnation, these being intended for those alone who possess the Word, from which the Lord is known; for they are symbols of His church, and the testifications and assurances that those who believe and live according to the Lord's commandments in the Word will be saved.