4218. CONCERNING THOSE WHO SAY THAT FAITH ALONE SAVES WITHOUT GOOD WORKS. I perceived occasionally during the lapse of one or two days a sphere of scortation, which was diffused around, but which more especially descended from the region beneath the nates. As the sphere was an infesting one, I wondered from whence it came, and it was said that it proceeded from those who were in the persuasion that faith alone was saving, and that good works had no effect but to damn, and were therefore abominable. Those of this class are under the nates, dwelling in mutual railings and feuds, farther than which I did not perceive. From thence descends a sphere within the body, to the left, and from their attempt to be saved above others there is a perpetual struggle upwards, and in the direction, as was said, of the left part of the body and onwards towards the heart and the head. In speaking with those of this principle, it was given to ask them what they really believed in saying that faith alone saved. This, however, they did not know, for they do not know what faith is, except that it is something which saves. Upon reflection they said that if they should believe that God the Father created them, that Jesus saved them, and the Holy Spirit purified them, then salvation would follow of course, even though in the very hour of death, and though they had lived an evil life all their days. Those who were still lower down said that they knew nothing as to what faith was; that the sum of their knowledge was simply - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and if there was anything more in faith they were ignorant of it; for as men are prone to reduce what they have learned into one formula, this was theirs, to wit, that they barely knew - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that to know this would save them. - 1749, April 15.