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does not know that the faith of knowledges obtained from hearsay, is not the faith of the life, but historical faith. Faith of the life is the faith of charity, for charity is life. (A. E. 250.)
THE DEED OF CAIN — WHAT IT SIGNIFIES.
The spiritual arcanum contained in the history of Cain and Abel is this: Abel represents the good of charity, and Cain the truth of faith. This good and truth are also called brethren in the Word: and the truth of faith is called the first-born, for the reason that truths which are to become the truths of faith, are first acquired and stored up in the memory, that from thence as from a store-house good may extract such principles as it can conjoin to itself, and thus make those truths to be truths of faith. For truth is not of faith until man wills and does it. (A. C. 1843.)
The things which a man retains merely in his memory or thought, whether derived from the Word or the doctrine of the church, from reading or preaching, or from his own understanding, are not faith, although he may suppose them to be, and although such is the prevailing opinion at this day. This first-begotten principle is represented by Cain; for Cain was the first begotten.
When such faith is believed to be the faith which saves man, and not the willing and doing truth, that is, the living according to it, then the dreadful heresy exists that faith alone saves, whatever may be the quality