91. It is a common opinion at this day that the way of salvation is to believe this or that which the Church teaches; and that it does not consist in keeping the commandments of the Decalogue, which are, not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to bear false witness, both in a restricted and in a wider sense. For it is asserted that works are not regarded, but faith from God; when yet, so far as any one is in those evils, so far he is without faith; as may be seen above, Nos. 42-52. Consult reason, and consider whether a murderer, an adulterer, a thief or a false witness can have faith, so long as he is in the lust of those evils; and further, whether their lust can be dispersed otherwise than by not willing to do them because they are sins, that is, because they are infernal and diabolical. Whoever therefore supposes that the way of salvation is to believe this or that which the Church teaches, and yet remains in his evil lust, must needs be foolish according to the Lord's words in Matthew vii 26. When a Church is of this nature it is thus described in Jeremiah:
Stand in the gate of the house of Jehovah, and proclaim there this word ... Thus saith Jehovah Zebaoth, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings ... Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of Jehovah, The temple of Jehovah, The temple of Jehovah, are these ... Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely ... And come and stand before me in this house, whereon is called my name, and say, We are delivered, to do all these abominations? Is this house ... become a den of robbers ... ? Behold, even I have seen it, saith Jehovah. Jer. vii 2-4; 9-11.
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