8094. Because that was near. That this signifies that it first comes up, is evident from the signification of "near," when said of faith separate, as being that it first comes up. How it is to be understood that the opinion concerning faith separate or alone first comes up, shall be briefly told. Evil of life is attended with its own falsity, which falsity lies hidden in the man who is in evil of life, and sometimes he is not aware that it is in him; but as soon as he thinks about the truths of the church, and especially when he thinks about salvation, then this falsity comes forth and clearly shows itself, and if it cannot deny the truth itself in respect to its general statement, it explains it in favor of its own evil, and thus falsifies it; consequently, when he is thinking about faith and charity, which are the essentials of the church and of salvation, faith at once comes up, but not charity, because charity is opposite to evil of life; and therefore he also sets charity aside, and chooses faith alone. From all this it is evident that the truths of faith are near, but not the goods of faith; that is, that the former come up first, and not the latter. [2] From this erroneous and false principle afterward follow many false and erroneous notions; as that good works effect nothing for salvation; that a man's life does not follow him after death; that man is then saved by mercy alone through faith, howsoever he has lived in the world; that the most wicked is saved by faith in the last hour of his life; that evils are wiped away in a moment. These and the like things are thought out and established from this principle, and are consequently so many links in a chain. But they would be perceived to be utterly different if charity and life were the first principle.