civil and
moral spiritual man. The difference is that the latter is a good citizen
both of an earthly kingdom and of a heavenly, while the former is a good
citizen only of the earthly kingdom and not of the heavenly. They are
distinguishable by the good they do. The good done by civil and moral
natural men is not in itself good, for man and the world are in it; the
good done by civil and moral spiritual men is in itself good, because the
Lord and heaven are in it.

[3] From all this it may be seen that every person, because he is born
able to become a civil and moral natural being, is also born able to
become a civil and moral spiritual man. He has only to acknowledge God
and not commit evils because they are against God, but do good because
good is siding with God. Then spirit enters into his civil and moral
actions and they live; otherwise there is no spirit in them and hence
they are not living. Therefore the natural man, however much he acts like
a civil and moral being, is spoken of as dead, but the spiritual man is
spoken of as living.

[4] Of the Lord's divine providence every nation has some religion, and
primary in every religion is the acknowledgment that God is, else it is
not called a religion. Every nation that lives its religion, that is,
does not do evil because this is contrary to its God, receives something
spiritual in its natural life. Who, on hearing a Gentile say he will not
do this or that evil because it is contrary to his God, does not say to
himself, "Is this person not saved? It seems, it cannot be otherwise."
Sound reason tells him this. On the other hand, hearing a Christian say,
"I make no account of this or that evil. What does it mean to say that it
is contrary to God?" one says to himself, "This man is not saved, is he?
It would seem, he cannot be." Sound reason dictates this also.

[5] Should someone say, "I was born a Christian, have been baptized, have
known the Lord, read the Word, observed the Sacrament of the Supper,"
what does this amount to when he does not count as sins murder, or the
revenge breathing it, adultery, stealing, false witness, or lying, and
different sorts of violence? Does such a person think of God or of
eternal life? Does he think they exist? Does sound reason not dictate
that such a man cannot be saved? This has been said of a Christian, for a
Gentile in his life gives more thought to God from religion than a
Christian does. But more is to be said on these po