3451. 'They said, We saw clearly that Jehovah was with you' means that they knew the Divine to be present within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing clearly' as discerning and so as knowing for certain, and from the meaning of 'Jehovah being with you' as the Divine being present within it. As stated above in 3447, the subject here is the agreement of the literal sense of the Word with the internal sense, consequently the agreement of matters of doctrine concerning faith - meant by Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol - with that same internal sense, insofar, that is, as those matters of doctrine are drawn from the literal sense of the Word. Accordingly the subject is the joining together of the Lord's kingdom on earth with the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and so with the Lord, by means of the Word. For the Word, as to the highest sense, is the Lord Himself; as to the internal sense, the Lord's kingdom itself in heaven; and as to the literal sense, the Lord's kingdom itself on earth, as has also been stated already.

[2] As regards the Lord's kingdom on earth, that is, His Church, because its matters of doctrine are drawn from the literal sense of the Word it is inevitably varying so far as these are concerned. That is to say, one group declares that this idea is the truth of faith because it is so stated in the Word, while another declares that that idea is the truth because that likewise is stated there, and so on. Consequently because its matters of doctrine are drawn from the literal sense of the Word the Lord's Church differs from one group to the next, and not only from group to group but sometimes from individual to individual within a group. But dissent in matters of doctrine concerning faith does not mean that the Church cannot be one Church, provided all are of one mind in willing what is good and doing it.

[3] Take for example someone who acknowledges as a matter of doctrine that charity is the product of faith but nevertheless leads a life of charity towards the neighbour. Even though the truth does not exist with him so far as doctrine is concerned, yet it does exist with him so far as life is concerned, and consequently he has the Lord's Church or kingdom within him. Or, to take another example, someone who says that good works ought to be done for the sake of reward in heaven, as accords with the literal sense of the Word in Matthew 10:41-42; 25:34-36, and elsewhere, and yet when performing good works he gives no thought at all to merit. He likewise is in the Lord's kingdom because the truth exists in him so far as life is concerned. This being what he is really like so far as life is concerned, he readily allows himself to be told that nobody is able to reach heaven on merit and that the works which a person regards as meritorious are not good. So it is with every other example that could be taken. For the literal sense is such that in many places it seems to contradict itself, the reason being that it contains appearances of truth that are suited to those who are engrossed in external things, and therefore who are also filled with a love of worldly things as well as bodily pleasures.

[4] Here therefore, through 'Abimelech', those people are dealt with who possess matters of doctrine concerning faith and who, as stated above, make faith the essential thing for salvation. Also dealt with is the agreement of their matters of doctrine with the internal sense. These people too, it is clear, are joined to heaven and the Lord by means of the literal sense, yet only those among them with whom good is present, that is, those who, though they make faith the essential thing so far as their doctrine is concerned, nevertheless make charity the essential so far as their life is concerned. For when they have confidence in, or put their trust in the Lord, which they call faith, affection that goes with love to the Lord is present, and therefore so far as life is concerned good is present in them. But see what has been stated and shown already in the following paragraphs:

Not doctrine but charity taught by it makes the Church, 809, 916, 1798, 1799, 1834, 1844.

Matters of doctrine have no value unless people live according to them, 1515.

The Church varies so far as truths are concerned, but is one through charity, 3267.

Parallelism exists between the Lord and man as regards celestial things that are matters of good, but not as regards spiritual things that are matters of truth, 1831, 1832.

Doctrine is invariably the same, that is to say, it is always concerned with love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, 3445.

The Church would be one if charity were present with all, even though they differed from one another in forms of worship and in matters of doctrine, 809, 1285, 1316, 1798, 1799, 1834, 1844, 2982.

The Church would be like the Lord's kingdom in heaven if charity were present with all, 2385.

Countless variations of good and truth exist in heaven, but by acting in harmony with one another they nevertheless make one, like the organs and members of the body, 684, 690, 3241.

2385. 'And these strove to find the door (janua)' means to the point at which they were unable to see any truth that would lead to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a door' as something that introduces or affords access, and as truth itself since the latter leads the way to good, dealt with above in 2356. In this verse however 'the door' means cognitions which lead the way to truth, for 'the door (janua)', as stated above in 2356, was on the outside of the house, for it is said in verse 6 that 'Lot went out to the door (janua) and closed the door (ostia) behind him'. 'Striving to find the door' therefore means not seeing any truth that would lead to good.

[2] Such do those people become, especially in the last times, who by reasoning hatch matters of doctrine and believe nothing unless they grasp it mentally beforehand. In this case the life of evil is constantly flowing into the rational part of their mind, and an illusory kind of light obtained from the fire of affections for evil pours in and causes men to see falsities as truths, like people who are in the habit of seeing phantoms in the shades of night. Those same things are after that confirmed in a multitude of ways and made matters of doctrine, as is the case with those who assert that life, which constitutes one's affection, does not achieve anything, but only faith, which constitutes thought.

[3] Once any assumption is adopted, even if falsity itself, it can be confirmed in countless ways and so be presented to outward appearance as though it were the truth itself, as anyone may well know. This is how heresies arise from which there is no going back once they have been confirmed. But from a false assumption nothing other than falsities can flow; and even if truths are introduced among them, these nevertheless become falsified truths when that false assumption is confirmed by means of them, for they are polluted by the very nature of the falsity.

[4] It is altogether different if truth itself is the assumption that is taken, and this is confirmed; for example, that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are that on which the whole law hangs and about which all the prophets speak, and so are the essentials of all doctrine and worship. In this case the mind would be enlightened by countless things in the Word which would otherwise lie hidden within the obscurity of a false assumption. Indeed in that case heresies would be dispelled and one Church would result from many, no matter how differing the doctrinal teachings and also religious practices might be flowing from that Church or leading into it.

[5] Of such a character was the Ancient Church which was spread throughout many kingdoms throughout Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria, Ethiopia, Arabia, Libya, Egypt, Philistia up to Tyre and Sidon, and the land of Canaan on both sides of the Jordan. Among these peoples doctrinal teachings and religious practices differed from one to the next, but there was nevertheless one Church because with them charity was the essential thing. At that time the Lord's kingdom existed on earth as it is in heaven, for such is the character of heaven, see 684, 690. If the same situation existed now all would be governed by the Lord as though they were one person; for they would be like the members and organs of one body which, though dissimilar in form and function, still related to one heart on which every single thing, everywhere varied in form, depended. Everyone would then say of another, No matter what form his doctrine and his external worship take, this is my brother; I observe that he worships the Lord and is a good man.