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.

3267. 'By their names, according to their births' means interior characteristics according to derivatives of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, or of 'names' as the essential characteristics, dealt with immediately above in 3266, here interior characteristics since the words used are 'these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names'. In the first case 'the names' means the general characteristics, but here in the second case specific characteristics residing within those general ones are meant, that is, those which in relation to the general are interior. The word 'names' also means interior characteristics because these characteristics go according to derivatives of faith, meant by 'according to their births' - 'births' meaning derivatives of faith, and so of the Church, see 1145, 1255, 1330, 3263.

[2] The situation with the Lord's spiritual Church is that it is spread throughout the whole world, and wherever it exists varies so far as matters of belief or truths of faith are concerned. Those variations are the derivatives meant by 'births', which occur either simultaneously or consecutively. The same applies to the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens - that is to say, in matters of faith variety is so great that not one community, nor even one member of a community, is in complete agreement with any other in the things which constitute the truths of faith, 3241. But for all that, the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens is one, the reason being that with everyone charity is the chief thing, for charity makes the spiritual Church, not faith, unless you say that faith is charity.

[3] Anyone who has charity loves the neighbour, and when the latter differs from him in matters of belief he thinks nothing of it provided he leads a life that is good and true. Neither also does he condemn upright gentiles, in spite of the fact that they have no knowledge of the Lord and do not know any truth of faith. For the person who has charity, that is, who leads a good life, receives such truths from the Lord as agree with his good, and gentiles receive such things as can be turned in the next life into the truths of faith, 2599-2603. But the person who has no charity, that is, who does not lead a good life, cannot receive any truth. He can indeed know the truth, but it is not implanted in his life. He is indeed able to speak that truth with his lips, but not have it in his heart, for truth cannot be joined to evil. For this reason also, although they are in the Church because they were born in it, those who know truths which they call matters of belief and yet do not lead a charitable or good life nevertheless do not belong to the Church. For they have nothing of the Church within them, that is, no good at all to which truth may be joined.