6273. 'For Manasseh was the firstborn' means since good does indeed occupy the first place. This is clear from the representation of 'Manasseh' as good belonging to the will, dealt with before; and from the meaning of 'the birthright' as the prior and higher position, dealt with in 3325, so that 'the firstborn' is the one who occupies the first place. Is anyone incapable of seeing from natural light alone, provided a superior light brightens it a little, that good occupies the first place, as also do the intentions in a person's will, and that truth occupies the second, as also do the thoughts in his mind? Is anyone also incapable of seeing that the intentions in a person's will cause him to think in one particular way and no other, consequently that the good he possesses causes him to think that this or that is true; so that truth occupies the second place and good the first? Think and reflect on whether truth that composes faith can take root anywhere else than in good, or whether faith other than that which has taken root there is faith. From this you will be able to decide which is the primary or essential element for the Church, that is, for the person in whom the Church exists.

2874. From this it is now evident what freedom is - namely thinking and willing from one's affection - and that the specific nature of one's freedom is the same as that of one's affection; also that the one kind of freedom is hellish, and the other heavenly; and that the former comes from hell, but the latter from the Lord. It is also evident that people with hellish freedom cannot enter into heavenly freedom - for this would amount to passing from hell into heaven - unless the whole of their life is taken away from them; also that nobody can enter into heavenly freedom without being reformed by the Lord, and that when being reformed he is brought to it by means of the affection for what is good and true, that is, by means of goodness of life that has the truth of doctrine implanted in it.