1062. The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sitteth upon them, signifies the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned by those who are in dominion from that religious persuasion. This is evident from the signification of "the seven heads of the beast," as being the holy things of the Word profaned (See n. 1040); also from the signification of "seven mountains," as being the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned. (That "mountains" signify the goods of love, and in the contrary sense evils pertaining to the love, see n. 405, 510, 850, 1025; also that "seven" is predicated of what is holy, and in the contrary sense of what is profane, n. 1040; therefore "seven mountains" signify the goods of love, which are the goods of the Word, adulterated and profaned.) Also from the signification of "where the woman sitteth upon them," as being where there is dominion from that religious persuasion. (That "the woman" signifies the religious persuasion of those that belong to Babylon, may be seen above, n. 1038; and that "to sit" signifies to have dominion, see above, n. 1033, 1038, where the woman is said "to sit upon many waters," and "to sit upon a scarlet beast.") Dominion from that religious persuasion is meant because those who are in dominion over the holy things of the church, and exercise that dominion, are the ones meant by this "woman," who is called a "harlot," and "the mother of the whoredoms and the abominations of the earth," and not those who are in worship according to that religious persuasion and are not in dominion. When such live according to the statutes of the Pope, and acknowledge him to be the Lord's vicar, and observe the holy things of worship as they have been instituted, they are not dissimilar to upright pagans, who know not otherwise than that they are truths, goods and holy things which their ministers and monks teach; and this the more because they do not read the Word, some because it has been taken away from them, and some because under persuasion they depend upon the mouth of their monks, and believe that these alone and no others understand the Word.

[2] But those of their people who look to the Lord, and to the Pope only as to the head of the church, and who are in some affection for truth, are indeed in Babylon, but are not of it; for after death these can be drawn away from the vanities of that religious persuasion and from idolatries, and can be led to worship and adore the Lord; and they also receive truths from the Lord through the Word or through those who teach it. For this reason, after the Last Judgment many societies, which are so many churches, were instituted from these by the Lord (of which in what follows). In regard to "the seven mountains" upon which the woman was seen to sit, it is believed that they are the seven mountains of Rome, where the Papal throne is. But admitting that Rome is meant, still "the seven mountains" signify the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned; for the Word is spiritual in every part, and this is the spiritual of it. That "the seven mountains" signify the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned is evident also from what immediately follows, where it is said that "the seven heads of the beast" mean also "seven kings;" and "seven kings" signify in the spiritual sense the truths of the Word falsified and profaned.

(Continuation respecting the Fourth Kind of Profanation)

[3] Those who give themselves up wholly to a life of piety, who walk continually in pious meditations, who pray frequently upon their knees, and talk about salvation, faith, and love at all times and in all places, and yet do not shun frauds, adulteries, hatreds, blasphemies, and the like, as sins against God, nor fight against them, are the kind that more fully profane; for by the impurities of their minds they defile the piety of their lips, especially when they renounce the world, and lead solitary lives. Of this kind there are some who still more fully profane; these are like those just described, but by reasonings and by the Word falsely interpreted they defend their vices, as adulteries and lusts that belong to their nature, and thus to their enjoyment. Such first regard themselves as free from danger, afterwards as blameless, and at length as holy; and thus under the veil of sanctity they cast themselves into uncleannesses with which they pollute both themselves and their garments.