Arcana Coelestia # 1017
1017. That the nature of the multiplying depends on the character of the affection, let the person serve as an example who accepts the basic assumption that faith alone saves somebody even when he does not perform any charitable action, that is, has no charity, and so separates faith from charity. Such a person separates faith from charity not only because he has accepted that assumption since earliest childhood, but also because he really does think that if anyone were to say that charity, or the works of charity, were the essential constituent of faith and led a devout life on those grounds he would inevitably be placing merit in works, which however is a falsity. Thus he rejects charity and considers the works of charity to be worthless, and so keeps solely to the idea of faith, which is no faith at all when devoid of its essential, which is charity. As long as he confirms himself in that assumption he in no way acts from an affection for good but from the affection inherent in the delight of being able to live without any restriction on his evil desires. And anyone among those like this who relies on many different facts to confirm that assumption does not act from an affection for truth but from glory of self, in order that he may consequently appear greater, more learned, and more eminent than everybody else, and so be promoted to the ranks of the distinguished and wealthy. Thus he acts from the delight accompanying the affection, and this delight causes things of a confirmatory nature to multiply, for as stated, the character of the affection determines that of the multiplication. In general, if a basic assumption is false, nothing but falsities can possibly result from it. In fact everything conforms to the basic assumption. Indeed, as I know from experience, which in the Lord's Divine mercy I will describe elsewhere, people who confirm themselves in such basic assumptions concerning faith alone and who have not been governed at all by charity, pay no attention to, and so to speak do not see, all that the Lord has said so many times about love and charity, as in Matthew 3:8-9; 5:7, 43-48; 6:12, 15; 7:1-20; 9:13; 12:33; 13:8, 27; 18:21- end; 19:19; 22:35-39; 24:12-13; 25:34, 40, 41, 45; Mark 4:18-20; 11:13-14, 20; 12:28-34; Luke 3:8-9; 6:27-38, 43-end; 7:47; 8:8, 14-15; 10:25-28; 12:58-59; 13:6-9; John 3:19, 21; 5:42; 13:34-35; 14:15, 21, 23; 15:1-17; 21:15-17.
Luke 4
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Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
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for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry.
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The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
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Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"
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The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
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The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want.
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If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours."
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Jesus answered him, "Get behind me Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'"
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He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here,
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for it is written, 'He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;'
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and, 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.'"
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Jesus answering, said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"
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When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.
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Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.
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He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
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He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
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The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
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"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,
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and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
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He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.
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He began to tell them, "Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
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All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, "Isn't this Joseph's son?"
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He said to them, "Doubtless you will tell me this parable, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.'"
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He said, "Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
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But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.
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Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
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There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian."
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They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.
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They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.
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But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way.
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He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day,
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and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.
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In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
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saying, "Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!"
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Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" When the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
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Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"
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News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.
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He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her.
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He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them.
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When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
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Demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Rebuking them, he didn't allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
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When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place, and the multitudes looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he wouldn't go away from them.
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But he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent."
