451. And the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions. This symbolizes their delusions with respect to faith alone, as though they had power.

Heads symbolize the fanciful and illusory ideas that these people have regarding faith alone, which are the subject here, and for which we use the single term delusions. Horses symbolize the reasonings in the interiors of their minds, which are of this character (no. 449). Lions symbolize power (no. 241). It is a power based on fallacies, because these people are sense-oriented, and sense-oriented people base their reasoning on fallacies, which they use to persuade and captivate (no. 424).

[2] That their arguments in defense of faith alone are fanciful and illusory is something everyone can see who elevates his mind to some degree. What is faith in practice or faith as a condition but something illusory according to their notion of them? Who among them knows anything about putting faith into practice? And what constitutes faith as a condition when nothing good enters from the person into a faith in practice?

What is an instantaneous forgiveness of sins and consequent salvation but an illusory idea of the imagination? It is the "fiery flying serpent" ¹ in the church, as may be seen in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Providence 340.

An attribution of immunity, merit, righteousness, and sanctification by imputation - what are these but illusory notions? See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord 18.

[3] What else is a Divine operation in someone's internal constituents without the person's cooperation as though of himself in external actions? For the idea that an internal condition can be divorced from its external expression, so that there is no conjunction of the two, is nothing but an illusory notion. See no. 606 below.

Faith divorced from charity is such an illusory notion, for charity expressed in works contains and supports faith. It is its soil and ground, its essence and life. In a word, faith arising from charity is the real person; but faith divorced from charity is a mirage, and a figment of the imagination, like a bubble floating in the air.

But perhaps someone will say, "If you detach the intellect from faith, you will not see any illusions." However, he should know that if he can detach the intellect from faith, he can also impose on any religious tenet a thousand illusory notions, as Roman Catholics have done for centuries.

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449. And thus I saw the horses in the vision and those who sat on them. (9:17) This symbolizes the discovery then that the reasonings of the interiors of their minds concerning faith alone were fanciful and illusory, and that they themselves were insane because of them.

To see means, symbolically, to perceive their character. The horses symbolize the reasonings of the interiors of their minds concerning faith alone - here their fanciful and illusory reasonings, because we are told that John saw them in vision. People sitting on horses symbolize people who are intelligent owing to their understanding of the Word - here people who are insane because of their fanciful and illusory reasonings contrary to the Word.

[2] Because the interiors of these people's minds appeared in such guises, guises which symbolize fanciful and illusory reasonings concerning faith alone, we should disclose some of them that I took from their own mouths. As for example:

"After the so grievous fall of man, was faith alone not made the one means of salvation? How can we appear before God apart from that means? Is it not the only means? Are we not born in sin? Is our nature not utterly corrupted by Adam's transgression? Is there any other means of healing than faith alone? What shall our works contribute to this? Who can do any good work of himself? Who can purify himself, absolve himself, or justify and save himself? Do not merit-seeking and self-righteousness lie concealed in every little work that a person does of himself? And if perchance we were to do something that is good, could we do it all and fulfill the law? Furthermore, if one sins again one precept, one sins against them all, because they are bound up together.

"Why did the Lord come into the world and so grievously suffer the cross except to take away from us the condemnation and curse of the law, to propitiate God the Father, to become Himself alone merit and righteousness, which are imputed to a person through faith? Otherwise what good or for what good purpose was His advent?

"So, then, since Christ suffered for us and fulfilled the law for us, and took away its power to condemn, can evil in that case any longer condemn us? Or goodness save us? Consequently we who have faith are at complete liberty to think, will, speak and do whatever we please, provided we do not suffer any loss of reputation, esteem, or material gain, or incur the penalties of civil law, which would bring infamy and disgrace."

Some of these people who wandered about further north said that good works done for the sake of salvation are hurtful, destructive, and cursed. Among them were also some church elders.

[3] This much I heard; but they kept prattling on and muttering about more, which I did not hear.

They spoke, moreover, shamelessly, without constraint, and behaved wantonly in both word and deed, free of any fear over any wickedness except to keep up pretenses in order to appear respectable.

Such are the interior workings of the minds, and so the outer actions of the bodies, of people who make the whole of religion faith alone.

All of this that they told me collapses, however, if one turns to the Lord directly as Savior, believing in Him and doing good, both of these for the sake of salvation, and this by the person as if of himself, yet believing that it is the Lord's doing. Unless a person does this as if of himself, no faith is possible, and no charity, and thus no religion and so no salvation.