49. People Whose Faith Is Divorced from Charity Are Represented in the Word by the Philistines

Names of nations and peoples in the Word, and of persons and places, all symbolize matters having to do with the church. The church itself is symbolized by Israel and Judah, because the church was instituted among them, and the nations and peoples surrounding them symbolized various religions — harmless nations symbolizing compatible religions, and harmful nations incompatible religions.

There are two harmful forms of religion into which every church degenerates in the course of time: one that adulterates its goods, and one that falsifies its truths.

The form of religion that adulterates the church’s goods takes its origin from a love of ruling, and the other, the religion that falsifies the church’s truths, takes its origin from a conceit in its own intelligence.

The religion that takes its origin from a love of ruling is meant in the Word by Babylon. And the religion that takes its origin from a conceit in its own intelligence is meant in the Word by Philistia.

People know who the adherents of Babylon are today, but they do not know who the adherents of Philistia are. The adherents of Philistia are those who have faith and not charity.