9020. Dying he shall die. That this signifies damnation, see above (n. 9008). That they are damned who apply the truths of faith to evils, and thus alienate them from themselves, is because they had before acknowledged them. For when the truth of faith which has once been acknowledged is afterward applied to evil, it is commingled with falsity from evil, consequently there is profanation (that this is profanation may be seen from the passages cited below, n. 9021). In order that this may be better understood, let it be illustrated by an example. When those who, in order to rule over all and to gain the world, wish to dispense at their own good will and pleasure the things that belong to the Lord, especially those which belong to the heavenly life with a man, draw confirmations from the Lord’s words, they are “thieves” in the spiritual sense, for they steal truths from the Word and apply them to evils. That they are evils is because they have as their end dominion and gain, and not the salvation of souls. If without any regard to dominion and gain these same persons have previously acknowledged the truths from the Word which they now apply to evils, they profane them, for by so doing they commingle falsities from evils with the truths. Such persons cannot possibly escape damnation, for by so doing they deprive themselves of all spiritual life. That they deprive themselves of spiritual life is plain from the fact that when they are by themselves, and think from themselves, and talk among themselves, they have no faith in truths, and do not believe in the Lord, in heaven, or in hell. Nevertheless above all others they have these things in their mouths, because the ardor for rule and gain incites them thereto, as means to their ends. This reigns especially in Christian paganism, where the images of sanctified men are exhibited for adoration, before which they bend their knees and fall prostrate. Even they themselves do this, from deceit, in order to mislead and persuade.