4717. And a man found him, and behold he was wandering in the field. That this signifies that they were fallen away from the general truth of the church, is evident from the signification of “wandering in the field,” as being to fall away from the general truth of the church; for a “field” is the church as to good (n. 2971, 3196, 3766), and a “man of the field” is the good of life from doctrinals (n. 3310). It is said a “man,” because by a “man” [vir] is signified the truth of the church (n. 3134). Those are said to fall away from the general truth of the church who acknowledge the Lord, but not His Human as Divine; and also those who acknowledge faith as essential, but not charity. Each is a general truth of the church, and when a man recedes from it he falls away from general truth; and whoever does this, soon falls away from specific truths (of which in what follows); just as when anyone starts with a false principle and from it deduces consequences, these also become false, because the principle rules in the consequents, and by these the false principle is also strengthened.