812. If any one killeth with the sword, he must be killed with the sword. This signifies that those who imbue others with falsities shall be imbued with falsities from hell, is evident from the signification of a sword (gladius) and a sword (machaera), as denoting truth combating against falsity, and, in the opposite sense, falsity combating against truth; in the present case falsity combating against truth. Hence to kill with a sword denotes to destroy truths by falsities, and also to imbue with falsities; and from the signification of, he must be killed with the sword, as denoting to be imbued with falsities from hell.

The reason why these are imbued with falsities from hell is, that they have shut heaven against themselves by falsities. And when heaven is shut against any one, then hell is open to him; for a man must be either in heaven or hell. He cannot be between both. Consequently, when any one shuts heaven against himself, he opens hell to himself; and from hell nothing but falsities of evil can arise, with which he becomes imbued. No other falsities, however, shut heaven, but those that are from evil. For there are falsities of various kinds - falsities of ignorance, falsities of religion, and falsities from a non-understanding of the Word. In short, falsities that lead to a life of evil, and proceed from a life of evil, because they are from hell, close heaven. From these it is evident, that if any one killeth with the sword, he must be killed with the sword, signifies that those who imbue others with falsities will be imbued with falsities from hell.

[2] The signification of the words which the Lord spoke to Peter is similar:

"All those that take the sword, must perish with the sword" (Matthew 26:52).

This was said to Peter, because he represented the truth of faith, and also the falsity of faith. Therefore by taking the sword and perishing with it, was signified to receive the falsity of faith, and to perish thereby.

The reason why those signified by this beast, that is, those who by reasonings confirm the separation of faith from life, are those who kill with a sword, and are killed with a sword, that is, imbue others with falsities, and are themselves imbued with falsities from hell, is, that the dogma concerning faith alone excludes all truths and rejects all goods. That faith alone excludes all truths is evident, for they insist that we are saved by this merely, "That the Lord endured the cross for our sins, and thereby took away the condemnation of the law, and so redeemed us." And because it is their desire that this single principle, which they call faith itself, should be saving, they do not take any pains to learn truths, although it is truths that teach man how he must live; and consequently they are many. That faith alone also rejects goods, follows from the dogma itself, which is that faith alone justifies without good works; so that the essential goods of love to God, and the goods of charity towards the neighbour, are regarded as of no account.

220. [222.] 82. All those preachers who in the life of the body confirmed themselves in faith alone, and because of their life cannot retreat from it, are not permitted to preach. Their priestly attire is taken from them, and afterward they do not know that they had been preachers.

Very many are permitted to preach, but as soon as they preach faith alone and justification by it alone, their listeners all leave and the church becomes empty. In this way those preachers who are able to retreat from that faith are corrected so as to receive the doctrine of heaven. The like occurs in the case of those who separate the Lord from the Father and do not make them one.

Moreover, what is new, all who are in the spiritual world more than a month reject the notion of a third person, acknowledging that the Holy Spirit is the Lord speaking through angels and spirits. The reason they reject the notion is that fanatic spirits, Quakers and many others, who are hellish, say they are the Holy Spirit from eternity.

[223.] I have had many conversations with them on this subject, remarking that because they have rejected the idea of a third person in the Godhead, they presently think of two, and asking them to see whether now of the two they may make one.