9032. These last two verses have dealt with spiritual truth - which is truth derived from the Word that composes the teachings and belief of the Church - when it has been weakened by factual truth, which is truth as stated in the literal sense of the Word. But since the common belief is that truth composing the teachings and belief of the Church is one and the same as truth as stated in the literal sense of the Word, let an example serve to shed light on the matter. One genuine truth taught by the Church is that charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord make the Church with a person, and that these kinds of love are instilled by the Lord through faith, that is, through the truths of faith obtained from the Word, so that faith alone does not make the Church. A person who has embraced this truth and goes to the Word finds it corroborated everywhere. Yet when he comes up against words that speak about faith without any mention at the same time of love, he hesitates and starts to have doubts about the truth he has been taught to believe. As a consequence that truth is for a time weakened and separated from the rest which he still believes and does not doubt.

[2] Let the Lord's words in Mark about faith serve as an illustration.

One who believes and is baptized will be saved; but one who does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16.

Because these words refer to faith and not at the same time to love the mind may hesitate and have doubts about the truth it has been taught, which is that heavenly love instilled through the truths of faith makes the Church. But when this factual truth - that is, truth as it is stated in the literal sense of the Word - is looked at on a more internal level, it is seen to be in agreement nevertheless with the truth as religious teachings present it. For in the internal sense 'being baptized' means being regenerated, 4255, 5120 (end), and being regenerated is being led into the good of love and charity by means of the truths of faith, 8548-8553, 8635-8640, 8742 8747 From this it is clear that the truth as stated in the literal sense of the Word agrees with the truth as presented in religious teachings, provided that what is meant spiritually by 'being baptized' is understood. And the reason why it says that 'one who does not believe will be condemned' is that an unbeliever cannot be baptized, that is, be regenerated, nor therefore be introduced into the Church, let alone become a Church. For baptism is the symbol of regeneration, and so of introduction into the Church, which is accomplished [by introduction] into good by means of truths from the Word.

[3] From all this it is now evident how to understand the things that are meant in the internal sense when it says that a man striking his companion with a stone or a fist - and the companion does not die, but lies down in bed - shall be innocent if the companion rises up and walks on his staff, but that he must pay for his cessation [from work], and thoroughly cure him. The meaning in the internal sense is that if a truth contained in the teachings and belief of the Church has been weakened by a factual truth which is derived from the literal sense of the Word, weakened but not wiped out, it is to be made good again and restored, which is accomplished by right explanation.

949. Verse 6. And there came out of the temple seven angels that had the seven plagues, signifies consequent manifestations of all the evils and falsities therefrom, and of all the falsities and evils therefrom that have devastated the church. This is evident from the signification of "angels," as being manifestations (See above, n. 869, 878, 883); also from the signification of "seven," as being all and wholly (See n. 257, 300); also from the signification of "plagues," as being such things as destroy spiritual life, and thus the church, and these are lusts from an evil love and from falsities (See above, n. 584), consequently as being evils and the falsities therefrom, and falsities and the evils therefrom; also from the signification of "the temple," as being the interior Word revealed (See the preceding article). All this makes clear that the words "there came out of the temple seven angels that had the seven plagues" signify that from the Word and from its spiritual sense are made manifest all the evils and falsities therefrom, and all the falsities and evils therefrom that have devastated the church.

[2] The expression "evils and the falsities therefrom and falsities and the evils therefrom" is used, because both the church with the Papists and the church with the Reformed are meant. With the Papists evils and the falsities therefrom have devastated the church; but with the Reformed, falsities and the evils therefrom. The evils with the Papists are evils from the love of ruling by means of the holy things of the church over all things of heaven and over all things of earth. That love is the fountain of all evils; and from those evils come falsities of every kind. But with the Reformed there are falsities and the evils therefrom; and these falsities spring from the principle of the justification and salvation of man by faith alone, or by faith without good works; and when good works are separated from faith, evil works take their place; consequently falsities and evils therefrom have devastated the church with the Reformed, as evils and falsities therefrom have with the Papists.

(Continuation)

[3] So far as evils are removed as sins, so far goods flow in, and so far does man afterwards do goods, not from self, but from the Lord. As, first, so far as one does not worship other gods, and thus does not love self and the world above all things, so far the acknowledgement of God flows in from the Lord, and then he worships God, not from self but from the Lord. Second, so far as one does not profane the name of God, that is, so far as he shuns the lusts arising from the loves of self and of the world, so far he loves the holy things of the Word and of the church; for these are the name of God, and are profaned by the lusts arising from the loves of self and of the world. Third, so far as one shuns thefts, and thus shuns frauds and unlawful gains, so far sincerity and justice enter, and he loves what is sincere and just from sincerity and justice, and thus does what is sincere and just not from self but from the Lord. Fourth, so far as one shuns adulteries, and thus shuns unchaste and filthy thoughts, so far conjugial love enters, which is the inmost love of heaven, and in which chastity itself resides. Fifth, so far as one shuns murders, and thus shuns deadly hatreds and revenges that breathe slaughter, so far the Lord enters with mercy and love. Sixth, so far as one shuns false testimonies, and thus shuns lies and blasphemies, so far truth from the Lord enters. Seventh, so far as one shuns the covetousness for the houses of others, and thus shuns the love and consequent lusts for possessing the goods of others, so far charity towards the neighbor enters from the Lord. Eighth, so far as one shuns the covetousness for the wives of others, their servants, etc., and thus shuns the love and consequent lusts of ruling over others (for the things enumerated in this commandment are what belong to man), so far love to the Lord enters. These eight commandments include the evils that must be shunned, but the two others, namely, the third and fourth, include certain things that must be done, namely, that the sabbath must be kept holy, and that parents must be honored. But how these two commandments should be understood, not by the men of the Jewish Church but by the men of the Christian Church, will be told elsewhere.