3856. And He opened her womb. That this signifies that therefrom came the doctrines of churches, is evident from the signification of “opening the womb,” or of conceiving and bringing forth, as being to become a church; and because this is effected by means of doctrinal things, therefore by “opening the womb” are signified the doctrines of churches. (That by “conceptions” and “births” in the Word are signified spiritual conceptions and births, such as occur when man is born anew, may be seen above, n. 1145, 1255, 1330, 2584.) How the case stands with these things will appear from what presently follows.

1255. According to their nativities. That this signifies in proportion as they could be reformed, is evident from the signification of a “nativity,” as being reformation. While a man is being born again, or regenerated, by the Lord, each and all things that he receives anew are nativities or births. So here, as the subject is the Ancient Church, the nativities signify in proportion as they could be reformed. As regards the reformations of the nations, they were not all in the same worship, nor in the same doctrine, for the reason that they were not all of the same genius, and were not all similarly educated and instructed from infancy. The principles which a man imbibes from infancy the Lord never breaks, but bends. If they are things that the man esteems holy, and are such as are not contrary to Divine and natural order, but are in themselves matters of indifference, the Lord lets them alone, and suffers the man to remain in them. So it was with many things in the second Ancient Church, concerning which of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.