450. XVI. Spurious charity, hypocritical charity and dead charity.

True charity which is alive is impossible except when it makes one with faith, and except when both jointly look to the Lord. For these three, the Lord, charity and faith, are the three essentials for salvation, and when they are one, charity is charity, faith is faith and the Lord is in them, and they are in the Lord (see above 363-372). However, where these three are not linked together, charity is either spurious or hypocritical or dead. From the time it was founded Christianity has been beset by various heresies, and these continue also at the present time; and in each one of these the three essentials - God, charity and faith - have been and are acknowledged, since in their absence there can be no religion, As regards charity specifically, it can be attached to any heretical belief, such as that of Socinians, Enthusiasts or Jews, even the belief of idolaters. And all these can believe that it is really charity, since it resembles that in outward form; but it actually changes its nature depending on the belief to which it is attached or linked. For a demonstration of this, see the chapter on faith.

1994. 'And be blameless' means the good of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'blameless' as doing good coming from truth, that is, good springing from a conscience for what is true and so from charity; for charity constitutes conscience, concerning which meaning see 612. But because the Lord is the subject here in the internal sense, 'blameless' means the good of charity, charity being the source from which good goes forth, so much so that the actual truth deriving from it is good.