251. The reason why the “serpent” means all evil in general, and specifically the love of self, is that all evil has had its rise from that sensuous part of the mind, and also from that memory-knowledge [scientifico], which at first were signified by the “serpent;” and therefore it here denotes evil of every kind, and specifically the love of self, or hatred against the neighbor and the Lord, which is the same thing. As this evil or hatred was various, consisting of numerous genera and still more numerous species, it is described in the Word by various kinds of serpents, as “snakes” “cockatrices” “asps” “adders” “fiery serpents” “serpents that fly” and “that creep” and “vipers” according to the differences of the poison, which is hatred. Thus we read in Isaiah:

Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, because the rod which smiteth thee is broken, for out of the serpent’s root shall go forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a flying fire-serpent (Isaiah 14:29).The “serpent’s root” denotes that part of the mind, or that principle, which is connected with the senses and with memory-knowledge [est sensuale et scientificum]; the “cockatrice” denotes evil originating in the falsity thence derived; and the “flying fire-serpent” the cupidity that comes from the love of self. By the same Prophet also similar things are elsewhere thus described:

They hatch cockatrice’s eggs, and weave the spider’s web; he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and when it is crushed there cometh out a viper (Isaiah 59:5).

The serpent described here in Genesis is called in the Revelation the “great and red dragon” and the “old serpent” and also the “devil and satan” that “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:3, 9; 20:2), where, and also in other places, by the “devil” is not meant any particular devil who is prince over the others, but the whole crew of evil spirits, and evil itself.

103. BRIEF ANALYSIS The reason why the faith of the New Church cannot possibly be together with the faith of the former, that is, the present Church, is because they do not agree in one third, no, nor even in one tenth part. The faith of the former Church is described in the Revelation, chapter xii, by the dragon, but the faith of the New Church by the woman clothed with the sun, having upon her head a crown of twelve stars, whom the dragon persecuted, and at whom he cast water as a flood that he might swallow her up; as may be seen above, nos. 87-90. These two cannot be together in one city, still less in one house, consequently not in one mind, at the same time. Should they be together, it could not be otherwise than that the woman would be continually exposed to the rage and insanity of the dragon, and in fear lest he should devour her son. For it is said in the Revelation, chapter 12, that the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered, to devour her child, and that the woman, after she had brought forth the man-child, fled into the wilderness; Revelation 12:1, 4, 6, 14-17. The faith of the former Church is that of night, for human reason perceives nothing respecting it; wherefore, it is also said that the understanding should be kept in obedience to it. Nay, it is not even known whether it is within man or outside of him, since nothing of man's will and reason enters into it; no, nor charity, good works, repentance, the Law of the Decalogue, with many other things, which actually exist in man's mind. That this is so may be seen above, nos.79-80, 96-98. But the faith of the New Church enters into a marriage covenant with all those essentials just mentioned, and unites itself with them; and because, for this reason, it is in the heat of heaven it is also in the light thereof, and is an enlightened faith. Now a darkened faith and an enlightened faith can no more be together than an owl and a dove can be in one nest; for in such a case the owl may lay her eggs, and the dove hers, and, after sitting, the young of both would be hatched, and then the owl would tear in pieces the young of the dove, and give them to her own young for food; for the owl is a bird of prey. A further reason why the faith of the former Church and the faith of the New Church cannot possibly be together is that they are heterogeneous. For the faith of the former Church is derived from the idea of three Gods, as may be seen in nos. 30-38; whereas the faith of the New Church is from the idea of one God. From this fact there is disagreement between them, so that, should they be together, there must inevitably arise such a collision and conflict that everything of the Church would perish; that is, man would either fall into a delirium or into a state of insensibility where spiritual things are concerned, until at length he would scarcely know what the Church is, or whether there is any Church at all. From what has been said it follows that those who have confirmed themselves in the faith of the old Church cannot embrace the faith of the New Church without danger to their spiritual life, unless they have first rejected and thus rooted out one by one all the points of their former faith, together with its young or eggs, that is, its dogmas, the nature of which have already been shown in the foregoing pages, particularly paragraphs 64-69.