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237. And knowest not that thou art wretched. That this signifies that they do not know that their falsities have no coherence with truths is evident from the signification of wretchedness, as denoting the breaking down of truth by falsities, and also no coherence; it is therefore plain what is meant by wretched. The reason why they are thus wretched is that their doctrine is founded upon two false principles, which are faith alone, and justification thereby; therefore falsities flow thence in a continuous series, and the truths which they adduce to confirm them from the letter of the Word are broken down and falsified; and falsified truths are essentially falsities. This is described in many passages in the Word, and is meant by the vanities which the prophets are said to see, and the lies which they are said to speak. The same is also described by the breaches made in walls and in houses, so that they fall; similarly, by the idols and graven images which the artificer is said to make and connect by chains that they may cohere; for by idols and graven images are signified falsities of doctrine. The same is also meant by breaches made in walls and in houses, and by the prophets seeing vanities and speaking lies; for by prophets are meant doctrines; by vanities, such things as are of no account; and by lies, falsities.
But as these things are mentioned in too many passages in the Word to be here adduced in full, we shall only quote some wherein mention is made of wretchedness, and of a wall, in order that it may be known that they signify the breaking down of truths by falsities, and thus no coherence.
[2] In Isaiah:
"Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath seduced thee; when thou saidst in thine heart, I, and none else beside me. Therefore shall wretchedness fall upon thee, and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly" (47:10, 11).
Here also are described those who believe that they know all things, and suppose themselves to be intelligent above all others, when yet they neither know nor understand anything of truth; therefore it follows that the understanding of truth is taken away from them. Their belief that they are more intelligent than all others is meant by Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath seduced thee; when thou saidst in thine heart, I, and none else beside me; and the loss of all understanding of truth is meant by wretchedness shall fall upon thee, desolation shall come upon thee suddenly.
[3] In Ezekiel:
"Wretchedness shall come upon wretchedness; therefore shall they seek a vision from the prophets; but the law hath perished from the priest, and counsel from the elders; the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with amazement" (7:26, 27).
The vastation of the church is here treated of, which takes place when there is none but falsified truth; falsity from falsity is meant by wretchedness upon wretchedness; a vision from the prophet denotes doctrine, and here, doctrine of falsity; the law hath perished from the priest, denotes that the Word is not understood; for the law signifies the Word, and the priest him that teaches it: counsel hath perished from the elders, denotes that what is right shall perish from the intelligent; counsel denoting what is right, and elders signifying the intelligent: the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with amazement, denotes that there is no longer any truth; king signifying truth, and the prince truths primarily subservient.
[4] In David:
"What is right is not in their mouth; wretchedness is in the midst of them" (Psalms 5:9);
where wretchedness also signifies falsities not cohering with any truth. Similarly in Jeremiah:
"Howl! and wander among the walls; for their king goeth away into captivity, his priests and princes together" (49:3).
Here by wandering among the walls is meant amongst truths destroyed by falsities; by the king who goeth away into captivity is signified truth; and by his priests and princes together are denoted the goods and truths of life and doctrine, as above.
[5] In Ezekiel:
"When they build a wall [maceries], lo, they daub it with untempered [mortar]. Say unto them that daub with untempered [mortar] that the wall [paries] shall fall. Shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed?" (13:10-12).
The wall which they daubed with untempered [mortar] signifies the falsity which is assumed as a principle, and which, by application of the Word from the sense of the letter, they make to appear as truth. Daubing denotes application, and thence apparent confirmation; untempered [mortar] denotes what is falsified; and because the truth of the Word is thus destroyed, and confirmatory things become truths falsified, which in themselves are falsities, and these perish together with the false principle, therefore it is said, "Behold the wall shall fall; shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing with which ye have daubed?"
[6] In Hosea:
"Behold I hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will encompass wall with wall, that she shall not find thy paths" (235, 236).
[7] But we shall now illustrate this subject by examples. When those who embrace faith alone and justification thereby as a principle of religion, read the Word, and see that the Lord teaches that man shall be rewarded according to his deeds and works, and that he who has done good shall enter heaven, and that he who has done evil shall be cast into hell, they then call the good which they do the fruit of faith, not knowing, or not being willing to know, that the goods which they call fruits of faith are all from charity, and none of them from faith separated from charity, which is called faith alone; for all good belongs to charity, and truth to faith therefrom. From this it is clear that they pervert the Word. But they do this because they cannot otherwise apply the truth to their principle, still believing that they may thus agree together; but truth perishes in consequence, and becomes falsity, and not only becomes falsity but also evil.
[8] That falsities thence follow in a continuous series is also clear; for they teach that the good works which man performs are merit-seeking, not being willing to understand that as faith and its truths are from the Lord, and thus not merit-seeking, so also are charity and its goods. They also teach that as soon as a man receives faith he is reconciled to God the Father by the Son, and that the evils which he afterwards does are not imputed, nor yet the evils which he had done before; for they say that all are saved, however they have lived, if they only receive faith, even in the hours before death. But these and many other things, which are derivations from a false principle, do not agree with truths from the Word, but destroy them, and truths destroyed are falsities, and such falsities as have a bad odour; a grievous smell is perceived from them in the other life, which is such that it cannot be sustained by any good spirit; it is like a stench from diseased lungs. Many other examples might be adduced, of which there is an abundance; for whatsoever is concluded from a false principle derives falsity therefrom, because therein is beheld the principle to which it adheres, because it flows therefrom, and is applied to it.
[9] The true quality of the religion of faith alone, and of justification thereby, may be concluded from this fact alone, that all those who have confirmed those tenets in themselves by doctrine and life, in the other life diffuse from themselves a sphere of abominable adultery, which is that of a mother, or a mother-in-law, with a son; this abominable adultery corresponds to them, and is also perceived from them wherever they go; I have a thousand times known their presence from that sphere. The reason why such a sphere flows forth from them is that they adulterate the goods of charity and of the Word; and adulteries correspond to the adulterations of good, and whoredoms to the falsifications of truth (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2466, 2729, 3399, 4865, 6348, 8904, 10648).
[10] The same is meant by Reuben's lying with Bilhah, of whom his father begat Dan and Naphthali (Arcana Coelestia 3325, 3861, 3866, 3870, 4601, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342, 6350), and by Joseph is meant the good of that faith (see Arcana Coelestia 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417).
[11] That such things would take place at the end of the church is predicted in Daniel, where the statue which Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream is treated of, in these words:
"Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man; but they shall not cohere one with the other, even as iron is not mingled with clay" (2:43).
By iron is meant truth without good; by miry clay, the falsity which is from man's own intelligence; by the seed of man, the Word of the Lord (see Matthew 13:24, 37). Their not cleaving one to another is meant by its being said, they shall not cohere, even as iron is not mingled with clay.
237. And knowest not that thou are wretched, signifies that they do not know that their falsities have no coherence with truths. This is evident from the signification of "wretchedness," as meaning the breaking up of truth by means of falsities, and also no coherence; this shows what is meant by "the wretched." They are so because their doctrine is founded on two false principles, which are faith alone and justification by faith; consequently falsities flow in from these in constant succession, and the truths which they adduce from the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm these are weakened and falsified, and truths when falsified are in themselves falsities. This is described in many passages in the Word, and is meant by the "vanities" that the prophets see, and the "lies" that they speak. It is described also by the "breaches" in the walls and houses so that they fall; likewise by "idols" and "graven images" that the artificer makes and connects by chains that they may cohere; for "idols" and "graven images" signify the falsities of doctrine; the like is signified by "breaches of the walls" and "of the houses," and by "the prophets who see vanities and speak lies;" for "prophets" mean doctrines, "vanities" such things as are of no account, and "lies" falsities. But as these things are mentioned in many passages in the Word they cannot be cited here on account of their abundance; they will therefore be omitted, and a few only quoted here in which "wretchedness" and "wall" are mentioned, that it may be known that these signify the weakening of truth by falsities, and thus no coherence.
[2] In Isaiah:
Thy wisdom and thy knowledge it hath misled thee, when thou hast said in thine heart, I, and none like me besides. Therefore shall wretchedness fall upon thee, and devastation shall come upon thee (Isaiah 47:10-11).
Here also those are described who believe that they know all things and that they are more intelligent than all others, when yet they know and understand nothing of truth; and that therefore the understanding of truth is taken away from them. Their belief that they are more intelligent than all others is meant by "Thy wisdom and thy knowledge it hath misled thee, when thou hast said in thine heart, I, and none like me besides;" and the loss of all understanding of truth is meant by "wretchedness shall fall upon thee, devastation shall come upon thee."
[3] In Ezekiel:
Wretchedness shall come upon wretchedness; therefore they shall seek a vision from the prophets; but the law hath perished from the priest, and counsel from the elders. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with astonishment (Ezekiel 7:26-27).
Here the vastation of the church is treated of, which takes place when there is no truth that is not falsified. Falsity from falsity is meant by "wretchedness upon wretchedness;" "a vision from the prophet" is doctrine, here the doctrine of falsity; "the law hath perished from the priest" means that the Word is not understood, for "law" signifies the Word, and the "priest" one who teaches; "counsel hath perished from the elders" means that right has perished from the intelligent, "counsel" signifying right, and "elders" the intelligent; "the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with astonishment," means that there is no longer any truth, "king" signifying truth, and "prince" truths that are primarily of service.
[4] In David:
Right is not in their mouth, wretchedness is in their inward part (Psalms 5:9);
where "wretchedness" likewise stands for falsities not cohering with any truth. So too in Jeremiah:
Lament, and wander among the walls; for their king is gone into exile, and his priests and his princes together (Jeremiah 49:3).
"Wandering among the walls" is among truths destroyed by falsities; "the king gone into exile" signifies truth; and "his priests and princes together" signify the goods and truths of life and doctrine (See above).
[5] In Ezekiel:
When they build a wall [maceriem], behold they daub it with untempered mortar. Say to them which daub it with untempered mortar, that the wall [paries] shall fall. Is it not said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? (Ezekiel 13:10-12).
"The wall which they daub with untempered mortar" signifies falsity assumed as a principle, and by application of the Word from the sense of the letter made to appear as truth; "daubing" is application and seeming confirmation thereby; "untempered mortar" is what has been falsified; and because the truth of the Word is thus destroyed, and the truths used to confirm become truths falsified, which in themselves are falsities, and these with the false principle perish together, it is said, "Behold, the wall shall fall. Is it not said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?"
[6] In Hosea:
Behold, I obstruct thy way with thorns, and I will encompass wall with wall, that she shall not find thy 1paths (235, 236).
[7] But let examples illustrate this. Those who have adopted faith alone and justification by faith as a principle of religion, when they read the Word and see that the Lord says that man shall be recompensed according to his deeds and works, and that he who has done good, shall come into heaven, and he who has done evils into hell, call the good things that they do fruits of faith, not knowing or not wanting to know, that the good things called fruits are all from charity, and none of them from faith separate, which is called faith alone; every good also is of charity, and truth is of the faith therefrom. From this it is clear that they pervert the Word; and they do this because they cannot otherwise apply truth to their principle, believing still that the two may thus cohere; but the result is that truth perishes and becomes falsity, and not only falsity but also evil.
[8] From this falsities evidently follow in constant succession, for they teach that the good works that man does are meritorious, not being willing to see that as faith with its truths are from the Lord, and thus not meritorious, so are charity with its goods. They teach also that as soon as a man receives faith he is reconciled to God the Father through the Son, and that the evils thenceforth done, as well as those done before, are not imputed; for they say that all are saved however they have lived, if only they receive faith, even though it be in the hours before death. But these, and many other things which are deductions from the falsity of the principle, do not cohere with the truths from the Word, but destroy them, and truths destroyed are falsities, even such falsities as emit a bad odor. From these a grievous smell is perceived in the other life, which is such that it cannot be endured by any good spirit; it is like the stench of purulent matter from the lungs. Many other examples might be adduced; there is an abundance of them; for whatever is deduced from a false principle becomes thereby a falsity, since in the deduction the principle only is regarded to which it clings because from this it flows and to this it is applied.
[9] What the religion of faith alone and of justification by faith is can be inferred from the simple fact that all who have confirmed these tenets in themselves by doctrine and life, send out from themselves in the other life a sphere of abominable adultery like that of a mother or stepmother with a son; this abominable adultery corresponds to such, and is also perceived from them wherever they go; from that sphere I have a thousand times recognized their presence. Such a sphere flows out from them because they adulterate the goods of charity and of the Word, and adulteries correspond to adulterations of good, while whoredoms correspond to the falsifications of truth (See Arcana Coelestia 2466, 2729, 3399, 4865, 6348, 8904, 10648).
[10] There is a like meaning in:
Reuben's lying with Bilhah, of whom his father begat Dan and Naphtali (Arcana Coelestia 3325, 3861, 3861, 3866, 3870, 4601, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342, 6350); and by "Joseph," the good of faith (See 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417).
[11] That such things are to take place at the end of the church is predicted in Daniel, where the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream is described in these words:
Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of man; but they shall not cleave one to the other, even as iron doth not mingle with clay (Daniel 2:43).
By "iron" truth without good is meant; by "miry clay" the falsity that is from self-intelligence; by "the seed of man" the Word of the Lord (Matthew 13:24, 37). That these do not cohere is meant by "they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay."
Footnotes:
1. For "thy" the Hebrew has "her," as found in Arcana Coelestia 9144.
237. "Et non scis quod tu sis aerumnosus." - Quod significet quod non sciant quod falsa eorum cum veris nullam cohaerentiam habeant, constat ex significatione "aerumnae", quod sit infractio veri per falsa, et quoque nulla cohaerentia; inde patet quid intelligitur per "aerumnosum." Quod tales sint, est quia doctrina eorum fundatur super duobus principiis falsis, quae sunt sola fides et justificatio per illam: quare falsa inde fluunt in continua serie; ac vera, quae ex sensu litterae Verbi adducunt ad confirmanda illa, infringuntur et falsificantur; et falsificata vera in se sunt falsa. Hoc describitur multis in locis in Verbo, ac intelligitur per "vanitates" quas prophetae vident, et per "mendacia" quae loquuntur; tum describitur per "rupturas murorum" et "domuum", usque ut cadant: pariter per "idola" et "sculptilia", quae artifex facit et connectit per catenas ut cohaereant: per "idola" enim et "sculptilia" significantur falsa doctrinae; similiter per "rupturas murorum" et "domuum"; pariter per "prophetas qui vident vanitates et loquuntur mendacia" (per "prophetas" enim intelliguntur doctrinae, per "vanitates" talia quae nullius rei sunt, et per "mendacia" falsa): sed quia haec memorantur perpluribus in locis in Verbo, non possunt ob copiam adduci; quare supersedentur, et solum aliqua adducentur, ubi dicuntur "aerumnae" et "maceries", ut sciatur quod per illas significentur infractiones veri per falsa, et sic nulla cohaerentia:
[2] - Apud Esaiam,
"Sapientia tua et scientia tua seduxit te, dum dixisti in corde tuo, Ego et non sicut ego praeterea: ideo cadet super te aerumna, ... et veniet super te devastatio" (47:10, 11);
etiam hic describuntur qui credunt se omnia scire, ac intelligentes esse prae omnibus aliis, cum tamen nihil veri sciant et intelligant, et quod ideo auferatur illis intellectus veri; fides eorum quod intelligentiores sint omnibus aliis intelligitur per quod "sapientia tua et scientia tua seduxit te, dum dixisti in corde, Ego et non sicut ego praeterea"; et jactura omnis intellectus veri intelligitur per quod "cadet super te aerumna, et veniet super te devastatio."
[3] Apud Ezechielem,
"Aerumna super aerumnam veniet, ... ideo quaerent visionem a prophetis; sed lex periit a sacerdote, et consilium a senioribus; rex lugebit et princeps induetur stupore" (7:26, 27);
agitur hic de vastatione ecclesiae, quae est quando non verum nisi falsificatum; falsum ex falso intelligitur per "aerumnam super aerumnam"; "visio a propheta" est doctrina, hic doctrina falsi; "lex periit a sacerdote" est quod Verbum non intelligatur ("lex" enim significat Verbum, et "sacerdos" docentem); "consilium periit a senioribus", est quod rectum ab intelligentibus ("consilium" significat rectum, et "seniores" significant intelligentes); "rex lugebit ac princeps induetur stupore", est quod non amplius aliquod verum ("rex" significat verum, et "princeps" vera primario inservientia).
[4] Apud Davidem,
"Non in ore eorum rectum, medium eorum aerumna" (Psalms 5:10 [B.A. 9]);
similiter hic "aerumna" pro falsis non cohaerentibus cum aliquo vero. Similiter apud Jeremiam,
"Plangite, Vagamini inter macerias, quia rex eorum in exilium abiit, sacerdotes ejus et principes simul" (49:3);
"vagari inter macerias" est inter destructa vera per falsa; "rex" qui in exilium abiit significat verum; "sacerdotes ejus et principes simul", significant bona et vera vitae et doctrinae, ut supra.
[5] Apud Ezechielem,
"Quando hic aedificant maceriem, illi ecce incrustant inepto; dic ad incrustantes inepto quod cadet... paries: nonne dicitur ad vos, Ubi incrustatio qua 1
incrustastis?" (13 [10,] 11, 12);
"maceries quam incrustant inepto", significat falsum quod pro principio ponitur, quod per applicatum Verbum ex sensu litterae ejus faciunt ut appareat sicut verum ("incrustatio" est applicatio et inde apparens confirmatio, "ineptum" est falsificatum); et quia verum Verbi sic destruitur, et confirmantia fiunt vera falsificata quae in se sunt falsa, et haec cum principio falso corruunt, ideo dicitur, "Ecce cadet paries; nonne dicitur ad vos, Ubi incrustatio qua incrustastis?"
[6] Apud Hoscheam,
"Ecce Ego obsepiens viam tuam per spinas, et maceria circumdabo maceriam, ut semitas 2
suas non inveniet" (2:6 3
);
"obstruere viam per spinas" est obstruere omnes cogitationes per falsa mali, ne videant vera (falsa mali sunt "spinae"); "macerie circumdare maceriem est cumulare falsa super falsis; "ut semitas 4
suas non inveniet", est ut nihil veri possit videri: hoc fit quia vera non possunt simul esse cum falsis mali, sicut non caelum cum inferno; nam vera sunt ex caelo et falsa mali ex inferno; quare cum falsa ex malo regnant, aufertur communicatio cum caelo, quo ablato non videri possunt vera, et si dicuntur ab aliis, rejiciuntur: inde est quod (illis) qui in principiis falsis sunt, sicut illis qui in principiis de sola fide et de justificatione per illam, non datum sit in aliquibus veris esse (videatur supra, n. 235, 236).
[7] Sed exempla illam rem illustrent. Illi qui pro principio religionis sumpserunt solam fidem et justificationem per illam, cum legunt Verbum et vident quod Dominus dicat quod homini juxta facta et opera retribuetur, et quod qui bona fecerat veniet in caelum, at qui mala fecerat, in infernum, tunc vocant bona quae faciunt fructus fidei non scientes aut non volentes scire quod bona quae vocantur fructus omnia sint ex charitate, et nulla ex fide separata quae vocatur sola fides; omne etiam bonum est charitatis, et verum est fidei inde. Ex eo patet quod pervertant Verbum: sed hoc faciunt, quia verum non possunt aliter applicare suo principio, credentes usque quod sic cohaereant; sed perit inde verum et fit falsum, et non modo fit falsum sed etiam malum.
[8] Quod inde sequantur falsa in continua serie, etiam patet; nam docent quod bona quae homo facit, sint meritoria; non volentes (scire) quod sicut fides cum suis veris est a Domino, et sic non meritoria, ita charitas cum suis bonis: tum docent quod ut primum homo recipit fidem, reconciliatus sit Deo Patri per Filium, et quod mala quae dein facit non imputentur, et quoque nec mala quae prius fecerat; nam dicunt salvari omnes, qualitercunque vixerant, modo recipiant fidem, etiam si foret in horis ante mortem. Sed haec et plura alia, quae sunt derivationes ex falso principii, non cohaerent cum veris Verbi, sed destruunt illa; et vera destructa sunt falsa, et talia falsa quae male olent: graveolentia ex illis sentitur in altera vita, quae talis est ut non possit sustineri ab aliquo bono spiritu; est sicut nidor purulenti ex pulmone. Plura exempla possunt adduci; sunt in copia; nam quicquid concluditur ex principio falso trahit inde falsum, quoniam in eo spectatur principium cui adhaeret quia inde fluit et ei applicatur.
[9] Qualis est religio de sola fide et de justificatione per illam, concludi potest ex eo solo, quod omnes qui confirmaverunt illa apud se doctrina et vita, in altera vita a se sphaeram nefandi adulterii effundant, quod est matris seu novercae cum filio; hoc nefandum adulterium correspondet illis, et quoque percipitur ab illis quocunque vadunt; ex illa sphaera millies cognovi praesentiam eorum: causa quod ex illis talis sphaera effluat, est quia adulterant bona charitatis et Verbi, et adulteria correspondent adulterationibus boni et scortationes falsificationibus veri (videatur n. 2466, 2729, 5
3399, 4865, 6348, 8904, 10648).
[10] Simile intelligitur per
Rubenem quod cubuerit cum Bilha, ex qua pater ejus genuit Danem et Naphtalin (Genesis 35:22);
quapropter etiam damnatus est (Genesis 49:4);
et quia polluit strata patris sui, adempta est ei primogenitura, et data Josepho (1 Chronicles 5:1);
per "Rubenem" enim in Verbo intelligitur fides, et ibi sola (n. 3325, 3861, 3866, 3870, 4601, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342, 6350); et per "Josephum" bonum fidei (n. 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417).
[11] Quod in fine ecclesiae talia exstitura sint, praedicitur apud Danielem, ubi agitur de statua a Nebuchadnezare in somnio visa, his verbis:
"Quod vidisti ferrum mixtum cum argilla luti, commiscebunt se per semen hominis; sed non cohaerebunt unum cum altero, quemadmodum ferrum non commiscetur cum argilla" (2:43);
per "ferrum" intelligitur verum absque bono; per "argillam luti" falsum quod ex propria intelligentia; per "semen hominis" Verbum Domini (Matthaeus 13:24, 37); quorum quod non cohaerentia sit, intelligitur per "non cohaerebunt, quemadmodum ferrum non commiscetur cum argilla."
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
3. The editors made a correction or note here.
4. The editors made a correction or note here.
5. The editors made a correction or note here.