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787. And the whole earth wondered after the beast. That this signifies acceptance by the more learned in the church, and a remote reception by those who are less learned, is evident from the signification of wondering after the beast, when said of that discordance with the Word which is apparently removed by conjunctions concerning works with faith that have been devised, as denoting acceptance by the more learned, and reception by the less learned, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of earth, as denoting the church (concerning which see above, n. 29, 304, 417, 697, 741, 742, 752).
[2] The reason why the whole earth wondering after the beast signifies acceptance and reception is, that wondering exercises an attraction, and those whom it attracts follow it. In the Word mention is sometimes made of going and walking after God; also after other gods, after a leader, and after many; and this signifies to follow and acknowledge in heart; also to be and to live with them, and to be in fellowship with them, as in the following passages. In 1 Kings:
"David hath kept my precepts, and walked after me with all his heart, to do what is right in mine eyes" (14:8).
In 1 Samuel:
"The sons of Jesse went after Saul to the war" (17:13).
In Moses:
"Thou shalt not go after a multitude to evils; thou shalt not speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to pervert" (Exodus 23:2).
In Jeremiah:
Thou shalt not go "after other gods whom thou hast not known" (7:9).
Again:
"They went after other gods to serve them" (11:10; Deuteronomy 8:19).
Again:
"The man who goeth after Baal-peor, Jehovah thy God will destroy from the midst of thee" (Deuteronomy 4:3).
It is therefore evident that to go after any one signifies to follow him, to obey him, to act from him, and to live from him. To walk also signifies to live. From these things it is evident, that by wondering after the beast is signified acceptance and reception, from a persuasion that discordance with the Word is apparently removed.
[3] The reason why acceptance by the learned, and remote reception by the less learned is signified is, because the learned devised the conjunction of faith with its life, which produce good works; but the less learned, not being able to search inwardly into these discordances, received them, every one according to his apprehension. Hence the dogma that faith alone is the essential means of salvation has been received in the whole world or the Christian Church.
[4] It shall also be explained, in a few words, how the chief point of that religion, that salvation consists in faith alone, and not in good works, has been to all appearance removed, and is thence accepted by the learned. For the latter have devised degrees of the progression of faith to good works; these they call degrees of justification. The first degree they make to consist in hearing from masters and preachers; the second degree, information derived from the Word proving this. The third degree they make to be acknowledgment. Now, because nothing of the church can be acknowledged in heart, unless temptation precedes, therefore they adjoin temptation to this degree; and if the doubts, which are then presented, are dissipated from the Word, or by the preacher, and victory is obtained by this means, they say that the man has confidence, which is said to be a certainty of the truth of the thing, and also confidence that he is saved by the Lord's merit. But because the doubts which occur in temptations arise chiefly from not understanding the Word, where deeds, works, doing, and working, are so often mentioned, they say that the understanding is to be kept in obedience to faith. Hence follows the fourth degree, which is the endeavour to do good; and in this they come to a conclusion, saying that when man arrives at this degree he is justified, and that then all the actions of his life are accepted by God, the evils of his life not being seen by Him, because they are pardoned.
This conjunction of faith with good works has been devised by the learned, and also accepted by them, but it rarely extends to the common people. In the first place, because it is beyond the comprehension of some of them; and, secondly, because they are for the most part engaged in their business and employment, these diverting the mind from understanding the inner mysteries of this doctrine.
[5] The conjunction of faith with good works, and thereby an apparent agreement with the Word, is received in a different manner by those who are less learned. These know nothing about the degrees of justification, but believe that faith alone is the only means of salvation. And when they see from the Word, and hear from the preacher, that goods must be done, and that man is to be judged according to his works, they think that faith produces good works, for they suppose that to know those things which the preacher teaches, and thence to think that it is so, constitutes faith. And because this goes before, they believe that faith produces good works, which they call the fruits of faith, not knowing that such faith is a faith of the memory only, which, strictly considered, is historical faith, because derived from another, thus of that other with them, and that such faith can never produce any good fruit.
Into this error the majority of the Christian world has fallen in consequence of faith alone having been received as the chief, in fact, as the only means of salvation. But how faith and charity, or believing and doing, make one, shall be explained in what follows.
787. And the whole earth wondered after the beast, signifies the acceptance of these by the more learned in the church, and the reception from afar by the less learned. This is evident from the signification of "to wonder after the beast," as being (in reference to the disagreement with the Word apparently cleared away by devised conjunctions of works with faith) the acceptance by the more learned, and the reception by the less learned (of which presently). Also from the signification of "earth," as being the church (See above, n. 29, 304, 417, 697, 741, 742, 752). "The whole earth wondered after the beast" signifies acceptance and reception, because wondering attracts, and those who are attracted follow.
[2] In the Word mention is frequently made of "going" and "walking after God," "after other gods," "after a leader," and "after many;" and these expressions signify to follow and acknowledge in heart, also to be and to live with them, and to be consociated, as in the following passages. In the first book of Kings:
David hath kept My commandments, and hath walked after Me with his whole heart, to do that which is right in Mine eyes (1 Kings 14:8).
In the first book of Samuel:
The sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the war (1 Samuel 17:13).
In Moses:
Thou shalt not follow after many to evils; thou shalt not answer respecting a cause of strife to turn aside after many (Exodus 23:2).
In Jeremiah:
Thou shalt not go after other gods whom thou hast not known (Jeremiah 7:9).
In the same:
They went after other gods to serve them (Jeremiah 11:10; Deuteronomy 8:19).
In Moses:
The man who shall go after Baal-peor, Jehovah thy God will destroy from the midst of thee (Deuteronomy 4:3).
From this it is evident that "to go after" anyone signifies to follow him, obey him, act from him, and live from him; "to walk and live" 1also signifies to live. From this it can be seen that "to wonder after the beast" signifies acceptance and reception from the persuasion that the disagreement with the Word is apparently cleared away.
[3] Acceptance by the more learned and reception from afar by the less learned is signified, because the modes of conjoining faith with its life, which is good works, were devised by the learned; while the less learned, because they were unable to investigate interiorly these disagreements, received them, each one according to his apprehension; consequently this dogma, that faith alone is the essential means of salvation, has been received in the whole earth, or in the Christian Church.
[4] It shall be explained also in a few words how the chief point of that religion, namely, that in faith alone there is salvation, and not in good works, has been apparently cleared away, and is therefore accepted by the learned. For these have devised stages of the progress of faith to good works, which they call steps of justification. They make the first step to be the hearing from masters and preachers, the second step information from the Word that it is so; the third step acknowledgment; and since nothing of the church can be acknowledged in heart unless temptation precede, therefore they join temptation to this step; and if the doubts that are then encountered are dissipated by the Word or by the preacher, and thus the man conquers, they say that the man has confidence, which is a certainty that it is so, and also confidence that he is saved by the Lord's merit. But as the doubts that are encountered in temptation arise chiefly from not understanding the Word, where "deeds," "works," "doing," and "working" are so often mentioned, they say that the understanding must be held in check under obedience to faith. Hence follows the fourth step, which is the endeavor to do good; and in this they rest, saying that when man arrives at this stage he has been justified, and that then all the acts of his life are accepted by God, and the evils of his life are not seen by God, because they are pardoned. This conjunction of faith with good works has been devised by the learned and also accepted by them. But this conjunction rarely extends to the common people, both because it transcends the comprehension of some of them, and because they are for the most part engaged in their business and employments, and these divert the mind from gaining an understanding of the inner mysteries of this doctrine.
[5] But the conjunction of faith with good works, and thereby apparent agreement with the Word, is received in a different manner by the less learned. These know nothing about the steps of justification, but believe that faith alone is the only means of salvation; and when they see from the Word and hear from the preacher that goods must be done and that man will be judged according to his works, they think that faith produces good works, for they know no otherwise than that faith is to know the things that the preacher teaches, and thence to think that it is so; and because this comes first they believe that faith produces good works, which they call the fruits of faith, not knowing that such a faith is a faith of the memory only, and viewed in itself is historical faith, because it is from another, and thus another's with themselves, and that such a faith can never bring forth any good fruit. Into this error most of those in the Christian world have fallen, for the reason that faith alone has been received as the chief means, yea, as the only means of salvation. But how faith and charity, or believing and doing, make one shall be told hereafter.
Footnotes:
1. The photolithograph has "ambulare et vivere significat vivere;" "to walk and live signifies to live."
787. "Et admirata est tota terra post bestiam." Quod significet acceptationem ab eruditioribus in ecclesia, et receptionem e longinquo a minus eruditis, constat ex significatione "admirari post bestiam", cum de discordantia cum Verbo apparenter summota per inventas conjunctiones operum cum fide, quod sit acceptatio ab eruditioribus, et receptio a minus eruditis (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "terrae", quod sit ecclesia (de qua supra, n. 29, 304, 417 [a] , 697, 741, 742, 752).
Quod "admirata sit tota terra post bestiam" significet acceptationem et receptionem, est quia admiratio trahit, et illi, quos trahit, sequuntur.
[2] In Verbo aliquibus in locis dicitur "ire" et "ambulare" post Deum, post deos alios, post ducem, et post multos, et per id significatur sequi et corde agnoscere, tum esse et vivere cum illis, ac consociari, ut in sequentibus locis: In Libro 1
Primo Regum,
"David servavit praecepta mea, et ambulavit post Me toto corde, ..ad faciendum..rectum in oculis meis" (14:8);
in Libro Primo Samuelis,
"Ibant filii...Jischaji post Saulem in bellum" (17:13);
apud Mosen,
Non eris post multos ad mala: non respondebis super lite post multos ad pervertendum" (Exodus 23:2);
apud Jeremiam,
Non ibis "post deos alios quos non novisti" (7:9);
apud eundem,
"Illi iverunt post deos alios ad serviendum illis" (11:10; Deuteronomius 8:19);
apud Mosen,
"Virum, qui iverit post Baalpeorem, perdet Jehovah Deus tuus e medio tui" (Deuteronomius 4:3):
inde patet quod "ire post" aliquem significet sequi illum, obedire illi, facere ex illo, ac vivere ex illo; etiam " 2
ambulare" significat vivere: ex his constare potest quod per "admirari post bestiam" significetur acceptatio et receptio ex persuasione quod discordantia cum Verbo apparenter submota sit.
[3] Quod significetur acceptatio ab eruditioribus et receptio e longinquo a minus eruditis, est quia eruditi conjunctiones fidei cum vita ejus, quae sunt bona, opera, invenerunt, at minus eruditi, quia discordantias non potuerunt interius rimari, quisque secundum suum captum receperunt; inde id dogma, quod sola fides sit essentiale medium salutis, in universa terra seu Ecclesia Christiana receptum est.
[4] Paucis etiam dicetur quomodo caput illius religionis, quod in sola fide sit salvatio, et non in bonis operibus, ad apparentiam submotum sit, et inde ab eruditis acceptatum. Hi enim invenerunt gradus progressionis fidei ad bona opera, quos vocant gradus justificationis: primum gradum faciunt auditionem a magistris et a praedicatoribus: alterum gradum faciunt informationem ex Verbo quod ita sit: tertium gradum faciunt agnitionem; et quia non aliquid ecclesiae corde agnosci potest, nisi praecedat tentatio, ideo huic gradui illam adjungunt; et si dubia, quae tunc obversantur, ex Verbo aut praedicatore discutiuntur, et sic homo vincit, dicunt quod homini sit fiducia, quae est certitudo quod ita sit, et quoque confidentia quod per meritum Domini salventur; sed quia dubia, quae in tentatione obveniunt, praecipue sunt ex non intellecto Verbo, ubi toties "facta", "opera", "facere" et "operari" dicuntur, dicunt quod intellectus sub obedientia fidei refrenandus sit: inde sequitur quartus gradus, qui est conatus faciendi bonum; in quo subsistunt, dicentes quod homo cum ad hunc gradum pervenit, justificatus sit, et quod tunc omnia acta vitae ejus Deo accepta sint, et quod mala vitae a Deo non videantur, quia condonantur. Haec conjunctio fidei cum bonis operibus inventa est ab eruditis, et quoque acceptata ab illis;
[5] sed illa conjunctio raro emanat in vulgus, tam quia quorundam captum transcendit, quam quia plerique in suis negotiis et functionibus sunt, quae animum ab interioribus arcanis hujus doctrinae intelligendis avertunt. Conjunctio autem fidei cum bonis operibus, et per illam apparens concordantia cum Verbo, aliter a minus eruditis recipitur; hi nihil sciunt de gradibus justificationis, sed credunt quod sola fides sit unicum medium salutis; et cum vident ex Verbo et audiunt ex praedicatore quod bona facienda sint, et quod homo secundum opera sua judicandus sit, cogitant quod fides producat bona opera; non enim aliter sciunt quam quod scire illa quae praedicator docet, et inde cogitare quod ita sit, sit fides; et quia id praecedit, credunt quod fides producat bona opera, quae vocant fructus fidei; non scientes quod illa fides sit fides solius memoriae, quae in se spectata est fides historica, quia ex alio, ita alterius apud se, et quod talis fides nusquam possit aliquem bonum fructum producere. In hunc errorem lapsi sunt plerique in orbe Christiano, ex eo quod sola fides recepta sit pro principali, immo pro unico medio salutis. Sed quomodo fides et charitas, seu credere et facere, unum fiunt, in sequentibus dicetur.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.