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803. And power was given him over every tribe, and tongue, and nation. That this signifies domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and over the doctrine of faith and love, is evident from the signification of power, as denoting domination; and from the signification of tribe, as denoting the truths and goods of the church in general (concerning which see above, n. 39, 330, 430, 431, 454, 657). And from the signification of tongue, as denoting the doctrine of the church, also confession and religion (concerning which also see above, n. 330, 455, 625, 657); in the present case, the doctrine of faith. And from the signification of nation, as denoting the good of love, also the doctrine of love and of the church thence (concerning which see above, n. 175, 331, 625, 657). Hence it is evident that by power being given to the beast over every tribe, and tongue, and nation, is signified domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and over the doctrine of faith and love. And whereas by the beast is signified the doctrine of faith separate from the life, proved and enforced by reasonings from the natural man, it follows, that to this faith is given domination over everything pertaining to the church and its doctrine.
That this domination was given to it is evident from this fact, that faith alone is the universal principle that rules in the churches; for it is regarded as the essential means of salvation. This also is clear from the doctrines of the churches, also from the oral confession of the men of the church, and, in general, from their lives; also, from this fact, that they do not know what charity and love are, consequently they do not know what works are. And because such is the domination of faith separated, therefore it domineers also over all the truths and goods of the church; and it extinguishes them by falsifying, perverting, and adulterating them. For where that faith rules, there is no longer anything good, and, consequently, nothing true.
[2] It is known, that faith from love is an essential means of salvation, and that therefore it is a principle of the doctrine of the church. But because it is of importance to know how a man may be in enlightenment, so as to learn the truths which must constitute his faith; and in affection, so as to do the goods which must constitute his love, thus whether his faith be the faith of truth, and his love the love of good, this shall be shown in order, as follows:
1. Let him read the Word every day, either one or two chapters, and learn from a master, and from preachings, the dogmas of his religion; and especially let him learn that God is one, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth (Heaven and Hell 303-310).
5. So far, then, as a man detests those sins, so far good affections enter. Thus, so far as he detests adulteries, so far chastity enters. So far as he detests frauds and unlawful gains, so far sincerity and justice enter. So far as he detests hatred and revenge, so far charity enters. So far as he detests lies and blasphemies, so far truth enters. And so far as he detests conceit, so far enter humility before God, and the love of his neighbour as himself, and so on. Hence it follows, that to shun evils is to do goods.
6. So far as a man is in those good affections, so far he is led by the Lord and not of himself; and so far as he acts from them, so far he does goods, because he does them from the Lord and not from himself. In such case he acts from chastity, sincerity, justice, charity, and truth, in humility before God; and no one can act from these of himself.
7. The spiritual affections, which the Lord bestows on the man who is in these and who acts from them, are the affection of knowing and understanding the truths and goods of heaven and the church, together with the affection of willing and doing them; also the affection of fighting with zeal against falsities and evils, and dissipating them, both in himself and in others. Hence man has faith and love, and also he has intelligence and wisdom.
8. In this and no other way is a man reformed. And so far as he knows and believes truths, and wills and does them, so far he is regenerated, and from natural, becomes spiritual. It is similar with respect to his faith and love.
[3] If evils are not removed because they are sins, all that a man thinks, says, wills, and does, are neither goods nor truths before God; however they may appear to be so before the world. The reason is, that they are not from the Lord, but from man. For it is the love of man and of the world from which they are derived, and which is in them. Most people at this day believe that they will go to heaven if they have faith, live piously, and do goods; and yet they do not hold evils in aversion because they are sins, consequently they either commit them, or believe them to be allowable; and those that believe them to be allowable, commit them when opportunity is given. But let them know, that their faith is not faith, that their piety is not piety, and their goods are not goods; for they flow from the impurities which lie interiorly concealed in man, the external things deriving all their quality from internal things. For the Lord says,
"Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside may be clean also" (Matthew 23:26).
From these things it is now evident that if a man were to fulfil all things of the law, if he gave much to the poor, if he did good to the fatherless and the widow, indeed, if he also gave bread to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, took in strangers and clothed the naked, visited the sick and them that are bound in prison; if he preached the gospel strenuously, converted the Gentiles, frequented temples, heard preachings with devotion, attended the sacrament of the Supper frequently, spent his time in prayer, with other things; and his internal were not purified from hatred and revenge, from craftiness and malice, from insincerity and injustice, from the filthy delight of adultery, from the love of self and the love of ruling thence, and from the arrogance of his own intelligence, from contempt of others in comparison with himself, and from all other evils and the falsities thence, still all there works would be hypocritical, and from the man himself and not from the Lord. But, on the other hand, these very works, when the internal is purified, are all goods, because they are from the Lord in a man, who cannot do otherwise than perform such things, because he is in the love and faith of doing them.
What is here said, has been testified to me from a thousand examples in the spiritual world. I have heard that it has been granted to many to recall the actions of their life in the world, and to enumerate the goods they had done; but when their internal was opened it was discovered to be full of all evil and falsity thence. Then it was revealed to them, that the goods which they enumerated were done from themselves, because for the sake of themselves and the world, and that they flowed from their interior evils; whence they appeared either as scorched with fire, or as sooty.
[4] But the case is different with those who have abstained from doing evils, as a result of the Word, and have afterwards shunned and become averse to them, on account of their being sins, and contrary to love to God and charity towards the neighbour. The works of such persons, although they were similarly perceived as done from themselves, were all good, and similarly from the light of heaven, appeared to be as white snow and wool (Isaiah 1:12-18).
These are the works that are meant in the Word by works, which can by no means be separated from faith; for faith separate from them is dead; and a dead faith is a faith of falsity from an evil love; or it is the idea that a thing is so, the life being still evil.
That to abstain from evils from any other reason whatever than from the Word does not purify the internal man is evident from the origin of evil works, and from the origin of good works. As, for example, he who abstains from adulteries from fear of the civil law and its punishments; from fear of the loss of reputation and thence of honour; from fear of harm arising from poverty, covetousness, or avarice; from fear of sickness as a result of these; from fear of brawls at home with a wife and consequent intranquillity of life; from fear of being beaten by the servants of an injured husband; from infirmity arising either from abuse, age, or impotence; indeed, even from natural and hence moral good, as not being becoming and honest, etc.; and for these reasons alone lives chastely, still he is interiorly unchaste and an adulterer if he does not abstain from them from a spiritual belief that adulteries are infernal because contrary to the Divine Law, and thence contrary to the fear of God and to the love of his neighbour. And so in all other cases.
[5] From what has been adduced it may now be seen what the internal and the external are, also what faith and love are; that is to say, that faith and love are a man's when his internal has been purified from evils in the manner above mentioned; and that they are not his if it be not purified; and that where faith and love are, there heaven is; and that where faith and love are not, there is hell. More may be seen upon this subject below (n. 825).
803. And there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation, signifies domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and over the doctrine of faith and love. This is evident from the signification of "authority," as being domination; also from the signification of "tribe," as being the truths and goods of the church in general (See above, n. 39, 330, 430, 431, 454, 657). Also from the signification of "tongue," as being the doctrine of the church, also confession and religion (See above, n. 330, 455, 625, 657), here the doctrine of faith; also from the signification of "nation," as being the good of love, likewise the doctrine of love, and thence of the church (See above, n. 175, 331, 625, 657). From this it can be seen that "authority was given to the beast over every tribe and tongue and nation" signifies domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and over the doctrine of faith and love. And as "the beast" signifies faith separated from the life, corroborated and established by reasonings from the natural man, it follows that to such a faith domination is given over all things of the church and its doctrine. It is evident that domination was given to this faith, since faith alone is the universal prevailing principle in the churches; for it has been taken to be the essential means of salvation, as is clearly evident from the doctrines of the churches, as well as from the verbal profession of the men of the church, and in general from their lives; also from this, that they do not know what charity and love are, consequently what works are. And as such is the domination of faith separate, so it has domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and extinguishes them by falsifying, perverting, and adulterating them; for where that faith rules there is no longer anything good, and thence no truth.
[2] It is known that faith from love is the essential means of salvation, and thus is the principle of the doctrine of the church; but since it is important to know how a man can be in such enlightenment as to learn the truths that must constitute his faith and in such affection as to do the goods that must constitute his love, and thus can know whether his faith is a belief in truth and his love a love of good, this shall be told in its proper order, as follows: 1. Let him read the Word every day, one or two chapters, and learn from a master and from preachings the dogmas of his religion; and especially let him learn that God is one, and that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth (Heaven and Hell 303-310.
5. So far, then, as man detests these sins so far good affections enter. Then so far as he detests adulteries so far chastity enters; so far as he detests frauds and unlawful gains so far sincerity and justice enter; so far as he detests hatred and revenge so far charity enters; so far as he detests lies and blasphemies so far truth enters; and so far as he detests elation of mind so far humility before God and love of the neighbor as oneself enter; and so on. From this it follows that to shun evils is to do goods.
6. So far as a man is in these good affections he is led by the Lord and not by self; and so far as he acts from them so far he does what is good, because he does this from the Lord and not from self; and then he acts from chastity, from sincerity and justice, from charity, from truth, in humility before God; and from these no one can act from self.
7. The spiritual affections that are granted by the Lord to him who is in them and who acts from them, are the affection of knowing and understanding the truths and goods of heaven and the church, together with the affection of willing and doing them; also the affection of combating with zeal against falsities and evils and dispersing them, both with himself and with others. From this man has faith and love, and from this he has intelligence and wisdom.
8. Thus and in no other way is man reformed; and so far as he knows and believes truths, and wills and does them, so far is he regenerated, and from natural becomes spiritual. The like is true of his faith and his love.
[3] If evils have not been removed because they are sins nothing that a man thinks, speaks, wills, and does, is good or true before God, however it may appear as if good and true before the world. The reason is that they are not from the Lord but from man, since it is the love of the man and of the world from which they are, and which is in them. Most people at this day believe that they will come into heaven if they have faith, live piously, and do goods; and yet they do not turn away from evils because they are sins, consequently they either do them or believe them to be allowable; and those who believe them to be allowable do them when opportunity is given. But let them know that their faith is not faith, that their pious things are not pious, and that their goods are not goods; for they flow from the impurities that lie inwardly concealed with man; and externals derive everything that they are from internals. For the Lord says:
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside may become clean also (Matthew 22:26).
From this it can now be seen that if a man were able to fulfill all things of the law, if he should give much to the poor, if he should do good to the fatherless and the widow, and if he should also give bread to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, take in the strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and go to them that are bound in prison, if he should earnestly preach the Gospel, convert the Gentiles, frequent temples, listen devoutly to preachings, observe the sacrament of the Supper often every year, spend his time in prayer, and other things; and his internal has not been purified from hatred and revenge, from craftiness and malice, from insincerity and injustice, from the filthy delight of adultery, from the love of self and the consequent love of rule, and the pride of self-intelligence, from contempt of others in comparison with oneself, and from the other evils and their falsities; still all these works would be hypocritical and from the man himself, and not from the Lord. And yet these same works, when the internal has been purified, are all good, because they are from the Lord with man, and since the man is in the faith and in the love of doing these works he will do them as a matter of course. This has been proved to me by a thousand examples in the spiritual world. I have there heard that it has been granted to many to recall the actions of their life in the world, and to enumerate the goods they had done; but when their internal was opened it was found to be full of every evil and the falsity therefrom; and it was then disclosed to them that the goods they had enumerated had been done from self, because for the sake of self and the world, and that they were full of evils from their interiors; and on this account they appeared either as if scorched with fire, or as if sooty.
[4] But it was otherwise with those who from the Word had abstained from doing evils, and had afterwards shunned them and turned away from them because they were sins and were opposed to love to God and to charity towards the neighbor. Although there was a similar perception to them that their works were done as if from self, yet they were all good, and appeared in the light of heaven like white snow and wool (Isaiah 1:12-18). These are the works that are meant in the Word by the works that can in no wise be separated from faith; for faith separated from them is dead, and a dead faith is a faith in falsity from an evil love; or it is the thought that a thing is true, while the life is still evil.
That abstaining from evils for any reason whatever except from the Word does not purify the internal man is evident from the origin of evil works and from the origin of good works. For example, he that abstains from adulteries from fear of the civil law and its punishments, from fear of the loss of reputation and thus of honor, from fear of deprivations arising from poverty, parsimony, or avarice, from fear of consequent illness, from fear of brawls at home with the wife and the consequent intranquility of life, from fear of chastisement by the servants of the injured husband, from infirmity arising from abuse, or age, or impotence, or even from natural goodness and consequent moral goodness, that is, as not being proper and honorable, and so on, and if for such reasons only he lives chastely still he is interiorly unchaste and an adulterer, so long as he does not abstain from these evils from spiritual faith, which is a belief that adulteries are infernal because they are contrary to the Divine Law, and thus contrary to the fear of God and to love of the neighbor. And so in all other cases.
[5] From what has now been presented it can be seen what the internal and the external are, also what faith and love are, namely, that faith and love are with man when his internal has been purified from evils in the manner just described, and that they are not in him if it be not purified, and that where faith and love are, there is heaven, and where faith and love are not, there is hell. More on this may be seen hereafter n. 825.
803. "Et data ei potestas super omnem tribum, et linguam et gentem." Quod significet dominationem super omnia vera et bona ecclesiae, et super doctrinam fidei et amoris, constat ex significatione "potestatis", quod sit dominatio; ex significatione "tribus", quod sint vera et bona ecclesiae in genere (de qua supra, n. 39, 330, 430, 431, 454, 657); ex significatione "linguae", quod sit doctrina ecclesiae, tum confessio et religio (de qua etiam supra, n. 330, 455, 625, 657), hic doctrina fidei; et ex significatione "gentis", quod sit bonum amoris, tum doctrina amoris et inde ecclesiae (de qua supra, n. 175, 331, 625, 657): inde constare potest quod per quod "potestas data sit bestiae super omnem tribum, et linguam et gentem", significetur dominatio super omnia vera et bona ecclesiae, et super doctrinam fidei et amoris; et quia per "bestiam" significatur fides separata a vita per ratiocinia ex naturali homine corroborata et firmata, sequitur quod isti fidei data sit dominatio super omnia ecclesiae et ejus doctrinae. Quod ei data sit dominatio, patet ex eo, quod sola fides sit universale principium regnans in ecclesiis, assumpta enim est pro essentiali medio salutis, quod etiam manifeste patet a doctrinis ecclesiarum, tum ex confessione oris hominum ecclesiae, et in communi ex vita eorum; et ex eo, quod non sciant quid charitas et amor, proinde quid opera: et quia talis est dominatio fidei separatae, ideo etiam est ei dominatio super omnia vera et bona ecclesiae, quae exstinguit, falsificando, pervertendo et adulterando illa; nam ubi illa fides dominatur, non amplius est aliquod bonum, et inde nec verum.
[2] Notum est quod fides ex amore sit essentiale medium salutis, et quod inde sit principium doctrinae ecclesiae; sed quia interest scire quomodo homo in illustratione possit esse, ut discat vera quae fidei ejus erunt, et in affectione, ut faciat bona quae amoris ejus erunt, ita num fides sit fides veri, et amor sit amor boni, dicetur in suo ordine; qui hic est:
(1.) Ut homo quovis die legat Verbum, unum caput aut duo, ac discat a magistro et ex praedicationibus dogmata religionis suae; ac imprimis discat quod Deus unus sit,
quod Dominus Deus caeli et terrae sit (Johannes 3:35; 17:2; Matthaeus 11:27; 28:18),
quod Verbum sanctum sit, quod caelum et infernum sint, et quod vita post mortem sit.
(2.) Ex Verbo, ex magistro et ex praedicationibus, discet quae opera peccata sunt, et quod imprimis sint adulteria, furta, neces, falsa testimonia, et plura quae in decalogo; tum quod lascivae et obscenae cogitationes etiam adulteria sint, quod fraudes et lucrationes illicitae etiam furta sint, quod odia et vindictae etiam neces sint, quodque mendacia et blasphemationes etiam falsa testimonia sint; et sic porro. Haec et illa discet ab infantia usque ad adolescentiam.
(3.) Quando homo incipit a se cogitare, quod fit post adolescentiam, tunc primum et primarium ei erit, ut desistat a malis faciendis, quia peccata sunt, contra Verbum, ita contra Deum; et quod si illa facit, ei non vita aeterna sit, sed infernum; et deinde dum adolescit et senescit, ut fugiat illa sicut damnata, et aversetur cogitationes cum intentione de illis. Sed ut desistat ab illis, ac fugiat et aversetur illa, supplicabit Dominum de ope. Peccata a quibus desistet, ac quae fugiet et aversabitur, sunt imprimis adulteria, fraudes, lucrationes illicitae, odia, vindictae, mendacia, blasphemationes, elationes animi.
(4.) Quantum homo illa detestatur, ex causa quia sunt contra Verbum, et inde contra Deum, tantum datur ei communicatio cum Domino, et fit ei conjunctio cum caelo; intrat enim Dominus, et cum Domino caelum, sicut removentur peccata; haec enim et eorum falsa unice obstant. Causa est, quia homo in medio inter caelum et infernum constitutus est; quare infernum ab una parte agit, et caelum ab altera; quantum itaque removentur mala quae ab inferno sunt, tantum intrant bona e caelo; nam dicit Dominus,
"Ecce sto ad ostium et pulso; si quis audiverit..., et aperuerit ostium, intrabo ad illum" (Apocalypsis 3:20).
Si autem homo a malis illis faciendis ex quacunque alia causa desistit quam quia peccata sunt, et contra Verbum et inde contra Deum, non fit ei conjunctio cum caelo, quia a se desistit, et non a Domino: Dominus est in Verbo, adeo ut dicatur "Verbum" (Johannes 1:1, 2, 3, 4), quia Verbum est ab Ipso; quod inde sit conjunctio caeli cum homine ecclesiae per Verbum, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno (n. 303-310).
(5.) Tunc quantum homo peccata illa detestatur, tantum intrant affectiones bonae: sicut quantum detestatur adulteria, tantum intrat castitas; quantum detestatur fraudes et lucrationes illicitas, tantum intrat sinceritas et justitia; quantum detestatur odia et vindictas, tantum intrat charitas; quantum detestatur mendacia et blasphemationes, tantum intrat veritas; et quantum detestatur elationem animi, tantum intrat humilitas coram Deo, et amor proximi sicut sui; et sic porro. Exinde sequitur quod fugere mala sit facere bona.
(6.) Quantum homo in bonis illis affectionibus est, tantum ducitur a Domino, et non a semet; et quantum ex illis agit, tantum bona facit, quia illa a Domino et non a semet facit; agit tunc ex castitate, ex sinceritate et justitia, ex charitate, ex veritate, in humilitate coram Deo, ex quibus nemo potest agere ex se.
(7.) Affectiones spirituales quae a Domino donantur homini, qui in illis est et ex illis agit, sunt affectio sciendi ac intelligendi vera et bona caeli et ecclesiae, una cum affectione volendi et faciendi illa; tum affectio cum zelo pugnandi contra falsa et mala, ac discutiendi ea, apud se et apud alios: inde homini est fides et amor, et inde ei intelligentia et sapientia.
(8.) Ita, et non aliter, homo reformatur; et quantum scit et credit vera, ac vult et facit illa, tantum regeneratur, et a naturali fit spiritualis: similiter fides ejus et amor ejus.
[3] Si mala non remota sunt quia sunt peccata, omnia quae homo cogitat, loquitur, vult et facit, non bona sunt nec vera coram Deo, utcunque apparent sicut bona et vera coram mundo. Causa est, quia non a Domino, sed ab homine sunt; est enim hominis et mundi amor, ex quo illa, et qui in illis. Plerique hodie credunt quod in caelum venturi sint, si fidem habent, pie vivunt, et bona faciunt; et tamen non aversantur mala quia peccata sunt, et inde vel faciunt illa, vel credunt esse licita: et qui credunt quod licita sint, illi faciunt illa quando copia datur; sed sciant quod fides illorum non fides sit, quod pia illorum non pia sint, et quod bona illorum nec bona sint, scaturiunt enim ex impuris, quae intus apud hominem latent: externa trahunt omnia sua ab internis; dicit enim Dominus,
"Pharisaee caece, purga prius interius poculi et patinae, ut fiat etiam exterius..mundum" (Matthaeus 23:26).
Ex his nunc constare potest, si homo implere posset omnia legis, si daret multa pauperibus, si bonum faceret pupillis et viduis, immo etiam si daret esurientibus edere, potaret sitientes, colligeret peregrinos, indueret nudos, visitaret aegrotos, iret ad vinctos in carcere, si Evangelium strenue praedicaret, converteret gentes, frequentaret templa, praedicationes devote auscultaret, quotannis saepe obiret sacramentum Cenae, vacaret precibus, et plura, ac internum ejus non purificatum est ab odio et vindicta, ab astu et malitia, ab insinceritate et injustitia, a spurca jucunditate adulterii, ab amore sui et inde amore imperandi et fastu propriae intelligentiae, a contemptu aliorum prae se, et a reliquis malis et inde falsis, usque omnia illa opera sunt hypocritica, et sunt ex ipso homine et non a Domino. At vero eadem illa opera, quando internum purificatum est, sunt omnia bona, quia a Domino apud hominem; qui non potest aliter quam facere, quia in fide et amore faciendi illa est. Hoc ex mille exemplis e mundo spirituali mihi testatum factum est. Audivi quod pluribus datum sit recordari actorum suae vitae in mundo, et enumerare bona quae fecerunt; sed cum aperiebatur internum eorum, deprehensum est illud plenum omni malo et inde falso: et tunc revelatum est illis quod bona quae enumeraverunt, ex se fecerint, quia propter se et mundum; et quod scaterent malis ab interioribus eorum; unde apparuerunt vel sicut igne adusta, vel sicut fuliginosa.
[4] Aliter vero apud illos qui abstinuerunt a malis faciendis ex Verbo, ac dein fugerunt et aversati sunt illa, propterea quod peccata essent, et contra amorem in Deum, et contra charitatem erga proximum; eorum opera, tametsi similiter illis percepta sicut a se facta,
omnia bona fuerunt, et apparuerunt 1
ex luce caeli sicut nix alba et lana (Esaias 1:12-18).
Haec opera sunt, quae in Verbo intelliguntur per "opera", quae a fide nullatenus separari possunt; nam fides ab illis separata est mortua, et fides mortua est fides falsi ex amore malo, vel est cogitatio quod ita sit, et usque vita mala.
Quod abstinere a malis ex quacunque alia causa quam ex Verbo, non purificet internum hominem, patet ab origine malorum operum et ex origine bonorum; ut qui abstinet ab adulteriis ex timore legis civilis et ejus poenarum, ex timore jacturae famae et inde honoris, timore damni existenti ex paupertate, tenacitate aut avaritia; ex timore aegritudinum ex illis, ex timore jurgiorum domi ab uxore, et inde intranquillitatis vitae, ex timore verberum a mariti laesi servis, ex infirmitate oriunda ex abusu, aut ex aetate, ex impotentia, immo etiam ex bono naturali et inde morali, quod non sit decorum et honestum, etc., et ex illis solis causis caste vivit, is usque est interius incastus et adulter, si non abstineat ab illis ex spirituali fide, quae fides est quod adulteria sint infernalia, quia sunt contra legem Divinam, et inde contra timorem Dei, et amorem proximi. Similiter in reliquis.
[5] Ex nunc allatis videri potest quid est internum et externum, tum quid fides et amor; quod nempe fides et amor sint apud hominem, quando internum ejus a malis modo supradicto purificatum est; et quod non sint, si illud non purificatum est; et quod ubi fides et amor, ibi sit caelum; et quod ubi non fides et amor, ibi sit infernum Plura de his videantur infra (n. 825).
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.