729.启17:5.“在她额上有名写着说，奥秘哉，大巴比伦，作地上的淫乱和一切可憎之物的母”表天主教的内在性质，该性质一直被隐藏起来：因其源头来自出于自我之爱而对统治教会的神圣事物和天堂，因而统治主及其圣言的一切事物之爱，故它已经玷污并亵渎了与圣言、因而与教会有关的事物。“在她额上写着”表示植入这爱，因为“额”表示爱（347，605节）。“奥秘”表示隐藏于内在的东西。“大巴比伦”表示天主教及其一切性质，如前所述（717节）。“淫妇”表示对圣言良善与真理的玷污（719-721节），及其污秽，如前所述（728节）。“可憎之物”表示对教会神圣事物的亵渎，如刚才所述（728节）。“地”表示教会（285节）。因此，“地上的淫乱和一切可憎之物的母”表示它们的源头。由于这些话写在她的额上，而“写在额上”表示植入爱，而他们的爱是出于自我之爱的统治之爱，即统治教会的一切事物和天堂，因而统治主及其圣言的一切事物，故所表示的是这一点。
从这些事可以看出，“在她额上有名写着说，奥秘哉，大巴比伦，作地上的淫乱和一切可憎之物的母”表天主教的内在性质，该性质一直被隐藏起来：因其源头来自出于自我之爱而对统治教会的神圣事物和天堂，因而统治主及其圣言的一切事物之爱，故它已经玷污并亵渎了与圣言、因而与教会有关的事物。它是对统治教会一切事物的爱，这一点从所声称的对人的灵魂，以及与他们的敬拜有关的一切事物的权柄可以得知。它是对统治天堂的爱，这一点从他们声称具有释放与捆绑、因而打开与关闭的权柄可以得知。它是对统治主的一切事物的爱，这一点从主教的职位可以得知，他们凭这职位将属于主的一切据为己有。它是对统治圣言的一切事物的爱，这亦从他们独揽解经权可以得知。之所以称它为出于自我之爱的统治之爱，是因为还有一种出于功用之爱的统治之爱，这两种爱彼此截然对立。出于自我之爱的统治之爱是属鬼魔的，因为它只关注自己，并为了自我而关注世界；但出于功用之爱的统治之爱是属天堂的，因为它关注主，从主所发出的一切事物都是功用，对主来说，功用就在于为了灵魂得救而向教会行善；所以，这爱憎恶出于自我之爱的统治之爱。
729. 17:5 And on her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whoredoms and Abominations of the Earth. This symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion such as it is interiorly, which is concealed, that from its origin, springing from a love of exercising dominion from a love of self over the sanctities of the church and over heaven, thus over everything connected with the Lord and His Word, it defiled and profaned things having to do with the Word and so with the church.
To be written on the forehead means, symbolically, to be deep-seated in the love, for the forehead symbolizes the love (nos. 347, 605). Mystery means symbolically that it is inwardly concealed. Babylon the Great symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion and its whole character, as said in no. 717 above. Whoredoms symbolize adulterations of the Word's goodness and truth (nos. 719-721), and also defilings of them, as in no. 728 just above. Abominations symbolize profanations of the church's sanctities, as also in no. 728 above. The earth symbolizes the church (no. 285). Consequently the mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth symbolizes the origin of these.
Now because these words were written on her forehead, and to be written on the forehead means, symbolically, to be deep-seated in the love, and because the love in Roman Catholics is a love of exercising dominion from a love of self over everything connected with the church and over heaven, thus over everything connected with the Lord and His Word, therefore the symbolic meaning is as stated.
[2] It can be seen from this that "on her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whoredoms and Abominations of the Earth," symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion such as it is interiorly, which is concealed, that from its origin, springing from a love of exercising dominion from a love of self over the sanctities of the church and over heaven, thus over everything connected with the Lord and His Word, it defiled and profaned things having to do with the Word and so with the church.
That their love is a love of exercising dominion over everything connected with the church is something people know from the jurisdiction they claim they have over people's souls and over everything connected with their worship. They know that it is a love of exercising dominion over heaven from the power they have appropriated of loosing and binding, and thus of opening and closing. 1They know that it is a love of exercising dominion over everything connected with the Lord from the Vicariate, by which they attribute to themselves all that is the Lord's. They also know that it is a love of exercising dominion over everything connected with the Word from their reserving its interpretation for themselves alone.
We say that their love of exercising dominion comes from a love of self because possible also is a love of exercising dominion from a love of performing useful services. These two loves are diametrically opposite each other. That is because a love of exercising dominion from a love of self is diabolical, for it has regard for self only and for the world in the service of self. In contrast, a love of exercising dominion from a love of performing useful services is heavenly, for it has regard for the Lord, from whom emanate only useful endeavors, and useful endeavors to it are to do good to the church for the salvation of souls. This latter love consequently abhors a love of exercising dominion from a love of self.
Footnotes:
1. The Lord said to His disciples, "... whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19; 18:18
729. [verse 5] 'Upon her forehead was written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the land' signifies what the Roman Catholic form of religion is like interiorly, which has been concealed; that as the result of its origin from the love of dominating out of the love of self over the holy things of the Church and over heaven, thus over all things of the Lord and His Word, it has defiled and profaned the things that are of the Word and of the Church therefrom. By 'written on the forehead' is signified inherent (insitum) in the love, for 'the forehead' signifies the love (347, 605). By 'mystery' is signified what is interiorly hidden. By 'Babylon the great' is signified the Roman Catholic form of religion and all its quality, as above (717). By 'whoredoms' are signified the adulterations of the good and truth of the Word (719-721), and also their defilements, as just above (728); by 'abominations' are signified the profanations of the holy things of the Church, as also just above (728); by 'the land' is signified the Church (285). Consequently by 'the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the land' is signified the origin of these. Now because those words were written on her forehead, and by 'written on the forehead' is signified inherent in the love, and their love is the love of dominating out of the love of self over all things of the Church and over heaven, thus over all things of the Lord and His Word, therefore this is signified.
[2] From these considerations it can be seen that by 'upon her forehead was written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the land' is signified what the Roman Catholic form of religion is like interiorly, which has been concealed; that as the result of its origin from the love of dominating out of the love of self over the holy things of the Church and over heaven, thus over all things of the Lord and His Word, it has defiled and profaned the things that are of the Word and of the Church therefrom. That there is the love of dominating over all things of the Church is known from the legal right claimed for themselves over the souls of men, and over all things of their worship. That it is over heaven is known from the authority taken to themselves of loosing and binding, and thus of opening and shutting. That it is over all things of the Lord is known from the vicarship by means of which they attribute all things of His to themselves. That it is over all things of the Word is also known from their having reserved its interpretation to themselves only. It is termed the love of dominating out of the love of self because a love of dominating out of the love of uses also exists. These two loves are diametrically opposed to each other. For the love of dominating out of the love of self is diabolical, for it regards itself only and the world for the sake of itself; but the love of dominating out of the love of uses is heavenly, for it regards the Lord, from Whom all things that proceed are uses, and uses to it are to do good to the Church for the sake of the salvation of souls; and therefore this love abominates the love of dominating out of the love of self.
729. Verse 5. And upon her forehead was a name 1written, Mystery, Babylon the great, mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth, signifies the Roman Catholic religious persuasion as to the quality of its interiors, which were hidden, that from its origin from the love of dominating from self-love, over the holy things of the church and over heaven, thus over all things relating to the Lord and His Word, it defiled and profaned the things which relate to the Word, and thence to the church. By "written upon her forehead" is signified to be implanted in the love, for "the forehead" signifies the love, (347, 605). By "mystery" is signified what is concealed interiorly. By "Babylon the great" is signified the Roman Catholic religious persuasion and all its quality, as above, (717). By "whoredoms" are signified the adulterations of the good and truth of the Word, (719-721); and also their defilements, as above, (728). By "abominations" are signified the profanations of the holy things of the church, as also just above, (728). By "the earth" is signified the church, (285). Thence by "mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth" is signified their origin. Now because these words were written on her forehead, and by "written on the forehead" is signified to be implanted in the love, and their love is the love of dominating from the love of self, over all things of the church and over heaven, thus over all things of the Lord and His Word, therefore this is signified.
[2] From these things it may be seen, that by "written upon her forehead, Mystery, Babylon the great, mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth," is signified the Roman Catholic religious persuasion as to its interior hidden quality, that from its origin from the love of dominating from self-love over the holy things of the church, and over heaven, and thus over all things of the Lord and His Word, it has defiled and profaned those things which are of the Word, and thence of the church. That it is the love of dominating over all things of the church, is known from the authority claimed over the souls of men and over all things relating to their worship. That it is over heaven is known from the authority they assume of loosing and binding, and thus of opening and shutting. That it is over all things of the Lord is known from the vicarship, by which they attribute to themselves all that is His. That it is over all things of the Word is also known from their reserving to themselves alone the right of interpretation. It is called the love of dominating from the love of self, because there is also a love of dominion from the love of uses, which two loves are diametrically opposite to one another, for the love of dominating from the love of self is diabolical, for it regards itself only, and the world for the sake of self; but the love of dominion from the love of uses is celestial, for it regards the Lord, from whom all things which proceed are uses, and uses to him consist in doing good to the church for the sake of the salvation of souls; wherefore this love abominates the love of dominating from the love of self.
Footnotes:
1. The original Latin omits "name."
729. (Vers. 5.) "(Et) super fronte ejus (nomen) scriptum, Mysterium, Babylon magna mater scortationum et abominationum terrae," significat Religiosum Catholico Romanum quale est interius quod reconditum, quod ex ortu suo ab amore dominandi ex amore sui super sancta Ecclesiae et super Caelum, ita super omnia Domini et Verbi Ipsius, conspurcaverit et prophanaverit illa quae Verbi et inde Ecclesiae sunt. -Per "scriptum in fronte" significatur insitum amori, "frons" enim significat amorem (347, 605); per "mysterium" significatur quod interius est reconditum; per "Babylonem magnam" significatur Religiosum Catholico Romanum, et omne quale ejus, ut supra (717); 1per "scortationes", significantur adulterationes boni et veri Verbi (719-721), et quoque conspurcationes eorum, ut mox supra (728); per "abominationes" significantur prophanationes sanctorum Ecclesiae, ut quoque mox supra (728); per "terram" significatur Ecclesia (285); inde per "matrem scortationum et abominationum terrae" significatur ortus illarum: nunc quia illa verba in fronte ejus scripta sunt, et per "scriptum in fronte" significatur insitum amori, et amor illorum est amor dominandi ex amore sui super omnia Ecclesiae et super Caelum, ita super omnia Domini et Verbi Ipsius, ideo hoc significatur. Ex his videri potest, quod per "super fronte ejus scriptum, Mysterium, Babylon magna, mater scortationum et abominationum terrae," significetur Religiosum Catholico Romanum quale est interius quod reconditum, quod ex ortu suo ab amore dominandi ex amore sui super sancta Ecclesiae et super Caelum, ita super omnia Domini et Verbi Ipsius, conspurcaverit et prophanaverit illa quae Verbi et inde Ecclesiae sunt. Quod sit amor dominandi super omnia Ecclesiae, notum est ex jure sibi vindicato super animas hominum, et super omnia cultus illorum; quod super Caelum, notum est ex potestate assumpta solvendi et ligandi, et sic aperiendi et claudendi; quod super omnia Domini, notum est ex Vicariatu, per quem sibi attribuunt omnia Ipsius; quod super omnia Verbi, etiam notum est ex reservata sibi solis interpretatione ejus. Dicitur amor dominandi ex amore sui, quia etiam datur amor dominandi ex amore usuum, qui bini amores sunt sibi e diametro oppositi; amor enim dominandi ex amore sui est diabolicus, spectat enim se solum et mundum propter se; at amor dominandi ex amore usuum est caelestis, spectat enim Dominum, a Quo omnia quae procedunt sunt usus, ac usus ei sunt facere bonum Ecclesiae propter salutem animarum; quare hic amor abominatur amorem dominandi ex amore sui.
Footnotes:
1. 717 pro "217"