5961. About the Dragon
They are all dragons who confirm falsities with the Word. Those constitute the head who have piety outwardly but not inwardly, that is to say, who place all of salvation in outward worship; the body is those who say charity is the chief element of salvation and do not live a charitable life; its backside is those who consider faith to be the one and only means of salvation; the tail is those who only read the Word and place salvation in this but have no doctrine, saying that the Word in the letter is doctrine, but in this way they can defend whatever they desire. I spoke with those who put the sole means of salvation in reading the Word. They were above the head, saying that they take care that all in their society are diligent in reading the Word. But I said to them that this does not save but living according to the Word does, and that no one can live according to the Word without having true doctrine from the Word. Otherwise they do not know how they must live, for from the Sense of the letter of the Word they can defend every way of life whatever its nature, and thus they can support falsities. The nature of the Word in the letter was also shown, but that those who have doctrine from the Word see and read the Word entirely differently; thus they understand it and consequently can become rational, otherwise not; and that the reading of the Word is not heard by the Lord, and therefore does not contribute to salvation unless they are engaged in a life based on truth. And they cannot be engaged in a life based on truth unless they have doctrine from the Word; for the Lord looks at the heart and soul of a person, that is to say, at the love and faith; and whatever their natures are like, that is to say, whatever the person is like, this is the way the Word is heard and received by them. Reading the Word without these is only sound without rational, that is to say spiritual, thought. They grasped this at the time because it was said to them using spiritual mental imagery. It was said that they are those who compose the tail of the dragon. They said that they have gotten this belief because they knew that the details of the Word have a conjunction with heaven. The reply was that the Word has a conjunction with the person who reads it, and what that conjunction is like depends on what the person is like. They can know this from the fact that the Word on the table has no conjunction, and consequently it has no conjunction with the person reading it except based on what he is like in his understanding of and affection for a life from it.
Besides this there were others who had made charity the sole means of salvation but yet did not know what charity is and did not live the life of charity. These brought on pain in the right arm.
There were also those who made both charity and faith the means of salvation, which they also explained but yet did not live a life of charity. These corresponded to the adultery of a sister with a brother.
All such who are dragons correspond to filthy adulteries which are written about in Moses.
Those who make faith the soul means of salvation correspond perhaps to the skin [of the Dragon].
5961. THE DRAGON
All those are dragons who confirm falsities by the Word. Those constitute the head who are in external piety and not in internal, or who place the all of salvation in external worship; those the body, who affirm that charity is the chief essential of salvation and do not live a life of charity; those its hinder part who postulate faith as the sole means of salvation; those its tail who merely read the Word, and place salvation in that, and are not in any doctrine, saying that the Word in the letter is doctrine, but are thus able to defend whatever they wish. I spoke with those who placed the only means of salvation in reading the Word. They were overhead, and said that they take great care that all in their society are diligent in reading the Word. But I told them, that this does not save, but that they must live according to the Word, and that nobody can live according to the Word except he be in the doctrine of truth from it; otherwise, they do not know how they are to live, for, from the sense of the letter of the Word, they are able to defend everything that belongs to their life, be it what it may, and this to protect falsities. It was shown also what is the nature of the Word in the letter, but that those who are in doctrine from the Word, see the Word and read it, quite differently; they consequently understand it, and are thus able to become rational: otherwise, this cannot take place. It was shown, also, that the reading of the Word is not attended to by the Lord, and therefore does not promote salvation, unless they are in the life of truth; and that they cannot be in the life of truth, except they be in doctrine from the Word; for the Lord regards man's heart and soul, or love and faith, and according as these are, or as is the quality of the man, in such a manner is the Word attended to and received. The reading of the Word, apart from these, is mere sound destitute of rational or spiritual thought. This they perceived at the time, because it was declared to them by means of spiritual ideas. It was said, that it is these who constitute the dragon's tail. They said that they derived their opinion from this, that they knew that every single thing of the Word has conjunction with heaven. But it was replied that they have that conjunction with the man who reads it, and such a conjunction as is his quality from the Word, as they may know from the fact that the Word upon a table has no conjunction; consequently, not with one who reads it, any otherwise than according to its quality in his understanding, and affection of life from it.
Moreover, there were others who made charity the only means of salvation, but yet did not know what charity is, and did not live the life of charity. These occasioned pain in the right arm.
There were also some who made both charity and faith means of salvation, as they also explained, but yet did not live the life of charity. These corresponded to the adultery of a sister and brother.
All such as are dragons correspond to filthy adulteries, of which in Moses.
They who make faith the only means of salvation, correspond, perhaps, to the skin [of the dragon].
5961. De Dracone
Sunt omnes dracones qui confirmant falsa per Verbum, caput constituunt, qui in pietate externa sunt et in nulla interna, seu qui ponunt omne salutis in cultu externo; corpus qui dicunt charitatem esse praecipuum salutis, et non vivunt vitam charitatis, posteriorem ejus partem qui fidem ponunt unicum salutis medium; caudam ejus qui solum Verbum legunt, et in eo ponunt salutem, at qui in nulla doctrina sunt, dicentes quod Verbum in litera doctrina sit, sed possunt sic defendere quicquid volunt; loquutus sum cum illis qui in legendo Verbo posuerunt unicum salutis medium, illi erant supra caput, dicentes quod curent ut omnes in sua societate diligentes sint in legendo Verbum, sed dixi illis, quod hoc non salvet, sed quod vivant secundum Verbum, et quod nemo vivere possit secundum Verbum, nisi in doctrina veri sit ex illo, aliter non sciant quomodo victuri sint, possunt enim omne vitae, qualecunque sit ex Sensu literae Verbi defendere, et sic patrocinari falsis, ostensum quoque quale Verbum in litera, sed quod qui in doctrina ex Verbo sunt, prorsus aliter videant Verbum et legant illud, ita intelligunt, et quod sic possint rationales fieri, aliter non; et quod lectio Verbi non audiatur a Domino, et ideo non conducat ad salutem, nisi in vita veri sint, et quod non possint in vita veri esse, nisi sint in doctrina ex Verbo; Dominus enim spectat cor et animam hominis, seu amorem et fidem, et qualia illa sunt, seu qualis homo, taliter auditur et recipitur Verbum, lectio Verbi absque illis est modo sonus absque cogitatione rationali seu spirituali; hoc perceperunt tunc, quia dictum est illis per ideas spirituales; dictum est, quod ii sint qui caudam draconis faciant. Dixerunt quod inde suam opinionem traxerint, quia noverunt quod singula Verbi conjunctionem habent cum coelo, sed responsum, quod conjunctionem habeat cum homine qui id legit, et talem conjunctionem qualis is est ex Verbo, quod scire possint ex eo, quod Verbum super tabula non habeat conjunctionem, ita nec apud legentem aliter quam qualis ille est in intelectu ejus et in affectione vitae ex illo.
Praeterea fuerunt alii qui charitatem fecerunt unicum salutis medium, sed usque non sciverunt quid charitas, et nec vixerunt vitam charitatis, illi induxerunt dolorem brachio dextro.
Fuerunt etiam qui tam charitatem quam fidem fecerunt salutis media, quae etiam explicabant, sed usque non vixerunt vitam charitatis, illi correspondebant adulterio sororis cum fratre.
Omnes tales qui dracones sunt, correspondent adulteriis spurcis, de quibus apud Mosen.
Qui fidem faciunt unicum salutis medium, forte correspondent cuti.