6085. About the working of the understanding and will, thus of faith and love
The appearance, which is fallacious, is that the understanding acts on the will, that is to say, faith on love, and produces it, but this is not the case. It has been shown by many things that spirits who are not good understood well their own evils, reasoned against them and called themselves stupid, but then they had understanding from a desire to stand out on account of their intelligence. However, as soon as they were let into the evils belonging to their will, their understanding went crazy. This was repeated several times and it always happened this way, so they admitted that the understanding only teaches and does not produce the will, but the will the understanding.
[2] That this is the appearance is plain: it appears as if the eye's vision directs the feet and walking so that they don't stumble, and the hands so that they act and work, when nevertheless the eye only supplies information and does not produce [any action]. The acts of the hands and feet are acts of the will, and the eye's vision is understanding. There is a complete correspondence.
[3] But one who believes this fallacy, and nevertheless lives well, does no harm, for there are many spirits like this in the spiritual world who are blessed, but when they come into the second or third heaven, they are informed and see, and are not able to believe otherwise, not only on account of the appearance but also on account of the received faith that this produces works.
They liken faith to a tree, and fruit to works, but this is false: by the tree a person is meant, and by the branches and leaves faith, and by the fruit good works. It is the person who produces [these].
6085. THE OPERATION OF THE UNDERSTANDING AND OF THE WILL, THUS OF FAITH AND OF LOVE.
The appearance, which is a fallacy, is, that the understanding acts upon the will, or faith upon love, and produces it. But it was shown to many that this is not so. Spirits not good fully understood their own evils, reasoned against them, and called themselves fools; but they were then in understanding, resulting from the affection of being distinguished for intelligence. As soon, however, as they were let into the evils of their will, their understanding was insane. This was repeated several times and it always so fell out; so that they confessed that the understanding merely teaches, and does not produce the will, but the will the understanding.
That such is the appearance is clear. It appears as though the sight of the eye leads the feet in walking so as not to stumble, and the hands to act and work; when, yet, the eye only teaches and does not produce. The action of the feet and hands are the will's; and the sight of the eye is the understanding's; and there is a full correspondence.
But he who believes that fallacy, and yet lives aright, suffers no harm for, in the spiritual world, there are many such who are blessed. When they, however, come to the second or third heaven, they are instructed and see [how the case is]. Nor can the matter be believed differently, not only on account of the appearance, but also on account of the received faith, that it [viz., faith] produces works.
They liken faith to a tree, and fruit to works. But this is fallacious. By a tree is meant man, and by branches, boughs and leaves, faith; and by fruits, good works. Man is what produces.
6085. De operatione intellectus et voluntatis ita fidei et amoris
Ex apparentia, quae est fallacia, est quod intellectus agat in voluntatem, seu fides in amorem, et producat, sed quod non ita sit, ostensum est multis, spiritus non boni intellexerunt bene sua mala, ratiocinati sunt contra illa, et se vocaverunt stultos, sed tunc erant in intellectu ex affectione eminendi per intelligentiam, at ut primum missi sunt in mala suae voluntatis, tunc intellectus insaniebat, hoc iterabitur aliquoties, et semper ita contigit, ut fassi sint quod intellectus modo doceat, et non producat voluntatem, sed voluntas intellectum.
[2] Quod talis apparentia sit, patet, apparet sicut visus oculi ducat pedes ad ambulandum, ne impingant, et manus ut agant, et operentur, cum tamen oculus modo docet, et non producit, actus pedis et manus sunt voluntatis, et visus oculi est intellectus, est plena correspondentia.
[3] Sed qui illam fallaciam credit, et tamen vivit bene, non nocet, sunt enim tales in mundo spirituali multi, qui beati, at dum in secundum aut tertium coelum veniunt informantur et vident, nec potest aliter credi non modo propter apparentiam, sed etiam propter receptam fidem, quod haec producat opera.
[4] Assimilant fidem arbori, et fructum operibus, sed hoc fallax est, per arborem intelligitur homo, et per ramos et folia fides, et per fructus bona opera, homo est qui producit.