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Heresies may be formulated from the sense of the Letter of the Word, but it is harmful to confirm them

It was shown above that the Word cannot be understood without doctrine, and that doctrine is like a lamp to make genuine truths visible. This is because the Word is written by pure correspondences; and consequently many things in it are appearances of truth, and not unveiled truths. Many of these are adapted to the comprehension of the natural, and indeed of the sensual man, yet in such a way that the simple can understand it in simplicity, the intelligent intelligently, and the wise in wisdom. Now since the Word is of this nature, appearances of truth, which are truths veiled, may be taken for unveiled truths; and when these are confirmed, they become falsities. This is done, however, by those who consider themselves to be wise above others, when yet they are not wise; for being wise consists in seeing whether a thing is true before it is confirmed, but not in confirming whatever one pleases. The latter is the practice with those who are by nature strongly inclined to confirming, and who take pride in their own intelligence; but the former obtains with those who love truths and are affected by them because they are truths, and who apply them to the uses of life; for they are enlightened by the Lord and see truths from the light of truth, whereas the others are enlightened by themselves and see falsities from the light of falsities.