757. And when the dragon saw that he was cast out unto the earth.- That this signifies when the religion of faith alone separated from the life of charity was not acknowledged but accounted as vile, is evident from the signification of seeing, as denoting to consider and perceive; from the signification of the dragon, as denoting those in the church who make no account of life; and as this is especially done by those who hold the doctrine that it is faith alone that justifies and not at all a life of faith which is charity (concerning which see above, n. 714:8, 715, 716, 718, 737), therefore the dragon here signifies the religion of faith alone separated from the life of charity; and from the signification of being cast out unto the earth, as denoting to be separated from heaven and condemned to hell (concerning which see above, n. 739a, 742, 746a). To be cast out unto the earth here signifies that that religion was not acknowledged but accounted as vile, because when anything pertaining to religion or to doctrine does not agree with truth and good, it is then separated from heaven, and is no longer acknowledged but accounted as vile.
This takes place first in the spiritual world, and afterwards in the natural world; for in those things that pertain to heaven and the church both worlds act in unison (unum agit). For a man living in the natural world can think about spiritual things only as the spirits and angels that are with him think, because spiritual things are above man's natural thought, and those things that are above are determined by influx; this influx, however, is received only by those who are interiorly spiritual, that is, who are in the affection for truth for the sake of truth, and who also live according to truths. By such the religion of faith separated from a life of charity is not acknowledged, but is accounted as vile. It is different with those who are not influenced by truths, except for the sake of reputation, honour, and gain, and who consequently make no account of a life of charity; these receive no influx out of heaven, therefore they make one with hell. These are signified by the dragon.
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