The reason why by leading into captivity is here signified to shut out others from truths by reasonings from the natural man is, that by the beast of the dragon, which is here treated of, are meant those who separate faith from life, and confirm that separation by reasonings from the natural man (as may be seen above, n. 773).

[2] Before we prove from the Word that captivity signifies spiritual captivity, which is a shutting out from the truths of the Word, we will first take up the subjects discussed above in the article (n. 805), which those who separate faith from life prove by reasonings, and so shut out others from truths, and thus show how they pervert truths and thence falsify the Word.

It is to be observed that similar things can be said both by those who have truths as by those who have not; for the latter confirm the separation of faith from good works by the very same passages of the Word that the former have been accustomed to use to prove the conjunction of faith with good works. For if two persons disagree they make use of similar expressions, but still the idea they have of them is different. And it is the idea of a thing that causes it to be true or false. I have heard those who love falsities speak in a quite similar way to those who were desirous of giving utterance to truths; still one was in truths and the other in falsities. For what they both expressed in similar language, they understood differently; and according to their understanding they explained passages from the Word; therefore one falsified, but the other verified them. For the truth which a man holds does not belong to his speech, but to his perception; this is the reason why those who undertake to preach from the Word appear to possess (truths); yet the same persons, when they preach from doctrine concerning faith alone, redemption, the imputation of the Lord's merit, and similar things, are in falsities. This may be illustrated by a thousand examples. In a word, it is the perception that falsifies truth, and not the speaking from the Word. This is also meant by these words of the Lord:

"Then two shall be in the field; one shall be taken, the other shall be left. Two shall be grinding at a mill; one shall be taken, the other left" (Matt. xxiv. 40, 41).

By being in the field is signified to be within the church. By grinding is signified to examine and learn truths from the Word. He who examines and learns truths is meant by the one grinding at the mill who is taken; but he who falsifies truths is meant by the other that is left.

In order to illustrate this subject further, we will consider again how such persons regard propitiation by the blood of the Son, the bearing of iniquities by the Lord, the imputation of His merit, intercession, redemption, and salvation out of mercy, also trust and confidence, and so on.

[3] As to propitiation by the blood of the Son, those who are in truths think differently about it as compared with those who are in falsities. Those who are in truths, understand by propitiation by the blood of the Son that they are received and also heard with mercy, who approach the Lord, and pray to Him from the truths in the Word. The blood of the Lord not only signifies the passion of the cross, but also the Divine truth of the Lord that is in the Word; for by the passion of the cross the Lord subjugated the hells, by which is meant that He conquered death and rose victorious, as the dignitaries of the church say when they speak from the Word. By the passion of the cross also the Lord glorified His Human, by which He keeps the hells for ever subjugated. The mercy-seat upon the ark of the testimony, upon which cherubs were engraved, also signified the same things. How those who are in truths understand the bearing of iniquities by the Lord was shown above (n. 805).

[4] By the imputation of the Lord's merit, those who are in truths understand only an entreaty of the Lord's mercy, who suffered such hard things to redeem and save men who would otherwise have perished in eternal death. By the Merit of the Lord is meant that by His own power He saves those who believe in Him, and do the things which He has commanded. This merit cannot be imputed, but supplicated. By intercession is meant the perpetual remembrance of man by the Lord. And by trust and confidence is meant trust and confidence in the Lord that, out of pure mercy, He will teach man the way, and lead him to heaven. From these things it is evident what is meant by redemption.

[5] From these considerations it is now evident, that by the things adduced above (n. 805), those who are in truths from the Word do not understand any transaction of the Lord with the Father, but with Himself. For, as was said above, God is One and not three, the Trinity being in the Lord. When, therefore, the Lord is approached, the Father and the Holy Spirit are also approached at the same time.

From these things it is evident that by leading into captivity is signified to shut out from the Divine truths in the Word. For those who hold the doctrine of three Persons in the Divinity, and who separate faith from its life, which consists in good works, shut out others from the understanding of truth in the Word. For they explain all things therein according to their doctrine; and what they cannot thus explain, they falsify. The Divine also which is in the Lord, and which is of the Lord Himself, they ascribe to the Divine of the Father, and thus do not approach the Lord; and because they do this, therefore, either by reasonings or by a strange explanation of the truths of the Word, they shut out from the truth those persons who suppose that whatever is said concerning Divine things must be above human apprehension; this is meant by leading captive. That they themselves go into captivity, that is, shut themselves out from Divine truth in the Word, is evident from everything in their doctrine; so that although the things they speak are truths as to the utterance, still they are not truths as to their understanding of them. This also has been made evident to me from the state of such persons in the spiritual world, where, on being examined, it was discovered that they were in absolute falsities, and therefore could never be led by the Lord into any kind of heavenly intelligence.