1107. Come forth out of her, my people, signifies that they should leave them and not communicate with them. This is evident from the signification of "coming forth out of Babylon," as being to leave those who are meant by "Babylon," also not to communicate with them. Also from the signification of "my people," as being those who are in truths, and through truths in the good of life. (That "people" signifies those who are in truths from good may be seen, n. 175, 331, 625.) These are the subjects of the exhortation that is meant by "the voice from heaven." They were exhorted to leave such, and not to communicate with them, because interaction with such is dangerous, especially in the spiritual world, where they send out emissaries, as they do in the natural world, and these persuade others in various ways and entice them by promises that they may accede to their religion; for as a man acts in the world so he acts after his departure out of the world, for the ruling love with everyone remains, and the love of such is to bring all the world over to their religious persuasion, and this for no other end than that they may extend the boundaries of their empire for the sake of the infernal delight of the love of self and the infernal delight of the love of the world. It is for the sake of these delights that the devil, as it is said, walks about and leads astray, as can be seen from what is said in the Gospels about the Lord's temptations by the devil, where the love of self in which he is, is described by his wishing to be adored, and his love of the world by his showing from a mountain all the kingdoms of the world as his own. As everyone's love continues the same after death, so is it with the Babylonish nation when it has come into the spiritual world; then those who have exercised dominion from the delight of those loves, acquire arts unknown in the natural world, and by these they fascinate men's spirits and draw them over to their side against their will. And now since the Last Judgment has been accomplished upon these, they are strictly forbidden to send emissaries into societies in which the Reformed are, or to the Gentiles; and when any are sent they are sought out and punished. As the state of such after the Last Judgment, especially their state in the spiritual world, is here treated of, what is said here and in the following parts of this chapter about Babylon must be understood as said chiefly on their account. For as regards Babylon in the natural world or on our earth, those meant by Babylon there are not in the same state as those who are in the spiritual world, and yet the exhortation is also for them, that they may take heed to themselves.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)
[2] Now in regard to the agreement of all things of the Athanasian doctrine with this truth, that God is one both in essence and Person, in whom is a trine, to establish this agreement and make it clear I will proceed in the following order. The Athanasian doctrine first teaches thus: "The Catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the essence." When in place of three Persons one Person in whom is the trine is understood, this is in itself a truth, and in a clear idea is thus seen: The Christian faith is this: We worship one God in whom is a trine, and a trine in one God; and the God in whom is the trine is one Person, and the trine in God is one essence; thus there is one God in a Trinity, and a Trinity in the unity; and neither are the Persons confounded nor is the essence divided. That the Persons are not confounded and the essence is not divided will appear more clearly from what follows. The Athanasian doctrine further teaches: "For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit; but the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is one and the same, and the glory equal." When in place of three Persons one Person, in whom is the trine, is understood, this also in itself is a truth, and in a clear idea is thus seen: The trine in the Lord as in one Person is the Divine that is called the Father, the Divine Human that is called the Son, and the Divine proceeding that is called the Holy Spirit; but the Godhead or Divine essence of the three is one, the glory equal. Again, "Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit." These words are to be understood thus: Such as is the Divine that is called the Father, such is the Divine that is called the Son, and such is the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit. [3] And further, "The Father is uncreate, the Son is uncreate, and the Holy Spirit is uncreate. The Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, and the Holy Spirit is infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal, and yet there are not three eternals, but one eternal. Also there are not three infinites, but one infinite; neither are there three uncreates, but one uncreate. As the Father is Almighty the Son is Almighty and the Holy Spirit Almighty; and yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty." When in place of three Persons one Person in whom is a trine is understood, this also in itself is a truth, and in a clear idea is thus seen: As the Divine in the Lord that is called the Father is uncreate, infinite, Almighty, so the Divine Human that is called the Son is uncreate, infinite, Almighty, and the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit is uncreate, infinite, and Almighty; but these three are one; because the Lord is one God, both in essence and in Person, in whom is a trine. Again, in the Athanasian doctrine this follows: "as the Father is God so the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord; and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord." Here again, when in place of three persons one person in whom is a trine is understood, this in a clear idea is thus seen: the Lord from his Divine that is called the Father, from His Divine Human that is called the Son, and from His Divine proceeding that is called the Holy Spirit, is one God and one Lord; since the three Divines called by the names Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are in the Lord, one in essence and in Person. [4] Still again: "For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say there be three gods or three lords." Elsewhere thus: "Like as we are bound by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person to be God and Lord, so we cannot in Christian faith make mention of three gods or three lords." This can be understood in no other way than that by Christian truth we cannot help acknowledging and thinking three gods and three lords, yet it is not permitted by the Christian faith and religion to speak of and name three gods or three lords. And this is what is done, for most people think of three gods who are of one mind, and consequently call them a unanimous Trinity, and yet they are bound to say one God. But with the idea that there are not three Persons but one Person, in place of these words, which ought to be expunged from the Athanasian doctrine, this might be said: "When we acknowledge a trine in the Lord, then it is from truth, and thus from the Christian faith and religion, that we acknowledge both with the lips and the heart, one God and one Lord." For if it were permissible to acknowledge and think of three it would be permissible also to believe in three, for believing or belief belongs to the thought and acknowledgment and to the speech therefrom, and not to the speech separately. [5] Afterwards this follows: "the Father was made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits." This is wholly in agreement with the truth if by the Father the Divine of the Lord that is called the Father is meant, and if by the Son His Divine Human is meant, and if by the Holy Spirit His Divine proceeding is meant; for from the Divine that is called the Father the Divine Human that is called the Son was begotten, and from both the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit proceeds. But the Divine Human begotten of the Father will be spoken of particularly hereafter. All this makes clear that the Athanasian doctrine agrees with the truth that God is one both in essence and in Person, if only in place of three Persons one Person, in whom is a trine that is called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is understood. In the following article a like agreement will be established respecting the unity of Person in the Lord.
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