451. All charity which is not linked to a faith in one God, in whom is the Divine Trinity, is spurious. Such for example is the charity of the present-day church, which believes in three persons in the same Godhead, one after the other, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and since it believes in three persons, each of whom is God existing by Himself, it believes in three Gods. Charity can be attached to this faith, as in fact is done by those who uphold this faith, but it can never be linked to it. Charity which is attached to faith is merely natural and not spiritual, so it is spurious charity. It is similar with the charity of many other heresies, for instance, of those who deny the Divine Trinity and therefore approach only God the Father, or only the Holy Spirit, or both of these without God the Saviour. Charity cannot be linked with the faith of these people, and if it is linked or attached, it is spurious. It is called spurious, because it springs as it were from an illicit union, like Hagar's son by Abraham, who was cast out of the house (Gen. 21:9, 10). This sort of charity is like fruit which does not grow on a tree, but is pinned on; and it is like a carriage with the horses in front of it attached only by the reins in the driver's hands; and when the horses start to run, they pull the driver from his seat and leave the carriage standing.