648. This brief review of the points of disagreement and dissent shows plainly that the faith and concept of imputation of the new church cannot by any means be combined with the faith and concept of imputation of the former church, which still exists. The existence of such disagreement and dissent between the faiths of the two churches and their concepts of imputation implies a complete difference in kind. If therefore they were to be combined in a person's mind, there would be such a clash and conflict that he would lose all trace of anything to do with the church, and as regards spiritual matters would suffer delirium or a faint, so that he would not know what the church is or whether there is such a thing as the church. Then he could hardly know anything about God, anything about faith or anything about charity.
[2] The faith of the former church, since it shuts out all the light that comes from reason, can be likened to an owl. But the faith of the new church can be likened to a dove, which flies in the daytime and sees by the light of heaven. So bringing them together in one mind would be like bringing an owl and a dove together in one nest, where the owl and the dove would each lay their eggs, and when they had sat on the eggs and hatched the chicks, the owl would tear the dove's chicks in pieces and feed them to its own chicks; for the owl is a bird of prey.
[3] The faith of the former church is described in Revelation (chapter 12) by the dragon, and the faith of the new church by the woman surrounded by the sun with a crown of twelve stars on her head. This comparison can allow one to conclude what would be the state of a person's mind, if they were present at one time in one house: the dragon would stand close to the woman, as she was about to give birth, with the intention of devouring her child; and when she flew off into the desert would pursue her, and pour water like a river over her to drown her.
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