1436. CONCERNING THE SEEDS OF FAITH WHICH ARE INROOTED The seeds of faith which are inrooted in a man, a soul, a spirit, and even in an angel, by means of cognitions and various derivations or germinations therefrom, are of such a nature that when the truth of such faith has been inseminated, then little by little it is amplified into many truths, so that it occupies, as it were, the whole space, and gradually falsities are consumed. For as soon as the truth of faith is conceived it begets many more truths, like waters flowing from a fountain, or like the roots of a tree in the earth, or like a glandulous root which is deeply inrooted, and at length occupies the space by expanding itself and eating away whatever it meets. In man evils are first obliterated, for otherwise there can be no insemination. Evils are the tares which throw out widely extended roots, and choke the roots of the good seed. Afterwards there is the persuasion of the truth of faith, which gives birth to derivative persuasions that are conjoined with other cognitions. Then comes the love of truth. Thus [the seed of faith] extends itself immensely, and brings forth fruit.