9. It has been stated that there can be no faith through miracles. Faith is implanted in the interior man and it there conjoins itself with an affection for good; a faith which does not thus conjoin itself is no faith, because it is not of the heart. Affection for good is gradually introduced by the Lord by way of the soul, or by an internal way, the man being quite unaware of it. The teaching of faith, on the other hand, enters by way of the hearing, or by an external way, and is carried to the memory, whence the Lord calls it forth at its due time and in its due order, to conjoin it with the affection for good. This is done while the man is in freedom; man's freedom arises from his affection; there is no other freedom than that of the affection. Such is the sowing and enrooting of faith; only what is done in freedom is conjoined; never what is done under compulsion. It follows that there can be no conjunction through miracles, for they are of such a nature as to compel. Whatever beliefs are sown through miracles, if they do not wither away of themselves, are assuredly uprooted, for they attach themselves to falsities, and link up with evils.