Various gems
September 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
. . . the Lord alone knows how much good there is in the truth, and thus how much truth there is in a man (AC 2431)
. . . the Lord constantly provides that evil should not be commingled with good; but that insofar as a man is in evil, so far is he removed from good; for it is better for a man to be altogether in evil, than in evil and at the same time in good. For if he is in evil and at the same time in good, he must needs be damned eternally. It is the deceitful and hypocrites within the church who are most in danger of this. (AC 2426)
. . . there is no truth unless there is good within it. . . . . the blessedness and happiness which a man has after death is not from truth, but from the good that is in the truth; and hence the more good there is in his truth, the more blessed and happy he is. That good is within truth, and causes it to be truth is evident also from the goods and truths that exist even in worldly things. When a man learns and acknowledges that anything in these is good, then whatever favors this good he calls truth; but whatever does not favor it, he rejects and calls falsity. He may indeed say that that is true which does not not favor the good in question; but he is then making a pretense, while thinking differently. And the case is the same in spiritual things. (AC 3424)
Moreover that truths which are in themselves truths are with one person more true, with another less true, and with some not true at all, and even false, is evident from almost all things which in themselves are true; for they are varied in the man with whom they are, in accordance with his affections. For example, the doing of a good work or a good of charity: in itself it is a truth that this is to be done; and with one person it is a good of charity, because it proceeds from charity; with another it is a work of obedience, because it proceeds from obedience; with some it is work of self-merit, because by it they desire to merit and to obtain salvation; but with others it is hypocritical, being done in order that they may seem charitable; and so on. It is the same with all other things that are called truths of faith. And this shows that there is much truth with those who are in the affection of good, and less truth with those who are in the affection of truth; for the latter regard good as being more remote from themselves, whereas the former regard good as being present in themselves. (AC 2439.2)