The Doctrine of Charity - Swedenborg Foundation

CHARITY 228another by slander, and so by false witness, does not love theneighbor? Nor yet he who covets his house, his wife, or anythingthat is his neighbor’s. Hence it is plain that not to will to do evil tothe neighbor is of charity.16. And so Paul declares on this subject, in two places, that “tolove the neighbor is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:8–10; Gal.5:14); and elsewhere from the Word.17. (2) To will to do good to the neighbor is of charity. This isknown, for it is believed that to give to the poor, to assist theneedy, to relieve the widow and the fatherless, to endow ministers,to contribute to churches, to hospitals, and various pious uses, is ofcharity; and that to give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, toreceive the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick, come to thosewho are bound in prison, and many other things, are goods ofcharity. But yet they are goods only so far as the man shuns evils assins. If a man does them before he shuns evils as sins they areexternal goods, yea, done for the sake of merit. For they flow forthfrom an impure fountain; and the things which issue from such afountain are inwardly evils. The man is in them, and the world is inthem.18. It is known that to do Christian goods is of charity, and it isbelieved by many that good wipes out evil, and that the evils in aman thus cease to be, or are not regarded. But it does not wipe outevil, unless the man thinks about the evils in himself, and repents ofthem.19. There are many who have so believed, and have thought therewas no evil in them, who on being examined have confessed thatthey are full of evils, and that if they were not detained in externalsthey could not be saved.20. (3) A man may do good which he believes to be of charity, andstill not shun evil; and yet all evil is against charity. It is plain that toshun evil and do good are two distinct things; for there are thosewho do every good of charity from piety and from thought of