The Doctrine of Charity - Swedenborg Foundation

CHARITY 273diversions are the only uses. They are corporeal and sensual men.Their spirits are unclean, being lusts and appetites. They do theworks of their calling for the sake of the diversions. They arehuman beasts, dead; and their duties are burdens to them. Theyseek substitutes to do the work of their office, while they retain thename and the salary. When not engaged in the above-nameddiversions, they are idlers and sloths; they lie in bed, thinking ofnothing but how they may find companions to talk, eat, and drinkwith. They are public burdens.All such after death are shut up in workhouses, where they areunder a judge administrator, who daily appoints them the workthey are to do; and if they do not do it, no food, or clothing, or bedis given them; and this is continued until they are driven to dosomething useful. The hells abound with such workhouses, ofwhich something may be said at the end of this work. Theseworkhouses stink; for every grateful odor is from the life of spirituallove, or from the life of the love of use.197. The conjunction of charity and faith has been treated of inDoctrine of Faith, in Apocalypse Explained, in Divine Providence, andin Divine Love and Wisdom.198. All of which is referable to these two: (1) That there is not agrain of spiritual faith without charity; for charity is the life, soul,and essence of faith. (2) That such as the charity is such is the faith;and that the faith which precedes charity is a faith of knowledges,which is historical faith, in itself, knowledge.[These two fragments are all that the author’s manuscript contains of thischapter.—Translator]