Now, since evils and falses can be confirmed just as well as goods and
truths, and since the confirming understanding draws the will to its
party, and the will together with the understanding forms the mind, it
follows that the form of the human mind is according to confirmations,
being turned to heaven if its confirmations are in favor of marriage,
but to hell if they are in favor of adulteries; and such as the form of
a man's mind is such is his spirit; consequently such is the man. From
these considerations then it is evident, that adulteries of this degree
after death are imputed according to confirmations.
492. XII. THE ADULTERIES OF THE FOURTH DEGREE ARE ADULTERIES OF THE WILL
WHICH ARE COMMITTED BY THOSE WHO MAKE THEM LAWFUL AND PLEASING, AND WHO
DO NOT THINK THEM OF IMPORTANCE ENOUGH TO CONSULT THE UNDERSTANDING
RESPECTING THEM. These adulteries are distinguished from the foregoing
from their origins. The origin of these adulteries is from the depraved
will connate to man, or from hereditary evil, which a man blindly obeys
after he is capable of exercising his own judgement, not at all
considering whether they are evils or not; wherefore it is said, that he
does not think them of importance enough to consult the understanding
respecting them: but the origin of the adulteries which are called
adulteries of reason, is from a perverse understanding; and these
adulteries are committed by those who confirm themselves in the
persuasion that they are not evils of sin.
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