AE 654 - being natural but not spiritual

AE 654 [57]

The person of the church 

from being spiritual becomes natural

when he separates faith from charity,

that is, he believes the Word but

does not live according to its commands;

so also when he clams to himself intelligence

and does not attribute it to the Lord;

from this is the conceit

whereby a person becomes natural.

For a person is first natural,

afterwards he becomes rational,

and lastly spiritual.

When a person is natural

he is in Egypt,

when he becomes rational,

he is in Assyria,

and when he becomes spiritual

he is in the land of Canaan, thus in the church.