AE 1029 - Babylon

AE 1029

"Babylon" (or Babel) means the church consisting of those
who by means of the holy things of the church
strive to gain dominion over the whole world,
and this by dominion over the souls of men,
claiming to themselves authority to save
whomsoever they will;
and these finally seek dominion over heaven and hell
and make it their own.
And to this end
they draw and transfer to themselves
all the Lord's authority,
as if it had been given them by Him.

The church consisting of such
is very different in the beginning
from what it becomes in process of time.
In the beginning
they are as it were in zeal for the Lord,
for the Word, for love and faith,
and especially for the salvation of men.
But in that zeal the fire of domineering lies hidden;
and in process of time
as dominion increases
this breaks forth;
and so far as it comes into act
the holy things of the church become the means,
and dominion itself the end;
and when dominion becomes the end
the holy things of the church are applied to that end,
and thus to themselves;
and then they not only ascribe
the salvation of souls to their own authority,
but they also appropriate to themselves
all the Lord's Divine power.
And when they do this
they pervert every good and every truth of the church,
and thus profane the holy things of the church.
These things are "Babylon."