AC 9186 - Darkness and Enlightenment

AC 9186 [3]

In general no one can apprehend
the internal sense of the Word,
and thus the things of angelic wisdom,
unless he knows and understands
that each and all things in heaven
bear relation to good and truth;
and that nothing exists there
except from the one of these conjoined with the other.
So it is that those are in darkness
who separate the one from the other,
namely, the truth which is of faith
from the good which is of charity,
as do those who say
that a person is saved by faith alone,
that is, by the mere confidence which is of faith.
As these persons ascribe all things to faith,
and nothing to charity,
they cannot possibly apprehend anything
about those heavenly things
which are in the internal sense of the Word;
for they are in darkness concerning good,
thus also in darkness
concerning the conjunction of good and truth;
and consequently concerning truth itself,
for this is then involved in the same darkness.
From this arise so many and so great
mental wanderings and heresies.
Those who are enlightened in respect to truths,
are the few who are in the doctrine,
and at the same time in the life,
of truth.