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1112 NOTES TO VOLUME II.
or that it may not obey the findings of its understanding." On
p. 218 he speaks of the power which man has of changing his
disposition (animus), where he says, "Changing the disposition is
changing the very nature. It is easy to change good into evil ;
but much more difficult to change evil into good. This can never
be done, except through the medium of the rational mind and its
understanding, whether this understanding be man’s own, or whether
he be persuaded by faith or the authority [of others]. Our nature,
too, is never changed, unless we conceive an aversion and a hor
ror against evils, never allowing the mind to fall into such a
state ; or, when it does fall into it, snatching it out of that state by
virtue of the freedom granted to it, and putting on another state
according with a more perfect state. And even then our native
disposition (animus) is not changed, unless we continue long in this
new state, and constantly apply force and violence to the former
state, and unless by a very frequent exercise and practice of the
various virtues we put on an opposite state, and continue in it
until it become a second nature to us, by which the former nature
is expelled, each return of the former nature being a notification to
us of the necessity of resistance. By this and no other mode can
we put off our evil nature, and put on one which is good ; and this
is a most difficult thing to do in this life without grace and Divine
help ; but we succeed in it, when we go to work ourselves, and any
imperfection which we may discover is removed by prayers addressed
to God who is the source of good (ter optimus)." Thus far Sweden
borg speaks of the power which every man has of changing and
reforming his outward nature. But concerning the inner change of
the soul, whence man’s motives flow, he says on p. 220, "Here man’s
understanding is powerless except so far as it is instructed by re
vealed truth, the only power being faith which originates in God.
When, therefore, the Divine Being is addressed in prayer, His spirit
flows into man’s soul and changes or perfects its state ; when the
soul is wicked, a long continued labour is necessary to make it
good ... And this labour consists in self-compulsion, in most ardent
prayer, and in a constant endeavour to progress in that which is
truly spiritual and Divine. These," he says finally, "seem to be the
true principles, by which we may be spiritually perfected." But
these principles, as every one will see, are thoroughly opposed to
the doctrine of the vicarious atonement and of justification by faith
alone, as understood in the Christian Church in Swedenborg’s own
days, and also in modern times ; and it proves conclusively that
while in 1743 and 1744 Swedenborg still held on to the doctrinal
phraseology current at his time, he, nevertheless, associated therewith
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