787.启18:18.“都远远地站着，看见烧她的烟，就喊着说，有何城能比这大城呢”表他们在一种遥远状态下对天主教所受的判罚而悲伤，他们曾以为天主教胜过世上的一切宗教。他们“远远地站着”表示他们尚处于距罚入地狱还很遥远的状态，但仍处在对惩罚的恐惧中（769，783节）。“喊”表示他们的悲伤。“烧她的烟”表示由于玷污和亵渎圣言所受的谴责（766，767节）。他们“说，有何城能比这大城呢”表示他们原以为这个宗教胜过世上的一切宗教。“大城”是指天主教，如前面频繁所述。人们都知道，他们以为该宗教胜过世上的一切宗教，是母亲、王后和主母；而且教规和修道士不断灌输这样的信念；那些有心人还知道，他们是出于统治和谋利之火这样做。然而，由于其统治的权威，他们无法从该宗教的一切外在中退出；但能从它的内在中退出，因为一切自由都留给了人的意愿和认知或理解，进而留给了他的情感和思维。
787. 18:18 "Stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What other city may be compared to this great city?'" This symbolizes their mourning in a state apart over the damnation of the Roman Catholic religion, which they believed to be preeminent over every other religion in the world.
The merchants' standing at a distance symbolizes a time when they were as yet in a state apart from a state of damnation, and yet were afraid of being punished (nos. 769, 783). Their crying out symbolizes their mourning. The smoke of the city's burning symbolizes a state of damnation because of its adulteration and profanation of the Word (nos. 766, 767). Their saying, "What other city may be compared to this great city," means symbolically that they believed that religion to be preeminent over every other religion in the world. That great city symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion, here as a number of times above.
Everyone knows that Roman Catholics believe their religion to be preeminent over every other religion, and that their church is the mother, queen and mistress of them all. Everyone knows, too, that their believing so is continually instilled in them by canons and monks, and people attentive to it know also that the canons and monks are moved to do this by a fire to achieve dominion and material gain. And yet because of the power of their domination Roman Catholics cannot separate themselves from all the external practices of that religion; but they can nevertheless separate themselves from its internal constituents, since everyone's will and intellect, and so affection and thought, have been left, and continue to be left, in complete freedom.
787. 'Stood afar off, [verse 18] and shouted, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, Was there ever anything like this [great] city!' signifies their mourning in a remote state over the damnation of that form of religion which they have believed to be supereminent above every religion in the world. By 'stood afar off' is signified while still in a state remote from damnation and yet in fear of the penalties (769, 783). By 'cried' is signified their mourning, by 'the smoke of her burning 'is signified damnation on account of the adulteration and profanation of the Word (766-767). By 'saying, Was there ever anything like this city!' is signified that they have believed that form of religion to be supereminent above every religion in the world. By that 'great city' is signified that form of religion, as frequently above. That they believe that form of religion to be supereminent above every religion and that it is 'mother Church, queen and mistress' is known. Then also it is known to those who direct their attention to it that it is continually being infused by clerics (canonicus) and monks that they may so believe, and that they do this out of the fire of dominating and making gain. Still, however, on account of the authority of their domination they are unable to withdraw from all the external things thereof; but yet they can withdraw from its internal things, since all liberty has been left, and is left, to man's will and understanding and consequently to his affection and thought.
787. Verse 18. Stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What is like unto this city, signifies their mourning in a remote state over the condemnation of that religious persuasion, which they believed to be supereminent above every religion in the world. By "their standing afar off" is signified while they are yet in a state remote from damnation, and still in fear of punishments, (769, 783). By their "crying," their mourning is signified. By "the smoke of burning" is signified condemnation on account of the adulteration and profanation of the Word, (766, 767). By their saying, "What is like unto this city," is signified that they believed that that religious persuasion was supereminent above every religion in the world. By "that great city" that religious persuasion is signified, as often above. That they believe that religious persuasion to be supereminent above every religion, and that it is the mother, the queen, and the mistress, is known, also that it is continually instilled by the canons and monks, that they should believe so; and it is also known to those who give attention, that they do this from the fire of having dominion and gain. Yet still, on account of the authority of their domination, they cannot recede from all its externals; but still they can recede from its internals, since all liberty has been left and is left to man's will and understanding, and thence to his affection and thought.
787. "E longinquo steterunt," (Vers. 18.) "et clamaverunt videntes fumum combustionis ejus, dicentes, Quae similis urbi isti," significat in statu remoto luctum eorum super damnatione istius Religiosi, quod crediderunt supereminens prae omne religione in mundo.--Per "e longinquo steterunt" significatur dum adhuc in statu remoto sunt a damnatione, et usque in timore pro poenis (769, 783); per "clamaverunt" significatur luctus eorum; per "fumum combustionis" significatur damnatio propter adulterationem et prophanationem Verbi (766, 767); per "dicentes, Quae similis urbi isti" significatur quod crediderint Religiosum illud prae omni Religione in mundo supereminens esse; per "urbem magnam illam" significatur Religiosum illud, ut supra saepius. Quod credant Religiosum illud esse supereminens prae omni Religione, et quod sit Ecclesia Mater, Regina et Domina, notum est; tum quod, ut ita credant, continue infundatur a canonicis et monachis, et quod hi id faciant ex igne dominandi et lucrandi, etiam notum est illis qui attendunt. At usque non possunt propter potestatem dominationis eorum recedere ab omnibus externis ejus; sed usque possunt recedere ab internis ejus, quoniam voluntati et intellectui hominis, et inde affectioni et cogitationi ejus, relicta est et relinquitur omnis libertas.