563. Verse 15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a river after the woman, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the river, signifies reasonings from falsities in abundance, to destroy the church. By "the serpent" is here signified, as above, the dragon which seduces; by "the woman," the New Church (n. 533); by "water" are signified truths, and, in the opposite sense, falsities (n. 50, 409); by "a river" truths in abundance are signified, and in the opposite sense, falsities in abundance (n. 409); "out of the mouth of the serpent," signifies reasonings; therefore by "casting out water as a river" are signified reasonings from falsities in abundance. The reasonings of those who are meant by "the dragon," are all from fallacies and appearances, which, if confirmed, appear outwardly like truths, but within they conceal falsities in abundance. This I can declare, that those in the church, who hereafter confirm themselves in faith alone, cannot recede from it, except by serious repentance, because they conjoin themselves with the dragonists, who now are in the world of spirits, and are tumultuous, and there out of hatred against the New Church, they infest all whom they meet; and as they are conjoined with men on the earth, as observed above, they will not suffer those who have once been caught by their reasonings to recede from them; for they hold them bound in chains, as it were, and then shut their eyes so that they can no longer see any truth in light.