This too can be clearly seen from the following list of points. (a) Every person is born in a state of evil. (b) He is brought into a state of good through being regenerated by the Lord. (c) This takes place through living in accordance with His commandments. (d) Therefore good, being so implanted, cannot be copied.

First, it is well known in the church that every person is born in a state of evil. This evil is said to be inherited from Adam, but it actually comes from the parents. Each person derives from them his disposition, which is his inclination. This is supported by reason and by experience. For likeness to parents is clearly to be seen as regards face, character and behaviour in their children, their immediate descendants, as well as in their more remote descendants through their children. Many are able by this means to recognise families and to form judgments about their characters. It is therefore the evils acquired by the parents themselves and so passed on to their offspring which are the evils with which people are born. The belief that Adam's guilt is imprinted on the whole human race is due to the fact that few people reflect on any evil they have and so come to know it. They therefore hold the opinion that it is so deeply hidden as to be invisible except in the sight of God.

[2] Secondly, a person is brought into a state of good by being regenerated by the Lord. The fact of regeneration and that without it a person cannot enter heaven is plainly stated by the Lord's words in John 3:3, 5. Regeneration is being purified from evils and so having one's life renewed; this cannot be unknown in the Christian world, for reason too can see this when it acknowledges that everyone is born in a state of evil, and evil cannot be washed or wiped away like dirt by means of soap and water, but by means of coming to one's senses.

[3] Thirdly, a person is brought into a state of good by the Lord through living in accordance with His commandments. There are five commandments necessary for regeneration (see 82 above), including the following. Evils are to be shunned, because they are the devil's and come from him; and good deeds are to be done because they are God's and come from Him; the Lord is to be approached praying that He may cause them to do these things. Let everyone examine himself and consider whether a person has any other source of good; and without good he cannot be saved.

[4] Fourthly, good, being thus implanted, cannot be copied. Copying means the transference of one person's good to another. The consequence of what has been said above is that through regeneration a person is made completely new as regards his spirit, and this takes place through living in accordance with the Lord's commandments. No one can fail to see that this renewal can only happen from time to time, very much as a tree by stages takes root from a seed, growing up and being made complete. Those with a different idea of regeneration are utterly ignorant of the human condition, and of evil and good as being total opposites, so that good can only be implanted to the extent that evil is removed. Nor are they aware that so long as anyone is in a state of evil, he loathes good which is essentially good. If therefore one person's good were to be transferred into someone in a state of evil, it would be like throwing a lamb to a wolf, or like a pearl tied on a pig's snout. This makes it plain that copying is impossible.