anc words for the new church 1876 1886 xiv first principles 1884 (reprint cincinnati 1984)

8/14/2019 ANC Words for the New Church 1876 1886 XIV First Principles 1884 (Reprint Cincinnati 1984)

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WORDSFOR

THE NEW CHURCH

A 8ERIAL

XIVFIRST PRINCIPLES

CINCINNATI1984 - 214


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1 ~ 11J:rC - ' PROLOGUE

'


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2 PROLOGUEinfluenceofthese wonderful disclosures through the Word,'made bythe Lord in His Second Advent. (WORDS vol. 1p:2)

This SERIAL truly was, and still remains, WORDSFOR THE NEW CHURCH, a searching study of theWritings which brought forth principles from which toview everything around us, WORDS by which scien-tifics of every sort can be subordinated to the truths of

L Revelation. In this SERIAL, which is now beingpresented 100 years later, we hope to continue with thesame principles and goals of the original SERIAL: Toaffirm the Divine Authority ~ the Writings in every-"thing of the Church, and to draw from these HeavenlyDoctrines particular aEPlications i science, language,J\history, and in aIl other subjects in which the Writingsfind us.


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CONTENTSPAGE

PROLOGUE : ; 1

FIRST PRINCIPLES

SECTION

1. - DIVINE AUTHORITYOF THE WRITINGS 5

II. -THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATEDSTATE OFTHB CHRISTIAN WORLD TODAY ... 13

III. - ALL THINGS ARE TO BE MADENEW IN T H NEW CHURCH 24

IV. -THE AFFIRMATIVE PRINCIPLE 32SCIENCE IN THE LIGHT r. > lOF THE NEW CHURCH (REPRINT) , .. , 38APPENDIX - A MISSING NUMBER FROM

THE APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED , 53NOTES - WHY REVIVE WORDS FOR

THE N ~ CHURCH? 57"THE TRANSLATION OF THE WORD" ...58


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FIRST PRINCIPLES

I.THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE WRITINGS

Happy are they who do his commandments, that their authoritymay he in the tree oflife, an d that they may enter hy the gates intothe city.-Reu. 22:14

The first and foremost principle of the Academymovement was the a c k n o w l e d g ~ m e n t of the DivineAuthority of the Writings. They affirmed in no un

., certain terms "The Second Advent of the_Lqrd in the Il Writings, and consequ;ntly their infallibility andDivinity." (WORDS vol. 1 p. 571) The first number ofWORDSFOR THENEWCHURCH was devoted to theaffirmation and confirmation of this principle..In thesection entitled "The Divine Authority ofthe Writings,"they state that "the books, then, in which the LORD isjn His Second Coming, and by which that D i ~ i i e Coming and Presence are effected from the Word, werewri.tte.!1 by Him, and no t by man. '" Being thus drawnout of His Ow!,!-Word, presented by the Lord Himselfand written by His command, they are necessarily Hisbooks and not man's!" (WORDS vol. 1 p. 41)Several issues later to clarify even more their positionon the Divine Authority ofthe Writings, the editors ofWORDS wrote:

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~ Q " ~ ~ " ' ? "' t S-v 6 THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE WRITINGS

Our estimate of the Writings we have given in the previousnumbers of the SERIAL. For the convenience of our readers andthat we may be weil understood we give once more a briefsummaryof this estimate:

We hold that the Writings are a body of Divine Doctrines,namely, the Heavenly Jloctri.!teLoL th_e New JerusaJemf:tJthatSwedenborg was divinely inspired an d illuminated by the LORD toreceive these Doctrines in his understanding, an d to publish themby the press; that the Doctrines are free from error an d infalliblytrue; an d that they constitute the Second Coming ofthe L O ~ D , andare His p e q ~ e . ! l l i l l P..tese!!ce in His Ch,?rch, an d that ~ i n g evolvedby the LORD Himself{6om the Worg..they are inseparable from,itconstituting it)Divine Sanctity and it s very l i f ~ ( v o l . 1pp. 339, 340)

Such was the doctrinal position expressed in WORDSFOR THE NEW CHURCH with respect to the DivineAuthority of the Writings. It was not a conclusionarrived at by a series of human deductions andreasonings, but a E r i n c ! p l ~ . . r a w n dir..e.1:..tly from theII Heavenly Doctrines. Therefore we also affirm thisprinciple, not because our forefathers so believed, butbecause it is a principle from the Writings themselves,and thus from the mouth of the Lord. For it is clearlytaught in several passages of the Heavenly Doctrinesthat the Lord Himselfis thereal Author ofthe Writings,that it is He who has revealed to the workfthe doctrineand arcana ofheaven, and that Swedenborg onlyserved as the means through whom thls Orvine Reve-lation was made. In the INVITATION Ta THE NEWCHURCH Swedenborg writes:

IThe-s&itual s e ! ! s ~ ~ o r d has been d i s c l o ~ d by the LordJJthrough me, which ha s never been revealed since the Word was- /" -written with the sons ofIsrael. ... Not even a jot ofit can be openedexcept by the Lord alone. This surpasses aIl revela_tion which ~ a lbeen made since the creation of th e world. (Inv. 44, also see App.


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THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE WRITINGS 7And in responding to Ekebom's report he refers to the'W r i ~ ~ g s as ' ~ t h e . . . d o c t r i n e ofthe New Church, deliverdto the world by our Saviour Jesus Christ through meHis servant." (Smalt Theological Works and Letters, p.258f, Se also TCR 779) This declaration of Divineorigin and authorship is not only made with respect to

J the spiritual sense and heavenly doctrines in general,but it is also made in reference to aIl of the heavenly--=---arcana revealed by the Lord in His Second Coming.For in response to Dr. Ernesti's attacks against theWritings, Swedenborg wrote: "Please read what iswritten about the arcana that have been disclosed bythe Lord through me His servant in nos. 846-851 in thelatest work, 'l'RUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION." (SmaltTheological Works and Letters, p. 198) From this lastMemorable Relation of the work True ChristianReligion, referred to here by Swedenborg, it is evidentthat the arcana disclosed by the Lord throughSwedenborginclude the whol; of die "Wrltings in aIlthe1r v ~ r i e t y . Thus it 1Slear that the Lord Himselfrevealed the Heavenly Doctrines, and Swedenborg Hisservant was only. the means.by which i.hf8rtWclationwas made. (see also AR 43, SS 4, De V VII 21, AE 641:3,670:4, Inv. [VII], NJHD 7, TCR 508, Cor Sum XLIX,etc.)Now it may be argued that, although the Lord is thesource of the Writings, something of the means willalso enter into them, something of Swedenborg theman. But the Writings themselves testify that, although the Heavenly Doctrines have indeed beenreveale,.l to us by m!lans of Swedenborg, a-n-a aIso by )way of the spiritual world, nevertheless Swedenborg }was not alIwed "to take anything from the mouth ofany spirit, nor from the mouth of any angel, but fromthe mouth of Lord alone." (De V XIII 29) For "in orderthat th.e true Christian religion might be opened, it was


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8 THE DIVINE A UTHORITY OF THE WRITINGSabsolutely necessary that someone should be introduced into the spiritual world and, from the mouth ofthe Lord, drawlor.th genuine truths from the ~ d . " (Inv. 38) Therefore in the TRUE CHRISTIANRELIGION Swedenborg testifies: "from the first dayof my calI, l have not received anything pertaining tothe doctrines of the Church from any angel, but fromthe Lord alone while reading the Word." (TCR 779

Although Swedenborg discoursed with spirits andangels for many years, no spirit dared, nor did anyangles wish, to instruct him about what is in the Word,or about any matter of doctrine from the Word. He was"taught by th e Lord alone, Who was revealed" to him.(DP 135) For the Lord gave Swedenborg a distinctperception ofwhat came from the Lord and what camefrom angels. (AE 1183) Even what helearned by meansof evil spirits, he "learned from the Lord aIOn"; altho-ugn tne spirits spoke." (SD 4032) This uniqueenlightenment and perception is described as follows:

The things which 1 learned from representations, visions, anddiscourses with spirits an d angels were from the Lord alone.Whenever there was any representation, vision, and discourse, 1was kept interiorly and intimately in ref1ection upon it, a s . . t o ~ w . h a t thence w ~ useful an d good, thus what might be learne.d frOJ:!l it ....'Thus-have-I been instructed; conseq uentlyby no spirit, nor by any'angel, bu t by,Jhe_Lord aone, from Whom is aU truth and good . . .When they wished to persuade me, 1perceived an interior or inmostpersuasion that the thing was so and so, and not as they wished;which also they wondered at; the perception was manifest, butcannot he easily described to the apprehension of men. (SD 1647)

Thus it was possible for Swedenborg to be taught bythe Lord alone, even though this was done by means ofthings in the spiritual world perceived by his understanding. The events that he witnessed and the subjectsthat were discussed were "ofthe Divine Auspices ofthe


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9HE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE WRITINGSLord." (AR Chap. X, 484) And th e spiritual sense oftheWord, although given to him through heaven, wasrevealed to him by the Lord alone.

Everyone is able to see that the Apocalypse cannot be expoundedexcept by the Lord alone, for the single words there contain arcanathat would never be known without a unique enlightenment an dthus a revelation. It has therefore pleaseatliLrd to open for methe sight of my spirit, an d to t each . (AR pref.) -

As Swedenborg received the Heavenly Doctrinesfrom the Lord alone, therefore we must conclude thathe wrote that which he received, without tarnish fromhis own spirit, or his worldly ideas. For if he coulddistinguish between what came from angels and spiritsand what came from the Lord, surely he could alsodistinguish between what came from himselfand whatcame from the Lord. Nevertheless, this conclusion isnot ours, but is given to us directly in the Writings, forthe passage from the preface to the APOCALYPSEREVEALED quoted just above continues with thisdeclaration:

Do no t therefore suppose that 1 have taken anything there frommyself, or from an y angel, bu t from the Lord alone. (AR pref.)"That'the internaI sense is such as has been se t

forth" in the Arcana Coelestia, "i s evident from aIl thedetails that have been unfolded, and especially fromthe fact that it has been dictated from heaven." (AC6597) Therefore the exposition ofthe chapters ofGenesisand Exodus begin with the words "the internaI sense."and at the end of the exposition of .the tirst chapter ofGenesis, it is stated, "Here now is the internaI s e n ~ o f the Word." (AC 64, see also AC 1965) Also in theAPOCALYPSE REVEALED the exposition is called"the spiritual sense." (see also AE 1061) For "it has


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10 THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE WRITINGSpleased th e Lord ... to open the Word ... as to itsspiritual sense. This has been done through me[Swedenborg] in the ARCANA COELESTIA publishedin London, and afterwards in the APOCAL YPSEREVEALED pu blished in Amsterdam (Appendix tothe White Horse 4, see also AR 820, De Dom perf., SS97:5) From these references and the whole of theWritings it is evident that what is written in theWritings is the internaI sense as it has been revealed tous DY tneLraalone. For [his reason the editors ofWORDS considered the position that "Swedenborg's, Writing!' are not in themselvesthe internaI s e of ! h e ~ Word," as "The New Heresy." (WORDS vol. 1 pp.331-348)

I t has been shown above that the experiences andarcana of the spiritll.alw..,grld related in the Writings arerevelations from the Lord Himself. (SD 1647,4034, HH1) And this is true both with respect to the revelation ofthese things to Swedenborg in the spiritual world, andalso with respect to what is written in the Writingsconcerning these things. For "the Lord has openedarcana concerning heaven and heU, man's life afterdeath, the Word, and the Last Judgement. AU thesethings have been written down in Latin and sent to aUthe ArchbiShops o f t h i s ~ k i o g Q . o m ~ e a t Britain] andIo the Nobility." (Ath Cr 2)Nevertheless, Swedenborg foresaw that many wouldattribute much ofwhat he wrote to his imagination orto an obscure state of mind. Therefore he declared "insolemn truth that they were not inventions, but weretruly seen and heard; not seen and heard in sorne state

1 of mind when asleep, but in a state of complete'L wakefulness. For ~ i has pleased the Lord to manifest

Himsel{to me, and to send me to teach those thingsJ1w}1ich will oelongPto His New Chu1Ch." (TCR 851) "As it


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11HE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE WRITINGShas been granted me by the Lord to see the wonderfulthings which are in the heavens and under the heavens,l must, as commanded, relate that which has beenseen." (AR 962) The Lord revealed these things toSwedenborg so that He might also, through Swedenborg, reveal them to the world in written form. That thewhole of the Writings was written and published bycommand of the Lord can also be seen in otherpassages in the Writings. (D. Lord pref., CL 1, TCR 771)Thus, from the teachings ofthe Heavenly Doctrines

, themselves, we conclude that each and everything:wz:itJ;en in ! ! t e ~ W r ! t i n g ~ j $ neither from Swedenborg,nor from any angel or spirit, but from the mouth ofthe1\ Lord alone. For Swedenborg w as given to percivedistinctly what came from the Lord and what camefrom angels: "What is from the Lord was written, andwhat is from angels was no t written." (AE 1183)Neither did Swedenborg write anything from himself(AR rref.), for the Writings are not his w o r k ~ " b ~ t the)Lord s, Who wished to reveal the nature ofheaven andhell, and man's life after death, and about the LastJudgment, and that t h E l o l Q g i c a ! - t h i n ~ do not transcend)r ~ ~ ~ o n . " ( ~ . D _ 6 I n ) Thus we find the following statement in the ECCLESIASTICAL HIS TOR Y OF THENEW CHURCH:

1 The books which were written by the Lord through me (a Domino) per me s.,9'ipti), from the beginning to the present day, must beenumerated. (Ecc. Hist. 3)From aU these teachings quoted above, and frommany more, throughout the Heavenly Doctrines, it isevident that the Writings are from the Lord alone, in1their essence and OTIgin, fii1lie way in which-they wererevealed, and in their written form. I t is because ofthisthat they constitute the Second Coming"of tJ)e Lord.

For how coula-the Lord in His Divine Humanonitoman, except in His Own Divine Truth? (AC 8427)) . ...., , l ......; 5 ~ ' t :


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12 THE DIVINE A UTHORITY OF THE WRITINGSThe Second Advent of the Lord is effected bv means of a mant7.J before whom He .has m ~ e s t e d Himselfin Person and-;hom Hehas fiUed witb H i ~ - f u > i r i t , to teach the doctrine of the New Church1through the Word from Him. (TCR 779)I t has now pleased the Lord to reveal many arcana of heaven,especiaUy the internaI or spiritual sense of the Word, which '

hitherto ha s been entirely unknown; an d with this He ha s taughtr j1the genuine truths of doctrine; which revelation is meanLby theIAdvent ofthe Lord in Matt. 24. (AE 641:3)

There are also many other passages which teachthat the Writings themselves constitute the SecondComing of the Lord (TCR 3, 771, AC 4060:7, 9807:4, DLord 26, AE 36, 670, 948, AR 642 etc.), but perhaps themost direct teaching to this effect is in the ECCLES-IASTICAL HISTORY OF THE NEW CHURCH.

When the Brie! Exposition was published, the angelic heavenfrom the east to the west, and from the south to th e north, appearedof a deep scarlet color with the most beautiful flowers. . . . In thespiritual world there was incribed on aU these books: "The A d v ~ ~ t or the Lrd." The same 1also wrote by command on two copies inJ'. .coUand. (Ecc Ijist. 7, 8)

One of these copies has been found, on which waslincribed the words; H i c . - - L i b e ~ U d Y . e . n t l l l L P o m i n i , IJScrimum ex Mangp.to - This book is the Advent oftheLord, written by commando

We therefore reaffirm the principle of the DivineAuthority ofthe Writings, and basethis beliefupon theclear and direct doctrine from the mouth of the Lord.And, as did the first editors of WORDS FOR THE NEWCHURCH, we apply this QIinciple to the whole oftheW r i t ~ ~ s , acceptingeverything thatis written in themas Divine Revelations, as teachings from the LordJ \imself. '}


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THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATE 13OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA yI I

THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATEOF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODAYDaughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves

an d for your children. For if they do these things in a green tree,what shaH be donein the dry? (Luke 23:28:31 see also Matt 21: 18-20and AC 9337:2, AE 403:21.)

Another principle clearly and repeatedly stated inWORDS FOR THE NEW CH URCH is the recognitionof the devastated and consummated state of theChristian world, even to the present day. This positionwas taken in marked contrast to the opinion held bymany New Churchmen at the time, which was that theChristian world was improving and becoming morereceptive to the Heavenly Doctrines, an oQinion forrped

1 largely t'rom external a p p e a r a n c e ~ and affections. The1 prirciple presented in WORDS FOR THE NEW! CHURCH, on the other hand, was not drawil. from

observations of the world around them, but from an1 objective and extensive study of the Writings them selves.1 They state in the second number of the SERIAL, inWhiCh they treat ofthe state o f t l ? - ~ C h r i s t i a n world; "In'i),:cf'J \ th e Writings of the New Church w . l . a Y ~ n i n t ~ r J\VleW of]i11 things, a view which penetrates beyondexternal guises .. Jlnfolds the most recondite realities oflife. . . . Under thjs lighj; Qfheaven, which in other phase

is the light of Divine Truth, myriads of things arerevealed, never conceived of before, fallacious appear-ances are stripped off, and th e reality is brought toiltght,. sothat aIl things appear, less according to theirseemmgs and as man sees them, and more as theyreally are, and as the. Lord sees them.l' J J "The Christian world analyzed under tllli; light ofHeaven will, in many respects, be found in a mostd ~ p l o r a b l ~ c o n d i ~ i o n , ~ t . I i f ~ ~ ~ g h ~ ~ i t h the mostdlreful eVlls, and!ts prmclples ofhfe1llost lamentably


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~ 1 J{:l.c t A ~ ~ (D",7 J ))

14 THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATEOF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA y/1 'fallacious . . . . The interior s t a t e ~ o f m e n can be known

only from Divine Reveiation;. Opiiiions formed fromobservation alone are of no value ... (hence) ourabsolute dependence upon Divine Revelation for aIltrue knowledge of man's spiritual state, and conse2. quently the state ofthe Church." (WOIlDS vol. 1pp. 77and 78, see also AC 3489 quoted in what follows.)

The reader is referred to the rest of this secondnumber of WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH for athorough treatment of this subject according to theteachings ofthe Heavenly Doctrines. But to summarizethis study the following principles and points will bequoted.

..L -==-, From what precedes (especial1y AC 3398 and 3898) we have thesefive priIJ.::!ples:-r -- F i r s t : ~ t o c t r i n ~ O f a New C h u ~ c h are never revealed until themen of the ormer Church reach a state in which they will notacknowledge them.L -_ . Second: When a former church is consummated, the Church istransferred ta the Gentiles. - -

3 - - -Third: Draya fliW ofthe former church th en remain in th e l i f ~ o f good.il ' - ourth: The posterity of the vastated church, by accumulation ofhereditary evil, becomes more confirmed in evil than their ancestry.Fifth: The men of a vastated church acknowledge no truth ands good by which they may he regenerated, and by which the

increasing force of ancestral evil may be broken. (WORDS vol 1pages 105, 106)

' 1 '- Though involved in what precedes, these Five Points, because oftheir conclusive force, are still to be presented separately, asfol1ows:- - First: The interiors of Christian are, as it were inundated in ablack cloud of direful falsities from-evil, separatiitg them from r j)1.7 Sheaven. (see AC 4423)

'L - J1 Second: C h r i ~ t i a n s abominate the genuine goods and truths of 'IL) 1\,the Churchana: the Word:{8ee AC 5702) ? Third: In the Ch urch once perverted, there is continued growth of -1 evils an d falsities. rAC45


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THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATE 15OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA y(1 _ Fourth: The evils of the consummated church are inherited an dconfirmed by posterity. (see AC 2910), -- Fifth: The disposition to acknowledge God as Man, and the Lord \as God, is d e _ ~ t r Q y e d among C h r i s ~ i a n s , e x c ~ I l t . J l . m o l l g the fWWl10 )1a l ' n l ' i m p l ~ good. (see AE 808, 1097, At h Cr 6, SD 4772) - WORDSvol. 1 pp. 114-123

I t may appear as ifthe writers of WORDS FOR THENEW CHURCH were harsh and judgmental, withoutcharity and condemning. But a careful reading of theSERIAL will show that they themselves did not makethe harsh judgments upon the Christian world, butmerely recognized and set forth the open and f r ~ u e n t 1t e a G - h i ~ ~ i j h ~ - - - W r i t j ! 1 ~ s on this subject. For it is

l ~ .{ - clearly taught in the Heavenly Doctrines t h a t ' ~ h come into the other life from the Christian world

re the worst of ~ I l , hating the neighbor, hating faith,enying the Lord; besides being adulterers above aIlthers." (AC 1186 pref.) ' are deyoured.IDfu1he

L.. .love ofself aIH:l the world . . . they also make nothing of iland utterly despise aIl things that are of charity andjfaith; and do not acknowledge the Lord Himself, nay,'" 1hey hate aIl who c o n ~ i m . " (AC 2122) "Almost aIl< - from the Christian world have an idea of three gods,"

and consiaer "the Lord as another m ~ n " and "separatefrom the Divine." (AC 3704 & 5 2 5 6 ) t r ~ o not evenknow what good is, what charity is or what theo - neiK-hbor is, neither wJ! ..'!t the i!!.!ernal man is, nor whatheaven and heIl are, nor that everyone lives immediiately after death." (AC 9 4 0 9 : 5 ~ b e l i e v e "that theymay live like devils, hold the neighbor in hatred ands persecute him, pass their whole life in adulteries, andyet be saved. . . . The very gentiles perceive that this is false, many of whom abhor the doctrine of theChristians be_cause the)': see their life. Thus it is evidentthat nowhere does there exist a more detestable life


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;Z

j

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I l _.

, ~ 11-

16 THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATEOF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA ythan in the Christian world." (AC 916) There are also~ a n y other teachings in the Heavenly Doctrines whichreveal t ~ interior evils in the C h r i s t i a ~ r l d (AC1032,2121,2343:6,3469:4,3469:4,3489,5009, and TCR( 619) showing hqw ~ h most pernicious, cruel andadulterous are mostly "from th e Christian world, and( rarely fromtIiers/'(XC 2752, 824, 826, 1673:3, 2744,2754,4327:2, 5060, and AE 1008). There are also many, passages in the Writings that reveal the f ~ l s i t y andignorance of the Christian world (AC 3489, 4464:5,4733:2, 5572, 5639:2, 5702, 6876, SD 153, 239, 262, AE( 1220, and TCR 4, 121, 339) and the preferable state ofthe gentiles (AC 1059:2, 2590 - 2598, 4190, 9256:2 andDP 322).Now sorne may argue that these passages are notreferring to most individuals in the Christian world,but only to the general state of the church broughtabout by a few who have confirmed themselves in evilsand falsities. However such an argument is notsupported by the Heavenly Doctrines. Indeed the

(Writings teach us that "there are very many from ~ h Christian world . . . devoured by adulteries," (AC 2752)"that very many at this day in the Christian world . . .love themselves and the world above everything else,"( (AC 10409:2) and "that very many think ofnothing butfilthy, obscene and profane things, and among themselves speak of nothing else." (AC 2122, see also 2754,( 4327) The Heavenly Doctrines also reveal that "thereare very many in the Christian world who ascribe aIl( thin,.gs to nature, and scarcely anything to the Divine,"(AC 5572) and that "almost aIl" from the ChristianChurch "have the idea of the Lord as another man". _.and "separate from the Divine." (AC 5256, see alsof3704) And lest we still think that "very many" mayhere refer to a smaIl percentage ofthose in the Christian


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THE DEVASTATED AND CONS UMMA TED STATE 17OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA yworld let us add the following teaching from theArcana Coelestia.

Be it known that those who are in inverted order, that is, in eviland the derivative falsity, become at last so averse to the good andtruth of the church that when they hear of them, and especiaUywhen they hear oftheir interior things, t h ~ ~ o greatly abominatethem that theY feel as it were a nausea and vomiting. Thishas beentold and shown me, when 1wondered why the Christian world does~ ve these inte rior things ofthe Wordo There appeared spiri tafrom the Christian world who, on being compelled to hear theinterior things of the Word, felt so sick that they said they were .11going to vomit. 1 was told that such is the Christian world at thisj\ N day almost e ~ x . w h e r e . (AC 5702)The!3e teachings, revealed to us by the Lord in HisSecond Coming, clearly do not refer to sorne general

state of the church apart from individuaIs, nor do theyrefertoonly a few in theChristianworldwhohaveconfinnedthemselves in evils and falsities. Rather the Writingsuse the word "few" (pauci) to describe those in the)Christian world "who are in the good oflife" (AC 3898).For although the Christian doctrine prescribes loveand charity more than any other in the world, "thereare few who live according to it." (AC 2596, see also AC-' 2732 and DP 330:7) And "although the whole Christian

i-) l world acknowledges that evils must be shunned as sins" {. . . and unless they are . ~ e r e l s n o s a l v a t i o n ; Y e t scarcely o.ne in a thousand understands this." (DP 153,see also HH 495, CL 500 and AC 3812) In the Christian\ church the Lord is received "by few with acknowledgement ofheart, and by still fewer from affection of1\ love," (AC 9198:2) and "not a single one from the1t."")Christian world knows that His Human is Divine, andscarcely anyone that He alone rules Heaven and theUniverse." (AC 4689) For " s c a r c e l ~ y I ; t h e Christian world are affected with truth for the sake of


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18 THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATEOF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA ytruth" (AC 9409) and because of this "few knowanything about spiritual good and freedom," and "fewbelieve in the resurrection." (AC 4136:3 and 1886 pref.)80 much is this the case that newcomers from the worldwho were introduced into a havenlY society declaredthat "not a single person in the whole Christia;;orld :s,f knows what heavenly joy and eternal happiness are, or'what heaven is." (CL 2, see also AC 1033 and 3957)

2 l

That the church is such, does not appear to those who are in thechurch . . . . For they frequent I l l i h l i c ~ h i p , they hear preaching,they are in a certain holiness when there . . . they also live amongthemselves in civic charity or friendship. Hence it is that in the

s i ~ m ~ n no comtempt is visible,rn"ch le. . ?ve"ion, a n d ~ ' - s t of aIl enmlty against the goods an d truths oHalth and agamst theButthese things are only external fQ!1Ils, by which one personiads a n o t h e ; ; ; ~ y ; whereas t'Fiiiiternai forms of the meru>-Qhechurch are altogether unlij{e, even aItogether contrary to th eexternal forms. . . . How far these differfrom the external forms may1he evident from those who come from the Christian world into theother life. . . . For when the Lord is bu t named before them in theother life, Mphere no t onl of contempt, bu t also of aversion and ofenmity against Him, is manifestIy exhale an if'fusea aroundbYem .. . so likewise when charity an d faith are named. . . . SuchreChristians at this day as to their interiors, except a few who ar e notJ1known. From this it is evident what is the quality of the Chureh. (AC 3489)

Thus, there are "very many" in the Christian worldwho are in evils and falsities, "who have confirmedthemselves against the truths offaith," (AC 9256) andonly a "few" in genuine good who can receive theHeavenly Doetnnes. Indeedthe Heavenly Doctrinescould not be revealed until the Christian church was so

\ d ~ . . t a t e d by evil and falsity that they wOJ!ld n o t ~ v e n"ft>JT) I c o m p r e h ~ m d thetru!hs revealed, lest they shouldreceivethem and later profane them. For "Divine truth can in nowse be profaned except by those who have first

( . . . ~ i - c - , t c : : - - - . t.v .... /" '" r ; ; ' e ~ ~ f ; ~ (J_ v l . , / d < )


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I, S rw-:.. r : : ~ cfi- l' j -, J t:..f j 4 ' .,THE DEVASTATED AND CONS UMMA TED STATE 19OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA y

acknow l ~ d g e ~ H . . . . I t is for this reason that the arcanaof the inernal sense of the Word are now beingrevealed, because a this daY.-there--is s c a r c e ~ anyfaith, because there is not any charity, consequently,because it is th e c o n ~ m m m a t i o n of the age, and whenthis- taks p l a c ~ , th-e-n these arcana can be revealedwithout danger of profanation, because they are notinteriorly acknowledged." (AC 3398) At first it mayseem paradoxical that the interior things of the Wordcan now be revealed because the Christian church is soJ\,c,9nsummated that they will not acknowledge or receivethem but this is the teaching of the Lord in His SecondAdvent. -

Th e reason whyfthe i n t e r i ~ ~ of the Word are now being opened, isthat the church at this day has been so far vastated, that is, so'/s devoicfoffaith an d love, thataJfhough men knowand understand,sWI they do no t acknowledge, and much less believe, except a few'"YQo are in the life of good an d are called the 'elect', who can now be.JI instructed, an d with whom a New Church is t.Q..btinatituted. Bu twhere these are, the Lord al one knows. There will be few within the1c ~ h ; i thas been a_mong the G e n t ~ s t previo,!s llurenes\ nave been se t up. (AC '3898

Because ofthe evils and falsities so prevalent in theChristian world, the New Church, as the otherChurches

\.1 before it, will b tranferred to the gentiles, those,. Q ~ d e JHof Christendom. This is because the gentiles are notimbued with the false principles which oppose theHeavenly Doctrines. Thus, although the church doesbegin among the r e m n ~ n t , the few in the Christianworld that cano receive t . b ~ H e a v e n l y Doctrines, its realJ\ strength..J!1l.d increase will be with the gentiles. For "aN n church is always insiituted among the nations

J1wno areoutside the-.k.hurch. This is done when the old'> c l i ~ r c J i has c l ~ s e d h e a v e I ! . . a g ~ i n s t i t ~ e l f . For this reason

) , ~ " " " ' J "SSf?,I?'-'


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20 THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATEOF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA y/1 _ the church was transferred from the Jewish people toll< t ~ gentiles, and the church at the present time also is J\2.. -- being transferred to the gentiles. That the church isbeing transferred to the gentiles who acknowledge theLord, appears from many passages in the Word." (AC9256, see also AC 409, 410, 3812, 9209;4, 9780:13)

Futhermore, it should be known, when any church becomes no.@n:h, that is, \Yhen charity perishes, an d a new church iS )J. U'jestablishe.d by the Lord, that seldom, if ever, is this effected with -1~ J those amongst whom the old church existed, bu t with thoseamongst whom there was heretofore no church, that is, amongstthe gen. tiles . . . . The case will be the same with this which is calledlhe Christian Church.The reason why a new church ~ e ?_with the gentiles, i ~ e c ~ e the)' have--.!!9 principles of ialsityopposed to the truths of faith, for they are ignorant of tlie t;uths offaith. (AC 2989 see also AC 2910, 4747, 1366,9198, AE 49: 52)Therefore, the angels "have slender hope for the men

of the Christian church, but have much hope of somenation far distant from the Christian world, andltlierefOre removed trom mIStors, WhlCh nafiOn is suchIthat it is capable ofreceiving spirituallight. (W 74, see\ '1also AC 1850, 3353, SD 4770-4779 and 5807)

From aIl the passages that have been quoted andcited above the real cause for the lack ofreception oftheHeavenly Doctrines in the Christian World becomesevident. I t is not because of inefficient or -mproperpresentation, but simply because the Christian worldliS devllslated by f a l s i t i e ~ . J l n d eYils which preven.!J!1e). Doctrines frQm being understood and accepted. "Revelation has been given by the Lord concerning the LastJ udgment as having been accomplished, and concerning the spiritual sense ofthe Word, thus the way tosalvation has been revealed, and man's state afterdeath . .. and copies have been distributed. But still thechurch pays no heed to it. I t is greatly wondered at in


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THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATE 21OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA y

he aven that the church is in such astate that thosethings which are its very essentials are not evenconsidered, but left as matters of no moment, a signthat heavenly things do no t occupy their minds, neitherare they seen when revealed." (De Dom 1, see also AthCr 2 and letter to Oetinger) We are also taught in theHeavenly Doctrines that "the spiritual sense will notbe acknowledged for a long time, and this owingentirely to those who are in falsities of doctrine,especially concern ing the Lord, and who therefore donot admit truths. This is meant in the Apocalypse bythe beast and the kings of the earth who were going tomake war with Him that sat on the white hor8'e, chap.19:19. By the beast are meant the Roman Catholics, asin chap. 17:3, and by th e kings ofthe earth are meantthe Reformed, who are in falsities of doctrine." (SS 25)

For the New Church to be received, the Old Churchmust first be removed. This is true ofan individual, of ahousehold, and of a city (BE 103), and it is also true ofthe Christian world in general.

I t is of the Lord's Divine Providence that th e church may be atfirst among a few and increase successively among many, becausethe falsities of the former church must first be removed; for beforethis, truths cannot be received, since the truths that are received an dimplanted before the falsities have been removed arenot permanent,and are also rejected by the dragonists . . . . It is certain that the NewCh urch, which is: the New J erusalem, is going to come into existence,because it ha s been foretold in the Apocalypse (chaps. 21, 22). An d itis certain that the falsities of the former church must be removedbefore this, because these things have been treated of in theApocalypse as far as the twentieth chapter. (AR 547, see also AR473, 500, 700, and TCR 784)

This removal of the falsities ofthe former Christianchurch is not accomplished through graduaI lack ofinterest and disassociation by its members. Their


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22 THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATEOF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA y

interior evilswill not be dissipated because offriendshipand outward acts of charity. The Christian world willnot become more spiritual or more receptive to theHeavenly Doctrines simply through the passage oftime or by sorne interior and imperceptible influx. I fthis were possible we should expect to find the Christianworld at the present time more receptive to the truths ofthe Writings than they were one hundred years agowhen the writers of WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCHmade their analysis (WORDS vol. 1 pp. 123-129 and351-361) But is this th e case? Rather we find the evilsand falsities of the Christian world more destructiveand more insane than ever, and even more opposed tothe life and faith taught by the Lord in His SecondComing.Nevertheless these evils and falsities must be removed for the New Church to be received. And thisremoval is accomplished through the opening up andexamination of the falsities of the former ChristianChurch and the evils associated with these falsities."The reason whythe falsities of the dogmas of the faithofthe presentchurch must first be opened and rejected,before the truths ofthe dogmas ofthe New Church canbe received, is because they do not agree together, nonot in one single point or particular." (BE 96) Moreover"they who have confirmed themselves in the faith ofth e old church, cannot, without endangering theirspiritual life, embrace the faith of the New Church,until they have first disproved the particulars of theformer faith , and thus have extirpated it, together withits offspring or eggs, that is, its dogmas." (BE 103)

This examination and rejection of the falsities andevils of the Christian world must be done from thetruths revealed by the Lord in His Second Advent, as ismanifest from the internaI sense ofthe Apocalypse. (see


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THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATE 23OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA yespecially AR 295, 388, 420, 657, 718, etc.) For thisreason so much ofthe Heavenly Doctrines treat of thestate ofthe fallen Christian church, examining it in thelight ofheaven and exposing the infernal quality ofitsfalsities and evils. Also, Swedenborg wrote, in a letterto Dr. Beyer:

Here l am asked concerning the New Church, when it will come;an d to this l reply that it will come gradually as the doctrine ofjustification and imputation is uprooted, which should he done hymeans of this treatise (the Brie! Exposition). (March 15, 1769)Therefore the Heavenly Doctrines are the very meansby which the Lord will separate the evils and falsitiesofthe Christian world and establish His New Church,and this not only in the spiritual world, but also in thenatural world. For "when the end of the church is athand, then the interior things of the Word, of thechurch, and of worship, are revealed and taught. Thereason is that the good may be separated from the evil;for these interior things ... which are celestial andspiritual, are received by the good, but rejected by theevil, separation being the result . . . .The case is the sameat this day, for it has now pleased the Lord to revealvarious arcana of heaven, especially the internaI orspiritual sense of the Word, which have been till nowentirely unknown, and He has also taught the genuinetruths of doctrine. This revelation is meant by the"coming of the Lord" in Matt. 24:3, 30, 37. The reason ofthis revelation at the end of the church is, as saidbefore, that by means ofit separation ofthe good fromthe evil may be accomplished, and also a new churchformed, and this not only in the natural world wheremen are, but also in the spiritual world where spiritsand angels are. For the church is in both worlds and


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24 THE DEVASTATED AND CONSUMMATED STATEOF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD TODA yrevelation takes place in both, and separation bymeans ofit, as also the formation of a new church." AE641

Even the gentiles, with whom the New Church willincrease in its fullness, must recognize and reject theevils and falsities ofthe fallen Christian world, beforethey can receive the Heavenly Doctrines (see Prophetsand Psalms, Jonah chapters 1 and 3). For the life of socalled Christians is a stumbling block to their receptionof the True Christian Church now being established(AC 916, 2592, 2596, 2597). Thus, considering the stateof evil and falsity in the Christian world, and thenecessity ofits removal before the New Church can betruly established, we reaffirm as a fundamentalprinciple the recognition of the consummated anddevastated state of the Christian world, even to thepresent day. This principle is as essential in theestablishment of the New Church on earth, as therecognition of the corrupt and devastated state of ourown proprial will is necessary for our reformation andregeneration. For just as our evil will masks itself inhypocrisy and persuasions, so too, the_uld Christian

-.5 Church conceals its hatreds, adulteries, blasphemiesand_pr_ofanatiQns, under vrYPi-Sasive appearancesoflove and faith. Butthe Lord has warned us,-and le t usheed his warning.(Matt 7:15-23,24:23-25, AE 763 etc.)We cannot judge the state of the Christian world, butthe Lord can, indeed He has, and He has revealed thisjudgment to us ig His Second A d v e n t ~

IIIALL THINGS ARE T BE MADE NEW IN THE NEW CHURCH

He that sat upon the throne said, Behold l make aIl things new.And He said unto me, Write, for these words are true an d faithful.

(Apoc. 21:5)


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25LL THINOS ARE TO BEMADE NEWIN THE NEW CHURCHA third and equally essential principle of WORDS

FOR THE NEW CHURCH was the belief that aIl'. thjngs are to be made new by the Lord in His SecondIl'3'''' Coming. This principle was clearly stated at the very

outset of the SERIAL:Indeed as we come into a more searching culture of theseWritings, we discover mOre and more the vastness of their scope.

They find us everywhere. And these Doctrines being themselvesDivine are the measure of all aIse. They are the Tabernacle of Godwith men; the Lord Himselfin His Advent making aIl things new.What more therefore can we have? What more than these granddisclosures which are the final analysis of aIl that has respect toGod, and to Man, and to the relation between the two? (WORDS vol.1 p. 2) -

Later, when the editors of WORDS FOR THE NEWCHUR CH were defending the doctrine of the DivineAuthority of the Writings, tney wrote that "the doctrineof the authority will not be found to be an adversary inthe way to those who humbly approach the Lord in HisSecond Advent and on every subject come first to Himto be taught concerning it, and then having beenenlightened by Him proceed in the way there pointedout. To them the Writil1gs te a strong help to therational comprehension of every subject, the verypresence ofthe Lord Himselfmore specifically guidingand helping them on theirway." (WORDSvol.l p. 350)Thus they considered the Writings their starting pointand guide to every subject, for with the Second Comingofthe Lord the Word was opened so that it might shineforth and give enlightenment in aIl things. And it waswith this belief that they made th-e fol1owingdeclaration:

May the glorious day soon come, when man will rise out of the


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26 ALL THINGS ARE TO BE MADE NEWIN THE NEW CHUR CH

darkness of self-derived intelligence an d appeal to the Open WQ.rdof God for aIl that concerns his life, its moral government, its civilandpolitical instruction, its philosophy, it s science, its everything.(WORDS vol. 1 p. 251) _ ~ J

From these statements, and from the general tone ofth e entire SERIAL, it is clear that the writers ofWORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH believed thateverything in the New Church, both in knowledge andin--rrre,-should be made new througn-tne sfiy and)uapplicatiOn ofthe HeaveIily D o c t r i n e ~ T h e y consideredthe Writ[ngs their first and final authority, not just in

doctrinal matters, but in everything, both in generalsand in particulars. And therefore they sought to bringevery subject into subordination to th e truth revealedby the Lord in His Second Advent.Now, it has been argued that the Lord, in order topreserve our freedom and as-of-self, does not revealdirect applications to life, nor specifie knowledgesabout natural things. I t is proposed that Divine Revelation provides us only with general principles, andthat particular applications and knowledges should beformed by individuaIs through experience an d science.But is such a position in accordance with the HeavenlyDoctrines? For we are taught that in the Ney; Churchand in the regenerating man, the Lord m a k e ~ aIl thingsnew, both in general and in particular, both as tointernaIs and as to externals. (Rev. 21:5, AR 886, AC1040,9258, and 9723). And the_Lord m ~ a n thingsnew from His Word (John 1:1-3); first through thegeneral truths ~ r t h e l e t ~ f the Word, and thenthrough the particular and singular truths of thespiritual sense, now revealed in His Second Coming(AC 2395).

The things of the literaI sense of the Word are general vessels


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27LL THINGS ARE Ta BEMADE NEWIN THE NEW CHURCH

which receive truths, and the quality ofthese vessels appears onlyas through a transparency, as it were, until they have receivedtruths. Thus they are only generals, which must first he learned hya man, in order that he may receive the particulars and singularsfitly (AC 6222:2, see also AC 245, 2395 and 3438).

Moreover, "during man's reformation, the generalthings which are in his natural man, are disposed bythe Lord into correspondence with those which are inheaven .... The general things are first disposed inorder that particulars may be successively insinuatedinto them by the Lord, and singulars into theparticulars. (AC 3057:3, see also AC 868, 4345, 4383 and6610)

Thus the Lord reveals to us, not only general truths,but also particular truths, and even singular truths.But to preserve our freedom and rationality, He intro-duces us into these truths successively, first into thegenerals, then into th e particulars, and finally into thesingulars. AlI these truths are openly revealed in theHeavenly Doctrines, bu t only progressively can we beled to see them. For we are in the beginning blinded by

P.... r-jY worldly thought and corporeal desires. Therefore thisJJeJ. "J )1 renovation or making new of aIl things with th e II!..an,is not just limited to his knowledges and understanding,but also involves everything ofhis life and will, for it is~ '" t- "" t - the process of .regeneration. (AC 9258 a ~ 97?3) ~ o ./ )/ " w ~ a n ~ s regenerated, then aIl thmgs m hlm,both in ~ e n ~ r and in particular, are also r e g e n e r ~ t e d ,

t h a T i ~ h a v e life, and tne life they have is exactlyproportional to the degreein which his own will, whichis fouI and dead,. can be separated f r o ~ the new willIJ and understandmg that he has recelved from flleLord." (AC 104) Therefore to see and receive theparticular and singular truths of Divine Revelation weneed to separate ourselves from fallacious appearances


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28 ALL THINGS ARE TO BE MADE NEWIN THE NEW CHURCH

and false persuasions, and especially from our selfishand wordly desires. I t is these which keep us fromseeing the extent and application of the Lord's Divinetruth in our knowledge and life.As the removal of the old will and it s evils andfalsities is necessary for the making new of aIl thingswith an individual, so also a similar removal is requiredfor aIl things to be made newi1tl:e chur'ch and in theworld. We are taught in the Brie! Exposition that "theopening up and rejection of the dogmas of the presentchurch and the revelation and reception of the dogmasof the faith ofthe New Church, is meant by the words inthe Apocalypse: "He that sat upon the throne said,Behold l make aIl things new; and He said to me, Write,for these words are true and faithful." (BE 95) And inthe Apocalypse Revealed the signification of thesewords is given as follows:

The former heaven with the former earth, and the former church,with aU things in them, both in general andin'particular, are goingto perish; and a new heaven and a new earth, and a New Churchwhich is to be cal!ed the New J erusalem, are going tobe crted ..with al! things in them, both in g e n ~ l and in particular. (AR 886)Thus, with these words in the Apocalypse, the Lordpromises us that everything will be made new in theNew Church through the truths now revealed in the

Heavenly Doctrine. Not only it s interior goods andtruths will be new, but also it s life and knowledge, it spractices and studies. For "no man puts new wine intoold wine skins, else the new wine will burst the wineskins, and be spil led." (Luke 5:37-39, TCR 784 and AE376:28)The oldexternals ofthe consummated Christianworld have been formed by false dogmas and fallaciousappearances, as old wine skins have been stretched bythe fermentation process of the old wine. Trying toinfill the practices and theories ofthe world today with


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ALL THINGS ARE TO BE MADE NEW 29IN THE NEW CHURCH

the interior truths of the Writings is like putting newwine into old wine skins, which, already formed andstretched by the old wine, would burst under thepressure of the new. What is of the old church is notcompatable with that of the New, and "if they weretogether, such a collision and conflict would take place,that everything of the church would perish." (BE 102)

Nevertheless the New Church is only established... gradually and man is only re-gnerated slowly, throughsuccessive s t a t e s ~ Everything is n


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).,0'';:04

,

~ ~ " . ' : ) -'":>0-'-;5

30 ALL THINGS ARE Ta BE MADE NEWIN THE NEW CHURCH

and life made new by Lord, we should not considerourselves free from aIl fallacious appearances andworldly desires. For our understanding of genuinetruths, especially in the beginning, will indeed helimited by these desires and appearances. But as longas these arenot destructive ofgenuine truth orinteriorlyfiIled with hatred and contempt, such external thingsmay be of use for introducing interior goods and truths.(AC 9258) However, there must be a humble recognitionthat we of ourselves are filled with selfish and worldlyloves, and false and faIlacious ideas, and that aIlgenuine good and truth are from the Lord alone (AC3993 - 3995). This recognition is contained in the beliefthat the Lord makes aIl things new, that aIl our -J.,.;,f>".(ci.thoughts and affections, k n o w l ~ g e s and practices,should be made new by the-Cordthrough the interior / ~ ~ ' : f : . - ';t::;,truths of the Heavenly Doctrines. ( D---'J)That aIl knowledges of every kind can and should besubordinated to the truths revealed by the Lord isopenly stated in the Writings themselves:

When a man has b e e n ~ m ~ ; an d is thus in the ~ r m a t i v e 1frorrlJ;he Wordithat th e doctrmal things are truths offaith, it is then )a l l o w ~ him ta them by allthe knowledges hepossesses, of whatsoever name or nature; for then because what isaffirmative reigns IlDiyers.liy, he accepts the knowledges whichagree, an d rejects those which, by reason of the fallacies theycontain, disagree. (AC 6047:3 see also 2568:5 and 6023)

Through this subordination and reordering ofknowledges, the interior truths of Divine Revelation becomeprinciples which bring forth and govern aIl things oftnnatnral ~ and life. Knowledges and p r a c t ~ s become outward forms of gemnetruths and ~ d s , .and those which cannot serve it this way are=put aside. J2., l ' ' ' 'JjThis is of course a graduaI process, both inlhe church rj).


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31LL THINGS ARE TO BE MADE NEWIN THE NEW CHURCH

and in the individual. But it is in this way that ourstudy and knowledge of natural things can be madenew, and our lives can be broughtjnto correspondencewith the life of heaven.When a man subordinates and reorders his natural

1k- j j - knowledges and experience according to the revea1d- ~ d S S ' t!J!ih.s, then the natural world becomes, as it were, atheatre representative ofheavenly and spiritual things.When he sees the heavens, "he does not think of thesun, bu t ofthe Lord, as being the SUJ1J)fheaven. So too,when he sees the moon, andthe stars also; and when hesees ~ h immensity of the heaYens, he does not thinKoftheir immensIty, but ofthellI1measurable and infinite) p'ower of the Lord. I t is the same when he sees aIl otherthings, for there is J!othing which is not r!mresentative." :r""(" -.:(AC 1807, see Psalm 8) " (Lv') st This is the vision ofthe naturat world which should

J1 be cultivated in the New Church. And such an intenor ,VISIOn can be gIven on aIl subjects and aspects oflife, - H'-, +'-':3__we will only go to the Lord in His open Word with thehumility to receive something new in place of the old.Therefore, in taking as a principle the belief that each

1 !nd everything ofthe New Church is to be made new byff the Lord in His Second Coming, we also recognize thatHie continuing presence of falsities and evils with us1:'6":0


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THE AFFIRMATIVE PRINCIPLE2IV

THE AFFIRMATIVE PRINCIPLEIn that day there shaH he a highway out o tol.ssyria'.\ an d

the Assyrian shaH come into Egypt, and the Egyptian~ ~ m a , and the Egyptians shaH serve with Assyria. In that day s h a l ~ e l he a third with Egypt an d Assyria, even a hlessing in the midst ofthe l ~ d , whom Jehovah Zehaoth will hless, saying, hlessed heEgypt My people, an d Assyriithe work of My hands, and Israel3Mine inherit@ce. (Isaiah 19:23-25)

The three principles set forth in the precedingsections are the essential principles of the seriaI,WORDS FOR THENEWCHURCH. But we should notconsider these princples as separate from each other orwithout connection. For although these principles areindeed distinctly presented in the Heavenly Doctrines,they are in reality various aspects of one universalfprinciple - "the principle which leads to aIl intelligenceJa.!!d wisdom," (AC 2568), the way in which--truths orfaith are conjoined with factual knowledges (AC 6047),"the true order" by which man becomes wise from theLord (AC 128, 129); This principles is "the affirmativeprinciple." (AC 2568, 2588)

The affirmative principle in its simplest form is the"belief from a simple heart that something is truebecause the Lord has said so." (AC 1911) Therefore theacknowledgement of the Divine Authority of theWritings is in agreement with the affirmative principle.For this acknowledgement is the belief that what issaid in the Writings is true because it is from the mouthof the Lord Himself (lnv. 38, De Verbo 29). I t is thehumble acknowledgement that everything stated inthe Heavenly Doctrines, whether we comprehend it or

\ / s S,-r. . . ,( , < J r ..~ -


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33THE AFFIRMATIVE PRINCIPLEnot or whether we favor it or not, is true because theLord has so said. For according to the affirmativeprinciple a man's "starting.Qointmust be the Lord, andnot himself, for the former is life, but the latter isdeath" (AC 129).That the affirmative principle is applicable to theHeavenly Doctrines is expressly stated in theARCANACOELE8TIA:

Th e . . . principle consists i!Ulffirming the thingS which are of'l---'{J ) doctrine out of the Word, or in thinking and believing in oneselfs w ' \ ~ ~ that they are true because the Lord has said so. This principle leadsto all intelligence and wisdom, an d is to be called the affirmativeprinciple (AC 2568:4).That the Writings are doctrine "out ofthe Word from

the mouth of the Lord" is taught in INVITATION TOTHE NEW CHUR CH no. 38 (see also TCR 779).

But the affirmative principle involves more than justthe acknowledgement of the Lord's Divine truth. l t alsoinvolves thinking from D i ~ i n e truths and not from thescientifics and reasonings of the world or from thedoctrine of men.

Indeed the start must not be made from knowledges (scientifica)and through these an entrance be made into the truths of faith,because the knowledges with a man are derived from things ofsense, thus from the world, from which innumerable fallaciesspring. But the start must be made from the truths of faith, in this

1 way. First the doctrinal things ofthe church must be learned, andL then t h . ~ W ~ . r d must be examined to see if these are true; for they are

no t true because th e heads of the church have said so an d theirOl ~ ) c.. .followers confirm them . . . . c r ~ m ! l s . t . b . e . . s . e a r c h e d , and it must)be seen here whether the doctrinal things are true. (AC 6047:2)To reason about the truths offaith from the things of

sense and "factual" knowledge, is the opposite of the

34 THE AFFIRMATIVE PRINCIPLE


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(

.p'lk-l2. ,4/T ~ " o (

affirmative principle, and is called in the Writings "the' negative principle", which leads to aIl folly and insanity(AC 2568:4), and is represented by eating of the tree ofknowledge of good and evil (AC 126-129). I t is necessarythat we recognize the danger ofreasoning from appear-ances and opinions of th e world, and accept affirmatively the teachings of the Writings, especially whenthey disagree with such appearances and opinions.This means that we must, at least temporarily, andoften forever, pu t aside "hard facts" and "real lifeexperiences" in order to receive what the Lord himselfteaches. Forthen, from thetruths of Divine Revelation,false appearances and opinions can be recognized andrejected.

The recognition and rejection offalsities and fallacieswhich do no t agree with revealed truths is an essentialpart ofthe affirmative principle. This is clear from th epassages in th e ARCANA COELE8TIA where thisprinciple is presented and explained.

He who would be wise from the Lord, an d no t from the world, saysin his heart that the Lord must be believed, that is, the thingtl whichthe Lord has spoken inethe WorcD because they are t r u t h ~ d accoraing to this principle he regulates his thoughts. He confirmshimself by things of reason, by scientifics, by things of sense andby natural things, an d those which are not confirmatory he castsaside. (AC 128)

Truths are initiated an d brought in where knowledges (scientificafare ruled by tIuths; and they are ruled by truths when truth isacknowledged b e c ~ ~ ; ; t h e Lord ha s so said in W o r ~ and th eknowledges which affirm it are accepted, but those which oppose itare removed. Thus truth becomes lord over those knowledges whichare affirmative of it,While those not affirmative are rejected. (AC6023, see also AC 6047 quoted above)

Therefore, th e affirmative principle is first put intopractice by putting aside th e appearances and opinions

l ~ d O C , )

35HE AFFIRMATIVE PRINCIPLE


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ofthe world and beginning with the truths given to usby the Lord. Then afterwards, when we are in theaffirmative ofwhat the Lord teaches, we may considerth e knowledges and theories of the world, acceptingthose which confirm the truth, and rejecting thosewhich disagree. Thus the recognition of the evils andJI falsities ofthe Christian world is an essential aspect ofthe affirmative principle. For we must c 0 1 1 ~ eII practices and ideas ofthe Christian world according tothe truths revealed in Divine Revelation, and notaccording to external appearances and affections.When this is done, evils and falsities from the oldchurch and from the old will can be uncoveredndrejected, and we cai. enter into a more genuine affirmation of the truth.We have now considered two aspects of the affirmative principle, the acknowledgement of the truth ofwhat the Lord teaches, and the recognition and rejection of the falsities and appearances which do notagree with the teachings of th e Lord. A third aspect isthe making new of aIl things from Divine truth. Forwhen the affirmative reigns, and falsities have beenremoved, th e mind is opened to receive new truth inabundance. Dur former way ofTIllnkmg from appearances ceases, and our eyes are opened to see thewonders of heaven mirrored in the world around us(DLW 46 and AC 1807).The beliefthat aIl things are to be made new with the

ord's Second ComiP-g is inseparable from the affirmative principle. For it is the affirmative to believe thatthe Heavenly Doctrines reveal specific truths aboutevery aspect oflife and study, that knowledges ofeverykind and nature can be reordered according to DivineTruth. Indeed the clearest passages which teach thateverything of knowledge and reason can be subordinated to Divine truths are given in connection-wlththe affirmative princi"ple.

. J / ~ - V

\0;0


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/ . -Th(true o r d ~ i s for m ~ to be wise..f!:Qm the Lord, that is, from'.7 - \ ! i i s W0!5L an d then ail things follow, an d he is also enlightened in

matters of reason and of science. (AC 129)They who think from the affIrmative principle are able to confirm

\nthemselves by means of ail rational, scientific, a n ( L e v e ~ . 2 i l o -,filsophical things whatsoever, as far as lies in their power, for ailthse things are to them confirmatory, an d give them a fuller ideaof the subject. (AC 2568, see also AC 2588 for various examples andAC 6047 quoted earlier).

With ~ S e ~ o n d CominiJ of the Lord, aIl things O f k n o w l e d g e ~ s o n are to be subordinated to t ~ #R.G"-Lspiritual truths of the H e a v e n ] ~ o c t r i n e s . This subordination, and consequent blessing, is signified by thelprophecy of Isaiah concerningJsrael;beinga third wi thJl ~ g y P l and ~ s s y r i ~ \ a blessing in tne midst of the land.

j These words (Is. 19:23-25) in the spiritual sense mean that at thetime?>o[ the Lord's Coming the l ' ~ c i e n t i f ~ t h e r - ! a t i o n ~ and thespiritua shall becoID.LQ.ne, an d t'FieSCientific"1strnll serve theJ

ratlOnal;and both shaH ~ e r v e thspirituJ;l.l, f o by ~ ~ is meantt1i.eS(;ientific, by Assyriathe rational, an d by IsraePthe spiritual. I\ By the day, twice-=tioned, is meant the F i r s t ~ n d the Second

Coming of the Lord. (TCR 200:4)Because of this signification, the affirmative principle is so often illustrated in the Writings by this

prophecy (AC 119, 1462:3, 2588:13, and 6047:4, 5 seealso AC 2568:3 and 6023)We can now see how the three essential principles ofWORDSFOR THENEWCHURCH are various aspectsofthe affirmative principle. Indeed they come togetherin the affirmative principle as end, cause, and effect. f-k,'lThe end, or purpose, is t h _ ~ t t ~ ~ ~ ' S truth may eJ affirmed and received in the heart,!ilind, and life?>Thecause or means is the recognition and rejection offalsities and fallacies which do not agree with theDivine truth.


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--

37HE AFFIRMATIVE PRINCIPLE

~ " 7 S jrAnd the effeet or result is the making new of ev.e.IY!!::!in.gJi


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38 SCIENCE IN THE LIGHT OF THE NEW CHURCH.

xv.SeIENCE IN 'filE LIGll'f OF 'fllE NEW CIIURCrr.

T HE New Church has BO conflict with true Science but- is in full harmony with it and rests upon it. Much ofthe Seience of the pre3ent day however is so filled withN a t l l l ' a l i ~ m that it does not acknowlcdgc Divine Revelation,and eomes into direct conflict with it. We must therefore~ l i s t i l l g u i s l t hetween t r ~ n c e and that which is false.Fa l s Seien,g> is floocling the old Church and the \Vorldwlth its theories and leacling away from ~ h LOlm and the,y01'(1, and iuto Naturalism.The \Yl'itings deseribe the state of Naturalists in the otherlife in Jn:lIlY pIaees. We quote the fllowing:

Evcry man who has become a naturalist by rneanR of thought derivedfrom natllre, remains sueh also after death, calli ng ail the objects that he seesin llic Kl'irit!lal world, n:tturul, bccuuse thcy urc similur to those in the nuturalworld. i.\ln 01' this kin urc however enlightcucd IInd t:tught by tho ungclsthat thcse abjects are not nalural, but that they are the appearanc('-8 of natunt! lhings and thcy are convinced so far as to uffirlll that this is 50 . Still'\thCY relapse and w o r c l ! i P ~ t E r e , us they !lad done in the world, until, uti Icn;.;t1l, scparating themsclves' from the ngels, t h filU into hen and cannotIl':! rcocueJ From it to etcl'llity. The rC0.'3on of this ie that their soul is not~ p i r i t n a l but natural, like that of the bc'asts, with the faculty still of thinking and sl'cak'ing, bccanse they were born men. The hdls, at thifl day, moret.han at uny /ormer pcriod, ure fillcd with men of this class. At the preseutVdaL.lllil!Jru1ism hns..J11.!!.J!lst delllged the Chul'ch, and can only bo dispersed byllleallS ot' r ~ t i ( ) n a l :Il'gurncllts, which will enable man to see that this is so.(Sec Athullasian Crcc


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lhe Hpirilnal in the naturul und were in wisdom accordingly.Bllt as man withdrew farther and farther from thc LORDawl conscl}ll\'ntly sank dcepel' and deepor into evil, he imIl1cI'Scll hil1l:-ielf in materialism. To-day, sueh is dIe eonstrnetion of tlte human mind, and so far has it dcgenerated,that evcn wltat he calls truth is sIlseeptillle of divcrse andeven opposite applicatiolls, so that he may confirm with iteither truth or fitlsity.

lIow CS:-il'Iltial, then, is a new Hcvelation, whieh shaHinstrnct man how ta distinguish the trlle from the false, thatI l ( ~ lJIay rii;c ont of his dcplorahle condition into a higherst


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from above down and finds that he is approaching an entirely new philosophy. He begins to appreciute somethingof tlte order of thought un of crention. He fllC)S the fullforce of the passage in the Writ.ings which reads: "those,vho do not conceive the creation of the universe and a11tllings thcrein by continuaI rnediations from the First, cannot but build unconnected hypotheses, disjointed from theircauses, which, when examined by a mimi that looks interiorly into tllingi3, appear Ilot like houses, but Iike heaps ofruhbish."-D. L. IV. 303.

Viewed in interior light, what is the state of the scienceof to-(lay? Do we find consistency, order, harmony, unity ?ls it like a hC:I Il ti fi Il picture with the LORD flS the ccntre anda11 arouncl arranged with light and shade into bold relief?

True science, the science which the Church teaches, isharmonious alld consistent. Tt penetrates deeper than t h plane of thc senses and unfolds infinitely more than naturalthought can snggest or merely natural reason expound.Science is thc lwowledge of nature, and its philosophy givesus an insight illto the orderly arrangement of ail things.So far from being in confiict with the Church, it is a partof il. K n o w l e d ~ ( ' S of facts are instruments to Rerve the inACl'llal Illall in his l ' e g c l l e n ~ t j o n . ~ S c c A. C. (i()57.) Tlwy urethe initiaIs of thought and rcnder rationality possible. How

ri -{k;)L



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It will be seen that there proceed from Him, as the Spir-itual Sun, Divine Love and Divine Wisdom. These arenot vol(ltile, ethereal, nothings; but Substance and Form,self-subsisting and sole-subsisting. They are the aU of lifethroughout aIl creation fi-om highest to lowest. They flowfrom within into every oqject and form. In their manifestatioll, they procced as the Divine of love by heat, the])iville of. wisdom by light and the Divine of use by atmospheres. In ultimates they form earths, iri which theytenninate in simllltalleollS on le!'. Inrnostly, i s or lifeitself, the force of ~ i n g ; ' mediutely, is the force o f ~ j 1

3 and next that o f ( f o r m i l l ~ These lie hidden in everythingin the universe, and constitute the continuous presence ofthe LoRD.

Natural forms derive their origin from the spiritual containeJ. within, which is the universal sphere of the Divine.From the spiritual Sun cornes the patural; from this proceeJ. atlllospheres, and from these the earths are formed.Natural forms are, of themselves, clead. AU their activityis del'ived from the spiritual.

Mun's love is his life, derived from the universal spherein its various clegrees. His affections are the continuationsand derivations of love, Rowing like streams from the fountain, producing lIses in forms and therein adva.ncing fromfirst prineiples ta last. These forms are efi:lcts, which arethe effigies of uses, and in these, uses advance to the outmostfihre of t.he ho


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10 rationally interpret the various bodily functions in theirorder and workillgs.

Lire, it must be remembered, app1ies itse1f 10 man, on1yin the uses in which he is employed. Hence is conjunction.These uses are arranged in man in a series, and the Divinelife applies itsclf to these in aIl their gradations. Renee isthe soul. This is true of aIl men coIlective1y, of nations,eities, fil.milies, as well as of the individual.

AH things in the world tend to the human form, for aUarc forms of uses which are subservient to man. AlI thingswcre made for man, and by him Lave communication withthe other world. (See A. C. 3702.)

I f the philosopher thoroughly understands the corre-spom1enccs of the organism of man with Reaven, or theGl'llnd Man, he will be bot.ter prep(lred to explore natureoutside of man; for man, as 10 his body, is a 1ittle wor]el, amicrocosm, and all without him corresponds with aH within11im.

Natural things do not live of themselves, but only byinflux. The heat and ]ight from our Slln act from theirl':lpiritllal eorrcsponf1ence, and then they only operate inopelling the extl'eme parts of the hody, t1H1t illtemal heatlllllY How in. Ph)'l:iio]ogy has no rig11t to c1aim that vitalheat comes from combustion in the animal economy, or issim ply a re8ult


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affections. Vegetables derive their forme from the atmos-pheres, in which there is such a creative endeavor from thedetermination of spiritual forces. These latter continuallytend toward the human form and so impress every terrestrialthing. Thus there is in every partic1e'of matter an endeavorto shape itself into form, which more and more resernbles thel,uman as we rise in the order of creation. Crystal lize a:>alt, and it" figures a pigmy forest of plants; examine a tree,and its growth of leaf, circulation of sap, blossom and fruit,p l ' c ~ e n t more than a fanciful resemblance to animal life.

Creation, then, is l i panorama, imaging the LOIW as veryman. But what of its blelllii:ihe:>? \Vhat of venomOU8animal, noxious plant and poisonous minerai? What ofdevastating storm, destructive earthquake? 'What of 80rrow,suffering, disease, untimely death? I f delight and happi-ness flow into uses constituting their rewanl, acconling tothcir degree, whence corne evil uses with consequent wretch-cdness and misery? Neither from the LoRD nor fromheaven. N either from nature's sun, nor from earth itself.Bnt from hel1.

I ~ v e r y t h i n g spiritual endcavors to clothe itself with a mu-teria.! llOdy. 'l'he lowest or natural degree of man, is nolonger controlled by influx direct from heaven. It s orderis inverted. In origin it is still the LaRD's, in reception, itbears elllbosometl the venom of hel1. Like the sun's rayp()lIred into the poisonolls plant, it is distorted unto death.Evil uses, then, fJow from hell and clothe themsel VCd withwhatever of filth they e


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although the iclea of His unity and Humanity is implantedLy the LORD in every one, it faes away in the life of eviland in the rnind oLscured by fUIse doctrines. This primaIconception lost, aIl else is confused. Man gropes about inspiritual darkness and. finaIly thinks and acts in the treach-erous light of nature. The heavenly windows of his mind.are closeJ and he revolves in a perpetuaI whirl of appenr-ances. His ingenuity contrives aIl sorts of theories, whicht!olll'ish for a while and finally sink into oblivion beforesomellewcr :1ll(1 more 8ubtle invention. Setting ont frorn the im-pressions of the senses, his science soon takes these impres-sions for truth and reasons frorn thern accordingly.

Bu t the view is not aIl so dark and gloorny. Sorne thereare, who have sought after knowledge, suLmitting self to the\Vord and to the LoRD'S manifold working in nature. Theil'horizon is narrow, perhaps, but what they have discovcred,Lecaw:ie truc, will never perish. AnJ even others, thoughactuated by nothing higher than a love of being called wise,hr.ve brought minds to the work weIl adapted to it apd havediscovercd thousands of invaluable fads.

These fads will Ilot Le rqjected, Lut will Le examined inthe light of the New Church. By means of the dvctrineof correspondences, as expounded in the \Vritings, man isenaLled to discrirninate Letween cause and effect, betwE'enspiritual and natural, between true wisdorn which reasonsfrorn interior light and that false reasoning, which is foundedonly in the impressions of the senses. Thus will be dcvel-opel! a p l l i l o ~ 0 l ' h y , which will Le enduring, hecause orderly;true, Lecause from the LORD; and therefore Loth comprehen-sive and satisf\lctory.

It may Ilot 1>e unprofitable to briefly examine some of thet'abc theories of present science the better ta comprehend thereformation required.

One of the first steps necessary, is the renoyation of Psy-



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chology. Sucll a labor is essential before materialism willrcleatle it8 hold on philo80phy und permit the nxioIIluticacknowledgmcnt of the LORD as the Cause and Sustainerof the uni verse. But Philosophy is not advanced by thenominal acknowledgment of a Divine Being, when this isplaced illfinitely distant, or diffused through space as the firstSource of things. No r does the conception of God as threepel'sons a(l(l one iota of strength; for, " Creation is an imagereprcsentative of God-Man, and this image cannot be seenby him who denies that the LoRD is a Man;" nor can itbe seen by him who denies that God is One.111 the Spiritllal niary and elsewhere are recorded frequentconversations bctween Swedenborg and eminent philosophersand scicntists, whose teachings still exert a powerful influencein the learned 'Vorld. In every instance the lesson is to disaouse these teachinl:,"S of their falsities and to present themin their true light. His denunciations of Aristotle and hisfollowel's apply more to the materialistic abuse of logic, thanto logic itself: (See S. D. 3947-55, 3959-Gl. A. C. 4446-7,4658.) His conversations with Newton were but to correcterrors in science, some of them taught by Newton himselfand otllers introdllced by !lis followers. (See S. D. GOG4,and S. D. Purt vii. p. 85.) The latter reference eIHls withthese remarkable words, which clearly explain the use andimportance of tlis permitted meeting with this philosopher," Now 1 koow that colors are modifications of light in objects,in t!lc t(mos of which they make common planes, abovewhich light is variegated according to the forms of the parts;hence are colors. These are the words of Newton hirnself,which he whes that I should communicate."

Speaking of the philosophy and science of to-day Swedenborg says:

O>hilosOP!IY)U ils every department has had no other effect than ta darkenD l i ' S I T i ~ ( a l l d thus to shllt' the way to a view of interior and universal

THE NEW CHURCH. 47


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things j for it consista of mere terms and in disputes concerning thcm jbesides, so-called rational philosophy so confines the ideas, that the ruindc]ellVClI only to plll'ticulllTlI an thue to the ust; bll8idos, it not 0011 obstruaIsthe way t interior things, but also blindB the mind and utterl banishesfaith, so that in the other Ife, a philosopher who has dwclt mueh on or in,Julgcd, in sueh studies, becomeB stupid and beyond ail others, ignorunt. \ ABtu ItrccllUnical seiencs:>when one indulges too ruueh in rnechanicul praxis,[1 he f as to bcJieve that not ollly nature, but even spi!i!ual

-' and celestial thinb'll consists oLnothing but \Vhat lB mechanicaJ j and if hec a n n o t ~ u c e thelll to l l J e c h a n i r . ~ ~ f ; ; c i p l e s , and thei;ib;ces, he believesIluthing, and thus bceomes corporeul and, curthly. @ ~ a n d tho like \also concentrate the mind llnd impede it from lldmnclllg into U ~ I S ; ) besides, it supposes nothing ta exist but what is geomctricai or mcchanial,whereas geometry ex tends not beyond terrestrial and corporeal forms.

. \ No knowlctlgcs arc illjurious provided a 1II11n docs not place evcrything\ in thelll, but regarJSUItTlore""d. KMOwlcJgel:l ure spiritual richcs, on) whieh the understanding of things ean be founded. (See S. D. 767 to 773.

A. C. 3348.)Hence it may be seen that to escape from materialism, the

man of science must constantly look to uses as ends andC''sl'ccially must lie look to the LORD an continually elevatehi:; tllOughts above merely earthly things. (See S. D. 866,4578, 4655.)'] 'l'flle intelligence consists in seeing and E.,erceiving whatJ:;J..:.lIc and good, and thence whal j:; f ; t l ~ e llllll evil. 1tfnn'Binteriors, are formed in heaven, his exteriors, in the world.'l'rue intelligence oemands that these interiors shall flowinto the extcl'iors nnd so give perception. (See H. & H.:34() to 356 with the numerOllS references.)

Psychology legitimately expounded, physiologists willhave need to thoroughly remodel their theol'ies of the brainl l l ld derivative nervous systems, and, in fact, of the wholeorganism. Now here bu t in the 'Vritings, can be found thegelluine definition of thonght, idea., sensation and emotiOlI, ofncrve-force, vital-force, and function. New Church philosophy is not satisfied with the chemical theories of the origin

48 SCIENCE IN THE LIGHT OP THE NEW ClIU1JH.


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of animal heat, of the digestion of food, and of the bloodmetalllo!'phoses, any more than it is with the theory, whichaffinl1s thought to he the result of chemical changes in braintissue. Nor can it tolerate the prevailing theol'Y of protoplasm, as "the parent of a11 things." The sea yields fromits depths a homogeneous, quivering substance, which isc


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50 SCIENCE IN TIIE LlGHT OF THE NEW CHURCH.


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Physiology stumbles at. the very initiament of fecundationand TIutany introduces the fa11acy that plants are male an dfemule, possessing organs, which are compared to the generativc parts of animaIs of both sexes. Swedenborg, present-JI ing LIS with the true state ~ things, teaches t ~ a t plunts areail male, t.he earth onl)', bClng femule. (Sec '1. C. R 585.)

\Vhat a estructive warfare will the Church wage againsta ~ g a n t :r.hysjology and a falsely systematized b o

Physicists inform ns that the sun's ray is composed off:;Ovcn 01' lIIore colors, and that these may be reduced ta threepl'imary (;olors, red, blue and yel1ow. From these aH combinations, now colors and shades arise.

Truc science, however, teaches tbat a11 colors are reducible\\ t . 2 - ~ o , red and white; and that their modifications ~ ; aJground of dark, g ~ v e !!.se t ~ e v ~ . [ Y - P Q S s i b l e _ ~ i o n . - - Muoh of the confusion which p r e v a i l s J E . _ P h y ~ i ~ , arises

from thc notiolls entertnille c o n c e r n i n ~ c j Reluctantto consider it as spiritual, theorists regard it as an i n h e r e n ~ property of matter; or, disregarding any conception of itsnature, connue thclllselvos to the investigation of its effects.Bllt how can these o m ~ c t s be explained or systematized withtheir cause undetermined or treated of, upon purely hypo-thctical grollnds? Illogical conc1usiorls and fauIty classification must result. (See D. L. W.185.) Take, by wayofexalll pIc, the theory of heat and light Il s radiations from thesun, differing in wave length only. Radiant heat is said tho idcntieal with light, diflcl'ing from red light, for instance,as l'cd from blue, lIlcrely in the length of its waves.

A baIl of lime is gradually heated. At first, it gives offonly rays of llcat; as its temperaturc increases, it adds a lowl'cd light. \Vith a further rise of temperature, it gives offyel1ow, blue, etc., until fina11y when incandescent, its lightis white as that of the sun, thus containing a11 the colorsof sunlight. When the Solar S p ~ c t r u m is formed by means

THE NEW CHUR CH. 51


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of ft pl'ism of rock-salt1 the thermo-electric pilc proves theexistence of heat in aU the colo1'ed spaces, inc1'easing, however, dwn ta ilie red, and attaining its maximum beyond thevisible lig1Jt, just as if heat were (as it must be) rfgTt;ithlonger wnVS. (See Chambers's Encyclopdia, vol. v. lasteditioll.) i " -Butl)ICtJ is not What are called F o r ~ ) in n a ~ l r e , lire Ilot llIi1tel'ial, nor are they- inhercnt in matter. Theyure 1\1


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J" Th c knowlcdgc of d c ~ e e s i8, as it wcre, th e key to open thc causes ofthingll nnd tu Cil ter intotfi(;m j without it sonreoly n n y ~ h i n g of OIlUSO oan heknown j for without it, the objecta and subjects of both worlds appear 50gencral as to seem to have nothing in them bu t what is seen with the eye.Th e intc rior things which lie hid , can by no means be discoycrcd, ~ s d ~ arc unel'stood. . . . Nothing, BO fur as 1 an} nware, has hithcrtobccn known of Discrcte D ~ g r E l e . ' l . , .. 1 can declare, thrit ~ g e l s are insadncss on ~ u n t oLthe dnrkness that p,Eevails upon carth. They say thatl ~ ~ c a r c c l y unywhere to be Been, and that men seize on and eonfirm/,t1lacies and thcreby lllulrir!y falsities upon falsilics; and 1.0 confirm lhem,devise by Fcasonings grounded in falses und in truths falsifie, sueh figmenlsas Callnot be dispellcd, s ~ g r e a t is the dUl'kness that p r ~ i l s conccrning C ~ C 8 and the ignorance concerning truths. (Sce D. L. W. 184 and 188.)

May the glorious day soon come, when man will rise out'j of the darkness of self-derived intellige!1ce a ~ ~ p - ~ a l to theJ. 0een \Vord of Gnd for aU that concerns lus lIfe, lts moralgovernment, its civil and political instruction, its philosophy,its science, i t s ~ y t h ~ . n g .


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APPENDIX

A MISSING NUMBER FROM THE APOCALYPSE EXPLAINEDTo th e first fascicle of Words for the New Church was added an

appendix containin g the Latin text ofHistoria EcclesiasticaNovaeEcclesiae. Th e significance of the publishing ofthis was that it ha dnever before appeared in print. I t gives us great pleasure, therefore,to be ableto follow this precedentby including here a passage oftheWritings which has not hitherto been published:

In the current Swendenborg Society edition of ApocalypseExplained (prepared, apparently, in 1896), there is a note at thebottom of page 485 which read

anc words for the new church 1876 1886 xiv first principles 1884 (reprint cincinnati 1984)

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