OUTLrNE NOTES

CONCERNING

THE AGREEMENT AND DIFFERENCES

BETWEEN

,. THE GENERAL CHURCH "

AND

THE HAGUE POSITION"

Based upon, and supplementary to, Lectures given to the Native Ministers of the General Church

Mission in South Africa, at the va rious 1\'1 ission Sta tions.

DECEMSER. leSe-JUNE. 1939,

BY

REV. F. W. ELPHICK.

MISSION SUPERINTENDENT.

PUBLISHb:D BY TH"~ AlITHOR,

Printed By The General Church of the New J erusalem.

(Mission in South Ah'ica) Alpha, Ladybrand, O. F. S.

NOTE

fi De Hemelsche Leer,' '-uf which the English equivalent is "The Heavenly Doctrine"-is the name of the journal published by those favouring the new doctrinal position.

The "Fascie/es" referred to in the text arf' extracts from this journal translated into English.

PREFACE.

These ûlitline notes are the reslilt of a request by the Ministers and Leaders of" The General Church " Mission in South Africa, to have the two sides of the recent controversy presenced to them.

This treatise, however, is not intended to be an exhaustive one; but it is hoped that the brief analysis made, may he of use to those who are trying to understand the Crowning Revelation.

F. W. E.

"Alpha," Laclybrand, O.F.S.

August. 1939.

CONTENTS,

PAG~:

1. THE DOCTRINAL AGREEMENT, 1

II. THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE­THE FIRST THESrS OF De Hemelsâll! Lcl'r. , . 2

TIl. 'l'HE SECmW THESIS OF DI' f{rmdscl1f l.ecr. . . 20

IV. THE 1'HIRD THESTS OF 1)(' Hemelsclie Le('I'. . 2

V. THE USE OF THE TERM ,. DIVINE." . 36

VI. HUMAN GOOD AND HUMAN TRUTH. 48

VII. CONCLU DING REFLECTIONS. .' .. 52

OU'TUNE NOTES CONCERNING THE AGREEMENT AND DIFFERENCES BE:TWEEN "THE GENERAL

CHURCH" AND "TITE HAGUE POSITION."

1.

THE DOCTRINAL AGREEMENT.

Ailhough the followillg notes will be chieny concerned with the differences between "The Genel'al Chllrch" and ''The Hague Position" in the interpretalion of a number of doctrines given in the \Yritings of the New Church; yet it is usefu!, in the first place, '10 oulline the ngreemenl of faith existing between the two secticms concerned. Such agreement, we suggest, may be expressed in the following bI'Ïef statements:-

Bolh groups hel ieve: 1. That God is One in Essence and in Pel'son, in

Whom is the Divine Trinity of Fathet, S:m, and Ho!y Spirit.

2. That the Lord came into the worlel to glorify His Human, and thus redeem the human rncc.

3. That al! are saved who bclieve in Him and keep His Commandments.

4. That is, ln other words, bolh acknowledge the Faith of the New ChUl'ch in ils Universn! and Particular fonns, as given in "The 'l'l'Ile. Christi:)]} Religion" in numbers 2 and 3 of Ihat ·work.

5. Both sections believe in the 'rrhree Essentials of The Church," namely:­

1. An admowleclgmcnt of the Divine of (he Lore!.

2. An acknow1l'dgmC'nt of the !wlincss of the Ward. '

3. The lire which is called charity. (D.P.25Û/:3) 6. Bo th hclieve in:­

1. The Divine Aulhority of lhe SCl'ipluJ'C's (Aecording 10 the CanoI) in A.C. 10.32;»).

2. The Divine Authorily of the Theologien! Wrilings of Emanuel SWC'dC'llhorg.

1

2

II.

THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE. THE FIRST THESIS OF DE HEMELSCH E LEER.

In examining the differcnces, it js neccssary to have weIl jn mind the PRINCIPLES of both groups as cxpresscd by each group officially and in prinl.

The first and essenlial diffcrence is found hy comparing "The Faith" of "The General Church," [lS expressed in the official pamphlet, published by that body, \Vith the First of the Tinee Leading Theses of De Hemelsche Leer, as found on several of the tiUe pflges of the English Fascieles.

These read:­THE GENERAL CHURCH.

The Sacrild Scripture is the Ward of God and the Divine Truth. It has a spi ri tua 1 sense within the literaI sense, and is given for the use of ange1s and men. The Lord has made His Second comillg by means of a man, His Ser­vant, Emanuel Swedenborg, before whom He manifested Himself in Person, and whom he filled with HiM spirit to teach the Doctrine of the New Church, through the W ord from Him. In the doctrine sa revealed, the Lord appears as the W ord to establish on ea l'th a New ChI' i s t i a n Chur0h, which is signjfied by the New J erusalem in the Apocalypse, and which is to be the crown of ail the Chur­ches which have hitherto been in the world."

(Extract from ..ASta temen t of the Order and Organization of the UêneraTChurch ortne :N ew JëriïSâlem' I)"y th'eTa te Bishôp-N. D. Fendleton, Bryn Athyn, .B'en. 1925, revised, amended and reprinted 1935.)

THE HAGL E POSITION.

The Writings of Emanuel Swedenborl{ are the Th i l' d Testament of the Word of the Lord. THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM UONCERN­ING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE must be opplied to the thl'ee Testaments alike. (lst of the Three Leading Theses; back of Title Page, De Hemelsche Lee1', 3rd-6th Fascicles; Feb. 1932-Aug. 1936.)

On Page 80 (1st Fascicle) it is also s t a t '3 d: "Thil t the Writings are the Word may now for the first t i 111 e be rationally ullderstood in par­ticulars C10W that it appearR in particulars that the Doc­trine concerning the Sacred Scripture must be oppli('d to the ln without difjerea,ce Qnd reserve."

fl

Nutes on tlte ubulJe naliled DiJ/erence8.

The fkst essential difference arises in Ihe use and appJii­cation of the term WaRD.

"Are the Wrilings the Word?" has b('en a cOI1tI',wersial maltel' for the past one hundred and sixtY years.

ln 1875 the "Academy of the New Church" to:)k a firm sland on the Divine Allthority of the Writings, and in deveJoping a slrong affirmative attitude to [haC Divine Authol'ity, 'the concept thal Ihe Writings wel'e, and ShOilid be regarded "as the Word" became more fjrmly estahlished. Later. when 'The General Church" wasfonned. and the "Academ,y" conCined to cducalional uses wilhin the Chnrch (see note helow) * the phrase "The Wl'itings are the Worel" became of common usage. Note, however, the very CUl'erU} 1lhrasing in the pamphlet just quoted, namely: "In the Doctrine so revealed, the Lord appears as tlze l\'o{'d, to establish on earth a new Christian Church."

Note. too, "the (lhrasing of the cl'eed in the GC'nernl Churdl LiIUl'gy: (See Gencl'al Offices Nos. 1-7. ~

"1 believe ln the Sacred Scriptures, the Word of Goel, the Fountain of 'Wisdom, the Source of 1ife aI1V the way to heaven."

"1 beJieve in the S2cond Coming .of Ihe LOI·el. in the Spiritual Sense of the \Vot'd, and in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jcrusalem."

Berc we nole that nlthollgh the Wrilings are regnl'ded "as the Word," yet distinction is made between (hem ane( the Scriptures, wÎlich in Chri~tian lands and by the WriLings thcmselves, are called THE WaRD OF GOD.

But the Hague School devel,~ps a furlher dedllcl:ion and emphasis. Without nny consielel'a1ion of othel' teachings in the Writings, the Hague School l,lkcs it LI' g('[lnted ihat THE WRITINGS ARE THE WaRD, and then applies 10 them "without elifferenec and l'ese-rvc" what the Wrilings

;, .. The Academy of the New Caureh is a body of the ehureh organized under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania" for the pnrpose of propagat­ing the Heavenly Doctl-ines of the New Jerusa!em, prolllot.ing edücation ill ail its various forms, cducating young men for the ministry, puhlishillg books, pamphlct.s and othrr prinlcd matter, and establishing a libr>1ry." These uses of the Academy are now bein~ conducted at Bryn AthYII, PennFlylvania." (Ordcr and Or,.:auization of the Gp.nera! Chnrch, Page 7. )

4

state about lhe Scriptures. Bence the sUllement "The Doctrine of the New Jcrusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture, must be applied to the three Testaments alike;" calling the Writings the Third Testament.

uU:, ihen is the First Thesis. lt is a premise. H is a base bath of faith and of argument.

HOW IS THIS STEP ARRIVED AT?

If we tum to pages 77.-78 of the First Faseicle we find this statement:­

"We read further; "From this il may be denr lhnt those who read the Word wilhout Doctrine are in obscurily concerning al! truth. and that their mincis arc wavering ane! unsetLled, prone to error, ànd n]so fall into heresies, which lhey also cmbrnce, in Celse the,)' are urged by favour al' authority, and thcir repulation is not endangered. F or the Wonl is to l11e111 as a candiestick "iilhout ligiü :uid the.v sec many things in the shnde, whercas they see hardly anything, for the Doctrine alone is the lamp" (n.228) ie T.C.R.-; here il dearly appears that thcy \vho read the Word ,,,ithout Doctrine, are in obscurily as to ail truth. From Ulese few passngcs il m<l.,v be evident that the Chureh cannat possibly intcriorly ,understand the \Vriiings, unless it form for itsrlf according toorcler a Doctrine which shall show it the way. In further 'Confirmation we shaH now quolc only one mDre passnge l'rom the same \York, :1l1d, in m'C1er to have this tI'uth speak sa mllc'h more clearlv ,YC shaH ('a eh lime where the words "the Ward" occur, read "the Wrilings" instead: "1~he gcnuiJe truth, which will belong to the Dcctrine, appears in the sense of t!Je letter of the WRITINGS tJ Lhosc only who arc in cnligblcllillcnt from the Lord. EJ1­lighlenmentcomes l'rom the Lord alone, and i.~ wiIJJ [hase who love truths because they are ll'llths, and malec thern to the uses of lire; \Vith ethers there is no cIilighlenrnent in the WRITINGS. These arc the"y who are enlightened when they read Ih:' WR1T1NGS, and ta whorn the WRITINGS arc lucicl and Irans­

!)

parent. The WRITINGS, tü lhem are llll:ic] :lllÛ transparent hecause a sDirilual anc! cC'lcstial sense are ln every parr of the WRLTINGS. ane! lhese senses are in the light of Heaven; IherefOl-e lhe Lord, by these senses and the light therdrom in1'lows into the nalma[ sense of the WIUTINGS. and inlo the light thereof in man. ,The COI1lrary is the case \Vith those who read the \VRJTINGS from 1he doctrine oF a false religion; but still more \Vith them who confirm this doctrine from lhe WRITINGS; wilh suèb the trulhs of the WRITINGS are in the shade of nigh~, a ne] the falsilies in lhe light of day. They read the truths hut do not see them; and if they sec the shuc}ow of them, the)" falsiry lhem. ConsequenUy their light in the spirilual things of the Church heeomes mcrely natllral" (n.431,232); il is not diffiClI1l ta sec in lhcse words a Divine description of the state of those who read the 'Wrilings wilhout the rational cO...!:lnilion of the Dodrine of the Chnrch lhat the vVriling;; nre Ihe Worel ilsclf; but just as in the Jirsl sta/.c, '\ovhich W;lS n:1tural, and which ruled up to the presrnl, al! lire and truc prosperily resulted from the c:~gnilion lba/. lhe Wrilings are the Ward. so :il will aupear in the fu,l:urc that the Chmch will j-îse ta ils second stale, which ,is

spiritual, only in sa far ~ adually :;œplies the DOCTRINE OF TT-lE NEW JERUSALEM CON­CERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTUHE in aIl ils par­ticulars ta lhe \Vriliugs"

lu lhe i"Dhird Fascicle, pages 130-132, wc also fincl sneh .stalemcnts as the follo\\'ing:­

"TIIESES:

1. The Writings are the Worel. The Tl'tre Christian !?ell:(lir)rl, 226:

2. The Worcl witlJout· Jjoctrine is nn'il1tclligihle. ;i. The Word, in ils literaI sens(', COllSISls of pure

correspondences . 4. Spiritual and celeslial things lie hiclclcn in that

leUer. 5. The lelter serves as a hnsis, and spirilll;ll lhings

arc confirmer] Ihrrrin.

e

Ü. Divine lrnlhs in lhe leller are rarcly found un­coyere((.

7. Divine lrulhs are elolhed in app('arances of Il'Ull1. 8. These appearanecs are aceoll1111odtlled to lhe ap­

prehension of the sim pic. 9. Some things appear ta be eonlractictory.

10. There is not a single contradiction in the Word seen in spiritual light.

11. Such being the natme of thc Ward in th~ literaI sense, il is very cvident that wjthOllt Doctrine the Ward cannat possibly be lIndcrstord.

Bere wC' only quote 11 of the 32 statemcnts made, rel'er­ring the reader ta T.C.R. 227 to 233.. On2 shoulrl l'cac! the enlire set.

Now this direct way of describing the nature of the Wl'ilings, slaling thal they are "Ihe Ward" nnd then npply­ing \Vhat the Writings teach about the Word---ll1c Scrip­tUi-cs-in the "Doctrine of the Sacred Scripllll',>"-~lIlrl

apply this ta the Writings "without d:ffcrence and l'l'serve" needs ta be examined.

FirsLly. may we aller the subjcct malter or Ihe "Doctrine of the Sucred Scripture" tlS givcn in the sever:Il work:> or the Wrilings'! The orclinary rules of tllll ring <.ln <'Iuthor's meaning forbid, Jel alone thc fael that we are altel"ing the teaching of Divine Revelation. Who are we to do such a thing!

But if wc do make the suggestcd change, what hnppens? It immcdiately forccs lhe conclusions tlwt:­

1. The Writings have a literai sense, likc Lhe Scriplurcs. 2. The Writings have a Naturnl. Spiritual and Celestial

sense, Iike Ihe Scriptures. il. The Wl'itings al'e wl'illcn acc.orcling to "pllr,'" CC)l"­

l'es pondcnces. -1. The Wl'itings, witl10ut Doctrine, arc as a cHl1cllesUck

wilhollt lighL, and those wh.:> l'ead Lhe Writings witllout Doctrine are in clarkness <18 10 ail lrlltl1.

The Hague position accepts lhe change nnd eont'il'ms the allplicalion of what is said of the SCl'ipt11l"cS to the Wl'ilings, and lhis "wilhout diffcrence and reserve." If then, wc accept the PREMISE as :true and make it a base of argument, we aecept the Dlitch School of thOllght. If

7

we do nolaccept Ihe premise and make it a base of argu,· menL. wc do nol a (:r.cr>1 Ihe Hagne views. Ever)' olle is free ta sec Ihe differenœ and in l'l'eedom. eilher aecept l;r

reject Ihe premiM!, according as Ihey,see the Irulh as given in Ihe Writings Ihemselvt's. ft is cieal' Ihat if we aCCCIlC Ihe premise,and mu'kc Lhe conclusion, wc are faccd wHh a new mode of expGsilion, Concerniug Ihi.;; wc shall refer 10 ialer.

Here let us noIe how one is ta lI11clersland the term "WORD" in the phrnse "The Wriling~ are Ihe \'lord."

IL is necessary la find out from the Wriiings the follow­ing: ­

1. How the Wrilings l'cfel' 10 lite Scriplul'l~S.

2.� How lite Writings refel' La themselvcs. O.', piaced in anoLher way, How dGes Swedenborg himsell' l'der 10 Ihe Doctrines of Ihe New .Jerllsaiel1l?

Consider Lhe lirsL propcsilion.

1. How do the Writin(j8 re/el' tn the 8criptU?'es.

The following arc a fc\\' quclalions ouI of m:lll.\': "1 have been laId how lhe Lord spoke wilh Ihe

propheLs Lhrollgh whem Ihe Word \Vas given, H~ did noL speak with Lhem as He did with Ihe an('i~llts. l>y influx into Iheir inleriors" but IhrC'llgh sp;rits who \Vere senl La Ihem, whom He filled wilh His presence, and thus inspircd wilh Ihe words whdl they dietatL'cl 10

Lhe prophels; sa Ihat it was Iwl infiux bul dicLaliiHl. And as thc words came [orlll direcll)' from the Lcrd, eaeh one was fi!led wilh Ihe Divine: 11lld cOlllains wilh­ill it an inlernai sense. whidl is sLlch Ihal the ,ll,gels of hensen underslnnd lhem in a henv,'llly and spiritual sense, whcn men pcrce:ve them in a natlll'ni se;lse. l'hus has Lhe L'ord conjoinecl heavcn and Ihe worlel by mennsof Ihe Ward." (B.IT. 25-1.)

"As Ihe Lorel's Di"ine influx does néll stop l11i.!\\'n~·.

bul gocs on Lu ils ou[m~sls ... nnd fiS this micic!:c parI Ulrough whic:h it passes is Ihe alJgcli,~ heavPIl, while Ihe outmosl is in man. and as nothing can exisl un­connectcd, it follows Ihat the conneclioll :1l1cl conjunc­lion al' heaYCIl ,vith the hlllHall race is such Ihat one Itas iLs permanenl exislen('c~ from tlte I)lhel\ ar,cl

R

th aL Lhe human l'ace apart from heavcn wonld he like a ehain without a ho)k; and hC:1v('n wilhout Ihe hUl11an race would be I:ke a hünse wiLheut l'oundalion. nut man has so severed th:s connrcLion with heavcn by Lurning his extrriors away from heaven and tllrn­ing them to Lhe worId and t~ s~1f hy mé'ans of his love of self and of the worId, thel'eby sa wilhc!I'Hwing himself, Lhat he no longer serves as a bnsis and foundaLioll for heaven, thercfore Ihe Lord has pl""'idcd a medium to serve in place of Lhis base and 1'ouurlalion for heaven, and aiso for the conj llnction of heavcn \Vith man. This medium is the Wore!." (I-I.I-I. :lO4-5. See aiso B.B. 306; A.C. 1775,1776; C.L. 128J

" ...... Heaven is in its wisd!Jm fl"Om Lhe Word when il is being read by man, and ihc:1 aL the same lime Lhe man is in 'conjunction wiLh hrav('n. "P') thls end has s llch a \Vord been given ta m an. From t!lis iL follows that if this medium Df conjunction were n' t in Ihe world, conjuncLion with heflvcn would p~'r;sh,

and \ViLh this conjunclion aH glod of the w,"I1 and tmth of the underslanding in man." (A.C. 10542.)

'n'he Ward, beillg Divine, has not b('en wl'itlcn fol' man only but also fJr the ange1s with man, in orc!el" ihaL il might serve noL only for the us~ Lo thr iJuman race, bul also for use in hcaven and that in this way the Ward is a medium ul1iiil1g heawn w:th the earlh. This union takes place by means of th~ r.hurr.h, ar.d in fael by means 01' the \Vard in Lhe chnrc!l, whicl1 is for the reasan that it is dislingnished l'l'nm al! other wriling." (A.C. 2310.)

"The Lord speaks \ViLh the man of the ,chureh througll no other way than LhrougiJ the Ward But the Lord spoke with Mcses and the Pro.phcls by a living voice, in arder that the Ward might be pro~

mulgaled, and be such thal each amI aIl things have an internai sense.;· (A.C. 10290.)

"IL iSDcrpetuai :carrespondences [hat make lhe "Nord ho(y and Divine, for thus 'by ascenl the literaI sense becomes sr>irilual, and Ihis even ta the Lord. where il is Divine. This is inspiration." (A.C. 4373.)

9

(See also section in T.C.R. l'nLiLlcd "The Sacrccl Scripture;" "The Four Doctrines;" (SeeLion on "The Sacreel Scripture"); "The \Vorel" as re\'c rre cl 10 in "The White Horse;" also A.C. 17H/-17ï/, 1869-18/0; and A.E. 1065-1089.)

From snch passages we learn cunCC'rning 1he slrucl ure, function, place ~U1d use of the ScripLurcs, callcd in lhe \VriLings "The Ward."

Turn, now, Lo the second proposition, namcly:

2. nôw t/w TrVriti/lfls re/er tu tlwm,selves.

:\oLc such passages as the foll:nvillg:

" ... In order Lhat the True Christian Brl igi~H1 lJl ight be manifested, it \Vas absoluLply necessary that S::mlC one shoulel be inLrocluceci iuto Lhe spiritual worlel, and del'ive [rom Lhe mouth of the Lord genllitH' tnllh ont of Lhe "Tord. l'Ile Lordcannot eniightcn an.'·on(~ ",ith His light, unlcss He is approac:l1ed illlJ11ecliatdy :1l1cl acknowledgcd as the Ged cf hcaven." (Invitation 38.1

"II has pleased the Lore! 10 prepare me fl'Ol11 my earlicsl J'oulh ta 11erceive tlle \Vircl, ancl r-h~ has inLI'()c1uced me inLo the spiritual w n'IcI.. :md Jws ('11­

JigIlLened me wilh the Ji.glil of Hi, Wonl m:rre pl'oxj:­maLeiy. }'rom this iL is manifesL that l'lis surp:'s<ses ail mirac:lcs." (Invitation 5.). Sec <11so 4:3 <Incl 4'1.)

"Anyone may sec that th" ;\poen~yps(' c:Jl\Icl 11('\"pr he eH)lainccl excC'J)t by the Lord nlone, fDr the single words there contain a rcalla, which c()ulct neVCI' be known ",jthout singlliar illusLra'i III and th li"; reve­lation. Whererore il has pleased the Lord tf) qpcn 10 me the slght of m.'" spirit and ,lo teach. DJ not bl'lieve. therefore, thaL 1 hnw Laken anYlhing lherc~ l'rom my~

self. nor l'rom an~: angrl~ bu 1 frum ) ill~ Lord :ilom'.' (:\.R. Preface.)

" ... In pla{~e or mirades, there !las. aL this d.I)'. [a!;en place a manifestation of Ihe L:Td IIil11sl'lr. an intro­mission inLo the Spiritual \\Tor/d and cilliglltl'llm:'nt there by immccliale light from the Lord in sueh .things as :lrr intprior Ihings of .the ('hm'ch. BII! chi:JIY the

lO

oDcnina of lhe sDirilual sense of lhe WOI'd in which the Lord is in His own Divine Light." (Cm"onis: Miracles IV,)

"From lhese and many oLher lhings in llw Wont it 1S evident that the things which cxist in Lhe spiritwü world appeared to many before and after the Lord's Advent. Why wonder thal they shoulÜ' appear nuw also, at the beginning of a church or at the dcscent of the New Jerusalem from the Lord, out of heaven," (CL. 40,48.)

"In the New Church il is permilted lo enter with the understanding and to penetrate aH its secre/s, ar.d also to confirm them by means of the Word, T'his is because its doctrines are continuous tnlths laid open by the LOl'd by means of the Ward." (T.C.R. ,,)08.)

"For several years I have talked with spirils and wllh angels; nor has aqy spirit dared 0\' any angel wished to tell me anything. still l~ss to instrucL me about any matter in the Word; but I have b2en taught by the Lord alone who was revealed to me." (D.P. 135.) .

From the "Documents":­

"When heaven was opened to me, I had first to learn the Hebrew language as weIl as the correspond·· ences, according to which the whale Bible is wriUen. which led me to read the Wortl of God many times; and as God's Word is the source whence al! Lheology must he derived, I was enable'd therehy to receive in­struction from the Lord, who is the Word." (DOCll~

ments 234.)

"[fhe style of the Word consisls altogelhcr of cor~

respendences, wherefore it is effective of immcdiatc conjunction with heaven; but in doctrinal writings thcre js a different style, which indeed has commulli­cation w1th heaven but Înediatelv." (Documents "2!J.4.)

~ 7.­

"These writings of mine, concerning the New Jeru­salem,cannot be called prophecies but revelatians." (Documents 229.)

11

"Why, fl'om being a philosopher, 1 have ]wen chosen? Answer: The cause of this has been LhuL the spiritual things which have been revealed at the present day may be taught and undersLoocl nalurally and rationally." (DocumenLs 232.)

Passages of the above namedéharactcl' could he lTIul­tiplied, but sufficient have been given to denole the slruc\. [Ure, function, place and 'use of 'the Doctrines of the New Church revealed through the insLrumentality of Emanue[ .swedenborg, but from the Lord.

I-Iow, now, l'an we come to the conclusion that ":The \Vritings are Lhe Word." Only by slll1u!.1arizing a ron,.. victioll which has grown up in the New Church, par­ticularly in the "General Chureh." This summary cOllid J'ead as follows:-

Since Divine iTruLh ean onl.v he givcn to men hy Divine Revelation, and since Ihe HewlaLion given to Emanuel Swedenborg was Tro/11 the Lord alone, and not tram a man, therefore tfle Wrilings given .through Swedenborg are a 'Div.ine Revelation whi2h contains Divine il'ruLhand Divine Doctrine-or the Loret's 'Vord Lo men. Since wliat pl'oceetls fl'om 'the 'Lord is Divine Tl'uth. or His \Vord. thereforc "'l'IlE' WriLings al'C the Ward" by means of whieh the Lord's Second Coming is made l(nown and the New Churdl rs(a[)ifshed.

Since the \Vritinê, in sa manv words. nevel' l'ail thcll1" J seh'es '11Ihe Worel," th(~rase~'The \VrÙings are 'lbe \V6RI"'ls, i'ilrëüliLy, a derivaiive doe[rine. So t.hat when thc Hague Sellool of thoughl C~}/11ll1encc w;th their PHEMISE "The Wl'iLings al'e Lhe WoreL" Iheir ]);lse of failh and of argumrnl is a clel'ived doclrine. And Lu make oLher "derivalive" doctrines on a derived doctrine, needs much thoughL and qualificaLion lest Lhe Nrw Church, in her clevelopment of Doctrine, in the course of Lime, departs from the true source of Doclrine. As an cx.ampk, we have the wrilings of Paul. Tihesc 'are c1eriwcl doctrines. based on the Lord's teaching, and yet the Chrislian Church has taken more notice of them than il has of the Scrip," tures. Henee aH studcnts of Lhe New Church Doelrines, Heecl ta be cautious iu the acceptance of theories and views rrgflrcling lhe Writings.

LZ

The phl'ase, however, ''The Wrilings arc the Word" may be used, providing we undcrslnnd lhe many phases of Ihe tenu \VORD, \vhic:h the WriLillgs lhems~'lvC's disclose. For the vVdlings make "differences" and the,Y make "reserve" regarding lhat lerm, and the majority of G~'nzral Chnrch ministers recognize those dislinctions. The Rev. Hugo Odhner noies snch distinctiocs in his first revbw of "De I-Iemelsche Leer" in the January "New Church Lire," for 1931, pages 26-41. ,T'be question ïs, then, HOW m"c wc ta understand the use of the Lerm .WORD. Th3 Writings use 1he term varionsly as: ­

1. "The Lord is the \Vord" rLC.R. 203; D.P. lï2; A.R. 820.)

2. "The Sacred Scripture is the Ward." (S.S. 1-7; T.C.R. 189.:

3. "The Word is the Divine 'l'rnth I1sC'If." T,CR. HO, HW, 224.)

4. "The "Vord is the Divine Proc:eeding.·' (D. L:;r<l 2) 5. "'Ille Ward is the doctrine of good." (A.C. 9780.) 6. 'The Word Ï..<; the iDivine Wisdom vf Ihc Divine Love."

(D. Lord 1.)

7. "The Word is the Doctrine of Divine Trulh." (A.E. 612. )

8. The Ward "specifically meant is the same Worel 1h:1I was manifesLed by means of Mos~s, Ihe prophe!s and the evallgelists." (D.Lord 2.)

9. -'The Ward of the Old Teslament; the Word of the New lTestament." (A.R.1D3/5; A.C.2005, 2900.)

10. "Our i\Vord," (S.S. 105.) 11. "The Lerm "Ward" in the Hebl'ew language SIgnifies

various things, as speech, thought of the mind. every­thing that really exists and a1so something. (A.C. 4692, 2;,)33, 5075, 9987.) The Ward signifies the Dj\'im~

TI"uth and the Lord. (A.C. 4692,507;'5.!HJ87.) Words signify truths. (A.C. 4692, 5075.) They sigllify doe­trinals. (A.C.1288.) The teu words signify aU Divine tmlhs. (A.C. 10,688.)" (Sec "White Hors~" 17.)

1:l

If then the term "Word" can cmbody such a vUl'Ïety of meanings, itcan be used-if one pleases-to SD dcsignatlj the Wrilings given through Swedenborg as w[1heWord." For the "thought of the mind" expl'cssed in those WriLings is not of man but of God. 1

y ct the thought so expressed in the Writings is doél rinal and didactic, and it is necessary to see the distinction which Swedenborg makes himsclf, namely, '~T:he style of the 'Vord consists al t<ügethel' of cOlTespendences, wherel­fore it is effective of immediate boùjuntion with hcaven; but in doctrinal writings there isa differcnt style, which has indcedcommunication with heaven but media/ery." (Italics OUl'S) So, we repeat, to apply what is said in the Wl'itings about the Scriptures to the Writings Ihemselves "without difference and resel've," neecls the closest. sludy. The Hague School accepts this application as truc. Let us follow thei!' exposilion, as given in "De Hell1elschc Leer."

Of a number of examples givcn in lhe Firsl Fascide we only have space for a few. These are:­

"The llnuifestatioll of the .• This menns, not the Lord's Lord and intromission into manifestation hefore Sweden­the spiritual world surpasses borg but His appearance in ail miracles." (Invitation 52.) the fllincss ~f His se~ond

coming in the Doctl'Îne of the Church." (lst Fascicle pp 50.)

"This Ilas 110t beeu gl'anted " The New Ch urch th rough to !l.ny one since the creation. the Divine Hu III ail of the Lord as it has been to me," (Invi­ is the crown of ail chnrches; tation 52) and ail previolls C!l ure b es

frolll the begillinv have exist­ed for the sake of this church and have striven towal'd it," ( lst Fascicle pp 50-~1. )

"The wonderful things seen in the world of spirits and in the heaven of angels are prefixed and subjoined to each chapter," (From Title Page to A.C. )

.. This Churoh is not insti­tuted and established through miracles, but through the reveJation of the spiritual sense, and through the intro­duction of my spirit, and, at the same time, of my body, into the spiritual world, so that 1 might know there what Heaven and hell are, and that in light 1 might imbibe imme­diately from the Lord the truths of faith, whereby man is led to eterna 1life." ( 1nvi­talion) (lst Fascicle, page 50.)

"Man lives a man after dea th." (lst Fascicle, page 49.)

14

These words" signify that each genuine rational state of mat! or each state determined by the ra tiona 1from the celes­tial, is preceded by states of faith, and that it is followed by states of faith from the celestial. A .. chapter " in the Latin cvput, that is, head -signifies in the in ter na 1 sense a spi rit u a 1 st!!. te in which the Lord makes and de ter min e s everything; for the Divine things of the Lord make the spiritual head of man " (Idem. p. 123.)

..... Here the meaning is simi­lar. By the person of Swed­enborg is here described in the internai sellse the man of the New Church, by"my spirit and my body" the internai and the externaJ are indicated which both are being regene­rated. In the highest sense however, it is the Divine Hu­man of the Lord Himself, which is spoken oL"

(lst Fascicle, page 50.)

"The really living man of the New Church is described, who according as he rises from the grave of the letter, becomes a Man that is an image and likeness of the LOl'd, who alone is Man."

( lst Fa~cicle. page 49.)

15

"For this reason it has pleased the Lord to prepare me from my earliest youth to perceive the VvT ord, and Re has introduced me into the spiritual world, and ha s llnlightened me with the light of Ris W ord more proxi­mately. From this it is mani­fest that this surpasses aH miracles." Second Summary 55.--i.e: 'Invitation' 55) Fascicle, p:'lge 51.)

Again in the IThird

(lst

" Here also there i8 clearly spokan of the illustration by the Doctrine of the Church; the word .• the truths of the Church out of the word" can have no other signification. In 0 l' der to understand a passage of this kind it must never be lost sight of that by "the Word" everywhere not only the Old and the New, but also the Third Testament ls meant. The words "from my earliest youth to prepare me to perceive the Word " again signify that beginning with the Most Ancient Church, aH Churches have striven to­wards the Crown of Churches and her illustration, and that they ha ve gradually prepared th~ human race for this; they a Iso signify the prepara tion of every man of the Churchfrom the earliest states of inno­cence ta the fuHness of illus­tration in the Doctrine of the Church; in the highest sense they sig nif y the Divine Ruman itself in His Second Coming." (Ist Fascicle, page 51.)

F asoicle. lla~es 28, 29:-From Spiritual Diary No :5668: "On the education of

little ~bildren in heaveri": ­

"They are with their nurSes whom they caH their mothers."

"A nurse represents inno­cence or " the spiritual-ce!es­tial, " innocence guards, pro­tects. and feeds the spiritual affection of truth, for UIl­

less th is cares for i t as a mother, the affectiün of trnth perishrs."

Iô

.. They are dressed aCCOJ ding " As has been shown above La their diligence, especially, their diligence refers ta the with flowers and garlands." acquiring of scientific~; they

who do this in humility and innocence are gifted with gar­ments. The flowel's and gar­1a nds repl'esen t the th ing~ of intelligence, with which the y are endowed."

We iCould continue ta quotc, but read for yourselves in the First Fasciclepages, 45, 46, 47, 67. 103-:1. 107. 123; and Second Fascicle 12-14, as wel'l as from the Third', as just mentioned.

This is aIl very interesting. Il is fas(~inating. Il is thought out very brillian~y. Il is a clever intcU~cLion;

and by intellection we mean "the act of uflf1erstanding." But what is happening! Where is aH (hi, expos:tion Jeading us to? Let us pause a moment and examine ils methods. We snggest the following notes:­

1. iThe method of expDsilion dcpend's on the premised idea that the Writings are to be tl'eaLed like the Sc ri!)­tures in aIl detail without diffet'ence and reserve. Every word, sentence, paragraph and chapter has a "spiritual" or "internai" meaning.

2. But in the explanation of these wards and phrases, the doctrine given in the Writin~s on kindl'ed subjects, and in plain and direct statements, is uscd ta explain these other statements of the Wr:lings.

3. Does snch a process reveal a ~.pirilllai s~nse tH' Î11trr­

nal sense in the Wrilings?

4. Thus the fundamental question at'iscs: Whon, in l'ead,­ing the Writings, is the suggcsted transposition of the term "Ward" for Writings" ta be made? And, also, whcn NOill to be made? If made-and, as we have suggested, it is against allethic:al prineiple ta aller an author's meaning-we meet with confusion. Sometimcs the result appears to give reasonable reading. CH at least confirms the premised idea of De H emPlsc/ze

]7

Lccr in illlerpreting T.C.n. 228. BlIt, at o,lhl'r times, Lhe change definitely leads in Lhe Wl"Ong direcLion and draws Lhe mind a\Vay from the plain subject and ob­ject \Vith whieh Lhe Wrilings may be deaïng. In olher insLances Lhechange leads to absolllte alslIrdi lieS'. So that, in am" opinhn, this idea, 01" l'Ille. of tl"ansposi!ion of lerms is not in any wa,y to he )"clied on. If ~llidancc is wanted al Lhis lime, and a rnle is asked for in Lhis resped, we advise a very simple one. Il is lhis: Use the term Word, Cl::; J'f'ferJ'ed tn in the lVritin{/8, os the Writings use it theU/selvps. 'Ve cannat go wrong on thal. In statil!g t!lis, wc rely on 'the revealed fael Lhat the tenu WOHD J.l;IS manv varictics

, ,. - ~.. ­oI~ng.

5. The scicnce of elymokgy is treC(llenlly llSPC! hy lhe Dukh Sehool of \vriters. This scicnce is a lls2l'n! siudy. IL deais with "the invcsti~alion of the dc'riv:1Lion .111<1 original signilï2ation (lf words," alsa of their" oi'igin and hislory. But il nced;; ta he hancHe'd with care, for such learning !can lead Lhe mimi astray. Elymokgy may, 1'11 many instances, widclI our visi;)I1 and wc may see a suggestion of SJmo "corrcs()()ndc'ncc.·' BliL'Il Lhese malLers wc shoulct be very earcÎlIi Iwtlo Le tao certain of 0111' coucIusbns. Bence la lise eLymology as a s.cience-like tbat of "corresp~ndp"llc:'s-, and sig­nificalives"-to l'ind a spil'ilunl sens'), or a hidd"ll rneaning "wiUün" lhe plain slat:nl:'nls oi' Ihe WI iiings. requires very grcat caution. Besiùes. whal c1l1 plies La one language does nol apply to annthrr. This is a difficnlty which lhe Editür of De [[eme[selze Leer I11rels on pages 14 and 38 of thL' Glh Fnsciele. 'Wc musl not jump al nny conclusi:JIl lhal lite,r d('ver aml fascinaling sLudies are (Lselosillg any 'spililual sers .~'

of lhe Wrilillgs.

6. IL is [1Iso greally open to qucsli'lll il' slle!l mell10ds of exposilÏJn ùisclose a Disel'~le Di..'gre(~ of ll'uth in {he Wrilings. ,This 0lwns 10) exlensive ii '1r.TR:I'" fCJI" a rew- noles, for it mcans lhaL \V~ musl l'l'vise our whoIe knowledge cflthe 1)(},,!rinc of D~grecs)as gt'VCll in the "Triting.;. This <io"ll'inr l'r!alrs tn UH' [,(;)'(1.

lK

Ihe S[.Jirilual and Nalural Suns, the Spirilual anù N atllral Almospheres, The Hem"cns, Divine Trulh, The Word, and the mind of man. 'But hei'e W~ w:ll only slale, lhat when the Docll'ine al' Discrelc Degrees 1$ applicd ta THE WORD, that is tn the Scripiures, ns ln S.S. 38, D.L.W. 208, aud A.C, 6·1;H(2; (Iaking lhese as il few ke)' passDg~'S) Ihe Writillgs l'der la the con­slruction of the Scri[;tllre:;. 1'.0 a))))lv iL tQJ.lle Wrilings lhemselves is pllre assllmption. IlHlced, the ide~i is suggested thal the -wrTfmgs have Dis~rete Degrees, from the foundalion tea~hing of De Hem('[sclLe Leer that what ever applies to the Scriplures app:ies la the Writings "without difference and reserve." Yet. no student of lhe Dr:ctrines will den)' that I.here are Discrete Degrees of Trulh. But ho,," al! thescin theil" Infinite spiritual variet)' can be exprrsscd in natmal language and drawn oùt of lhe Wriling3 wh:ch express rational trulhs relating ln spiritua.L.ili.i]1g;, il is difficllit ta say. Again TB UTII is not the only concern. There is GOOD and discrcle (legrees of good. Good, as you know 'pertain:; ta love, lo nHectîon, ta will; and, in their essence, one Canl1(lt describe them. On this, say'lhe Writings: "The lhought lhat lhere is such a thingas good is a truth; and knowina and thus thinking lhat a thing is gaad is regal'dedflS a truth; but \vhen that tl'uLh in the thought is sa Joved as ta be willed, and from br,il~g will :xl is (Ione. then sinee il belon~s 10 the hv~ il hceoll1es ,Qocd." (See A.E. 458/1.) Again: "Charil~r is :l spirilu:ll affection which, for the mûst part, cannot br, l'xpressed in words, exeept in most general things.'· (A.C. ï t:ll.) Fol' our part, then: we Ul:gC muclt !11(we sludy on thése- subjects. ­

Sa that if il besaid 'The Wrilings fl.'e lhe \Yard," il sll{)lIld e seen that the term WORDlîl this 'Ql1l':-lse. is IIS('(! in :1

genel'al sense and not in a specifie 'Sense. AIL Di"ine Hc\'(',­Jalion 15 ffïC"Worct; but each Divine Hcvelalion POSSl'SSCS its own special structure and use. And if wc appl)' one sLt'ucture and use ta another structure and use, W':UHlut flU)"

difl'erence andreserve,' only confusioILQf lenns ancl iQ.!}('r tians and lises arise. And byïlôLing Ihe sn))slancc of the

19

phrase 'The \Vrilings are the \Yunl," wc do nul in auy ~iaY discredit the Divine Aulhenlicily of the \Vrilings. The.v arc, if one lil<es ta describe thëm, "Thc Doctl"Înal Worel;" hut the way in which writers -i---nIJetIem('l.~clle LeerÎHlve applied that term, has given l'ise, in P:lIt, to [he l'eecnt controvcrsy. ;\Iany studenls of the \Vdlings are nOl pre­l)arcd ta consent ta such a prmClple, as seL 10rth in the First of the l'hree Leading Theses of the Dutch School of Thought. Yet, freedom has ta be given ta those who wish ta helieve in such a princi pIc, ta develop their OW11 mode of understanding the Doctrines.

You, then, as ministers of YOllr OW11 people, need to see the differences and make up your own mind about lhem, according la your conscience. Yet, atthe same timc; we 3sk you La seriously consiùer the severaC poinls we havc been discusslng. For those responslble for teaching theo­logy in the New Church can onl~r point out whal the Scrip­tures and the Writings teach. They can suggest solnlions la ùifficult passages and note diffcrent inter.prctnlions m::tde by elifferent studenls; but they shonld rcfrain from heJ'ng dogmatic and dictatorial. Eence the phrase. so often used, "As far as 1 unelerstand this;" or, "ln my opinion." This is ta presel've freedom of thought. At the same lime the idea wilhin is: The Writings, as given, are the hasis of our faith. To them wc mllst relurn agnin and again.

20

III.

TRE SECON D THE8r8 OF DE HEMEL8CH~ LEER.

,. The Latin Word without Doctrine is as a candie­stick withollt light, and those who reild the Latin Word without Doctrine, or do Dot acquire for them­

l selves Doctrine from the Latin Word, are in darkness as to ail truth." (cf. 8.8. 50 -61.)

Before taking up the Second of the Thcscs in detail, il is necessary to make a few remadΠconc.:'rning the order of the "General Church."

The "General Chm'ch;" as an oqpn1z[l(ion of the New Church, has not laid down in set statement lznw the 'Vritings are to be understocd, or how tlwy :U'2 1) be read. As an organization il hns given direct and free appr,}[Ich t1 the Writings. Under "Principles" in the pamphlet en­titled "A Statcment of the Ord~r an\:) Organizalion .of the General ,ChUl'ch of the New Jernsalem" by the late Bishop N. D. Pendleton, il is noted:­

"It is not of right or order that the couneil cr flS­

sembly should, by majority YJte, or pronollllocment from the Chair, dccide doctrinal issues) and 'lhcreby bind the conscience of the Church. The Wrilings, as given, arc the suprcl11~ alltho:'ily in rn:llu,'\'s of faith." (Page 2.)

'And furthcr: ­"U is the policy of the General Chllrch, apart (,'om

the requi\'emenls of the civil law~ to aV:lid pas>.ing regulalions with a view to conlrolling its future actions. The object in this is tJ encourag~ a l'l'ce ard ready development of the life of the ChUl'Cl1 ns l'C­

presented in its form and organization." (Pag; 2 )

Although no formai pronouncements on Doctrine W~'re

made from the "Chair" in the discussious on De Herne/selle Leer in 1D33, 1934 and 1937. yet many minis!c\'s of the General Churx:h could not ngl'ee w:th the theses ;1I1d dec\nc:­lions propounded by those pres2nlîng the Hagne PosLÎJn. Hence, the "General Church," as an or{fani::ation, hns Ilct

H�

defined in any detail, how individuals are to understanq this or that doctrine as given in the Writin(!s. For such maUers are afways open for study and discussion on the basis that "The \Vritings, as glven, are rtle sllpreme amnority in matters of faith." This principle of no vote 01' pronouncement on doctrinal matters is hased on the injunction in "The True Christian Religion" (n. /189): "Bllt. my friend, put faith in no council but in the Lord's Word, which is above oouncils." (Sec also Bishop N. D. Penclleton in NelU ClIurch Lite, 1933, pp264,-26,').) The fact that there was eventually separation bC'twecn lhe two schools of thought rerers to matters 'prl"tailling 10 "distur'­bance," "freedom," and "order~" (Sel' the pamphlet cnll­cerning lhe Separation of the Rev. Pfeiffer, Bryn ,Uhyn, Apl'il 7th, 1937; and 1:he two issues of ''The Crisis," May and June, 1937 eclitoo by the Rev. Theodore Pilcairn and those associated with him ;-all dncumenL"i \Vhich you Lieaders have l'l'ad.)

Here, howevcr, we are only concerned \Vith the doctrine. But these matters al'e menlioned, sin~e il is necessary for you to see the l'easonJS as to nü dcfinite decisions in doctrine being officially made in counci!. For it is natural that you Ministers and Leaders look tn 1he Europeans for advice and leadership. You want to kllOW who is right and who is wrong. Yel, in Ihe New Church, .we cannat overlook what is said in Ihe Writings about pladng tl'USt "in coullcils;" and in obedience to that ad'­monition, the General' Church has tri rd If) he consistent. So that in dealing \Vith the Second ,1Ild Tltird Thcscs ot the De lIemelsclle Lee,., olle call1lot place ag<linst the Hague statemenls, what Ihe "General Chllreh" bl'l:eves as an organ(zation, in the fenn or conntet' stat€'IlH'utS. \Ve ean onIy find \Vhat the \Vritings teach and whatindividual ministers of the General Chur,ch bclieve la be tl'lle fr,ml their respective studies. Sa here, wc st.ill keep to the priuciple, lhat Ihe Writings, as giveu, arc the sllpt'cme auLhorily in mallers of failh, and cit the same linlC uole what studeuts have ta say as ta t!leir undcrstanding d the subjects in hanù.

Now let ilS consider the SC'cond T:hesis.

;J,!.

"The Hague Posi lion" slales: ­"'l'hl'! L~tin Ward without Doctrine i5 as a cCltld:e­

stick without light, and· those who read the Latin Ward witbout Doctrine, or do not Ht;quire for them­selves Doctrine from the Latin Word, are in darkness as ta aIl truth" (cf. S.S 50 - 61).

Examine this in the light of quolal i:Jns frum 'lhc \Vritings and references ta the studies of "General Church" Ministers. From the W ritings:

Numbers 50-61 of the "Sacred 'Scriptllr~" should he r~aû

in ful!'Conlext. "Te only give here the snmmary llCadings. S.S. 50. 'l'rhe Docltine of the Chllrch is lo h:- drawn

from lhe sense of tlle lett.er of the Word, andis 10 he eonfirmed thereby."

1. ITheWord cannat ;be understoO<1 without. d·ctrine. 2. Doctrine mnst. be drawn from the sC'nse of t.he

leUer of lhe W ordo 3. But the Divine truth wlüch mnst be of doctrine

appears 'la none but. th:)se who are in enlighlcn;­ment from the Lord.

S.S. 51: refers the reader ta many Scr:pture pnss­ages and shows how they cann:ll he nnderstcod wi th­ont doctrine. (Note the "subje'ct" in thcse ~um!:ers is 'iThe Scriptures." The term "Word" T:f2rs ta them)

S.S. 52: "From al! this it 'is evident that they who read the 'Vard withoul !dootrine, or wl1'J do Ilot nCfjllil',~

fOl' lhemsel ves 'doclrine from 'the \Vurd. al' 2 ln oh­scurity as ta every truth, and that thei!' mind, are wavering and nneertain and prone la errer;; and J'liant ta heresies, which they also embrace wherever in­clination (")]" authorily favours, and their reput:ll i )Il is not endangered. For the Woriù ta them is like a :lamp­stand without a lamp, and in their gloom they secm ta sec many things, and yet s~arci'ly :mything, for dodrine alone is a lamp. 1 have S2en sneh pers ms cxamined by angels and found la Jx~ able te) confirm from the Ward whatevel' they pleas,~, and it was' also found that they confirm what is of lheir own love, and of the love of 'those whom lhey rayaur . And 1 have seen them stripped of lhei!' garmenls.

')'l <,,1"

a. sign Ihat lhey \Vere devoid of truths; fol' in the spiritual world gamlents are lruths'"

S.S. ;)·1: reads: "That by menns of doctrine lite Word not only bocomesinlelligibk, hul also as il \Vere shines \Vith light, is becalls~ ",jthont doctrine' it is not understood, arîd is Iike a Inmpsland .ccandlestick is anolher translation) without a lamp ...... "

S.S, 56: "ft might be believed that the doctrine of genuine tl'nlh could be procul'ed by mea.ns of the spil:rrlt:11 Sënse of the Word \Vhich is fumishec! lhrough a 'knowledge of correspondenc2s. But doctrine is 11')t procured by means or lhal scn:.;c, but .is only lightcd up and corrobclI'ale'd. FOI' as s:üd bef, rè (\To. 20) no ones <x)mes'into the spiritual s::mse of the Word by means of corrcspondenc~s llnl(,ss he ;s firsl in gClluinc truths from doetrine. If man is nol firsl in gellllinc lruths he may falsify the Word by men ns of s.lIne corresponclenecs with whil'h he is acqmlilllcci. by COll­

Ilocting them logethrr and inlerpreling lhem so us ln 'confinn thal which clcavcs 10 his mincI f!'om S()l1\C

prilldple .pre... iously l'ec~i\';·d. I\(OI'COV('1' the sr.Hltwl sense of the Word is not giwn anyone excepl by the I...ord ,alone, and il is g,ùrdcu b.Y IIim as heav(,ll is gual'ded, for hcm'en is in il. IL is ]wllcl' llirrefore fuI' man to study lhe Word in tlle S,'I1',(' of tlle lette!"; fl'om lhis a~one is d:.:elrine rllrllishcd."

(Nole, again, Ihc suhjed 111:1ller of lhe alx1Ve is '~The Scriplllres." The reauêr is eOllsidel'ing, in his m!nd '~Tihc Doclrinc or llie H,)ly S(;ripllll'c:-or, 'The Doctrine of lhe l\e\\' J,'rlls,-t/C'1ll cmcerning the S~lcred

Seripl.urc." )

Re/erellcl's tv .ç/udies 0; "General Churdl Minis/ers."

In an article Lo De, lleml'lsche Lee!' Dr Aeloll \Yl'iles: "These pos:tions have. b~ell arri"ed nI as a logi(,<ll COll­sequence of lhe assnmplion Ihat \Vll:II, in th:: Wrilillgs, is said of the Sacrecl Scriptllre must b,~ :lpplied Lu lhosc \\Tl'ilings Lhemsclv~s "wilhoul any cliffercnce or l'eserve" (pp 27, SO-i.e. First Fas:.:iclc)_ Past slucl('nls have held lhal Lherc lllUSt h..'re he <!s(,l'imiu:llion., l:e1· C:luse of lhe diJ'ïercnl plane on \Yliiclllhe \Vrilings arc

~·1

wrillen; for if the ultimates of revelalion m'c distinclly different, then the means of unfo!ding th·:~se u11imntcs must likewise be distindly different. Ccl·tuinly wc coutel not apply ta the Wl'itings "withont any dif­

1 ference or rcserve" the teaching that "being in wardly \ spiritual and celestial, the Ward has b~~cn wn'tleu by

mere correspondences; and what is wrîtten by mere correspondences is written in the ultimate .<;ense. in a style such as in the Protlhets and Gospels" (S.S. 8.)

) Clearly the Wrilings are not written in sneh Il style. , (De Hemelsche Leer. Second Fasciclc pp. lÜ'-l1.)

"Itisnotcontencled, (\Vrote Bishop W.F. Pc'ndleton) that the Writings are the Ward such as il is in hcaven in ils enlirety or fulness." And, as thong:l f,.lrcs2eing the future, he adels; "Il seems necessary to s~y this but it should Ilot be necessary."(N.C.L. 1900; p. 116.) Qlloted by Dr Aclon; Second Fascicle J),~ Hemclsche Leer p. 16.) \

(Note: The subject matter also )"<'fcrs to "dce,· trine." The whole chaptcr enlillecl "The Doctrine of Genuine Truth" as given in Bishop W. F. Pendleton's "Science of Exposition" should be rc­read. We only quote in. part);­

"Doctrine is teaching, and Divine Doctrine is Di­vine teaehing. Il is the Lord .t~aching the trut h con· cerning Himself and the way to Him. Hence we read that "inasmnch as the Lord is the WOI'C1, Hc is also doctrine" (A.C. 2533.1 28:')9.) and that "tile L'0rd is doctrine itself, for the aH of doctrin3 proceeds frem Him, and the ail of doctrine trcats of Him." (A.C. 5321); also that "The Lord is dcclrine ilself,and therefore in the Ward He is called the Worel; the 'l'ruth. the Light, the Way, the Door." (A.C. 2516. 2531, 3364, 3393.) "The internai sens<) is doc­trine itself" (A.C. 9380). "The doctrine which sholiid be for a lamp is what the internai sense teaches, thus il is the internai sense itself" (A.C. 10400). '~T'he

trué 'doctrine of the Church, is what is hcre called the internai sense." (A.C. 9025.) "The doctl'ine (of the New Church) is from heaven, being Tram the spiritual sense of the Ward, which is the same as the

:!:i

doctrine that is in heaven" (H.D. 7). Tt is :11so said. as in number 3712, that "hy doctrine is mcanL the Word as it is in its literaI sense." (A.C. 7089.)

"IL is clear, therefore, thnt the tr'rm doctrine is used in more than one sensé' in the 'Vl"ilings, but we are here interested in the doctrine which is callee! the doctrine of genuine truth, bec~use it is tl'is do~trine

that is specially iï1ëant when it is s~c id tha 1 the Wordis not une!erstooct wilhout do::;trine. (A.C. 10582; S.S. 50,51,52; \V.H. 8; A.H. 320; A,E, 356:) IL is also saicl of this docctrine that it is to he drawn from the lileral sense of the 'Yord; (A.C. 3447, 3464, 107{j3; S.S. ;53-;')6. 59; T.C.H. 229'-230.) and that il e!oes not appear in the sense Gf the lelte]" of the 'Yore! to an~T but ihose who are in illustration fI' am the Lore!. (A.C. 9121; S.S.57-61; T.C.R. 231,-233); also thnt by the genuine truths of the literaI sense of the \Vord which are 'at the samc lime general trulhs. there is introdllc!ion t:l the internai sense."

" ...... '1'here is slill anolhcl' S"llSC ill which the tCl'ln doctrine is used in the Wrilings. Bé'sides the Divine Doctrine in its various forms rcveal~'d for the instrllC':­tion of men. lhere is d')(~lrinc' drawn from revelaLion and confirmed by it for lhe use of lhe church by those who arc in illustration frul11 the Lord. Evcry church 01' bodv cf lhe c1mrch musl have ils doctrine so for­mulnled and cmbodied thal it may becomc i:s working crecd. Divine Hevelalion, allhough it i, Divinc Doc­trine or teachillg Divillely giv~'n ta men. is like a se:! or immense l'olleeliull of watc'rs surrouilding conlinents und islanc\s. lhat needs to be ex!)lored and sun·cyec1 .. hefore lhat which il eontains can he l11'ld~' of use in the orWl11izec\ work of men. Tt is n('l'~'ssal'Y: lhcrcf'orc, lhal greal masses or co:leclions of' truths. ('VCII lite trulhs of nalure, shoulc\ be l'edllc.'cl t) d:)('lrine und lhus made ready for use. A ehurch or organic body 01' men cannol hdcl tlgl'lhcr.. caHnct evën l~x:sL with­ouf ils own c\octrinc or creecl, fGl'lllulaL'c1 l'rolll the immense mass of revl'1alioH which lite Lord has given lo m3nkinc!. Hencc wc have tilt' leaehing thill "the

26

case is the same in general with the dllln.:h Whèll it is being established ane\v-Ihe doetrlnals of g')(id' and truth must be gathered into on2, for iL is upon thcse Ihat the church is built." (A.C. 3786.) ("Science or Exposition" pp. 406, 407, 40D, '110).

In his l'eview of the Dutch Sehool aI Ihollght, BislFlp N. D. Pendleton wrote:­

"Ever)' \Vord ever given ta man \Vas designed' to he the doctrine of the chureh, t:J which, or for the sake of which, it \Vas given. . And each successive 'Vonl has been increasingly doctrinal in form. Unlcss we see the \Vritings as 'doctrine, and as the Doctrine of the Church, wc shaH come undè~r some ether doctrine and sorne othel' dominion. Certainl)', as wc receive theWord of Doctrin~, our undcrstand'ing will, in accord \Vith ils qualiLy, form doctrine thence, <'ven the doctrine which will serve it as a light la glli(i<'. This isa God-given gift to man, and sa a human nccessity. ;'Phis necessity brings withit the gravest of nSQons­ibilities, for in the formaLi·on of dedved doctrine the mind of man may take a l'ight or a wrrmg turning. IThe mind ma)' turn and return ta the revea!ecl \Vol';!, in faithfulness, or it may turn 'in andllpon itself, and there, in an endless cyde, 'become entangled \vith the vision of its own states; sa mliéhS1 as 10 mistake those states for the univcrse of truth."(New Churoh Lite, May, 1933, p. 275.)

Many more quotations Icüuld be givCll, but as thC'se noIes ::Ire only intended la be an outline, imficating a number of important and useful points in the differcncds eoncerned, we will refrain from further comment at this jLlllc!lll'C. In our concluding section we shall indicate how the sub... jects hel'e noted touch the work of OUi' field as MissLmaeics.

Bere the chief point to be nated is thnt numhel's 50-61 of 11he DOtCtrine of the Sacred Scripture, if app:Iied ta the Writings "withçmt difference or reservc:' is an appE-­cation, whieh, as has already been seen, is seriously open to question. T!he Writings definitely l'efer ta the Scrip'­tures, in these numbers. '1Ihe lise and appEcation of the termWORD, as used in the Writings) indicat2s that dis­tinction and qualification are necessary.

Z7

IV.

l'HΠl'HIRD l'HESIS OH DE HEMELSCHE LEER.

"The genuine Doctrine of the Church is~.lrilllal

out of celestial oriE~n, but nût out of rational <»Tgiil. The Lord is that Doctrine itseH." (cf. A.C. 2496,2497, 2510,2;)16,2533,2859 i A.E. 19.)

Ali the numbers in the ftrcl1na Cœleslia here referred ta. need ta be read, as also p1aces where the \Vrilings, in those numbers, refer the reader ta other numbers for more expli'cation. Indeed, the whole chapter of the InternaI Sense of Genesis XX. (A.C. 2~196'-2588) should he stlldied. Here, however, we will guote a Humber of the given re­ferences. since il is essential ta note the subjeets treated ofimmediately and (1 iI'ccU y : These are:­

;Le. 219fi:

"ln the IweHth chapter ahovc, Abr:llwm's sojourll­ing in Egypt has been treated of; lJy which ~vas

signified the Lord's instruction in memory-knowledgcs .csc'ictltificis) while still a boy. In this chapter the subject treated ofis Abraham's sojourn in Ger::r, where Abimelech \Vas; by wl1'ic'h Ihe L'ord's instruçtlon is in like manner signifïed, but in the doctrinal things or charity ancl [aith. The subject that is especially trealed here is the doctrine of charity and faith in resped la its origin; namely. that il is spiritual from acclcstial o['igin, but is Int from the rational."

iLC. 2497:

"The Lord's slale in whkh Ile was wh~n lIe lïl'sl instructed Himself in Ihe doctrinal thjl1g~ of ellal'ily and failh is trenled of; the state ilself is signified by "Kadesh and Shur," the docll'ine of faith ily "Alli·· melech king of Gerar." (verses 1,2.) That he first thought in regard ta the rational thaL il sIJOuld he consultcd (verse 2). That still il \Vas not <::onsultecl (verses :-3,4,8,9), The l'casons why He so lhnught

ZR

(verses 5,6,10 lo 13). Thal lhe ùodl'Îlle of charily und faith is spiritual t'rom u !celeslÏell origiu (vers,:) 7). l'hatHe was so inslrllelcd; ami thnt theu :\11 lhings rational, as wcll as ail memory-knowledgL's (scicn­l.it'ica),wcre of' service to Him, bé'ing likc à cevel ing or garment (verses 14 to 16). And in this way the doclrine was perfcct (verse 17) Thal il wOllld llélve been otherwisc if the doclrine h:1Ù c:ane l'n)ll} the rationaJ" (verse 18).

A.C. 2510: "Thal "Abimclech" is the doctrine of faith LJoking

to rational Ihings, is evident from tite facl thal. he looked upon Sarah, not as Abraham 's wJe, but as his sister; and by Sarah as a ,sistel' is signi ficd ralion:l~

truth (n. 2508). The same is also manif"s!. l'rom wh:)t follows; for Ihe doctrine of fail1l is there lrcatcd cf, as to whethel' it has its origin [l'(,m the ralÎJn:ll. or from the célestia!. Henc2, "Abim'~lech" signifies .the ({oelrine of t'aith Iooking 1.0 rati;)I1~11 things. 'Doctrine \s said to look to 'rational thing.> when njlhi ng is acknowledged as truth of Ickclr:nc cxccp:t wila! can De ,comprehended by the re,lson, sn that th~ c;mideratkn of ,a1'l' things which are of d:clrinc is l'rom the ratinna!. Yet that the doctrine of faith is no;!. froma rational bul from a ce:estial origin, is laught in tl1einternal sense in what follow,;":

A.. C. 2511: .. And look Sarah. "That this signifies the affection

consuning Lhe raLional, is evident from Ih~~ ~ignifi('alion.

of Sarah as a "sister:' as being ration1.1 trulli (sec n.2508):and alsofrom the signifkalion 01 ''!aking'' her, ~s bein.g from aIfectioll bward her ,:thus, in the internai sense. from Ihe affection of conslilling the ratIOnal. Thc things conlall1ed in this verse invi:lve Ihe Lord's first thought respecting the d;;cLrine of faUh. as to whether it would be wen la ,consult 1he rational or not. The rcason why the first thought \Vas 01 such a ~hal'acter 1s that the Lord progrçssé'd {lccé,y'ding to ail Divine Order; and whatevcr \Vas of the Human

20

into which He was bol'11, and which He derived from the mother must necessarily b:? put off in order tbal He miJ!ht 1;mt on Ihe DiYinp; l!lus nrso Ihis hUlIlal, thonght, namely as [0 whelher the ralional \Vas tu be consullcd in J'('~ard 10 the doctrInal lhillgs of Taith."

A.C. 2516:

" Belwld. thou 1.t1Jt eUe lw<:au.~(' of the 11:011/011. Thal Ihis signifies Ihat the doctrine of faith wouldb~comc

null and void if the rational \Vere consulter! as ta its contents, is evident from the sign:t'ic.ation of "Abime­1cch," who is her~ addresed, as being the doctrine cf faith; from 'the signification of 'dring,' as .Deinrr io bœome nul! and void; and from Ihe signi/ïeal iall of a "sisteJ·." who is here ca'ilcd "the woman." as bein~

Ihe rational (see n.2508). Helice. now by "Abimelcch dying because of Ihe wamnn" is signilï~'d that the doq· tJ'inc 6f failh would hecome oecame null and y·.:hl'if the rational wel'c consultcd. (2) The reason why there is. no doctrine of faith from ·the l'a lional. is lhal the rational ïs· in appeal'ances of goou' and trlllh. which appearances are not in tht,JtJsdvcs truths .Cas hefore shawn. n.2053. 2196,. 220l 2209.) Mare()\,cr the rational has under it faUacies which arc from l'xlcrnfll· sensllous th:ngs coniinned by l1Iemory-knowlecJgrs, ~scienlifiea) which inducc obscurity in Ihese appear­~mees of tl'uth. The rational fol' the mostuart 15

merel)' human, as also is evjd~nt l'rom its birlh; and this is why nothing doctrinal of faith can begin from il, and slill less be 'conslruded from it; hut musi he l'rom the Lord's D.ivil1e llself and Divine Hlll11an. This is ils origin, and indee:! sa cnlirely thnt the Ll()rd 'ls doctl'ine itself; on _wli.ich aceollnt also ln the Ward, He is callcd Ihe Wor!â, the l'l'Il th, the Lighl, the "Vay, the DoOJ'; and twhat is an arcanuJtJ) all doctrine is fJ'om the Divine good ard the Divine [l'lIth. and has in ilself the heavenly m<uTini:('. Doctrine that 'has not this in il is not the gcn ui He dodri ne of fwth.' Bence il is that in aIl IJarliculars of the Word (the source of dodJ'inc)'theJ'e is an imag~ of a marI­ringc(sce n.(j83~ in:l. 801). (:n fil thelil(~r;l1 01'

~fJ

exlernat sense of the Ward lhe dodrinc of f3ith does indccd appear as if il poss::ssed much from Othe rational, :md even from lhe llalnral; but this is he­cause thc 'Vonl is fOl' man, mil! has been 111 (his manner accommodated to hirm'; but still in itself il is spiritual from acclestial ori.gin, that is from Divine truth coriioined with the Divine goodo Th::!t Doctrine would become null and void if as to its con"tents the rational wel'e consulted, wiU be illustratcd by examp:lcs in what follows."

Arter reading these passages, and it is hope;! that th:s whole ~hapter of Genesis (xx) will be read. each stuclent of the Writings, aocording to his knowledge an:! stalc of 'mind, will draw information an'd make his own conclusion. This process will take place ln eac11 generation. For the moment, however, we sllggest the folbw:ng ohservations:

1. That !Ît is very essenlial that the fall Lext 'of Ihe Writings be studied and not eiltir~ reliance Le made on a condense<:l Thcsis of such high and deep doctrines as are hcre refcned ta.

2. That the basis of the doctrine here givcn rests on the Word--The Scriptures-here Gencsis XX.

3. That the Writings are here giving the truc doctrine concernina: the internai sense of Genesis XX.

4. No one will doubt that the genuine doctrine of the church is sRiritual out ota celestial orlgill ~nd

not oufOë a~alional origin. . - 0- .

5. That the teaching in these nllmbers of lhe Arcana Cœlestla rcfers ta (1) The Lord, His Perce,plion and the process of His Glorification in which Hi3 lIuman is made Divine. And (2) 10 man's rc­cep(ion of doctrinc. Hence 'careful distinction has ta be ~made betwcen them, and the process of the former should not be applied tothe lallcl', The condition of 'an image' should al ways be rcmembered.

31

6. That the dodrinal things of fa.ilh, at"c iù lhl'il' entîl'ely from the Divin~;'whidl"is i~'irii,tely above the. human raqon~l.(Scci \\,ho:én~üri6el' 2~t n,)

'.;' ',. . ".

7. ThdUgh: it appèats 'as if man's failh, his charity, 4is, doctrine is from a rational origin, yel in ~cssencc, in first origin, lhese things are from the Divine-from the marriage of Good and Tl'n!h, Love and Wisdom in the Divine.

Now the differcncc betwccn "The General Chul'cll'! and "The Hague Position," in thesc doctrines, secms to he not in the doctrine, as a doctrine, bat in ils :lpplîcalion to individual en1ïghtenment and ta the cnlighlenment of the church as a whole. A few examples of the differenc'C may be scen 'in the fo!lowing qllotali,ms:­

THEGENERALCHURCH THE HAGLE POSITION.

(As expressed hy Dr Acton,) (As e x pl' e s s e d by Rev. "'l'he doc tri ne that the Pfeiffer. )

Writings have an intern:d .• The essential con te n ts

sense, and that this is revealed of t.hese ûiucic!ations are the in sorne way by or in connec­ twoahove Ilarlled teachings, tin with the doctrine of the namely that th e DOCTRIN E Ch urch bOl:n in tht' regenera te of l'HE SAC RED SCRlP­man, has led the D li te h TURE must he applied to the writers to the fur the r con­ Third Testanlent w i th 0 ut clusion that the doctrine thus C!ifferenee and reserve, and born is iTselfDivine. Stal·ting tliat theDoctrint'ofthe with the te a chi n g that the Chllrch is of Divine Origin, of Lord can dwell only in what Divine essence and of Divine is His own, a syllogism is con· Au th ori ty." (Second Fascicle structed which ends with the p 165.) conclusion that man's rccep­tion of the Lord i8 also Divine, and' that cOIH;equently. the doctrine of the Chul'ch which is thusboi'n i;;" of Di -Ir in ë Origin, of Divine Essence, and of Divine Au thority." (N. C.L. May Hl:13, p.l7:1. )

:~2

" The thought that I:he (Heviewing Dr Actou, Rev. doctrines of the New Church Pfeiffer states:·) must be drawn from the Writing'l and con fi r m e d ..... Jf~f;ile the doct?'ine of the " ... b :.' ~ . . - - '. . ChuTcn dmw71 !rom. those and

tne.e V ,.., tl·y n<l men,,·", ney," j~ '71' ," [• .J'. 't's e"l'J/'. "'" . . 7 . . .... " . ...." li' (/ el! oy ,nen,.z Z op '~ "!J 111 the ChurL.h. \\ hM 1" BL,W revealed. The reVlewer IllIS­

.in the present view is thélt in takes the litHal ~en!-'e of the the 'Writings the Heavenly Doctrine for the proper Doc­Doctrine is covered with a trine itself, of which it. is said veil ( 1/7) and so His not a.ppa.- "thar~lr is. ~pi,~itual ,out.9.f . t" ( 1{73) h'l ' th celest1al orlgl!l ( A. C. 2946,

l'en. p. ,w 1 e!Il e 2510) "that the Lord is that doctrme ofthe Cnurch drawn Doctrine it~elf" (A. C. 2859) from those Writings and and "tbattheint.ernalseni'e formulated by men, it is open- is the Doetrine uf the Church ly revealed, In other words, itself" (N.J. H. D. 260: A. C. thE' men of the Church will 9025. 9nO, 10400, and in many be able to supply a vehicle of other places.) It.has b e e n

, clearly explallled JO De He· words where-m the Heavenly melsc1;e Lee)" that this Doc. Doctrine is clearly set forth trine is an internai vision of to view, while Swedenborg (thetruth 'froin'tne Lord~-ffiat

was unable to do this, or un- it ex'ists onlYi~stcl.te of willing. And the question will enlightenment in the living naturally arise: if Sweoen- mind of a regenerll.ted man,

· that in the moment in whichborg was unable, by vutue 't . d' t t

. 1 18 expresse or w l' 1 e n of what supenor adva.ntages \ down in natural words the shall others be ahle? or if un- truth thetoof for those' who willin~, on what grounds shall 1 are not likewise in tha t sta te, others be willing? 1 is again veiled and sealed;

(De Hemelsche Leer Second yea, the veil of truth in the Fascicle p. 22, The ?':ferences lit,aral sense of the Doctrine

.. of the Church has become 117, 1173, re/er to Fzrst Fascwle still thicker th an it was in and respective partes.) the lett,er of t.he Third Testa.

ment. It is entirely in dis­agreement with the position of De Hemelsche Lee?' to say' that the trnth has been openly reveaJed in the letter of the Doctriue, for m u 1cl. t e d by men." (The criticslll >:hould be read further, pages 183 on· ward, Second Fascicle)

- -

:Ll

\\Te could conliuue lo (ruole aL lellgtll and pl ace sLl [('1l1('!1l agaillsl statement, for this Jitcrature hns been sent to you for consideralion."" And wc fintl the lüarned men of Lhe ChllI'ch differing tram each olhel' in lhe ullderslanding of doctrine, yet oul of justice ta bolh sides, wc 'ShOllld hear bath sides' and read both sides. In the end we have lo go, each one. as'-if-of-himself, to lhe source of Divine Be\'ela­lion,' and learn what the Sc~ri.l)tLlrcs and the \Vril ings haye to teach us. And in this l\fr A 'will never scecxactly the sa'll1e 'as Ml' B. An that A and B can do is (0 uniLe on a general prill'ciple. If lhey do not agl'ce on Ihat, there will be a differencc, and Ihey will agree to ditTer.

\\Te find, also, (hat one doctrine lc'a:ds tcJ <llwLller, and Lhat one docll'ine depcniZls 011 anothcr. This is s.) 1wcalisc of the unity which exisls betwcen all things of God and Man and belween Heaven ana The Chur'ch, ilS SEEN BY

. 'l'lIE LORD J-lIM5ELF. And as 1!le Wrilings ~pe[lk c~n-

ccrning DEGREES~in the Lord. in the Heavcns. in the , "Voni. in llle mind of 111aI~ jlhe 1l1:lltcr of the oiJcninu:

of Lhe degrecs in man, as a result or rcgcllCI'tllion, {:Oll!CS

Lo noti,ce. This, again, is an exlensivc slLh,j.:'el, hllL ~IS a general guidance il is US:~flll to Ilote Ihe follo\Ving. \Vc quole fram "The Divine Love HIl(l \\ïsdolJl" 237, 238, (Halics Oll1'S):­

"\\'hen man is ])ol'n hl' ~()m~'s fin;! iuto the nalliraJ degrce. and [his grows in hilll by continuily, accoi'dillg (0 his kJlo\Yledges and the undcrsLaljding HCqllÏl'cd Ily means of kno\Y]cdgc;s ('VCl! lo Ill(' highesl point (JI'

lIuderslancling, whidl is e:llled lhe raLii2,lwl, Yd no!

by Ihis Illeans is the second degl'cc opene:L \Yhich is callcd Lhe spirilual. Thal drgree is opend hy l1lC[lJ)S

of a love of uses in accardanee with t1w lhings d .lhe

'~S('!' .:nd Fascic!e, Dr HCllI. Lcrr, pp. ,-J-D/), RI'iJiew by Dr rJelon. Idem. pp. 109-197. Rev. I~r{'(lfrr's rCfiLy.

Sec {{Iso Ncu' C/lIIrcfJ L((r, May, ./.988, pr. ./ôÎ-ln. "Thr CrI/rial Point in the Dl/tciJ Pllsilion." 13y Dr Aclon.

Idem. May, 1!J38, pp. [9[- -:06. "Thc Nature {/nd Deri­'ililtiou (If Doctrine>. " kt. Rr'l). Gr(l1~!!,'r dr Ch:lrms.

:\-1

ullderslanding, allhough by a spirilual love of nses, which is loyetoward the neighbour. This degl'ee may grow ll1 fike manner by continuous dcgrces to ils height, and it grows by means oT knowledges of, truth and good, that is by spïritual tl'llths. YeL even Il,)' snch h'uths the third degree which Î<; callcel Ule cerestial is not opened; for this dcgrc(~ is opcned hy means of the celestial love of use, which is lo\'e lù the LoI'd; and love ta the Lord' is nolhing else than com'­mitting to We the j)reccpts of Ule Word. the sum of which is to nee ,from evils because they are hellish and devilish, and to do gDod becaus:" it is hC'avenly and Divine. In this manner lhes:; lIuee dcgrees arc successively opened in man."

"Sa long al) man lives in .the world lw knows nolhil1g of the opening of these degrees wilhin him, becausc LW is then in the natural degree, which is the ontmost, and from this he then thinks, wUs, spcaks and 'acls; and the spiritual degree, which is iulerior, cornmllllicates wI'th the natural degree, not hS conlinuii.y, but by 'Correspondences, .and communication I)!J Clorres pond­ences is not sensibly lell. But when man puts off llie natural degree, \vhich he does at dcath, he cornes iulo lhat degree which has heen Ol)ened \\'iihin him in the \vorId; he in whom the spÎl·jt ual dl'g"C'~ has heeJl opened,coming into lhaldegree, and he witltin whOl1l the celestial degree has been opencd, coming intI) thal degree. He who comes into the spirrilual de~re:.'. aller death no longer thinks, wills, speaks and acls n:ltul'ally, but spiriLually; and he who cornes into the celcsli:H (.!l'gree lhinks,wlIls, speaks and acts according to t!lal degree. And as there can be comm unic.ation h­tween lhe three degrees only by correspouc!enc('s. {fte

'differences of love, wisdom and use as regards t/7ese degrees are such as to have no common ground by means of anythi~g continuous. From aIl this it is plain that man has three 'degrees of height that may he sllccessive!~r oppned in him. n

:35

There is then the need tü keep in mind that the 'COIn!­

munication: by means of correspondences, "IS NOT SENSIBLy FELT." and that as "long as we live in the world we kno,," nothing of the oQ...ening 01' these oe.grees ----- .....~

within us. We cannot wrl1e about those things of which we arc unconscious.

This condition is noteo by Bishop Pel1dleton.as follows: "AU New Churchmen pray thata spiritual under l

standing may be given Ihem; but as 'to whether the iJC.lerior de;;l'e~s of their ,minds 8r~ o1)ened by regenef. ration they know not, as long as Iife lasts. And this or merey, because of the dang,'Ts which arise from a conscious feeling {hat the spiritual oegl-ee of the- _.~---

mind is o,pened as a resu/t of regeneration. These dangers are more 1han can be here stated. Henee the warning in the Writings; "tlTa"tan openin8'-of ~he

interior degrees of the mind is not per.ceiueà orsensed by man uritil alter his departure out 'or the .world." (D.P. 32.) (N.C.L. May, H):~:1. p 2ï:1.,)

:"$(i

v.

THE USE OF. THE TERi\l "DIVINE."

Interwoven with the consideration of the Three Leading Theses of lhe "De Hemclsche Leer," is th? disCL1S' ;ion of the nature of the reception of the Divine in <1ngels and men.

The collateral literature on the subject is as under:­"A Correspondenoe on the Essence of the Latin \Y';r'd and lhe Divinity of the Doctrine of the Chnrch." "De HernelseIze Leer" <!th Fascicle. pp. 37-142.

(This is a record of leUers betwecn Revs Ernest Pfeiffm', Albert Bjorck and Thcodore PitC<l.iril.)

"The Non Divinity of the Reg~nerale 7I'1;m," by the Rev. J-lugoLj. Odhncl'. 'Wew ChumIz Li/-,,' ;'IIay: 1933 pp. 238-2.50.

"The Divine !within 'Men and Angels:" by Bishop N.D. Penclieton. "New Chul10Iz Lite" iM·ay, 1934 pp. 163-173. "Divine Creation and the Divine Proceeding" by

, Bishop George de Charms. "New CIzliraIz Lite June, 1937, pp. 250-263.

From a sludy of the above namccl contributions. the difficully seems to be lhe interprclation and application of the tenu 'Divine;' though, il appears, that both sides agree that man cannàt become 'Divine.' The following comparison would affirm lhis: ­

THE GENERAL OHUROH. THE HAGUE POSITION.

(As stated by Dr Acton.) (As stated by Rev, T. Pitcairn)

"WeIl 1 know that man "It wonld be a ter r i b 1e cannat he or become Divine, thing indeed ta make man

Divine. The whole thoughtand that the ward" Divine" of" The Lord's .N ew Chur~!l can nevar be appliecl to bim in the New Jerusalem» (tbe

any sense whatsoever, Ta name we now have)* is tbat do sa would be monstrons." man of b i m sel f bas no (N.C.L. May, 1933, Page 73.) spiritual life, but of the Lord's

• The official name now is : ­THE LORO'S NEW CHURCH WHIOH 18 NOVA HIEROSOLYMA.

:17

llwrey lil:l can l'ecuive good and trnth fro Hl the Lor cl which is the Lord's with him 'lnd. never man's but whiclJ the Lord ca use" to appear as if it werl:l man's, although the man must. never claim it as his o~n, but must ascribe ail goocl and truth to the Lord," (F r 0 lU ale t ter: ., Ta a member of the Mission in repiy to a letter." August, 2~)th, 1938.)

Note, howeyer, should he made of the phrase "The Divine from itself." (D.P. 52.)

As an example of the diffcrcnee of view, compare the following: ­

THE GENERAL UHURCH.

(As noted by Rev. Hugo Lj, Odhner.)

It is i li ti matecl hy one of the writers that the teach~rs of tile New Ch m'ch have thus far neglected an important item of doetrine. He say;;:" The.v a 1'0 not aware of the cognition out of the Third Tèstament that not only the Divine itself is called Divine, but also that w hich is from the Div i Il e down to the very lasts ofcrea tian is called Divine ... But it is plain from the Thire! Testa­ment that there is a Divine in ltself which is Ul1create and infinite. and there is the Divine from the Divine. You have i g n or e d this fun da­mental truth ... The differenee between the Lord's HUllJan and man's human after rcgc­neration b Ilot that. the olle j;.:

THE HAGUE POSITION.

(As not;od by Rev, E. Pfeiffer)

,; ... The meanillg of a term is Ilot Illa:l(~ by man but it- is found hy him in the W 0 rd. The point thefol'e i~ not that; other;;; have not been aware that we have given sueh a meanillg to the term Divine; but the point is that we are ignorant of the faet that this IS the meauillg wh i e h the Latill ,\l'orel always gives the term Divine when the subject is not the Dù:ùze ùz itself, but the Divine lrom itiself( D. P. ;B. ) 'L'here ':lr() several places whel'e tile Latin Word ex­plicitly speaks of "The Divine things of thb Church" (see one place D. P. 215.) And whereas nnn whel\ he is being regclH)­rated is made a Chureh ( A. C. a654, 39:39. 4427, 6113, g:rZ;j, 10:110,) ir i;; a!so po"... ihle and

:H<

Divine and the other not Di­vine, but that the one is the Divine Itself and the other i~

Divine from the Div i Il e ... "EI>;ewhere it is said, " Also l'ecipients ( of the Divine, ) though fini te, must be purely Divine." (see De Hemelsehe Leer 4/p. 82;è:\lld 67. )

In defense of this usage of the tertn Divine to apply ta finite things, (like the new proprium of man-De Hemel· selle Leer, 4/p. 98), the writer disa vows any desire to create a new nom e n c 1a t ure, but claims tbat "this is the meaning wbich the Lat i n Word always gives to the term Divine when the subject is not the DiviGe ltselfbut tbe Divine from the Divine (D. P. 52." De H. Lee,., p. 133.)

If this were indeed true, then the writer's disclosnre would be of utmost impor­tance. We are convinced, however, that the w rit e l' merely reads an erraI' into the Writin~s,-an error wh i ch originates with the ancient confusion between that finite thing w hic h may represent or signify the Divine and the Divine whicn is repre5ented. This error has been carried up tbougb the ages by my­thology, ancient phihsophy, mysticism, and poetry, and has even come in ta cam ~on

speech. " ...... ln the Writings ...... the

term Divine is carefully de­fined to mean what is Inft'· râte." (N. C. L., May, 1933 pp. 238, 239. Article should he .read. )

orderly to spaak of" the Di­vi ne t hi n g s of ma n." lt ought. ta he plain that thereb.v the Lord is exalted. and n~t

mar' ...... When man' sees the Divine things nfthe Ward within himself, which can on1y be by virtue of the open­irJg of the spiritua 1 ùegree of the mind, he sees t,ruths in light (cf D. L. W. 252. ) That man CHn see the Divine things within himself, and that this seei ngis out of Heaven, is describecl in 10675 of the .Ar~ana·' (De H. Leer. 4/133. )

:i!)

This discussion covcrs many, many pagês .. but <In idl'<l of the difference of view may be obtained from the foregoing. But let us note, again, sorne direct qllolMions from the Writings thcmselves, which \Vere llscd Il.'' the wrilers who took part in these discussions.

iLC. 9338: Seelion 6: "For heavcn is nothillg cise than Ihe Divine tmlh

. which procecds from the Lord's Divine good. The angels of heaven are recipicnls of truth. in good; and in sa far as the)' receive this, so far Ihey make heaven. And-this is a secret-the Lord docs not dweH with an an gel except in His .Own wilh him. In like manner He dwells ,>,yith a .man; for Ihe Divi:1e .rnust be in \Vhat is Djvine, and not ill what helongs to allY man. This is me:mt by tile words of the Lord concerning the union of HimSt'lf with those wIn arc in the good of love, in John:­

"ln that day ye shaH know Ihat 1 am in the Falher ~nd ye in Me, and 1 .in YOIl. He lhat loveth Mc keepcth lV[y ward, and \Ve will come inlo him, and mnkc 0111' aboc!e with him." (XIV. 20: 23.) (John XVII. 22, 26; atso quoted.)

ILC. 3·l!.)ü: ("The Contents" of (;cnC'sis XXVII.) "In the preceding chapll'rs, wherc Isaac and Rc­

bekah arc treated of, the subjceLinlhe jnternal S2nse IS rhe rational and how the Lord made il Divine in Himself. In the present chapler, in the internai sense Ihe subject is the nalural, and how Ihe Lord made il Divine in Himself. "Esau" is the good tlwreof. and "Jaeob" the lrnlh. Fol' when the Lord \Vas in lhe world He made His whole r-{lIman Divine in Himsrlf, bolh the interior Human whlch is Ihe rational and Ihe exterior lIuman which is the natilral, and nlso t.he very cor poreal; and 1his nCl:Ol"ding to Di Yi iLC order, according lo which fhe Lord also makes new ùr r('­generates man. And, lhcrefore, in Ihe represent.ativc sense Ihe rrgeneration of mail as 10 his Ilatllrat is als~

treated of, in which sense "Esuu" js Ihe goad oi' lhe naluraL and 'Ja'cob' the trllth thel'cor and Yl!l bot,/).

Divine, because al! lhe good and tmtll in one who is regener'alc are From Ihe Lord." (HaUes ollrs.)

:10

A.C. 2023: ,:lnd la lJzy seed aller il/ce. (Gcncsis XVII:i.) "That this signifies the Divine thmce cterived \Vith

those who have faith in Him, is e\'idcnt from the sig'­nificaLion of "seed," as being the fa1th of charity (sel' n. 1025" 14,17, 1610); and a.Jso from the s:gnirication of "artel' thee," as being to follow Him (exphün('d just ahove, n. 2019). The Divine with those who have faith in the Lord ls love and 'charity. By love is meauf love to the Lord; and by 'c'lIOI'il!J: love toward the neighbour."

.1.e. 10151. (Exadus XXIX:44.): "And the aUar." "That this signifies reccp!ivity of the

Divine from the Lord in the highel' heavens, is evirIent from the sl.gni1ïœtion of "sanclifying,' as heing reœp'­tivity of the Divine from the Lord (s:'c above 11.101-19), and from the signification of "Uw altar," as being a representative of the Lord as to Divine good (n, 99ô4) 'here as to the Divine gocid proeceding [rom Him in the heavens where it is received, thus fn theh igber heavens, for the1'e the Lord is 1'('ccived as to Divine good; but in the 10we1' heavens the Lordis receivecl as lo Divine truth (as \Vas shown jus!' Ilbove. n.10150). '( 2) Be it known that whatever represented Ihe Lürd Himself alsa rep1'esented heaven, fOl' the Divine that proceeds from the Lord. wheu received' hy the angels

J

makes heaven. Thus in respect ta what is their own the angels themseh'es do not make heaycn; hut in respect to the Divine which they receive from the L'ord. That this is sa can be seen from 'the faet that each one of them the1'e acknowledges, believes, and also perccives, that there is nothing of go~)(l fmm' himself, but on1y from the Lord.; and that whateycr is from himself is not good; thus whon~ accoeding to the doctrine of the church, that al! good cornes from ahove. As this is so, il foHows that it is the Divine . of the Lord which makes the hea\'Cllly lire with them, consequently heaven. Prom this il ean be seen how il is to be undel'stood that ,the Lal'tl is the aH in aH of heaven; also that the Lord dwells there in His OW11; and likewise that by an "angel" in the Word

41

js si~nlfied somclhing of the Lord (as has been shown in the preceding pages throughout.). (3) So il is with lhe chul"ch. In respect to what ]s t'heir own the men of the churchdo liot make 'the dulreh. bnl in rc'sLwct ta what is Divine which they recrïve from the Lord; for every one in lhe JcIhurch .\\'ho does not ackllowiedge ana believe that aIl the good .01 love :uid lhe lrllth of faith are from God, is not of the church; fOl' he wishes to love Gad from himself, ane( ta helieve in God from himseU, which however no one can do. From th~is also il is evidenl :thal l.he 'DivillC of the Lord makes the chl1rch, as it makcs hcaven. Moreovcr the !(:hurch is lhe Lord's heaven on earLll; coliseqllenLly lhe L:ord is h1so the aH in aH in the church, as He is in heaven, and there dwells in His own with men) as 'He does wilh the angels in Heavcn. Moreover after their life in the worId, the men 01' .thechureh who in this way receive what is Divine oE the Lord in love and faith, become angeis oE heaven.; and no olhers. (4) That the Divine ot' the Lord makes His kingdom wilh man, thal is, heaven :lnd the church wilh him. the Lord aiso lcuehes in John:­

''The Spirit of truth shaN abide with you. and shal1 be in yon, and ye shaH know that 1 :lin in iMy Falher, and ye in Me. and l'in ,you" (XIV.17.20).

"The "Spirit of tl'uth" denotes lhe Divine truth 'lhat proceeds from the Lord, al' which it 1S said thal il: "shaH àbide in you": and aflerwanl that '-I-[e 1S in the Fathcr, and Ihey in Him, and He in them," whero­by is signified thal ~hey wOl1ld be in \Vhal is Divine of the Lord, and that what is Divine of lhe Lord shouicl be in them. Thal Ihe Divine Human is th:1I. which is there meanl is plain. And <Ig:1in. in the samc: ­

., ;-1bide in Me, and J in 1jou;'(fS tlte '!Jmnc!l. cannot be(J!' fruit of itsel./; except il abide in tht: vine; so neitlwr cau Ile, excrpt ye abide in 111e; Fie that abirLeth in Me, and J ill M'fil., the saine bern'eth 'lrt'Uch .ti·uit; fo!' lIJitlw~1l 11:1(' ur (:111/. rio notltiny." (John XY, 4; ;').)

,p

A.n. 961-. (The whole '"Relation" should be l'end): " ......That which is fl'om Gad is nol. called Gad', but

is cal1ed: the Divine; for whal. is a God from God; .and thus wItat is a Gad from Gad bom from etel'nity; and what is a Gad from Gotl procecding thl'ough a Gad barn from eternity, but words in which therê is not the 1east light from heaven? Il is ol.hcrwisc in the Lord Jesus Christ; in Him is the Divine Ess::l ltself from which ail things arc, ta which the soul in man corresponds, the Divine IIuman, t8 wnich the body in man corresponds, and the Divine proc:.'eding, ta which activity in man corresponds. This Tdne is a one, because from the Divine from which al! things are is the Divine Human, and thcl1ce from the Divine from which ail things are, through the Divine Human is the Divine proceeding. Thcrel'ore â~so, in cvery angel and in every man, because they are images, there is a soul, a body, and a'Clivity, which make one; slnce from the souI is the br:dy, and fr .. m the sauf through the body is thc ac[ivity."

A.E. 627/11, ln Job:­"Let my shouldel' blade fall fmm the shoulder, and

mine arm be broken therefrom !hy a reed; fOl' the dl'ead of the tiestruclion of God is upon me, and by reason of His majesty 1 can do nothing. Have 1 made gold my hope, and said ta pure gold, Thou art my confidence?" (XXXI.. 22-24.)

"This, tao, tI'cats of the confidence of self-intel­ligence, and in the :spiritual sense these words des:Tibc tItat from this nothing of truth is seen, but only whrlt is false~ which does not cohere with any truth" ...... "By Teason oT His :rmijesty to be able ta do nothing," signifies "that nothing of the understanding and per~

ceprlOn of truth is from wilat is m:1n's own (pro~

prium), but aU from Gad; "ta make gold a hope, and ta say ta pure gold, Thou art my confidence" signifies that he cOllfided not in himsclf, by believing anything of good ta be from himsclf."

43�

(Nole here that the book of Job is not a book of the Word, as define!d by A. C. 10325; but that .it is full of 'çorresQondences,' and the Writings give the mealling.)

iLE. 635/2: "For il is the Divine that bears wilness concerning

the Divine, and not man from himself: consequently the Lord is in the good of love, and in the truth of doctrine thel'efrom. that are [n man., and il is these that bear witness."

D.P.� 52. "The Infinite and Elernal in itsd/ must needs look la wh al :is in/inile pnd elernal tram ilself in 11lings /inite. "By the Inlinile nud the Eternal in ilself the Divine Itself is lmeanL as has been shawn in the pre­ceding article; by ihings fil1ile ail things created by the Divine, especially men,spirils, and angels, are meant, and ta look to whal is infinite and 1'rom Itself is ta look la lhe Divine, lhat is. Iiself, j n thes3. as a man looks at his im:Jge in a minor. That thi,> is so has been shown in many places in the work on "The Divine Love and the Diville Wisdom. especial1y wl1ere it has been shown lhal the crcatcd unÎvel'se lherc is an image of man, and this is an image of \Vhat 1s infinile and elernal (n. 317, 318), thus an image o!' God the Creator, thatis, the Lord from eLmity. But let il be understood that the Divine in itself is in thp Lord, while the,Divine from itself is the Divine Crom the Lord in created things."

(:\ umbers 53 to 6D should here he l'carl.. lIoling Ihe l'ollowing):­

D.P. :'>7: "But in as nllleh DS the finile Iws in ilse\f' nolhing

of the Divine, there isin man or angd lia sneh lhing as his OWI!, not even the least, for a man or an angel is finite. and Durely a rcceptnc;e, in Hself dead ; and whatever is living in Ir/m is from the Divine going torth conjoined witlz him by contiguilll, ancl ap l'eal'­in.ry ta him -asi/ il were flis." (ItaliC's ours)

114

D.P. 58: "Angels also recognize that this conjllnclion is 110­

thing more than what may beC:llled an adjunclioll." D.P. 66:

"Tbe afrection for truth that ,goes forlll frum the Lord appears in angel and in man as a perceplion and consequent thought of truth, for the reason thnt attention is given to the perception and thought, and little to the affection from wîlich Ihese spriilg, al.­though they go forth from the Lord as one \VI'lh 1he affection for trUth." (A better translation woul cl be "affection of truth.")

(See also D.L.W. 56, 60, 102, 114, 401, 410; D.P. 285/2; A.R. 222; T.C.R. 718; A.C. 2236, 10125. 10498, 10609.)

As a concluding note to this section, it should b~ rcalL:ed that much depends on the way we understand the words and phrases used by the Wrilings. That is why, in ollr researches, we should l'ead many numbens in c:mr:cdio,l with a given subject, and not confirm any idea we might gel by short quolations from the WriLings. \Ve wish ta learn f~om the Wrltings, and this means, often, much st:,udy in the tomparison of passages. And just as wc have seen 'that the terms "Word" and "Doctrine" can have several applications, so has the term "Divine." Yet we must always make a carëful disLinclion, hasing this on (he general l'ule, 'that whatever of the Divine pertuins to man, lis AS AN IMAGE,or 'lS ADJOfNED to him.

But here we make a summary: 1. "The Divine as il is in itself" never applies to

man. Both schools of thought agree on th~s.

2. "The Divine from the Divine" affecls bo~h aqgds and men.

3. But iin thus affecLing. observe the careflll distinclion made 'in the Writings respc-cting 'conjllnclion,' 'ad­junetion,' and 'configLlily.'

4. That the relaUonship of Reg2neration to the Glori­fication is one of image oniy. The condilions of the latter should not iÏll any way be applied to the former.

,t:)

J. The proLJlem bcing considcl'cù by lh~ Chur(~h 'Îs the nalure of the reception of "the Divine from the Divine" in r,egenerating men. Is iL right Lo name the recipient goods and lt"uths recei\'e~r hy man from a Divine source "DivllH';" yet nol in any way meaning the "Divine as it is in ils<,rr."

6. Yet this is tlle idea prescnled hv "De Hemelsehe L~er~' namely: "There are sev~ral [11~ces wh('r.:.~

the Lalin Word explicilly speaks of "The Divine lhings of the Church" (see one place D.P. 215). And whereas man when h~ is bcing regeneraled is made a Church A.C. 3fi.'):!, 3939, 442ï, 6U:::, 9325, 10310.) il is alsa pos;iblc and orderly to speak of "lhe Divine lhings or man." Il onght 'to he plain that thereby the Lord alone is exallerl, and not man." (De Hemelsche Lrer 4/133.:

7. Sueh a decIuclion mighl be made. Bul whal many llIinislers and sludcnls of the New Church are con­

rccrned about, is thal the term "Divine" L'an bc misusecI and givc rise--l'speeially la the minc.ls al

) those \\"ho cIo not enter ii1Li ('v<~n' delail of minu/c ( doctrine-lo false ideas and p,rs';I:ISiol1s. as lo l'ile

consci-ous ope,'alion of the Divilll' i a man. 'FOl' this can happen as is shownin hislory, in phi!­osophy and in re\igiolls m';\'C'Ill('llls in Ille worlel and in the New Chul'ch in lhe \Yod·d. Bence Ihe need fol' much slndy and qualilÏr<1lion, accorcling to the principles rewaled in the Wl'ilings.

B. So Ihal wÎlen \ve l'cael oi' a passage likc A.C. 3,H10, which reïers la the Lo!"ct's Glol'ific:liioll 8nd man's regencration, Ihe 'Divine' re!'el'l'ing [0 m,HI's l"egencl'aLion, should, \ve sugges[, [Je ullr!ersto,:,(/ .undcl' the princip\e of "an inwg2" 0,' in "Ihe representalive s~~nse" (A.C. :HDO.) \Vilh the quali ­fication of "adjunclion" as given ill D'p. ;)8.

9. N'ote ho\V the 'Vrilings also lISe C1L1lC'l" t(,l'ms jn

cIcscribing lhe J'eceplion of Divinr Goor! and Di­vine Trulh, as in Ihe following ('X:lI11J)\CS:­

'H'l

(a) "The angels rcceive Divine LI'ULh whieh i'i Îcom the Lord. thus Lhe mOl'e pcrfecLl~' they receive the Lorù, the more perfc:ct humon forms they are they are heavrn[y loves and charities in form, whichis the il'flly human form." (A.C. 9503. Ilal:cs ours. Whole number should be read.)

(b) "No one becomes an ang:'I, that is eomes into heaven unless he carries with him, from the world what is ange/ic." (D.P. 60.)

(c) Notice the tiUe pagrs ta lhe weil Imown works of "Divine Providence') and ;IDivine l~ove and Wisdom." They read:­

"Angelic \Visdom 'concerning the Divine Providrnce~' "Angelic 'Visdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine 'Visdom."

10. Note the use of the term"Divine" in the following: (a) "The love àf ruling from the love of self in­

mostly conceals hatred a,gainst God. con·­sequently against the Divine things pertnin­ing ta the Church." (D.P. 215.)

(b) "Divine Doctrine is Divine Truth, Divine Tl'Uth is aIl the Ward of the Lord." (A.C. 3712. )

Cc) "The (l'en CommandmenLs) were promUt­gated in sa miraculolls a way to make known that Lhese 'laws are not only civil and moral laws, but also Divine laws." ·(T.C.R.

282·2 (d) In mentioning the eight conditions of socicly

among men: (We only quote the first tluee at this time.) 1. That there shall he wh:ll is Divine with

them. 2. That there shaH be jusLice with (!lem 3. That there shall he moralily with thC'l11. (D. Charity 130.)

17

Ce) "Conjugial Love froll1 ils Di\'illL' Origill is celestiat spiritual. holy plll'e and dean.." "1'0 fulfi! the Divine end of Marriage."

(f) 'We can speak of 'Divine Prophecy,' 'Divil1e Revelation,' 'Divine Worship,' 'DivinePllil ­osophy ;' meaning that these things pertain ta a Divine Source, ta Divinity, as coritrasted wilh man and the wo'r1d.

ln summary form, then, il ~s snggested thal il is us~ful La consider that the term 'Divine' can be applier~ in the following ways:­

1. 1'0 the Divine Itself, or La the Divine as-il-is·{n Itself.

2. To the Divine [rom ILseIf. 3. To snch .things in man as 'are from the Divine

(from Itself) yet in man 01' wUh man in the sense of adjUilction only.

4. '1'0 those things which pel'I'ain '10 God as conlrastcd with those things whi<:h pertain to man and the worleL

And finally:

5. Thal the conLext and the subjccL maller in the Writings help' in dctcl'mining Lhe sense in whieh the term Divine is to bp. used.

6. That eJ.:treme care is necded al aU limes ",hen H is uscd in ils appli'calion La man.

t8

VI.

HUMAN GOOD AND HUMi\N TRUTH.

,·\s an outcome or the main conlroversy, mention h::ls been made of 'human .good' and 'human trulh.' ln our OpllllOll [he use 01 these tenus is IparUy due to i:he con­fusion of 'thought regarding the application of the t~'l'm

'''Divine'' to the receplion of Divine Gocd ana Divine Truth in man or witlz man. -As we have noled, the use of the term 'Divine' needs thought and qualifieal ion; land becallse il ~s possible for wrong icteas to grow concern.ing the conscious operation of the Di\'ine in and wiLlz man; attention is drawn to the f~\!(~t tInt the 'Wrilings 'also mention sUich things as'huma,n gO::ld' and'human lruth.' Bishop de Charms deals with Lhis suhjcct in New Clzurah Lite, for June 1937, under Lhe til1e "Divine Crea~

tion and the Divine Procecding." The qaotaLions fr"m the Wrilings which he there gins are as f()lIow:~:-

"Truths angèlic and human are of Ihrec cteg:'ces." (A.C. 3362.)

"Before truth has beell ù1iliated and rightly con­joined, il is 'indeed w1:h man, buL i't ha'> n,ot yel been made as il were or him, or as his OWll; but as soon as it is being ini tialed into his gooct, il is approlH'Ùl te~l

10 him; and il then ...... puts on the very man, and makes his human, lhat ·is lhequalily as to ihe hurnan." (A.C. 3108.)

"Nalural good which is acquired, 01' whieh j; givcn (0 man by lhe Lord, contains in il wIwt is spirij LIaI.

so thal 'il is spiritual gooù in nalura!. This gODd is l'cal nalmal human good." (A.C. 3408.)

"Truths, or appearances of trulh, ~!r~ gin'Il 10 m.lU 10 the intent thal Divine Good may bcahle to form his understanding, and thus the man himself. For truths exist to the end that gooci may flow in; for withoul vessels or reccptacies good finds ID place, because il fillds no slalc corrcsponding tJ ilselfi ana therefore, where there are no truths, Ql' whc'l'e they are not received, there is no rational 'cr lmman good, consequenlly the man has no spiritual tife." (A.C. 3387.)

49

"The lusts of the flesh, theeyc, ,and the other senses, separated from the lusts, that is, from the a'f"fections, the desires, ana the 'delights 01' lhe spirit, are wholl'y like the lusts of beasls~ and !consf'quently are in them­serves beasl-like. But the àffections of the spIrit are SUdl as the angels have, and thercfore are la be caUed truly human." (T.C.R. 328.)

In addilion to lhe above. attention is d'rnwn ta the .use of the ward human in the foJIowing quotations. In thns quoting il is hopcd that aH the numbers 1l0tGd in th is section will be lookecl up and real(!; in full conlext. iloting what goes 'befOl'e and wha't aner. The subject maller being deaIt with is human-not 'I-Illman,' (with a capil;:!l 'H') whieh reIers ta the Divine Human, .

Tt w'ill also be noled that the tcrms'human.' 'essentinl human' and 'trllly human' are uscd tü express the diffC'rent. qualities of that whieh is hum~ll1. Thesc applications of meaning may be SeCI1 from the conlC'xt. I-Ience.. in OIU'

opinion, thephrflse 'human good and hllmnn trulh' m,1Y be inlerpreted in ia righl ;\Vay, 01' in a wrOl1q \Vay. .It. a11 depends on ,the l11èaning we give ta /zuman; th,~t 'is what doctrines we have in mind fromlhc \Veilings, regm'd,·! ing that qualiLy. This implies /ww wc rlrc ronsidcring 'origin,' 'receptïon,' the (j'clalionsh ip 0'[' 'the Divine,' 'the existence of 'lhe proprillm"ancl the regenerntive strll~g-Ie

01 shllnnmg l'Vils jas '~ans. But wc \Vil! let the Vhitiligs' speak for themselvcs:­

D.L.W. 30: '

"]\.[an·s Ilol being lruly wisc andno[ loying eighlly does not Lake away thes(' cilpaciLics (i.e. will and

~ underslanding) bul mercly ,closes them up; ;11ld so long as they arc closed up, althongh IIw llnd(:'l's[;1nding is still Cri lied undersli:mding and lhe witi is c,:Iled t!le will, lhey arc nol sueh in esscnœ. If lhcse two capaeities, thcl'efore, weee laken il \Vay, an thaL is Jzuman "yould pCl'ish; fOI' the human is Lü Ihink and ta speak fl'om thongl1t, and tD will and to aei J'l'Dm will. Fl'om Ihis il is dear lhat the Dil"ine has ii:-; seal in man in thcse Iwo :capacities, Ihe capacily lo he wise am] Ihe '('nJl,lcily ln loyc."

:10

D.L. W. 2,10: '"By virtue of these two capacilics man IS man,

anef is distinguished from Ole beasts. Man has these two capacities from the Lord, and they are from Him every moment; nor are they taken away, for if they were, man's human ,would perish."

D.L.W. 202: (Concerning the heavens and the degrees of height.)

"Such being the nature of these differences, they can­nat be expressed in natural 'language, therefore not aescribed; for the thoughts of angels, being spiritual, do not fall into natural ideas. They can be exprcssed and described only hy angels themselves, in their own languages, words and wrilings, and not in those that are human. This is why it is "aid that in the heavens unspeakable things are heard and sccn."

D.P. 30: "The Lord's heaven i.n the natural worldis called

{he church; and an angel of that heaven is a man of the church who is conjoined with the Lvr~, and who becomes an angel of the spiritual heaven aIter he leaves this world. From this it dear that what has been said of the angelic heaven applies e,qually ta the hllman heaven that is called the church."

D.P. 179: "As a knowledge of future events takes away the

human itself, which is ta aet from freedom in accori­dance with reason a knowledge of the future is granted to no one."

D.P. 293: (Concerning the angelic view of will and ilItcHigence

in man) "If any one of these (Le. those in heaven and in hell) had a grain .of will or intell igence of his o'wn, thal oneness wouIr!. not be possible, but w:::mld he rent asunder; and wilh. it woulel perish that Divine form, which can have consistence and .permanence only when the Lord is the AlI in ail things, and these are utterly nothing. They say further, that this is sa be­cause the essential Divine is ta think and to will from itself, while the essenlial hllm::m is to thin k ancl Lo

St

will from 'God; and the essential Divine cannol he appropl'ialed to any man, for if il were man would be God. Reep this in mind, and if" you wish you will have il corroborated by Ihe angéls \\,hen after death you go ta Ihe spiritual world."

D.P. 321/5: r \

"To think from the truth is the Indy human prin­ciple and therefore the angelic; and this trnth is that man does not Ihink from himse1lf. 'but thal iL isgranted him by the Lord to think to ail appearance as if from himself." 1

kE. 948/4: (Concerning living according to Ihe Ten Command,

ments.) "But he who does nol Eve according to these commandments as a spiritnal 'man is neilher a civil man, nor a moral man, nOI' a natural man; fer he is destitute of justice, of honesty,and even of manhoocl, since Ihe Divine is not in these. FOI' there can be nolhing good in and from jtself, but on)y from Gad; so there c@.n be nothing just, nothing Iruly honcsl or truly human in ilself and from itself. .but only from God, and only when the Divine is in it. Consider whethel' any one Ihal has hel! in him ... 01'

who is a devil, can do what is just from justice or for Ihe sake of justice; in like mannt:r what is honest, or what is truly human. The ITUly human is \Vhat is from order and according to ordcl', and what is from sound reason,; and God is orcier. and sound reason is from God. In a word he wlw does not shun

J evils as sins is nol a man."

C.L. 52:

(Concerning marriages in heaven) "By con­jugial unition Ihey Ihel'efor-e fil! themselves \Vith t.he human-which is the dcsire to bl~çome wise and 10 love what perlains ta wisdom."

(See also: D.P. 98, 210, 227/5, 273/2, 281.'3, 294, 321; A.E. 1013/2: C.L. 44, 203.)

.')2

VJT

CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS.

Here wc may enter a more persona1 nole.

1 1 have been addressing 'you as Minilli'·s. and Leaders 0l. the IMission, the majority having reocived two or three years 'Conseèutive training ln the Theo10gy of the N'ew ChUl'ch, in thcrecognized Theo!ogical Schoo1 of this Mission. Moreover, those of yau who have becn elllrllslecl to me, very weil know that your training 'consisted, for the most 'part, in the regular and intensive i'cnding of t~ New

Î Ghurch Doctrin.e.<; themselVC's. For it will he the' Scri~'-'\.. tures(andJ those Heavcnly'-Doctrines wlIich are ta he the '

means Of establishing the NC\v Church in Native South Artica. These are to be the everlasling gllid~ Lo Tour people, who, in the goad lime rof Providence, may sec tlw trulh, have affection for it, and evcnlually apply it to the .amendment of life aœording '.to thcir own st~te and gcnus.

But for some reason of Providence, unsccn by men, and evidently fOl' the good of the Chul'eh, a c::mtroversy bas

?'l arisen during the last nine years rcspeeting the llnder­standing of those Heavëllly DOCtrines. ln conSé'CIuepce 'you .are being faœd wilh lhe teachings of l\Va schcols of tho~ght regarding that unclerstandi ng.

Now, it always has been true, and al ways will be true that il is not Divine Rcvclalion,in wrilten form, which makes the Church; but the und:~rslanding of thnt Revelation in the minds of men wlOO1 makcs Ihe Church. Aud yet, again, li is not the undel'slanding of Rf:'vdni ion

nin the minds of men w!üé:h makes 'the Chu l'ch, but /tOlU

that understanding is applied to the amcnclmenl. of lire. These 'Lhree conditions are like threc links in a chain. They ad together. 'So neither failli n<)l' liΠis coin.piele unless those lhree conditions be always present.

But, in aIl theological controversy, that which perl ~lins

to faith, undcrstanding, intellect. more especÜl.lly rebles to the second link of the ('hain-the llndel's/anding of Reve­lation. That Divine Revelation is the til':;f link, ail can l'ecognize. Ail, too, will admit that iLs use i:; for Lhe a~endmcnt of me, whi'Ch is the third link. But, as ail

5?

eceIesiasLical histol"Y shows, thesccond Unie is the one which requires thought of an intelleetual nature. And sa now, it is a guestion ROW are you going ta undcrstand the Divine Revelation corilained in the Wrilings, [mcl givclt throughthe instrumentality of Emanuel 'S wccicnhorg [rdlll

the Lord. In these notes we have only aLtcmpted an oul:!ine. IL

is not a treatise. The idea is ta show the main [loi nls of difference and ta Ilead you ta the Writings 1'81' ins\ruc­tian. Bath 'schools of thought' are interested in you, and it is only right and fair and just that you ShOllld have bath sides plaeed bl'fore you; despite the faet th[l t sorne of the- theology may be ,diffieult 'ta 'follow. But wc al! learn by cûntrast, compal~ison. and even hy con1r:.lrics. fndeed, no Revelation from the Lor'd' has l'ver been givE'n wilhout the appearances of contradiction. This is for the reason thaL ;ùl men may be in frl'edom ta chaose ancl make their faith and life, as.-if-of-thel11selves, according as they rcceive in mindand' hem"t what they fhd in Divine Revelalion outside of themselves. 'Sa, now, your faiLh is ta be tested. IL is no1 ta be a persuasive faUh, or a blind failh, or an "hisLorÎc' failh (the kinds of f<lith noted in the Writings); but yon should l11ake research ,as-if-of-yourselves. Espccially you,'Ministers! and 1~adcl"s

need ta go la Lhe S'e'riptures and ta the Writings for guidance, and fonn yonr own un'd'erstanding aeconling as the Lord grants you.

Remel11ber, a150, that the Doct.-lne given, at the Lorcl's Second AdvenL 1S for the Jearned and for tlle unlearned; -"rieh and paal' together." Afl men, al! nations, âll races ~

have free access ta go ta that RëVclaTloÎI ,,\'hen lhcy sa wisl1, and search forlhemselves. -No two 11len will cver think the saUle in porliGIlTars of doctrine. No t\\'o '01' ­

gauizaLiolls' in the 'New Chunch, sec Lrutll, 01' guiding prin~

cip!cs of t:ruth in exaclly the same \Vay-"Many III('n, many minds." And when 'choice' of church. or of a system of doctrine has ta be made, 'decision resLs. in the cnd, on individual conscience. And no externat strai n shan! d he placed upou one as La whathc brLie\'cs ta ~)e truc. Re! igious beliefs can be talera nt. They can nlso '!Je e:-dremely in,­tolcrant, as all of you who ÎlaYC read hislory kno\\'. AmI

:>.4

sa now, in the choice Of doctrinal system, aJla church 01-'

ganizations, in which it is round that the under.çt'an-dlng of the 'DoctIines of ,the New (:hurch differs, you have to 'see' the d'ifference foryourselves. Renee, these 'notes' have appealcd to the, iDoctrines, and have taken more space than they might have done, owing ·to the need for ampl'e ([uotation, in arder ta .extend ~he wiid't'h of view.

But the main issues sho1l'ld be weIl in mind. Plac.ed very briefly, these, in our opinion, ar~:­

1. Do you wish ta understand the Writings by, going to them direct, that is with 'free approach,' or,

2. Do you wish ta understand the Writings hy :lccept· irig FIRST a prescribed way of how yon are la understand them by read)' fOl'mnlated Theses.

This way of placing 'the [matter is basect--as ah'cad~'

noted-on the comparison of 'The Faith' of 'The General Church' as stated in thJ; p~mp_hlet'The Or(l.eL~ln(t Org~n­

ization o~. the~lle~~Church j" against the FÎI'St Leading Thesis of "De Hemelsche Leer." These slatemen!s are in print. Men are free to accept ithe one...or tile ni !Jer. élccording as [hey see what the Writings leaeh. 1n doin~

this, however. th~y should be mindful ùf using .lhe term "Word" as the Writi-9~ use it ith!IDlseIyes. - ­

If, moreover, these theologieal studies, relaling ta 1he understanding of ;doctrine, 'are 'hard la grasp, dift'icult ln follow,-even bewildering,-arid you may, 'in 'the clidi

, sa~'

that this kind of ~tudy ,lis tao high for ,lIne;' then hold fast ta what you have gained o'f the vision of the NEW .c!-IURq·I,!lP~Y.,_the fr~tl~ ~<!.~, 1~v9 been d~Iig?~d , wlth .to theamendment and up'hft of your own lIre, and remem'ber that tQ.~_,~~me Doctrines whieh may he difficult ta understand, ;1.1so p~to the sir1!l)i~e dulies of the true 'Christian me. Are we not told that if a man intërioriy'acknowledges the Lord and; resisls the evils that are with Wm, the way to heaven is noi diffie-lllt j for he 1s led by th~ Lord, ,arid not by himsclf and;lhe Vord resists and 'removes the evils. (Sec 1I.H. 359, 533, ,and kC. -905.) Indeed, tais doctrine is thaL which is con\ained in the verses in "Matthew;­

55

" Come unto me, olt ye that labuur and Q1'e heavy laden and [ will give you rest. Take mu yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for l am meek and lowly in heart: and '!Je shall find rest for yuur souls. For my yoke is ellsy and my burden is light." (Matt. 11: 28~30.)

Ol", again,

" He /wth shewed thee 0 man, wltat is good; and u'hat doth the Lord require of thee, but tn do fust/y, and to love. mercy, and to walk humbly with th'll Gad,." (M.icha 6: 8;' A.C. 519.)

~'~ C.: ~,.

,~