Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/64

60 to mankind. Such is the character and quality of the faith professed by the new and true christian church, called the New Jerusalem, which being derived from the Word, and consequently from the Lord, becomes an essential medium of conjunction with him, that is, of salvation and eternal life. From this view of the faith of the New Church, it may appear how widely it differs from that which has been commonly received hitherto. For while the faith of the former church teaches, that Three Divine Persons have existed from eternity, each of whom singly or by himself is God and Lord, the faith of the New Church teaches, that only One Divine Person, consequently only One God, hath existed from eternity. Again, the faith of the former church is directed towards a God invisible and unapproachable, with whom therefore there can be no conjunction, the idea formed of him being like that of shapeless spirit, which differs but little, if at all, from that of ether or wind: whereas the faith of the New Church is directed towards a God visible to the mental eye, and capable of approach, with whom therefore there may be conjunction, the idea formed of him being that of a Divine Man, in whom is the divine essence, as the soul is in the body; for the One God, who existed from eternity, was actually made Man in time. The faith of the former church further supposes, that God the Son came into the world, in order to appease the wrath of the Father, and make satisfaction for the sins of the human race, by suffering and dying in their stead: whereas the faith of the New Church teaches, that the One Jehovah himself, out of pure love and mercy to mankind, descended as the Word or divine truth, and became incarnate; that the Humanity, in which he appeared, is called the Son of God, while the Divinity within it is called the Father; and that,