Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/65

Rh on the accomplishment of the end for which he came into the world, viz. the subjugation of the power of hell, or evil, he laid down the mere humanity by the passion of the cross, and rose again in his Glorified Humanity, with which he returned by ascension into his former state of pure Divinity. The faith of the former church also teaches, that God the Father was and still is induced to become merciful, by a view of his Son's sufferings, agonies, and death, thus for the sake of his Son, and not from any inherent essential quality of love and mercy in himself: but the faith of the New Church, on the contrary, teaches, that the one merciful Parent of his creatures needed not to have any sufferings, agonies, or death, still less those of an innocent person, his own Son, presented before him, and pleaded, in order to excite and awaken his compassion, because he is in his own nature, and ever was, an overflowing fountain of divine love, and delights to promote the happiness of all his children without exception.

Numerous other instances of disagreement between the faith of the former church, and the faith of the New, might be mentioned but these are amply sufficient to shew the great necessity of discriminating truth from error, a just interpretation of the Sacred Writings from one that degrades the Divine Majesty, and throws an odium on his dealings with mankind. A true faith must be founded on the genuine, not the apparent, truths of the Word: and such genuine truths constantly display the divine attributes and perfections in a glory worthy of him, from whom they proceed. A true faith must also, in consequence of it's high origin, and near affinity with the light of heaven itself, be possessed of a superior capacity to unite with charity, than a faith less pure; and for the same reason it must have a still greater tendency