Page:The Bible and the Churches.pdf/9

 of His disobedient people, arranges the Noetic Church, the leading features of which are described by Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Lamentable to think, the human race still declines, and the Noetic Church at last gets into such a state of confusion and disorder that they do not understand each other, and is dispersed, the Lord still preferring a remnant, which is supposed by some to correspond in some degree to our own Reformed Church. The real Church having gradually declined into such insignificance, it was necessary that the Lord should have a representative Church on the earth; therefore Abraham was called from idolatry, whose descendants, the Children of Israel, should keep up a representative Church on the earth. (See the instructions given to Moses in the Mount and the Commandments respecting it, from 20th chapter of Exodus onward to the end of Exodus. For full explanation, see Arcana Cœlestia, 12 volumes, by Swedenborg, originally £5, now published at £2, 8s.)

It will not be necessary to go through all the wanderings and disobedience of the Children of Israel, because every man, woman, and youth, and maiden ought to be acquainted with them. Suffice it to say, that they were from time to time disobedient to the divine commands—setting up idolatry, getting into all kinds of difficulties through their disobedience; the Lord interposing on their behalf from time to time, until they had so far fallen away that nothing but the seventy years of captivity in Babylon would bring them to a consideration of their deplorable departure from Jehovah, who pitying them, promised by His prophets deliverance in the latter days, when they shall turn to the Lord with all their hearts. Still a representative Church must be kept up, and the Lord raises up a man who shall restore the Temple and