Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/209

Rh to the old theory. For they were seen by the apostles when they were in vision (Matt, xvii. 9), that is, when their spiritual eyes were opened, and of course were seen in the spiritual world. Furthermore, whenever angels have been seen by men (as in the case of those seen by Abraham, Gideon, Manoah and John), they have always appeared in the human form; and sometimes they are called "men" (Luke xxiv. 4).

And it accords with the dictate of reason as well as with the teaching of Scripture, that the human spirit, after its separation from the material body, should retain its human form. For we know that the form of every living creature is and must be in exact correspondence with that creature's essential nature or peculiar characteristics. We cannot conceive of the peculiar and distinguishing qualities of the fox, lion, horse or sheep, existing in any other forms than these animals have. And it is equally impossible to conceive of a being endowed with the human characteristics and capabilities, existing in any other than the human form. If the human faculties, therefore, which constitute the essential man or woman, continue to exist after the body dies (and if these do not exist, the individual does not), then people must be in the human form after death. And their bodies must be spiritual (as Paul plainly teaches), else they would not be adapted to a realm where