Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/21

Rh sense. They only claim to be a divinely-authorized exposition of the spiritual sense of Scripture, and a truthful disclosure of the facts, phenomena and laws of the spiritual world. And his teachings are to be accepted only so far as they commend themselves to one's rational intuitions; or so far as they seem to us reasonable and true, and in accordance with the revealed character, laws and will of God. We proceed, now, to give a brief statement and explanation of the doctrines of the New Church, without attempting to prove them true. Our space will not admit of that. We ask the reader to give them a candid consideration;—to examine them in the light of Scripture and reason and human experience and the accepted laws of our mental and moral constitution, and of all that the best minds know or believe of the character of God and his government of the moral universe.

The Central Doctrine in every theological system must needs be that concerning the proper Object of religious worship. This doctrine, whatever be its nature, will determine the character of the whole system. All subordinate doctrines are the legitimate offspring of this, and are