Page:The Question Concerning the Visible Church, Briefly Considered.djvu/80

78 though in errors of faith, and are still recognized as members of the church universal? In other words, did the whole Old Church come to an end in 1757? If so, how? And why so much talk still about the church being composed of all who are in charity, in whatsoever errors of faith? If there is but one true church, and that is the New Jerusalem, and in this there can be "no falsities of faith," then why so much said about "the church" being composed of all who are in charity, in whatsoever heresies they may be? And yet Swedenborg seems to warrant this representation, for he says that there will be disagreements even upon so fundamental a point as "the Lord's Divine Human and Holy Proceeding: the celestial perceive that they are not three, but one; whereas the spiritual abide in the idea of three, yet are willing to think that they are one. Since therefore there are distinctions about this most essential point of all, it may appear that the varieties and differences of doctrinals are innumerable. But notwithstanding there are so many varieties and differences of doctrinals, or so many derivations, still they form together one church, where all acknowledge charity as the essential." (A. C. 3241.) What church is specifically meant here, the Old or New, or church universal? But is there any sense in which this church universal, with so many errors, can be called the New Church, that is, the New Jerusalem? If so, how did this good part of it come to an end? and what is there new in it? what that it had not before?

Now really, I can see nothing distinctly in all this about a New and Old Church, but what Swedenborg seems clearly to teach, viz.:—that about a century ago, the Lord did execute a judgment in the spiritual world, and form a New Heaven out of all who, from the advent of the Lord to that time, had lived a life of faith and charity, as well of Christians as of Gentiles; but chiefly of infants, who did not constitute the new heaven till they were "instructed by angels" in the proper truths. (H.D. 2, 3.) From this New Heaven the New Church on earth comes down, and "makes one with it." This is the church, specifically. This is the veritable New Jerusalem. There is no other. There may be, and are, approximations to