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throned in his mind? Yet many of the criticisms against DE HEMELSCHE LEER would seem to imply that this fundamental doctrine is not fully realized. By the above it is not meant that a man who is in the falsity of ignorance in which is innocence, is in communication with hell, for with such a one the falsity is only in the external man and can therefore be removed after death. Neither is it meant that there may not be things adjoined to the Doctrine which are not genuine in themselves. The genuine Doctrine is due to both immediate influx from the Lord and mediate influx from the Lord through the Heavens. All things due to this twofold influx are purely Divine. There may be things added by the Angels which serve for introducing goods and truths, and which in themselves are not good, but such things are not from mediate influx from the Lord; such things do not become of faith and charity, for all that becomes of the new life with man, is from the Lord alone (see A. C. 8728).

Due to a misinterpretation of the above number some have thought that these things which come from the Lord by mediate influx through the Heavens are not purely Divine; but that this is a misinterpretation is obvious from a careful reading of the eighteenth chapter of EXODUS as explained in the ARCANA. The things adjoined by the Angels are not from mediate influx from the Lord.

These things which are adjoined to the Doctrine for the sake of introduction, but which are not a permanent part of the Doctrine, are further treated of in the ARCANA under the representation of Abimelech and Phicol when separated from Abraham, concerning which we read: "And they struck a covenant in Beersheba, signifies that human rational things were adjoined to the Doctrine of faith; and Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines, signifies that these things had no part in the Doctrine" (A. C. 2720).

That DE HEMELSCHE LEER contains genuine, that is, Divine Doctrine, for all genuine Doctrine is Divine, can be seen at the present time, but what parts are of purely Divine origin and what human rational things have been adjoined for the sake of introduction and which are therefore not permanent, the future will show.

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That in the first states of the Church the Divine origin of the Doctrine that takes its rise in the Church is not acknowledged and that in later states it is acknowledged, is clearly shown in the ARCANA COELESTIA in treating of the third and fifth days of creation. That the Church passes through the states represented by the seven days of creation is a well known truth. Concerning the third day of creation we read: "The man who is being regenerated is at first of such a quality that he thinks that the good which he does, and the truth which he speaks, are from himself, when in reality all good and all truth are from the Lord, so that whoever supposes them to be from himself, has not as yet the life of true faith, which nevertheless he may afterwards receive; for he cannot as yet believe that they are from the Lord, because he is only in a state of preparation for the reception of the life of faith.

This state is here represented by things inanimate, and the succeeding one by animate things" (A. C. 29). The fifth state is thus described: "After the great lights have been kindled and placed in the internal man, and the external receives light from them, then the man first begins to live. Heretofore he can scarcely be said to live, inasmuch as the good which he did, he supposed that he did from himself, and the truth which he spoke, that he spoke of himself; and since man of himself is dead, and there is nothing in him but what is evil and false, therefore whatever he produces from himself is not alive, in so much that he cannot do from himself what is good in itself.

That man cannot even think what is good, nor will what is good, consequently not do what is good, except from the Lord, is plain to every one from the Doctrine of faith; for the Lord says in Matthew: He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man (13 :37). Nor can any good come except from the very fountain itself, which is the only one, as He also says: None is good save One, God (Luke, 18:19). Nevertheless, when the Lord is resuscitating man to life, that is regenerating him, He permits him at first to be in such an opinion, for at that time he is incapable of conceiving otherwise, nor can he in any other way be led to believe, and afterwards to perceive, that all good and truth are from the Lord alone" (A. C. 39). Yet it is this very teaching, that all truth that a man speaks is from

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the Lord, that is most strongly objected to in the criticisms made against DE HEMELSCHE LEER.

It is here clearly taught that before a man believes that the good which he does and the truth which he speaks are from the Lord, he has not the life of true faith; hence is evident the truth of the statement of DE HEMELSCHE LEER, that before the Doctrine of the Church is acknowledged as Divine, the Lord is not enthroned in the Church.

On page 22 of the review we further read: "What is new in the present view is, that in the Writings the Heavenly Doctrine is covered with a veil and so is not apparent; while in the doctrine of the Church drawn from those Writings and formulated by men, it is openly revealed." It is not said in DE HEMELSCHE LEER that the Doctrine of the Church is not veiled, in fact in one sense the veil is even thicker than that of the Writings, for the cherubim are always present, lest men enter and profane interior truths. That the veil is even thicker than in the case of the Writings is evident from the review which appeared in the January number of NEW CHURCH LIFE, where Rev. H. Lj. Odhner made it clear that it is possible to read DE HEMELSCHE LEER, and not understand a word of what is read. The Doctrine of the Church is of assistance to those only who are prepared by the Lord to enter into more interior things.

The review continues: "In other words, the men of the Church will be able to supply a vehicle of words wherein the Heavenly Doctrine is clearly set forth to view, while Swedenborg was unable to do this, or unwilling. And the question will naturally arise, if Swedenborg was unable, by virtue of what superior advantages shall others be able? or if unwilling, on what grounds shall others be willing?" It is surprising to find such a sentence in the review written by Dr. Acton. What had Swedenborg's willingness or unwillingness, his ableness or unableness to do with the Second Coming of the Lord? The Writings of the New Church are the Divine Human of the Lord accommodated with infinite wisdom to the state of mankind.

On page 22 we read: "If the Writings are not the Heavenly Doctrine because their letter is expressed in a language incomprehensible to angels, does not the same objection apply to the Doctrine of the Church which also

54 REV. THEODORE PITCAIRN

has its literal sense or natural text?" As is shown in DE HEMELSCHE LEER the essential of the Doctrine of the Church is the spiritual vision by which men are in. communion with the Angels, and not the natural text. That the Church without a vision of Doctrine has no enlightenment from the letter of the Writings is manifest from CONFERENCE and CONVENTION.

The function of the Writings is to lay an infinite foundation of Divine Rational Truth fixed in ultimates, which will serve all men and Angels to eternity; the function of the Doctrine of the Church is to open the spiritual eyes of the Church so that it may see more and more of the infinite treasures that lie hidden in the Writings; it thus acts as a ladder, on which the Angels descend from and ascend to the Lord.

On page 23 we read: "But I cannot think that any New Churchman will ascribe Divine authority to a human production." As quoted above, "every truth that a man speaks is from the Lord"; what is from the Lord, is not a human production. It is true that before a man sees that the Doctrine is genuine and has been drawn from the Word according to order, it has no authority for him: but when this is seen it has authority. Has not the essential position of the' GENERAL CHURCH in contradistinction to that of CONFERENCE and CONVENTION, Divine authority to those who see it in enlightenment? If not, the GENERAL CHURCH is merely a sect based on human opinion, and is unworthy of its name.

Further we read: "Yet there seems here to be some confusion of thought. Of course, as to its origin, all truth is Divine, by whomsoever uttered; but that does not give Divine authority to the utterances. A sermon, though it preaches the Divine Truth, is still a human production, and its excellence consists in nothing more than the pointing to the Truth as it stands in the Writings." It is obvious that in so far as it teaches Divine Truth a sermon is not a human production, and the excellency of a sermon to a large extent depends on its drawing forth Doctrine from the Writings that has not been seen by the Church. The authority of a sermon is not of course from the person who writes it, but is in the truth itself which is manifested.

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Further we read: "As far as man's work is concerned, a doctrine of the Church consists solely in the words which embody a human conception of what is taught in the Writings." All human concepts are false, for they can have no other origin than self, from which proceeds nothing but falsity; no human concept of what is taught in the Writings can be a genuine Doctrine of the Church in any sense. The Lord alone can see truth in man; man from himself can see no truth. It is true in a sense that the Writings alone have Divine authority in the Church, nevertheless if one sees in the light of Heaven that a. truth has been drawn from the Writings, that truth has authority to him who sees.

On page 25 we read: "DE HEMELSCHE LEER itself speaks of the warning given in the Writings against the arbitrary interpretation of those Writings by councils; but it leaves us in uncertainty as to its meaning when it adds that the only safeguard against this danger lies in the genuine Doctrine of the Church." The New Church like all previous Churches would fall into false doctrine and thus come to an end, if the Lord did not manifest genuine Doctrine. That false doctrine in the New Church has the power of bringing about its spiritual 'death can be seen in the history of the Church, first in the case of Clowes and those who followed him in contradistinction to those who followed Hindmarsh; and at present in the case of CONVENTION and CONFERENCE.

That non-genuine doctrines in regard to the essentials of the Church exist in the GENERAL CHURCH, is evident from the contradictory views that are held as to the Lord's G-lorification and other essential subjects. If such non-genuine doctrines were to increase beyond measure, it is evident that the Church would come to an end. Hence the only salvation for the Church is the manifestation from the Lord of genuine Doctrine; and because we are given to know that the New Church will not come to an end, we can rest confidently in the trust that the Lord will manifest Doctrine as needed. It is clearly evident that if the Lord had not manifested the Doctrine that is contained in the Principles of the ACADEMY at the time appointed, the New Church would have come to its end. But such manifestation of Doctrine does not rest on any authority of men or councils.

Further on the same page we read: "Divine authority

56 REV. THEODORE PITCAIRN

can attach only to an immediate revelation, that is, to a revelation not made by means of spirits and Angels, but coming immediately from God; and the Writings are such an immediate revelation." Both immediate and mediate revelations are purely Divine and have Divine authority; •this is evident from the fact that the Old and New Testaments were given by mediate revelation. That mediate revelation is Divine, is evident from the whole of the eighteenth chapter of EXODUS as explained in the ARCANA. The confusion of thought that is expressed in the above quotation from Dr. Acton's review, arose from what is said in A. C. 8728 concerning those things which come from the Angels themselves; such things however are not from the Lord by mediate influx through the Heavens, but are, as stated, from the Angels themselves.

There are various kinds of influx both immediate and mediate. There is the immediate influx into the souls of all men both good and evil, giving them the power of rationality and liberty. SECONDLY: there is, at the commencement of the Church, immediate influx into the things of the letter of the Word (A. C. 8685 and following numbers). This influx is not perceived by man and is not what is meant by the immediate revelation that Swedenborg had. THIRDLY: there is influx or revelation both immediately, as in the preceding state, and mediately from the Lord through the Heavens; this latter influx or revelation is not altogether hidden from the man (see A. C. 8694). FOURTHLY: With the celestial Angels and with celestial men the influx or revelation of which man is conscious, which with the lower Angels and the men of the spiritual Church was mediate, now becomes immediate from the Lord, wherefore the celestial have a twofold immediate influx and hence immediate revelation from the Lord. It was this conscious immediate revelation from the Lord that Swedenborg had in common with the celestial Angels. When the celestial Church is again set up on earth, it too will receive an immediate revelation from the Lord, analogous to that of Swedenborg; for Swedenborg, besides having been the instrument for the infinite revelation of the Third Testament, was also a type of the essential New Church and represents that Church. But, of course, in contradistinction to the infinite revelation

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which the Church received through Swedenborg, the revelation which the man of the future celestial Church will receive, although immediate, will nevertheless always be finite, because limited by the limitations of those who will receive it, and, of course, the latter will always remain dependent on the former.

On page 25 we read: "And here we cannot avoid the reflection that the Roman Catholic church also appeals to the 'vision of the Church' as the criterion of the interpretation of the Word". Had the Catholic church had any vision of truth from the Word it would not have died. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (PROV. 29:18). Concerning vision we read: "The external man was illuminated from the internal. .... For [the external man] when he perceives what the external man is when conjoined with the internal, or of what quality he is in his beauty, is then illuminated from the internal man, and is then in the Divine vision here treated of" (A. C. 1584). Where there is no vision of Divine truth in the Word the church falls into literalism; it was this lack of vision that caused the Catholic church to close the Word and set up the external authority of the Pope in its place.

On page 26 we read; "This mediate revelation, moreover, is individual, and carries with it no authority except to the individual". This is true unless the Church as a whole sees it, as for example in the case of the vision that gave birth to the Academy, but even then the authority resides in the vision and not in the external authority of the Church.

On page 27 the review quotes the teaching that the Writings are "the Crown of Revelations". The Writings are manifestly the Crown of Revelations, for they are the infinite Divine Truth, the Lord Himself. The Doctrine of the Church is the means whereby the Church has its eyes opened to see more and more of the infinite Divine Truth in the Writings. The Writings are the Word in its fulness, the Doctrine of the Church is the internal sense that the Church has come to see.

The review closes with the words: "Will not our minds, desirous of the guidance of God, when men cry 'Lo here and lo there', be troubled with doubts? and thus doubting, will we not ask of the Writings: Art thou the Christ or do

58 CONFIRMATORY PASSAGES IN THE ARCANA

we wait for another?" From all that is said concerning "the morning" in the Writings, it is evident that every morning in the Church is a Coming of the Lord; when the celestial Church is again set up and men will see, for the first time, the Lord Himself in the Sun of Heaven, a vision not granted even the spiritual Angels, will it not be a marvelous Coming of the Lord to the Church?

The Writings, as given, were the Second Coming of the Lord in fulness on the part of the Lord, but the first simple acknowledgement of the Writings by the Church was not a seeing of the Second Coming of the Lord in fullness on the part of the Church; in fact, as Mr. Hyatt pointed out forty years ago, this was but a seeing of John the Baptist; and as the Church has for the most part remained in the literal sense of the Writings, this still applies. As long as the Church thinks that it has the whole truth in the literal sense of the Writings and is not "troubled with doubts", it is a sign of little internal reflection as to the infinity of the Writings.

CONFIRMATORY PASSAGES IN THE ARCANA COELESTIA

642. These are the least and most general arcana which man does not know; if the singular things were told him he would comprehend not even one of them.

771. But what the singular things involve it would take too long to explain; it is sufficient to give only a general idea of the most general things.

855. These truths are perceived by the Angels in a wonderful variety and in delightful order, that could man but be in one such idea, there would be thousands and thousands of things in a manifold series that would enter and affect him, and in fact such things as never could be described.

863. No truth of faith is ever possible except from the good of love or charity.

865. Man can kno\v nothing of the truth of faith except from the revealed things in the Word, where all things are said in a general way; generals are but as the spots of a cloud, for every general contains thousands and thousands of particulars, and each particular thousands and thousands

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of singulars. ... These have never been so revealed to man, because they are both indescribable and inconceivable, and thus cannot be acknowledged and believed. ,.. It is altogether otherwise with the celestial man, who has perception from the Lord.

868. Man has nothing of good and nothing of truth except from the Lord, and all evil and falsity man has from his proprium.

876. And so the dove's returning unto Noah to the ark, signifies that the good and truth meant by the dove returned again to the man. For whatever of good a man supposes that he does from himself, returns to him, since it regards himself. . . . The good and truth of faith is inwardly good and true from the inmost, that is all the good and truth of faith flows in from the Lord through man's inmost.

878. "And he put forth his hand and took her and brought her to himself into the ark". This signifies his own power, and that he did what was good and thought what was true from himself; . . . to put forth his hand etc., is to apply and attribute to himself the truth meant by the dove.

880. What man hears out of the Word and holds in the memory is nothing but an insemination. . . . There are three things with man which concur and unite together, namely the natural, the spiritual, and the celestial. His natural never receives any life except from the spiritual, and the spiritual never except from the celestial, and the celestial from the Lord alone, who is Life itself.

904. The Lord speaks with every man, for whatever a man wills and thinks that is good and true, is from the Lord. ... Every good and true thing inspired by the, Angels is from the Lord. .. . No one can ever think anything good and true except from the Lord. . . . Man knows no otherwise than that he thinks from himself, but man has not a single idea of thought, nor even the least bit of an idea, from himself; but he has what is evil and false through evil spirits from hell, and what is good and true he has through the Angels from the Lord.

1383. One ldnd of perception which is angelic perception, consists in perceiving what is true and good, and what is from the Lord and what is from themselves.

1384. The sons of the Most Ancient Church said con-

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cerning their perception, that of themselves they neither think nor can think anything- nor will anything; but that in all things whatever which they think and will, they perceive what is from the Lord, and what from other sources', and they perceive . . . how much is from the Lord and how much as it were from themselves. . ,. The spiritual Angels, who likewise have perception, although not such as the celestial, speak concerning truth and good; but still they perceive them, although with a difference.

1385. They have been told that it is of angelic wisdom to perceive without reasoning whether a thing is good and true; but they do not apprehend that such perception is possible.

1408. In the internal sense of the Word there are arcana of Heaven, which lie stored up and hidden there, which can never be seen as long as the mind, together with the eye, is kept in historicals; nor are they revealed until the mind is removed from the sense of the letter. The Word of the Lord is like a body which contains a living soul.

1807. He who is in Divine things never regards the Lord's Word from the letter; but he regards the letter and the literal sense as being representative and significative of the celestial and spiritual things of the Church and of the Lord's Kingdom. To him the literal sense is merely an instrumental means of thinking of these.

1869. How many things there are in a single word of the Word, has been shown me by the opening of the ideas of thought. . . . There then appeared beautiful things beyond number. .. . It was said that the things which thus appear visible can be opened again as to their interiors. . . . Such are all angelic ideas, for they are open from the Lord Himself.

1936. It is only suggested here how the Lord thought concerning the appearances that had engaged the attention of the first rational with Him, namely that they were not to be trusted, but Divine Truths themselves, however incredible they might appear before that rational; such is the case with all truths Divine; if the rational be consulted respecting them, they cannot possibly be believed, for they surpass all its comprehension. For example that no man, spirit, and Angel lives from himself, but the only Lord. . . . It is a Divine truth that in every expression of the Word, which appears so simple and rude to man, there are things illimitable, nay more than the universal Heaven: and that

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the arcana which are within can be presented before the Angels from the Lord with perpetual variety to eternity.

1954. The interior sight does not see from itself, but from a still more interior sight, or that of man's rational. Nay neither does this see from itself, but does so from a still more interior sight, which is that of the internal man. And even this does not see of itself, but it is the Lord alone through the internal man who sees. ... Such is the case with influx.

2004. From ;the Lord, through man's internal, life continually flows into man's rational, and through this into his external, and in fact, into his scientifics and cognitions, and not only it adapts them to receive the life, but also disposes them into order, and so enables the man to think, and finally to be rational. Such is the conjunction of the Lord with man, without which man could not think at all, still less be rational. ... There are in the thought of man numberless arcana of science . . . which never flow in through the senses or through the external man, but through the internal. Man however, on his part, by means of scientifics and cognitions advances to meet this life which is from the Lord, and thereby reciprocal ly conjoins himself.

2016. As regards the fact that all good and the derivative truth are from the Lord, this is a constant verity. The Angels are in the perception of it to such a degree that they perceive that in so far as any thing is from the Lord, it is good and true, and that in so far as it is from themselves it is evil and false.

2093. The first rational is conceived and born by the influx of the internal man into the life of the affection of sciences in his external man; . . . but his second rational he receives from the Lord when he is being regenerated: for he then perceives in the rational what the good and the truth of faith are. In man the internal man is above his rational, and is the Lord's.

2171. They who are in perception as are the Angels, know very well in which perception they are: whether in natural perception, in rational perception, or in still more interior perception which to them is Divine.

2177. When, the man of the Church so apprehended these things, he was then in an idea similar to the perception of

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the Angels, thus he was in the Lord's kingdom itself in the Heavens, although he was on earth.

2203. The human rational as to truth is of such a, nature that it cannot understand what the Divine is, for the reason that that truth is in appearances; and therefore that which it does not understand it does not believe; . . . whereas heavenly affection is not in appearances but in good and truth itself. As rational truth is of this nature, it is pardoned.

2227. All good and all the derivative truth will be from the Lord. . .. From celestial good comes spiritual good.

2242. But the Angels are not in appearances in the way that man is, and therefore while the Word as to the sense of the letter is for man, as to the internal sense it is for the Angels, as also for those men to whom of the Lord's Divine mercy it is given, while living in the world, to be like the Angels.

2657. With every man who is being regenerated there are two rationals, one before regeneration, the other after regeneration. The first which is before regeneration, is procured