Seeing and Touching the 'First' Threshold of Wisdom

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Among the ancients, who were in congruent rituals, the feasts that were made in the evening, that is, the suppers, signified nothing else than the state of initiation which precedes conjunction, which state relatively to the state of conjunction is obscure. For during man's initiation into truth and thence into good, all that he learns is obscure to him; but when good is being conjoined with him, and he regards truth therefrom, it then becomes clear to him, and this successively more and more; for now he is no longer in doubt as to whether a thing exists, or whether it is so; but he knows that it exists, and that it is so.

When man is in this state, he then begins to know innumerable things, for he now proceeds from the good and truth which he believes and perceives as from a center to the circumferences; and in proportion as he proceeds, in the same proportion he sees the things which are round about, and successively more and more widely, for he is constantly pushing out and widening the boundaries. Thenceforth also he commences from every subject in the space within the boundaries; and from these as from new centers he throws out new circumferences, and so on. In this way the light of truth from good increases immeasurably, and becomes like a continuous lucidity, for the man is then in the light of heaven, which is from the Lord. But with those who are in doubt and in discussion as to whether a thing exists, and whether it is so, these innumerable, nay, illimitable things do not appear one whit; to them all things in both general and particular are utterly obscure, and are scarcely regarded as one really existing thing, but rather as one thing the existence of which is doubtful. In such a state is human wisdom and intelligence at this day, when he is deemed wise who can reason with ingenuity as to whether a thing exists; and he is deemed still wiser who can reason that it does not exist.

For example take the proposition that there is an internal sense of the Word, which is called mystical: until this is believed, it is impossible for men to know the least of the innumerable things which are in the internal sense, and which are so many as to fill the whole heaven with an infinite variety.

Another example is that the man who reasons concerning the Divine Providence, as to whether it is only universal, and not in the singulars, cannot possibly know the innumerable arcana of Providence, which are as many in number as are the contingencies of everyone's life from first to last, and from the creation of the world to its end; nay, even to eternity.

Again: he who reasons as to whether it is possible for anyone to be in good, seeing that the will of man is radically depraved, can never know all the arcana relating to regeneration, nor even that a new will is implanted by the Lord, nor the arcana relating to this implantation; and so with everything else. From this it may be known in what obscurity such persons are, and that they do not even see, much less touch, the first threshold of wisdom.

(Arcana Coelestia 3833)

Truth, the Form of Good

A Portion of a Passage in Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

... no truth can be produced unless there is a good or delight from which it is.  In good and in delight there is life; but not in truth, except that which it has from good and delight.  From this, truth is formed and begotten, and so is faith, which is of truth, formed and begotten by love, which is of good.  It is with truth exactly as it is with light: except from the sun or a flame there is no light; it is from this that light is formed.  Truth is only the form of good; and faith is only the form of love. Truth is formed from good according to the quality of the good, and faith is formed from love according to the quality of the love or charity.

(Arcana Coelestia 668)

Faith Cometh By Hearing

Selections from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

There are two lives in man; one is of the will, the other of the understanding.  They become two lives when there is no will, but cupidity in place of a will.  Then it is the other or intellectual part that can be reformed; and afterwards through this a new will can be given, so that the two may still constitute one life, namely, charity and faith....

The case is this: When a man is being reformed, which is effected by combats and temptations, such evil spirits are associated with him as excite nothing but his things of knowledge and reason [scientifica ejus et rationalia]; and spirits that excite cupidities are kept entirely away from him.  For there are two kinds of evil spirits, those who act upon man's reasonings, and those who act upon his cupidities.  The evil spirits who excite a man's reasonings bring forth all his falsities, and endeavor to persuade him that they are true, and even turn truths into falsities.  A man must fight against these when he is in temptation; but it is really the Lord who fights, through the angels who are adjoined to the man.  As soon as the falsities are separated, and as it were dispersed, by these combats, the man is prepared to receive the truths of faith.  For so long as falsities prevail, a man never can receive the truths of faith, because the principles of falsity stand in the way.  When he has thus been prepared to receive the truths of faith, then for the first time can celestial seeds be implanted in him, which are the seeds of charity.  The seeds of charity can never be implanted in ground where falsities reign, but only where truths reign.  Thus is it with the reformation or regeneration of the spiritual man....

This agrees with what is at this day known in the churches: that faith comes by hearing.  But faith is by no means the knowledge [cognitio] of the things that are of faith, or that are to be believed.  This is only memory-knowledge [scientia]; whereas faith is acknowledgment.  There can however be no acknowledgment with anyone unless the principal of faith is in him, which is charity, that is, love toward the neighbor and mercy.  When there is charity, then there is acknowledgment, or faith.  He who apprehends otherwise is as far away from a knowledge of faith as earth is from heaven.  When charity is present, which is the goodness of faith, then acknowledgment is present, which is the truth of faith.  When therefore a man is being regenerated according to the things of knowledge, of reason, and of understanding, it is to the end that the ground may be prepared - that is, his mind - for receiving charity; from which, or from the life of which, he thereafter thinks and acts.  Then he is reformed or regenerated, and not before.

(Arcana Coelestia 652 - 654)