HOW [MY] WRITINGS SEEM TO BE RECEIVED BY MEN

Selection from Swedenborg's Spiritual Diary ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

I spoke with spirits [as to] how my writings concerning these things seem to be received when they become public; for evil spirits sometimes infused that no one would perceive these things, but that [men] would reject them. Now while in the street and talking with spirits, it was given to perceive that there are five kinds of reception:

• First, [those] who wholly reject, who are in another persuasion, and who are enemies of the faith. These reject; for it cannot be received by them, since it [can] not penetrate their minds.

• Another class, who can receive these things as scientifics*, and are delighted with them as scientifics, and as curious things.

• A third class, which receives, intellectually, so that they receive with sufficient alacrity (Cheerful willingness; eagerness), but still remain [in respect to] life as before.

• A fourth class [receives] persuasively, so that it penetrates to the improvement of their lives; they recur to these in certain states, and make use of them.

•A fifth class, who receive with joy, and are confirmed. - 1748, August 27.

(Spiritual Diary 2955)

* Scientifics. Scientifica. All the things which are learned and stored up in the memory, and which can be called forth from it for the use of the sight of the mind, are called scientifics, and in themselves are the things which constitute the intellectual part of the natural or external man. ... In the Natural, there are scientifics of various kinds: there are scientifics relating to earthly, corporeal and worldly things; these are the lowest, for they are immediately from external sensual things or the things of the body: there are scientifics relating to the civil state, its government, statutes, and laws; these are a little more interior: there are scientifics relating to the things of moral life; these are more interior still; but those which relate to spiritual life, are the most interior of all. These are the truths of the Church, which, so far as they are only from doctrine, are nothing more than scientifics; but when they are from the good of love, then they ascend above scientifics, for then they are in spiritual light, from which light they view scientifics in their order beneath them. Man, by such degrees of scientifics, ascends to intelligence; for scientifics, through those degrees open the mind so that light from the spiritual world can flow in. - (Glossary of Terms and Phrases Used by Swedenborg John Stuart Bogg)

The truths of the Church in the natural —
In the natural there are memory-knowledges of various kinds: there are memory-knowledges about earthly, bodily, and worldly things, which are the lowest, for these are immediately from the things of the external senses, or of the body; there are memory-knowledges about the civil state, its government, statutes, and laws, which are a little more interior; there are memory-knowledges about the things of moral life, which are more interior still. But the memory-knowledges which belong to spiritual life are more interior than all the former. These latter are truths of the church, which insofar as they are only from doctrine with a man, are nothing but memory-knowledges; but when they are from the good of love, they then rise above memory-knowledges, for they are then in spiritual light, from which they look at memory-knowledges in their order beneath them. By means of such degrees of memory-knowledges a man mounts to intelligence, for by means of these degrees memory-knowledges open the mind so that light from the spiritual world can flow in. From all this it is now evident what is meant by the presence of truths in the natural.

(from Arcana Coelestia 5934)

Heaven and Earth Joined

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

It has been necessary that of the Lord's Divine Providence some revelation should come into existence, for -

a revelation or Word is the general recipient vessel of spiritual and celestial things, thus conjoining heaven and earth; and that without it they would have been disjoined, and the human race would have perished.

And besides, it is necessary that there should be heavenly truths somewhere, by which man may be instructed, because he was born for heavenly things, and, after the life of the body, ought to come among those who are heavenly; for -

the truths of faith are the laws of order in the kingdom in which he is to live forever.

(Arcana Coelestia 1775)

When Man From Internal Becomes External

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The Doctrine of Charity was the doctrine in the Ancient Churches, and that this doctrine conjoined all the churches, and so made one out of many; for they acknowledged as men of the church all who lived in the good of charity, and called them brethren, however greatly they might be at variance in the truths which at this day are called the truths of faith. In these, [truths of faith], one instructed another, and this was among their works of charity; nor were they indignant if one did not accede to the opinion of another, knowing that everyone receives truth in proportion as he is in good.

Such being the character of the Ancient Churches, they were more interior men, and being more interior they were more wise; for-

those who are in the good of love and of charity are as to the internal man in heaven, and in an angelic society there which is in like good.

From this they have an elevation of mind to interior things, and consequently to the things of wisdom; for -

wisdom can come from no other source than heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and in heaven there is wisdom, because there they are in good.

But in course of time this ancient wisdom decreased; for insofar as the human race removed itself from the good of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor, so far it also removed itself from wisdom, because so far it removed itself from heaven. From this it is that man from internal became external, and this successively.

And when man became external, he also became worldly and corporeal; and when he is of this character he no longer cares for the things of heaven; for they have been so far removed as not to be believed to exist; because the delights of earthly loves, and with these all evils which from these loves are delightful to him, then take complete possession of the whole man; and then all that he hears about the life after death, about heaven, and about hell, is like chaff in the wind, which flies away as fast as it is seen.

From this also it is that the Doctrine of Charity, which was so precious among the ancients, is at this day one of the lost things; for who at this day knows what in the genuine sense charity is, and what in the genuine sense the neighbor is? when yet this doctrine abounds in arcana so many and so great that it cannot be described as to a thousandth part. The whole Sacred Scripture is nothing else than the doctrine of love and of charity, as the Lord also teaches, saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from all thy heart, and in all thy soul, and in all thy mind; this is the first and great commandment: the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:37-40). "The law and the prophets" are the Word in all and each of its parts.

(Arcana Coelestia 6628 - 6632)