May 20, 2019

He is The God of Heaven and Earth

Selection from Conjugial Love ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
The Doctrinal Ideas
of The Church which is meant by
The 'New Jerusalem'

(pt. 2)
[1] There is one God, in whom is the Divine Trinity, and that He is the Lord Jesus Christ

Is not God one and indivisible? is there not a Trinity? If God is one and indivisible, is He not one Person? if one Person, is not the Trinity in that Person? That He is the Lord Jesus Christ, I demonstrate by the following:

     • He was conceived of God the Father (Luke 1:34, 35);
     • as to His soul He is God, and hence, as He himself says, that the Father and He are one (John 10:30);
     • He is in the Father and the Father in Him (John 14:10, 11);
     • he that sees Him and knows Him, sees and knows the Father (John 14:7, 9);
     • no one sees and knows the Father save He who is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18);
     • all things of the Father are His (John 3:35; 16:15);
     • He is the way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father save by Him (John 14:6)
thus by Him because He is in Him
     • according to Paul, that in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9).

Furthermore we are taught that He has power over all flesh (John 17:2). and that He has all power in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).

From these passages it follows that He is the God of heaven and earth.
(from Conjugial Love 82)

May 19, 2019

Brief Sketch of the Doctrinals of the New Church

Selection from Conjugial Love ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
The Doctrinal Ideas
of The Church which is meant by
The 'New Jerusalem'
(1) There is one God, in whom is the Divine Trinity, and He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2) Saving faith is to believe in Him.
(3) Evils are to be shunned as sins, because they are of the devil and from the devil.
(4) Goods are to be done, because they are of God and from God.
(5) They are to be done by a man as of himself; yet he must believe that they are from the Lord with him and through him.
(from Conjugial Love 82)

May 18, 2019

ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT (pt. 11)

The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine
Emanuel Swedenborg
Doctrinal Series
ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT
(pt. 11)


The law which is justice ought to be enacted in the realm by persons skilled in the law, wise, and who fear God; then both the king and his subjects ought to live according to it. The king who lives according to the enacted law, and in this precedes his subjects by his example, is truly a king.

A king who has absolute power, who believes that his subjects are such slaves that he has a right to their possessions and lives, and if he exercises it, is not a king, but a tyrant.

There ought to be obedience to the king according to the laws of the realm, nor should he be injured by any means either by deeds or words; for on this the public security depends.
(The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 323-325)

May 17, 2019

ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT (pt. 10)

The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine
Emanuel Swedenborg
Doctrinal Series
ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT
(pt. 10)


Royalty consists in administering according to the laws of the realm and in judging according to them from justice.

The king who regards the laws as above himself is wise, but he who regards himself as above the laws is not wise.

The king who regards the laws as above himself places the royalty in the law, and the law has dominion over him, for he knows that the law is justice, and that all justice which is justice is Divine.

But he who regards himself as above the laws places the royalty in himself, and either believes himself to be the law, or the law, which is justice, to be from himself; hence he arrogates to himself that which is Divine, under which nevertheless he ought to be.
(The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 322)

May 16, 2019

ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT (pt. 9)

The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine
Emanuel Swedenborg
Doctrinal Series
ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT
(pt. 9)


As priests are appointed to administer those things which relate to the Divine law and worship, so kings and magistrates are appointed to administer those things which relate to civil law and judgment.

Because the king alone cannot administer all things, therefore there are governors under him, to each of whom a province is given to administer, which the king cannot and is not able to administer alone. These governors, taken together, constitute the royalty, but the king himself is the chief.

Royalty itself is not in the person, but is adjoined to the person. The king who believes that royalty is in his own person, and the governor who believes that the dignity of the government is in his own person, is not wise.
(The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 319-321)

May 15, 2019

ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT (pt. 8)

The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine
Emanuel Swedenborg
Doctrinal Series
ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT
(pt. 8)


Priests ought to teach the people, and to lead them by truths to the good of life, but still they ought to compel no one, since no one can be compelled to believe contrary to what he thinks from his heart to be true. He who believes otherwise than the priest, and makes no disturbance, ought to be left in peace; but he who makes disturbance, ought to be separated; for this also is of order, for the sake of which the priesthood is established.
(The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 318)

May 14, 2019

ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT (pt. 7)

The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine
Emanuel Swedenborg
Doctrinal Series
ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL GOVERNMENT
(pt. 7)


Dignity and honor ought to be paid to priests on account of the holy things which they administer; but they who are wise give the honor to the Lord, from whom the holy things are, and not to themselves; but they who are not wise attribute the honor to themselves; these take it away from the Lord.

They who attribute honor to themselves, on account of the holy things which they administer, prefer honor and gain to the salvation of souls, which they ought to provide for; but they who give the honor to the Lord, and not to themselves, prefer the salvation of souls to honor and gain.

The honor of any employment is not in the person, but is adjoined to him according to the dignity of the thing which he administers; and what is adjoined does not belong to the person himself, and is also separated from him with the employment.

All personal honor is the honor of wisdom and the fear of the Lord.
(The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 317)