"And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother." (Genesis 35: 1)
The purpose of the church is to teach spiritual truths and to lead thereby to the good of life. Spiritual truths, which are contained in the internal sense of the Word, treat of the means of man's regeneration and his preparation for the life of heaven. They cannot be discovered by man through his own investigation and reflection; they cannot be acquired by experience; they must be revealed to man by the Lord. This revelation of spiritual truth is now given to the church in the Writings and it is our duty and responsibility to spend time and effort, through reading and reflection, so that we may understand and apply these truths. The second coming became necessary because the church was no longer able to draw forth spiritual truths from the letter of its revelation. The former church never lost the perception and knowledge of genuine civil and moral truth and order; for these can be established by reason and reflection upon the order of man's life in the world, and therefore they exist also with those who are without the church. But spiritual truths teach the real existence and quality of the internal man and of how it is conjoined with the external and how both are made living by influx from the Lord. They show that the spirit is the man himself and that after the death of the body it enters upon a real and eternal life of use. "These things," (that is, truths concerning the life of man's spirit) the Writings say, "fall into obscurity with man, for the reason that when he is living in the body the distinction between the rational and the natural does not appear-not at all to those who are not regenerate, and very little even to those who are regenerate, for they do not reflect upon it, nor indeed do they care about it, for the knowledges of the interior things of man have been almost obliterated, and yet in old times these made the all of intelligence with men within the church."* * AC 4341. This former state of delight in the spiritual truths of the Word is to be regained. The spiritual sense of the Word has been revealed to this end, and the man of the New Church is to enter with his understanding into its arcana. The Writings promise that "the time is coming when there will be enlightenment". They say, "although these things are clear to those who are in the light of heaven, they are nevertheless obscure to those who are in the light of the world, thus to most people at this day, and possibly so obscure as to be scarcely intelligible, and yet as they are treated of in the internal sense, and are of such a nature, the opening of them is not to be dispensed with; the time is coming when there will be enlightenment."* * AC 4402. The story of Jacob in its inmost sense treats of how the Lord glorified or made Divine the natural degree of His human; how He first made it a form of truth Divine, then of Divine truth, and lastly a form of the Divine love itself so that in the end it became the Divine Love in human form. And since the Lord glorified His human in a way similar to that in which He regenerates man, therefore, in the spiritual sense the story treats of the regeneration of the natural degree of man's life. This is the degree in which man consciously cooperates with the Lord in his (man's) spiritual rebirth-in which the Lord and man act together. Jacob represents the natural man, or the natural degree of man's life; that is, the life of his mind or spirit, not the life of his body, except as its speech and acts correspond to the thought and will of his spirit. In general the life of Jacob can be divided into three periods: his birth and life in the land of Canaan with his mother and father, his descent into Padan-Aram and his life with his uncle Laban, and his return to Canaan and the concluding period of his life there. These correspond to the three general states of man's regeneration. The first is a period of instruction in the truths of faith and obedience to parents and masters, from birth to his twentieth year; the second-from twenty to sixty-is when man, through confirmation and reflection makes these truths his own and from himself lives according to them; and the third state, from sixty on, is when man acquires a love of truth and from love sees truth and does good. This third state is the one treated of in the spiritual sense of the text. While man passes through these states successively and in time, yet in a real sense every forward step in regeneration in the world and in heaven progresses according to this order.
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The first state of man's regeneration is defined as the "learning of truth from affection." What affection?-and how is it acquired? Man from nativity and heredity is in the love of self and the world and if these alone made up his life during infancy, childhood and youth he would have no affection of truth except for selfish and worldly reasons. But the Writings teach that from birth, good or love is continually inflowing from the Lord and seeking in man vessels for its reception. Such vessels are truths, especially the truths of the Word, so that when man is taught truths from the Word the inflowing Divine good produces in him the affection of truth from which he is willing to be taught, and has the ability to understand truth. The answer then to the question: "What affection?" is the affection produced in man by the continually inflowing Divine good or love. Only the affection of truth can receive and retain instruction in truths and unless this affection exists in those being instructed, the instruction is to no spiritual and lasting effect. Man cultivates and receives this affection when he opens his mind to receive the continually inflowing Divine good by acknowledging his ignorance of spiritual truth and his need to be taught and led by the Lord through His Word. Unless such a beginning of humility exists in youth, instruction in spiritual truths is of little or no value. The second state of man's regeneration is said to be "living according to the truth learned from affection." Again the affection is produced by the inflowing Divine good. From this, man seeks the good of truth, the spiritual good which promotes and leads to eternal life. While truths are the vessels in man's spirit which receive the Divine good, yet they must never be regarded as ends in themselves for they are only the means by which the Divine good is received and from which the genuine good of life is brought forth in man's words and deeds. The important quality of this period is the acknowledgment of the internal man or spirit, or the real man, and of its eternal life after the death of the body. The spiritual truths and doctrine are mere abstractions unless these two things are perceived as the very realities of life. In the third state of regeneration man no longer acts from an affection of truth but from an affection of good which is called the truth of good. He sees truth from good and in all truth he regards the good of use to which it leads. In this state truth is said to become good, for everything done from love and its affections is called good.* This good is truth in will and act.** Now the question arises: "What good is brought forth this regenerative process?"
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This is important to understand for the Writings say that in a consummated church the only spiritual good acknowledged is "such as is brought forth by a moral life." * AC 4337. ** AC 4247. The natural man knows no other good than such as is produced by a life according to moral and civil law. That this is not the spiritual good acquired by regeneration is clear from the observation that such good can be known by man without an acknowledgment of God or of eternal life. The Writings say that the moral law is the law of reason which man can know from observation and reflection upon the morals of men, and further, that therefore they say it can be known by gentiles and those who have not the Word. Spiritual good can be acquired only from the truths of the Word. Spiritual good is the good man receives from the inflowing of Divine good, through learning and living the truths of the Word. It can only be ultimated and stand forth to view in civil and moral good, but in itself it is the good which man does from love to the Lord and the neighbor, and has in it no end of self and the world. Such good is the very life of the regenerate man and it is the only reality of life, for in it is eternal happiness and joy. The first activity of this good is worship. All genuine worship is from the Lord to the Lord. It is the delight of returning to the Lord what is from Him, that it may be refreshed and renewed. This is the spiritual sense of the command to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make thee an altar unto God." This state is called the truth of good. In it all truth is seen and perceived in the light of love or good, in the light of its use and service to others. Good is likened to fire which gives off light. When the cognitions or knowledges which man has received through instruction and reading are seen in the light of this fire, falsities and fallacies are dispersed, and many new truths are perceived within the cognitions man has learned from the Word. Man having arisen and having gone up to Bethel is then told to "put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments." This does not mean that he is to put away the cognitions he has learned from without, but that he is to put away the false and fallacious ideas concerning them that have arisen in his thought from selfish and worldly loves. This distinction between knowledges of truth and truths themselves is an important one. Cognitions of truth can be understood and learned by anyone, the evil as well as the good; but the genuine truths within knowledges can be seen only in the light of heaven. This is the meaning of the teaching that every truth (knowledge) is circumstanced in a man according to his idea of it, and the quality of the ideas arising in man's mind from cognitions, is determined by the love from which he views them.
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In the light of an evil and selfish love, the cognitions of truth from the Word are perverted and distorted by the man's ideas of them, for they are twisted and turned to serve his selfish and worldly ends. While in the light of a good love, the cognitions of truth are continually refined and purified by the man's ideas of them, and their application to the ends of his good love are seen in ever clearer light. This process continues on into eternity. The truth of good, which is the final state of man's regeneration, is attained when man sees the knowledges of truth, which he has acquired from the Word from without, in the light of love to the Lord and the neighbor, and new ideas of their application to uses to the neighbor arise daily in his life-until the whole man becomes a form of love to the Lord and the neighbor, which is a truly human form. This is an image of the Lord, who by His glorification became the Divine love in human form. Amen.
"No one ever suffers punishment in the other life on account of hereditary evil, because it is not his, and therefore he is not to blame for being of such a nature; but everyone suffers on account of the actual evil which is his own, and consequently for so much of the hereditary evil as he has appropriated to himself by actual life. It is not therefore for the sake of punishment that the little children on becoming adult are remitted into the state of their hereditary evil; but that they may know that of themselves they are nothing but evil, and that it is of the Lord's mercy that they are taken away from the hell that is with them into heaven; and that they are not in heaven by their own merit, but of the Lord; and thereby to prevent them from boasting before others of the good that is in them; for this is contrary to the good of mutual love, as it is contrary to the truth of faith." (Arcana Coelestia 2308)
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HUMAN AND THE RATIONAL Rev. BJORN BOYESEN 1975
In the minds of most of us the New Church is probably best characterized by the statement that it is a rational church, and that this is so because it is based on a rational revelation. And this is part of the truth. It is written that "now it is permitted to enter intellectually"-that is, with the understanding-" into the mysteries of faith," and we are even enjoined to do so, because "the truths of the Word are so many mirrors of the Lord."* And surely this is necessary in order to become rational. But lest we should come to believe that this is all that is required, we are also taught that "no one can be said to have a rational merely because he can reason".** To the same effect in this quotation: * TCR 508:3, 6. ** AC 1944:2.
Many in the world suppose that a rational man is one who can reason acutely about many things, and so join his reasonings together that his conclusions may appear like truths; but this is found even in the worst of men, who are able to reason skillfully and persuade that evils are goods and that falsities are truths and the reverse. But he who reflects can see that this is vicious phantasy and not what is rational. The rational consists in inwardly seeing and perceiving that good is good, and from this that truth is truth.* * AC 6240
Obviously rationality is more than the ability to reason about or even from the truths of revelation. But to understand this we may start with an inquiry into the human make-up. In this matter the most important general teaching is that there is an internal man and an external man in everyone, and that the rational man is the intermediate, or the medium of conjunction between these two.* At the same time it should be realized that the rational man is not actually a separate and different third part of man, but is in fact the inmost of the external or natural man, through which the power of the internal man is conveyed to man's entire external.** But this can perhaps be more clearly understood by considering in the first place what the internal man is. * AC 978, 1702. ** AC 1589:2. Briefly stated we mean by the internal man in this context the same as the human soul or the human internal, which the Writings expressly declare to be the Lord's with man, or His very own presence or dwelling place with him.*
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In it there is said to be "nothing but goods and truths which are the Lord's," and it is even said to be "formed from what is celestial and spiritual".** We believe it to be entirely under the Lord's auspices and above man's consciousness,*** in the sense that man is not responsible for what is there. He cannot add to it, nor detract from it, nor change it, for, if he could, it would mean that man can change his very identity, which is obviously absurd. We conclude therefore that it is here that man is endowed by the Lord with special talents, which differentiate him from every other man, and are part and parcel of his very life or love; for let us remember the teaching that a man's life is his love.**** We believe also that this love is the love of a certain use to the commonwealth of the spiritual world, or what is the same thing, to the realm of the human mind. It means that we have all been created to perform definite spiritual uses for each other, and that the very definition of our use lies here in the human internal.***** Yet we do not mean that there are separate creative streams in the Divine, for in God-Man infinite things are distinctly one.****** But nor do we mean that man determines his own inmost love, for he cannot choose whether to be born, by whom to be born, or even the time in history when he is born. These things are rather determined by other men-or perhaps one might say, by the Lord through the choices of other men, according to the law that influx is according to the form of the receiving vessel. In other words, the Lord does not accomplish the finition arbitrarily, but creates every human soul in response to a need-a need which arises from the state of the human race or spiritual world at any given moment. This state is immensely complex, being the result of the entire history of mankind, involving all its wisdom and its follies, its freedom and its limitations, its hereditary and acquired traits, its choices, good and evil, from the very beginnings of mankind. But this means also that every human being is a unique and most marvellous creature, being so to speak a Divine answer to the prayer of human history. Moreover, the use for which he is created places him in a certain society in the spiritual world, and indeed in a "certain place" there either in heaven or in hell.******* Everyone will consequently perform the use for which he is born to all eternity in the spiritual world, no matter in which heaven or in which hell he finally finds his abode. In other words, what the man himself chooses is not his eternal soul or use, but only the manner in which he performs it.
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He chooses his heaven or his hell, his character, or the quality of his use, but not the use itself. This is the Lord's, and no man can undo it. * HH 39, AC 1940, 1999, LJ 25. ** AC 978. *** AC 1999. **** DLW 1; AC 1940. ***** LOVE III-V ****** DLW 17. ******* DP 67-69. It is then here-in the human internal-that the Lord's infinite life is finited and becomes the specific love of an eternal use, which is a human soul. The infinite life is what is called Jehovah. But when this life has been determined into a human love of use, this love determines also the very nature of the two faculties of freedom and reason, which constitute the soul in question. Indeed, the faculty of freedom becomes the ability to will and do what the man has been created to love, and this even to the highest celestial degree if the man so chooses; and it contains all the powers necessary to accomplish this aim, all the voluntary affections. And this faculty is represented in the story of Genesis by Abram (later Abraham), Sarai's (later Sarah's) husband. In the Lord on earth, when glorified, however, Abraham represented the Lord's love to save the entire human race, and was therefore one with Jehovah. But in man, Abraham represents a celestial love of use, that is, some special use for the human race even to its celestial degree. And Abraham represents this love with all its vital powers. It is this love that conceives everything in man. * It is the conceptive life-the celestial itself. The faculty of rationality, on the other hand, is the human ability to understand whatever the love intends, and it contains all the intellectual affections or talents necessary to bring it forth. It is what gives birth, and this is Sarai, the spiritual itself.** * AC 2621. ** AC 1901. It is interesting to note that here on the inmost plane of man-that is, on the plane of his soul-the faculty of rationality or the intellectual faculty is represented by a woman. There is, of course, a difference between this faculty and actual rationality. In the Genesis story this is represented by the fact that both man's first actual rational and his later more mature actual rational are represented by boys or men, Ishmael and Isaac respectively. And it is noteworthy that these are products of the conjunction of the vitalizing love, represented by Abram, with some intellectual affection. Thus Ishmael was the son of Abram by Hagar, while Isaac-the true rational-was the son of Abraham and Sarah. However, this does not remove the fact that the rational faculty would seem to be in its essence feminine. And this would seem to be true both in men and in women. It would seem to be the ability to recognize truth or to see the self-evident reason of truth, and, of course, this does not make it any less rational than either the first rational or later rational represented by boys or men. The main difference is that the latter are products of the union of a love of use, that is, of a certain purpose, with intellectual affections, which either supply or search out the means to that purpose-that is, they are the result of the love consulting with its proper wisdom.
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But the intellectual faculty, represented by Sarah, is simply the intuitive ability to recognize the truth. And the fact that it is intuitive would not seem to make it either any less rational-or less desirable. In fact, it would seem that without this faculty of being able to recognize truth intuitively or spontaneously man cannot become rational at all, for it is this very faculty that makes man able to see those very truths which are the postulates of all reasoning and from which all intelligent discussion begins. It is interesting, too, that this faculty seems to be able to operate in two different ways, that is, either as a "sister" or as a "wife" to the celestial love of use, represented by Abraham. It is to be remembered that the celestial love of use is the love to do whatever one is created to do from the motivation of some particular love to the Lord. When the intellectual faculty operates as it were as a "wife" to this love, it is deeply involved with the love. It sees the truth-all truth-in the warmth and light of this love, for this is what characterizes a wife. This is the reason why Sarah-as a wife, representing truth from a celestial origin-is called "a woman, beautiful to look upon"; for so we read in the Writings, "celestial truth is the beautiful or beauty itself."* As a wife she wants to see the truth, not merely as a matter of abstract knowledge or rational doctrine, without reference to any special love, but as a part of her husband's wisdom. And the mere knowledge and understanding of truth as doctrine apart from any love of use is not wisdom. In other words, a genuine wife wants her husband to be wise in truths that are alive with a heavenly or celestial love. In fact, this is exactly what makes truths the living truths of faith, and not merely dead knowledges, or a lifeless science. * AC 1470. In the case of evil men and women this may of course lead to -a perverted intuition, and thus to the production of a false rationality.. But on the other hand, in the case of sincere men and women it makes the intuition of the rational faculty so much the more reliable. And this kind of intuitive understanding does not argue with its love, because it is already interiorly conjoined with it in all rational matters, that is, from within.* It does not need to exert scientific, moral, or social arguments from without to reach agreement, for also in these matters the intellect and the love are already largely in agreement. Therefore where this inner conjugial relationship has already been established, wives for the most part simply sit still and listen, when rational things are discussed by men, and they internally assent to and favour what is said by their husbands.**
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But to believe that for this reason they have nothing to contribute, and should therefore be excluded from rational deliberations, seems at least somewhat questionable. Especially when and if there is some uncertainty on the part of the men as to what would be a wise measure-which is far from unusual-it is not my experience that wives keep quiet; and very often they come with the most pertinent suggestions. * CL 163. ** CL 165. On the other hand, the intellectual faculty can also operate as a "sister," in which case it is not as yet so affectionately involved with any special celestial love, as represented by Abraham. It is still an intuitive ability to recognize truth, and intensely interested in the truth, but as yet more or less regardless of any particular inner burden of love. Or maybe one should rather say that its interest is as yet somewhat different-or, indeed, quite different. It is an interest or affection arising from con-, sanguinity-that is, from a sister-brother relationship-rather than from conjugial love. In the conjugial relationship the will and understanding faculties are already conjoined. The special will of good and the understanding of truth support each other. But in a brother-sister relationship the reasons-that is, the boys-are still immature; and the affections of truth-the girls-have not as yet chosen their loves. A "sister" is therefore a more or less general interest in truth as a knowledge or a doctrine rather than as an expression of a special love or good. And yet, if it is a genuine interest, it is looking for or searching for a love of use, to which it may give its whole devotion and to which the doctrine may be applied. This is what we call a "virgin" affection of truth, pure and clean; while an affection which is willing to be conjoined with any love is classified as a "harlot."* From this we may see why Sarai as a "sister" is said to represent "truth that is to be conjoined with what is celestial."** Clearly this means a truth-or rather an intellectual affection-searching for a celestial use, that is, a use in the Lord's service. And this kind of pure affection is quite able to recognize the truth when it is presented to it. And it wants to put all knowledge in the service of a heavenly use. Perhaps this is the reason why the ancients, and also actually Swedenborg himself, knowing proper correspondences, represented the sciences, including philosophy and theology, as women and particularly as virgins. Yet there are differences between scientific, rational, and intellectual truths. So-called scientific truths are simply a matter of knowledge. Anything, even theology, may be made simply into a science, but, if so, its real purpose is overlooked.
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Rational truth is scientific truth confirmed by the reason. It has perhaps a little more authority in men's minds; that is, they believe it a little more when they also understand it, although it is amazing how often people trust in mere science. But intellectual truth, we are told in the Writings, "is conjoined with the internal perception that it is so," and all scientific and rational truth ought to be subject to it.*** This is Sarai as a "sister." And it is an interesting thing that this intuitive perception of the truth of a matter must precede the realization of its use or good, because otherwise the good runs the risk of being violated. Because this sisterly affection of truth is not yet definitely committed to a special heavenly purpose, it cannot so easily be subjected to unworthy loves or assaulted by our hereditary evils and their specious arguments. And the good toward which it looks-and which it already interiorly harbors can thus be protected, even as Abram was protected from injury by the fact that his being Sarai's husband (as well as her brother-half brother) was withheld from Pharaoh and later on from Abimelech. * AR 620. ** AC 1496. *** AC 1496. The important point of this teaching is, of course, that there must be in every human mind-male or female-a period when the interest and affection for truth must be more or less uncommitted to any particular love, even while it looks around for a heavenly love or use to which it may later wholly devote itself. For otherwise it cannot exercise prudence. But one wonders also, if the fact that this as yet uncommitted interest in truth is represented by a "sister," does not also suggest the very special use of unmarried women to society. For, if I am not mistaken, it would seem that spinsters are usually at least somewhat more speculative and vocal than wives, and for this reason more stimulating in the general search for truth. And each kind has its great use-spinsters to stimulate discussion and even controversy, but wives to confirm the truth and arouse the loyalty to it. However, so far we have talked only of the internal man, the soul. It contains faculties, abilities, potentialities! Of these man does not become conscious until they enter into actual activity on the lower planes of his mind and finally in the deeds of his body. Hence it is not the internal man-the soul-but the external man which is the plane of man's conscious responsible life. The ability to love or will has no meaning until man wills something, and no one can actually will anything until he has experiences of actual life. Nor does the ability to understand mean anything, until man actually understands something which he has learned through the senses from without. This is the reason why Sarai, Abram's wife, was said to be barren or "not to bear unto him" until after Ishmael was born of Hagar.
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For the rational faculty alone, without responding to a heavenly love, does not produce any reason. In other words, real or actual rationality is a property of the external man, and must be conceived and produced there by the internal man; and it is not only an intellectual or mental activity-and abstraction-but a matter of rational living in the very deeds of the body. Yet we must realize that rationality is not merely a bodily or behavioral reaction, but rather a mental state within the life of the body, or, what is the same thing, a state of the spirit within the body. For this reason we read that "the body, with its life of sense and pleasure, is not the external man," which "is evident from the fact that spirits equally possess an external man, although they have no such body as they had during their life in the world . . . The external man is formed of what is sensual, not belonging to the body, but derived from bodily things; and this is the case not only with man, but also with spirits."* * AC 978. In the same passage we also learn that "thought does not belong to the internal man," but to the external, "for," as already noted, "in the internal man there are nothing but goods and truth which are the Lord's." And it is noted that the internal man is "formed from what is celestial and spiritual," and "the rational man" is expressly said to be "intermediate between the internal and external man, being that by means of which communication between the two is effected."* But beat in mind that this intermediate is at the same time the inmost of the natural. * Ibid. All this makes it quite clear that man becomes actually rational only as he is being instructed; and by instruction we mean both more or less abstract instruction through books, teachers, and lectures, and also instruction through living experiences. This is moreover openly stated in the Writings:
The rational man is not born with man, but only the faculty of being able to become rational, which all may see from the fact that newborn infants are not endowed with any reason, but become rational in process of time by means of internal and external sensual things, as they are imbued with sciences and cognitions. In children there is indeed an appearance of rationality, but it is only a kind of initiament of it, which is known from the fact that reason belongs to adults and men of years.* * AC 1893.
Note in this passage that, while with children there is only an initiament of rationality, this must nevertheless be regarded as a beginning. In other words, the development of the rational begins immediately after birth, so that there is indeed something of the rational developed from the very first moment of an individual response to the outside world-that is, with the first breath-even though it be at first a most primitive rational.
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In fact, it is most assuredly at the first no more than a very simple awareness of sensual impressions. Without this there would indeed be no communication between the internal and external man. The soul would not be able to affect the body, and the child would be incapable of either willing or understanding or even of deliberate motion. Thus conscious willing and understanding depend not only on the reception of impulses from without through the senses, but also on the influx of the soul's faculties into the sensations, so that the child's awareness of them becomes the material out of which a deliberate and conscious will and understanding are formed, which develop into a rational mind. And we are told that the natural affection of the external man-that is, the affection of knowing or of science-is the means. And this affection is represented by Hagar, Sarai's handmaid. "This affection," the Writings explain, "being of the external man, ought to serve the intellectual truth that appertains to the inmost man, as a handmaid serves her lady or a household servant her mistress." * Note, however, that this desire to know, which is really nothing but a curiosity about natural things, must be pregnant by the love of a celestial use, represented by Abram, if it is to produce any useful rationality; and "the celestial which makes a man is that he loves the Lord and the neighbor".** If the affection of knowing is pregnant by any other love, it cannot produce any genuine rationality, but only a kind of prudence or cunning, or even slyness. We might also note that before the memory has been well stocked with scientifics and cognitions, the internal and external man communicate "only by such affections as govern the external man, but through this means exist only the most general motions and certain appetites and blind inclinations, such as show themselves in infants".*** "However, this life becomes by degrees more distinct," we learn, "in proportion as the vessels of the memory are formed by means of cognitions, and the vessels of the interior memory by rational things. As these vessels are formed, and are arranged in series-and indeed in such series that they mutually regard each other, comparatively like relationships by blood and by marriage, or like societies and families -the correspondence of the external man with the internal is perfected, and still better is this done by the rational things that are intermediate. Still there is no congruity unless the cognitions by which the vessels are formed are truths; for the celestial and spiritual things of the internal man find no correspondence for themselves except in truths."**** And, of course, it is here that revelation comes in. * AC 1895. ** AC 1884. *** AC 1900. **** Ibid.
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Ideally this study should now continue by describing the nature and formation of the two kinds of rational mind represented by Ishmael and Isaac-the former by means of Hagar, the affection of natural knowledge, and the latter by means of Sarah, the affection of celestial and Divine truth. But there is no room for a thorough consideration. Let it be enough to note a few salient facts. One of these is that the external affection for knowledge, represented by Hagar, as well as the natural rationality produced by her, and called by the name of Ishmael, are subject to hereditary evils, which must be thoroughly rebuked and rejected. It was for this reason that Sarah, Abraham's wife, told her husband to cast out her handmaid, calling her a bondwoman, and also to cast out her son. That is, the intuitive sight of celestial truth, conjoined with a heavenly love, saw the need for this rejection-the need for rejecting a cold, calculating rationality, which insisted on leading itself in the way of truth alone without any feeling for other men's good. It is this kind of reason that is called "a wild-ass man, his hand against all, and the hand of all against him"; and he is said to dwell "against the face of all his brethren."* Of this kind of rationality we learn that "it thinks and breathes scarcely anything but combats."** "When spirits merely think of such truths," we read, "something of terror comes over them, because it is its nature not to yield, and thus not to draw back."*** As we all know it has a tendency to mock or scorn anything that is sensitive and gentle. Such is man's first rational, which prides itself on being led by what it calls the "facts" of the case and not by sentiment. Before it has learned to submit itself to the internal man, represented by Abraham and Sarah, and consisting of the celestial and spiritual, it is a merely human rational and full of the proprium. There is so much of genuine good and truth that this kind of rationality, which insists on leading itself, is unable to see and understand. We think of it usually as the rebellious reason of youth, which opposes every authority except, of course, its own; but it characterizes in fact any cantankerous person who loves a fight. However, when this kind of reason has undergone temptation, even to despair, and has been purified from its excessive selfishness and self-confidence, as when Hagar and Ishmael almost died in the wilderness, it usually changes. When it is ready to give up its arrogant self-confidence and submit itself under the internal man, and specifically under the spiritual truth which is conjoined with celestial good-as Hagar and Ishmael finally submitted themselves under Sarah it is turned into a spiritual man, or church, which is rational from love towards the neighbor. And it is this church, this man, this rational, that the Lord came into the world to save.
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For it was for them He grieved-grieved because they had become so hard and self-sufficient, and had to go through so many difficult trials before they would change. It is this grief which is signified by the fact that Sarah's words, "the son of this handmaid shall not inherit with my son, with Isaac . . . , was evil exceedingly in the eyes of Abraham, on account of his son."**** For the Lord loved also the spiritual, even as parents love their cantankerous children or as Abraham loved Hagar and Ishmael. But the celestial did not need to be saved, for they were saved already. * Genesis 16:12. ** AC 1951. *** AC 1951. **** Genesis 21:11. We can have no doubt, then, that it is the celestial that are genuinely rational, that is, whose natural or external conscious mind has completely submitted itself under the internal man. And this rational is represented by Isaac. He is so to speak the very joy-the heavenly laughter-of the truly human soul. For this rational is the product of the union of the celestial love of use with its own truth on the plane of the natural mind, that is, of the union of Abraham and Sarah in the natural life as husband and wife. And it is worthy of note that, while this rationality is conceived and has its being from a heavenly love of use, as represented by Abraham, it is led and has its actual existence or manifestation from the intuitive ability to recognize the heavenly truth, as represented by Sarah. In other words, this very highest form of mental activity on the inmost plane of the conscious mind-where therefore the actual truly human begins-is the result of the marriage of the essential masculine and the essential feminine in the conscious life; that is, it would seem to be the result of conjugial consultation.* Indeed, it would seem that this true rational takes a great deal of its character from the almost, as it were, instinctive understanding of the good in the truth it sees, wherefore it is rather a kind of rational good than truth. And of this we read: "Rational good never fights, however it is assailed, because it is mild and gentle, patient and yielding, for its character is that of love and mercy. Yet, although it does not fight, it conquers all, nor does it ever think about combat, or glory on account of victory; and this because it is Divine, and is safe of itself."** Surely, it is no coincidence that this kind of rationality is described in very similar terms to the true intelligence of women, which is said to be "modest, elegant, pacific, yielding, gentle, tender".*** Surely a truly rational man would be eager to counsel with and be influenced by such intelligence; and would it not be wonderful if human reason always arose from the union of a heavenly love with that kind of understanding? * AC 2106, 2194; CL 158, 159, 173, 176, 177. ** AC 1950. *** CL 218.
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LOVING THE LORD Rev. DANIEL W. HEINRICHS 1975
(Delivered at the Ohio District Assembly, September 21, 1974.)
When the Lord was asked which is the first of all the commandments, He answered: "Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."* Nothing could be plainer or more emphatic than this assertion. The Lord said of this commandment and its corollary, that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves: "There is no other commandment greater than these."** "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets".*** "In respect to this last statement that "on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" the Writings inform us that it means that "the Word in the internal sense treats of nothing else than love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor".**** They state emphatically: "In itself the Word is nothing but the doctrine of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor."***** We may say then that the whole Word when considered as to its essence teaches one thing: love to the Lord. This is the first and foremost and inmost teaching of the whole Word-the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Writings. * Mark 12:30 ** Mark 12:31 *** Matthew 22:40 **** AC 3427:2, 3445 et alia. ***** AC 7262, cf. AC 922:2 We would also note that in each of the places where this commandment occurs it is stated that we must love the Lord will all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and with all our strength. We are not to just love Him, but love Him with all our being. We are to love Him above and beyond any one and any thing. And this is where the problem arises. We learn this commandment when we are little children, and we teach it to our children when they are little, and rightly so. And because little children are then in the sphere of celestial angels, who are above all others in love to the Lord, they respond affirmatively to this commandment. As little children we want to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. But as the years begin to pass, every time we hear or repeat this commandment we feel more and more guilty. We know that we don't love the Lord more than any thing or any one. In states of reflection we realize that we love our parents more than we love the Lord, may be even a favorite uncle or aunt, and perhaps our close friends.
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There are many times when we ask ourselves: Do we really love the Lord at all? How can we love Him more than any one? We don't even see Him. We see our parents. We feel the warmth of their embrace; we see their love of us in their eyes; we see their hurt when we do wrong; we see their compassion when we are hurt; we experience their forgiveness; we are thrilled by their courage and strength; we are awed by their goodness. These are things we see and feel; they have depth and meaning to us. But we only read about and hear about the Lord. As little children the mere thought of losing our parents brings on almost unbearable feelings of desolation and emptiness. We must honestly admit, when we reflect, that we do not feel that way about the Lord. We would like to, but we don't. We would like to because He tells us that we are to love Him above all else, but no matter how we try, we cannot; and so our feelings of guilt grow, or else we reluctantly come to the conclusion that the Lord is asking of us something that is impossible. This commandment-the first of all the commandments, the one on which all else depends-becomes unreal to us. Does the Lord ask the impossible of us? Obviously He cannot, for that would be neither loving, merciful or wise. The difficulty involved in this problem is one of understanding. In so far as this is a problem to us we do not properly understand the meaning of the commandment. We do not properly understand what love is, and what is meant by loving the Lord. Nor do we properly understand the Lord whom we are to love in this total manner. In considering this subject, one of the first things we must realize is that the Lord is infinite and we are finite. We can, therefore, never know the Lord as He is in Himself. We can only know Him as He reveals Himself to us. We begin life with no knowledge whatsoever, but with the capacity to grow in knowledge to eternity. Thus our knowledge concerning the Lord grows progressively. And since a person can only love what he knows it follows that our love to the Lord can and should develop progressively. It is, therefore, impossible for a child, a youth or a young adult to obey this commandment in its full sense. We read in the Apocalypse Explained: "All who are in love to the Lord from the Lord are in the third or inmost heaven; and they are such as have truths written in the life."* And again: "They who are in goods of life from celestial affection are in love to the Lord."** It is clear from these two teachings that only celestial angels are in full compliance with this commandment.
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How many men on earth are in goods of life from celestial affection and have truths written in the life? Since only those who are in advanced stages of regeneration-who are in communion with angels of the celestial heaven-can be in a life according to this commandment, we may wonder why it is stated in the way it is, for the fact is that throughout most of our lives we cannot fully comply with this commandment. Yet it could not be stated otherwise. This commandment is a statement of the ultimate end of human life-the end to which we should be looking and striving throughout our lives. In other words, the Lord is telling men in this commandment that the end and purpose in life is fulfilled when men love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. We can be in the intention and effort to live according to this commandment. And it should be comforting to know that the Lord accepts the intention for the fact. * op. cit. 827 ** AE 445:2 But does this mean that we cannot love the Lord until we reach an advanced state of regeneration? While it is true that we cannot love Him in fulness until we reach the celestial state we can nevertheless love the Lord at all times in our lives in a less full and complete manner. The Writings define love to the Lord in many different ways, and as we examine these definitions we will see that we can love the Lord as a child, in our youth and as adults. We read: "By 'loving the Lord' is meant to love to do His commandments."* Again: "To love the Lord is to live according to His commandments."** "He who believes he loves the Lord, and does not live according to His commandments, is very much mistaken, for to live according to the Lord's commandments is to love Him. These commandments are truths which are from the Lord, thus in which the Lord is; and therefore in so far as they are loved, that is, in so far as men live according to them from love, so far the Lord is loved."*** "The Lord Himself taught this clearly and powerfully when He was in the world, saying: "If ye love Me, keep My commandments. . . . He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me. . . . He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings."**** * AR 556 ** AC 10829; See also AC 10787; AE 433:2, 707; AR 903. *** AC 10578:3 **** John 14:14:15, 21, 24 Here is a very practical, down to earth way in which we can love the Lord from day to day, beginning in childhood and continuing throughout life. But to the natural mind it is not very appealing. Our natural man would like to experience a warm personal relationship rather than a life of obedience to commandments. But, we are told: "Loving the Lord as a person, and not loving uses, is loving the Lord from oneself, which is not loving."* "An evil man as well as a good man can love the Lord as a person, and the neighbor likewise can be loved as to the person . . .
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Therefore the spiritual-natural man concludes that to love the Lord is to love that which is from Him."** "In heaven by loving the Lord is not meant loving Him in respect of His person, but loving the good which is from Him, and loving good is willing good and doing it from love."*** The love of the Lord as a person does not conjoin man with heaven.**** * Love xiii ** Wis. xi *** HH 15 **** AE 1099:3; See also AE 973:2. These teachings show us that the feelings of guilt and inadequacy that we may have in relation to love to the Lord, arise from a mistaken and false idea of what loving the Lord is. Indeed, we see from these teachings that the love which we would like to feel is in fact not really love to the Lord-not the kind of love that the Lord desires of us for our sakes. What we are thinking of is more of an external emotion than a spiritual love. Evil men as well as good men are capable of feeling the former, but not the latter. Another oft repeated and well known teaching is that the Lord is the Word, as stated in the opening verses of the Gospel of John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word."* To love the Lord, therefore, is to love the Word. The keeping of this commandment as it relates to children involves teaching them the stories of the Word in a sphere of affection. It also involves treating the books in which the Word is contained with reverence and respect. These things, of course, apply to youths and adults as well, but in addition, it involves for them their regularly reading and meditating on the Word of God. We would recall here the statement made earlier-that we can only love what we know. If we are going to love the Word we must know it. We can know it somewhat by hearing teaching from it in services of worship and in classes. But, if we are really going to know the Word we must read it for ourselves and this regularly. We would also note that we call it the "Word of God" and the "Word of the Lord" because it contains the Lord's words. In reality it is the Lord speaking to man. By giving us a written Word the Lord has provided us with a means of being in daily communication with Him. As we read the Word in this spirit, the Lord can communicate to us His wisdom and His love. * John 1:1; cf. Lord 9. We are told: "To believe in the Lord is to imbue one's understanding with the truths of faith; and . . . to love the Lord is to imbue one's will with the goods of love; and ... this cannot be done except by learning truths from the Word, by willing them, and by doing them."* "To live according to Divine truths from the Word is to love the Lord."**
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"Men should know that the good going forth from the Lord is a likeness of Himself because He is in it, and that those who make good and truth the principles of their life by intention and action become likenesses of Him and are conjoined to Him"*** Again we read: "In that [the third] heaven love to the Lord is willing and doing Divine truth, for Divine truth is the Lord in heaven".**** * AC 10645:2. ** AC 10551:2; cf. HH 225e; AE 831. *** HH 16 **** HH 271, cf. 278. The truth that loving the Lord is loving the truths of the Word and living them is further emphasised in this teaching from the Divine Providence:
To love the Lord above all things consists solely in doing no evil to the Word for the reason that the Lord is the Word, or to the holy things of the church for the reason that the Lord is in the holy things of the church, or to the soul of any one for the reason that every one's soul is in the Lord's hand. Those who shun these evils as monstrous sins love the Lord above all things.* * DP 94.
These teachings make loving the Lord a practical matter of life. The regular reading of the Word, reflecting on the truths we learn from it with a view to applying them to our daily lives-these are things we are able to do. And yet we know that there are many in the church who do not do them on a regular daily basis. This should be a matter of deep concern to us. To the extent that this is the case the first and great commandment-the one upon which all else depends-is not being observed. What is the cause of this lack of daily reading of the Word and reflection upon it? There are probably many causes-too many to enumerate and explore now, but we would suggest that there is one principal cause. There are numerous passages in the Writings which make it very plain that innocence is a prerequisite to love to the Lord and all spiritual development. As we study these passages it appears that a lack of innocence is the probable cause of the problem. We read: "The good of innocence is the only thing that receives the Lord, because without the good of innocence, love to the Lord is not possible, nor charity toward the neighbor, nor faith that has life in it, nor in general any good in which is the Divine."* To be in innocence is to acknowledge not with the mouth but with the heart that all good is from the Lord, that all truth, all intelligence and wisdom are from Him alone; and that man of himself, that is, apart from the Lord, inclines toward nothing but evil. "When man is in this confession and belief from the heart, the Lord flows in with good and truth and insinuates into him a heavenly proprium."**
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"The ascription of all things to the Lord opens the interiors of the man toward heaven . . . . from which comes conjunction with the Divine, influx thence, and enlightenment."*** To the extent that man attributes all things to himself and to the natural world or natural causes, the love of self becomes the center and soul of his life. On the other hand to the extent that he attributes all things to the Lord, love to the Lord becomes the center and soul of his life.**** These passages make it very clear that the instilling and preservation of innocence should be one of our primary concerns. We must do all in our power to see that the children entrusted to our care are protected against the loss of innocence, and we should develop it in ourselves. For to the extent that we ascribe all that is good to the Lord, to that extent do we have a desire to be led by Him and to that extent will we go to the Word so that He may teach and lead us. And obviously, ascribing all things to the Lord makes one with loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. * AC 10131; see also AC 5236: 2; AE 780: 6, 828: 2. ** AC 3994. *** AC 10227:2 **** See DP 199e The Writings also define loving the Lord in terms of loving uses. We read: "Heavenly love is loving uses for the sake of uses, or goods for the sake of goods, which are done by a man for the church his country, human society, and a fellow citizen; for this is loving God and the neighbor since all uses and all goods are from God and are the neighbor who is to be loved".* Therefore, "to love the Lord and the neighbor means in general to perform uses".** Now of course we know that there are many people who perform uses who do not even acknowledge the Lord. Certainly they are not loving the Lord by performing uses. The passages we quoted emphasize that uses must be loved and done for their own sake. When they are done for the sake of self or reward they actually destroy the delight of good which flows in from the Lord.*** Is there any way in which we can know whether the uses we perform are for their own sake or from self for the sake of reward? The Writings say: * HH 557. ** HH 112. *** AC 3816.
"Let [man] know that he is performing uses for the sake of uses in the measure in which he flees from evils; for so far as he flees from evils he performs uses not for himself, but from the Lord . . . This has been said to show that although man does not sensibly perceive whether the uses which he performs are for the sake of use or for the sake of self . . . still he can know it by this, whether or not he considers evils to be sins. If he regards them as sins, and for that reason abstains from doing them, the uses which he does are spiritual."* * DLW 426. Italics added.
The passage goes on to explain that when a man persists in this course he eventually has an aversion for evil and a sensible perception of delight in the uses themselves. And so we are told in a passage which beautifully ties the two great commandments into one: "Loving the Lord is performing uses from Him, and loving the neighbor is performing uses to him"* * Love xiii. Italics added.
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Here again we have a very practical definition of love to the Lord-one that we can apply to our lives. We can all shun evils as sins, and perform uses to the neighbor with the acknowledgment that our power and ability to do good is from the Lord with us, and that the good which we do is from Him through us. In another passage, love to the Lord is defined thus:
"Heavenly love consists in loving what is good, honest and just, because it is good, honest and just, and doing them from love; and those who have this love have a life of goodness, honesty and justice, which is heavenly life. Those who love these things for their own sake, and who do them or live them, love the Lord above all things, because they are from Him."* * HH 481.
Further on in this same passage it is emphasised that these must be loved for their own sake. These virtues can be acquired and lived for the sake of honor, reputation and gain, in which case they are perverted in us interiorly, though externally they may appear the same.
There are then, many ways in which we can love the Lord. Or we can say, there are many ways in which love to the Lord expresses itself. We can learn His commandments and obey them. We can learn truths from His Word daily and reflect upon their meaning and application to life, and then so apply them. From the Word we can learn what evil is, and flee from it in intention, thought and deed. We can learn from the Lord in His Word who our neighbor is and how he is to be loved, and then we can perform uses to the neighbor in each degree with prudence and discretion, at the same time shunning all thought of merit or reward. We can strive to love and cherish honesty, virtue and justice for their own sake. We can cherish the holy things of the church and protect them from abuse and profanation in our lives. We can promote the eternal well being of our fellow men. All of these are of love to the Lord. Certainly, there is a difference between this concept of love to the Lord and the kind of love that we feel for those persons with whom we enjoy a deep personal and mutual relationship. Perhaps, in our natural states, it seems that this love that we have been describing in its various aspects is not as great or satisfying. We may still feel somewhat frustrated by the thought that loving the Lord in this manner is supposed to be loving Him with all our being.
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But we must realize that our relationship with the Lord is one of a finite being with an Infinite Being, of man with his God. It cannot be like that of man with man. I will conclude this address with a passage which I think puts this whole matter in perspective and offers us encouragement to keep on striving toward this Divinely commanded end. We read:
"A man who is in the love of self and of the world perceives while he lives in the body a sense of delight from these loves and also in the particular pleasures derived from these loves. But a man who is in love to God and in love towards the neighbor does not perceive, while he lives in the body, any distinct sense of delight from these loves or from the good affections derived from them, but only a blessedness that is hardly perceptible, because it is hidden away in his interiors and veiled by the exteriors pertaining to the body and dulled by the cares of the world. But after death these states are entirely changed . . . The obscure delight and almost imperceptible blessedness of those who had been, while in the world, in love to God and in love to the neighbor are then turned into the delight of heaven, and become in every way perceived and felt, for the blessedness that lay hidden and unrecognized in their interiors while they lived in the world is then revealed and brought forth into evident sensation." * HH 401
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1975
On March 30, 1973, Bishop Willard D. Pendleton, President of the Academy, addressed a letter to the members of the Board of Directors, requesting that serious consideration be given to revising the executive structure of the Academy to provide for a President separate in person from the Executive Bishop of the General Church. He further proposed that the office of Chancellor be reinstituted and conferred upon the Bishop of the General Church. (The full text of this letter was published in the Academy Journal; Annual Number, 1972-73.) Since that time the Board of Directors has given a great deal of thought and consideration to the Bishop's proposal and, having completed their deliberations, forwarded to the Corporation a recommendation which, with a few minor revisions, incorporated all of Bishop Pendleton's original suggestions in regard to the duties and responsibilities of the Chancellor. At a meeting of the Corporation, held on October 19, 1974, the Corporation unanimously concurred with this proposal, and the necessary changes in the bylaws were approved, which will establish the office of the Chancellor, provide for a full-time President, and eliminate the Office of the Executive Vice President. These changes in structure win take effect on September 1, 1975.
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CLUSTER COMMUNITIES: WHY AND HOW KURT SIMONS 1975
Many of the traditional approaches to evangelization appear to have drawbacks from a New Church point of view: 1. The "lecture and literature" approach is not distinctive from old church appeals. If, as is likely, people aren't interested in traditional religion then they are "turned off" by this appearance before the substance of our message ever gets across. 2. If we use the "big time" media such as newspapers, national magazines or television, how can we avoid having our appeals equated in some senses with all the other commercials in those media? 3. People that care about values these days usually aren't interested in talk or in ads. What are you doing, they ask; how do you live? What, in short, is the good proof of your truth pudding? 4. But perhaps the thorniest problem confronting us is that we believe in the exercise of the as-of-self in religion. Any effort to compel belief by "sales pitch" or "logic", or to otherwise intrude upon the states of the person who is not ready, seem contrary to this basic free will point of our evangelization message. Yet how can you know when man is ready for the truth of the doctrine and which truths in specific? How can you accommodate the truth properly to fit his state of need when it does arise? How can you, in sum, evangelize in keeping with the truly distinctive nature of the Second Coming, a coming to the individual? We frequently note the importance of setting a good example (that is, not just a true example) in raising our children. If potential newcomers are in innocence (that is, are willing to be led by good and truth) in matters of religion-as they must be for our message to be relevant to them-then will not example-setting be appropriate for them too? Certainly such example-setting comprises an elegantly simple way of leaving the observer in freedom to accommodate what portions of the example he needs, and can comprehend, to his own states. Like the child mimicking the ballet dancer, his imitation as to externals may at first be slow or inaccurate, but where his heart moves, his feet will one day follow. And isn't moving the heart what example-setting, invitation,* insinuating good**-in sum, evangelization-is all about?
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It is personal (that is, person to person) and by definition accommodated to the recipient's state by the one who knows it best, he himself. * TCR 358; AE 331:5. ** AC 6822. Evangelization through personal contact is not a new phenomenon in the New Church. The all but legendary missionary, Otho Heilman, noted that, "My experience has been that to interest people to the point of joining the Church from a genuine belief in the Writings, one must see them frequently."* And in 1905 Clarence Barron (first editor of Barron's Financial Weekly, incidentally) conducted what appears to have been the most comprehensive survey ever made of what brought people into the church, which he reported in a little pamphlet entitled Census of the New Church. The replies of 535 people who were not brought up in the church, to the question, "How was your attention first called to the teachings of Swedenborg?" fell into the following categories: * New Church Education, May 1974, p. 180.
Conversation of a friend 421/2% Address by a minister 51/2% Address by a missionary 2% Reading Swedenborg 191/2% Reading collateral literature 191/2% Reading other printed matter 6% Unclassified 5%
The size of the majority of the "conversation of a friend" category is all the more impressive in view of its setting in a pre-electronic age when many people actually attended lectures and read serious matter, including religious material, for recreation. It seems safe to say that today the "conversation's" majority would be far more complete, simply by process of elimination. Of particular relevance here is Barron's finding that, in contrast to "conversation of a friend's" 42 1/2%, only 1% (included in the "unclassified" 5%) of the answers fell into the category of "noticing excellence of life of some New Church acquaintance". Taken out of the context of friendship, example- setting fell flat. Nor is that surprising. Like a radio broadcast that takes no account of whether anyone is "tuned in" or not, simply exuding saintliness of life (even if we could make it genuine!) is impersonal, and thus cold, however true it may be. Evangelization by example, in the context of friendship, also seems likely to circumvent the ever-present pitfall of encouraging thought from person on matters of doctrine.
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For to know a person as a friend is not to see him as remote and picture-perfect (or advertisement-perfect), easily confused in his tidy saintliness with the truth he espouses, but as a flawed, striving and often failing, plain human being in pursuit of an ideal. To the observer- friend, this not only establishes that ideal as something apart from and beyond his friend-example, but makes the friend-example consequently much easier to identify-and be comfortable-with. "Hmmm. That religion seems to help him through his hard times. I wonder . . . " And evangelization by friendly example has yet one more great practical advantage over most competing methods, in its ability to communicate the sum quality that is the New Church. How many New Church men have despaired of ever introducing the doctrines-the first systematic theology, after all-to an interested listener, let alone conveying the affectional strength its truths bring. However you introduce it, however you organize your presentation, it just seems to require too much of a mental leap to communicate it all effectively to the uninitiated. And since their potential of answering any moral question is one of the most appealing features of the doctrines, loss of that feature in an invitational-evangelical message is a sore one. Yet how elegantly this hurdle is overcome in the evangelization by example approach. Knowing a New Church friend well enough to know how he can always consult the Word to cope with any of life's many problems, provides just that broad-scale-and emotionally telling-introduction to the distinctive approach to life that is the New Church. But nobody cares about religion these days, it may be argued. Why should they pay any attention to us and our example? Because, while there may be a widespread disenchantment with what the word "religion" connotes to most people (and would we disagree?), today there appears to be a greater awareness of the moral questions of life, by more people, than perhaps ever before in history. From national policies to intimate details of human relationships, moral questions are being raised that few gave a second thought to even a generation ago. People are looking for answers, and if you can introduce your answers initially without having to hang that "religion" label on them, there is a large and receptive audience. They may not agree with our specific answers to begin with, but you might help clarify their thinking. And awakening or sharpening moral (and then spiritual) awareness, helping to order the process of thought, if not at first adding to the knowledge-product, may be where all evangelization has to begin in any case. Example-setting, in the sense of showing how you approach a given moral question, is right on the way to doing this.
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If we take it as given that evangelization by friendly good example is an appropriate method for us to use (and a potentially distinctive one), we are faced with some basic questions about our form of community organization. Seen in any kind of historical perspective, it would have been surprising if an infant church, struggling to establish its identity and to protect states (especially of its children) from a disorderly world, had not withdrawn itself to some degree from that world, into what we might term enclave communities. These enclaves, with us inside and the world outside, seem basically to have been a state of mind, a psychological phenomenon that governed our outlook, whether we were geographically dispersed through a city or actually collected in one place such as Bryn Athyn or Glenview. Even if we wished to maintain the enclave approach to community-building, it seems clear that its time has passed. Truly, the world is too much with us-and with our children. More important, however, if we are serious about evangelization, there seems a question about whether, far from enclave-building, we should not now be doing just the reverse. If we want to get real missionary mileage out of our tiny numbers, real exposure of our example to this world that so desperately needs it, perhaps the time has come to adopt what might be termed the "cluster" approach to community building. Under such an approach we would live close enough together to maintain the same uses of school and society life that we have always practiced. But instead of living right next door to each other, we would spread out somewhat, merging into the general surrounding area rather than concentrating in one place. Again, this is as much a matter of psychology as actual geographic location. Thus, while our city societies are already spread out in cluster fashion, for this plan to work it would be necessary for them to come to view that dispersion as an advantage, as a means toward the end of evangelization. To have viewed being spread out as something to be put up with, as unfortunately unavoidable, as something to be circumvented as much as possible by restricting social life to New Church people, may be one reason why our city societies have rarely in the past been successful in terms of growth. Abandoning the actual geographic enclaves in the church, allowing homes in Bryn Athyn, Glenview, Caryndale and Acton Park to be sold on the open market will appear a painful decision to some New Churchmen. Yet, even if we willed otherwise, we have little choice anyway since the discriminatory selling practices necessary to maintain such enclaves are already legally questionable and seem likely, sooner or later, to be either strictly outlawed or challenged in court.
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(And the kind of publicity arising from such a case would certainly not help our cause, especially since, unlike the Kramph Will Case, we would not be defending New Church doctrine.) Adopting the cluster form of community organization has important advantages beyond simply meeting such a reality, however: 1. It would follow the precedent of the preparation for the Lord's first advent,
First, when the Jews were taken captive they were removed from their own land and scattered in small bands through many different countries, carrying the Word with them. And secondly, other nations came to live in the Holy Land, where they became acquainted with the Jews who remained there, and learned from them about the Word.* * G. de Charms. The Life of the Lord. Bryn Athyn, PA.: Academy Book Room(1962), p. 25.
The Jews did this involuntarily, in their child-like Old Testament states, while we would presumably do it from rationality and freedom. 2. It would allow us to bring the example of New Church home and family life literally home to friends next door in a way that is simply not possible in an enclave community. And the doctrinal issues involved in the home are of course, without comparison, the most important evangelization message-by-example we bear to the world. Furthermore, young couples first grappling with what to teach their children about morality often seem to become aware of shortcomings in their existing religious outlooks as never before in their lives and feel a need for something better. If we live next door to them. . . . 3. It would make the fundamental use of evangelization intrinsic to our form of society organization. And use, of course, not geographic proximity, is what determines the organization of heavenly societies.
4. It would assure a distinctive (that is, use-defined) community without any question of being exclusive. 5. It would end the need for massive purchases of land for communities, which not only tie up large amounts of capital, perhaps better spent on other church uses, but severely limit the choice of location for new missionary efforts. 6. It might even aid New Churchmen in regenerating. In a conversation with the writer, Dr. Whitehead once noted that one reason why Bishop Benade opposed the move from Philadelphia to what became Bryn Athyn in the church's early days, was that the Bishop felt that it would be more difficult to live a life of charity in the close proximity of what we are here terming an enclave than when church members were somewhat spread out, as in the city.
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The Bishop believed, according to Dr. Whitehead, that the close-knit structure of the enclave would limit freedom, freedom which is of course an essential nutrient for the church's-and the individual New Churchman's-growth. In the cluster approach, which Bishop Benade seems, in effect, to have been supporting, this is of course not a problem.
Projecting further into the future, to the time when we might deliberately set up cluster communities in systematic fashion, what would be the ideal type of location? The Writings repeatedly teach that a new church is begun "scarcely if ever with those with whom the old church has been; but with whom there was no church before, that is, with the Gentiles"*. We have long assumed in the educational aspect of our evangelization that our children are one class of these Gentiles. A passage in Topics from the Writings under the heading "Where are we to look for the increase of the Church?" suggests an extrapolation of this idea that may be pertinent here: * AC 2986. See also AC 3898:3, 9256:5; BE 102-104.
In the Arcana Coelestia (1610) the teaching is, that the multiplication of the Lord's kingdom will be, "not only from those who are within the church, and their children, but also from those who are without the church, and their children." And their children! This stands as a distinct teaching as to the source of the increase.* * W. F. Pendleton. Topics from the Writings. Bryn Athyn, Pa.: Academy Book Room (1946), p. 6.
Few would argue that young people today, as never before, constitute a group "with whom there was no church before", as they reject the religions of their fathers. While hardly conventional Gentiles, many of them do appear to be searching earnestly for a better ethic. They seem, in short, to be a potentially receptive group for an evangel that speaks both to the moral complexities facing the understanding at this day, and to the tranquility of charity in an age crying "Peace, peace; when there is no peace." To reach these young people, it would certainly seem appropriate for the General Church, with its long appreciation of the importance of education, to cluster in college and university neighborhoods. There, perhaps as nowhere else, is a concentration of young people searching, in a sphere oriented to the learning of truth, and at a time in their lives when they are in the state of first rational doubt. They are ready for new truths, especially truths that look to good. Experience of the example of the ambiance of a New Church home and cluster society by these young people, might build the church as successfully as has been the case where New Church homes have added to the sphere of New Church education in our traditional enclave communities.
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All education is New Church education, after all, if it leads to the truth. And in this way the good we manage to do in our lives can aid in accomplishing our evangelization education of a blind and tormented world, and thus follow the Lord's great admonition, to "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."* * Matthew 5:16
FREDERICK EMANUEL DOERING TRUST 1975
Applications for assistance from the above Fund to enable male Canadian students to attend The Academy of the New Church at Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., for the school year 1975-76 should be received by one of the Pastors listed below as early as possible. Before filing their applications, students should first obtain their acceptance by the Academy, which should be done immediately as dormitory space is limited. Any of the Pastors listed below will be happy to give any further information or help that may be necessary.
The Rev. Harold C. Cranch Two Lorraine Gardens Islington, Ontario, M9M 4Z4
The Rev. Frank Rose 58 Chapel Hill Drive, R. R. 2 Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 3W5
The Rev. Christopher R. J. Smith 1536-94th Avenue Dawson Creek, B. C., VIA 1H1
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REVIEWS Various 1975
Essays on the Ten Commandments. By Hugo Lj. Odhner. General Church Publication Committee, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1972. Mimeographed, Paper. Pp. 102. Price $1.50.
The author has tailored this collection of essays to be especially useful for public worship as well as private reading. All of the essays, one for each commandment, are of sermon-length. To facilitate their use in public worship, the author has included for each essay a list of appropriate readings from the three-fold Word. Also found in the opening pages are complete versions of the Ten Commandments as they are given in Exodus and Deuteronomy, along with the Two Great Commandments from Matthew, and the New Commandment from John. Isolated laymen who hold worship services in their homes certainly should consider this book as a source of material for a series on the subject which the Writings call the first fruits of the Word and therefore the first fruits of the church. The Ten Commandments are the first fruits of the Word because they contain in summary the whole of religion whereby there is conjunction of God with man and of man with God. Since all of religion is concerned with two relationships, between God and man, and between man and man, the Decalogue was written on two tables. The first three commandments on the first table treat of man's proper relation to God, the last six on the second table treat of man's proper relation to his fellow men, the fourth commandment being intermediate between them. While on earth, the Lord summarized both tables when He gave the Two Great Commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."* Acknowledgment of the Lord and the life of charity toward the neighbor are the two pillars of faith which are the first fruits of the church, and without which the church is a vacant and empty thing devoid of meaning and life. * Matthew 22:37-40 Within these commandments are depths of meaning which not even the angels can exhaust, for they are a brief summary of the whole Word, and within each particular of them there is an infinity of wisdom. It is this inner depth which is so calmly and masterfully probed in these essays.
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This is not accomplished in the fashion of a purely theological inquiry, rather the focus always looks to applications which are of immediate concern to every man who seeks to measure himself against the Divine law. It is a characteristic of the internal commands here presented that they cannot be legislated, they cannot be applied by us to others, but only to ourselves in states of honest self-examination. And there can be no doubt that this is the intention of the New Revelation and this the author's purpose in presenting the truths of that revelation concerning the Decalogue in such an affectionate, yet uncompromising fashion. Essays on the Ten Commandments holds a unique position in the literature of the New Church. It is the last work which was actually written, edited, and prepared for publication by this great scholar of the New Church. It is a companion piece to Essays on the Lord's Prayer, also recently published by the General Church and reviewed in the February, 1973 issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE.* The two were simultaneously prepared for publication in 1971. Undoubtedly there will be several more of Dr. Odhner's studies prepared for publication by others, but these two works must stand as his final effort on earth to aid in the establishment of his life-long devotion-the New Church of the Lord. * New Church Life, 1973, p. 87. MARK R. CARLSON
The Presence of Other Worlds. The Psychological/Spiritual Findings of Emanuel Swedenborg. By Wilson Van Dusen. Harper and Row, Publishers. New York, 1974. Cloth, pp. 240. $6.95.
This book has been brought out by one of the leading publishing houses in the United States, which means not only that a new book containing many of the Divine truths now revealed has been printed, but also that this book will be distributed. Who is the author of this book which has such good possibilities of bringing a great number of the Divine truths revealed for the New Church to the awareness of so many? Dr. Van Dusen is a professional student of the Doctrines who has been trained and had much clinical experience in the field of psychology. It was while working as a clinical psychologist at Mendocino State Hospital in California that he came in contact with the Writings-and was struck by the correlation between what the Writings teach about the influence of spirits on men and what he observed in his patients who were experiencing hallucinations.
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Readers of The New Philosophy have already met him, for his account of this correlation was printed in that journal a few years ago."* * The New Philosophy, Vol. LXX (1967), p. 461. Writing as a psychologist who has discovered the Writings, Dr. Van Dusen brings a new viewpoint to their understanding and appreciation. And thinking of this I am reminded of the teaching in the Doctrines that newcomers to the spiritual world are introduced to the teachings of the New Church by good spirits and angels who themselves had originally come from the same background as the newcomers. Like these "native instructors" in the spiritual world, I think that Dr. Van Dusen may speak a language common to many in the present day world, many who may be receptive to the view of life presented in the Heavenly Doctrines but who as yet have had no knowledge of it. This fresh viewpoint is immediately visible in the opening chapters. The author begins his discussion of Swedenborg in a most disarming way. After a brief, chiefly biographical description of Swedenborg in the first chapter, the second and third chapters, entitled "Going Within" and "Opening the Inner World," analyze the process whereby Swedenborg came into conscious association with-the inhabitants of the spiritual world. But from this analysis it initially appears to the reader as if Swedenborg introduced himself into the spiritual world-by developing the ability and habit of very intense, deep, introspective thought. The book's argument for God and His influence on man is, in other words, brought forth very slowly-and then not in a didactic manner. One can, I believe, reasonably conjecture that the author's restrained, scholarly manner of presenting many facts about Swedenborg and many spiritual truths about man and God is such that it might hold the interest-and thus accomplish the partial spiritual education-of even a confirmed skeptic. Having presented Swedenborg and his remarkable faculty of consciously communicating with the spiritual world even while he was here on earth, the author then takes up in detail a number of aspects of the spiritual reality with which Swedenborg came in contact. Chapter Four treats of heaven and hell. Chapter Five, "The Gentle Root of Existence," describes the primary and determinative role of love in the life that is the human mind. "The Presence of Spirits in Madness," Chapter Six, relates the doctrine concerning the relationship between spirits and men, together with clinical confirmations of this doctrine gathered by Dr. Van Dusen in his observation and treatment of those experiencing hallucinations. In this chapter, on page 131, he makes the striking statement that obsession and possession by spirits takes place when spirits discover that they are "other than the man" with whom they are in association, and that this discovery on their part accounts for their claiming separate identity from the man and their convincing him of their existence and presence with him.
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The Seventh Chapter, "Minor Miracles," brings up many interesting, often little mentioned, anecdotes illustrating Swedenborg's spiritual powers. Among these are a few instances of precognition, such as Swedenborg's foreknowledge of the date of his death. Of these incidents there can be no doubt, but for me they are nonetheless mystifying in the light of general teaching of the Heavenly Doctrines that the Divine Providence does not grant man a knowledge of the future because such information would render his free-will inoperative and thus would effectively destroy him as a human being. Therefore I am unable to agree with the author when he says that since the Lord knows the whole of existence, past, present, or future, and since the Lord, heaven, and angels essentially transcend time, "it is possible for anyone in contact with angels to do all that Swedenborg did-read the past, present, or future, or contact those who had died." (p. 153) The next two chapters, "Existence Itself as Symbolic" and "Inner Meanings," take up the subjects of correspondences in creation and the spiritual meaning within the stories of the Word. In the last chapter, "The One Present," the Lord, the Divinely Human God is clearly identified and explained as the origin and the vivifying and unifying force within all existence. And the Lord is clearly stated to be the source of the truth which Swedenborg presents. "Though Swedenborg had much social intercourse with angels, spirits, and demons," we read, "he clearly indicated that he was ultimately instructed by the Lord. The Lord is the ultimate authority (p. 205). Yet when one has come to the end of this chapter, and thus the end of the book, one cannot help but observe that there has been virtually no mention of one of the chief doctrines of the Writings, the doctrine of the glorification-there is even an expressed reluctance to identify the "One," that is, the Divine, by the name Christ (p. 210). But perhaps this aspect of the doctrine of the Writings, as well as many others, such as the doctrines of regeneration, of conjugial love, and of the last judgment, has not been dealt with merely because the confines of a single, introductory volume cannot possibly include so much. The final chapter presents and emphasizes also the teaching of the Writings regarding the universality of the Lord's church, namely, that in its broadest sense the church includes all who live charity from a reverence for God.
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It was good to make this point, especially in a book introducing the heavenly doctrines to total strangers, for it helps counteract the formation of the conception that the New Church is merely another esoteric cult. However I cannot but observe that the author seems to be unaware of the teaching of the Writings concerning the existence of a church specific in every dispensation and concerning the vital function of the church specific in the Divine economy of human society. This is unfortunate, because if the reader is not also given to see the role of Divinely revealed truth in the actual establishment of a church in the individual-the kingdom of God in the microcosm, and then its establishment in groups and societies of individuals who have the church within them-the kingdom of God in the macrocosm, it seems quite possible that he may conclude that the doctrine of the Writings is in actuality not as universal as claimed, and that it is in reality nothing more than another very interesting but nonetheless merely esoteric theological-philosophical invention by a remarkable Swede. These deficiencies notwithstanding I would emphasize that The Presence of Other Worlds acquaints the reader with a great many of the fundamental teachings of the Writings and their implications regarding man's inner life. And it does this in a most interesting, easy to follow manner, indeed sometimes quite beautifully. In speaking of the varieties of doctrine and worship in the Lord's church, Dr. Van Dusen cites Swedenborg's reference to the angel's declaration that "churches which are in a variety of goods and truths . . . . are like so many jewels in a king's crown" * To me it would not be misusing this analogy to apply it to the various, sincere, reverent scholars who have studied the heavenly doctrines in Swedenborg's Writings. Each attentive mind into which the light of the new revelation falls uniquely, reflects some particular aspect of the Divine truth. So it is with Dr. Van Dusen's devoted scholarship. He has given all of us in the Church-both the church universal and the church specific-an opportunity to see yet more of the wonders and beauties of the Divine light in the heavenly doctrines which the Lord has now revealed for His New Church. * TCR 763 KURT P. NEMITZ
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DOMESTIC USES Editor 1975
THE NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa. Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa. Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. Today's changing attitude toward the sexes-their nature and their relationship-has had profound repercussions which affect the attitude taken to the uses of the home. Domestic uses have been severely denegrated and to suggest that a woman's place is in the home is to imply a lower status for her; fighting words indeed! Yet is it not true that much of this attitude springs from a gross misconception concerning what domestic uses really are? They are regarded in the most superficial way and only their most external forms are considered. We conjure in the mind visions of dishes and diapers. Are these really what are meant by the domestic duties to which a woman is called? It is interesting to turn to the Concordance under "Domestic" and to see what is there said. Of course we quickly find ourselves facing Conjugial Love no. 91-that poor abused number which has brought so much unhappiness to so many female souls, and has been so sorely misunderstood. There we read:
. . . that the female is born to be voluntary, but voluntary from the intellectual of the man (vir), or, what is the same, to be the love of the man's wisdom, because she was formed through his wisdom, may also be manifest from the female's affection, application, manners, and form. From her affection, which is the affection of loving knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, nevertheless not in herself, but in the man, and thus of loving the man. . . . From her application which is to such things as are works of the hands, and are called knitting, needlework, and the like, serving for adornment, both to decorate herself, and to exalt her beauty; and moreover to various duties which are called domestic, which adjoin themselves to the duties of men, which, are called forensic. . .
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This number assigns domestic uses to the wife and assigns to the husband, forensic uses which are uses which belong to the market place, the forum, or are public in character. The number further illustrates domestic uses with reference to "works of the hands . . . knitting, needlework and the like, serving, for adornment". . . . We suggest that this is not intended to be a definition of domestic uses; for that we turn to True Christian Religion no. 431, where we read:
Domestic duties of charity are those of a husband to his wife, and of a wife to her husband; of a father and mother to their children, and of children to their parents; also of a master and mistress to their servants of either sex, and of servants to their master and mistress. The duties relating to the education of children and the government of families are so numerous that it would require a volume to enumerate them. Every man (homo) is led to discharge these duties from a love different from that which moves him in his ordinary occupation. . . .
There are several interesting points to note in this number. Domestic duties, clearly, are not confined to women as might be inferred from CL no. 91; they are shared with the husband, and yet these numbers together make it clear that the husband's "ordinary occupation" is outside the home, while the wife's is within it. However, the essential point we wish to note in TCR no. 431 is that domestic duties are more, far more, than the external chores of the home; be they fine sewing or dishes and diapers. These duties run the whole gamut of human relationships within the home-relationships which involve exterior and interior planes of communication and mutual activity. Lest we still misunderstand what the Writings mean by what is domestic, note two further numbers; this time from Heaven and Hell:
The angels talk together just as men do in the world, and also on various subjects, as on domestic affairs, civil affairs, and those of moral and spiritual life . . . . * There are in the heavens, as on earth, many administrations; for there are ecclesiastical affairs, there are civil affairs, and there are domestic affairs.** * HH 234. ** HH 388.
Do we really believe that the conversations and the administrations of the angels are concerned with the chores of housekeeping? Clearly not. They are concerned with the most intimate and personal, spiritual relationships between those in a home. Now it is obviously true that every task, every use, even the most exalted, has its external forms which often appear as mere chores, unless we see and remember that they support and sustain more interior uses. Every job has its dishes and diapers.
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But how strange it is that when we speak of domestic uses we only seem to think of these chores; we imply that these are all that are involved. We speak with respect of the professional work of a teacher and do not denegrate it by referring to it as a task which simply involves erasing chalkboards or putting crosses and checks against children's homework. Is it less important or less a matter of respect, for a mother to guide and educate her children (and not infrequently her husband) in the home? Are domestic chores all that husbands look for in their wives? Indeed not. Do we not then better understand a woman's place in the home if we better understand the real nature of her use there-of domestic uses. Let us not also forget that the uses of the home extend far into the surrounding community and that, in a very real sense, the mother in the home is serving society in a much broader sense as well. Imagine what our communities would be without the housewives who reach beyond the walls of their homes to perform so many uses to so many individuals and groups. Domestic uses. Are we talking, then, about unskilled chores? Most certainly we are not. We are talking of uses which require a high level of skill, a deep commitment, a patience and understanding beyond anything required in man's forensic world, a knowledge of human nature and childhood states, and a love to sustain all.
USE OF EXCERPTS FROM THE WRITINGS DONALD L. ROSE 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
The publication by the Swedenborg Society of a booklet of extracts from Arcana Caelestia entitled The Internal Sense of the Word has occasioned the question of the use of such booklets.* * See Review: The Internal Sense of the Word. NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1974(December Issue), p. 540. There is considerable precedent for this sort of work. Indeed we might say the first example goes back to Swedenborg's lifetime, even to the time when only one book of the Writings was in print! In February of 1750 the one volume in print was the first volume of the Arcana Caelestia. At that time the publisher placed a remarkable advertisement for the next volume. It was to come out in handy installments both in Latin and in English translation. A quotation or two from that advertisement should prove interesting and in part relevant to this question.
ADVERTISEMENT, by John Lewis, Printer and Publisher . . . Be it known unto all the learned and curious, that this day is published, the first number of ARCANA COELESTIA, or Heavenly Secrets, which are in the Sacred Scriptures, or word of the Lord, laid open; as they are found in the Sixteenth Chapter of Genesis: together with the wonderful things that have been seen in the world of spirits, and in the heaven of angels.
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. . . now the second volume is printing, both in Latin and English; to be published in cheap numbers, that the public may have it in an easier manner, in either tongue, than in whole volumes. . . . These . . . are to be sold for no more than nine-pence each; so that from hence it is easy to imagine how cheap the whole will be, especially when printed in such a grand and pompous manner at so low a price. But it is the generous author's absolute command that it should be so, who, it is plain, wants neither purse nor spirit to carry on his laudable undertaking. As the copy comes from a foreign country, and as one number may contain nearly double the quantity of another, it is utterly impossible to fix a certain regular time for the publication of each. But this the public may be assured of, that when a fresh number is published, it shall be advertised in the newspapers . . . . * * Tafel's Documents, Vol. II, pp. 492-497; See also That All May Know by F. Rose and D. Rose, pp. 16 and 22.
Of course there is a difference between excerpts and installments. And yet they have certain purposes or uses in common. Note the phrase "published in cheap numbers, that the public may have it in an easier manner, in either tongue, than in whole volumes." It is not surprising that the idea of publishing excerpts from "whole volumes" came to publishers of the Writings. Not many people read the Apocalypse Explained, for example. Its bulk alone is overpowering. And the expositional content does not always attract readers. But what treasures there are interspersed in the work. In 1902 the Swedenborg Society published extracts under the title, God, Providence and Creation. A second edition was published in 1931 and then a reprint in 1957. The material at the end of the same work was brought out in 1916 under the title, The Doctrine of Uses. This became quite popular, and a new translation of it was issued in 1942. Then, in 1963 it was brought out again but this time under the title On the Divine Love and on the Divine Wisdom. This has been a book often used in reading circles in which each person brings a copy. And what of the treatment of the Ten Commandments in the same large work? This was published in a booklet of extracts by the Swedenborg Foundation in 1955 under the title The Spiritual Life and the Word of God. And then in 1961 the extracts were put out in a popular translation by the Swedenborg Society under the title Religion and Life. These booklets have proved themselves. They have sold relatively well, and I am sure that there are many people who have read this material who would not have done so were it not brought out in booklet form. Incidentally, attractive covers do tend to lure readers, and the small booklets have provided opportunities for pleasing design.
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The energy problem seems likely to bring about a new emphasis on public transportation, and one of the bright sides of this is that more people will be able to spend the time en route to work reading instead of coping with the hazards of traffic. I know several people who have done most of their reading of the Writings while riding in trains, and obviously the slim paperback is a boon to them. I would mention also the point of view of the translator, especially the volunteer translator. The translation of a work of several volumes is a work of so many years that extremely few men would embark upon it. But the idea of issuing extracts presents an attainable goal to the part time translator. The result is that translation work gets done which would otherwise not be done, and we are all the richer for it. DONALD L. ROSE. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
[Editorial Note: It might further be pointed out that The, New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine and The Earths in the Universe, for example, were themselves publications by Swedenborg of inter-chapter material from the Arcana Caelestia.]
DIVIDED MIND DOUGLAS TAYLOR 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: It is good that some profound thought is being given to the subject of the origin of evil and the state of the first men on earth. Mr. Geoffrey Dawson's article in the November issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE* was very stimulating-even for those of us who do not see that his "uncommon" idea of the subject is more firmly based on the teaching of the Writings themselves than the "common" idea that he condemns. * New Church Life, 1974, pp. 456-468. For example his general theme seems to be that the pre-Adamites were created into a state of evil. This is a flat contradiction of the statement in the Spiritual Diary: "Such . . . were the pre-Adamites; so that they are not evil.* * Op. Cit. 3390. Italics added Moreover, on page 462 he says that "instead of angels their immediate spiritual associates were evil spirits." However, we learn from the Spiritual Diary that when Swedenborg had a "tender scruple" as to how the first men could have existed before the Gorand Man was formed, "it was confirmed that the first men, and those born at first, have not been led by any other than the Lord alone."* Incidentally, where these evil spirits came from Mr. Dawson does not explain. * Op. Cit. 2591.
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It is also a great pity that Mr. Dawson, in quoting from the early numbers in the Arcana Coelestia has failed to observe the distinction that the Writings always make between the internal sense, which has to do with the regeneration of the human mind in general (a subject that transcends time) and the internal historical sense, which relates to the internal history or state of churches. The numbers quoted from the early chapters of the Arcana have no historical application. They are telling, not about the state of the first men, but about the eternal principles of the regeneration of all mankind. Yet Mr. Dawson has transposed them down to the level of church history. When seen in their own light, these numbers give no support at all to Mr. Dawson's thesis. DOUGLAS TAYLOR BRYN ATHYN, Pennsylvania.
SELF-EVALUATION 1975
Be it known however that so-me persons think they are not in good when they are, and so-me that they are in good when they are not. The reason why some think they are not in good when they are, is that when they reflect upon the good in themselves, it is at once insinuated by the angels in whose society they are, that they are not in good, lest they should attribute the good to themselves, and lest their thought should be turned to their own merit, and thereby to the setting up of themselves above others. Without this guardianship they would fall into temptations. (Arcana Coelestia 2380: 4)
As regards some supposing themselves to be in good when they are not, the cause of this is that when they reflect upon it, it is immediately insinuated by the evil genii and spirits in whose companionship they are, that they are in good (for the evil believe delight to be good), and it is suggested that whatever good they have done to others for the sake of the love of self and of the world is good that is to be recompensed even in the other life; thus that they have merit above others, whom they despise in comparison with themselves, and indeed esteem them as of no account. And, wonderful to say, if they were to think differently they would fall into temptations, in which they would yield. (Arcana Coelestia (2380: 5)
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CHURCH NEWS Various 1975
ALBERTO CARLOS DE MENDONCA LIMA
We have learned of the death of General Mendonca Lima in a plane crash on 18 September 1974. At the time General Lima, who was commander of the Brazilian Ninth Military Area was leading his staff on an inspection trip of army bases under his command. General Lima was a leader of the General Church Society in Rio de Janeiro, as was his father, the late Pastor Joao de Mendonca Lima, before him. He will be sorely missed by the New Church friends in Brazil. In a letter to Bishop Pendleton, the present pastor, the Reverend Jose Lopes de Figueiredo, wrote: "Alberto Carlos was a good man and his friendship throughout the church made a friend of each one who ever knew him. In spite of his heavy duties in the army, he never forgot his religious affiliation and gave proofs of great zeal and devotion to the doctrines that he learned from his father. Secretary of the Rio de Janeiro Society since 1966, he worked hard for the church. After your authorization, he gave me assistance, reading sermons and replacing me when I could not perform my duties. He lived according to the doctrine and gave a very good testimony to every one who knew him, within the church or out of it."
MARGUERITE BECK BLOCK
In the obituary column of the New York Times for Monday, Oct. 14, 1974 there was a notice of the death, on Oct. 8, of Dr. Marguerite Block, "a distinguished scholar in the fields of Religion and Philosophy, a warm generous friend to many who will greatly miss her stimulating company." Of course, when we think of Dr. Block, we think of her book The New Church in the New World published as a doctoral dissertation by Henry Holt and Co. in 1932. Miss Block was a scholar dedicated to the discovery of historical truth, and in her case this involved an examination of her sources from a sympathetic understanding of their origins. She wrote about the Academy and the General come to live among us in Bryn Athyn for many months, during which time she not only studied diligently the resources of the Academy Library and Archives, but also participated to some extent in the life of the community. She was more familiar with the teachings of the Writings than most of us, yet never accepted them as a Divine Revelation. Nevertheless her interest in Bryn Athyn and the Church of the New Jerusalem continued throughout her life, as evidenced especially by her visit here in 1971, under the auspices of Prof. Richard Gladish and the Education Department of the Academy's College, when she met with students and teachers for extended question and answer sessions. She wrote to her friends in Bryn Athyn, among them Miss Dorothy Cooper, for whom she had a warm affection and strong personal regard. In 1939 she wrote for the New Christianity a very appreciative review of Selected Papers and Addresses by Nathaniel Dandridge Pendleton. This review was reprinted in the NEW CHURCH LIFE, (1939: 465-67). In his fairly extensive review of The New Church in the New World, (NEW CHURCH LIFE 1932: 437 to 451) Dr. Hugo Odhner states that the author "has certainly striven for a high degree of accuracy, and has on the whole presented a truthful picture of how the New Church only after she had Church must necessarily appear in its external aspects as a militant church preoccupied mainly with preserving the purity of its doctrine against the foes of its own household . . . while grudgingly adapting its work to the changing intellectual atmosphere of the world about it."
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On the whole Dr. Odhner's review is favorable, although he admits that if "one of us" had written the book it would have been different in several important respects. The fact is that "none of us" had or has gotten around to writing such a book, and anyone who might attempt it would be well advised to make use of Dr. Block's basic, extensive, and well organized bibliography. It is well that members of the New Church realize how important this book has been in shaping contemporary opinion about us. Several professors and graduate students from outside institutions have visited the Academy Archives in recent years, and one thing they all have had in common was some familiarity with Dr. Marguerite Block's book. ELDRIC S. KLEIN
GUM LEAF ACADEMY
In the tradition of the Maple and Laurel Leaf Academics overseas, we, in Australia, decided to hold a "Gum Leaf Academy" over the Easter break, 1974, for young New Church enthusiasts. The Gum Tree (for those to whom the meaning of the term is restricted to chewing gum) is what Australians call the eucalyptus tree, which grows in profusion here. There was a total of eighteen students, ranging in age from mid-teens to upper twenties, and all very eager to join in the fun and make our first attempt at a school of this nature as successful as possible. The activities of the Academy mainly took place on the Church premises, with the Academicians attending classes and entertainment during the day. Dormitory facilities for everyone were a bit hard to arrange at this stage, but we managed to have a dormitory for high-school age girls, and all the high-school students had fun getting breakfasts together. Perhaps in some future time we will be able to add further dormitory arrangements to the attractions. The Gum Leaf Academy began on Good Friday morning with the first lecture of the series on "The Degrees of the Mind," which our pastor, the Reverend Douglas Taylor, had prepared so thoroughly for us. We soon realized how essential it is to have a clear idea of the mind since an understanding of many teachings such as regeneration, the glorification, New Church education and the life after death, depends on this. The classes themselves alternated between lecture and discussion, so that we all had ample opportunity to ask questions and grasp one point before moving on to the next. We all found this both interesting and stimulating-and undoubtedly each one of us learned a great deal from the classes. At lunchtime we took advantage of the fine weather which we were lucky enough to have for the whole of the Academy, and picnicked together in the sunshine. The tennis court on the Church property was ingeniously converted into a volleyball court, and Friday afternoon was spent playing volleyball and generally enjoying the diversions of charity. The Academicians met again on Good Friday evening when we attended the Holy Supper Service, which is always a moving occasion. Easter Saturday also began with morning classes. At mid-morning break we held a surprise birthday celebration for Ian Keal, whose 21st birthday it was. After lunch on Saturday we all piled into cars and drove to a horse-riding school about thirty miles away, where we went for a three mile trail ride. For some of us it was a new experience, for some a rather sore one, but for all, very enjoyable. On the way back we stopped at Waterfall in the Royal National Park and drank in the scenery and coke on the top of the waterfall. The evening meal together consisted of pizza's and ice cream, and an Easter egg hunt organized by our instant Easter Bunny, Murray Heldon. The fun continued with table tennis and carpet bowls until closing down time. The Easter Sunday service at 11:00 together. Perhaps in some future time we a.m. was well attended and very beautiful as always.
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A representation of the sepulchre scene had been arranged by two of the young people, and the children brought flowers as an offering to the Lord. On Sunday afternoon the young people played tennis (this time) on the tennis court, as we usually do every Sunday. After several enjoyable sets we got a barbecue under way and started sizzling our sausages and steaks. Guitars and singing, essentials of any barbecue, were there in force and we ate and sang until it was time to get ready for the entertainment of the evening-a play reading, to which all the society had been invited. The play, entitled "The Great Change," was written by the Reverend W. R. Horner, the father of Mr. Chris. Horner, and is about the great change from life in this world to life in the next. Parts had been assigned to various young people and sound effects provided. Unfortunately, we only had time to read two acts, but even so, it was a worthwhile experience and convinced both the readers and the audience of the need for New Church artists and writers to carry on the work of presenting our teachings in the powerful media of art and literature. At 9:15 p.m., after the play reading, we tuned into radio station 2KY to listen to "The Church of the New Jerusalem Radio Programme." This fifteen-minute session is conducted every Sunday evening by our pastor. "Reasons for the Lord's Suffering" was the subject of the talk on Easter Sunday. At the final session of the Gum Leaf Academy on Easter Monday, we tied up all we had learned about the mind in earlier classes. We officially closed the Academy after lunch with a short service of hymns and readings. But this was not the end of the Academy: on Monday night many of the Academicians were able to see the movie "The Ten Commandments" at a local cinema. And we all sincerely hope that this is only the beginning of the Gum Leaf Academy; that the success of this Academy will ensure that it will become a regular feature of our Society Life. ROSLYN TAYLOR
THE OHIO DISTRICT ASSEMBLY
September 20th-22nd, 1974
Assembly participants began arriving during Friday afternoon. With a projected attendance of sixty adults and thirty-five children, the North Ohio Circle arranged accommodations at the members' houses. Besides the members of the newly formed Ohio District from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Kentucky, there were visitors from Pittsburgh and Bryn Athyn. The Friday evening reception began at 8:00 P.M. in the Rocky River home of Alan and Lucy Childs. A cordial and animated atmosphere reigned as members renewed old friendships and made new ones. On Saturday morning the adults convened at the Convention Swedenborg Chapel in Cleveland. The episcopal address, presented by Bishop Willard Pendleton, centered on "The New Church", and Bishop Pendleton eloquently revealed the Trinity of the Word-Old Testament, New Testament, and the Writings. The Writings fulfill the prophecy given in John 16: 13 ". . . when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth. . ." The Bishop posed this question: since the Writings are truth, given so man may perceive a true concept of God, why do only a few persons after two hundred years acknowledge this truth? The Bishop then explained the phenomenon which has moderated the growth of the New Church. The Writings teach that this new Revelation will be first only among a few, while the Lord makes provisions in ways unknown to and unseen by us, to bring the truth to many. Men at this time have developed their rational faculty but have perverted or destroyed their intellectual faculty. Bishop Pendleton defined the rational faculty as the ability to reason and recognize relationships; the intellectual faculty, the ability to receive the truth of the Word with delight. In most men in the world, the intellectual faculty is destroyed by the love of self and of the world. After this inspiring address, Mrs. Helena Powell, assisted by the women of the North Ohio Circle, served a buffet luncheon to all present.
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A short business meeting followed the luncheon and socializing. Mr. Leonard Gyllenhaal, Treasurer of the General Church, explained the financial operations of the General Church and described the last five years in detail. Proceeding from this basis, Mr. Gyllenhaal outlined the particular financial operations of districts such as the Ohio District. A short discussion session concluded the business meeting. The pastoral address by the Rev. Daniel W. Heinrichs, entitled "Loving the Lord," (See page 16) concluded the afternoon program. The Holiday Inn at West Richfield, Ohio was the site for the evening banquet. The social hour began at 6:15 p.m. with dinner promptly at 7:00 p.m. Donald Gladish of Cincinnati officiated as toastmaster, beginning the evening program with a toast, "Our Church Evermore." Three speakers, whose general theme was the responsibilities and disciplines of New Church members, were introduced in turn. Barry Smith, a Louisville, Kentucky resident, explained with wit and humor the "Responsibility on the Natural Level." Among the responsibilities of natural life are family, employment, church activities and country. Hugh Heinrichs of Sunbury, Ohio, provided by means of an introductory parable a view of "Responsibility as to the Natural/Spiritual." By using examples from Heaven and Hell, Hugh compared natural world uses with their spiritual counterparts and discussed fulfillment of spiritual responsibilities which co-exist on a more interior level with natural responsibilities. Richard Farmer, a Hamilton, Ohio resident, concluded the trilogy with "The Disciplines of a New Churchman." Dick presented an inspirational portrayal of man's accountability for his own regeneration, as well as the necessary disciplines and the inherent temptations in progressing toward the goal of regeneration. Bishop Pendleton, in delivering the concluding address, described the affectional sphere of this Assembly, created and sustained by our being together and sharing our beliefs. He declared that he has been blessed to witness this sphere among New Churchmen throughout the world. With the closing toast, "Our Glorious Church," the banquet ended. The Sunday worship service represented true commencement for our Assembly, both a beginning and an ending. Nearly one hundred persons, children and adults, shared this beautiful service at the Convention Swedenborg Chapel. Bishop Pendleton's sermon, "The Days of our Years," emphasized the temporary nature of earthly life. Contrasted to natural life, the quality of our spiritual life is expressed in our performing a life of use. Bishop Pendleton and Mr. Heinrichs administered the Holy Supper at the end of the service. After the service Bishop Pendleton gathered the children together, asking that each introduce himself both to the Bishop and to the group. A group of North Ohio women, led by Miriam Heinrichs and Dinah Gyllenhaal, served a buffet lunch for those who could stay. Expressions of appreciation were made by the South Ohio Circle to the North Ohio Circle for hosting the Assembly. However, the members of the North Ohio Circle stated that the expressions of appreciation were due instead to Bishop Pendleton and Mr. Heinrichs for their guidance and inspiration. Each person carried with him the glow, the warmth, and the uplifting of spirit nurtured by this Assembly. For the first time in many years, New Church members from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky have become one pastorate. Already there is discussion of plans for another Assembly and we in the Ohio District shall look forward to those future occasions to grow as individuals, as members of our Circle and District, and most important, as part of the New Church on earth. KATHY STOECKLIN CREH0RE
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ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS NORBERT H. ROGERS 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS
General Church of the New Jerusalem
The Annual Meetings of the Council of the Clergy and of the Board of Directors of the General Church have been scheduled to take place in the week of March 2-8, 1974, at Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. NORBERT H. ROGERS Secretary
VISITORS TO BRYN ATHYN 1975
Visitors to Bryn Athyn on any occasion who need assistance in finding accommodation please communicate with the Guest Committee, c/o Mrs. Leo Synnestvedt, 611 Waverly Lane, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. Phone: (215) WIlson 7-3725.
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APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1975
COLLEGE
All Students: Requests for application forms for admission to The Academy College for the 1975-1976 school year should be made before January 15, 1975. Letters should be addressed to Dean E. Bruce Glenn, The Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania 19009, and should include the student's full name and address, the name and address of the school he or she is now attending, and whether the student will be a day or dormitory student. Please see the Academy catalog for information about dormitory requirements. Completed application forms and accompanying material should be received by Dean Glenn's office by March 15, 1975.
BOYS SCHOOL AND GIRLS SCHOOL
New Students: Requests for application forms for admission to the Academy Secondary Schools should be made for new students before January 15, 1975. Letters should be addressed to Miss Sally Smith, Principal of the Girls School, or the Reverend Dandridge Pendleton, Principal of the Boys School, at The Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania 19009. Letters should include the student's name, parents' address, the class the student will be entering, the name and address of the school he or she is now attending, and whether the student will be day or dormitory. Please see the Academy catalog for dormitory requirements. Completed application forms and accompanying material must be received by the Academy by March 15, 1975.
Old Students: Parents of resident (dormitory) students attending the Girls School or Boys School during the 1974-1975 school year should apply for their children's re-admission for the 1975-1976 school year before March 15, 1975. Parents of non-resident (day) students need not re-apply, unless they wish to apply for student work or scholarship aid for their children.
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HOW CAN MAN STRUGGLE AGAINST HIMSELF? Jr. Rev. DANIEL GOODENOUGH 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV FEBRUARY, 1975 No. 2 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. (Mark 10: 27)
Religion, even true religion, has always abounded in paradoxes. The Writings list many of them. For example, there is absolutely no space or time in the spiritual world, yet everything in that world appears to be in space and time. All life is from the Lord, but unless man felt it as his own, he would have no life. The Lord above all wants man to be happy to eternity, but if man makes this the immediate goal of his life, he cannot be happy; he who would be happy must, most of the time, ignore his own happiness and focus his life upon uses. Similarly, he who above all tries to find himself, cannot do so; but he who ignores self, and concentrates his life on uses to God and man, finds himself.* Merely to search for one's own identity is to lose that identity, but to lose oneself and one's identity in usefulness to others is to find that identity, and to become human. For to give away to others is to receive; to keep from others what one has, is to lose it. This is why after death the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. Again, we spend a great deal of our time in various external worldly matters, and relatively short periods of time in studying the Word, worship, meditation and reflection upon life, although the latter states may be more crucial to salvation than our seemingly endless worldly concerns. Should we not give more time to the purely spiritual than to the natural? Yet the Writings make clear that if we neglect the uses of life in the world, in favor of a life of piety and meditation, then we are in effect turning away from salvation.** * See DP 4: 4, 42-45, 158; AC 1387. ** HH 360, et al.
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Many more paradoxes than these the Writings give, and also explain. Once we understand them we may not even recognize them as being paradoxical. But as long as man's point of view is natural, not spiritual, Divine truth will always appear self-contradictory and paradoxical. Spiritual light alone can show that genuine religious truths really make sense and only appear to be self-contradictory. In fact, without spiritual light, the whole of religion is a gigantic paradox, a way of life only for fools. One of the greatest Christian scholars and thinkers of all time wrote a book showing that Christianity is folly itself, a creed only for fools; he is echoed by whole hosts of religious writers who stress the unreasonable, paradoxical nature of Christianity. Throughout traditional Christendom there reigns the assumption that religion is inherently non-rational, unreasonable, and that at bottom one's beliefs depend on an emotional and irrational leap of faith. Faith must be essentially blind because it is not reasonable. In this respect even today's progressive churches merely reiterate the very old dogma, frequently condemned in the Writings, that the understanding must be kept bound in matters of faith. The New Jerusalem is alone, truly alone, in proclaiming religious mysteries which can be understood rationally.* The Writings say in addition that beliefs which are not understood through influx of spiritual light, are not even part of a mature man's faith, however much he may think he believes them. The teachings in the Writings about rational religious faith are so revolutionary in the history of religion that we will probably only come to understand their implications gradually over many generations. * TCR 508. Although we know religion should make sense, spiritual truth will always seem paradoxical to us unless we are enlightened by the Lord. For example, one of the major religious paradoxes, the problem of evil, may continue to plague us from time to time in one or another of its forms. For we know that evil resulted from man's abuse of free will, but still it seems unfair. Man himself is nothing but evil-"a mere heap and compound of evils and their falsities."* "Even an angel, regarded in himself, . . . is but vilest excrement; and . . . left to himself he breathes nothing but hatred, revenge, cruelty and most foul adultery." ** Actual evil confirms our hereditary evils, so that "there is nothing sound in man, but he is altogether evil."*** * AC 761e. ** AC 987:2. *** DP 277. The teaching itself does make sense, and can easily be confirmed by vast amounts of spiritual and natural evidence. As we read in our second lesson, "Does anyone have a feeling that it is wrong to love oneself more than others? Who, then knows that it is evil; and yet it is the head of all evils?"* This we can see when we care to, but it seems so unfair.
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We know man has remains of good and with this good he is held by the Lord in equilibrium so that he is free to reject, and be saved from, the evil of his inherent nature. Yet the fact remains that we are alienated from God. Only a new birth can save man, and we must frequently struggle in temptation against our very selves. Why is so much against us from the moment we are born? We can see that a loving God had to give us free will, and that human life could be provided for in no other way. We can also see that heredity was intended to enrich human life through the growth of variety, individual talents, and tendencies towards good. Some of these uses of heredity are even now being fulfilled, despite the evils resulting by way of heredity. Yet Divine creation has still resulted in a great deal of pain and struggle for its objects. * Ibid. Nor is the question purely theoretical. In our own lives we see this or that particular evil that just will not go away. Evil is not whatever harms others; it is loving ourselves above others, since this is what separates us from God. Separation from God is what defines evil. But we very naturally ask, how are we to avoid something that comes so easily to us? Religion seems to ask the impossible of man. The young, man who knelt before the Lord had kept the Ten Commandments from his youth, but this was not enough. The Lord told him he had to give up the very thing he most loved-his wealth. It is said that the Lord looking on him loved him, but as with us, religion seemed to demand the impossible-he had to forsake what he most loved. How can this be expected of us? It seems as impossible as for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle. The Lord's disciples were astonished out of measure that man should have to give up so much of himself to be saved. The spiritual sense seems only to add to man's burden. The young man had to remove his heart from riches; but he was also told to "take up the cross," meaning that he should fight against concupiscences; and he was told to follow the Lord, meaning that he should acknowledge the Lord to be God.* He must undergo the struggle of temptation, alienate and cast away from himself his proprium, and reject all the false traditions of the Jewish Church in which he was raised.** The burden of it seems too much, and we may well wonder with the disciples, "Who then can be saved?" * Life 66. ** AE 893:4, 934e, et al. "And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." It is absolutely true that man cannot overcome himself. "He can never of himself rule over evil.
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It is an utter contradiction for evil to be able to rule over evil. . . . The Lord alone rules over evil in man and over hell with him. . . . These are points of faith: that man is nothing but evil; and that all good is from the Lord." *If man sees religion as only a series of human actions, he misses the whole point and cannot be reborn. The first of religion is to acknowledge the Divine, since the Divine alone makes possible anything and everything, of goodness. Man has nothing in his own nature which enables him to be saved. * AC 987:3. In the New Jerusalem it is to the Lord Jesus Christ, the one only God of heaven and earth, as He reveals Himself in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Writings-it is to this Divine Human that we must turn if anything good is to be possible in us. We must learn about Him, think about Him, talk about Him, pray to Him, see Him in our minds, develop ideas about Him. Above all, we must persist towards Him, and not let ourselves feel we can neglect Him for something more practical, or because we already know Him or have heard it all before. What is more relevant than God? Without Him there is only death. Without God we rightly ask, Who then can be saved? "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." If we would believe this statement, we will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, our God. We will recognize the inadequacy of our present concept of the Lord, and we will persist through impatience and other natural obstacles in a lifelong effort to know our Creator and Savior. We will take very literally His invitation, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me. . . ."* "Learn of Me," He says. How much do we honestly try to learn of Him? "For I am meek and humble in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." * Matthew 11:28, 29. To lament about our trials to the Lord is no solution; He can only agree with us, as He agreed with the disciples, that the demands on us are impossible. If religion doesn't seem to demand the impossible sometimes, we don't understand it. There is nothing man can do by himself to become the new creature he must become. But "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God."* If we really want a solution, and are not satisfied just to complain, we will look for and find ways to learn of God and to take on His yoke. He and His Divine Wisdom can transform our little world of impossibilities into a heaven of possibilities.** just as He changes the death and cold of winter into life and beauty in spring, He can make us new.
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We would not believe springtime possible if we had not experienced it, and even so each spring is a little bit incredible. just so does He make the impossible within us possible. * Luke 18:27. ** See AC 2211, 8700. We cannot make ourselves stop loving something evil. But the Lord does just that, if we will only do what we can, by learning of Him and living as His truth teaches, struggling against the manifestations of evil that we can see in ourselves. If we learn of God, this work is possible, and it is an easy yoke and a light burden. You who lament your heavy yoke and burden, how honestly have you tried to learn of Him first, and then to take on His yoke and burden? How hard have you tried? The Lord alone fights evil for man, inspiring and strengthening, removing inner lusts according as man turns to Him and shuns evils as sins. Yet the struggle does remain, and with it part of the paradox. Even if the Lord does make it possible for me to struggle against myself, even if He can bring heaven to me, is it not contrary to infinite love to make the path of regeneration so painful? Even if He can bring victory, temptation is no fun, and how can it be fair for me to have to endure struggle against what I love? It's not my fault that I am what I am. In all seriousness, why could not the way to heaven be made easier, more consistent with the Lord's loving, giving nature? Why must I suffer because of my ancestors' evil choices? The answer lies in the very essence of finite human life-which is to strive. To think of the ideal human life as being to follow out a readymade love along a beautiful ready-made path, is to misunderstand completely the nature of human happiness. To live is to strive, to work, even to struggle. The essence of the spiritual is conatus, endeavor, effort.* The essence of the natural is fixity, to remain inert, or to move along a fixed path. What is purely natural cannot change its direction, and to desire a life of changeless love, of doing what you want, is to see human life as only a purer natural life. It is also a life of death, from boredom, monotony and fixity. The essence of finite human life is to strive, to rise above, to try to change, to seek continual improvement, however old or young a person may be. * AC 5173. Moreover, the only real striving in human existence must be against oneself, for that is finite, limited, imperfect, yet within one's own power. What other striving can be worthwhile? Even before the fall of men into evil, man had to do this. The most ancient men, though not evil, were not born good and became angelic only through regeneration, rebirth."*
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Infants who die are not angels but become angels as they grow up and learn to follow no man, but the Lord alone.** * AC 286, et al. ** HH 330, 340, 340-343, et al. In fact, hell is nothing but a state of following out what you want. The devils do strive against external obstacles, and so have a shadow of human life. But they cannot struggle against themselves, and they struggle only against external obstacles which can never bring any real change, any more than striving against others ever really accomplishes anything, unless some individual also fights against himself. So life in hell is death, without any sense of real accomplishment or progress. When man cannot strive against himself, he is in hell. Heaven, on the other hand, is to strive to rise above self to the Lord, to be separated from self.* There are no external obstacles as in hell, and the joy of life is in working against self, with confidence and joy that the Lord will bring success. Heaven is not rest from labors, but a continuing successful striving for perfection. No angel is ever fully purified,** and so they can endeavor to be perfected to eternity. This is the Lord's greatest blessing to mankind. If heaven consisted of a static plateau of changeless perfection, as some mystics have held, the angels would die of monotony, or else be absorbed in the Divine and lose all individual life. It is obvious, upon reflection, that for any created, finite being the highest state of happiness must be from striving to rise above its limitations. It is the paradox of human life that the very struggle against ourselves which, when we think naturally, we most want to be rid of-this very struggle is the source of all our genuine happiness. * HH 158, 278, 280, et al. ** CL 71:2,146. This is the reason that heaven is truly a kingdom of uses, because it is in the struggle to perform genuine uses that man can rise above self. Use means work. It is true that spiritually use may refer to a man's total influence on others, but in the vast majority of their references to use, the Writings do not mean just spiritual influence, but work, love ultimated in things actually done, good deeds accomplished. This is why "Charity itself is to act justly and faithfully in the office, business and employment in which one is engaged, and towards those with whom one has any dealings."* The reason is that a man's spiritual influence on others is basically by means of the works that he actually does, especially, the Writings stress, in his daily occupation. The doctrine of use is not a call to concentrate just on one's spiritual influence on others-it is a call to work, to a striving in action and deeds. When man looks to the Lord and shuns evils, use is heaven because it takes him out of self, above self.
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The angels love nothing more. We may sometimes hate the demands of use, yet in the striving against self that is necessary to perform deeds of genuine use there lies the only source of lasting happiness that we have. Even in hell men must do productive work, or else they are cast out naked and starving into the wilderness. Idleness is a pillow the devils can only enjoy sometimes. * TCR 422. Useful work, as part of the path to heaven, is today under renewed attack. The so-called choice between blindly conforming to society to become rich and successful, or else to go off to do your own thing-this is the choice of hell, and it is a choice between death and death. The only real choice is between following what self wishes, and striving against that for the usefulness of others. An impossible, hypocritical and self-serving ideal? Yes; with men, impossible. But not with God. "My yoke is easy, and My burden light." Not because the yoke and burden are without pain or struggle, but because every man can do it, and because he is asked to strive against himself in ways that are possible to him-by learning of God, by shunning evils as sins, and by living a life of use. It is the Lord who then makes man new. But let us not ask for a yoke and burden without work and striving, and even struggle and pain; it would be a lifeless yoke, without joy or hope, an eternal cause of dissatisfaction. Similarly, the hard constructive work of performing uses is not easy and light because it is without challenge and struggle. It is precisely the challenge and striving in performing uses that make this yoke easy and their burden light. The natural is inert and its motion is constant, dead and joyless. The spiritual is endeavor, effort, striving forever against the passive limitations of the natural. This tension and struggle is not the result of evil; it is at the very heart of created human life, and it always will be. The Lord had to make man so that he could strive against himself-no other life could be worth living. The Writings endorse the statement in the Epistles, that the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.* As the Lord said in Gethsemane, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."** From what besides striving against himself, could man enjoy the delight of life? "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Amen * TCR 327. ** Matthew 26:41.
CORRESPONDENCE AND EDUCATION Rev. ROBERT S. JUNGE 1975
"Correspondences have all power . . . What is done on earth according to correspondences avails in heaven, because correspondences are from the Divine."* This powerful statement of truth is further amplified, "For God is not spatial, but is in space everywhere, . . . and because he is omnipresent, such correspondences of the affections of His love and wisdom exist throughout the whole natural world ."** "The Lord conjoins Himself to uses by means of correspondences, and thus by means of appearances in accordance with the confirmation of these by man."*** * AC 8615:3. ** TCR 78:3. *** DP 220:6. These teachings show how universal the doctrine of correspondence is; for correspondence is the means for the influx of the Lord and for His very presence with man. Obviously, this doctrine applies every day to our bringing the Lord's presence into the classroom, for "correspondences are natural truths, in which as in mirrors, spiritual truths are represented."* We need those mirrors in every aspect of New Church education, for "so far as the ideas of thought concerning things spiritual are formed independently of correspondences, so far they are formed either from the fallacies of the senses, or from what is inconsistent with such things."** "There is nothing in the mind that does not correspond to something in the body."*** * AC 9300. ** Ibid. *** TCR 375.
Memory knowledges alienated from the internal are memory knowledges opposed to the Church; for the good and truth which make the Church flow in through the internal; and if these are not received by the natural, the internal is closed, and so the man is alienated from good and truth and then no other memory knowledges which are in the natural are acknowledged as truths than those which are false. These are then multiplied, and the truths themselves are cast out of doors.* * AC 6652.
Consider New Church education as preparation for heaven in the light of the above and following teachings.
Without a perception of what correspondence is there can be no clear knowledge of the spiritual world or of its inflow into the natural world, neither of what the spiritual is in its relation to the natural, nor any clear knowledge of the spirit of man, which is called the soul, and its operation into the body, neither of man's state after death.* * HH 88.
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One way of looking at our unique challenge as educators, is to see that its purpose is to reestablish the perception of what correspondence is. This is particularly a challenge in the realm of learning, for "communication with heaven is at this day intercepted, insomuch that few believe there is any heaven, and wonderful to say, among the learned and erudite much fewer than among the simple."* *AC 3482.
When there is this order, (and subordination of the degrees of the mind) then the spiritual is adapted by the celestial, the rational by the spiritual, and the scientific by the rational. The scientific in general then becomes the ultimate vessel; or what is the same, scientifics, specifically and particularly, become the ultimate vessels which correspond to rational things, rational things to spiritual things, and spiritual things to celestial things. When this is the order, the celestial cannot suffer any violence; otherwise it does so suffer.* * AC 1476.
What a challenge it is to strive to bring scientifics into a rational order which serves the spiritual and by it the celestial itself. And we read,
As these vessels are formed and are arranged in series-and indeed in such series that they mutually regard each other, comparatively like relationships by blood and by marriage, or like societies and families-thereby is perfected the correspondence of the external man with the internal, and still better is this done by means of rational things which are intermediate.* * AC 1900; Italics added.
A rational series draws together and orders knowledges as it were in families in support of spiritual truth. An innumerable number of such series exists in the subject areas of education. What are the series and relationships in each of our fields which can become the support of the Lord's throne? We all know the urgent hope that somehow the knowledges we work with every day will become truths in the minds of our students. But the perception of correspondence is a key/
There is a want of congruity unless the knowledges by which the vessels are formed are truths; for the celestial and spiritual things of the internal man find no correspondence for themselves except in truths. These are the genuine vessels in the organic forms of each memory, and to which the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith can be fitted in.* *AC 1900:2
Even though the correspondence can only be in the most general things,* still it is useful to remind ourselves of the essential nature of these correspondential ultimates. * SD 2292, 2159.
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Angels can by no means be in the interior heaven, nor in the more interior, nor in the inmost, without being also at the same time in the natural mind, which belongs to the angels of the interior heaven. The natural mind cannot be put off, for thus would be lacking that which completes the order, and no longer would they be angels . . . Apart from correspondence cannot exist any holiness; wherefore correspondence is that which is given by the Lord, which is the faculty given by the Lord.* * SD 2157.
Stressing ultimates and forms can sometimes seem a dull and repetitive business. How many times have we gone over the forms of social life? But this is not genuinely repetitive, if we remind ourselves that these passive forms, dead in themselves, when properly ordered can contain active affections, even to the inmost. Things which correspond, "mutually regard each other," and "there is said to be a parallelism; and because they correspond to each other, as the active and the passive, there is said to be correspondence."* * AC 1831e The importance of ultimates in which the active affections of life can work and rest, is delightfully illustrated in the Spiritual Diary.
Certain spirits supposed that those who are elevated into the second heaven, and the third were without those externals above mentioned, having taken up some idea of this kind; but it was said to them, that they had all things with them. And that this was the case even with the angels, and that otherwise they would not be able to subsist or live. This was confirmed by a comparison, as, that a musical instrument, a piano, a violin, and the like, unless they have a piece of wood to which the strings or cords can be fastened cannot produce sound, but that in fact their sound is such as the wood is, and also its quality and extension, and that in the same manner, there must be a correspondence of externals with internals as there is with the angels. It was further illustrated by the fact that the angels, if they were without externals corresponding, would be like a body without feet, and the inmost ones like a head without a body.* * SD 4482.
Perhaps much of what we work with is the wood and strings of the violin, but we must never forget that music is our goal. Of course, many will remind us not to be carried away with a search for appropriate correspondences-after all correspondence is through use. "The uses since they are from the spiritual world, take on a form by means of such things as are in the natural world, and thus present themselves in effects."* In speaking of the various detailed correspondences of the body we read,
Since these correspondences are not known, therefore they are scarcely acknowledged; wherefore it is absurd to seek to penetrate into the inmost and highest mysteries, which can never fall into the perception of men. Even angelic things, gross as they are, do not fall into it, how then shall divine? ** * HH 96. ** SD 3565.
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Or in a somewhat more humorous vein the Diary reminds us,
I heard one spirit coming to that place, who as soon as he came thither, began to act and operate, and even according to correspondences. They thus act correspondence with such things as they think: for example, they lift up stones to represent thinking truth; beams and timbers to represent doing good; entering houses and opening doors to represent thinking; and many similar things. Those of them who are not good, are altogether such mimics according to the correspondence of their evils. They are a comic and ridiculous crew.* * SD 5076.
It is certainly true that whatever the ultimate forms were, use produced and adapted them to itself, and "not the reverse".* Our thought about correspondences and their application is to be from the affection and thought, which the form might contain. That means we must consider their purpose and their use. But appropriate and. spiritually powerful ultimate forms do not come about simply by pragmatically doing our jobs, and saying that correspondence is in the external activity or use. Genuine forms are chosen in the light of use when use itself is seen as coming from within, from the Lord alone. *AC 4223:2.
The universe has been so created and formed by the Divine that uses may be everywhere clothed in such a way as to be presented in act, or in effect, first in heaven and afterwards in the world, thus by degrees and successively, down to the outmost things of nature. Evidently, then, the correspondence of natural things with spiritual things, or of the world with heaven, is through uses, and uses are what conjoin; and the form in which uses are clothed are correspondences and are conjunctions just to the extent that they are forms of uses.* * HH 112.
Note how important these correspondential forms of use are to conjunction with the Lord and to conjunction between men. The relationship between man and man is not some mystical encounter which only experience can define. Rather it is a series of correspondential forms revealed by the Lord to which man thoughtfully and affectionately responds and which establishes a harmony of use which makes a bridge to the spiritual world. In short the unity of every human endeavor, the very conjunctive sphere in our schools, depends on those correspondential forms which have been chosen in the light of use as it is seen in the Word.
There is a correspondence between those things which are of the light of heaven and those which are of the light of the world, that is, between those things which are of the internal or spiritual man and those which are of the external or natural man; . . . there is representation in regard to whatever comes forth in the things which are of the light of the world... relatively to those which are of the light of heaven.* * AC 3225.
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The things which are presented again, which come forth or take place in the light of the world, are representations. We therefore read, "Correspondence is the appearing of the internal in the external, and its representation therein; wherefore when there is no correspondence, there is no appearing of the internal in the external, and therefore no representation of it therein."* Correspondence is a relation of cause and effect, and the things that agree between the internal and the external are correspondences.** Representations are those internal things, being presented again in the light of the world. Representations do not necessarily make one with the internal. * AC 5423; Italics added. ** DLW 322; AC 2989. If I reach out to shake your hand, it is an act which in the light of the world represents friendship. It may have an internal of hypocrisy; or it may represent a genuine internal feeling of warmth that I may feel towards you. In either case it presents the feeling of friendship in the world's light. Whether the friendship is hypocritical or genuine, it is still a representative act. If I rise when you come into the room, open the door for you, push in your chair-these actions all represent something. But in shaking hands, the hand I extend does itself correspond to power. The internal desire to conjoin my power to yours in some use, can actually cause me to reach out my hand to you. If this happens, it is a correspondential action; the external re-presented in the light of the world, makes one with the internal state. The relationship is complete between the spiritual and the natural. The spiritual is conjoined even to the very muscle fibers of the body.* This full correspondence, where the spiritual determines the very form of man's actions, is the goal of regeneration.** * AC 7850. ** cf. AC 5614. But what about when we compel ourselves to shake someone's hand, not because we feel genuine friendship, but because we know that we should? This is a representative act-certainly not an evil act-but not yet fully a correspondential one. In other words when we compel ourselves to put on an external which we do not as yet feel in our hearts, we are, in a sense, acting representatively. We are putting on an orderly form in this world, which as yet we do not feel from the heart. Viewed this way, these representative acts are the means of our reformation. They prepare for the genuinely correspondential actions of a regenerate life. When man's life shifts from representative acts of self-compulsion to correspondential acts of love, he lives, moves and has his being in the Lord Jesus Christ. We talk a great deal about the idealism of youth. But the internal, even heavenly, vision we try to inspire, must be a kingdom of God within man.
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It must be real, and bear a clear relation to life, here and now. Remember correspondence is the appearing of the internal in the external, and its representation therein. What we are talking about is the active presentation of these ideals with the full response of the human heart. We do not have a spirit, we are a spirit. If spiritual things are really growing with us, they will be re-presented in this world every day of our lives. Hopefully reformation begins in youth. Therefore young people need to be guided into a state where they can at least glimpse the import and direction of compelling themselves. The internal opens only gradually and it is terribly difficult to see the sincerity of representative acts of self-compulsion. We want the spontaneous expression without the labor of breaking the domination of self love. At first the ultimates of order are not felt as our own. There is little glamor in self-compulsion. But young people can be sustained if these unpalatable states of self-compulsion are seen as leading to something genuine; if they lead to something that is a living correspondence, something which can sincerely and eternally reflect man's love for others.
Temptation is the means of the conjunction of the internal man with the external, because they are at variance with each other, but are reduced to agreement and correspondence by means of temptations. The external man is indeed such that of itself it lusts for nothing else than corporeal and worldly things, these being the delights of its life. But the internal man, when it is opened toward heaven and desires the things of heaven, such as it is with those who can be regenerated, then finds heavenly delight in these things, and while the man is in temptations there is a combat between these two kinds of delight.* * AC 3928.
Now it is true that only the mature know spiritual temptations. Only the mature can really, as of themselves, bring the natural into correspondence. But the doctrines often speak of the innocence of childhood and how important this affectionate willingness to be led by the Lord is. Note the teaching in connection with the doctrine of correspondence:
The only thing that can make the natural subordinate, and reduce it to correspondence, is the good in which there is innocence, which good in the Word is called charity. Sensuous things and scientifics are only the means into which this good may flow, and in which it may present itself in form, and unfold itself for every use; but without this good in them, scientifics, even if the very truths of faith, are nothing but scales among filth which fall off.* * AC 5168:2.
The innocence of childhood gradually grows up through representative acts of charity, giving to the poor, etc., until, by little and little, man begins to make that innocence his own. But to do this the natural man must be willing to be led and become subordinate.
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It is true that obedience grows from the sensual degree through the natural even to the rational degree, but its order and the subordination it demands is essential to growth.
The work of regeneration is chiefly concerned with bringing about the correspondence of the natural man to the rational man, not only in general, but also in particular; and the natural man is reduced to correspondence by the Lord through the rational, in that good is insinuated into the rational, and in this good, as in ground, truths are implanted, and then by means of rational truths the natural is reduced to obedience; and when it obeys, then it corresponds; and insofar as it corresponds, so far is the man regenerate.* * AC 3286; italics added.
Of course the obedience must grow until it is rational obedience, until the youth understands the reasons why he must compel himself. But it is obedience still in the light of an authority which is outside of and greater than self. And even as he enters into the first temptations man is somewhat in the dark in really understanding the nature of the struggle involved. He only sees the alternatives partially. We read, "While a man is in temptations there is a combat between these two kinds of delight. This the man does not then know, because he does not know what heavenly delight is, and what infernal delight is, and still less that they are so entirely opposed to each other."* If a regenerating man does not clearly see the delights which are struggling for dominion within him, surely we cannot expect our children to fully understand the combats that they face as we try to help them prepare for spiritual life. * AC 3928. Time and again the Writings indicate the importance of restraint and discipline which look to and prepare for rational self-discipline. Self-control, not self-expression is the road to bringing the natural under control.
Interior obsessions are effected by such spirits, and their quality may be seen if attention is paid to the thoughts and affections, especially to the interior affections, which men fear to manifest, and which are so insane in some that unless they were restrained by external bonds such as honor, gain, reputation, the fear of death and of the law, they would, more than the obsessed, rush into murder and robbery.* * AC 4793; italics added.
The spirits who do this are "roaming spirits of the infernal crew, more pernicious than others, who because they had accustomed themselves in the life of the body to enter into man's affections for the purpose of doing harm, in the other life also retain this desire."* At the time of the end of a church, the correspondences become more and more remote.* But the law of correspondence is universal. Evil too seeks its ultimate; it seeks its representation in the natural world.**
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"Evil uses are effected by the operation of influx from hell, wherever there are such things as correspond thereto."*** * Ibid; italics added ** SD 5716. *** DLW 341.
When affections or lusts, which are in themselves spiritual, meet with homogeneous or corresponding things in the earths, there are present both the spiritual that furnishes a soul, and the material that furnishes a body. Moreover, within everything spiritual there is a conatus [or endeavor] to clothe itself with a body. The hells are about men, and therefore contiguous to the earth, because the spiritual world is not in space, but is where there is a corresponding affection.* * DLW 343.
It does matter then, if girls dress and act in a masculine and immodest way. It is worth the struggle and effort to combat such things. For to permit it, invites a contrary sphere and influx-an enthusiastic and contagious sphere-yet one which subtly defends itself by protestations of innocence or challenges that we are making fetishes of externals. In reality, each one of these questions is part of that larger struggle for the confirming representation in the natural, which will make either good or evil man's own. When any disorder is confirmed with delight, it becomes more and more entrenched. Yet, the very conjunction of good and truth is "effected according to correspondence."* * AC 2269:3. Surely we know from experience that trying to keep the external man subordinate to the internal is an unpalatable business for us, let alone for young people. Self-compulsion, doing what we know we should, in itself is not very much fun. But if it is seen as leading to a real harmony of soul and body, of conjunction with the Lord and with others, it can at least contain the promise of reward. It is possible to make the relationship between our ideals and what we compel ourselves to do something living. If we can really make clear the way in which seemingly hollow representative acts lead to correspondential acts, it will help us see the importance of ultimate order and subordination. Remember representations are in the light of this world where the mind can grasp them. It is a struggle to make the spiritual so real that it becomes the most important thing.
The ideas of thought of the angels are not natural, as are the ideas of thought of men; but are spiritual. But the quality of their spiritual ideas can with difficulty be comprehended by man except by means of interior thought and reflection upon the first beginnings of his thoughts. That these are devoid of words of speech is known from the fact that they are of such a nature that a man can in a moment comprehend more things than he is able to express by speech within a considerable time. These ideas of thought belong to his spirit. But the ideas of thought which man comprehends, and which fall into words are natural, and by the learned are called material, whereas the former, or interior ideas are called spiritual, and by the learned immaterial. Into these ideas man comes after death when he becomes a spirit, and by means of these ideas he engages in discourse with other spirits.
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There is a correspondence between these two classes of ideas; and by means of this correspondence the spiritual ideas are turned into natural ones when the man is speaking. This is not known to the man, because he does not reflect upon it, and none are able to reflect upon it except those who think interiorly, that is, who think in their spirit abstractedly from the body.* * AC 10604
The spiritual world and with it our ideals can only become a reality as we see the correspondential relationship of cause and effect. It seems as if a knowledge of representations precedes a knowledge of correspondences, and in fact makes a bridge to that knowledge, in the gradual opening of the spiritual mind. An increased affection for the potential correspondential harmony of life, together with a genuine sense of the need for order as a basis for it, is a tremendous challenge for educators in preparing the mind for regeneration itself. It is possible in the secular fields to find illustrations and confirmations of representations and correspondences which will directly serve to lift the mind to abstract and immaterial thought and life. Anything we can do to help young people be affirmative to holding to their spiritual ideals, while their mind and life catch up as it were, will be a tremendous help. The hope is that if each of us in his own field can make correspondences and representations just a little more real, in affectional yet concrete ways, we will be supporting the essential purpose for which we exist, the preparation for regeneration.
SUICIDE Rev. MARTIN PRYKE 1975
We have said that it is our hope to include in the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE some articles concerning important current issues which will draw the attention of our readers to the teachings of the Writings which bear upon these subjects. Suicide has become a growing phenomenon in our western society and has not left the Church untouched. We would therefore offer some reflections on the subject. Some have claimed that a man's life is his own and that he is free to dispose of it as he wills. Yet, in the New Church, we know that man's life is from the Lord with man, and that this possession brings responsibilities with it.
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Human life is a trust to be employed in God's service, and to destroy that life willingly, even be it our own, is to break the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." To commit suicide is for a man to take upon himself the function of Divine Providence. It assumes that he knows best when he can leave this world and enter the next. It is a presumption which springs from the love of self-a preoccupation and obsession with self and its problems. It is to enter the other life by means of a crime. A man who takes his own life offends against both the Lord and the neighbor. He offends against the Lord by destroying the order of His creation and interfering with His providence. He offends against his neighbor by bringing distress to family and friends, and by setting an example of disorder which may well trigger others to contemplate the same act. The suicide seeks to avoid problems with what are essentially artificial means. It is rather like the man who seeks solutions in alcohol and drugs. The seeking of such external solutions involves (perhaps unconsciously) the idea that the cause of our ills is in our environment. Instead we should see that it is within ourselves. The real solution to human problems lies in facing them, in recognizing evils and disorders, and fighting them-not in running away. The fact is that, provided we are not in a sick state of mind or body, we are not faced with temptations which are stronger than we can cope with-although that coping may well involve calling upon the help of our fellow man, as well as of our Maker and His Word. It therefore follows that we may run away from the world by suicide, but we do not succeed in running away from ourselves where the real problems lie. Therefore no solution is achieved. In this connection we note the following numbers which speak of a man who had committed suicide by stabbing himself with a knife, and who Swedenborg saw afterwards in the world of spirits:
He also seemed to me to have a knife in his hand which he wanted to drive into his breast; he labored hard with that knife, wanting to cast it away, but in vain. For whatever happens in the last hour of death remains for a long time before it disappears, as I was told.* * SD 1336-7.
It is therefore important for us to see that nothing is changed or gained by a deliberate act of suicide-we take the underlying cause or problem with us. The principal direct teaching of the Writings concerning suicide points out that there are evil spirits whose delight it is to destroy man and so encourage him to take his own life.*
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It is their love to destroy others, and even to destroy the Lord Himself, as was evidenced in the crucifixion. Such an influence was consciously experienced by Swedenborg** although normally man is not aware of it except as an inclination to do so. * SD 1336, 1783; AC 5717. ** SD 253, 1043. An adult in a normal state is, of course, able to resist these infestations which appear to him as impulses to suicide, but it can be readily imagined how devastating such influences must be on the troubled or weakened mind. Perhaps this suggests the need for us to seek ways to change the spiritual environment of those who are deeply troubled and who might show suicidal tendencies. Would not real help be provided by the sphere and influence of a happy home (if that were absent), by the demonstrated affection and concern of family and friends, and, in the case of young people, of adults and teachers? Would not a sphere of confidence and peace such as is brought about by devout worship, sincere prayer and reverent reading of the Word be invaluable? It has sometimes concerned adults of the church that there are two doctrines which could serve to encourage our young people to contemplate suicide. We refer to the teaching concerning the reality of the spiritual world and the wonder of life in heaven, and the teaching that no one can be condemned to hell who has not reached the adult state of rationality and liberty. When our young people enter into states of despair it is not surprising that they should recall these teachings and imagine that they see an easy solution to their problems. It is imperative, therefore, that we give them clear instruction which, while not denying these doctrines, will show some other teachings which have a bearing on the subject-such as those which we have been considering here. It is most unlikely that a young person contemplating suicide would be affected by a presentation of doctrinal material at that time. In all probability he would be in no state to receive even the truths of revelation. It is therefore important that we arm our young people ahead of time with these truths so that spiritual principles form a part of their basic thinking. Then, when the temptation arises they will draw unconsciously, on a well, not just of knowledge, but of conviction. Deep despair and gloom usually are the forerunners of suicide, and we should therefore be alert to prevent such states taking over with our young people. There seems to be a real danger within the church in this direction, for we feel things from principle and deep convictions and therefore feel them very strongly. Our concerns about the state of the fallen Christian Church or our humility about our own perverse nature may bring us to a state of despair, but it should not be such deep despair that we cannot rise out of it.
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The problem for us is to draw a proper line between, on the one hand, acknowledging the existence and nature of evil and, on the other hand, recognizing the hope for the future of mankind and of individual men. Who has more reason to be hopeful than the men and women of the New Church who have seen the vision, the promise and the hope of the Lord's second coming? We must pass on this sense of hope to our young people. The New Church will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. In a more personal sense, there is a marvelous hope offered for us by the New Church doctrine of repentance. Man is not to be weighed down to eternity with the heavy load of sin committed. With repentance he can (or rather, the Lord will) cast it off to the circumference of his life, to be remembered no more. We need to remind ourselves and our young people of this wonderful doctrine of the church. However far we have fallen, repentance can lift us up again. As long as earthly life endures, the possibility of salvation shines before us. Despite all of the above, involving as it does a clear recognition that suicide is an evil and can therefore only be a permission, it is yet nevertheless true that the motive of any one particular person involved may be neither evil nor damning. Suicide may indeed be the considered act of a person who knows the revealed truth on the subject and who yet decides to go his own way and not the Lord's. To such a man the act is an evil-doubtless the outcome of an essentially evil and self-centered life. Yet under totally different circumstances it could be an innocent act performed by a man who is completely ignorant of the spiritual and moral principles involved, although it is difficult to imagine an adult who could not see clearly the hurt and harm which he thus brings to those about him. Probably much more often it is the act of a man who has temporarily lost the proper exercise of his free will, either as a result of physical distress or of mental breakdown. Obviously in such a case the evil is not imputed. In the case of youth (before maturity has brought full rationality and liberty) there can be no culpability in a final sense. There is something of the innocence of ignorance, although there will doubtless be states which will have to be trained and corrected in the world of spirits before heaven can be entered. It is of note that in one place in the Writings it is taught that suicide is permitted (note the distinction from provided) lest a man fall into worse evil. The reference is to
. . . someone who is of such quality that it were better that he should be permitted to perish as to his body than as to his soul, and in regard to whom, unless he perish bodily in this manner, by means of insanity and suicide, he could not well be prevented from perishing to eternity.* * SD 1783.
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We should remind ourselves that one act does not determine man's spiritual destiny. It is what the man, over a period of time, has, or has not, made of himself in a life of regeneration that does this.
Bibliography. These reflections are in no way exhaustive and so we would direct the attention of the interested reader to other published studies of the subject: "Suicide" and "The Lot of Suicides after Death" by the Rt. Rev. W. F. Pendleton, Topics from the Writings, pp. 224-226. "Self Destruction," a most useful, but brief, article by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1963, p. 19. "Gloom and Suicide," an article and correspondence centering especially on the effect of the consequences of constant criticism of country and leaders. NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1967, pp. 27, 134, 247, 327,462. "When the Lord Calls" by the Rt. Rev. George de Charms, including a useful paragraph on suicide among young people. New Church Education, September, 1965, pp. 3-5. "The Death of Saul" by the Rev. Alfred Acton II, NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1969, p. 87.
GENERAL CHURCH SOUND RECORDING COMMITTEE 1975
For 25 years the General Church Sound Recording Committee has been providing an ever-growing number of listeners with tapes and cassettes of complete church services, lessons and sermons, children's services, doctrinal classes and other events. For many who are not able to attend services regularly, these tapes provide a closer contact with the church than can be had through written material only. The catalogue now lists almost 3000 titles by 45 ministers. These may be borrowed at no charge, although contributions to help defray the costs of this valuable service are gratefully accepted. For further information write: Sound Recording Library, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009.
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CHANGING MISSIONARY THINKING Rev. DONALD L. ROSE 1975
Early in 1972 a NEW CHURCH LIFE editorial stated that "there are signs that for some years now the General Church has become increasingly aware of its responsibility to evangelize in the world in which it is placed, that it has come to see that New Church education and evangelization are two complementary phases of the same great work, that of bringing receptive minds to the Lord."* * Op. cit .p. 43. Later that year Bishop De Charms mentioned the work of disseminating the Writings, "which work must be carried on by those who belong to the New Church. In addition, there must be organized efforts to accommodate the Writings to the understanding of those outside of the church through collateral literature, through missionary effort and through personal conversations with a friend".* * New Church Live, 1972, p.112. The increasing awareness, the change in thinking is evident. A quarter of a century ago a writer on General Church policy commented, "We are not against missionary work, which is both good and necessary, but cannot give our efforts to it until we are fully supporting our educational policy. . . ."* * New Church Life, 1952, p. 582. But to view the change in missionary thinking, look back seventy five years. In 1899 the following principle was stated. "The most fruitful field of evangelization is with the children of New Church parents. In order to occupy this fruitful field of work New Church schools are needed. . . ."* Two things should be noted. First, this was not put forward as a theological dogma coming from the Writings, but rather as a very practical assessment of experience. Secondly, it was not intended that this should become a kind of slogan for binding the thinking of later generations or for hindering thinking, rethinking and assessment of new conditions. * Principals of the Academy, W. F. Pendleton, 1899. Those who spoke of "the most fruitful field" had their eyes wide open to their present conditions, and they were very much aware of the experience of the past. Occasionally General Church thinkers gently chided other New Church organizations for not paying attention to the practical implications of experience. Education definitely did prove to be the most fruitful field. Statistics have been used as convincing criteria. Advocating our educational policy one writer pointed to the decline in membership of New Church organizations which did not go in for education.
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He added, "The General Church, on the other hand, has succeeded by its educational policy in increasing its membership steadily from 347 in 1897 to 2,690 at the beginning of 1952."* * New CHURCH Life, 1952, p. 581. Recent statistics tell a similar story. The General Conference in England had 6,700 members in 1914 and only 2,700 in 1974. In the same period junior membership dropped from 1,200 to 100. The number of societies fell from 72 to 45.* It is not as easy to state the figures for the General Convention in this country. One unofficial estimate states that membership fell from 7,000 to 3,250 between the years 1922 and 1973. The number of churches in the same period fell, so it is stated, from 107 to 26.** The Convention Journal for 1970-1971 gives figures that seem to add up to 3,322 for that time.*** * New Church Herald, 1974, p. 118. ** Symposium in Three parts, Oesch and Sabol, 1974, p. 11. *** Op. cit. p.179. One unexpected statistical factor emerged in the General Church. Although the emphasis was on education, in every generation some sort of missionary activity has gone on, and a persistent and surprising figure began to be noticed. Roughly one third of our growth came from adult conversions. This figure was high enough, but in the 1960's the secretary of the General Church was able to state that fully 40% of our growth was from "newcomers" not born and educated in our midst. What sort of a percentage can we anticipate in the future? There are indications. At the present time there is considerable attention given to population trends. Some demographers, predicting the time when the United States will have zero population growth, have observed that whereas immigration has made up a relatively small percentage of our growth it may well in the future account for all of our population growth. And if the birth rate in the Church follows trends in the country as a whole, it is reasonable to expect that the 40% will be changed to such a percentage that the phrase "the most fruitful field" will be changed to "the second most fruitful field." Observing our population trend one writer noted last year, "Already we can see a serious decline in the number of children being born to New Church parents and can, therefore, forecast serious declines in the enrollment in our New Church schools-some may not survive. Can the church itself survive, much less grow, in such a climate?"* * New Church Life, 1974, p. 321. If our thinking changes, does it mean that the men of the past were wrong? On the contrary. It has always been the policy of the church to be alive to new thinking and to change.
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Our Order and Organization states our intention of being "a living body developing under the leading of Providence,"* acknowledging that future policy statements will be needed, and unwilling to bind the thinking of later generations. * The General Church of the New Jerusalem-A Statement of the Order and Organization, 1970, p. 5. Back in 1925 one can notice new perspectives. Bishop N. D. Pendleton then recalled a saying among the early leaders, "When the Academy does missionary work, it will do it right!" He commented, "The men who voiced this sentiment . . . imagined that when the Academy got down to [missionary] work it would not only put the right spirit into it, but would also devise new and more efficient methods."* He said that whereas they had "a passive attitude toward outside propaganda" there has been a missionary spirit "brooding in and with us for some time." And he looked forward to new efforts.** * New Church Life, 1925, p. 695. ** Ibid. pp. 696, 697. Let no one, therefore, think that the emphasis on missionary work at our last General Assembly was a sudden change. Let people read the "Statement of Conviction" published last July in this magazine.* There the head of the new extension committee points out that since the formation of a committee in the Council of the Clergy in 1956 there has, over the years, been "quite a steady increase in interest in the work of evangelization. At the same time, there has been an increase in our commitment towards this use-a commitment as a church."** * New Church Life, 1974, pp. 309-313. ** Ibid. p. 310. We do not know all the answers now. In the years ahead we will have a lot to learn, and what is more, we will have a lot to do.
[EDITORIAL NOTE: It occurs to us that we may too readily ascribe growth in the General Church (however slow) solely to New Church education. Is it not equally valid to ascribe it to our convictions concerning the authority of the Writings, the distinctiveness of the New Church or other related basic concepts that affect the quality of our whole work? These convictions have, of course, also affected the nature of our education. Perhaps more light would be thrown on the subject if we knew what percentage of our young people who were raised in our school system join the church, and what percentage of those not so raised. However, the validity of conducting New Church schools is not simply a matter of practical success in adding to our numbers, but is also a question of whether or not our first responsibility as parents and adults is to bring the church to those placed immediately in our care-our own children.]
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REVEREND ALAN GILL FRED C. ELPHICK 1975
14 August 1897-17 October 1974
A BIOGRAPHY
Alan Gill was born and died in Colchester, England. In the seventy-seven years, which span those two events, there developed a character remembered with great affection by scores of people throughout the church. Extreme humility and great generosity were prominent among his rare qualities. He was the youngest of five children (a sixth died in infancy) born to Mr. and Mrs. William Gill. Mr. Gill was a highly regarded figure in the town, owner of a thriving photographic studio, and active in the New Church. Alan remembered playing as a boy on the foundations of number nine Ireton Road, Colchester when it was in the course of construction, little knowing that this was to be his home as pastor of the society some forty years and two world wars later. Neither was he aware around the age of twelve, when he was living with the James Waters family in Brixton, London, that the youngest, Dorothy Waters, was to be the girl he would marry in Bryn Athyn as a newly-ordained minister about sixteen years later. His parents, seeing that he was not happy at the Colchester Grammar School, and wanting him to have some New Church education, had sent him to Brixton to Mr. Czerny's school. He was very happy there, returning to Colchester on his father's death at the age of about fifteen, to work. Then came the first World War. Alan, a year under age, tried to join up and was told, "We don't want schoolboys!" As soon as he was able, however, he enlisted and saw many months of action in the trenches, deep in mud. Characteristically, he rarely mentioned the horrors he witnessed or the part played by himself. Later, probably when he was working at Marconi's in Chelmsford in order to become an engineer, he met Miss Alice Grant at an Assembly, and she was a major influence in his deciding to go to Bryn Athyn. At this time she may have introduced him to Bishop N. D. Pendleton, the man who was to be a key figure in his ministry. He entered theological school in the autumn of 1922.
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As he found study difficult in the evening, he used to go to bed early and wake himself in the small hours with a combined alarm clock and coffee maker which he invented for the purpose-a tribute both to his engineering ability and his conscientiousness as a student. Passing over, for the moment, the bare historical bones of the years, which followed, we recall two memories which remained close to his heart as a pastor and were still vivid in his old age. One, the people of the Kitchener Society, the other, Bishop N. D. Pendleton. Where others had found the bishop a somewhat remote figure, Alan Gill had quite the opposite experience-he was a father to him. This was to be an important factor in the difficult task of running a society in which there were deep differences and strong emotions running-not to mention a comparatively large day school to look after. When he took over as pastor he was thirty-one. The Rev. Norbert Rogers was appointed to assist him in Kitchener in 1938. He writes,
Almost at our first meeting, Mr. Gill asked me to call him Alan, which made me feel rather awkward to begin with. But it soon became natural, for he very quickly made me feel I was really his colleague, contributing something worthwhile to the work of the society, and not just a very inexperienced fledgling priest still in the learning stage of his career-as I actually was. This is an example of Alan's genuine kindness, his ability to relate and to subtly encourage people with whom he came in contact. Though his was a very kind, considerate and gentle nature, he did not shirk doing the unpleasant tasks that are part of a pastor's responsibility. And when somebody was out of order, or when an action was proposed that he considered hurtful to the good of the church, he could be a veritable tiger. He was very conscientious, tending to over-extend his strength in his efforts to carry his load. It was useless to argue with him about letting his assistant take his place doing this or that. Only when his strength gave out completely would a call come to his assistant. But this took place only a few times, when the Rev. Norman H. Reuter was his assistant rather than when I was. I have seen him giving a service or class looking so frail and strained that it was a wonder he could go through with it. But he did. He was not all work and no play. He enjoyed social contacts and was good company. It would have been 1933 or 34, that the society finally concluded it could afford the salary of only one teacher. The two teachers very nobly offered to divide the one salary between them so that both could continue teaching in the school. This sacrifice on their part continued for several years. The pastor and his family suffered also; for it had been the practice in the society that the basket offerings constituted the pastor's income. During the trying time of the depression the offerings became reduced in time below subsistence level! By the time I came to Kitchener, arrangements had been made with the society to have the treasurer supplement the pastor's income from general funds when the offerings fell below an agreed figure. When my wife and I, many years later, stopped over in England on our way from Durban to the United States, Alan once again showed us his warm and friendly character.
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He made arrangements for our lodging and for our entertainment in Colchester, and had us over to his home more than once, each time making sure a huge fire was going in the living room to ensure that we who were used to Durban's sub-tropical clime would not be chilled in England's late October weather. I'm sure a goodly portion of their winter's coal ration was sacrificed to our comfort. Alan Gill became pastor of the Colchester Society and headmaster of its school in 1946. One can imagine what it must have been like in England shortly after the Second World War, with rationing, 'utility' furniture and six children to care for. But there were helping hands in Colchester. Much was accomplished in the following sixteen years, in spite of continuing bouts of ill health; yet he made little of these. Most of a pastor's real work never comes to light, but lives on in the hearts of those to whom he has ministered. Not long after his arrival in England began another association of which he often spoke. This was with the group of New Church people in the west of England. He, his wife, and the Rev. Martin Pryke attended the first West Country Gathering held in Bath in 1947. Later, the Gills attended on, or in, a variety of wheeled vehicles, a real car being a late acquisition. Referring to the Gills, Mrs. Stanley Best recalls,
Our entire group holds them in most affectionate remembrance. To older members they were lifelong friends, but they are remembered by all for the great delight with which they accepted invitations to minister at our West Country Gatherings and the enthusiasm with which they entered into the varied activities, from picnics and bonfires, to singing practice, doctrinal class and worship. Alan was a quiet and unassuming minister, but his thoughtful addresses and answers to our questions the latter usually prefaced by a modest "as I see it"-remain in our minds when many more forceful utterances have been forgotten. We hope we may so live as to have many more happy gatherings with him in the life to come.
The West Country was also the venue for the first British Academy Summer School, in August 1959, of which he was the headmaster, with seven boys and three girls. Leafing through the issues of NEW CHURCH LIFE for the 1950's there is a regular output of articles and addresses, all testifying to the thorough scholarship and adherence to what the Writings actually say. Although he had a rock-like certainty in the status of the Writings, he was not at all bigoted in his attitude. The Rev. Claud Presland of the General Conference recalls,
The passing of Alan Gill brings back to me memories of more than a decade ago. From which side the initiative came I am not now certain, nor does it matter, but the General Church ministers in Colchester and London, and the Conference ministers resident in London, had determined to arrange informal meetings together in their various homes.
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That was in the days when deep respect and affection, obviously potentially present between the two groups, had not settled upon the firm base now so much secured and enjoyed. I first met Alan Gill at the first of those meetings, in the home of the Rev. Erik Sandstrom, and there came to appreciate him for his quiet but earnest participation in the discussions, his gentle courtesy, his willingness to listen to other approaches to the Writings than his own, his bright awareness of any expression of the truths of the Second Advent whichever of the men present spoke it. Perhaps he was not quite so volatile as some of us who were younger than he was, but he was never less firm. And he was percipient, charitable, and affectionate. He played a part, a major part, in putting down the foundations on which we have since built-the Conference men came to love him. In his retirement, we saw him very rarely; but it was a pleasure to me to meet him again this past July at the British Assembly in Colchester, very frail now, a bit forgetful perhaps, modest in underestimating the part he had played. He still had that same quiet smile, the same sphere of affection, the same certainty of faith. It has been, for me and many others within the Conference, a joy whenever we have been in his company.
Perhaps it will be useful for historical purposes to close with an outline of Alan Gill's ministry. As a candidate for the ministry, in the summer of 1924 he assisted the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt in Pittsburgh. Then he was sent to Toronto to serve as acting pastor of the Olivet Church until the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner arrived from Durban, South Africa, in January 1925, to become its permanent pastor. He was ordained into the first degree of the priesthood on June 14, 1925 and married the following day-Bishop N. D. Pendleton officiating on both occasions. He assisted in Bryn Athyn during the summer and then moved to New York to become resident minister of that society. His reports during the years there reflect little numerical stability in the society, but both Mr. and Mrs. Gill used to reminisce fondly about the members of the New York Society and of their experience ministering to them. In 1926 he was ordained into the second degree of the priesthood and in 1928 became pastor of the Carmel Church, Kitchener, Ontario-of, which we have already spoken. During this time Mr. Gill suffered from a -number of spells of sickness and for this reason it was made possible for him to receive assistance, first from the Rev. Norman Reuter and then from Mr. Rogers, as noted above. By 1943 his health and stamina were gradually improved and he was able to continue without such assistance. Two years later he moved to Colchester where he remained in office until his retirement in 1962, although even after that date he continued to preach and give classes whenever asked, until in 1968 his doctor forbad his continuing to do so.
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BORROWING FROM THE EGYPTIANS Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA. Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa. Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. In a recent issue we offered an editorial entitled, "Techniques and Philosophy"* in which we spoke of the dangers of adopting techniques, as for example educational techniques, from the world without thoroughly considering their underlying philosophy and its possible effect on the operation of the techniques. This prompted us to consider "Borrowing from the Egyptians"-a phrase which has been very familiar to New Churchmen. We have asked ourselves whether in the church we have not jumped to the conclusion that because Egypt represents scientifics, therefore "Borrowing from the Egyptians" must have reference to the church taking scientific (or sensual) knowledges from the world and putting them to its own use. In doing this we have perhaps ignored the implications of those numbers in the Writings which teach specifically of this phrase. * New Church Life, December, 1974, p. 545. When the Children of Israel were about to leave Egypt, in their pilgrimage back to their own land, they were told that they should let "every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold".* These jewels were later used in the making of the tabernacle. * Exodus 11:2. The Arcana explanation of this incident treats of its application to the situation in the spiritual world at the time of the Lord's advent. ". . . before the Lord's coming the lower part of heaven was occupied by evil genii and spirits and they were afterwards expelled thence and that region given to those of the spiritual church."*
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These evil spirits were represented by the Egyptians who sought to hold the Israelites under their power. They possessed goods and truths, but they perverted them to their own ends, to establish false heavens and hold the simple good imprisoned. When, at the Lord's advent these were cast down into hell, the "simple good spirits who were taken away from them, were given or joined to those who were of the spiritual church, to whom that region of heaven was given for a possession; and it was from this that these latter were enriched with the truths and goods which were before in the possession of the evil genii and spirits. . . ."** Thus the wealth of the Egyptians, the knowledges of good and truth with those of the false heavens, and which had been used to deceive the simple, were now transferred to those simple good, to be used by them for good ends. The Egyptians were spoiled and from their silver and gold the tabernacle was to be made. These knowledges were scientifics of the natural mind,*** but note that they were knowledges of truth and good, vessels of silver and gold****-not knowledges of earthly sciences. * AC 6914. ** Ibid. *** AC 6915. **** AC 6917. A further explanation of the incident applies the same principle to the church, rather than to the world of spirits. "The scientifics of truth and good taken away from the evil who have been of the church, will be bestowed upon the good who are of it."* However, these are not as yet matters of faith because the affections of truth and good that make faith have not as yet flowed into them-they are simply vessels. * AC 7770. Thus we may see that the evil may possess truth although to them it is falsity because applied to evil ends, as truths may be perverted in justification of evil. Yet the truth may be taken by another and put to good use-the Egyptians are spoiled. In another context we note that the need to go down into Egypt as with Abram and with the Lord, represented the need for both man and the Lord to be instructed in knowledge from the Word. "In His childhood the Lord did not will to imbue Himself with any other knowledges than those of the Word."* * AC 1461. These numbers show that the scientifics meant by Egypt are essentially the scientifics of the Word and of the church. If this is the case, then we should perhaps at least modify our present use of the term "Borrowing from the Egyptians" by which we usually mean borrowing worldly science. Possibly the principle can be extended to include this concept, but it does not seem to be the principle thrust of the teaching about this phrase which is given in the Writings.
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We would be delighted to hear from any reader who might be inclined to respond to this comment.
HUMAN AND THE RATIONAL GEOFFREY H. HOWARD 1975
Editor, NEW CHURCH LIFE:
I would like to comment on the recently published article entitled "The Human and the Rational" by the Rev. Bjorn Boyesen,* but I would first like to express my appreciation to Mr. Boyesen for his study. Its general theme is based on the series in the Arcana Coelestia dealing with the origin and formation of the truly human rational. It is a study which would probably require considerable thought and concentration by many laymen. But for those already familiar with the contents of the first half of the Arcana Coelestia Mr. Boyesen's study would serve to illustrate and confirm the general teachings relating to the human rational. * See New Church Life, January, 1975, p. 6. As I read through the paper there were some points that came into my mind which I will offer for discussion. Towards the beginning it is rightly shown that the rational is "the intermediate, or the medium of conjunction between" the internal man and the external man. Then in considering the nature of the internal man it is said that the internal man is "the same as the human soul or the human internal." I would respectfully like to suggest some further inclusions in that statement. The word "soul" is used in a variety of ways throughout the Writings. It has to be considered in the light of the context in which it occurs. In its most comprehensive sense it refers to the inmost aspect of the subject at band. In the early works of the Writings, as in the Arcana, the "soul" seems to carry the connotation of the whole of the spiritual aspect of man. That includes the human internal, which is said to be above the plane of even the highest heaven, and it also includes the higher degrees of the mind, the spiritual and celestial. But then in the later doctrinal works we find the soul being spoken of as an organic form separate from and in a discrete degree above the mind.* * See: CL 158; influx 8: 5; TCR 8; Inv. 14. The point I am raising is whether the internal man designates the human internal, the soul above the highest heaven, or does the emphasis lie more on the celestial and spiritual degrees of the mind?
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This may seem like a mere point of doctrine, but I think it is an important one. A careful reading of the references cited by Mr. Boyesen seems to reveal a rather strong implication of a distinction between the inmost soul and the higher regions of the mind. Whereas the soul as the human internal is entirely above man's consciousness, there are several passages that indicate that the internal man is not entirely hidden from human awareness. It is said that the internal man is "the spiritual man, because it is in the light of heaven".* Other passages indicate that the internal man sheds some of its light upon our state.** Unless this were provided it would seem that we would be living in a spiritual state of blindness, that is if the internal man were totally above human consciousness. We cannot progress spiritually in a state of blindness. It is further said that the internal man must be reformed first, before the external. This is done not by "solely knowing and understanding truths and goods . . . but by willing and loving them."*** If the internal man is the same as the human internal, thus above consciousness, it would seem that man could do little about his state. I think it is important for man to recognize that he must initiate every change of state in his mind, of thought and will. The Lord may then act from within to slowly effect his regeneration by opening the interior degree of his mind into the light and perception of heaven. * NJHD 38. ** See DP 152; AR 17: 2; 510: 2. *** AR 510. A second point that I would raise concerns the idea that by virtue of his soul or human internal man is endowed with a "specific love of an eternal use." This is an idea that I have heard before in the church but I have not yet succeeded in finding the statement in the Writings. I believe it is a derived doctrine, and is valid provided it is properly qualified and understood. Mr. Boyesen offers an excellent explanation of why the Lord creates a man with certain latent talents at a particular point in time, but I find the concept of his being "a specific love of an eternal use" to be somewhat limiting. There is no doubt that each person is created with certain native inclinations towards certain kinds of uses. It is also true that eventually he will enter some specific society in the spiritual world, but the term "specific use" sounds as though one was created to perform one specific endeavor only, which to many would seem loathsome. The joys from heavenly uses come surely from the variety of uses that are afforded to the angels, all of which are fed from the influx of the Lord's love flowing into the soul. Use is a rather all encompassing concept in the Writings. Uses are performed whenever man does "good from love by means of wisdom."* * CL 183.
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I was also interested in the idea presented that "the development of the rational begins immediately after birth." We do not usually associate rationality with an infant child, but as Mr. Boyesen points out, it is "an appearance of rationality" and is most primitive. It is nothing more than the primitive ability to recognize relationships, as between light and darkness, between comfort and pain. The word "rational" is derived from "ratio" and implies the ability to establish the concept of relationships within the mind. In this most general sense a child does begin to recognize contrast. It is however important not to confuse this "appearance of rationality" with the "reason that belongs to adults and men of years".* The rational faculty, properly so called, is the ability that enables the mind to be elevated out of its entrenchment in the material realm to perceive something of the Divine reality of the Lord, and of the spiritual world and the spiritual values that pertain to it. That faculty "is opened from youth to early manhood and onward; and this is done by means of perceptions of moral and spiritual truths."** * AC 1893. ** TCR 42. In making these comments I do not wish to detract in any way from the central theme of this useful study which has been so thoughtfully constructed. In sharing our ideas on matters of doctrinal interpretation the spirit of all sincere New Churchmen is to share their vision of the Lord and His order with other minds. The priests of the General Church know so well, from the free interchange within the Council of the Clergy, that there is great delight in hearing the views of others on the points of doctrine that are raised. The Lord's truth belongs only to Him. Man can see that truth only by way of appearances. It is by way of free and open discussion that the Lord is able to bring our understanding of His truth into a more perfect light. It is therefore healthy to air our views of His truth in the spirit of charity. It is in that spirit that the foregoing comments have been offered. GEOFFREY H. HOWARD La Crescenta, California
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PRESENCE OF OTHER WORLDS MICHAEL A. BROWN 1975
Editor, NEW CHURCH LIFE
I have read with interest Dr. van Dusen's The Presence of Other Worlds, and the review by the Reverend Kurt Nemitz.* My main difference with Mr. Nemitz centers on a statement near the end of the review, "These deficiencies notwithstanding, I would emphasize that The Presence of Other Worlds acquaints the reader with a great many of the fundamental teachings of the Writings and their implications regarding man's inner life." It seems to me that Swedenborg the man, doctrine, science and psychology, and Eastern religious influence are all wound together in this book. I question referring to a book such as The Presence of Other Worlds as a reference for doctrine, or even of Swedenborg. * New Church Life, 1975, page 32. We honor Swedenborg first as the servant of the Lord, the means by which the truths contained within the Writings were given to man. That he is also an intellectual to rank with Newton and others highly regarded by scholars should not be the appeal we make to convince others of the truth of the Writings. We often speak from the appearance, as in, "The Writings of Swedenborg," when we mean "The Writings, as given through Swedenborg." The distinction between Swedenborg the instrument of revelation, and Swedenborg the man of intellectual genius, must be kept clear at all times. As to the book as a vehicle for introducing, to a great many, the fundamental teachings of the Writings, I believe rather that it provides a new viewpoint for a mind already acquainted with the Writings. But I believe there could easily be confusion in a mind approaching the doctrines for the first time through Dr. van Dusen's book. It seems to me that the proper approach in any study where scientific and philosophical studies are combined with the doctrines, is to state first the teachings and principles of doctrine, and then to confirm and illustrate in the light of one's own findings. I believe this important distinction is blurred in the present work. Having said that, let me state that I find individual topics to be fascinating. The chapter on minor miracles and the references to the Journal of Dreams are in this category, but are really only of relatively minor importance. It is clear that we should not attempt to interpret the Writings as the result of some psychological model we might construct from our human intelligence. The chapter on the presence of spirits in madness, which incidentally was prepared as a separate publication before insertion in the book, provides fascinating confirmations of some statements in the Writings; though, I would once again ask that science be used to confirm doctrine, rather than doctrine to confirm science.
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Finally, where does the "presence of other worlds" merge into the consciousness of this world? My feeling is one of a "mystical haziness" as the book comes to an end. As I read it, Dr. van Dusen invites us, if we will, to journey into our own minds following the methods of Swedenborg: minimal breathing and the techniques of meditation. It is a dangerous journey, but we are promised great rewards. Here I must part company with Dr. van Dusen. The teaching is clear that we are not to consciously seek the presence of spirits. We should seek rather to come into the presence of the Lord and the realm of the spiritual through the three-fold Word; any other path is fraught with danger
MICHAEL A. BROWN Assistant Professor of Psychology, Academy of the New Church Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
SWEDENBORG SOCIETY D. F. C. MANN 1975
One winter evening in London during the Second World War when the bombs were falling on Bloomsbury, the Council of the Swedenborg Society under the Chairmanship of the late Sydney J. Goldsack, in an act of confidence under the Divine Providence, made the decision to produce a new and definitive Latin edition of Arcana Caelestia. A new edition was necessary for two reasons: the original edition and a second edition produced in the 1830s were very scarce, but, more important, Swedenborg's original manuscript had become available by photographic reproduction so that an edition could be produced incorporating all the information we have on this work. This edition forms an essential basis for more accurate modern translations into English and indeed into other languages, much needed in the New Church throughout the world. The work was put in hand in 1943, the first volume being published in 1949. It was finally completed with the printing of an Appendix volume in 1973. During this long period, costs of book production increased greatly, the printing of the first volume costing about L1,000 and of the last L8,000.
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Excluding the value of the work done by the Honorary Officers of the Society and by the staff, the total cost of production amounted to L126,696 made up of:
Editorial Expenses L2,984 Printing and binding L23,712 _________ L26,696
Of this sum, welcome contributions were received from the
Academy of the New Church L5,265 and the Swedenborg Foundation L2,689 _________ L7,954
leaving L118,742 to be met from the Society's funds. Throughout its long history, the Society has never hesitated to spend its resources when there was an important need to be met, and most of this cost has been met from the general funds of the Society. The cost can never be recovered in the selling price of the books, which are primarily for the use of ministers and other students of the Writings, and the Council has always intended to make a special appeal for funds for the work when it was completed. With its continuing responsibility for keeping its publications in print and the constantly increasing costs of doing so, the Society wishes to recover at least some of the cost of reproducing this Third Latin edition of Arcana Caelestia. It is therefore asking its members and friends for contributions for this purpose, and the Council hopes that those who are able to do so will readily respond. Those especially who recognize in the Arcana Caelestia a Divine Revelation will have no doubt as to the value of this work, which quite outweighs its cost in money. May we appeal to your generosity to contribute to this object, so that the Society's resources for its essential work of translation and publication can be replenished?
D. F. C. MANN President NORMAN TURNER Chairman of the Council
[EDITORIAL NOTE: We are glad to publicize further this appeal for support of such an important use. Contributions can be sent direct to The Swedenborg Society, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London, W. C. 1, England, or, for those in the United States, to Mr. Thomas Redmile, 2915 Orchard Lane, Bryn Athyn, Penna., 19009.]
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CHURCH NEWS Various 1975
THE CHURCH AT LARGE
Significant decisions have recently been made in sister organisations within the New Church. We feel that we should bring these to the attention of our readers and regret that we have been delayed in doing so.
General Conference of the New Church. At its Annual Meetings last June the General Conference elected the Reverend Claud H. Presland to be its President for the year 1974/1975. Mr. Presland has recently completed a term of some twenty-five years as Secretary of Conference and has clearly filled that office with distinction. During that time the General Church has had the most cordial relations with him, especially during the period of planning for the 1970 World Assembly. We wish him a happy and useful term of office. After the completion of Mr. Presland's term, the presidency of Conference will be held for five years, instead of for one year as has previously been the case. This change has been considered and planned over a period of time and is clearly a move to provide more continuous, and therefore more effective, leadership for the Church. The Reverend J. O. Booth has been nominated for the first five year period, to begin in June of 1975. The General Convention of the New Jerusalem has taken action, after a period of consideration extending over several years, and after some significant divergence of opinion, to provide for the ordination of women into its ministry. It is expected that Dr. Dorothea Harvey will be so ordained next summer, after serving for one year as an Authorized Candidate for the Ministry.
TRANSVAAL CIRCLE
At our last Annual General Meeting dated the 27th September, I was undemocratically chosen as scribe to NEW CHURCH LIFE. As I believe our contribution has been sadly lacking of late, I will endeavor to bring you up to date with all our news. On Sunday, 26th August 1973, our new Transvaal chapel was inaugurated, with our Pastor, the Rev. Willard Heinrichs, officiating. For quite some time the Transvaal Circle has longed for its own church building, to serve as a common center of worship. However, due to the small size of the group, and insufficient funds, these plans had to be shelved. Once again, however, Joe and Viva Ball came forward and offered their two larger summer school rooms to be consolidated into a chapel. The proposal was met with enthusiasm, and shortly thereafter John Sharpe and Joe Ball got their heads together, plans were laid, workmen hired, and in short order a simple but attractively appointed chapel became a reality. Within the fieldstone walls and thatched roof, the members have settled into the familiar and uplifting sphere that characterizes services of worship in the Transvaal Circle. The members of the Circle take this opportunity to extend a warm invitation to anyone visiting in the Johannesburg area to join with them in doctrinal classes and services of worship. Please contact our current secretary, John Sharpe, telephone 43-4162 Johannesburg. The South African young people's summer school this year was held at the Vaal on the farm of John and Marlene Sharpe, from Tuesday 16th April to Sunday 21st April. Eighteen children came up by train from the Durban Society.
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During the five days they experienced the fantastic 'champagne air' of the Highveld, and every day they had two hours of classes conducted by the Rev. Peter Buss on the subject of marriage. After classes, time was spent water skiing and canoeing. The culmination of the summer school was Sunday, when the Transvaal Circle members motored out to join with the young people in worship under the trees, which formed a natural church nave. Fun and fellowship was enjoyed by all. Due to our Pastor's tight itinerary for the year, and the arrival of the Heinrichs' fifth child in July, we have missed a couple of scheduled meetings. However this was more than compensated for by Bishop and Mrs. King's brief visit before they went on to Durban and the South African Assembly. Bishop and Mrs. King arrived on Tuesday, the 4th June. On Wednesday Marlene Sharpe arranged for a visit to Witwatersrand University, and on Thursday Mr. Heinrichs took them out to visit the missions. In the evenings they were entertained by individual families. It was super to get to know them. On Saturday evening a social supper was held at the Sharpes where Bishop King gave a very sincere and thought-provoking address. The following afternoon Bishop King delivered an inspiring sermon in our little chapel, which was bursting at the seams. We were sorry to see them depart for Durban. As with the chapel, land of our own for the Transvaal Circle has long been a burning desire. Early this year our friends in the Durban Society came forward with an exciting proposition-that of buying a tract of land in the Transvaal on which we could eventually build a hall and later a chapel and manse when funds permit. Once again John Sharpe came to the fore and, after much sweat and toil-what a guy for punishment-and grappling with land agents, a beautiful level smallholding of approximately 64% acres was acquired, at Halfway House, between Pretoria and Johannesburg. This acquisition has naturally provided a great incentive for our Circle, and we are deeply indebted to our friends in the Durban Society. Also during the year, one of our younger members, Mariana Sharpe, was introduced into the adult life of the church. She was presented with a copy of Heaven and Hell on this happy occasion. Since there has been no published news from the Transvaal Circle in several years, it might be useful to record that our Circle is presently enjoying a period of growth, currently consisting of some twenty-eight active adults and a dozen young people and children. In the past year or two we have been delighted to welcome into our midst six or seven adults who have only recently become acquainted with the heavenly doctrine of the New Church. We are confident that our Transvaal Circle has excellent prospects for growth and development in the coming years. On behalf of the Transvaal Circle, I would like to thank our Pastor, the Rev. Willard Heinrichs, for his regular visits and his unflagging energy in keeping our Circle going and helping us over our growing pains. BARRY G. GILLESPIE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST-USA
The activities of the Pacific Northwest-USA Group were highlighted this year by a District Assembly held at a Conference Center in Issaquah, Washington, on July 27 and 28, 1974. Issaquah is quite near Seattle, so many of our members drove out daily for the activities. Others, including those from a distance, stayed at the pleasant facilities. The Assembly was presided over by Bishop Pendleton, who was accompanied by his wife. The first event was a business meeting on Saturday afternoon. Twenty-four adults were present. The Bishop told us that our area is high on the list for a resident pastor, particularly if our membership grows over the next few years. This was good news, as our Pastor, the Rev. Christopher Smith, must travel extraordinary distances (from Dawson Creek) to visit us and can make the trip only four times a year. We also voted to give some financial support to The Mediator, the newsletter published in Dawson Creek that helps to tie us all together.
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By Saturday evening the group had grown to 40 including the young people, and we all gathered for a social hour before the banquet. Because of the warmth of the dining room, which faced west (the sun does shine in Seattle) we moved to another room to hear the Bishop's address. Following a discussion of the paper the formal part of the evening was adjourned. Many of the group stayed on and visited with friends, while others went swimming in the magnificent pool that was one of the nice features of our location. The next morning, Sunday, we had church in the conference center's chapel. In addition to an inspiring sermon, there was lovely organ music played by Ruth Jones (now in college in Bryn Athyn) that added to the sphere, and there was a baptism. There were approximately 75 adults and children at the service. Our final activity for the weekend was a luncheon which was, of course, preceded by a group picture. After lunch we began our farewells and dispersed to our various houses and uses with spirits renewed by doctrine and "togetherness. MARTHA L. TYLER
ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MARCH 3-8, 1975
Monday, March 3 11:00 a.m. Headmasters' Meeting 2:30 p.m. Worship 3:00 p.m. Opening Session, Council of the Clergy 8:00 p.m. Consistory
Tuesday, March 4 9:00 a.m. Traveling Ministers 10:30 a.m. Second Session, Council of the Clergy 12:45 p.m. Small group luncheons 3:30 p.m. Third Session, Council of the Clergy 6:45 p.m. Dinner for ministers and wives
Wednesday, March 5 8:30 a.m. General Church Publication Committee 10:30 a.m. Fourth Session, Council of the Clergy 12:45 p.m. Small group luncheons 3:30 p.m. Fifth Session, Council of the Clergy 6:45 p.m. Social Supper for ministers
Thursday, March 6 9: 00 a.m. Sunday School Committee 10:30 a.m. Sixth Session, Council of the Clergy 8: 00 P.M. Informal Session, Council of the Clergy
Friday, March 7 8:30 a.m. Executive Vice President meets with Heads of Schools 10:30 a.m. Seventh Session, Council of the Clergy 3:00 p.m. Board of Directors of the General Church 5:00 p.m. Annual Meeting of the General Church Corporation 7: 00 p.m. Friday Supper 7:45 p.m. General Church Evening
Saturday, March 8 10:00 a.m. Joint Council of the General Church
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ANGELS OF THE EASTER STORY Rev. B. DAVID HOLM 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV MARCH, 1975 No. 3 And behold there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. (Matthew 28: 2)
At this time of year we read again those portions of the Gospels which deal with the Lord's death and burial, and while we read we cannot but become mindful of mankind's darkest state when God made man was utterly rejected. Yet when we read of this, the angels-who are ever with us when we read from the Word-do not think of the Lord's death and burial. Such things do not ascend to their minds when we read the literal story. Rather, they then dwell upon the Savior's glorification and resurrection.* Those of us on earth who have been privileged to know of the spiritual sense of the Word would do well to do the same. * AC 1025; 2; AE 687: 18. For it is the glorification of the Lord and His resurrection that are the central theme of the Easter story; the glad tidings-"He is risen." Even in His physical death He was life! And this was the message brought by the angels to the women that first Easter morning. "He is risen as He said." It is this angelic understanding of the death and burial of the Lord that gives meaning to the affectional transition of the women as described in the resurrection story-a transition from deepest grief to a joy that knew no bounds. For in the angels' words to the two Marys, to Salome and the other women, are to be found mankind's comfort, hope and support-and indeed our very basis for existence. The women, in their simplicity, did not understand all that was involved in the angels' message. But they did understand that their Lord, whom they had loved, served, and followed so faithfully was not dead but alive! Their Lord had conquered physical death.
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But we know that by His resurrection the Lord did far more than conquer physical death. For by His glorification He had conquered that more subtle death of mankind's inability to openly approach and meet his God. Even more important, the risen Lord had overcome that final death of evil which mankind had inflicted upon itself. This inner significance of Easter is contained in our text, and in the angel's words to the women. "He is risen!"-the constant confidence in the everlasting permanence of the Divine life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "Because I live, ye shall live also."* * John 14: 19.
The part played by the angels in the resurrection, as told in the Gospels, is most important to a full understanding of the Lord's glorification and thus of the full meaning of Easter. That angels should herald the Lord's rising from the dead causes us no surprise, for had not angels heralded His birth? Nor should we be surprised by the fact that angels were present in the sepulchre and had evidently watched over the Lord's human during the time He had lain there; this should cause us no surprise if we but recall the general teachings about the resurrection of man from the dead and the part the angels play in it.* * HH 445-452. Indeed the angels had an important role to play throughout the Lord's progressive glorification. For we are taught, "That there were angels with the Lord when He fought against the hells, is evident from the Word, as also from the consideration that when He was in the combats of temptations, it could not be otherwise than that angels should be present."* And if the angels were present with the Lord during His temptations, would they not also be with Him during his physical death which marked the climax of His glorification process? The following passage certainly substantiates this view. "The Lord willed to undergo death and to rise again the third day, but to the end that He might put off everything human that He had from the mother and might put on the Divine Human; for everything human that the Lord took from the mother He rejected from himself by temptations, and finally by death."** * AC 1752; see also 1705. ** AE 899: 14. If the angels were present with Him all the time He was rejecting the finite human by means of temptations, it seems only logical that they were with Him during the final rejection of that human in the sepulchre. But to understand how the angels were with the Lord while He was in this world and how they ministered to Him, we must first understand the essential nature of the finite human which the Lord took to Himself by birth. We are assured that this human was like that of any other man.*
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By this is meant that the Lord's finite human, like the human of any man, was essentially a mere organ or receptacle of life, and thus had no life in itself.** Now it was to this organ of life that had been, as it were, attached to the Divine Life Itself (or into which the Divine Life flowed)-it was to this merely human receptacle that the angels came and ministered. Thus they were present with that in Him which was merely human." In the same way they are present with us. But there was one tremendous difference, for in the case of the Lord's human they were, no doubt, aware that this was the human which would be made Divine and indeed made Life itself. * AC 2523: 2. ** AC 2658: 2. Man receives strengthening influences towards good and truth from the angels who are with him. Now this strength is not from the angels themselves, but rather from the Divine through the angels and so to man.* So it was with the Lord's finite human. It received its strength from His inmost Divine nature. But it received this strength not only immediately from this inmost nature, but also mediately from it through the stewardship of the angels who were with Him. And so it is that we are taught, "The Lord from His own power gave strength [to the angels present with Him], and as it were power to fight together with Him, for all power that angels have is from the Lord."** * AC 4096: 6, 4809: 2. ** AC 1752. Thus to understand the services rendered to the Lord by the angels while He was on earth, we must realize that they were the same essential services which they render to us-the presenting of the strengthening influence of truth in times of temptation and despair which alone can bring victory. Thus they served a vital purpose for the human of the Lord throughout His life on earth. This is not to say that the Lord could not have dispensed with their services, but rather he willed to use their services because He was born into the order of finite man and so willed to be governed by the same laws of order as are all finite humans. Thus in Luke's description of those inmost temptations which took place in the garden of Gethsemene we read, "And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven strengthening Him."* * Luke 22: 43. Following the same reasoning, it seems clear what the uses were with which the angels served the Lord during the thirty eight or thirty nine hours of physical death in the sepulchre. Again they were the same essential uses performed by the angels to all men during the short period of rest following the death of the body. For although the glorification of the Lord's human was almost entirely completed at the time of the crucifixion, still the very final stages of the process were still to be entered into, and indeed were to be entered into during the sepulchre period.
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Thus at the time of His physical death something of His human was still an organ or receptacle of life-else it would not have died. Thus the highest of angels must have been summoned at the moment of His bodily death, to guard this His human about to become Divine-guard it from all hellish influences which must have been immensely strong at this all important time for universal creation. And if the angels performed this service of guardianship during the Lord's period of resuscitation from physical death, would they not also have entered into that next use which they render during the transition from worldly to heavenly life-that of the awakening of man into eternal life? Would they not have performed at least some counterpart of this service in the "awakening" of the Lord's human into Divine Life Itself? In the case of the Lord, of course, it could only be a Divine counterpart of awakening into eternal life, for the life that His finite human then entered into was the Divine Life Itself, and by this the final stage of the glorification of this finite human was completed. For His human was now finally and everlastingly transformed, even to the flesh and bones, into the Divine Human Itself-that truly visible form of our Divinely human God. Surely the angels who were with His finite human during the final hours of the glorification must have had some function in this Divine "awakening". It may well have been no more than the first and utter adoration and worship of the Divine Human of the Lord together with the completely direct approach to the Divine Itself which the Divine Human makes possible. But one thing must be very clear. In no way whatever could it have been possible for the angels actually to enter into the final work of the glorification of the human. In no way could they aid in that completely Divine work of transforming the finite human receptacle or organ of life into the human form of Life Itself. This transformation is the miracle of the glorification and resurrection and is essentially beyond the ken of even the highest of the angels. The service of the angels to the Lord, even in the sepulchre, was limited, then, to serving His finite human, according to all the laws of order governing the relationship of angels with men. The moment that the Lord's finite human ceased as an organ of life and was changed into Life Itself, the service of the angels to the Lord on earth ceased forever; for the resurrection was accomplished. And in every sense the Lord's Human was now the living form of their God to be worshiped and adored. The function of the angels of the Easter story then abruptly changed. They were now to be the heralds of the resurrection, giving the glad message to His faithful upon earth, and to serve as correspondential symbols of the effects of the resurrection.
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"And behold there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it." The "earthquake" of the text was essentially a spiritual phenomenon, for it marked the actual resurrection of the Divine Human of the Lord. The resurrection was accompanied by an earthquake, for with the resurrection there occurred a complete change in the state of the Lord's kingdom in both the spiritual and natural worlds. The Divine truth shone upon the heavens with seven times its former brightness,* and on earth the state of the Church was changed greatly-altogether so; for a new church (the Christian Church) was begun which could approach the Divine Human of God directly and for the first time worship a truly visible God. And all this because "the Lord then rose, and in respect to His Human assumed all dominion over heaven and earth."** * TCR 641: 4. ** AE 400: 14. And to symbolize this direct contact between the Lord and man-never before known in the history of the human race; to symbolize this direct proceeding of the Lord's truth to man, an "angel of the Lord descended from heaven." For now there could be an open avenue of revelation from the Divine Human to man on earth.* How could this now be done, when for countless ages the direct revelation of truth had been impossible and only representative truth could be given men? It could be done because the stone sealing the sepulchre was rolled back. In the spiritual sense the stone that was rolled back was the stone of Divine truth-of the Word which had been closed. This was now opened by the Lord.** The Word of revelation was now opened by the Word made flesh! For by the resurrection the Lord removed all the falsity that had shut off man's access to Him-He could now be seen as the living God. This was the very purpose of His birth and consequent glorification. The stone of Divine truth was rolled back-the stone which the chief priest had sealed and guarded was rolled back. No longer could the corrupted traditions of a corrupted church withhold His creation from Him.*** The bonds of falsity were broken. * AR 166; AE 687: 18; AC 8813: 6. ** AE 687: 18. *** AE 400: 14. How were they broken? By the uncovering of the door of the sepulchre. By showing that while Divine truth can be rejected of men, it can never be destroyed. It rises glorified, to pronounce the Divine words of "All hail" to anyone who hearkens.
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The opened sepulchre becomes a symbol, not of death, but of resurrected life-the Divine life of the truly human God, and of the eternal life each man may have in Him.* * AE 687: 18. This Divine opening of the Divine truth is a permanent and everlasting state. For after rolling back the stone from the door, the angel "sat upon it." The posture of sitting signifies the permanent state of being,* and in this case the state of permanent openness of the Lord's truth to man. On the Lord's part, He will keep His truth, thus His presence, open for all time to all men; for this is the very nature of the glorified Human of the Lord, and is the fulfillment of His coming. It is this opened and glorified Divine truth-the Divine Human of the resurrection-that is the risen Lord of Easter. And truly this is our Savior; for it is by means of this opened Divine truth which is His Divine Human that we can enter into life eternal-for He is that life. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."** * Ibid. ** John 12: 32. Thus we can see that not only the angel of the text, but also the other angels of the first Easter morning serve as representatives of the effects of the resurrection-the effects of the glorified Lord's open communication with man in the form of Divine truth. That they served as such representatives is clear even in the details of the descriptions. The countenance of lightning, the white and shining garments, both signify the utter clarity and holiness of the Divine truths now revealed by the risen Lord.* The angel described in Mark as being seated on the right hand side in the sepulchre represents the wisdom and intelligence which now proceeds from the Divine truth of the Divine Human.** While the two angels of Luke and John represent that this Divine Human truth is accommodated, not only to the higher states of man's life, but also to his most ultimate states.*** Thus the Divine Human of the Lord can be conjoined fully with man from things first in a man to things last. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." * AC 5954: 3, 8813: 6. ** AE 298: 13. *** AE 687: 18. But as we well know, this must be a reciprocal conjunction between us and the risen Lord. By His glorification He has made our text an everlastingly fulfilled fact-He is constantly approaching every man and in every state of each man. He stands at the door of our mind and knocks, but we must open unto Him. Thus we must fulfill the text within ourselves. We must open our minds to the Divinely Human truth of the Lord. We must behold this the Divine Human as our one and only God-as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we must let this knowledge of Him, together with our assurance that we can go forth to meet Him, cause a great earthquake in our minds-a great change of state which will allow His descending Divine truth to enter into our minds and roll back the stone of false confirmations of evil which we have used to seal Him away from ourselves.
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And we must make this opening of ourselves to the risen Lord a permanent and lasting thing. Then and only then will He be our risen Lord-for His resurrection will be ours. He will draw us to Himself. For the Lord's resurrection involves each and all things of a man's regeneration. For we are taught "The Lord's resurrection . . . involves all these things (even in the particular and the least particular) in regard to His rising again in the minds of the regenerate every day, and even every moment."* This is the Easter that we can live each day of our lives. Amen. * AC 240e
What is the first thing that comes into your mind when you think of Easter? You might think of the story of Palm Sunday, when the Lord rode into Jerusalem and the people placed palm branches on the ground before Him. Or you might think of that part of the Easter story when the Lord met with His disciples for the last time, and told them how He would soon leave them and go up to heaven. Still another part of this story was when the Lord was crucified and His body was put into the grave. But the most important part of Easter was when the Lord rose on the third day and showed Himself to His disciples. You will remember that Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, came to the sepulcher on Easter Sunday. They were very sad, because they thought the Lord would no longer be with them. But what happened when they came to the place where the Lord's body had been laid? Do you remember how the great stone in front of the sepulcher had been rolled away and there was an angel there?
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The angel said to the women, "He is not here, but is risen." The disciples were then very happy, because they knew that the Lord was not dead, but that He had risen, and they would see Him again. This is the happiest part of the Easter story. Now have you ever wondered why the Lord allowed all the things in the Easter story to happen? Why did the Lord have to be crucified and why did His body have to be put into the grave? Certainly the Lord was powerful enough to stop anyone from hurting Him-there must have been some very good reason why the Lord allowed all these things to happen. And the Word tells us what this reason was. The Word tells us that the Lord allowed all these things so He could bring men to heaven. Did you know that before the Lord came on earth, men had forgotten the way to heaven? In fact, before the Lord came on earth, men had even forgotten that there was such a thing as heaven. The Lord had prepared a beautiful place for all men to live, and men on earth had forgotten how to get there. The path which went to heaven had been lost. The path that leads to heaven is just like a path through a forest or a jungle. If someone has cut a path through a thick forest, people can get through the forest very easily-there are no branches or vines to get in their way. As long as people keep walking over this path, it remains clear. But what happens if a path is left alone and no one walks over the path for many months? Have you ever seen how quickly a path can grow-over? Vines and branches grow over the path, and soon the path becomes so blocked that people cannot get through, even if they want to. Sometimes a path is even lost and people forget the path was ever there. The same thing happened with the path that leads to heaven, just before the Lord came on earth. The Lord had made a beautiful path, leading right up to heaven. The Lord told men about this path in His Word. But as men turned from the Lord, fewer and fewer men walked on the path. Slowly, the path became overgrown with evils and falsities, just as the path in a forest can become overgrown with vines and branches. The Lord feared that men would soon lose the path that went to heaven. He feared that those men who wanted to go to heaven would not be able to find their way. The Lord knew that someone would have to clear the path. Someone would have to come down and go over each step of the path leading to heaven, cutting away all the evils and falsities which stood in the way of men. Of course, this person would have to be very powerful, someone very strong, and someone with a large sword to cut his way through. Who do you think this person was? It would have to be the Lord; for no man would be strong enough to fight against all those evils and falsities which stood in the way of heaven.
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This was the reason why the Lord came on earth. Now where is the path that leads to heaven? It is not an ordinary path, but it is man's life that leads to heaven. Your whole life, from the time you are born, to the time you die and go to the other world, must follow this path which the Lord has given. Every man must go over this same path. The Lord, in order to clear this path and free it from evils and falsities, had to go over each step of the path Himself. It is for this reason that the Lord had to be born on earth as a tiny baby, why the Lord had to grow up, why the Lord was an adult, and finally, the reason why the Lord even had to die and rise up to heaven. The Lord had to walk each step of the path leading to heaven-there was nothing He could leave out of the path of life, for He knew that men would soon follow Him. This was the reason the Lord had to die just like men do, so He could finish and clear the last steps of the path that leads to heaven. This was the Easter story. So when you hear the Easter story, the first thing that comes into your mind should be the three words spoken by the angel, "He is risen." These three words tell us the whole reason why the Easter story took place. The Lord came on earth to free men from the evils of the hells and to clear the path that leads to heaven. The Lord came on earth so that all men can rise and go to heaven. Amen.
Tape recordings of readings from the Writings are available as a new service of the General Church Sound Recording Committee. The following complete works can be borrowed on five inch reels or cassettes from the Sound Recording Library, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. Heaven and Hell, Divine Love and Wisdom, Divine Providence, Conjugial Love, True Christian Religion, Vol. I and II.
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"WOMEN PRIESTS?" Rev. ERIK SANDSTROM 1975
AN INQUIRY
We live in times of great change. Many are the values and traditions of age-old standing that modern man challenges. Superficially this may be attributed to excesses and abuses in the past, with a resulting general suspicion of all things old. More interiorly, however, we must trace the causes of the present day social unrest and moral upheaval to the consummation of a previous spiritual era and the commencement of a new. A remnant of good is carried over from the past, but those who are in it require truth in order to find clarity and strength. In the other world, the world of the spirit, the new order was introduced more than two hundred years ago, at the time of the great spiritual judgment; but in the material world the sorting out of what is evil and what is good, what is false and what is true, is a slower process. The revelation has been given. The setting forth of the spiritual sense of the Word for the guidance of all men has taken place. This is what calls men to judgment in this world. It is the truth that frees. Therefore, what the Lord said in His first advent applies equally in His second: "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil . . . But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."* * John 3: 19, 21. Human values cannot be determined except in the light of revelation. It is in one sense different in the realm of economics, sociology, technical knowledge, and the physical sciences, for all of theses things are in the hand of external law. In a deeper sense, however, even these are subject to revelation, since their true value is seen only in relation to man. At any rate, worldly knowledge or experience is not adequate to resolving the deep and pressing problems that confront us today. Among such problems are those relating to marriage and the priesthood. In either case the Writings teach new ideals, and in either case the true relationship between men and women is involved. As yet the New Church has scant influence in the world around us, but in the meantime let us not fail in an honest endeavor to set and keep our own house in order. Our present quest is into the priestly office, and whether it is intended for women as well as men.
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In pursuit of this quest we will try to see the distinction between the male mind and the female mind, the essential nature of the priestly office, and the universal teaching of the Word as to how the Lord is represented through that office.
The Masculine and the Feminine
The modern drive for equality among women is of course in itself quite legitimate. But the interior and eternal differences between the sexes cannot be understood, unless the inmost of the male and the inmost of the female be known. This inmost is beyond scientific research. It has to be revealed. It belongs to the spiritual world, that world in which all men and women are citizens as to their true and real selves. Empirical findings and their computation will confirm and illustrate, so that the essence of the male and female mind, and the common structure of both, may be infilled and embellished with many details; but such findings simply cannot be our light itself. The Writings reveal the interior essence of the psychology of man and the psychology of woman. Some aspects of this, with emphasis on the latter, I attempted to bring together in a recent study.* Here we must look for distinctions that seem directly relevant to the priestly office. First then those that are inmost. Here we have: "In the male the inmost is love and its clothing, wisdom . . . and in the female the inmost is that wisdom of the male and its clothing, the love therefrom."** It is added that "the love therefrom" is "feminine love, and is given by the Lord to the wife through the wisdom of the husband," while the masculine love, "being the love of growing wise . . . is given by the Lord to the husband according to his reception of wisdom."*** In illustration of this the formation of woman out of the rib of man is quoted.**** Finally the above is brought together in the following conclusion: "The male is born intellectual, and the female voluntary; or, what is the same thing, the male is born into the affection of knowing, understanding, and being wise, and the female into the love of conjoining herself with that affection in the male."***** * "The Feminine Mind," Theta Alpha Journal, Fall 1973, pp. 3-23. ** CL 32. *** Ibid. f, CL 33. **** Genesis 2: 21-23. ***** CL 33. It appears that this teaching is disturbing to some women, and in their behalf to some men. Yet looked at carefully it will be seen as implying no derogation of woman whatever. And how could it? Do not the Writings show unmistakably that man and woman, husband and wife, live as one in a conjugial marriage on any one of the degrees of the heavens? Therefore, one of the sexes cannot be 'higher' and the other 'lower.'
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We note further that the passage does not say that the male is intelligent (still less that the female is not), but that he is "intellectual," that is, that his approach is from the understanding rather than from the will. This too means that by himself, or apart from the influence of woman, he would approach things in coldness and not with warmth. Intelligence is distinct from either what is intellectual or voluntary, and may exist in any degree, whatever the innate bent of the mind. The doctrine, however, that the female mind is formed by means of the male mind, still stands; and so does the corollary teaching that "the church is first implanted in the man and through the man in his wife; for the man receives its truth in his understanding [i.e., intellectually], and the wife receives it from the man."* The added comment is deeply significant to our quest: "If the reverse is the case, it is not according to order."** * CL 125. ** Ibid. Why not according to order? Because it is essential to salvation that one of the sexes shall be able to see the truth detached from any voluntary predisposition. Hence man is created to explore the truth for its own sake, as yet without any reference to application. The male wants to explore things, and to find out what they are like and how they work. It is the female who adds the question: What are they for? what is their use? And by conjunction, that is, by appropriating each other's sphere, the male and female complement one another. Again, no difference in the degree of intelligence is involved here; it is only that "man is born . . . to think from the understanding, while woman is born . . . to think from the will."* Or stated differently: "The understanding perceives things which are above the body and beyond the world . . . while loves does not go beyond what it feels."** And does this make woman exempt from the lofty things of reason? That is not what the Writings teach, for there is also this: "When love does go beyond, it does so by drawing on that conjunction with the male understanding which was established from creation."*** By so drawing, she sees what the man sees-not anything else, nor on a lower plane-but she, seeing from love, adds a new quality to the sight that is his. And he, in turn, is receptive of that love. * HH 368. Italics added. ** CL 168. *** Ibid. Italics added It is with this as with the money a husband earns. He brings it to the home. Whose money is it? His? Hers? Is it not theirs? Does it not belong to the home they make together? In the sharing in it, it makes no difference that it was the husband who brought it to the home.
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If then it can be established that the man and the woman see the same thing, but that by virtue of their creation they see it in different ways, we can understand why it is taught that "with men there is elevation of the mind into superior light."* The male is like sight, the female like touch. She feels. "With women there is elevation of the mind into superior heat."** You see from a distance, but do not touch from a distance. Yet when the objects of sight are brought in, they can be touched. And as women touch, so they see; even as men, having just seen, will then be induced also to touch. So it is that wisdom "climbs into a light in which women are not," wherefore women "do not speak from it;" while the things of rational wisdom nevertheless are with them "from within."*** And as this is by creation, so it is also that the perception belonging to women (in particular to a wife), namely "the perception of the affections of the husband and also the highest prudence in moderating them,"**** is a form of wisdom that "is not possible with man."***** * CL 188. ** Ibid. *** CL 165. **** CL 166. ***** CL 168. Let me try to summarize all this. Love is the inmost of the male and the inmost of the female. "Love is the life of man (hominis)."* But the love with each is of a distinctly different kind from what it is with the other. The male inmost love is to reach out for the as yet unknown, to gather it, to view it, to see how it works, and to combine it in ever new patterns with other things. Thus the wisdom of the male is a wisdom of truth. The inmost love of the female, on the other hand, is the love of conjunction with that wisdom. And so ardently does she desire to be one with it, or so much is it the object of her love, that it is to her like her life itself. Therefore, if anyone were to ask her, "What to you is your inmost, the wisdom you find in your husband, or your love of it?" then she would have to answer, "There is no difference; his wisdom and my love of it are just two aspects of the same thing." And that is what the Writings answer. They say that her inmost is the wisdom of her husband,** and also that her inmost is the love of conjunction with it.*** * DLW 1. ** CL 32. *** CL 33. There is also another love with women, namely, the love derived from the wisdom of men. This is the love of application to use, and it is called "secondary."* A woman's love of conjunction and her love of application, however, are not different in kind, for the former is entirely in the latter, and through the latter the former achieves its ultimate end-use. Thus the wisdom of women is seen to be one of perceiving the wisdom of men and bending it to use; that is, theirs is a wisdom of use. * CL 21: 2: cf. 32. It should be added that as the wife receives a love from the Lord through the wisdom of her husband, so he receives conjugial love from the Lord through his wife.*
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Their mutual conjunction is thus effected. * CL 223, 224 Finally we must bear in mind that the teachings of the Writings concerning the proper relationship between the masculine and the feminine and their respective functions, apply only when men and women endeavor to know and to live by the order of creation. Women cannot love the wisdom of men if these have none, and men cannot receive the conjugial through women if these are not in it.
The Priestly Office
The first reference in the Word to a priesthood, is when king Melchizedek, who was also "a priest of the most high God," brought forth bread and wine, and gave to Abram and blessed him.* This points to a priesthood in the Ancient Church. Many years later a new priesthood was instituted among the descendants of Jacob through the tribe of Levi, beginning with Aaron. The Christian priesthood commenced with the apostles. As for the New Christian Church its priesthood was first instituted on June 1, 1788, in London, England, after long and careful deliberations as to the most orderly way of seeking the Lord's blessing and authorization.** A new beginning was also later made on the American continent. That the Writings intended a priesthood in the New Church-though obviously not providing a specific form for its institution-is clearly implied in the many teachings concerning true ecclesiastical order,*** also in the doctrine concerning the two sacraments in the New Church,**** and in the statement that marriages are to be consecrated by a priest,***** not to mention the specific injunction that a clergyman "is to be inaugurated by the promise of the Holy Spirit, and by the representation of its transfer".****** * Genesis 14: 18, 19. ** See: Rise and Progress of the New Jerusalem Church by Robert Hindmarsh, pp. 68 ff. *** HD 311-325 et al. **** TCR 667-730. ***** CL 308. ******* Can., H. Sp. iv: 7. In accordance with this the priesthood exists, or should exist, solely under the Lord's own auspices. It is not, or ought not to be, a man-made institution. The Lord said to His disciples, "I have chosen you, and ordained you,"* and in heaven "all preachers are appointed by the Lord . . . No one else is allowed to teach in the temples."** Thus the priesthood represents the Lord. * John 15: 16. ** HH 226. At this point we turn to the teaching that "good can be insinuated into another by any one in his country, but not truth, except by those who are teaching ministers."* To this we add the explanatory sentence that immediately follows, "If others do this, heresies arise, and the church is disturbed and rent asunder."**
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Obviously it is the truth of the Word that is here referred to; not truths of science or the humanities. Salvation does not depend on the latter, but does depend on truths that come down immediately "from God out of heaven," as do the truths of the Word. * AC 6822. ** Ibid. It is on this account that the priesthood is specially ordained. By such ordination and setting apart from other men, priests are solemnly charged, as though by the Lord Himself, in the presence of the church, to bring the Word to the people. This is the primary use on which the general good of a commonwealth depends.* "Ministries, functions, offices, and various occupations are the goods of use that individuals each perform, from which the general good exists, [and] by ministries are meant the activities of the priesthood and the duties connected with them . . . Those who are in ministries are responsible for the presence of the Divine [in that general good]."** * See Char. 130. ** Char. 134, 135. Clearly the above teachings are not intended to silence the men and women of the church! But to converse on doctrinal matters, or to teach secular subjects in the light of revealed truths, this is one thing, and "to teach the church" is another. We are speaking here of the church as established by the Lord Himself, in our day the New Christian Church that is formed by Him by means of the Writings, and through these Writings by means of the Old and New Testaments at the same time. This church must be kept together as a unit. It is done by doctrines from the Word, diligently and accurately taught in such a way that the men and women of the church may know that they are indeed from the Word. Then they must see for themselves if this be so. That is the order prescribed. "Every one must first obtain for himself truth from the doctrine of the church, and afterward from the Word of the Lord; this must be the truth of his faith."* * AC 6822. The Word is "Moses." But people studying it independently by themselves are subject to many influences other than that of the church. Therefore the Lord institutes a church, based on what He Himself has revealed, and by means of a priesthood He Himself has ordained. So Moses said: "I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."* The teachings of revelation must be brought together, and seen in their own universal light. Therefore, in the spiritual order-that which followed the celestial order after the fall-there must also be Aaron; and so the Lord answered Moses, saying: "Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well . . . And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do."** * Exodus 4:10. ** Exodus 4:41, 15.
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It is thus that the priesthood is Divinely instituted, and that priests are ordained to speak "in the name of the Lord." No one else can do this. Others indeed can speak the truth, and perhaps even better and with greater intelligence than the priest; but what they say does not carry the same force in the church. They cannot but speak in their own name; they are expressing their own opinions. Truth among men, that is, the truth that unifies, "cannot be insinuated except by those who are teaching ministers." Of course, ministers too have opinions! But it is their duty to check themselves, so that they do not preach and teach these. Women cannot speak "in the name of the Lord." Ordaining them would not only be an empty gesture but also an act not under the auspices of revelation. The primary reason why they cannot, is because of the nature-not degree!-of their understanding; while the secondary reason is to be found in the representation of the priestly office, concerning which presently. Here it might be useful to insert a comment about women as teachers in secular subjects and as teachers of religion to children. Of course the experience of several generations applauds them! But in the context of our inquiry it is natural to ask why it would be orderly for women to be in one area but not in the other. First we should stress that the teaching profession does not require a special office, and this because only the truths of the Word are essential to salvation and must be taught under the protection of solemn ordination. But there is also the aspect of personal ability; and as we have noted women can understand matters as well as men can. With regard to memory it often appears that women have a more retentive one than have men-possibly because their innate inclination towards use tends to make things of the memory more living with them. Analysis is also involved in teaching. What about this with women? Here I will have to conclude that consciously or unconsciously they analyze-yes, are able to analyze-only by drawing on the sphere of men. In their own sphere they would be concerned only with effects, with uses, with what things can do, just as men in theirs, separated from the influence of women, would tend to contemplate truths without reference to good. But by being different, men and women can complement each other and give to each other. And the doctrine is: "When love does go beyond what it feels, it does this by drawing on that conjunction with the male understanding which was established from creation."* * CL 168.
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As for women teaching religion to children we note first the affectional sphere that women bring to such teaching, so suitable to a pre-rational age; and second that at this stage teaching from memory is sufficient. When the children come to a more advanced age, and the interpretation of the Word is involved, that is, when several teachings must be brought together and presented so as to be seen in one view, then priestly instruction is required.
The Representative Nature of the Priestly Office
A priest as a man is no different from other men. Therefore, if married, he and his wife would stand before the Lord as jointly representing the church as does any other couple. It is the office, not the man, that makes the difference. In other words, as a man he does not represent the Lord, but as a priest he does. Because of this it is essential to realize that the office of priesthood does not inhere in the person, but is only adjoined to him. The Lord alone is Priest in Himself. We have already noted that in His relationship to His kingdom, and to that part of His kingdom which is the church on earth, the Lord is Bridegroom and Husband, and His kingdom, including the church, is bride and wife. "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready . . . And there came unto me one of the seven angels . . . , saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem."* * Revelation 19: 7; 21: 9, 10.
Three more points here. First, we should establish that it was not only in old times that the priestly office was representative, but that it is at this day as well; and we quote: "The same [namely, that it is "immaterial what is the quality of the man who represents"] may be seen from the representation which exists even to this day; for all kings, whoever and of whatsoever quality they may be, by the royalty itself that appertains to them represent the Lord; in like manner all priests, whoever and of whatever quality they may be, by the priestly office itself."* * AC 3670: 2. Second, since the Lord is the Bridegroom and Husband, and the church is the bride and wife, a woman cannot represent the Lord in the church. Third, it is by virtue of the nature of the male that it is possible for him to serve in a representative office, for in the order of creation he is made to see truth objectively, without the predisposition of subjective affections. "It is masculine to perceive from the understanding . . . and the understanding perceives things that are above the body and beyond the world."* * CL 168.
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A Male Priesthood Throughout the Word
In the Old Testament Melchizedek, the first priest mentioned in the Word, was a man, Aaron and his sons and all the Levites who ministered in the Tabernacle were men, and so were Eli and Samuel and all other priests mentioned in that Testament. Similarly in the New Testament: all the apostles, whom the Lord Himself called and ordained, were men. And without exception the Writings refer to priests as "he." Nowhere in the whole body of the Sacred Scriptures is the word "priestess" to be found, nor is any such reference known in the Writings. It follows that the introduction of a feminine priesthood in the church would be an innovation, outside the scope of the Word, and without its authority. A brief word, however, about prophetesses. Six such are mentioned in the Word: four in the Old Testament and two in the New (one of these latter, Jezebel, in a negative way).* One of the other five was probably simply a prophet's wife.** Deborah, clearly a woman of stature, was essentially one of the judges of Israel.*** The sister of Aaron and Moses, Miriam by name, is called a "prophetess" in her leading women with timbrels and dances in celebration of the crossing of the Red Sea, and singing a brief song of triumph and praise.**** At the time when the Lord was brought to the Temple on the fortieth day after His birth, "one Anna, a prophetess" was present, "and she spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Clearly a pious woman, she is said to have been "of great age . . . a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."***** Huldah, contemporary with the good king Josiah, did utter what we would recognize as a prophecy.****** * Revelation 2: 20. ** Isaiah 8: 3. *** Judges 4: 4. **** Exodus 15: 21. ***** Luke 2: 36-38. ****** Kings 22: 15-20. Now the Writings sum up the difference between prophets and priests, saying that "'prophets' must teach, and 'priests' lead."* This and more detailed teachings** provide material for a thorough analysis, but in our present context let me only suggest a tentative conclusion namely that the essential function of the prophets of old (they ceased with the inception of the Christian Church) was to receive and give forth the Word, but they did not lead in worship, nor tend the Tabernacle or Temple; and because they enunciated and taught the letter of the Word, therefore they represented that letter.*** Prophets were like Moses, but priests like Aaron. * AE 624: 18. ** AE 624 et al. *** SS 35.
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The priests, on the other hand, led in sacrificial worship. This is where people, in their bringing of offerings, were actively involved. And here, in the concept of involvement, that is, the concept of the Word entering into the life of men, we have the key to the priestly function. Thus in the case of priests the emphasis is on "lead." "Priests ought to teach the people, and to lead them by truths to the good of life."* * HD 318. Italics added. After the Lord's advent the priestly leading took on an entirely new form. The merely representative worship, consisting essentially of animal sacrifices, was abrogated. A new form of representation was introduced by the Lord Himself through the two sacraments, Baptism and the Holy Supper, a form that was intended to be both understood and living, though these qualities were soon lost in the church. But equally new was the instructional element in worship. The sermon was born, and so was the congregational prayer, also common singing. In the New Christian Church the accent is even more on instruction. "It is not the Word that makes the church, but the understanding of it."* "Now it is permitted to enter with the understanding into the arcana of faith."** Yet to understand the Word is not the same as knowing it in the memory and quoting it. "It is not the Word that makes the church." A true understanding is to see how the Word operates in forming and building a new mind-a new man-and how uses in ultimates become wise and living from such a mind. This is the new Aaron: to lead to a good of life that begins in a new will and descends through a new understanding into the uses of hands and lips. In the Word so understood, the Lord God Jesus Christ is truly worshiped as the visible God of His church. * SS 76. ** TCR 508: 3. The male understanding is designed by creation to lead in the exploration and teaching of the Word in this way; and therefore priests are called from among males.
Some Current Arguments in Favor of Women Priests
Possibly it might be useful to comment briefly on a few leading ideas that have been proffered in support of a feminine priesthood. The arguments quoted below (italicized) are among those I have come across while reading daily papers, periodicals (New Church and other), and a recently published book, Women and Orders.* While taking exception to the views I quote I recognize at the same time the legitimacy in challenging positions that have been held traditionally-after all, long acceptance of a viewpoint is not in itself a criterion of its truthfulness. Men and women are destined to be equal. This is true; but equality must not be confused with sameness.
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Men and women live on the same degree of existence, but they are distinct as to kind. * Paulist Press, 1974, edited by Robert J. Heyer. God must be androgynous, for He said, "Let us make man in our image," and then He "created them male and female." The reason for the "us" and "our", the Arcana tells us, is that the Lord when recreating or regenerating man does so through spirits and angels (plural); "and yet because the Lord alone governs and disposes, it is said in the following verse, in the singular number, 'God created him in His own image'."* But further: as Bridegroom and Husband the Lord is clearly male, and the kingdom, His bride and wife, female. This is a relationship as between the active and the reactive. The Lord alone is the Active, and all creation, whether male or female, is reactive. Nevertheless, when the male and the female operate distinctly, the male represents the Lord and the female His kingdom, while when operating jointly, through complementary functions, they represent and are His kingdom. On this point see what is said in Conjugial Love 21: 2 in the description of a wedding in heaven. We also call to mind what is said in the New Testament concerning the Lord's masculinity.** * AC 50. ** See Luke 2: 21 and Revelation 12: 5. Many centuries of a male priesthood have not demonstrated effectiveness in leading the church forward. But neither have the faith alone and love of dominion that have swept the church from early times! Let us look for the real causes of the decline of the former church. Ministry is pastoral as well as priestly, and there is need for affectional sensitivity. Ministry in this sense can be carried out by any one in the church, whether priest, layman, or laywoman. The feminine affectional sensitivity is indeed needed in the church; and if priests are not as affectional in their ministrations as they should be, in their masculine way, then this is a weakness that can be remedied. Swedenborg's exclusive use of the masculine in connection with the priesthood reflects his time and culture mixed with his revelation. Not so. Examples offered in the Writings may indeed reflect Swedenborg's time, and unquestionably do so on occasion, but not principles of doctrine. These are timeless. In the Writings masculine wisdom and feminine love refer to complementary aspects in each of the sexes rather than to exclusive characteristics in either one of them. This would obliterate all mental distinctions between the sexes, and would also imply that the Writings do not always mean what they say. This much is true, however, that both the man and the woman have the same degree of both understanding and will (the 'masculine' and 'feminine' elements); but the former predominates with the man and the latter with the woman; "and the character is determined by that which predominates."*
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To 'predominate' in this sense is to stand forth as a recognizable primary characteristic. Are not the minds of the sexes as different and complementary as are their bodies? The law of correspondence is not inoperative here. * HH 369. In the celestial heaven woman is wisdom, and this wisdom ought to be made available to the church through women priests. It cannot be made available in that way (even assuming that it would be possible to know which of our ladies are internally in the celestial heaven!), for the wisdom here referred to is perceptive and not analytical, therefore is not a teaching wisdom. In a Memorable Relation angel wives explained in what manner their wisdom excelled that of men. "It excels," they said, "because it enters into your inclinations and affections and sees, perceives, and feels them . . . and," they added, "we moderate them prudently . . . [by] bending but never forcing."* * CL 208: 2. Women priests (where there are such) are actually ministering with great effectiveness. This, I conclude, can only refer to social ministering and the like; and such ministering does not require ordination. As for the preaching aspect, how can anything be effective in building up the Lord's true kingdom on earth without the two primary doctrines, namely, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God of heaven and earth, and that a good life commences by shunning evil as sin against Him? These doctrines are not taught by either male or female priests in the former and consummated church. It is for the New Church to restore them by showing how these two doctrines "make all things new."* * AR 9, 490, and 491.
In sum, let us not be swept slavishly by modern trends. It is not the world that is to "make all things new."* Also, let us bear in mind that the priesthood is a Divine institution, and that we can truly learn concerning it only by means of the threefold Word that is now given into the hands of all who would receive. * Revelation 21: 5.
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INITIAL CONTACT RICHARD LINQUIST 1975
"The increase in numbers of angels perfects heaven."* Every newcomer adds an eternal cell to the grand man of heaven as he is ensphered with the Lord's love. Introduction into this heavenly aura is accomplished by the Lord through human agency. Celestial angels gently attend the awakening of every man after bodily death. Later: "When he has come into the enjoyment of light, the spiritual angels render to the new spirit every service he can possibly desire in that state and teach him about the things of the other life so far as he can comprehend them."** Truly, ". . . the angels love everyone and desire nothing so much as to render service, to teach, and to lead into heaven."*** * LJ 12. ** HH 450. *** Ibid. This meeting with the Lord's angelic representatives climaxes a heavenward journey initiated on earth. The subject of this layman's article concerns one major step on this spiritual pilgrimage, that is the very initial contact between an innocent adult mind, ignorant of spiritual truth, and one enlightened. By studying this state between two people, we hope to learn how to serve a use effecting the quantitative growth of the New Church; "beginning with a few, afterwards to be with many."* We would wisely serve "the crown of all the churches that have hitherto existed on the earth"** as it fulfills its destiny "to endure for ages of ages."*** We would hope also that the spiritual light shining from the passages quoted in this personal investigation will lead men to study the Word and decide for themselves how the New Church grows. * AE 732. ** T 787. *** T 788. Where are these potential citizens of the New Jerusalem? They must exist among the masses of people with whom we daily associate. But locating them is almost impossible if we do not first have a clear definition and general outline of their character. Accordingly we note that they are divided into two categories. First are those who would enter the heart and lungs of the church specific and thus be in the New Jerusalem. The second group of good men dwell in the body of the Lord's universal kingdom and thus live from the New Jerusalem. Each has freely chosen to worship the Lord in a life of charity.
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Further we learn that the first group has matured to a point where men are "interiorly affected by truths, and those only can be interiorly affected by truths who have the ability to see them, and those only see truths who have cultivated their intellectual faculty and have not destroyed it in themselves by the loves of self and of the world."* Such minds also must not be confirmed, "by doctrine and at the same time by life, in faith alone."** * AE 732. ** Ibid. Members of the universal church have similar qualities and are particularly characterized by a life "in the good of charity in accordance with their religious belief."* They therefore "from doctrine look to heaven and thereby conjoin themselves with the Lord."** * HH 328. ** AE 311: 9. With these definitions in mind, the Lord's emissary, priest or layman, can begin to search among his business associates, social friends, and casual acquaintances. Perspicacity will guide him to his goal if he is motivated by the internal of charity and mercy which "consists in clearly discerning who and of what character are those upon whom benefits are to be conferred, and in what manner to each one."* * AC 9209. Let us begin the exploration for good minds with our minds clear of speculation about man's hidden motives and real inner self. Rather let us look first at what is so obvious that it is often neglected, that is the actions of the human body. There we see a clear mirror image of man's mind. It is now revealed that "the body with all its organs, viscera, and members is a plane into which the thoughts from the will rush forth and diffuse themselves."* Diffused before our eyes is a natural picture of man's spirit and in great detail. Indeed, "there is a spiritual sphere around him, not only from the ideas and affections of the thoughts in the brain, but from all the parts, to wit, from the whole body; for the minutest particulars make one by derivation from the principles."** Further: "There is a spiritual sphere surrounding everyone, as well as a natural and a corporeal one, which latter, pertaining to every man, is composed of an effluvium breathed forth from around him and which is so abundant as to form a kind of sea round about him, as in fact the learned have established by many experimental proofs."*** "Such effluvia also are diffused from every man as is known from experience."**** * AE 889. ** SD 4608. *** SD 4203. **** AC 10130. A facial expression, a tone of voice, a scent, all form the sea around men. Yet while we live on earth can we really see the spiritual cause of this natural sphere? Can we locate the good mind which we would introduce to the New Church by studying the natural plane of human life?
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The Lord, through Swedenborg, informs us that: "A spiritual sphere, being the sphere of the affections of his love, emanates, nay, pours forth from every man and encompasses him. Moreover, this sphere implants itself in his natural sphere, being the sphere of the body, and the two conjoin together."* I believe that the two spheres are in a simultaneous order with the spiritual sphere implanted within and causing the analyzable natural sphere. By a posteriori reasoning we induce and determine the spiritual cause. * CL 171. Spheres are real and revealing. For have we not seen something of the celestial heaven when we regard an infant sleeping and smiling? Have we not seen the spiritual substances of angered lust, or affections of compassion, within the natural substances of man's face? I believe that we also can see the mind which is interiorly affected by spiritual truths. Its presence will be pictured clearly, truly and be analyzable in its least particulars. We learn that, "when one speaks with a person of dignified rank, there is a sentiment of respect in every single item of his behavior . . . with the man who is regenerated . . . in regard to matters of conscience, conscientiousness is present in every particular of the man's thought and action . . . with the pious man, piety is in everything; with the obedient, obedience. . . . In all these cases the ruling principle is perpetually present (in the minutest particulars). . . ."* We note that some men seem to be soaked and dripping with envy, greed or a drunken pride in self-intelligence, while others beam the sunshine of honesty and radiate the peace of humility. * SD 4226. For those who affirmatively doubt the possibility of interpreting spheres, I shall briefly describe the mechanics involved. We observe therefore that when a person wishes to communicate with us, he sends a bodily signal or significative such as a smile, a verbal "hello" and a handshake. These signals form a pictorial effluvium representative of his mind and, if he is sincere, corresponding to it. Our bodily sense organs receive the signals. This is in accordance with the Lord's creation in which, "the ear is formed according to the intrinsic nature of the modifications of the air . . . the eye is formed according to the intrinsic nature of ether and of light . . . the nostrils are formed according to the sense of particles fluent in the atmosphere; the sense of touch, which encompasses the whole body, is according to the feeling of the changes of state in the air, namely, to the feeling of its cold and heat and also to the sense of liquids and that of weight."* * AC 6057. The signals are thus received and carried along our nervous system to the brain.
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There changes occur, as I understand it, in the externally finite natural and internally spiritual "organic substances which are receptacles and abodes of thoughts and affections in the brains."* The changes in these abodes cause a change in the spiritual substances of our minds which are contiguously adjoined to the natural substances of the brain. Consequently we are affected by what we sense via the body because our affections "are nothing but changes and variations in state of the purely organic substances of the mind."** Also we form ideas, about another sphere which we have felt because, "thoughts . . . are nothing but the changes and variations in the form of these substances."*** * DLW 191. ** DP 279. *** Ibid. We thus absorb a man's natural sphere (effect), form concepts about the spiritual sphere of his mind (cause) herein and even speculate as to his affectional home (end) in heaven or hell. As we shall see, a sneer, a glance, a facial expression indicate a man's spiritual roots. We need only glimpse a small symbol of his inner self and we can trace it back to his ruling loves. This is possible because, "every single idea and every single affection of a man, even every least bit of his affection, is an image of him and a likeness of him, that is, there is present therein, nearly and remotely, something from all his understanding and from all his Will."* Once we see his mind, we can then view his spiritual home. For: "He who is in the good of charity and of faith has extension into the societies of heaven. . . . But on the other hand the thought and affection of those who are in evil and falsity have extension into infernal societies."** * AC 803. ** AC 6600. I believe that we can find the potential New Churchman who is interiorly affected by truth without making a spiritual judgment. We would disinterestedly view his spiritual base, reacting not with an "O, yes" or "O, no" but simply, "O, I see." We obey the truth that: "A general judgment like this is allowable: 'If in internals you are such as you appear in externals you will be saved or will be condemned.' But a particular judgment such as 'You are such in internals and therefore will be saved or will be condemned' is not allowable."* Although our judgment is conditional it is nevertheless a permissible and necessary step towards understanding man's inner world. * CL 523. We are now prepared to sense spheres indicative of good or bad soil for the implanting of the knowledges of spiritual truth. Yet, our task of analyzing the soil is complicated by the very earthliness of men. Indeed, "the man of this earth is more in worldly things, that is, in externals, than the men of other earths,"* and unfortunately, I observe, delight in their perversions. Consequently the effluvial sea surrounding men is full of junk. We have difficulty sensing spheres, when they are camouflaged with perfumes, eye-shadow, false eye-lashes, sun glasses, affected tones of speech, etc.
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Certainly we all perform various roles in a life of charity requiring suitable externals. But when they distort, misrepresent and hide minds, communication is not served. Whether the actor's garb is used to serve a use or hide a wolf in sheep's clothing, the veneer must be penetrated in our quest. * HH 309. First we would focus in on another's mind by engaging in an apparently trivial formality, that is a handshake. Yet: "In the touch of the hand there is affection together with thought."* Moreover: "To touch denotes communication, transference and reception, because the interior states of man are made manifest by external things, especially by touch."** Through the pressure and warmth of a handshake, a little signal will be received from man's spirit for ". . . . the hands are the ultimates of man and in ultimates his prior things are present simultaneously."*** * SD 6094. ** AC 10130. *** CL 396. We need only receive the signal, and read the message therein of man's spiritual sanity or insanity. For example, if we receive a hard hand squeeze, it may emanate from a self-worshiping mind and be stating, in effect: "See how strong I am and how weak you are. Let me dominate you and then we can be friends." Or it could reveal a good mind and mean: "I am a trustworthy friend and have the strength to help you in the service of uses." A weak handshake could indicate a lack of respect and signal a "could not care less to meet you" attitude or mean: "I will not harm you because I believe in mercy and kindness." In either case, contact with the outer corporeal man has brought us into contact with the three part inner spiritual man of which we learn: "The interior man is intermediate between the internal and the external man . . . In a word, the interior or middle man is the rational man himself who is spiritual or celestial when he looks upwards but animal when he looks downwards."* Surely animal-men do not lack the faculties of rationality and freedom but they freely chose not to use them, preferring irrationality and the consequent slavery to its dictates. "Those who think evil and falsity are insane in their thought and therefore the rational can by no means be predicated of them."** It shows in a touch. * AC 1702. ** AC 1914. Proceeding with the adventure of exploring minds we look for more clues. We elevate our sight from the handshake and regard man's face. For, "the face was formed expressly that it might effigy the things which man thinks and which he wills."* Since: "Faces are the types of loves,"** in them we see a fool's pageant of lusts, or a wise man's rainbow of innocent affections.
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With reflection we look past the wrinkles, color of skin, make-up, etc. to the force which shapes the facial expression. * AC 8249. ** CL 35. Are we viewing a smile softened by charity or the leer of demonic insanity? One thing we know is that of the thousand facial guises which the evil actor employs to obtain his ends, he cannot smile upon uses. He is like his comrades in the first state after death, for there "evil spirits are distinguished from good spirits chiefly by this, that the evil give eager attention to whatever is said about external things and but little attention to what is said about internal things, which are the truths and goods of the church and of heaven. These they listen to, but not with attention and joy."* His face is like an artificial flower, pretty, but frozen. Whereas a real flower, the face of a good man, silently opens to the morning's radiance of the mutual love we offer. This spontaneous warm response contrasts with the cunning visage of evil men who, "if they do good it is only in the external form that they may appear good for the sake of gain and honor."** The external form of their smile simply lacks that warm glow of charity. * HH 496. ** AC 6655. With cautious determination we search for more clues by peering deeply into a man's eyes. We are inspired by the knowledge that "the more interior affections which pertain to the thought, appear in the eyes, from a kind of flame of life and consequent vibrations of lights that flashes out according to the affection which is of the thought."* Flaming with affections of mutual charity or blazing with flashes of hatred, the eye exposes the human mind. This is because essentially the eye is "nothing but the sight of the spirit led forth abroad."** It roams the natural world being "directed to that which most affects and delights."*** We watch its movements and observe eye-lids closing slightly beaming a pin-pointed ray of contempt or widening in innocent wonder as the "thoughts which are of wisdom are reflected in the eyes."**** The alert observer may occasionally see a semblance to that man in conjugial love in heaven where "from his eyes, beamed forth a light sparkling with the wisdom of love."***** A real and yet a wonderland awaits those who study eyes and reflect upon their observations. * AC 4407. ** AC 1806. *** AC 6084. **** DLW 365. ***** CL 42. The sphere of man's mind which we are investigating is also displayed in the natural sphere of his speech. We learn that "the affection of one's love is known from the sound of his voice when speaking; and from the variation of the sound, which is speech, his thought is known."* Instantly, we sense another's state in a hollow "Hello," a cheery "Hi," or a calm "How are you today?"
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We do not doubt that "affection sounds and thought speaks."** Truly, "the tone or sound, whether it is that of speech, singing, or shouting, proceeds from interior affection and thought; both of these are in the sound and are noticed by those who attend and reflect; as for example if it is angry, menacing, friendly, gentle, glad, mournful, and so forth."*** * DP 194. ** AR 655. *** AC 10454. We would even attend and reflect upon man's breathing to determine if it is tight and forced or free and relaxed. It is most revealing to learn that the lungs "in fold themselves variously and vary their forms according . . . to each state of thought and affection."* Liars sometimes choke in vocalizing, ideas which they do not believe; however, enchanters "utter falsities from intentional deceit and in a tone simulating spiritual affection."** To discern clearly we would adopt an attitude as when "one hears another speak, not attending to the words, but to the sense of what is said,"*** and to the affections which carry the words to us. * AC 6326. ** TCR 324. *** AC 5165. Since bodily signals can be genuine or faked, we would step back mentally and review the entire language of the body, before making a firm assessment. With the knowledge that "the spirit of man is in the whole body and in every part of his body"* we strive to outline the over-all picture of man's character. We note how he poses and moves his body for: "the gestures and actions themselves, which are of the body, represent those things which are of the mind."** * AC 4659. ** AC 2988. Little can be bidden from the experienced viewer and reviewer because even "with those who desire to counterfeit internal things by means of external, such externals are also signs, but signs of simulation, hypocrisy, and deceit."* Contradictory signals emanate from these men such as charitable ideas harshly spoken, or soft vocal tones uttered from a face with cruel eyes. They are thus distinguished from sincere good men as discordant voices from the concordant ones in a choir or as night from day. In the light of spiritual truth shining from the Lord's love in us towards what is from Him in others, we will locate good men. A spiritual magnetism will draw us together. *AC 4215. Thus our initial contact with men outside of the New Church ends with a decision to offer or not to offer knowledges of spiritual truth. We have tested the soil. Ever we would judge men with mercy knowing that: "Every man, so long as he is living in the world, walks midway between heaven and hell and is thereby in equilibrium and thus in freedom of choice either to look upwards to God or downwards to hell.
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If he looks upwards to God, he acknowledges that all wisdom is from God and in spirit is actually with angels in heaven; while if he looks downward (as everyone does who is in falsities from evil) he is then in spirit actually with devils in hell."* * TCR 69. We all walk this path, meeting many men, and would, like the angels, "desire nothing so much as to render service, to teach, and to lead into heaven."* * HH 450.
GEORGE INNESS Sonia Soneson 1975
One hundred and fifty years ago, a man was born who later became the "father of American landscape-painting."* This man was not only unusual in his style of painting, but also in his purpose for creating. He believed that "the true use of art is, first to cultivate an artist's own spiritual nature and, second to enter as a factor into general civilization."** He sought meaning for his expressions, and he seemed to find it in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. This man was George Inness. * Leroy Ireland, The Works of George Inness, University of Texas Press (Austin, London: 1965) p. ix. ** Elizabeth McCausland, George Inness: An American Landscape Painter, The Pond-Ekberg Co. (Springfield, Mass.: 1946) p. 64-65. As New Church men and women, we can benefit from knowledge about the life and creative development of isolated followers of Swedenborg. By realizing an individual's search and struggle for truth, perhaps we may better appreciate the doctrinal difficulties encountered by newcomers, young people, and even ourselves, when we face periods of doubt. Therefore, this author would like to share a description of the history, style, influence and inspiration of one artist who was influenced by Swedenborg, George Inness. On May 1, 1825, George Inness was born to a Scotch-American family on a farm near Newburgh, New York. He later grew up in Newark, New Jersey, where he attended a local academy. Being a dreamer and highly nervous, and possibly even epileptic, he did not finish his formal education. At fourteen years of age, his father arranged for him to work as sole proprietor and owner of a small grocery store. Inness was aware of the town's negative attitude toward artists, and so when he tried to practice his sketching, he had to hide his art materials under the counter.
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His father soon realized the boy's potential and then tried to encourage his son's talent by putting him under the guidance of a local artist. Then he served a year's apprenticeship with a map-engraver. Finally, when he was twenty-one he had his first formal art training for a month, under a French landscape painter, Regis Gignoux. Soon afterwards, he set up his own studio on lower Broadway in New York City. He began by selling paintings for twenty-five dollars, and quite soon received enough recognition to have a show at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. During this time, Inness married for the first time, but his wife became ill and died soon after the wedding. When he was twenty-five he married again and took his new bride off to Italy where he began his intense self-education in art. During, the next few years they traveled between Rome, Paris, and New York. Before he was thirty, Inness was elected an associate member of the National Academy, and he painted his most famous painting, "The Lackawanna Valley." This marked a turning point in Inness' progress, for he was actually breaking away from the strong, current, traditional school of American painting: the Hudson River School. He simply could not agree that art consisted of detailed copies of nature. When Inness was in his thirties, a painter friend of his, William Page, introduced him to the metaphysical, theological works of Swedenborg. "Inness eagerly responded to these teachings and during the remainder of his life evolved and expounded a philosophy in which art and religion merged."* Inness delighted in his realization that "principles that underlie art are spiritual principles-the principle of unity and the principle of harmony."** He had discovered that there is order in the universe. This concept never left him-it only ripened. * Index of Twentieth Century Artists, Volume IV, No. 3. December 1936. ** Ibid. After living a few years in New York, he and his wife moved to Medfield, Massachusetts. This was a special time of his career in that he first sincerely began to apply his idealism, in his landscape paintings. Also, because these were the years prior to the Civil War, when land represented America's progress, people were very receptive to his warm, genre pictures of the American countryside. But then the war began. Stirred by his great love for man's freedom, he became a passionate abolitionist working for the Union cause. He exhausted himself organizing a volunteer militia, but his continuing poor health prohibited him from marching to war with them. Disappointed and physically weak, Inness returned to his easel. As could be expected, his paintings did not sell very well, as long as the war carried on. He hated to have to beg for even fair prices, but because of the nation's crisis and his own financial problems, it was necessary.
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Yet, ironically, his quality was improving. The best example is "Peace and Plenty" (1865), which expressed the joy he felt now that the nation's turmoil was ending. Inness continued the second phase of his painting style when he went to Italy and France in the 1870's. His 'personal classicism' evolved from his experimenting with the illustration of different atmospheres in European landscapes. "From this time on the mystical poet in Inness is completely in the ascendency. Detail occupies his attention but slightly if at all; his efforts are focused upon the portrayal of his own emotional response to the various phases of nature."* I Critics frequently saw this emotional expression as oversweet, while others enjoyed his intense warmth. * Ibid. After 1880, Inness' style progressed into his third and final phase. He spent a good amount of time traveling around America, while his wife and six children established their final permanent home in Montclair, New Jersey. Yet, it is ironic that Inness no longer cared what particular scene he was painting. For him it was just a background in which he could express his love of God's nature. As Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne in their later years, Inness, too, had developed to a barely understandable extreme of his own style. This did not necessarily upset Inness, for he felt he was drawing closer to his goal. He had become more optimistic about his ability to visualize God in his natural surroundings. He continued to work very hard at illustrating, transcendental naturalism (leaving us with over 600 paintings) until he was advised to go to Europe for a rest. During his stay at Bridge-of-Allan, Scotland, Inness was admiring a beautiful sunset, when his weak heart stopped and he died at the age of sixty-nine. This occurred in 1894. Twenty days later an elaborate funeral was held for him, probably indicating that by this time he was greatly respected. In general, Inness was not greatly influenced by any other painter. However, he shared a love of nature with the Hudson River School painters, the Barbizon painters, and especially Camille Corot. And even though he stated his disapproval of the impressionists, his own final phase of abstract generalities was actually quite similar to an impressionistic style. But more importantly, Inness was receptive to two schools of thought: Romantic philosophy and Swedenborgian religion. Inness believed he was more than influenced by them; they were his inspiration. Inness loved the Romantic period. For him it meant: mysticism, the supernatural, the inherent goodness of man, love of nature, imagination, and drama.
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He often read Goethe, Wordsworth, Walpole, Gray, Shelley, Keats, Whitman, Bryant, Irving, and Cooper. "Their contributions to the development of landscape painting is indeed noteworthy."* * Ireland, p. x. At first Inness was a mystic; aimlessly implying the supernatural. But he always hoped that his search would lead him to inspiration. "We do not understand the workings of inspiration, but we do know that it comes only to those who have already engaged in creative activity without benefit of inspiration."* Inness had been working to develop his creative abilities. His basis was the memory of the moods of nature, and occasionally one mood would just spring to life through Inness' technique; yet he takes little credit for the beautiful spontaneity of the captured joy. * Jerome Stolnitz, Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art Criticism, Houghton Mifflin Co., The Riverdale Press (Boston: 1960) p. 100. Goethe once said, "every product of higher art . . . lies in no man's control, but is raised above all earthly powers."* Inness believed that this statement did not imply that, when inspired, his fingers were physically controlled by God, but that when he loved his art, and his ideas behind its expression, that he was then more open to the enhancement of his talents, and portrayal of his expression. To Inness, ". . . a work of art is beautiful if the sentiment is beautiful; it is great if the sentiment is vital."** * George Russell, The Candle of Vision, MacMillan Co., (1918) p. 75-76. ** Index. However, Inness needed more than an affection for nature. He needed an understanding as well. He remarked once after reading the Writings: "I discovered one truth after another until I formed a scientific formula of subjective nature."* * "Art in America", editors, The Artist in America, W. W. Norton and Co., Inc. (New York: 1967) p. 127. An overview of Inness' creative development should emphasize his attitude toward his subject matter: nature. In his first phase, he emphasized the external minuteness of nature. During his second phase, he sought inner forces and order in nature. And in his final phase, he believed in the Creator of nature, and this was expressed in his external media. He still loved nature, but in the end he really knew why. Inness should best be remembered for saying: "Every artist who without reference to external circumstances aims truly to represent the ideas and emotions when he is in the presence of nature is in the process of his own spiritual development and is a benefactor to the race."* * Index.
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REVIEW MORLEY D. RICH 1975
For Heaven's Sake-Forty-six Variations on the Theme: How to React to the Conditions of Life on Earth in such a Way as to Prepare Oneself for Life in the Kingdom of Heaven. By Brian Kingslake. The Christopher Publishing House, North Quincy, Mass., 1974. Paper. Pp. 321. Price $2.00.
This is the kind of literature which the New Church needs for newcomers and others who may already be somewhat interested. That is to say, it presents general teachings of the Writings with accuracy, yet in such a contemporary style and language that it makes for entertaining reading. It exhibits a number of penetrating insights. The illustrations and examples are modern, often colloquial, apt and fitting with but few exceptions. And there are some very inspiring parts. It seems to this reviewer that the New Church public also will find it rewarding and refreshing to read. Though it does not pretend to be a doctrinal work, even the New Church scholar might find a number of helpful enlightenments-assuming, of course, that he views the contents in the light of the author's purpose as stated in the preface and the subtitle. It is the distilled essence of the forty years of the author's experiences and study as a minister, pastor and missionary of the New Church in England, South Africa and the United States. And, having had the privilege of being present at the first conception of this book, this reviewer may say that its basic material consists of a number of selected sermons given in the last years of his officially active career in the United States. This explains the many American expressions and allusions. There are forty-six short chapters on various subjects, each self-contained. As examples of the style, we list a few chapter titles:
"The Gospel of New Beginnings" Ego Food Being special Creative Suffering Your Image of Yourself Changing Altitude Who's Going to Hell? Looking Down One's Own Throat
The novel, and sometimes disconcerting, style and turns of expression should not blind the casual reader to the light of New Churchmanship behind it (or, as Mr. Kingslake would call it, "Swedenborgianism").
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For this comes through unmistakably in the general accuracy, and it shows his implicit faith in the Writings as the indispensable base for his reflections. He cannot disguise it even should he have wanted to! Here is a small sample of the flavor:
When I was doing mission work in South Africa, people would sometimes bring their quarrels to me to settle. I would listen to evidence on both sides. Endless wranglings! He said this, the other man said that. And so on, and so on. When I had listened for a long while, I would say, "I have heard enough! It is quite impossible to prove who is in the right, and who is in the wrong. Do you want to be friends?" "Yes, Chief!" they would protest. "Then you can be. All you need do is accept the fact that the other fellow was mean, but still love him! Think that he was to blame in some things, and you were to blame in others. You have got yourselves into a mess. Accept each other for what you are, rotten human beings, but potential sons of God, and build up a new friendship on that basis." The appeal did not always work, but sometimes it did.
MORLEY D. RICH
NEW CIRCLES WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
As a matter of interest to all members of the General Church, I report that I have recently recognized our Group in New Zealand and our Group in Boston as official Circles of the General Church. They will be so listed when the directory in NEW CHURCH LIFE is revised in September. WILLARD D. PENDLETON
NORTHEAST DISTRICT ASSEMBLY WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
The 3rd Northeast District Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held at Morristown, New Jersey, from Friday, May 9, to Sunday, May 11, the Right Reverend Louis B. King, Assistant Bishop of the General Church, presiding. Members and friends of the General Church are invited to attend. For information and registration forms please contact Mrs. Alan Soderberg, Box 254 (5 Oakura Lane) Pluckemin, New Jersey, 07978. Telephone: (201) 658-3079. WILLARD D. PENDLETON
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VICTIMLESS CRIMES Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa. Published Monthly By THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa. Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. A new term has appeared in recent years, which should be examined by New Churchmen. We refer to "victimless crimes"-a term used to describe crimes which, supposedly, harm nobody except the perpetrator, and which, it is therefore suggested, should be stricken from our laws and so freely permitted. Crimes which it is believed harm no one include the abuse of alcohol and drugs, gambling, prostitution, adultery and privately performed sexual perversions between consenting adults. These are distinguished from such crimes as robbery and murder which clearly and physically harm another or his possessions. The laws of a land reflect the moral standards of the community at any given time; and so in the past the laws of countries in the western world have reflected Christian ethics and the Ten Commandments. This has been taken for granted for a long while. Now however, with the fall of the Christian Church, we see the commonly accepted ethical standards questioned, and we see the consequent move to change laws so that they may reflect these changing standards. As society repeals laws which forbid certain acts, so society indicates its approval of those acts, or at least demonstrates that it sees no reason to prevent them from taking place in its midst. As citizens of our country we may well do all that we can to prevent this shift, working to see that our laws reflect the highest standards upon which there is any hope of reasonable agreement-if only to protect the environment in which we must live and in which our children must be raised.
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However our point in this editorial is to point out the danger of a new concept which may be alluring to a permissive society, but which is intrinsically false in its concept. Is there such a thing as a "victimless crime"? Our answer, from what the Writings tell us about the nature of evil, can only be, No! Whatever is contrary to the Ten Commandments or the teaching of revelation is an evil. Whether or not the perpetrator of that act is to be held responsible or guilty is another matter, but the disorder itself is an evil. And the very nature of evil is that it is opposed to the will of God and so is an offense in His eyes, is hurtful to the whole community of mankind and harmful to the neighbor, and is destructive of spiritual life within the man himself, endangering his salvation. Whatever is of the will of God contributes to the Divine purposes, to the cohesion and joy of society; whatever is opposed to His will is destructive of His purposes, tears society apart and leads man to hell. What is evil about evil is that it hurts others-God and the neighbor. Of course evil may harm society or the neighbor in one of many different ways. It need not necessarily harm him physically as in assault, or his goods as in robbery. The act may be one which, by example perhaps or active encouragement, induces others to join in the evil, as the abuse of liquor and drugs may do. Another possibility is that while it may not encourage another to join, in collusion, in the evil it may provoke an evil response to an uncharitable act. The evil may have its effect on others by influencing society to accept what is unacceptable, by lowering moral and spiritual standards, as has been done by liberalizing the divorce laws so that the sacred commitment of marriage is made of less effect. The evil may cause the perpetrator to withhold a positive contribution to society, and so hurt the neighbor by refusing to offer what might be offered, as in the case of certain sexual disorders which prevent men and women from establishing orderly homes as vital contributing units of society. Nor should we forget the subtle effect of evil spheres established in a community of men and women. These may be communicated from one to another, or such disorderly externals may be established that the influx of the hells is invited. Can we doubt that the widespread existence of pornography has this hellish influence on our civilization? We may not easily be able to prevent our laws changing to represent shifting, declining, community standards, and this means that we must persist in rejecting these lower standards without the support of the law. On the other hand we do not need to be misled into accepting the justifications which are produced to support such changes-justifications which deny the very nature of evil by suggesting that it can ever exist without being an affront to God, a grievous harm to the neighbor, and a blow to the spiritual welfare of the man himself.
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Can we rightly condone such attitudes; can we rightly stand by and not raise a voice in protest?
DIVIDED MIND GEOFFREY P. DAWSON 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
Your readers may be interested in some further thoughts on this topic, arising from the comments by the Revs. Ormond Odhner and Douglas Taylor.* * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1974, pp. 548-551, and 1975, pp. 40-41. Objection to the essay* theme seems to rest on the possibility that Chapter One of the Arcana Coelestia has been misapplied. Mr. Taylor considers it "has to do with the regeneration of the human mind in general (a subject that transcends time) and . . . [has] no historical application [it tells] not about the state of the first men, but about the eternal principles of . . . regeneration . . . ." As phrased this is inconsistent, because every general principle applies to all its particulars. The end of the essay acknowledges the general application.** That this part of the Arcana Coelestia also applies to the first men may be confirmed from this quotation: ". . . . the first chapter of Genesis, in the internal sense, treats of the new creation of man, or of his regeneration in general and of the Most Ancient Church in particular."*** * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1974, pp. 456-468. ** Ibid. p. 467 last paragraph. *** AC 4. Mr. Odhner is not so severe as Mr. Taylor though he thinks that the use made of passages from the Arcana Coelestia, Chapter One in the essay was indiscriminate, applying "them whole and without reservation to the Pre-Adamites, even when they obviously treat of modern man"-and vice versa. The distinction which Mr. Odhner requires, however, is not made in the Arcana Coelestia itself, and, though this omission is not the on which I think that the discrimination need not be made, it is a point which can be borne in mind. Mr. Taylor, I think rightly, draws attention to the time transcending quality of Arcana Coelestia Chapter One. When Swedenborg had his "tender scruple"* he was told in answer that the Lord "alone sustains the human race, like as formerly, but now by mediate angels and spirits, then also immediately without angels and spirits." If the tender scruple is admitted, does its answer vitiate Arcana Coelestia Chapter One in accordance with Arcana Coelestia No. 4?
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It may depend on what is given prior authority, the Arcana Coelestia or the Spiritual Diary. But the assumption may be that if there were no evil spirits to excite evils and falsities because the Lord sustained immediately, therefore this part of the Arcana Coelestia Chapter One, which refers to evil spirits, can only apply to men since the fall. Yet the Lord also sustains the devils in hell and is immediately present with all, although all are not reciprocally "present" with Him. There seems to be no essential problem in the Lord sustaining the first men according to their finite state when they were not as yet in good, providing that their life was stimulated suitably to its condition. * SD 2591. But do we have to admit the "tender scruple"? It takes a temporal view of creation, for by it we are required to postulate "a point in time" when there was perhaps one solitary Pre-Adamite in the midst of the vastness of the spiritual/natural universe, face to face with his Maker! Some hypothetical questions or assumptions based on time are unprofitable, such as, "What was God doing before He created the universe?" Perhaps the present one is of this sort. When Swedenborg came to draft the Arcana Coelestia, the "tender scruple" evidently fell outside the business in hand. This consisted of giving the internal content of the Ancient Word which was originally composed from the remains of wisdom from the Most Ancients. This wisdom transcends time, and it describes uses in regeneration performed by evil spirits. Where did the evil spirits come from? I suppose they came from hell. But heaven and hell do not subsist from time and space, therefore their origin cannot be accounted for in accordance with temporal sequences. Spiritual Diary 3390 describes, such a one as was "regenerated by the Lord and called Adam . . . he was not evil, but had a little of life remaining, so that he was an external man, but still internals were within his externals . . . he [had] not become such an external man as those of our day in whom externals are separated from internals." This is then followed by Spiritual Diary 3391, where the same spirit is "tempered, for evil spirits who (are) on the same level with such, began to torment him . . . by twisting him in their manner . . . and I wondered that he, not being evil, should undergo such punishment; but I perceived that evil spirits could not but have acted into his exteriors . . . that he might agree with them [but] he, being good, was still held by companies of good spirits and angels in that state, that he should not consent but resist." These two passages together seem to agree well enough with those from Arcana Coelestia Chapter One, which describe evil infestations with those who were regenerated and called Adam. Reconciliation, I think, must be found in the ideas we hold of the way the finite is formed when the Infinite is all pervading, all the time.
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There is an anxiety that if we say evil existed prior to the fall, it then follows that God created evil. This would be true if "creation" is thought of in terms of time sequence, but if it is considered according to the qualities of prior and posterior states, I think there can be a solution. The first priority is that God alone is Good Itself and Truth Itself. He is also infinite and eternal, the only I Am. How, then, does the finite come forth? The finite cannot exist from itself, but it exists only where there is an appearance that every quality belonging to the Divine has been removed. Of course, the Divine Itself cannot be removed, therefore we must observe that the withdrawal of the Infinite is only an appearance and not a reality, and that this appearance is permitted so that the finite can appear to have independent self-life. Because it is only an appearance and not the reality, the finite is therefore a fallacy of the senses, and because the appearances of self-life are felt in the affections which take form in these senses, the finite affections are called concupiscences and lusts. They exist in what are said to be lasts, and their state is called posterior, because they are completely removed from what is prior. In general the formation of lasts is said to be by degrees from firsts. In the lasts all prior things terminate and die. But, because finition is only completed in lasts, called the natural, these act like a containing vessel. To do so, they react against the forces generated by the contents. Lasts are therefore in opposition to what is prior. With many the idea of evil is dominated by the conception that it is the product of sin. However, the reverse is the correct order. The term sin refers to the mode by which evil is appropriated. Evil, on the other hand, must have an entity capable of appropriation by means of sin. Human sin is the way evil is given existence in temporal history. But the quality which is evil is established in the appearance of separation from the Infinite which belongs to the natural. Thus we can have a universal definition that evil is a natural love which is separated from and not subordinate to spiritual and celestial loves. This can be confirmed from Divine Love and Wisdom, as for instance in no. 424: "Natural love, separated from spiritual love, is opposed to spiritual love," and other passages in Divine Love and Wisdom, which deal with the reactive character of the natural and its opposition to the spiritual and celestial. There are two ways of viewing the natural. On the one hand we see it in the context of the ultimate of the Lord's creation in which it never is allowed to depart from the order of its use. In this state the natural is always subordinate to the spiritual and celestial purposes of His creation and, regardless of temporal appearances, this order can only be described as good and very good. This context is called in general Divine Providence.
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On the other hand, there is the context in which the natural is the field of human liberty and rationality, for man must be born into it to feel his life as if it was his very own. Because of this he is able to appropriate a life from the Lord or a life not from the Lord. The life not from the Lord is that which he feels to be from himself. The apparent separation of man from the Lord which is felt in the natural, is called Divine Permission, for it is contrary to the Lord's purpose to impose Himself on any man, but because this human self-life is grounded in the fallacies of finition and activated from the lusts which belong to it, it can only be designated by one term-evil. But the evil is in the man, not from the Lord, for from the Lord the natural is always subordinate and never separated in reality. Nor does the Lord impute evil to anyone. Therefore, before a man appropriates evil and thereby imputes it to himself, he is said to be not evil, when yet those things which can be said to be evils with him can be infested by evil spirits and are so infested until he can be raised out of them, that is until they are made subordinate to spiritual things within him. GEOFFREY P. DAWSON London, England
CLUSTER COMMUNITIES E. BRUCE GLENN 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
Kurt Simons's proposal* for the development of "cluster communities" in the General Church, as a means to evangelization by example, presents a challenge to our traditional thinking about distinctiveness. Accepting provisionally his analysis of the need to evangelize "by friendly good example," I offer the following comments on the latter part of his article in which he proposes to substitute for enclosed communities or "enclaves" the more loosely structured cluster communities in which we would spread out to mingle deliberately with those outside the church on a home-to-home basis. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, p. 24. The chief tradition challenged by this concept is that which links distinctiveness-a principle of the General Church since its inception-with exclusiveness. I have long felt that these two are all too easily equated in our minds-that a community or school composed exclusively of those within the church is by that fact alone accepted as distinctive.
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Such an assumption is both unwarranted and dangerous; it fosters smugness and breeds inertia. The difference between distinctiveness and exclusiveness is very simple, I believe. Exclusiveness is essentially negative in nature and viewpoint, a shutting out of others from an activity or facility. Distinctiveness, on the other hand, is positive; it is a setting apart not of people, but of ways by which uses may be more clearly distinguished and more fully served. And a strongly distinctive pattern of life should not need to be protected by exclusion of those whose impingement upon it is not disorderly. Comparative statistics and numerous personal incidents testify to the gradual recognition of this in places like Bryn Athyn and Glenview over the past several decades. Thus I believe that the present danger of enclave communities is not active antagonism toward those beyond our borders who would be our neighbors, but the potential weakening of our distinctiveness through the inertia cited above. This is not an accusation; our distinctive uses are being served and developed through broad participation of the members of our communities. Nevertheless, the danger remains, and I believe that Mr. Simons' article provides the opportunity for close examination of our attitudes and activities. Another challenge thrown down by Mr. Simons is more directly individual. Do we, in fact, set an example in our home and work that will lead those with whom we are associated outside the church to take note and inquire more closely into the sources of our "life style"? Here again is opportunity for a specific form of self-examination. Mr. Simons cited the poet's line, "The world is too much with us." We are increasingly in contact with a world which in many ways is increasingly alien to our distinctive ends and forms; and we must each of us ask whether we are only in the world or also of it. Here the statistics are not so comforting, perhaps. Obviously we must not strive to live a life according to the truth merely in order to evangelize. Evangelization should be a by-product of such a life lived for the use. For this reason and because I believe we need the continuing mutual strength of what Mr. Simons has called enclave communities, I would not favor a systematic replacement of them by the cluster community pattern. I would suggest instead a stronger and more deliberate effort to separate distinctiveness from exclusiveness, by bringing into our communities on a more regular and frequent basis those friends and families outside the church whose patterns and interests appear to offer mutual benefits. Mr. Simons notes that it is use that determines the organization of true societies, on earth as well as in heaven. Those of us whose uses lead to frequent association and personal friendship with such people are provided with a strong basis for bringing them into our homes and social activities.
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Such active introduction of outsiders into our communities would be selective from personal judgment, and this I see to be an advantage over the less controlled choice of neighbors in a cluster community. On the other hand, it would have to be a continuing and frequent opportunity if the example of our home and community life were to be impressed upon our visitors. However, the mutual sphere provided by contacts at work offers a foundation for this extended association that would not be provided by geographical proximity. Finally, as an educator I am intrigued by Mr. Simons' suggestion that the most fruitful field of evangelization today is among the young people in colleges and universities. Recent efforts to establish contacts with those who might be interested in our doctrines and way of life, through New Church young people at various institutions, have not yet proved very fruitful. But there is another question in my mind raised by this final point in the article. If cluster communities are seen to be appropriate at this stage of the church's development, and especially in looking to an expansion of our evangelization efforts, why should not the same concept be adopted for the Academy and other church schools presently restricted to exclusive enrollment? Speaking for the Academy, we have practiced-and found essentially successful-the compromise between enclave and cluster suggested above; that is, we have (especially in the college) entertained applications from those outside the church who have shown an interest in its doctrines and life, and have accepted a number over the past several years whose presence on the campus has been beneficial both to us and to them. E. BRUCE GLENN Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.
VISITORS TO GLENVIEW 1975
Visitors to Glenview for any occasion who need assistance in finding accommodation please communicate with the Hospitality Committee, c/o Mrs. Philip Horigan, 50 Park Drive, Glenview, 111. 60025. Phone (312) 729-5644.
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IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1975
We have been neglectful in not noting earlier the appearance of a new journal in the church. In January of 1974 the first issue of Studia Swedenborgiana appeared, published by the Swedenborg School of Religion, which is the theological school of General Convention, and edited by the Rev. William R. Woofenden, Ph.D. The purpose and nature of this magazine is described on the first page of each issue: "STUDIA SWEDENBORGIANA is an occasional magazine devoted to philosophical and theological concepts found in, or related to, the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Its aim is to serve as an international forum of scholarly and critical thought, contemporary as well as retrospective. Although it is anticipated that the contents of this publication will be widely varied both in scope and subject matter, every effort will be made to avoid it becoming protean in principle." The first undertaking of this magazine is a major one. It begins to publish, for the first time in its entirety, the J. J. G. Wilkinson translation (1860) of the Journal of Dreams. Hopefully this will later be published in book form. The first issue offers also an interesting article by the editor entitled, "The Period of Transition [1743-47] in the Life of Swedenborg." The second issue includes an article by the Rev. Robert H. Kirven on "Swedenborg's Father-Dream" and one by the Rev. George F. Dole on "Translating Swedenborg"-a consideration of the translation of internum and interius. We wish this new journal well and look forward to future issues. Our readers may receive Studia Swedenborgiana by writing to the publication offices at 48 Sargent Street, Newton, Mass. 02158, at a cost of 75c plus postage per issue.
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CORRECTION 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nemitz.-The correct name of the infant son of the Rev. and Mrs. Kurt P. Nemitz, whose baptism was announced in the January 1975 Issue, p. 46, is Kurt Johan.
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PURPOSE IN MARRIAGE Rev. WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV APRIL, 1975 No. 4 For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh . . . What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Matthew 19: 5, 6)
It is the teaching of our text that marriage is a Divine institution which was ordained by God in the beginning; in this it differs from all other human relationships. So it was that God created man, "male and female created He them,"* and said, "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh."** Marriage, therefore, is not, as many at this day believe, merely a contractual relationship between a man and a woman who of their own free will enter into an agreement to live together; neither is it a relationship which may rightfully be dissolved for any reasons other than those which are prescribed by Divine law. Thus it was that when certain Pharisees inquired of the Lord concerning divorce, He answered them, saying, "What . . . God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."*** * Genesis 1: 27. ** Matthew 19: 5. *** Matthew 19: 6. To understand the Pharisees' involvement in the question of divorce, we must know the circumstances which prompted them to inquire of the Lord. Shortly before, Herod the king had put away his wife in order that he might take to himself Herodias, his brother's wife. Like all despots, Herod acted without regard for the law, and his action stirred up a bitter dispute among the people. The point in question was the interpretation of the law of Moses in regard to divorce. It reads: "When a man hath taken a wife . . . and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house."* * Deuteronomy 24: 1.
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For generations this law had been a matter of dispute among the learned. Some held that it had reference only to adultery; others held that it gave legal sanction for divorce for any cause. We can understand, therefore, why it was that the Pharisees, who sought issue with the Lord, endeavored to implicate Him in what had become the most pressing political issue of the moment. In so doing, they were mindful that for denouncing Herod, John the Baptist had already been put to death. It was then with exceeding cunning that the Pharisees inquired of the Lord concerning the causes of divorce, for if, like John the Baptist, this Man were to incur the wrath of Herod, He too would be put to death. Thus it was that in approaching Him, they asked, saying, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?"* But the Lord answered them, saying, "Have ye not read that . . . for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"** So it was that the Pharisees who had sought a direct answer to their question concerning the legality of divorce for any cause, now found themselves implicated in the deeper issue of the law, that is, in the question of original intent. * Matthew 19: 3. ** Matthew 19: 4, 5. The Lord's words were, in effect, a judgment. Not only did they strike directly at the polygamous practices upon which the Jewish social system was founded, but they also exposed that spirit of equivocation which interprets the law without regard to its original purpose. To this the Pharisees had but one defense. Did not the laws of Moses supersede all previous formulations of the law? If not, "Why then did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement?"* Again, the Lord's answer was unexpected. "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning, it was not so."** In these words the Lord distinguished between that which the Divine wills and that which the Divine permits. To confuse the one with the other is to render the law of no effect. * Matthew 19: 7. ** Matthew 19: 8. To see the Divine purpose in anything is to perceive the use which it is intended to perform. This applies not only to all created forms but also to all human relationships. As stated, therefore, marriage is a Divine institution, for it was instituted by God in the beginning in order that the man, whom He created male and female, might become truly man, that is to say, as one man in His sight.
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Hence the teaching of the Writings that, "[man and woman] were so created that from two they may become as one . . . and when they become one, then, taken together, they are man (homo) in fulness; but without this conjunction, they are two, and each as it were a divided or half man."* Here then is that cause or that use which is spoken of in the second chapter of Genesis, for which man is to leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife. * CL 37. As stated in the story of the creation of the woman, therefore, "It is not good that man should be alone";* that is to say, it is not good for the male, who is a form of wisdom from the love of growing wise, to love that wisdom in himself; for he who loves wisdom in himself, loves himself on account of it, and if this love remains with the man, it is an evil love and is called the pride of self-intelligence.** So it was that the Lord God made "an help meet for him";*** that is, the woman who by virtue of her innate disposition is a being capable of converting her husband's love of himself into love of her.**** It is for this cause, therefore, and for no other, that the man is to leave father and mother, that is, the life of the proprium, and cleave unto his wife. In this way and in no other can the Divine purpose in marriage be fulfilled, which is a heaven from the human race. * Genesis 2: 18. ** CL 88. *** Genesis 2: 18. **** CL 193. It is then the woman whom the Lord God made who is endowed with the capacity, from the Lord, to deliver man from the love of himself. In the woman, and in her alone, the love of the conjugial resides. Hence it is said in the Writings, "That the inspiration or insinuation of [this] love is from the wives into the men is because there is nothing of conjugial love with men," and, if you will believe it, " [not] even of the love of the Sex";* for the sphere of conjugial love is received by the female of the sex, and through this sex is transferred into the male.** Such as this love is with the wife, therefore, such it may become with her husband; for although the primary love in man is the love of growing wise, he could never attain to wisdom, that is, to an affection for and the perception of the uses of marriage, were it not for the fact that the love of the conjugial is inspired into the man, by the Lord, through the woman whom the Lord God created as "an help meet for him." * CL 161. ** CL 223. We are living at a time when few recognize any essential difference between the sexes. All around us we hear the voices of those who maintain that the only real difference is one of biological function. What they fail to perceive is that the biological difference is a manifestation of deeper distinctions which apply to the mind and have their origin in the soul of each of the sexes.
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Were this not so, man would not be a man, nor a woman a woman. Yet in seeking equal rights and opportunities for women, many have been persuaded that any differentiation between the sexes is both unjustifiable and discriminatory and is not to be tolerated in a democratic society. Deserving as these goals may be from the standpoint of social justice, let us not seek what is just by confusing the issue. To do so is not to elevate woman but to degrade the use for which she was created. There is a world of wisdom in the law of the ancients, as recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy, which teaches that the garment of a man shall not be upon a woman, neither the garment of a woman upon a man, for it is an abomination.* The garments of the human mind are affections, and as stated in the Writings, "The two affections, that of the woman and that of the man, can be united only as between two, and never in a single person."** * Deuteronomy 22: 5. ** CL 175. In the blurring of the distinction between the sexes, therefore, the Divine purpose in creation is obscured. This, however, is not the cause of the spiritual blindness of our age but an effect of the widespread disbelief in a God who created man in His own image and likeness; that is, in a God who created man male and female in order that together they may become man. Thus it is that at this day the Lord has opened the way wherein man may enter with understanding into the relationship between the sexes and, in so doing, perceive that in this relationship, as in no other, the Divine purpose in creation is fulfilled; for the ultimate intent of this relationship is conjugial love; that is, the love of one man and one woman who mutually look to the Lord. The use of this love, we are told, "is . . . more excellent than all the other uses of creation,"* for it is the seminary of the human race and thence of the heavens.** This love, therefore, is said to be "the fundamental love of all celestial, spiritual, and thence of natural loves"*** and therefore, there are gathered into it "all joys and delights from firsts to lasts."**** * CL 143. ** See also CL 156, 183, 305. *** CL 65. **** CL 68. What the Writings present here is an ideal-an ideal so far removed from the thought of the world that few are disposed to believe that such a love exists.* Deeply imbedded in the human mind, however, there is the recognition that the marital relationship contains within itself the greatest potential for human happiness. Were this not so, men and women would not marry and be given in marriage but would be as the beast of the field.
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Unlike the beast, however, man (homo) is a being who is endowed by his Creator with the ability to look upward; that is, a being who is capable of aspiring to what is spiritual in human relationships. Because he can be affected by truth, he can, if he will, perceive what is good; and to perceive what is good is to perceive the Divine purpose, not only in marriage but in all human relationships. * CL 58. It is the promise of the Writings that this love which was known to the ancients and was lost is now to be restored. The renewal of this love is the sign of the covenant of the Lord with the New Church. Hence, we are told that none can come into this love "save those who approach the Lord, love the truths of the church, and do its goods."* To approach the Lord is to seek Him in His Word, for it is as the Word, that is, as the spiritual sense of the Word, that the Lord is revealed at this day. To love the truths of the church is to apply them to life, for what a man loves, he does in so far as he is free to do so. To do the goods of the church is to do those goods which are of use to the neighbor, for what is of use is good and there is no other. From these requisites, it is evident that conjugial love involves far more than a mutual attraction between two persons of the opposite sex, which is commonly referred to as love. What is involved here is the continuing desire on the part of each that in their mutual relations, they may be led by the Lord. Lacking this, when differences arise, as they inevitably do, the love of the person will grow cold. The reason for this is that the love of the person of another, apart from the love of the use of which the person is a form, is like the seed cast upon stony ground which, having no root in itself, withers and dies.** * CL 70. ** Matthew 13: 5, 6. It is then the use which marriage is intended to serve that gives meaning and purpose to this institution. Apart from its use, it has no more claim upon the contracting parties than those involved in any other contractual relationship. Either it is of God, or it is of man. If it is of man, it is a purely natural relationship, which may be dissolved by mutual consent; but if it is of God, it involves responsibilities which cannot be dismissed without reference to the Divine law which provides, under certain prescribed conditions, for the dissolution of marriage. These conditions are: adultery, manifest obscenities which fill the home with infamous allurements, and malicious desertion.* We are told that the reason for these latter two causes is that they make one with adultery.** * CL 468. ** Ibid. In matters as personal and as grievous as these, man may judge of himself but not of others. Hence, it is said in the Scriptures, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."* What others do with their lives is not our responsibility, but what we do with our own is written in the book of life.
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So it is that in reflecting upon the use of marriage, we become involved in the teaching of our text. "For this cause," it is said, "shall a man leave father and mother," that is, the life of self. But if man is to "cleave to his wife," it must first be understood that by the wife is signified the new will which is formed in the understanding when, from being two, both husband and wife will to become as one man. In this process, however, there is a use which is proper to each, the one being feminine, and the other masculine, and each is essential to the other. What we are speaking of here, therefore, are those uses which mark the distinction between the sexes, and unless they are seen, the real use in marriage cannot be understood; but once they are seen, we can understand what the Lord meant when He said to the Pharisees, "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Amen. * Matthew 7: 1.
The Pentecostal miracle occurred when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit just seven weeks after the Lord's crucifixion. They were together in a certain house in Jerusalem when the incident transpired. It is related in these words: "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit crave them utterance."* Although this description occurs in the Book of Acts, one of the non-canonical books of the Bible, prophecy concerning the future giving of the Holy Spirit was given by the Lord. The four Gospels bear ample testimony to that. * Acts 2: 2-4. This particular miracle is seldom mentioned in the New Church. It is however very well known in the Christian Church. Whitsunday, or Pentecost as it is sometimes called, is a festival of the Christian Church.
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It is commemorative of this very thing-the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. The fact that it is alluded to in several Gospel references makes it worthy of consideration and thought within the New Church. As with all other inquiries we turn to the Writings to see what light their teachings cast on this subject. At the outset we must concede that this occurrence constituted a Divine miracle. Like so many miracles before and during the Lord's time, Pentecost at first sounds like a strange and singular happening. Yet there is every reason to believe that the record is a faithful and sincere chronicle of what transpired. We ask ourselves: what was the nature of the Pentecostal miracle? What is its significance? In speaking to these questions let us first draw something of the background of Pentecost. Before the time of the Lord, Pentecost was the name given to the second of the three great feasts of the Jewish Church. These feasts were to be observed annually by every Jewish male. Three times in the year he was required to appear before the Lord His God at the national sanctuary.* The first of the three annual feasts was the Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, held in the spring of the year. It commemorated the liberation of the Children of Israel from the Egyptian slavery in the days of Moses. In the Lord's thirty third year on earth He was crucified one day after the Passover. * See Exodus 34: 23. The second feast observed in the Jewish Church was the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of First-fruits. It was held fifty days after the Feast of the Passover-hence its other name Pentecost.* This festival commemorated the giving of the decalogue to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was coincident with the time of this festival that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles seven weeks, or fifty days, after that eventful Passover. * See Leviticus 23: 15, 16. The third Feast was the Feast of Ingathering, in the Fall of the year, but its significance is not pertinent to this study. Let us review the sequence of events from the crucifixion to the day of Pentecost. The Lord was first seen in the resurrection by Mary Magdalene. That was on the third day after the crucifixion, the day following the Sabbath, or the first day of the week. Subsequently He was seen by the apostles and certain others on several occasions until the ascension forty days later. Immediately before His ascension the Lord gave one final charge to the eleven remaining apostles. His words were these: "And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."*
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It was to be just ten days later, at the time of the Pentecostal Feast, that the Holy Spirit would descend upon them and endue them "with power from on high." * Luke 24: 49. While He was with them the Lord had instructed the disciples about the Holy Spirit. It was to be His internal presence with them after He had glorified His Human. "The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."* "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."** The Lord chose the twelve for the purpose of instructing them, that they might subsequently go forth to teach men of all nations. They were chosen by Him, they were taught by Him, and they were ordained by Him to become the first priests of the Christian Church. "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you. . . . And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with Me from the beginning."*** The descent of the Holy Spirit upon them on the day of Pentecost did in fact constitute their Divine ordination into the priestly function. The gift of the Holy Spirit was to become the Divine operation with them enabling them to see and comprehend the real spiritual significance of the truths which He had previously taught them. After it was conferred they were to go "and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things" as the Lord had commanded.**** * John 14: 26. ** John 14: 18. *** John 15: 16, 2 7. **** Matthew 28: 19, 20. The operation of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles was actually a gradual process. The events of Pentecost were simply the manifestations of the fullness of its operation with them. The fact that He could be seen by them in the resurrection was possible only by virtue of enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. Even on the eve of His resurrection, after they had recognized Him, and after He had reiterated His charge concerning their apostolic mission, it is said that "He breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit."* And further, shortly before the ascension it is recorded that the Lord opened "their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures."** That ability to understand the Scriptures could come only by way of enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. Thus it is revealed in the Writings "that the Divine energy, meant by the operation of the Holy Spirit, with the clergy especially, is enlightenment and instruction."*** * John 20: 22, 23. ** Luke 24: 45. *** TCR 155.
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On the day of the ascension The Lord gave the command that the apostles were to remain "in the city of Jerusalem," until the fulfillment of His promise concerning the Holy Spirit. After they had accompanied Him to Bethany and witnessed His ascent "up into heaven. . . . They worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy."* Ten days were to elapse until the Feast of Pentecost. It was during that period that the selection of a new apostle was made, one who "may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell."** A necessary requirement was decided upon. The one to be chosen was to have been a witness to the resurrection. The choice fell between two. Lots were drawn and Matthias was chosen, "and he was numbered with the eleven apostles."*** * Luke 24: 51, 52. ** Acts 1: 25. *** Acts 1: 26. Then the day of the miracle drew nigh. The twelve "were all with one accord in one place."* The house in which they were, became filled with a sound as of a mighty rushing wind from heaven. "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."** * Acts 2: 1. ** Acts 2: 3, 4. The miracle of Pentecost was vital in the establishment of the Christian Church and its ministry. No shadow of doubt could be left in the apostles' minds concerning the Divinity of the Lord and of the Divine authority of His teachings. Without this miracle these things could not have been fully accomplished with them.* * See SDm 4724. As we consider the nature of this miracle it is apparent that much of what is described took place in the spiritual world. However it also produced certain manifestations that were observable in the natural world. What is described concerning this miracle must be considered according to the universal laws by means of which all miracles were effected. They were not done "from causes summoned from nature. Miracles therefore are the effects of the Divine Omnipotence, and take place according to the influx of the spiritual into the natural world. . . . Such things as actually exist in the spiritual world are actually introduced into such things in the natural world as correspond."* With this particular miracle the things in the natural world that corresponded, thus permitting the influx of the Holy Spirit, were the states of mind of the apostles. They had seen the Lord on earth. They had received His teachings into their minds, and they were now ready and willing to embark on their apostolic mission. They were therefore most intimately involved in the Lord's Divine purposes to establish His spiritual church.
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For the sake of that purpose the Lord opened their spiritual sensories, which "can be effected instantly whenever it is the pleasure of the Lord that man should see these things; and in that case man does not know but that he is seeing them with his bodily eyes."** * Additions to TCR, No. 695: 2. ** HH 76. The miracle commenced with a "sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind." Sounds of various kinds are mentioned throughout the Word in connection with Divine influx. Divine influx is heard differently in the higher heavens than it is in the lower, and differently again with the evil. The descent of the Lord on Mount Sinai was accompanied by "thunders and lightnings," and "all the people that were in the camp trembled"* On high mountains in heaven "thunders are heard as a mild and gentle sound, whereas below on earth they are heard as a terrific noise; and in the same way in heaven, truth Divine is mild and gentle but in hell is terrible."** In connection with the Holy Spirit the sound of wind seems particularly significative. "For 'the wind of Jehovah' has a similar signification as 'the Spirit of Jehovah' for the wind of respiration is meant, which is also called spirit (or breath)."*** "In the spiritual world, as in the natural world, strong winds and tempests spring up; but the tempests in the spiritual world spring from the influx of the Divine into parts below."**** The most probable reason why the sound of that rushing wind was heard on the day of Pentecost was for the purpose of dispersing evil spheres. Winds in the spiritual world disperse evils and falsities from goods and truths. "The winds disperse these because the winds spring from a powerful and strong influx of the Divine through the heavens into parts below, and where the influx enters . . . it fills the minds and spirits of those who are in truths and goods with the Divine."***** * Exodus 19: 16. ** AC 7573. *** AE 419: 2. **** AE 419: 22. ***** AE 419: 25. "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them." Again we are particularly reminded of the picture of the Lord's descent upon Sinai. "Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire."* This is said to signify the presence of the Lord there "in celestial love."** The same is signified by the cloven tongues of fire that appeared upon the apostles. John the Baptist prophesied of the real internal baptism which the Lord would perform in these words: "He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."*** In this context the Holy Spirit is "the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and 'fire' the Divine love from which it springs."****
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This reference would certainly seem to have its application to the appearance of the tongues of fire. * Exodus 19: 18. ** AC 8820. *** Luke 3: 16. **** AE 504: 7. It is interesting to note that a similar appearance is described in a Memorable Relation, quite apart from the Pentecostal miracle. There was a certain discussion being held in the world of spirits among some Papists and some of the Reformed Church. They were debating the possibility of uttering the term "Divine Human" if the concept suggested by it was not interiorly acknowledged. Most were unable to pronounce it for they did not believe it in heart, and speech in the spiritual world can flow only from what is interiorly believed. There were some present, however, who did celebrate the Divine Human of the Lord as one with the Divine itself. At the end of the discussion when they spoke "heaven was seen open, and there were seen tongues, as little flames, descending and flowing in with some."* The same appearance seen with the apostles was simply a manifestation of the Divine love, that Spirit of Divine love called "the Comforter" that was one with the Holy Spirit itself. It was also representative of that zeal, that genuine "love of truth"** that was to come upon them, and from which they would go forth to preach the gospel. * AR 2 94: 8: TCR 111: 12. ** TCR 146. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." The exact nature of this gift of tongues is not disclosed. It is simply stated as a fact but is nowhere described in detail. Consequently many have speculated regarding it. It is an interesting phenomenon to consider in the light of the Writings. At the time of this miracle there were, throughout the city of Jerusalem, many devout Jews who had come from other countries. Their native languages were therefore various. The apostles were Galileans and their native tongue was Aramaic. Yet when a report of these happenings spread throughout the city many came to hear the apostles preach the gospel for themselves. Miraculously each heard it spoken "in his own language,"* spoken in his native tongue. * Acts 2: 6. Skeptics thought it was a symptom of intoxication. But Peter instructed them that this remarkable event was the fulfillment of a prophecy given through Joel: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh."* * Joel 2: 28. As we ponder the questions that this account raises, it is useful first to consider the state of mind of the apostles at that particular time.
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What state of faith and conviction now reigned with them? No longer was there any lingering doubt concerning the Divinity of the Lord. Neither was there any doubt concerning the reality of His resurrection. They were now beginning really to comprehend something of the spiritual reality within His teachings. Heaven was a real place. They now felt within themselves a sure confidence in the risen Lord. They were desirous and ready to share that conviction with others. It was their internal disposition that enabled the Holy Spirit to come upon them and impart its living illustration. On that day of Pentecost they were actually "in the spirit," actually moved by the immediate operation of the Holy Spirit. Let us here note this important teaching:
The Holy Spirit flows in order into the heavens; immediately into the supreme heaven, which is called the third heaven; immediately and also mediately into the middle heaven, which is called the second heaven; similarly into the ultimate heaven, which is called the first heaven. It flows through these heavens into the world and through this into men there.* * Canons, Holy Spirit, 111: 2, 3.
Hence we are taught that the Holy Spirit flows into men both immediately from the Lord Himself and also mediately, that is, through the "mediation of spirits and angels."* This then tells us, that when filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles were at the same time consociated with angelic societies. They were consociated with angels similarly exalted in the spirit of joy made possible through the fulfillment of the Lord's glorification. The Holy Spirit not only filled angelic societies; it likewise filled the apostles. When they spoke from the exaltation perceived from the presence of the Holy Spirit with them, their devout hearers were given to perceive within their utterances the inner content or the ideas within their speech. The Holy Spirit so uplifted the thoughts and affections of all concerned that they heard with one accord. The sphere was so powerful that it overshadowed the lower mind, and each audibly heard angelic speech. * DLW 150. It is revealed how, when it is the good pleasure of the Lord, this is possible:
The speech of an angel or spirit with man is heard by him as audibly as the speech of man with man, yet by himself only, and not by others who stand near; and for the reason that the speech of an angel or spirit flows first into a man's thought, and by an inner way into his organ of hearing, and thus moves it from within; while the speech of man with man flows first into the air and by an outward way into his organ of hearing, and moves it from without. Evidently then, the speech of an angel or spirit with man is heard within him; but as the organs of hearing are thus equally moved, the speech is equally audible.* * HH 248; See also AC 1635.
The reason why all could hear the same language on that day was because their spiritual sensories were opened and together they heard in the angelic language of ideas.
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Hence it is said, "In the entire heaven all have the same language, and they all understand one another . . . Language there is not learned but it is instinctive with every one, for it flows into their very affection and thought. . . . It is affection sounding and thought speaking."* It is therefore "not a language of words, but a language of ideas of thought; and this language is the universal of all languages."** Thus the speech of a spirit with a man is always "in his native tongue."*** For the sake of securely establishing the Christian Church the Lord performed the Pentecostal miracle. What therefore was faithfully recorded about it in the Book of Acts was indeed true. Only with the help of the Writings are we permitted to see how and in what manner it was true. * HH 236. ** AC 1637. *** Ibid.
Finally we would like to speak of the importance of the Pentecostal miracle in relation to the spiritual heritage of mankind. The Christian Church which the Lord came to establish was to be a spiritual church, a church which was to see in spiritual light. He came on earth to heal the breach between God and man induced by the fall. The Ancient Church was the last truly spiritual church until after His coming. It was the last church in which both internal and external worship existed. Its people were one. The living principle of charity made that church "a one from Him."* Consequently their language or lip was said to be one. But when charity began to perish the darkness of falsity and evil set in. "Worship of self succeeded in the place of worship of the Lord . . . and the light of truth became thick darkness."** They built Babel in the land of Shinar. The Lord descended and there confounded their language, "that they may not understand one another's speech."*** In other words the spirit of charity, or internal worship, perished. Their ability to perceive spiritual truths in the light of heaven was sealed off as a safeguard against the inevitable sin of profanation. Hence in the succeeding Jewish Church internals were closed. That was not a true spiritual church. It was in external worship only and was therefore simply the representative of a church. That condition of spiritual darkness continued until the time of the Lord. Whereas Babel symbolized the confusion of tongues, the miracle of Pentecost heralded the opportunity for man to enter again into some degree of spiritual light. The Holy Spirit was to provide that enlightenment when the truths of the Lord were loved for the sake of charity. When their end is the common goal of charity men will see together. The operation of the Holy Spirit provides for that glorious eventuality. * AC 1316. ** AC 132 1. *** Genesis 11: 7.
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CHANGE Rev. KURT H. ASPLUNDH 1975
Doctrine About Change
(The first of a series of three Doctrinal Classes given in Bryn Athyn, Pa.)
In this series of three classes we hope to consider what a changing world and way of life means to a New Churchman. How do we apply the doctrine of the church to the many changing aspects of life today? How does the New Church man evaluate, cope with, or respond to, the circumstances, the sometimes bewildering, even terrifying circumstances, he finds himself facing in the world? Almost a year ago I encountered a book entitled Future Shock.* I found it to be though t-provoking, fascinating, and a lot of junk. It turns out to be one of a number of recent volumes in the literature of change and the future. The author, Alvin Toffler, speaks of "the roaring current of change, a current so powerful today that it overturns institutions, shifts our values and shrivels our roots." "Change," Toffler says, "is the process by which the future invades our lives, and it is important to look at it closely. . . ." This is precisely what I plan to do-not from the viewpoint of the social scientist, but from the viewpoint of the New Churchman. What do the doctrines lead us to think about what Toffler calls: "The Accelerative Thrust," "The Throw-away Society," the "Modular Man," "The Duration of Human Relationships," "The Fractured Family," "Education in the Future Tense . . . . The Strategy of Social Futurism," and the many other change-related concepts that are current? It is not my plan to analyze or dwell upon Toffler's book; it is simply a springboard for a consideration of our subject. * Alvin Toffler, Future Shock, Random House, 1970. This first class will treat of change in itself. What is it essentially? What is the cause of change? Should the New Churchman resist change or promote it? Is change brought about by providence or prudence? One of the first things we might notice about change is our feeling about it. We have feelings about change, usually strong feelings. Often, we view change with alarm; then, too, we may welcome it. The fact is that changes have deep significance in our lives. The reason for this is that change involves our loves and affections.
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The Writings relate change to affection by stating that affections are "changes and variations of the state of the purely organic substances of the mind."* Therefore, affections are stirred by changes. Where habitual affections exist which are deep and long-standing, then changes are disturbing. This is why older people seem less adaptable to change. Their affections have been fixed and rooted, and a change wrenches the affections. Those of us over thirty often are said (by those under thirty) to have a case of hardening of the affectional arteries, and we seem to view changes as a threat to the comfortable patterns of life to which we have become accustomed. Of course, it is not simply time, or age that results in confirmation of affections. It is also a matter of commitment. * DP 279. We do not always resist change. We sometimes welcome it. The reason for this is that we seek new affections. Those whose affections are not deep, but merely forming, welcome changes. These stimulate and introduce new affections. However, a constant quest for change can represent the state of faith alone. This bears some explanation. We read in Divine Providence, concerning man's regeneration: "It is an error of the age to believe that the state of man's life can be changed instantly. . . . Those are in this error who separate charity from faith, and place salvation in faith alone."* I believe this can be equally applied to any who welcome change as the answer to life's problems. It is an illusion that a change of circumstance will bring happiness. Just changing things does not bring this state about, a sad fact that has been proven to many who have sought an escape from their state of life simply by a change in location, or job, or of married partner. The fact is that life is based on affections that must take root and grow. The changes of our life must be coupled with charity, a commitment to the way of life and its responsibilities. Only thus are the affections deepened and confirmed to provide for a new and lasting happiness. So it is with regard to man's salvation, which is the most important change of his whole life. We must long endure in the uncomfortable state of combat with the proprium, and the change of our life which is brought about by the shunning of evils as sins, before the affection for a heavenly way of life becomes strong and abiding. This number in Divine Providence points up the long-term commitment involved here when it says: "Man can be led out of hell and transferred into heaven only by the unceasing operations of the Divine Providence from infancy even to the end of his life."** We are not made happy by change alone. If a change is to be more than a novelty it must partake of life and genuine usefulness. * DP 279: 4. ** Ibid.
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I think it is important to ask the question: "Is the world changing?" This may seem a needless question. Who can deny that the world is changing? Indeed, that is what Toffler's book is all about. "Future shock" is the name he gives the disease, or the condition of people who are overwhelmed by change. His point is that the world is changing, and changing more rapidly than ever before and that people are not able to cope with it. This thought rings true as we rush from activity to activity, with the bells of telephones, alarm clocks, automatic dryers, and timing devices punctuating our hectic pace. But wait a minute! Change is not self-existent. It doesn't exist outside of man. It is not a cancer or a monster that is attacking us. It was all our own idea. The world isn't changing. It is the people in it who are responsible. The social scientists have developed fascinating comparisons and indicators of the rate of change in society today as compared with even recent history. The graphs always shoot up to the top of the page showing how population, knowledge, and a whole host of other things are doubling in ever shorter lengths of time. A recent musical comedy was a smash hit because it seemed to capture the spirit of concern even in its very title: Stop the World-I Want to Get Off. We cannot deny that there are external developments and changing ways of life everywhere and in quickening succession. These things do have an effect on our lives, but do they represent basic or essential changes of life? In spite of all that is being written today about change we can legitimately ask: "Is the world really changing?" In my researches for this class I found a sermon by Dr. Hugo Lj. Odhner entitled "Seeing the Future."* I wonder if you will be as moved by his words, based on New Church thought, as I was, when seeing their striking comparison with such natural thought as Toffler's book represents? Dr. Odhner wrote, in part: "Behind the turmoils of nations which mark the course of history there runs unbroken the serene stream of Divine Providence. Behind the noise of arms, the show of force, the rise and fall of vaunted theories, and the competitions of economic life with its contrasts of wealth and poverty, of struggle and security, there breathes the real life of mankind with its familiar story of simple joys and earnest endeavors, of kindliness and neighborly help; the story of love, of birth, of innocence, and of tender parental care, repeated in unending generations which all in turn display the same yearnings to explore and embrace the gifts of life and employ their human faculties to reach the greater freedom of reasoned conduct. The triumph of the conqueror is brief. At length it is the meek that will inherit the earth."** * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1952, p. 3. ** Ibid. p. 6.
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When seen from man's point of view, in the realm of time and space, the gyrations and rushes of human activity seem significant, yet their importance fades when they are seen from a more exalted viewpoint. So we read, again from that key work on change, Divine Providence:
When those who are in the Divine think from what is present, they think also from what is eternal because they think from the Lord, saying within themselves, 'What is that which is not eternal?' Is not the temporal relatively nothing, and does it not become nothing when it is ended? It is not so with what is eternal; that alone is; for its being has no end. To think thus when thinking from what is present is to think at the same time from what is eternal; and when a man so thinks, and at the same time so lives, the Divine going forth in him, that is, the Divine Providence, looks in its entire progress to the state of his eternal life in heaven, and leads towards it.* * DP 59.
Eternal ends remain unchanged. Eternal values are ever the same. When our affections are deeply torn by outward disturbance we may find peace and calm by lifting our eyes to the mountains from whence cometh our help . . . to the Lord who made the heavens and the earth.* * See Psalm 121: 1, 2.
"Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me."* * Liturgy (1966) p. 458.
While there is a unity of purpose and a "serene stream of Divine Providence" behind all the apparent discontinuity and disruption of, natural life, there are definite demarcations of change of spiritual significance. Perhaps greatest of all changes in the history of mankind was that wrought at man's fall. A way of life was introduced then so different from the previous existence that most men on earth could not survive the change. A division was made between man's will and understanding such as never existed before. Man's salvation was provided for by a new means. Even the very manner of man's breathing was altered. What a world of resultant change was initiated by this basic change of human nature! Celestial gave way to spiritual. Pastoral existence and intimate family life gave way to new forms of society and family life.* Vocal speech and writing came into being to meet the need for a changed method of communication. * See DP 215 for examples of this. These changes were brought about by the first of the great judgments that have taken place in the course of human history. In a similar way, but perhaps not so dramatically, the judgments accomplished at the Lord's first and second comings have brought about significant changes and have opened the way for new eras of human existence. The Last Judgment includes a brief, but important chapter on "The State of the World and of the Church Hereafter," that is, following the judgment.
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It is said that the state of the world
will be altogether similar to what it has been heretofore, for the great change which has taken place in the spiritual world, does not induce any change in the natural world as to the external form; so that after this there will be civil affairs as before, there will be peace, treaties, and wars as before, with all other things which belong to societies in general and in particular.* * LJ 73.
These statements may seem disappointing for our present point. I believe they were said to correct the false idea that was common in the Christian world at the time, that is, that the judgment would bring about the end of the world as men knew it, or would result in a change in the system of things. The point here is that the judgment takes place in the spiritual world. There is this significant change mentioned, however: "Henceforth the man of the church will be in a more free state of thinking on matters of faith, thus on the spiritual things which relate to heaven, because spiritual freedom has been restored to him."* The implications of this change were discussed by Swedenborg with the angels. * LJ 73.
They said that they know not things to come, for the knowledge of things to come belongs to the Lord alone; but they know that the slavery and captivity in which the man of the church was formerly, has been taken away, and that now, from restored freedom, he can better perceive interior truths, if he wills to perceive them, and thus be made more internal, if he wills to become so; but that still they have slender hope of the men of the Christian Church, but much of some nation far distant from the Christian world . . . . * * LJ 74.
There has been speculation about the effect of this new spiritual freedom in recent developments in the natural world. There are changes, then, that are of more than temporal significance. So let us turn to the question, "What is the origin of change?" Superficially viewed, change seems to be the result of man's evolution and development. "The entire march of evolution," Toffler declared, "displays a relentless advance toward higher and higher degrees of differentiation. There appears to be a seemingly irresistible movement of living beings and social groups from less to more differentiated forms."* Toffler applies this theory to the multiplication he finds in the world of specialists, subcults, and diversities of behavior and interest. He concludes that the race is heading into a higher stage of development, as different from the life to which we have been accustomed in the last hundred years as that life was from the Stone Age cultures. He calls this the "Super-Industrial Age" and its horrors are legion. * Future Shock p. 265.
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Yet not content with a godless theory of existence, and blind evolutionary development, modern man now grasps for control of his own fate. "Man must now assume conscious control of evolution itself . . ." we are told. "This, then, is the ultimate objective of social futurism . . . the subjection of the process of evolution itself to conscious human guidance."* * Ibid. p. 429. This is an old story. We find the same in the book of Genesis: "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."* Do we not find in modern times the same desire to build a tower of Babel to reach to heaven from the earth through man's own intelligence and prudence? The presumption of the idea that if there is an evolutionary process man can subject it to conscious guidance! The fall of man was brought about in the first place by man's insistence on guiding his own life. The work Divine Providence decries, on nearly every page, the belief that man's own wisdom and prudence guide his life. The truth is that all of human life is under the guidance of the Lord. The Writings teach that while man believes that all things in him follow in natural order, and that there is nothing higher which directs; . . . the case is that all things are disposed by means of the spirits and angels with him; and all his states and changes of states are therefrom, and are thus to eternity directed by the Lord to ends which the Lord alone foresees.** * Genesis 11: 4. ** AC 2796.
The Lord has given His gift of life to man in such a way that he appears to think from himself and to direct all things from himself. But doctrine shows just how much man can do in comparison with Divine Providence. A representation was shown of dust scattered and rare in the atmosphere. Compared to the Divine Providence man's own sagacity is like that speck of dust in comparison with the universal atmosphere; it is relatively nothing and falls to the ground.* * AC 6485. Change, then, is not some inexorable evolutionary monster that creeps across the continents, leaving man shaken in its path. Changes come about from individual human choices which the Lord grants man the freedom to make. The sum total of these choices is what amounts to the general trend of social change. However, all of this is under the guidance of the Divine Providence and looks to eternal spiritual ends of life. Perhaps we are ready to answer the question: "Is change a good or bad thing?" The answer, of course, is that it depends upon where the change leads and the reason for it. Change is good when it leads from an evil to a good state of life, or from a natural to a spiritual state.
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If we have become comfortable in a natural and worldly pattern of life a change that leads into new spiritual states is good. Change is bad when it becomes an escape from reality and responsibility and is pursued simply for the sake of novelty. Change is also bad when it becomes a weapon or tool to satisfy men's selfish desires. What, then, should be the attitude of the New Churchman about changes in his world? Some changes, which have their origin in hell, are to be fought, resisted. Each New Churchman faces an individual responsibility for a change in his own life. He is born a form of hell, but born for heaven. Somewhere between birth and death there must be a change made if the man is to enter heaven. The Writings indicate, too, that the sooner this change is begun, the better. The longer man puts off repentance and reformation, the less likely will he be to start. He will be less inclined to endure a change in his life. What about the broader social environment? Does a New Churchman have a responsibility for promoting changes that affect others beside himself? How about his family, his church society, his country, or even the world at large? There is the challenge to "make all things new." Is not the New Church to take a lead in establishing a new culture and a new civilization? Yet the man of the church must beware of the errors that have accompanied such efforts in the past. A changed civilization cannot be imposed upon the race. Human freedom must be respected. What is needed are the new affections that have their origin in the New Heaven, which can descend into the hearts and minds of men on earth. The New Church will not develop according to the patterns of the old. We do not need new Pharisees to set the world aright. Busybodies abound making everybody else's business their own. Nor can the world be helped with undiscriminating love or blind tolerance. Rational principles of use and order must be established, to which men may respond in freedom and willingness. We must beware of building our own tower of Babel. That tendency is just as strong in us as ever. We must seek to be guided by the Lord. There is need for a true relationship between providence and prudence. The Writings teach what that is to be: "If . . . you wish to be led by the Divine Providence" we read, "use prudence as a servant and minister who faithfully dispenses the goods of his master.* We read Further:
Prudence itself appears to man to be his own; and he believes it to be his own so long as he keeps shut up within him the deadliest enemy of God and of Divine Providence, the love of self.
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This has its abode in the interiors of every man from his birth; if you do not recognize it (for it does not wish to be recognized) it dwells securely, and guards the door lest man should open it and the Lord should thereby cast it out. Man opens this door by shunning evils as sins; as if from himself, with the acknowledgment that he does it from the Lord. This is the prudence with which the Divine Providence acts as one.** * DP 210: 2. ** Ibid.
The Writings further speak of a proprial prudence and a prudence not proprial. This latter is "the prudence of those who do not persuade themselves that intelligence and wisdom are from man. . . ."* * DP 311. A final thought: as we think of the responsibility of the New Church in establishing a new culture and a new civilization in the world, let us have a humble opinion of what man can do. Rome wasn't built in a day, and men did a poor job of that. The future is in the Lord's hands. If we see to the present, the Lord will see to the future. If we mind our own business, the Lord will mind the rest. Let us be reminded of that beautiful passage at the end of the third volume of the Arcana:
He who lives in good, and believes that the Lord governs the universe, and that all the good which is of love and charity, and all the truth which is of faith, are from the Lord alone; nay, that life is from Him, and thus that from Him we live, move, and have our being, is in such a state that he can be gifted with heavenly freedom, and together with it with peace; for he then trusts solely in the Lord and has no care for other things, and is certain that all things are tending to his good, his blessedness, and his happiness to eternity. But he who believes that he governs himself is continually disquieted, being borne along into cupidities, and into solicitude respecting future things, and thus into manifold anxieties; and because he so believes, the cupidities of evil and the persuasions of falsity also adhere to him.* * AC 2992.
REPRESENTATIVE OF A CHURCH Rev. GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
(This is the first of three articles dealing with the period between the Babylonish captivity and the birth of the Lord.)
While studying the interval of some six hundred years between the Old and the New Testaments, we have been led to ponder just what is meant by the oft-repeated statement of the Writings that the Jewish Church was "a representative of a church."* I We take this to mean that the Jewish Church represented the true church, the kingdom of the Lord on earth. This however could be said of the Jewish Church only during the lifetime of the Israelitish and Jewish nations.
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Indeed it could be said only of that lifetime as Divinely recorded in the historical books of the Old Testament, from Genesis to the Second Book of Kings. It could not apply to the Jewish people after the Babylonian captivity, because they never regained their independence, and remained ever after a subject people, under tribute to idolatrous nations. Certainly they could not be called the representative of a church at the time when the Lord was in the world because He called them "a wicked and adulterous generation."** He said of them that they had made the Word of God of none effect by their tradition.*** He called them "hypocrites."**** * See AC 1097: 2, 1823: 2, 1850: 2, 2910: 2, 4835 et alia. ** Matthew 15: 19, 16: 4; and Mark 8: 38. *** Matthew 15: 6 and Mark 7: 9, 13. **** Matthew 2 3: 13, 15, 26, 27, 29. This leads us to question what is meant by the "seventy years" of captivity in Babylon; and what by the promised restoration, that is their return to the Land of Canaan, the building of the temple in Jerusalem, and the reestablishment of the rituals prescribed in the Books of Moses. Concerning this in the prophets:
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. And I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.* * Jeremiah 25: 12-13.
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place . . . And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.* * Jeremiah 29: 10, 14.
In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.* * Daniel 9: 2.
Just what is meant by the "seventy years" and how the prophecy was literally fulfilled, is not clear in the letter of the Old Testament. Biblical scholars have suggested two alternate ways in which this fulfillment may be understood. One may reckon from the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar in 606 B.C., to the first return of the Jewish captives to Canaan under the leadership of Zerubbabel in 536 B.C. Or one may count seventy years from the captivity of Zedekiah in 586 B.C. to the completion of the temple in 516 B.C. For twenty years after the fall of Jerusalem the Jews were allowed to retain a king on the throne. Jehoiakim retained his authority to rule the land under tribute; but he conspired with the king of Egypt, seeking military help to enable him to escape from subservience to Babylon.
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When this became known, the armies of Nebuchadnezzar returned in force to ensure the submission of the Jews. Jehoiakim was dethroned, and Jehoiachin, his son was appointed in his place. But Jehoiachin also sought help from Egypt, and after only three months was replaced by his uncle Zedekiah. Zedekiah continued to reign for eleven years, but because he also conspired with Egypt against Babylon, he also was taken captive, his sons were slain before his sight, his eyes were put out, and he was carried in fetters of brass to Babylon. At the same time, all the able-bodied among the Jews, and all the skilled artisans, were transported to Babylon, and settled on the banks of the river Chebar, to serve Nebuchadnezzar under task masters. Only the poorest Jews remained in the land, together with people transported from other parts of the Babylonian Empire, with whom they were mingled by intermarriage. They were placed under such heavy tribute that they could do no more than achieve a bare living, and in consequence the land became more and more desolate for lack of cultivation. Concerning this period of twenty years, during which a Jewish king still reigned, the Writings are silent. They speak, however, of the "seventy years" as if they included the entire time prior to the Advent of the Lord.
The seventy years Babylonian captivity . . . represented vastation; the beginning of a new church by liberation and the rebuilding of the temple.* * See AC 728: 4.
Seventy years denote the entire period from the time at which the church began even till it expires . . . The seventy years of captivity in which the Jews were, also involve something similar.* * AC 2906: 5.
Seventy years denote a full state of desolation and vastation, and this was signified by the captivity of seventy years which the Jewish people endured.* * AC 6508: 3.
"Know therefore and perceive from the going forth of the Word" (Daniel 9: 25) signifies from the end of the Word of the Old Testament, . . . "Even to the restoration and building of Jerusalem" signifies when a new church was to be established, . . . "even to Messiah the Prince" signifies even to the Lord and Divine truth in Him and from Him.* * AE 684: 36.
This leads us to believe that in the spiritual sense of the Word there was no "restoration." The "desolation" referred to the Jewish Church throughout the period between the Testaments. In this sense, the literal fulfillment of the prophecy concerning seventy years of captivity has no relevance. We therefore ask why the Jewish people were protected by the Lord even though they no longer were representative of a church. Was there no church specific on earth during these six hundred years? The Writings state plainly that there must always be such a church, somewhere on the earth, because otherwise all conjunction between men on earth and the angels of heaven would be broken.
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In this case there could be no salvation, and the human race would perish in eternal death. Our conclusion is that the representation of a true church was present so long as the manuscripts of the Old Testament were preserved inviolate. This preservation could be effected only by the Jews, and to perform this essential use they were protected by the Lord, and retained as a people, even until the advent of the Savior. This was the special task of the scribes, and they performed it with complete dedication, and with results that are surely miraculous. The original manuscripts included no diacritical marks. These were added by the Massorites in order to preserve the true pronunciation and the Divinely intended meaning of the text. In order that the Jews might be inspired to carry on this work even until the invention of printing rendered their labors no longer necessary, the promise of the Messiah to come must be kept constantly before their minds. This was done by the historical books themselves, but also by the prophetical books, from Hosea to Malachi. We will consider in a subsequent article how these prophetical books are to be interpreted. Here however we would note two other vital uses for the sake of which the Jewish people had to be protected until the advent of the Lord. First it was essential that there be among the Jews a remnant of simple faith, capable of receiving the Lord, and of initiating the establishment of the primitive Christian Church. That such a remnant existed when the Lord was born is clear from what is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist: "They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."* Also from what is said concerning the shepherds who responded to the announcement of the angel Gabriel and who came to worship the infant Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem. Again it is clear from the testimony in Luke concerning the aged Simeon: "The same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel."** Also by the fact that the Lord found twelve disciples willing to forsake all to follow Him, not to mention many others who accepted the Christian faith as proclaimed by the evangelists after the Lord's resurrection. * Luke 1: 6. ** Luke 2: 25. A third vital necessity was the provision of a virgin by means of whom the Lord could become the Word made flesh to dwell among us.* * cf. John 1: 14. It is evident then that the Divine Providence was preserving the Jewish people, although as subjects, under tribute, until the time of His Advent. By their means the representative of a church was preserved in the Old Testament, as the life-story of the Israelitish and Jewish nations.
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NO TIME FOR PESSIMISM MALCOLM S. WALTER 1975
I am sure that I need not remind you of how difficult things are in today's world. Recently, President Ford's economic advisor described the economic forecast for 1975 as "grim." Unemployment is predicted to exceed 8% in the coming months-something this nation hasn't seen since the Great Depression. Aside from this devastating recession, we are also witnessing a decay of our moral fiber. Groups such as the Women's Liberation and Gay Liberation movements have emphasized sex for sex's sake and almost completely detached any element of love. Doctors, psychologists and sociologists are writing books on the importance to marriage of improving sexual technique without any mention of the effect on marriage of honesty, love or charity. Our priorities are being grossly diverted. So now we come to the New Churchman's role in today's society. I believe that our principal duty as New Church men and women is to preserve the doctrine as handed down by the Lord in the works of Swedenborg. Beyond this, we must also try to inspire the growth of the New Church on earth from within and without. The Writings teach that the Lord conjoins Himself to mankind through the church. It is also taught that the church is within man and not separate from him. Clearly, then, the more we invite the church into ourselves the stronger the conjunction between God and mankind. It appears to me that as members of the Lord's New Church it is our responsibility, especially during these troubled times, to make the conjunction of heaven and earth stronger than ever. This requires that we work to perfect the church within ourselves or, put another way, that we regenerate; which brings us to the topic which inspired the writing of this article. I have grown up in a New Church home and been taught in New Church schools most of my life and throughout those years the importance of regeneration has been heavily stressed. However, along with that advice, we are continually told by parents, teachers and ministers how difficult it is for us to regenerate. It isn't hard for a person to develop the impression that regeneration is almost impossible. This has been my experience and the experience of many others. It is not hard, when one couples the stressed importance of regeneration with the opinion of its near impossibility, to get very pessimistic and even depressed about one's spiritual welfare.
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Such states of depression rarely help the individual improve his spiritual condition; on the contrary, they hinder more than help. Surely something is wrong when one's desire for regeneration is his biggest stumbling block. The Writings teach that: "All regeneration is effected by the Lord by means of the truths of faith and a life according to them."* The Lord can effect this through His conjunction with mankind which is made possible by men and women living a life according to the truths of His doctrine. There is a snowball effect here: men regenerating on earth improve the conjunction between God and man, which in turn increases man's ability to be regenerated by the Lord. The Lord has supplied the New Church with the truths of faith through the Writings and all we need do is allow Him to help us lead a life according to them. In the Arcana it speaks of those who believe in matters of doctrine compared to those who "immerse the doctrinal things of faith in their foul cupidities . . . those of the one [the former] may easily be regenerated, but those of the other with difficulty."** In Matthew, the Lord Himself taught that regeneration was easy. His words were, "My yoke is easy and My burden light."*** Then what was the meaning of His words earlier in that same book; "straightened is the way and narrow the gate that leadeth to life, and few be they who find it?"**** The Writings teach that: "The way that leads to life is straightened not because it is difficult but because there are few who find it."***** * AC 10387. ** AC 736. *** Matthew 11: 30. **** Matthew 7: 14. ***** HH 534 Apparently, the Writings tell us that regeneration is not difficult, but in fact, it is easy. In True Christian Religion, we are told that there are three means by which man is regenerated: the Lord, faith, and charity."* As stated above, all regeneration is effected by the Lord as man leads a life according to the doctrines of faith. The aspect of charity comes in for it is through a life of charity that man is capable of leading a life according to his faith. The following passage from Heaven and Hell briefly defines a life of charity and its importance: A life of charity [leads to heaven] ; and a life of charity consists in acting honestly and justly in every employment, in every business, and in every work, from an interior, that is, from a heavenly, motive; and this motive is in that life whenever man acts honestly and justly because doing so is in accord with Divine laws. Such a life is not difficult.** * TCR 618. ** HH 535. Italics added. These teachings do not leave me the least bit depressed, but rather, I find them most encouraging. Certainly, the world is in a state of economic and moral turmoil, but as New Church men and women we have more important things to be concerned with.
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We are here to maintain and spread the truth of the Writings. Worldly things concern us only to the extent that they interfere with this primary goal. We have every reason to be happy and optimistic. Indeed this is no time for pessimism; we have the Lord, the truth and therefore the means to lead a life of charity which is the way to heaven. Again let us remember the Lord's words, "My yoke is easy and My burden light."
CLOISTERED COMMUNITIES PHILLIP ZUBER 1975
The recent article by Kurt Simons, "Cluster Communities: Why and How,"* discusses evangelization by example within an open community, and the possible affirmative use of a cluster community (New Churchmen close enough to maintain the uses of school and society, but dispersed enough throughout the surrounding communities to prevent being "right next door"). He contrasts this with the possible counter-productive elements of our, what I have chosen to call, "cloistered communities." The article can be easily divided into its two areas of discussion-evangelization and the concept of the cluster community. These can be seen as important but independent and severable concepts, although the author presents evangelization as the fundamental principle behind the cluster community. The author mentions, albeit briefly, Bishop Benade's argument that the necessity of personal and family freedom from the community compulsion to exercise charity requires an open community. One can see from this that there is possibly a more fundamental reason for a re-evalution of our cloistered communities, since freedom is "an essential nutrient for the church's . . . growth."** * Simons, Kurt, "Cluster Communities: Why and How," NEW CHURCH LIFE, January, 1975, pp. 24-30. ** Ibid., p. 29. The article begins with an enumeration or categorization of the various approaches to evangelization and their apparent problems or drawbacks. Mr. Simons then attempts to draw the parallel between the importance of "example-setting" of parents for their children and the possible evangelical "example-setting" of a New Churchman for potential newcomers who "are in innocence (that is, are willing to be led by good and truth)."* There are several important distinctions about the nature of the audience that are not made in this parallel.
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Surely the perception of the example (and its consequent use) by the child is entirely different from the perception of the example by adults with developed intellectual capacities. Thus, the parallel between the importance of exemplar behavior for a child and for the potential newcomer is not exact or beneficial to the concept presented. * Ibid., p. 24. What looms as a much more powerful problem in Mr. Simons' useful and skillful presentation is the question of whether or not the potential newcomer (the audience) can separate the example of the New Churchman's presumably orderly life and moral certitudes, from the origin of his ways and moralities-namely, the Lord as He is manifested in His Word. He states that the newcomers must be "willing to be led by good and truth," but it is therein that the problem lies. The willingness to be led by good and true examples can be as problematic of freedom as the overpowering logical form of evangelical presentation (the "sales pitch"). A person yearning and willing to be led by the example of a person with an orderly life can be led merely by its "presentation." Also, he can be led by any other religion in which an "example-setting" person has found and established order in his life (I use the word "order" in its loosest sense). Certainly I'm not suggesting that we not show our lives and ways to our friends, but they must know that the life of order (in its narrow sense) draws its sustenance from doctrine, truth, the "label of religion," and the Lord, finally and conclusively. It is not my life that I am very impressed with; but it is the power of the Writings that provides the impetus for theological discussions with non-New Churchmen. A person has to be not only willing to be led by the goods and truths that he is able to perceive and understand, but also to be willing to be led by the Lord. Some might consider this distinction to be semantic, but I consider it important to this discussion. The article points out clearly that "personal contact is not a new phenomenon in the New Church."* But personal contact is entirely different from example-setting. The personal contact factor of such a giant in evangelical attempts in the New Church as Otho W. Heilman cannot be denied. But it was the truth that he presented, not his life style. He lived in the largest of our cloistered communities, but his continual evangelical activity was never flustered nor was it inhibited. Our evangelical attempts are not necessarily contingent on the placement of our homes-that has been proven. * Ibid., p. 25. By a presentation of the particular doctrines to our friends, we prevent any confusion about the source of order or our example-they will know it is the Lord's truth that provides the stepping stones to heaven and that we might very well be in on the ground floor.
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Mr. Simons attempts to circumvent the problem by explaining that the newcomer will see the ideal apart from the man, because the friend-newcomer will know that we are flawed because we are friends. The problem I have with this is that one's exemplar behavior is supposed to draw the persons to you because of your apparent ability to live an orderly life and answer the "dilemmas of existence," which would imply at least an admiration of character, and a yearning to emulate you; but yet he sees you as "flawed, striving and often failing."* Seeing flaws in persons that you admire has characteristically been hard for whole races of people and for the individual. * Ibid., p. 26. The article suggests that a potential newcomer's knowledge that a New Churchman can always "consult the Word to cope with any of life's many problems, provides just that broad-scale, and emotionally telling, introduction to the distinctive approach to life that is the New Church."* This seems to lack the recognition that most Christian religions argue that man can always "consult the Word to cope with any of life's many problems." This type of example-setting will not introduce "to the distinctive approach to life that is New Church." What is distinctive in the New Church as far as the man of this earth can see is the truths of the second coming, not our life style-which is externally, and in appearance, the same as that in almost any family household that has strong religious convictions. * Ibid. The article also addresses itself to the alleged "label of religion." By example-setting, it is postulated, a New Churchman can introduce answers to various moral predicaments "without having to hang that 'religion' label on them," and thereby gain a "large and receptive audience."* The problem again arises as to the origin and nature of the example-setting. Perhaps we should make sure to label it "religion," because the New Christian Church has at its core the worship of the one and only God, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not label it religion, and we reduce it, even if only initially, to a way of life that answers moral problems, what can possibly differentiate the New Churchman's "style" from a disciple of Confucianism? The term religion must always be attached to our evangelical attempts or the thought of the Divine is lost in the quagmire of a mere philosophy that gives us a meaningful purpose to life. *Ibid. The life of evangelization could very well be in personal contact and its resulting dialectic. What is of importance though, is that the life by example-setting is a passive and in many ways counter-productive evangelical process.
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In a recent Theta Alpha Journal article the author states:
As examples, few of us are all that shining. Most of us are just as much in need of mercy and compassion as our outside neighbors. Whether we like it or not, we and our children all have propriums which are subtly affected by the godless theories and actions which are filling our environment.* * Doering, Janet H., "What Can We Do?" Theta Alpha Journal, Spring 1974, pp. 15-17.
The only shining thing we have is the truth as revealed in the second coming. As the author of that article suggests, the life of evangelization might well be in creative and expository literature as well as personal contact. The cluster community concept can be argued or founded upon the more fundamental issue of freedom, rather than evangelization. Both types of community or society, the cloistered and cluster community, have inherent "virtues and vices." The cloistered community, it can be argued, impinges on the free exercise of charity, and the freedom to attend and partake of worship; and it produces a very counterproductive compulsion to be a New Churchman in act. This leads us to the "Deadwood Theory." This theory expresses the problem with the offspring of active New Churchmen (or others) in their cloistered community, who have rejected by all appearances the doctrines of the New Church; but continue to partake of the merely social functions of that particular society and its school because of the advantages of the cloistered community and their felt necessity to preserve appearances. The freedom of the off-spring (or any similar type) to partake of the gifts of the society, and to return them in the form of use, is impaired by the community "peer" pressure; and the result is a sphere negative to the doctrines in the community. The affirmative principle or concept at the foundation of the cloistered community is the doctrine of spheres. True Christian Religion speaks of the spheres of Christendom today. Its negative sphere is said to "insinuate" itself "into the ideas, and with many takes away faith in the Divinity of the Lord's Human;" it "invades men in the natural world, and extinguishes the marriage torches between truths and goods."* These spheres are the reason why spiritual truths "are so little recognized by men in the world today."** Thus the spheres of many outside influences may give us ample reason to desire a cloistered community-not only for our children but for a society of New Churchmen in general. The sphere of New Church activity is a lovely warm feeling that generates expressions of appreciation like, "the sphere of that society is just wonderful."
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As to the "Deadwood Theory," the advocates of the cloistered community might reflect upon the following: "All who believe in the Lord and live according to His precepts enter that sphere or current [the current that unobservedly draws a man to the Lord] and are elevated; while those who do not believe, are unwilling to enter, but withdraw themselves to the sides, and are there carried away by a current that sets toward hell."*** It might be argued that this can be interpreted to mean that bad spheres (spirits), as in the world of spirits, will break away from the good spheres (spirits) and will eventually cast themselves out of the cloistered community of New Churchmen. * TCR 619: 2, 4. ** Ibid., 619: 6. *** TCR 652: 3. The cluster community also has its own dark and light sides. The affirmative principle at the base of the cluster community has to be freedom. In just such a society a person may freely exercise charity, be in the freedom to decide whether he wishes to attend worship, or take part in the performance of the uses of a New Church community. The problem with the negative states or spheres of the deadwood is eliminated somewhat by this type of community. The deadwood is no longer forced to maintain appearances, nor have as free access to introduce a negative sphere into the community. These generalizations, of course, are not absolute and there are loopholes and exceptions to all of them. But, as a base of operation, or modus operandi, we must make these generalizations about a society's operation and structure in order to prepare for our communities of the future, and in order to examine our present purposes in building our particular societies. (Dean Glenn has said to his college literature students through the semesters: "No generalization is ever true, including this one.") Although the cluster community might support the concept of greater freedom for the participants in the community, it certainly contains negative aspects. We must consider the spheres on our children, on the individual, the family, and on a church society in a cluster community as compared to the advantages of the cloistered community. This point has already been lightly touched upon, and due to time and space, it must suffice-although I await future debate. The type of community that I propose to the community planners of the New Church is a marriage between these concepts. I believe that there should be a resident sphere or center of church life, so that the sphere produced by such a center can be felt continuously-not just at a church function. This center must be small and limited in acreage, so that the community will eventually be encouraged to expand outside the community. The center must permit the building of a church, school facilities, play areas, and a limited number of homes.
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But once the community has developed at the core, it must be forced to expand. This outside aspect of the New Church community will be vital in maintaining the sense of free involvement and enthusiasm. The "external" community will have a definite center, and the "internal" community will have the constant inflow of the "external" community in its uses and functions. As a physical analogy it is like a bicycle wheel. The axle, spokes, and tire (or rim), act as a whole. If you are wondering about how the spokes fit in the analogy, let me say that I see them as the ties between the center and the outside-namely, our common belief in one Absolute, and the healthy attempt at marrying the need for freedom and the warm and wonderful sphere that a New Church community can create. I am well aware that almost all the societies in the Church resemble in some way this so called new community plan. This type of community has freely developed on its own due to the economic and real estate conditions.* My only attempt here is to focus our attention on the reason why we live in our communities. Young New Churchmen have raised questions about the problems or validity of a cloistered community. My intent is only to direct, discuss, and then listen to a response. * The Washington Church and the Acton Park development is the finest example of this type of community. It has developed due to accident, but nevertheless it will eventually resemble the type of community development that I here espouse. As far as our present communities are concerned, I think any discussion of selling lands, etc., in order to establish a cluster community is not useful or constructive in the light of those who have sweated to achieve their dream of setting up a home in or near a New Church center. Those people have undoubtedly decided long ago on just as reasonable grounds as I present here. After speaking to a trained lawyer I have found that Mr. Simons' doubt as to the legality of our real estate sales is totally erroneous. The crucial factor is whether it is a public or private sale. It is for the future that I lift my head to the horizon and dream of the growth and strength that lies ahead. To the founders of the organized church and our educational institutions I lift my hat in celebration and admiration; and now it is time for us to look far into the future and plan for this "new earth."
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AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER? Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa. Published Monthly By
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Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. After he had slain Abel, Cain is asked by the Lord, "Where is Abel thy brother?" To which Cain replied, "I know not; am I my brother's keeper?"* This is faith's denial of any responsibility for a life of love, or for the real spiritual welfare of the neighbor. It is a cry which is often heard, and the challenge seems to us to bear some relationship to the talk of victimless crimes to which we made reference in our March editorial.** * Genesis 4: 9. ** NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, p. 123. In the area of individual human relationships, many ask, "Am I my brother's keeper?" and it is assumed that the answer is, "No." Faith alone or a complete reliance upon knowledge leaves no room for a form of spiritual charity, which is genuinely concerned, with the real (or spiritual) welfare of the fellow man. Yet, if the answer is that we are not the keeper of the brother, or neighbor, then society is divided into as many parts as there are members who compose it. It can no longer be regarded as a unified whole, an operating organism, let alone preserved in the human form. This, in fact, is the trend. Each man is sufficient unto himself, a law unto himself. He deems it sufficient that he look to his own ends and simply avoid harming another. He regards his actions as solely a matter for his own concern. Evil is not believed to be evil if it is private. It is enough that we build a cocoon around our own lives, find what we like, avoid what we dislike, and let others do the same. We will do our thing; let them do theirs.
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With such a philosophy there is only self-seeking; there is no desire to serve and there is no desire to receive service-let each man look to himself. Occupations thus become merely a means to earning money and finding the things of this world which we seek, they are no longer opportunities to perform a use. Thus the minimum return is offered for the wages received and he who would do otherwise is thought to be a fool. In the light of revelation or in the sight of true reason, there can be no doubt that man is his brother's keeper. We do have a responsibility to those about us; if not what significant purpose can human life hold? The areas of such responsibilities are many and various. We may speak of the church's responsibility to the whole of mankind, and so remind ourselves that a candle is not to be placed under a bushel and that our light is to shine before men. Both the illumination of the truth itself and the shining example of our own lives of regeneration are to bring light to the world and so spread the Lord's own kingdom to all who stumble in the darkness. The individual bears a brotherly responsibility to the society in which he lives, to his country and to the church. These are, each in their own way, like parents to him, from whom he receives protection and nourishment (moral, civil or spiritual). We cannot receive such things without having a responsibility to make some return; at least a responsibility to see that such blessings are available to others and to see that we contribute our part to the uses of a group from which we have ourselves benefited. In all areas of human contact we may deny with certainty the implication of Cain's question. Certainly the heavens for which we prepare are peopled with those who feel a glowing delight in serving as a 'keeper' (a 'guard') to the neighbor. This is not in any officious or sanctimonious sense but is a humble and earnest desire to serve the neighbor at all times when a use to him may be performed.
NEW CHURCHMEN AND THE WORLD 1975
As we heard, and later read, the Rev. Kurt Asplundh's class on change,* we reflected on some comments which he made toward the end. He asks, "Does a New Churchman have a responsibility for promoting changes that affect others beside himself?" In reply he says, in part: * See page 146.
A changed civilization cannot be imposed upon the race. Human freedom must be respected. What is needed are the new affections that have their origin in the New Heaven, which can descend into the hearts and mind of men on earth.
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The New Church will not develop according to the patterns of the old. We do not need new Pharisees to set the world aright. Busybodies abound making everybody else's business their own. Nor can the world be helped with undiscriminating love or blind tolerance. Rational principles of use and order must be established, to which men may respond in freedom and willingness.* * Page 152.
We are sure that Mr. Asplundh does not mean that New Churchman become "new Pharisees" or "busybodies" if they take steps to help bring order into the world in which they live and in which they must raise their children. He is making the important point that the long term solution to the world's problems is a spiritual one, and that it is the New Church alone which has the key to this solution. Our first responsibility must therefore be to establish the church within our own hearts and to spread it, so far as we are able, to our children and to all who will hear. But what should we do beyond that? Mr. Asplundh's class seems to suggest that we should not do much. What about the part the New Church has played in the past with reference to slavery? What about efforts that New Churchmen have made to discourage the spread of pornography-which can contaminate the minds of all? Are there not a number of causes which seem to demand the special attention of the New Churchman? Few would deny that the organized church, and its priesthood, has a single charge: to preserve the Divine among men by preaching the truths of the Word and leading to the good of life. The extent to which New Church laymen, however, may properly divert their energies to these outside uses may be a matter of debate. We invite our readers to respond to our questions so that an exchange of ideas on this important topic may result.
YOUNG MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH 1975
It has been our hope, since taking over the editorship of NEW CHURCH LIFE, that this magazine, which is the official organ of the General Church, will reach the younger adults of our church community. It seems to us of vital importance that there should be an interchange of thought between the different age groups of the church-be it in social situations or in written form in the pages of our publications. It has therefore been gratifying in recent issues to include contributions from young adults. I hope that they will produce response and will encourage others of their generation to write for us. For the sake of those who will not know all our contributors personally, we would note that in this issue, Messrs Malcolm S. Walter and Philip Zuber represent this group.
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IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1975
We are sad to note that hard times have affected one of our contemporaries. The New-Church Herald, published by the General Conference in England has been compelled to reduce its number of issues from every two weeks to every month. The editorial announcing the change approaches the situation optimistically. We quote: "The New Church Herald was launched as a weekly, three years after the 1914-1918 war: and only the stringencies of the second world war forced a fortnightly issue upon the church. We thought we didn't like it-those of us who can remember-but we became accustomed to it. And the imposition of a monthly issue, forced upon the Conference Council because of rising prices, will displease many. Yet we may discover very soon that we do not dislike it. We may even prefer it." Instead of being twenty-six issues of eight pages; there will be twelve issues of twelve pages. The chairman of the Conference Council announces in the same issue that more fundamental changes affecting all the periodicals of Conference are being planned. We extend our sympathy to our colleagues in the work of New Church publications and wish them well for a continued useful life for a well respected periodical.
DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
Reflecting upon the modern tendency to obliterate all distinctions between the mental faculties of men and those of women, I have thought that the direct teaching of the Writings on this subject should be clearly presented.
It is of course obvious that physically the functions of men are entirely distinct from those of women. Clearly there are things that men can do which women cannot do, and vice versa. No woman, for instance, can impregnate an ovum, and no man can gestate an embryo and bring it to birth. The teaching of the Writings is unequivocal and oft repeated that the functions of the human body are in complete correspondence with the functions of the mind. We need only to quote one number: There is a correspondence of the will and the understanding with the heart and the lungs, and therefore a correspondence of all things of the mind with all things of the body.* * DLW 374. See also DLW 219; HH 373; DP 180; CL 33, 178; AC 4292, 4659.
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From this it follows inevitably that the functions of men are just as distinct from the functions of women mentally as they are physically. On this distinction is postulated the marriage of conjugial love which is said to be a "conjunction of souls and minds" between one man and one woman. Such a marriage is said to endure to eternity. Concerning such a marriage Conjugial Love devotes an entire chapter.* Much is also said of marriages in heaven, by means of which "spiritual offspring" are born. How can we seek to promote marriages of conjugial love in the New Church if we do not acknowledge the mental distinctions between men and women? GEORGE DE CHARMS Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania * CL 156-181.
BODY LANGUAGE NORBERT H. ROGERS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
The value of body language in person-to-person communication and in making character judgments has been much bruited about in recent years. It is something that has been much investigated and demonstrated; and much excitement has been generated by it. Body language itself is not a new discovery, however. From time immemorial it has been known and made use of by animals as well as human beings. What is new is that it has been given a name and has become an area of scientific interest. This makes the article "Initial Contact" in the March issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE* very timely. And Mr. Linquist is to be thanked for writing it; especially for the doctrinal study concerning the "why" and the "how" of body language which the article presents, as well as for the suggested examples of how that language might be used in assessing character to aid in evangelization. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, p. 110. Mr. Linquist very properly states that in making character assessments our minds are to be "clear of speculation about man's hidden motives and real inner self."* He also indicates more than once that externals can be feigned, causing our interpretation of them to be in error. However, these caveats are unfortunately obscured, in this reader's mind at least, by the article's tendency to state that such and such an external indicates such and such a mental trait, as if it were a fact rather than a suggested possibility. * Ibid., p. 111.
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Though I doubt that Mr. Linquist really meant what he wrote in his penultimate paragraph, I have to fault him for this statement: "Thus our initial contact with men outside of the New Church ends with a decision to offer or not to offer knowledges of spiritual truth."* To me it seems that the purpose of making character judgments is not to determine whether or not to communicate doctrinal truths to people, but is rather to decide which truths to convey and how best to accommodate them. NORBERT H. ROGERS Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania * Ibid., p. 116.
EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS FREDA G. GRIFFITH 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
In his careful and scholarly review of the little book, The Internal Sense of the Word, in your December issue,* the Rev. Alfred Acton questions the value of such selections from a larger work. Perhaps it may be of interest to him and to your readers to know something of the policy of The Swedenborg Society in this regard. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1974, p. 540. See also 1975, p. 38. The Society, while existing primarily for the preservation, translation and distribution of the Writings, has also a responsibility for making them more widely known. It has, however, always considered that it was not justified in publishing missionary material other than the Writings themselves or extracts from them. It has through the years found a certain demand for booklets of quotations, sometimes as introductory material for newcomers to the Church, sometimes for a more general missionary use, sometimes even for young people within the Church. Booklets such as Death and After, Peace and War, Love and Marriage, Divine Providence and Human Freedom, have always had a wide circulation, particularly on your side of the Atlantic. Some fifteen years ago, the Society's Advisory and Revision Board formulated some definite principles for such extracts. These covered two types of booklet. One, on a particular subject such as I have mentioned above, consists of quotations drawn from the whole range of the Writings, and these must obviously be a very personal selection. The other category was to consist of the inter-chapter material in Arcana Coelestia and Apocalypse Explained, which, while it cannot be said to present the complete teaching on the subject, nevertheless gives a concise and comprehensive summary.
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The important fact about both categories is that they are the words of the Writings themselves. The first in the second category to be published (and in the opinion of some the best piece of translation of the Writings into English ever produced) was entitled Religion and Life and consists of the material on good works and the Ten Commandments included in chapters fifteen and sixteen of Apocalypse Explained. The second, The Word and its Holiness, consists of extracts in a continuous series from chapter seventeen of Apocalypse Explained, and the last to date is The Internal Sense of the Word compiled from material included in chapters fifteen to twenty-three of Arcana Coelestia. An analysis of all the inter-chapter material in Arcana Coelestia reveals that most of the teaching on the spiritual world and the life after death, in the Genesis section, is covered in Heaven and Hell. The group of sections on the grand man and on the internal sense were deemed suitable for separate publication. The latter is the booklet reviewed; the former is in hand and progress has been made this year. The two series contained in the Exodus section are more or less covered by The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine and The Earths in the Universe. In Apocalypse Explained there may be other subjects which might be usefully treated in the same way but at present the Society has nothing in hand. Any offers? I can assure Mr. Acton and all your readers that such productions in no way interfere with, or delay, the preparation of the new English translation of the Arcana which we all eagerly await. FREDA G. GRIFFITH Capel St. Mary, Suffolk, England
PRESENCE OF OTHER WORLDS KURT SIMONS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
On the question of Dr. Van Dusen's book, The Presence of Other Worlds:* I would simply like to offer the hope that its flaws in doctrinal detail will not obscure its wider significance.
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A case can certainly be made, to begin with, that those flaws are probably not all that important, especially in view of the book's overall affectionate and reverent orientation toward the doctrines. In the words of a friend (who happens to be a minister),
I hope I can get across to you my feeling that the flaws in the first thing a person reads are unimportant. They do not taint him thereafter. I meet people who come to the Writings through Blake. Just because Blake got them hooked does not in any way mean they will be inclined toward Blake's point of view. I know a man who first got shook up by [a branch of the old church] and then joined the New Church. If [that group] had not shook him up, he would not have been ready for a new religion. He is totally untainted by them. * The Presence of Other Worlds by Wilson Van Dusen, Harper and Row, New York, 1974. See: Review in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, p. 32, and Communication in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, p. 81.
Think of the newcomer as at the beginning of a sequence that will take many months and probably years. He will look back on his first contact with different eyes.
But more important than these flaws in any case is that this book is, I believe, a major conceptual breakthrough in our evangelization literature. Its interest-holding power for contemporary readers, who would never otherwise darken the pages of a religious treatise, is in itself no small achievement for a church whose evangelization audience, we are told in the Writings, lies largely among gentile people not interested in traditional religion. Yet even more significant, for me at least, is Dr. Van Dusen's remarkable achievement in synthesizing an introduction to the Writings that gives a really telling overview of their enormous intellectual and emotional scope-and in less than 250 pages! I do not think the importance of this achievement can be overemphasized in an age that is coming to appreciate the complexities of "system" interrelationships, from the molecular to the ecological and social level, as no age ever has. For the development of system thinking would seem to lead all but inevitably to preparation for reception of the only system theology, the only religion that can tie all creation's complexities together under a coherent set of basic spiritual hypotheses, a true rational and emotional "unified field theory" answer to the riddle of existence. Thus, Dr. Van Dusen's ability to communicate the full sweep of this unified field theory, of the doctrines' ability to "get it all together," and to do this briefly and readably, certainly seems to constitute a breakthrough. Far from viewing it critically, then, could we not better see it as a stimulus and example to develop a whole new evangelization curriculum with a far wider appeal than our traditional efforts? Like great music, the doctrines in the original often seem something of an acquired taste, though, again like that music, deeply satisfying when you do get into it. Dr. Van Dusen has shown us uniquely well, though not originally, that the truth can also be accommodated to an introductory popular tune that is quite catchy and fascinating.
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And that may be what it's going to take to start everyone whistling our melodies. KURT SIMONS Delmar, New York
MAN BY CREATION IS A FORM OF USE GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
I have read with interest the excellent communication by the Rev. Geoffrey Howard in the NEW CHURCH LIFE for February 1975 on the human rational.* In it he raises a question concerning the idea that "by virtue of his soul, or human internal, man is endowed with a specific love of an eternal use."** He finds this idea "somewhat limiting" because, he says, "the term specific use sounds as though one was created to perform one specific endeavor only, which, to many would seem loathsome." With this I am in complete agreement. * "The Human and the Rational," NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, p. 78. See also article by the Rev Bjorn Boyesen, 1975, p. 6. ** Ibid., p. 79. It is clear however from the Writings that "use" cannot be identified with any "specific endeavor." It is true that various endeavors are called "goods of use," and these endeavors are defined as follows:
The goods of use which individuals perform, from which the general good exists, are ministries, functions, offices, and various employments.* * Charity 134.
Nevertheless, other teachings make it plain that these activities are uses only in appearance. This is because use inmostly considered, is not an act, either of the body or of the mind. It is the love which inspires the act, and empowers man to perform it. Thus we read:
The angels give no thought to what a man does with his body, but only to the will from which the body acts. This they call the man himself, and the understanding they call the man so far as it acts in unison with the will.* * HH 61.
Man, we are taught is nothing but, "an organic form recipient of God, and is an organic form in accordance with the kind of reception."* * TCR 34.
In every angel, and also in every man there is an inmost or highest degree, or an inmost or highest something, into which the Divine of the Lord primarily or proximately flows, and from which it disposes the other interiors in him which follow in accordance with the degrees of order. . . . It is by virtue of this inmost or highest that man is a man.* * HH 39.
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Regarded in itself the human is nothing but a form receptive of life from the Divine.* * AC 5256.
The soul is a human form from which not the least thing can be taken away and to which not the least thing can be added. It is also the inmost form of all the forms of the entire body, and since the forms which are outside it take their essence and form from this inmost form, therefore you, just as you appear to yourselves and to us, are souls. In a word, the soul, being the inmost man, is the man himself . . . yet it is not life, but the nearest receptacle of life from God.* * CL 315: 11.
Since the soul in its very esse is love and wisdom, and these two are from the Lord with man, therefore with man two receptacles have been created which are the dwellings of the Lord with man; the one for love and the other for wisdom; that which is for love is named the will, and that which is for wisdom is named the understanding.* * DLW 395.
Such as the love is, such is the wisdom and therefore such is the man . . . . Love is manifold; so much so that its varieties are indefinitely great. This may appear from the human race on the earths and in the heavens. No one man and no one angel exists who is similar to another without distinction. Love is what distinguishes man, for every man is his own love.* * DLW 368.
Swedenborg describes a representative vision in which he saw, "the initiament of man as it is by conception."* It was seen to be in three degrees:
the two interior degrees being in the order and in the form of heaven . . . (they were) the receptacles of love and wisdom from the Lord (and this) love and wisdom is the very man.** * DLW 432. ** Ibid.
Life inflowing from God is infinite; but that same life as received by man is finite. This is because of the well known teaching that influx is according to the form of the receiving vessel. The only life man has is that which he receives from God by influx through the soul. Apart from this he has no life, and no power whatever. Because the soul or the "inmost vessel receptive of life" is unique, since no two such vessels can be created exactly alike, therefore, as to his soul every human being is an individual. He receives this individual love as a gift from God. He cannot change it in the least, and it remains as his very life to all eternity. But this love may be exercised in an indefinite number of ways. It does not prevent him from choosing the "ministry, function, office, or employment" for which he is best suited, and from which he derives the greatest satisfaction and enjoyment. His choice may be influenced by many circumstances, by hereditary disposition, by physical ability, by mental talents, by the conditions of the society in which he lives, and by the opportunity for service to others that may present itself.
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He has indeed multiple choices in regard to his career, or occupation. But whatever he chooses, the love that prompts the choice, and the life that empowers the choice, will be that love and that life which inflows from God through his soul. Thus we read:
Every one has his own love, or a love distinct from another's love, that is, the love of one man is not the same as the love of another.* * CL 35.
The reason why his own love remains with every man after death is because love is man's life, and hence is the man himself.* * CL 36.
The life, or the love with its wisdom, which every man receives from God by influx through the soul remains with him to eternity, and it qualifies everything he wills, thinks, or does. It remains with him whether he uses it for good or for ill. It is the only life from which he can think and act, whether he goes to heaven or to hell. The Lord is present by means of it both with angels and with evil spirits. It is the very dwelling of the Lord with man that could not be taken away without depriving him of all life, and indeed of all existence. For this reason, no man can "step into another man's shoes." A thousand people may be engaged in the same ministry, function, office, or employment; but each one will be performing a different, and totally individual use. What is this use? It is to express, through whatever he thinks and does, the individual form of life and love with which he has been endowed by conception. It is to share that gift with others, and thus to enrich their lives with something of life from the Lord which is his very self. He appears to give of himself to others, but it is to be known and acknowledged that what he gives is not really his own, but it is something of the Lord with which he has been blessed. If he shares this gift from love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor, he will be conjoined with the Lord by performing the use for which he was created. Thus we read:
A man is more and more closely conjoined with the Lord, not by knowledge alone, nor by intelligence alone, nor even by wisdom alone, but by the life conjoined with them. Man's life is his love, and love is manifold.* * DP 33.
In deeds or works the whole man is exhibited. His will and thought, or his love and faith, which are his interiors, are not complete until they exist in deeds or works, which are his exteriors, for these are the outmosts in which the will and thought terminate, and without such terminations they are interminate and have as yet no existence, that is, are not yet in the man. . . . Love and will constitute the soul itself of a deed or work, and give form to the body. . . .
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In a word, all things of man and his spirit are contained in his deeds or works.* * HH 475. All this makes clear what the life is that awaits man after death, namely that it is his love and his faith therefrom, not only in potency, but also in act; thus that it is his deeds or works, because in these all things of man's love and faith are contained.* * HH 476. GEORGE DE CHARMS Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
BORROWING FROM THE EGYPTIANS NORBERT H. ROGERS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
Your editorial "Borrowing from the Egyptians" in the February issue is much appreciated.* I should like to underscore one of the points you make, namely that the Israelites were Divinely commanded to borrow jewels of gold and silver from the Egyptians, although, no doubt, they did borrow other things as well on their own initiative. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, p. 76. I would observe, in addition, that the Israelites first misused the borrowed gold by having it cast into the figure of a calf, which they worshiped as the god that led them out of Egypt. By the golden calf is meant natural good. Worshipping it as the god that led them out of Egypt meant that they attributed to merely natural good the power to lead them from a natural state to a spiritual one. It represented no more than what we now call the "social gospel" which is the persuasion that man can make heaven on earth by concentrating on good social works, leaving efforts to attain spiritual good low on the list of priorities. It hasn't worked, for surely conditions on earth continue to be far from heavenly despite every effort to heap good works upon good works. The point I want to make is that it is an ever present tendency of human beings to exalt natural good over spiritual good and to concentrate on attaining the lesser one at the expense of the other more spiritually valuable good. In brief, our ever present natural tendency is to misuse jewels "borrowed from the Egyptians." It is a tendency we should all be aware of and continually strive to overcome. NORBERT H. ROGERS Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
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CHURCH NEWS Various 1975
THE CHURCH AT LARGE
General Conference of the New Church. In the December 7th, 1974, issue of The New-Church Herald there is a copy of a letter which has been sent to all members of societies or groups connected with the General Conference, and which reflects an interesting change in the organizational structure of Conference. It will be noted by many of our readers that this brings their form closer to that which has been familiar in the General Church. We quote: "During the last few years the General Conference has been revising its constitution and an important step in this work was taken at this year's Annual Meeting when new Articles of Association were adopted. These together with the new Memorandum passed the previous year, contain the main principles which now govern the running of the General Conference organization. In the new constitution there is an important change giving greater emphasis to membership of The General Conference than in the past. This emphasis is not intended to weaken the Societies or underestimate their position as the real core of the Conference, but its aim is to recognize the fact that in the last analysis the Church rests on the individual's faith and life. Whilst most of us are members of a local Society, it is right that we should also be members of the whole and wider organized New Church, feeling commitment towards the whole, and equally gaining strength from the whole. . . ." The letter proceeds to invite the recipient to make application for membership in The General Conference of the New Church-that is in addition to being a member of the local society or group. The letter continues: "All registered members of The General Conference of the New Church will obviously have rights within that body, but for legal purposes at the Annual Meeting, it will be necessary to have Voting Members appointed. Under the new Constitution a Society's representatives to the Annual Meeting of Conference will need to be chosen from those members of the Society who are registered members of The General Conference; and these representatives will be the Voting Members at Conference. The number that can be elected will depend upon how many registered members of The General Conference there are on that Society's roll on 31st March each year." Application for registration as a member, in addition to involving agreement to abide by the Memorandum, Articles and Rules of Conference, expresses acceptance of the following declaration of Faith:
"I believe that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the only God of Heaven and Earth, and that in Him is the Divine Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe in the necessity of a life according to the teachings of the Ten Commandments. I believe in the Word of God, or Holy Scriptures, and in the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem drawn therefrom and contained in the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg."
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SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION MORNA HYATT 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS The Seventy-Eighth Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association will be held in the auditorium of Pendleton Hall, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, on Monday, April 21, 1975, at 8:00 p.m. Brief reports and election of President and members of the Board of Directors will be followed by an Address by the Reverend Robert S. Junge on the subject of Comparison and Analogy. All interested persons are cordially invited to attend. MORNA HYATT Secretary
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH N. BRUCE ROGERS 1975
The Annual joint Meeting of the Faculty and Corporation of the Academy will be held at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 1975, in the Assembly Hall, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. The program will include the usual administrative reports of the year's work, followed by a presentation to be announced at a later date. All friends of the Academy are cordially invited to attend. N. BRUCE ROGERS Secretary
SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT ASSEMBLY WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
The Second Southeastern District Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held April 11-13, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia, the Right Reverend Willard D. Pendleton presiding.* WILLARD D. PENDLETON Bishop * The First Southeastern District Assembly was held in May, 1968, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At that time Florida was part of the Southeastern District (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1968, p. 572).
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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1975
CALENDAR FOR SCHOOL YEAR
1975-1976
Ninety-Ninth School Year
1975
Sept. 3 Wed. Faculty Meetings 4 Thurs. Dormitory students must arrive before 8 p.m. College Registration: local students Secondary Schools Registration: local students 5 Fri. College Registration: dormitory students Secondary Schools Registration: dormitory students 6 Sat. 8 a.m. All student workers report to respective supervisors Evening: Separate College and Secondary School Programs 8 Mon. Classes commence in all schools following Opening Exercises
Oct. 24 Fri. Charter Day 11:00 a.m. Charter Day Service (Cathedral) 9:00 p.m. President's Reception (Field House) 25 Sat. 2:30 p.m. Annual Meeting of Academy of the New Church Corporation (Pitcairn Hall) 7:00 p.m. Charter Day Banquet (Field House)
Nov. 26 Wed. End of Fall term Thanksgiving recess begins after morning classes Student workers remain for 4 hours' student work 30 Sun. Dormitory students must return by 8:00 p.m.*
Dec. 1 Mon. Winter term commences in all schools 19 Fri. Christmas recess begins after morning classes Student workers remain for 4 hours' student work
1976
Jan. 4 Sun. Dormitory students must return by 8 p.m.* 5 Mon. All schools resume classes 15 Thurs. Deadline for application for the 1976-1977 school year Feb. 16 Mon. Presidents' Birthday: holiday
Mar. 5 Fri. End of Winter term Spring recess begins after morning classes Student workers remain for 4 hours' student work 14 Sun. Dormitory students must return by 8 p.m.* 15 Mon. Spring term commences in all schools
April 16 Fri. Good Friday: holiday after special chapel service 21 Fri. 7:45 p.m. joint Meeting of Faculty and Corporation (Assembly Hall) 22 Sat. 2:30 p.m. Semi-Annual Meeting of the Corporation of the Academy of the New Church (Pitcairn Hall) 31 Mon. Memorial Day Holiday June 4 Fri. 8:30 p.m. President's Reception (Field House) 5 Sat. 10:30 a.m. Commencement Exercises (Field House)
* See special information under holiday regulations in the Catalog.
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HOPE OF THE DESOLATE Rev. WILLARD L. D. HEINRICHS 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV MAY, 1975 No. 5 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with joy. (Psalm 30: 11)
The Writings for the New Church abound with teachings regarding the way that leads to heaven and the wonderful eternal state of heaven itself. One might expect that these teachings would fill the members of the New Church with hope, encouragement, and a spirit of anticipation. Yet with some people these teachings have the opposite effect. Thought about eternal life precipitates them into a state of hopelessness, discouragement, and despair. When they hear of the wonders of heaven, in a spirit of dull resignation, they think within themselves: "These teachings are for others. They are not for me. For me there is no hope." What could cause such a response to the gospel of the Heavenly Doctrine-the good news concerning eternal life? With many this bitterness and cynicism arises from the fact that their days are haunted by the memory of one or more serious evils that they have indulged in an earlier period of life. They have become convinced that their spiritual life has been ruined beyond hope of recovery. They feel that their past sins will forever consciously and unconsciously overshadow and contaminate their relations with others. For themselves they cannot envisage the possibility of ever perceiving the joy and delight inherent in mutual love with the neighbor and conjugial love with a married partner. The question arises, is there any justification in the Word for us to assume that such a permanently joyless eternal state is inevitable? Can there ever come a time when evils actually committed and enjoyed can be so completely exiled from our mind that they no longer clamor for our attention and defile our pleasure in life?
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To those who mourn in spirit because of states of good that have been destroyed in themselves by evils, and who turn to the Lord in humiliation and despair, our text presents a most wonderful promise: "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with joy." It is evident from many, many passages in the Word for the New Church that so long as we live in this world we should not regard damnation in hell as our inevitable lot. There is, for example, the common teaching that everyone can, if they will, be reformed and regenerated.* To the end of our days in this world the Lord is ever seeking to rescue us from the company of the devils and bring us into the society of good spirits and angels. We are told that the Divine Providence "continually leads unto salvation, and this through various states, sometimes glad, sometimes sorrowful, which the man cannot possibly comprehend; but still they are profitable to his eternal life."** * See DP 202. ** AC 8560. Despite such teachings, we may nevertheless feel convinced that our life has been so mired in the swamps of hell that we are beyond hope of redemption. But let us pause and reflect on the fact that if we are truly and deeply disturbed by our spiritual condition, this in itself is a very favorable sign that we are still salvable. If this disgust with ourselves leads us on into the feeling acknowledgment that we of ourselves are nothing but loathsome evil and falsity, while from the Lord comes all that is good and true, we have in fact come to the very threshold of a heavenly state. When, therefore, we are in a state of spiritual desolation, let us not abandon as vain the teaching of the Word and the life of religion, only to slip back into our former evil ways and the bitterness and frustration, which follow in their wake. We may rest assured that although it appears to be all over with us, this need not be the case. We can be cheered by the prospect that a humble and repentant confession of the heart that we are wholly unworthy to stand before the Lord will, in time, bring our spiritual desolation and despair to an end. When the love of self and vain confidence in self are brought low in humiliation before the Lord, there is, for the first time, room in our hearts for the love of God and the neighbor. These latter loves will inflow, imparting to us the first perception of that happiness of life, which comes from the Lord through heaven. From feeling as if we were condemned to death, we will seem as one set free from prison, the sense of freedom and happiness being heightened by its contrast with the desolation and anguish we have lately endured.* * See AC 6146, 5356. The Lord promises a growing forgetfulness to those who in the utmost of despair, bend before the Lord and not before their evils.
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Their life will no longer be haunted in the same manner by their one or more besetting evils. The contaminating influence of the hells acting through our actual and hereditary evils will be removed, the memory of our evil and its effect on our lives will begin to be pushed beyond the borders of our consciousness as the perception and delight in the opposite good grows.* * See AC 5352-5356. We must realize, however, that so long as we live in this world we will not become completely free of the influence and remembrance of evils that we have once indulged in and enjoyed. Our state, we are told, can only be changed slowly and by degrees.* The removal of evil, and the in rooting of good in its place, cannot be effected in less than the whole course of man's life, and through Divine means numberless and indescribable.** * See AC 7186: 3. ** AC 5354: 3. It is clear that through the Divinely merciful presence and power of the Lord, much can be done even in this life for those who by reason of their past evils have been brought to a state of hopelessness, discouragement, and despair. They need not face the remainder of their years in this world in a spirit of bitter resignation. Still, it must be acknowledged that the consciousness of their past evil will still probably not wholly disappear. Evils committed have their consequences, affecting one's life, in one's work, in one's home, and in one's relations in the community. While we live in this world, these consequences will remain in some measure before our eyes and in our memory, giving rise to feelings of regret which detract from a sense of regenerate happiness and satisfaction. In this natural life our mourning cannot be totally changed into dancing. Our sackcloth cannot be completely cast away. In the other life, however, it can. In this truth the dejected in spirit can find great comfort. In numerous passages of the heavenly doctrine we are told how the Lord mercifully changes and dramatically improves the state of life of those who have come to trust in Him. In the natural world tendencies toward evil acquired by inheritance from parents and grandparents are frequently aroused, causing disturbance within ourselves and in our relationships with others. We may be struggling to put them down, yet sometimes they still flare up. In the other life, with the good, hereditary evil, which can so distort our natural disposition and temperament, ceases Ito trouble the person. Since it is ingrained in the very forms of the mind, it cannot be wholly removed or changed into what is good. But the Lord gradually reduces its activity to nothing "so that it is lulled, as it were, by sleep, or, as it were, by death."* We can well imagine what a dramatic change in a person this operation alone could effect. But there is much more! * SD 2488.
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Shortly after we are awakened in the spiritual world, we begin to surrender the use of our natural memory. It too begins to be lulled into a state of rest. The evil who are obsessed by natural objects and delights resent this operation. The good, however, welcome this change for it means that at last they will be liberated from the memory of experiences and incidents which occurred in their life and which were deeply or mildly disturbing. The objects in the memory which were used by the devils of hell to arouse unworthy sensual desires and bodily lusts are removed beyond recall. With them go all the worldly and material cares and anxieties which so often beset even the best of people. In short, with loss of the use of the natural memory, the good are free from the defiling effect that sensual and material things can have on one's life.* * SD 2188-2190. With this removal of purely natural things from consciousness, good spirits advance from obscurity or comparative shade, into light. It is said that they are much more prompt, sensible, and discerning-quicker to understand and perceive than when they lived in the body.* Many are the teachings which describe how, in the other life, the well-disposed are gifted with faculties of mind far superior to what they enjoyed in the life of the body-how they are enlightened, refreshed and moved by interior joys and delights never before thought possible.** * SD 2252. ** See AC 3957: 2, 3; AC 2699. Still we must not forget those more sobering teachings which often recur in the Writings and which tell us that while unconfirmed hereditary tendencies and our natural memory may be laid to rest after death, nevertheless all the states that a man has acquired in the life of the body are retained in the other life and return.* A state of good or an evil state is said to be acquired by our actually having freely done the good or evil with enjoyment. The good or evil with its pleasures then becomes impressed on the interior memory, which is the basis for our active conscious life in the spiritual world. * See AC 6368: 2. Does this then mean that after death the well-disposed will still retain a consciousness of the contaminating effects of their past evils? The Lord being an infinitely merciful and wise Savior, this could not be a permanent condition. The general teaching regarding the good person is this:
Every state of a man, from his infancy to extreme old age, not only remains in the other life, but also returns, in fact his states return exactly as they were while he lived in this world. Not only do the goods and truths of memory thus remain and return, but also all states of innocence and charity. . . . . . attended with the highest delight and happiness.** *AC 561. ** AC 823.
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Does this mean that evil states imprinted on our life will not return? No, they may return, but notice what is said regarding what the Lord does with them. The passage continues: "When states of evil and falsity recur-for each and all of these, even the smallest, also remain and return -then these states are tempered by the Lord by means of the good states."* * AC 561, cf. SD 4164.
The operation of the Lord's Providence is so marvelous that He does not merely cover over the evils of good people after death, and remove them progressively from consciousness through vastations, He actually makes use of them, tempering them in such a way that where once only what was evil and false came forth, now what is good and true may appear. For example, where once the lust of adultery and the remembrance of its filthy pleasures was aroused, now the love of chaste marriage and its interior delights comes forth. Still in tempering any particular evil state of life and the false ideas associated with it, the Lord does not destroy the evils and falsities. This cannot be done without grievous mischief being done to the man. They remain, but, after a time, do not come to consciousness. Meanwhile the Lord through angels and good spirits gently and gradually associates with the state, by correspondence, what is opposite to the evil and falsity. That is, He introduces what is good and true. In place of hatred there is concern for the neighbor. Where once appeared theft, now there is honesty. Where deceit was practiced, sincerity comes forth. Thus the state as it appears to the person and to others in the spiritual world undergoes a transformation. What is ugly, objectionable and sad is suppressed and what is beautiful, pleasant and happy is introduced and is perceived in its stead.* It is the same principle that governs how angels perceive the Lord's Word. After death they no longer perceive the terrible evils recounted in the letter of Scripture. They are conscious only of things of love and wisdom that are within, and correspond with the letter of Scripture only by opposition. * See SD 2303-2305; cf. SD 2457. The tempering operation that the Lord performs in the other life with the evil states acquired by a good person is variously illustrated and described. It is likened to the replacement of an evil taste or offensive smell by a good taste or a pleasant odor. It is compared to the introduction of sunlight into a cloud following a storm, which produces a rainbow of brilliant and beautiful colors.* * See SD 2490, 2347, 2409; AC 1043. The character of the changes that are actually effected in a person are also described. Regarding our understanding, it is related that our "phantasies are turned into delightful kinds of representations, which are imaginative, which also remain with angels.
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They are most beautiful and pleasant representations, and felicity is inwardly therein."* False ideas associated with our evils no longer appear. When innocence, charity and mercy are insinuated by the Lord, appearances of truth are produced, together with truths from the Lord.** * SD 2350. ** See AC 1043. The Lord, with the good, is able to produce marvelous changes in those things of the will. For example, we are told that proneness to irritability or quick temper can be turned into zeal for what is good and true.* This is but one small example of how the hand of the Lord may work in the bending of what is evil in us to a good end, if we submit willingly to His leading. Thinking from correspondence, every one of us can easily imagine what the Lord may do with other much more serious evils after we enter into eternal life. * See SD 2351. Now when we reflect upon such teachings as these, where is there cause for bitterness and cynicism? When the truths of eternal life are examined in the Word for the New Church, all grounds for hopelessness, discouragement, and despair are banished. There is no room for an attitude of dull resignation. The Lord's arm is not shortened that He cannot save us. Although the remembrance of our evils may sometimes bring us into desolation and despair in this life, although the hells may seek to overwhelm us with self-pity and a spirit of nihilism, let us never surrender. Rather let us prostrate ourselves in humiliation before the Lord that He may raise us up. To those who persevere in temptation He has said "In the evening, weeping may pass the night, but in the morning shall be singing."* Has not the Lord proclaimed that one day we too may turn to Him in happy thanksgiving: "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with joy." Amen. * Psalm 30: 5.
In every generation there are many who ask: why must we have external worship with its ritual? Isn't the life of charity from truth enough? The answer can only be an unqualified no, because the Lord has commanded it. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." The Writings teach that this part of the third commandment is to be literally binding on the church, but that the second part, which commands suspension of labor on the Sabbath day, may be applied according to conscience. Thus we are not just to remember the Sabbath, but are to remember to keep it holy. The literal observance of the Sabbath is an ultimate direct command, which we cannot ignore on account of worldly desires for diversion. As a reinforcement and infilling of the Old Testament command the Lord, in the New Testament, taught the importance of the external acts of worship. He commanded the Holy Supper* and Baptism,** and even taught the disciples how to pray.*** However, such external acts of worship were obviously not at the center of the Lord's message to mankind; rather it was the worship of life that He constantly stressed. "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me."**** * Luke 22: 19. ** Matthew 28: 19. *** Matthew 6: 7-13. **** John 14: 2 1. The way one lives his life is the most important aspect of worship; external worship that is not conjoined with the life of charity may be hypocritical and idolatrous. The externals of worship are said to be only a sign of true charity, not charity itself. At this point perhaps those who do not find any delight in the external acts of worship heave a sigh of relief. But complacency in this matter is unwarranted. The Lord did not except the third commandment when He described the true love of God. Observance of the Sabbath is not only a sign of charity, but it is a sign that is commanded. If we are uneasy with the representation, what can we say about our commitment to what is represented? Perhaps we are unaware of the fact that the Sabbath signifies the three fundamental conjunctions of the church: the union of the Divine Itself with the Divine Human of the Lord, the conjunction of the Lord with the heavens and the church, and the marriage of good with truth in the regenerating man.*
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The following teaching should therefore give us pause for reflection: "By a sign is meant an indication and a testification that a thing exists. . . . There is no internal without its sign and indication."** Thus The teaching of the Writings that worship must be both internal and external for it to be true worship.*** * AE 965. ** Char. 182, 183. *** AC 1083. The internal of worship is love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor; the externals of worship are the rituals of the church such as baptism, the Holy Supper, betrothal, marriage, and instruction from the Word. The internals, may indeed exist without the externals but only as something interminate, flabby, and easily destroyed for lack of foundation.* The externals of worship, however, may only apparently exist without a true internal, for rituals with no internal can only be profane and idolatrous acts from the love of self. Therefore, we must concede the possibility of internal worship existing in a man without its corresponding external. But be it known that all of the commandments of the Lord have very practical justification as well as internal significance; the third commandment is no exception. The man who chooses to disobey it takes a grave risk, the risk of spiritual conceit, if not spiritual indifference. * Ibid. External worship with its ritual is not an end in itself, but only an instrumentality to essential worship, which is love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor from knowledge. Thus at this day the Sabbath is primarily to be a day of instruction from the Word;* its regular observance provides a time, at least once a week, in which we are invited to regain a proper spiritual perspective. And as often as possible, Sabbath worship should be conducted by an ordained priesthood to help protect us from the construction of doctrinal idols. * AC 10360: 8. The Lord commanded: "This do in remembrance of Me." The Lord was speaking specifically of the Holy Supper, but in fact it applies to all worship, for all things of the church and of heaven are in the Lord's Supper. Do these things in remembrance of the Lord; do them to help you remember that He is our Savior that He chose to be born on this earth as any other man and suffered unspeakable torture that we might live. How callous we are when we do not wish to remember this, and opt for another hour's sleep, a round of golf, or other diversion from the tortures we suffer, puny by comparison. Let us not forget, therefore, that while Divine worship primarily consists of the life of charity in the performance of uses, secondarily it consists of the life of piety. This life, the Writings teach,
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consists in thinking and speaking Piously, in devoting much time to prayers, in behaving humbly at that time, in frequenting temples and harkening devoutly to the preaching there, in frequently every year receiving the sacrament of the Supper, and in performing other ordinances of the church.* * HD 124.
An even stronger statement concerning the importance of the life of piety is this:
With the man of the church there must be the life of piety, and there must be the life of charity: they must be joined together. The life of piety without the life of charity is profitable for nothing; but the former together with the latter is profitable for all things.* * AC 8252.
The externals of piety bring the presence of the Lord into our forgetful lives, and without His presence we will never find conjunction with Him. Thus we are taught: "The acknowledgment and worship of the Lord, and reading of the Word, occasion the Lord's presence; and these together, with a life conformable to His precepts form a conjunction with Him."* * AR 796: 2.
The Basis and Structure of Our Service
In speaking of our Sabbath worship in the General Church, it must first be known that the Writings do not spell out for us the proper way to conduct a service of worship. This, however, is not to be considered as a denial of the importance of external worship. Rather, it is just what we should expect from a revelation, which establishes a true internal church. An internal church must develop gradually and therefore cannot be burdened with externals that do not represent its state. In the New Church there is to be no external without its corresponding internal.* Thus what an internal church needs, and what it has been given, are the principles from which genuine externals can be freely derived and gradually changed to express its state. The law of correspondence sees to it that rituals do change, whether we are consciously aware of the correspondence or not. Note how the Catholic Church came to withhold the wine from the laity.** But in order that the ritual of an internal church may serve its intended purpose, which is the stimulation of internal things, the men of that church must understand and acknowledge the internals that are within the externals.*** * AR 918. ** AE 1054: 4. *** AC 4433: 1. In the General Church, we are deeply indebted to the work of two men, Bishop W. F. Pendleton, and Bishop George de Charms, who have both contributed significantly to the development of distinctive ritual in the General Church. Their conclusions, modified by counsel, form much of the basis of our ritual today.
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But never did either of these men intend that their work be the final answer, for there is no such thing. Let us therefore follow the line of reasoning, which they and others have followed, for only then can we fairly judge the results of their work apart from personal prejudice. Where does one begin in the effort to set up a distinctive ritual? With a little reflection it is clear that this is no simple question. The answer which they found (and justified by doctrine) was to accept the best of the past. Ritual, it was thought, was the sense of the letter of the Word in action. Since the letter of the Word had not changed, it was concluded that the ritual of the Christian Church need not be completely changed, but only revised and reinterpreted in the light of the internal sense. Therefore, our service resembles the Episcopal service used as a model from which to begin. Of course, significant changes were made to remove representations of false doctrines, or misplaced emphases. The principles used to do this can be divided into two classes. The first class is of primary importance, since each of these principles has been drawn directly from the Heavenly Doctrine. The second class may be considered to be external refinements, which are primarily a matter of art. The former include the essentials of external worship and proper representation, and these must dictate the basic order; while the latter are matters of application. Those principles of the first class, which have been drawn directly from doctrine, include what were seen to be the essentials of all worship, drawn from an internal understanding of the two great sacraments which the Lord Himself instituted. Thus the internals of baptism and the Holy Supper, the two universal gates of entrance into heaven,* were thought to be the essentials which must underpin the whole of the service. Baptism has relation to the forms of ritual expressive of repentance, temptation, and humiliation; the Holy Supper to those of praise, adoration, and glorification.** Thus our Sabbath worship progresses from a state of humiliation, represented by the early prayers, the Lord's prayer, the responses on the knees, to the state of instruction from the Word prepared for by humiliation and its resolve for repentance; and finally, through the instruction of the sermon, a state of renewed acknowledgment of the Lord's glory, mercy, and power should climax the service. This is usually reflected in hymns of praise and adoration sung after the sermon. * TCR 670. ** W. F. Pendleton, Notes and Papers on Ritual, (Academy of the New Church Bookroom, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1956), pp. 1 and 29. There are other elements of the service drawn from doctrine, which are a matter of infilling representation.
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To name but a few, these include such rituals as the free will offering, the opening and closing of the Word in silence, the opening sentence, the singing of hymns, instrumental music, the masking of the personality of the minister by using robes and covering his movements with the placement of music, and finally the blessing on the congregation. The principles of the second class are by no means as indisputable. They are primarily applications of the laws of art, all of which we know are from heaven.* These principles have arisen from the collective feeling and understanding of the past in these matters, and are therefore open to improvement by the collective feeling and understanding of the present and future. It is these latter principles which bring the specific application of the former and essential ones into being. A few examples of these principles of application are: that the service should not be ostentatious, that it should not have military procession or precision, that it should reflect common courtesy, that there should be no unexpected breaks or prolonged pauses, and that the service should be appropriately simple, by which is implied that what is simple for a cathedral setting is not simple for a small group in a home. * HH 185; CL 12: 2. One may include in these latter principles the criteria used to select the directly artistic aspects of the service such as the architecture of the temple, such visual art as is appropriate in carvings, embroidery, and windows, and of course, the music. Since the art of writing has developed on this earth for the purpose of giving ultimate permanence to the Lord's Word,* it is not difficult for us to conclude that the interior purpose of all art is the glorification of the Lord and illustration of His Word. Certainly we know that music and visual art were important aspects of the ritual of the Ancient Church.** But whatever the case may be, from the direct teaching concerning the power of visual and musical correspondences, it is fascinating to try to imagine what the future may hold in store for the ritual of the New Church. * AC 9351, 9358, 9793. ** AC 8337, 8261; SS 23. At present the musical applications of our ritual are variable. For instance, we have good hymns and hymns that are not so good, and this goes for chants and antiphons as well. But the selection of music is often dictated by the subject to be expounded in the sermon, quite apart from its artistic merit. Thus, at this point, our service can only be as aesthetically pleasing as the individual quality of each of its elements will allow it to be. This is not to denigrate the tremendous job that has been done to improve our liturgy over the years, but severe limitations are placed on those who revise the liturgy when music must be borrowed from others and words forced to fit it. Thus we desperately need new hymns written by New Church composers. And perhaps, when the church is at last among many, and the talent and motivation is available, new instrumental music written from a knowledge of correspondence could affect us in ways yet unimagined by even the great composers of the past.
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There is little doubt that New Church artists have a wide open field now and in the future to improve the external worship of the crown of all the churches, and our schools probably should be doing more to bring this about.
Principles of Ritual Development
This brings us to the delicate subject of change in ritual. Perhaps we can take the Lord's words as a basic guide: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."* The Lord established the Sabbath for us, to benefit us spiritually, and therefore the church, as custodian of the Sabbath, has the responsibility to do all that it can to make the Sabbath do that. Today there is much talk about new forms of worship, which will meet the states of the present generation. This is good, for the church must change to grow; new states of awareness must be allowed to be expressed. But not just any state of awareness is to be expressed in worship; it must be awareness of the Lord, and Him only. * Mark 2: 27. Therefore, the only change that is of order in our external worship is that change which springs from an internal that is not now being expressed. Any other kind of change is merely innovation, or change for the sake of change. Innovation gradually reduces ritual to the level of mere sensation, which becomes more and more demanding and vulgar as the internal life departs, at last leaving but a corpse. Such changes in internal and external worship come about with the fall of every church.* This is a clear and powerful warning not to go unheeded. * AC 1241. But change itself is not dangerous provided it is accomplished through proper means. Of primary importance in this endeavor, as in any, is charity. It is a foolish contradiction to embark on a crusade to better the church, while ignoring the adverse effect we may be having on others. We cannot conveniently forget the Lord's words: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me."* The principle of patience and courteous understanding of the feelings and views, of others is essential if we hope to accomplish something genuinely good. A wise man loves the means as well as the end, for he knows that the wrong means destroys the end and substitutes self in its place. * Matthew 25: 40.
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Thus whether we like it or not, the proper development of ritual is slow development. Only through gradual change can there be any assurance that our ritual actually reflects the true internal state of the church. For ritual to reflect the prejudices or intellectual notions of one man would be a gross disorder. We must build on what we already have, even if it means major reconstruction, for to deny the best of the past is to insure folly in the future.
If Change is Desired
Suppose, then, that there is some aspect of our service which we feel needs to be changed. How would we proceed? The first thing we need to determine is whether or not our feeling is the product of personal prejudice alone and would therefore result in a mere innovation, or whether the offensive external actually is contrary to the true internal state of the church in general. To do this we must begin with a study of the Word, seeking guidance from the Lord. The general doctrine which must light our way in this study is the principle that all worship is both from the Lord and to the Lord,* and therefore only those things which look to the Lord belong in worship. Thus the corollary of this principle is that the forms of worship must be representative of the Lord,** and therefore drawn from the Word.*** Following these principles is the only guard against innovation. * AC 6674 et al. ** AC 10436. *** AC 8943. The idea that it no longer really matters what we do in worship is false. Although the age of representative churches has ended, there is still communication with heaven through the correspondences of the letter of the Word, and there is still communication from those correspondences acted out or spoken.* What has changed is that now this communication can only be completely effected through each individual's understanding of the representation,** and then according to his genuine internal worship.*** This is why the Lord has now made the Sabbath a day of instruction in the doctrine of faith and of love.**** * AC 1618, 43 11. ** AC 402 7. *** AC 3480. **** AC 10360: 8. There is no room in the New Church for the autonomous man who, while acknowledging God, nevertheless chooses the mode of his salvation and the rituals of his worship simply according to his own emotional needs. The church is not only for man's sake, for then it would be an utterly selfish institution; it is also to serve as a basis for the heavens. Vague emotional surges are not the stuff worship is made of, and if such emotion becomes the basis of external worship the result is invertebrate ceremony, which perhaps titillates the lassitude of bored souls, but does not communicate with heaven.
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If these principles are followed and it is found that some aspect of our service is contrary to them, then it should be brought to the attention of a minister who may then wish to present it to the Council of the Clergy. The ritual of the church is under the auspices of ecclesiastical government; therefore an initiation of change can only come from the Bishop in consultation with the clergy, and this because it is the function of the priesthood to provide that the Divine be among men in both internal and external worship. If this seems to be too much of a stricture to progress, we need only remember the powerful warning against innovation. Moreover a quick look at one of the early liturgies of the Academy will assure any doubters that our ritual is indeed changing.
The More Immediate Concern
The greater responsibility for us as individuals is not the change we can make in the church, but rather the change we can make in ourselves. No relationship can survive if one of the parties is expected to do all the accommodating. This is especially true when one of the parties is an organization, which must accommodate itself to many individuals. Perhaps we should consider the precarious position of the church in this age of neo-paganism, and be as delicate as possible in our criticisms of her, however valid. Perhaps we may take the words of the psalmist as a gentle warning to us from the church: "It was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him; but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company."* If we intellectually decide that we cannot benefit from our present form of worship, we can be sure that there is little our associate evil spirits would love more than to make this a self-fulfilling prophecy. * Psalm 55: 12-14.
Before We Make Changes
If there is some unrest with out present ritual, there are many things that can be done within the present framework of our liturgy without a single revision. The liturgy allows for much greater variety than many of us give it credit for. For instance, more use could be made of section four of the first four offices, while perhaps cutting out other things to keep the service within customary length. And nothing dictates that there must be a sermon every Sunday.
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In fact, Bishop W. F. Pendleton felt that it would be a useful break to have a devotional service once a month. Laymen, on the other hand, should be reminded of one of the great advantages of an established liturgy. Many of us have sung its hymns and repeated its offices since childhood. Do we really need to keep our heads buried in the book? Although many people find that reading the words is an aid to worship by relieving the burden of memory, others find that memory is not a problem when the book is closed and that they enjoy a greater concentration on the meaning of offices and hymns, and so are more affectionally involved. There is also an old Christian tradition, which perhaps could be usefully revived in the New Church. That is the habit of bringing one's own copy of the Word to the service and reading the lessons with the minister. Those who find the open liturgy a comfort may also find the open Word an aid to concentration. From its beginning there has been much resistance in the New Church to extensive ritual. Perhaps this is because many of the receivers of the new doctrines came from Protestant sects which shunned the elaborate ritual of the Catholic Church. Perhaps it was the fear that the formal would disturb and at last replace the essential. But, whatever the case may be, action in ritual represents charity, for charity is the doing of truth. If our intent is to strip the ritual of the New Church to the barest minimum, to mere passive instruction or something close to it, we should consider this representation and look for the cause.
VISITORS TO BRYN ATHYN 1975
Visitors to Bryn Athyn on any occasion who need assistance in finding accommodation please communicate with the Guest Committee, c/o Mrs. Leo Synnestvedt, 611 Waverly Lane, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. Phone: (215)WIlson 7-3725.
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CHANGE Rev. KURT H. ASPLUNDH 1975
Light from Doctrine on Some Current Changes
(The second of a series of three Doctrinal Classes. See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, April issue, p. 146.)
In this class we will look at some of the areas of life where change is apparent and of concern to the New Churchman. I would remind you at the outset that my remarks on the following issues do not represent an official position or doctrine of the church that must be accepted without question or further thought. That is not to be the way of this church. Pronouncements from the pulpit, statutes or decrees do not build the kingdom of heaven in man. Human freedom must be respected. Instruction in rational principles of use and order must be given from doctrine but in such a way that each man of the church may be led to form an individual conscience. Men should not be persuaded by priests to adopt attitudes and practices that they do not inwardly espouse. Their hearts should be moved by new affections that have their origin in the New Heaven. So long as these inner affections are absent, there is no life in the religion of "Thou shalt not." It is difficult to select from the many possibilities, those few areas of change which can be considered adequately in the space of a class, and which present perhaps the most important challenge to the church. The areas of change on which we will touch include religion, philosophy, morality, the sexes, marriage and birth control.
Religion
There is no doubt about the change that has taken place in the Christian world since the last judgment. While the state of the church may appear similar outwardly it is inwardly changed. The spirit has been removed from the former Christian Churches; the Lord has raised up a New Church in which He can be received on earth, and with which He will dwell to all the ages. Because the real spirit of religious life has been transferred from the old to the New Christian Church other changes have begun to manifest themselves.
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One of these is the ecumenical movement, hailed by many as a progressive development. This is a joining together of denominations and churches under a common banner. Because the doctrines which once separated these bodies are virtually ignored, and their beliefs are becoming blurred, there seems no valid reason to remain separate. "We all worship the same God," is a common observation. "We're all working toward the same heaven." The New Church, which stands apart from this ecumenicism, proclaiming differences and distinctness, is viewed with suspicion and often criticism. Why don't we join in this "good and worthy" cause of Christian brotherhood and mutual service? It is true that the Christian denominations all worship the same God-an invisible God. If He cannot be seen there is no way to distinguish one idea of Him from another. But the New Church worships a visible God and should not leave this position of sight for the blindness of modern Christianity. Again, the Christian denominations seem truly to be working toward the same heaven-a heaven of social good on earth. There is no obstacle to their joining together in their noble efforts for the betterment of mankind. But the New Church looks to the establishment of the new spiritual heaven, and its eternal uses. It should not be drawn down from that purpose for which the Lord raised it up, to expend it new, which will better represent our state of mind.
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Viewing this change from the point of view of the New Church, we can see the reason for it, and we can see, at the same time, the challenge for the New Church to bring truth and meaning, and spiritual direction and purpose back to the lost souls of the Christian world.
Philosophy
The handmaiden of religion is said to be philosophy. So it is that as the spiritual truths of religion fade in the world, the humanistic and existential philosophies take their rise. The humanistic philosophy concerns itself with man's needs and wants. It looks to the salvation of mankind by man, through man's intelligence. This is patently in contradistinction to a trust in the providence of the Lord. The existential philosophy is the rationale of the "now generation." Life is not directed to predestined ends but arises out of experience, free choice of the will, and subjective awareness of opposite forces and possibilities. In reacting to a book on Existentialism and the New Christianity by the late Rev. Harry Barnitz, a General Church priest had this to say about the philosophy:
The essence of existentialism [is] despondency and despair, emphasizing will and power only, denial of system and order, and making all learning subjective. This [is] dangerous for young people who in trying to establish their own values, [find] themselves in states of doubt about absolute truth and Divine authority. It [tends] to lead to license, experiment and rebellion, and [reflects] the breakdown of old Christianity rather than the rise of the new. * The Rev. Robert S. Junge, reported in the Secretary's Digest of the Council of the Clergy Meetings, 1970, p. 19.
Moral Values
Perhaps declining interest in religious truth and acceptance of existential philosophy has contributed to the decay of moral integrity in the modern world. It is claimed that there is a new morality. The old moral restraints are viewed as confining-the shackles of a past age. Why should we be bound by these? It is well that moral behavior be reexamined by each new generation. Morality should be based on rational consent and its forms should be a result of rational understanding. A moral man sees certain acts and attitudes to be evils "hurtful to the commonwealth and thus contrary to the laws of humanity."* A mere conformity to social custom is not an adequate moral life. But what principle is to guide the cultivation of moral attitudes and behaviors? * Life 108.
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It is typical of moral thinking today that there is no absolute or authoritative principle to follow. Instead, man is to base his behavior on a love for the good of humanity. An editorial in the NEW CHURCH LIFE takes up this question in an analysis of situational ethics.
Situational ethics is a concept of morality in which there are no absolutes. All fixed principles, including the Ten Commandments, are rejected, and in love alone is found the only fixed content of morality. Situational ethics concentrates on immediate relations between persons, and claims that love alone is demanded. The only moral imperative, it is said, is that we try to bring about maximum wholeness in the other person, and code-law is entirely inadequate to achieve this. But love is never authoritatively defined. In situational ethics the individual must decide for himself and as he pleases what love is, often in the heat of the moment. He determines his behavior, not according to any Divinely revealed principles, but according to his own evaluation of the situation in which he finds himself at any given time; and he must make his decision on the basis of what he concludes is the demand of love in that situation in terms of "fulfillment," "meaningfulness" or expediency.* * The Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1967, p. 519.
Morality, new or old, cannot stand-alone. It is a garment to clothe and present to public view the spirit of the man who wears it. Morality takes its real quality from religion, thus from a deeper acknowledgment of the principles and purposes of life which God has revealed. Dr. Hugo Odhner in the Moral Life writes "to divorce morals from religion is the great error of our age."* Dr. Odhner notes the confusion that exists in a world searching for some theory of morals. "This confusion," he says "is due to the original fact that the Christian Church separated the doctrine of life from the realm of faith, and disowned the spiritual value of morals. . . ."** He leaves us with this word of warning: * Hugo Lj. Odhner, Moral Life, (Bryn Athyn, Pa., General Church Military Service Committee, 1944), p. 5. ** Ibid., p. 13.
The world today is not turning upon the New Church with attacks upon its doctrine, as such. The old dragon has been cast down upon the earth-and makes war on the seed of the Woman by subtler means. Our future as a church in the next generation will largely depend on our success to withstand the pressure of the world's morals upon us and our children.* * Ibid., p. 8.
These words were written thirty years ago. We might reflect on the changes we have experienced in that period of time and ask ourselves how we are holding up.
Marriage and Family Life
I wish to turn now to an area of change, which should be of deep concern to the New Churchman. This is a broad area including new attitudes toward the relation of the sexes, the institution of marriage, divorce, the propagation of children, the importance of the home, and the proper upbringing and education of children.
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The New Church is touched by developments in all these areas. It is our responsibility to look at these changes in the light of doctrine and to evaluate them. Some of the most sickening suggestions in the futuristic literature, which is surprisingly vast, concern marriage, or should I say the lack of it, and the family, or the lack of it. While these certainly are not the sentiments of a majority, or even a large number of people, they represent an attack on cultural values and institutions which is gaining popularity and against which there seems to be no rational defense; no defense that is, outside the teachings of the New Church. We are reminded here of a statement at the beginning of the work Heaven and Hell showing how that work was given to combat a spirit of denial of the existence of spiritual things:
Lest, therefore, such a spirit of denial, which especially prevails with those who have much worldly wisdom should also infect and corrupt the simple in heart and the simple in faith, it has been granted me to associate with angels and to see what is in the heavens . . . and to describe these, in the hope that ignorance may thus be enlightened and disbelief dissipated.* * HH 1.
This could also be said of the work Conjugial Love and its importance in protecting the "simple in heart and the simple in faith" from the outrageous suggestions of the worldly-wise in their denial of the importance of marriage. "Conjugial love, is not now on earth," Swedenborg wrote in a work on marriage, "but still it can be raised up with those who will be of the New Jerusalem."* How challenging this is for us, and how hopeful these words in the work Conjugial Love: "Conjugial love will be raised up anew by the Lord, such as it was with the ancients . . . [but] this love is . . . with those who are made spiritual by [the Lord] through the Word."** * De Conjugio, Second Index, ** CL 81e. Much of the change we note in the world today seems related to a blurring of distinctions that were once clear. So it is with the current discussion of the relation of the sexes. There is a confusion of what is masculine and what is feminine. The clear teachings of the Writings offer insights into the essential nature of each, and their proper relation in life. No woman need feel slighted by what the Writings teach concerning the feminine nature and the feminine contribution to the conjugial. One of the underlying assumptions in the controversy over women's rights is the false one that men and women have independent life.
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Conjugial unity is achieved by the conjunction of two interdependent parts. Man is but half a man, even as woman is but half a man. When the two are joined in a living conjugial relationship they become one full, or complete man. In heaven they may even appear as one angel.* * AE 1004: 4. But the assumption is that they are independent, not mutually dependent. The idea of marriage still is regarded by most people as a useful and blessed institution, but only so long as it may be entered without surrender of one's independence. What is lacking here is the idea that the true conjugial relationship is a molding of two lives into one. "They two shall be one flesh,"* the Lord said. * Matthew 19: 6. The point is made clear by seeing the distinction between mutual love and conjugial love. In mutual love (which is the lesser of the two loves) "one wills to give all that is his to the other, except his own life," while in conjugial love it is the life of the one that is given to the other.* We also read that "mutual love is to wish better for another than for one's self; but the tie of conjugial love is still closer. One in that relation . . . experiences the highest felicity in giving himself up to his conjugial partner, that their minds may be united as one. . . ."** * SD 4436. Italics added. ** SD 4229. When we talk about "the conjugial" we are not talking then about a happy agreement by men and women that they will share the same house and bank account. We are talking about the Divine means to provide for their salvation and happiness, for one thing; to provide that they do not love themselves. The conjugial is "the precious jewel of human life and the repository of the Christian religion."* * CL 457. While the conjugial represents a specific conjunction between a husband and wife, I believe it also represents an ideal of life that may be generally applied and may be enjoyed by the unmarried as well as the married. The conjugial exists whenever and wherever uses are rightly performed by men and women. The right performance of them depends upon a wisdom sought by men, which is receptive of the conjugial sphere inspired by women. One area where we can work for the perfection of the conjugial relationship is in the body of the church organization. The health of a church will be from the unity in it of masculine men and feminine women each contributing their distinctive part to the promotion of Divine ends. Just as the human body would die should the heart and lungs cease to operate interdependently, so too will the church, or any use, die where men and women cease to operate interdependently for its welfare.
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But the conjugial takes its most perfect and intimate form in the marriage relationship. Because its use is exalted the Lord has provided ultimates of order to help protect and sustain marriage. These are being challenged by many today. But the teachings of the church seem clear. Marriage is to be approached by orderly modes; it is to be entered into by a formal ceremony that is consecrated by a priest. It is to be protected from casual dissolution by laws of order concerning divorce and separation, and the declaration that it is at least a covenant for life.* * CL 295-314, 276. It is the teaching of the Writings that true marriage is eternal. It does not end with life. This exalts the marriage relationship, lifting it from the natural to the spiritual realm. We are taught "unless eternity, or eternal conjunction be thought of, a woman is not a wife, but a concubine; and from the lack of the idea of eternity, conjugial love perishes."* How far this thought is from the suggestions of the modernists that partners may be taken and discarded at will! * SD 6110: 16. One of the common practices in the world today which the Writings would identify as a dangerous disorder is the indulgence of the sense of touch prior to and during courtship but before consent to marriage is given. The general principle of the Writings on this matter is that the sense of touch is dedicated to conjugial love-a love which looks to one of the opposite sex.* Prior to his looking to conjugial love man acts from natural or roaming love of the sex, desiring only external conjunctions and pleasures of the body.** * CL 210. ** CL 38. One reason for avoiding the use of the sense of touch in courtship prior to consent to marriage is that it takes away free consent. To employ the sense of touch prematurely as an expression of affection, or to allow it to come into casual use, brings this danger: it may deceive one into believing that there is love where love is not.* We know further that the sense of touch is related to the will of man.** Indulgence in this sense stimulates or arouses the will-even against the clearer judgment of the understanding. "If it happens that the lust of the flesh is aroused to a heat beyond what the spirit acting from reason can restrain, it follows that the state is inverted and the heat of lust pours such allurements over the spirit that it is no longer master of its own reason and hence of its duty."*** * See SD 6110: 44. ** AC 5077: 3. *** CL 488. There is therefore a responsibility to be shared by both men and women-young men and maidens-to guard against indulgence in pre-marital sex experience. This requires the exercise of restraint and self-discipline and the friendly protection that comes from chaperonage.
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Some may say that it is unnatural to restrain ourselves from employing the sense of touch in our relations with the opposite sex. Yes, it is un-natural. But we are trying to avoid purely natural relationships. We should be looking toward an ideal of marriage that is spiritual. And marriage is qualified by that degree of height to which it rises before descending into the natural.* * CL 302. For those who wish to enter into further consideration of this topic, I would refer you to an outstanding article on "Virginity" by Bishop Elmo C. Acton, published in the fall number of the Theta Alpha Journal, 1966. I have dwelt at some length on this consideration of the sense of touch and premarital sex experience because here, again, the New Church stands alone with rational principles and spiritual ideas on a beachhead whose shifting sands are washed by a sea of sensuality and undermined by rip-tides of eroticism. Here is a specific challenge for young people. If you feel that the New Church ought to help the world and not be so turned in upon itself, then here is one example of where the New Church can be of use. The world is losing all idea of true marriage. New Church young people have the opportunity to demonstrate that there is a love, so rare that it is scarcely known to exist. They can help bring the true idea of marriage back to earth. They can start by making an example of their own social relationships, and by standing up, courageously, for something the world needs desperately to have restored. When a marriage has taken place, the couple is immediately faced with the uses of marriage. Among these is the use of procreation. What is the New Church couple to think about the current concern regarding overpopulation? If we are to think rationally on the subject of population increase and control we must open our minds to the light of Divine and spiritual principles of truth. Our natural experience must be enlightened by the thought of eternal and spiritual ends, which are involved. We must remember that man is not just another animal on the face of the earth, but a spiritual being destined to a life of use in the eternal kingdom of the heavens. We are reminded by the Psalm that "the earth is the Lord's,"* and it is for His purposes. It is not ours, or for our pleasure and benefit. The earth is the seminary of heaven. The use of our earth is to support the procreations of human life so that heaven may thereby be increased. It is for this reason that the Lord, having made the earth and having put man on it, commanded him to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. * Psalm 24: 1. The Writings speak of conjugial love as "the most excellent of all uses." Why? "For thence is the procreation of the human race," we are told, "and from the human race, the angelic heaven."*
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Man ought to desire the procreation of children in marriage "that human society might be augmented, for the common good" and especially "that heaven might thereby be multiplied."** * CL 183: 7. ** AC 1272. Thinking of the earth as the Lord's, and not ours, helps us reject purely natural or selfish ideas regarding the population of the earth. We might ask ourselves if our fears of overpopulation are based on purely selfish concerns. Do we seek population control because an increase will take away from our affluence and comfort? Do we regret the increase of infant newcomers to our world because we fear we must share with them some of the space and time we want for ourselves? This question has immediate application to our own family. For what reason might we limit our own family? Is it because we do not have space for another child in the house? Is it because the cost will deprive us of some luxury? Our reasons often are more subtle. I want to give my children the best of everything, a good home, a good education. Therefore, I will limit my family to the number for which I can provide these things. In seeking to give such things, though, are we not simply passing on to the next generation our own natural sense of values. Are we not giving our son a stone when we should be giving him bread-a serpent when he asks for a fish? If we truly desire to give our children a good home and a good preparation for life it will be in filling our home life with the love of the Lord's purposes, welcoming with genuine delight each Dew heaven-sent child as a potential man of use in the heavenly kingdom of uses. If we seek to give the best food and clothing, let us then see that we feed our children with the truths of the Word in family worship, and clothe them with virtues of morality fitting to their needs and states. No amount of natural wealth or abundance by itself truly benefits a child with what he needs. Indeed, the physical necessities of life are quite modest in comparison with what we generally regard as our own minimum standard of living. In our moments of spiritual sanity we recognize the value of a human being, of a child, and his potential usefulness to the common good. If but one of our own children were to be taken back by the Lord, as if never born, could we honestly decide which one we would give up? What of our earthly possessions would we not be willing to exchange for the life of that child? Why then should we not feel the same willingness to sacrifice in externals for the sake of providing for additions to a family? More than ever before the fear of the problems of a population increase is given as a reason why we ought to employ birth control and large scale measures of population planning.
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The New Churchman should not accept this reasoning. It is based on natural thought alone. It does not take into account the purpose of the Lord's creation of the universe, nor the power of His providence. Conjugial love and the love of offspring go hand in hand. When the one diminishes, so too, does the other. But when conjugial love increases, so too, does the love of offspring. One of the responsibilities of the New Church is to rebuild the conjugial. As this is done, men will see the ways in which the Divine providence is able to provide for the offspring they are given. It should be emphasized that conjugial love can exist where there are no offspring-but not apart from the love of offspring. So we are clearly taught in the Writings that "since marriages are for the sake of the propagation of offspring, thus of terrestrial society and thence of celestial, which [end] is Divine . . . therefore whatever prevents or destroys marriages and thus destroys propagation, that is diabolical."* * SD 3697. Because of the Divine end in marriage, and because of the importance of its use to partners themselves in the development of love truly conjugial, we conclude that nothing should interfere with the normal propagation of offspring. This is not an ecclesiastical dictate to be followed in blind obedience. This appears to be the teaching of the heavenly doctrine. Each individual is to see and acknowledge this truth for himself, and each individual is to use his own rational judgment to see its application in his own marriage. In this area of our attitude toward birth control, as also in the area of seeking marriage within the church, and in other areas of church life where the New Church seems to stand alone in the face of changes in the world, we may be reminded of the Lord's "hard sayings." For the Lord, when on earth, taught things that caused many followers to turn away from Him. The disciples said to Him: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?"* When many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him, He said to the twelve: "Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter, answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."** * John 6: 60. ** Ibid., vss. 67 and 68.
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HOW CAN WE INTERPRET THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT? Rev. GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
(This is the second of three articles dealing with the period between the Babylonish captivity and the birth of the Lord. See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, April issue, p. 153.)
We have suggested that the term "representative of a church" can be applied to the Jewish Church only during the lifetime of the Israelitish and Jewish nation. Furthermore, we believe that it can be applied only to the life story of that nation, as this has been Divinely told in the historical books of the Old Testament. There, as the Writings clearly state, the birth of the Jewish nation is represented by the call of Abram,* and the death of that nation is represented by the conquest of the land by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.** Between these two events the story progresses in consecutive order, and the sacred text itself becomes the representative of a church. * Genesis 12: 1. ** II Kings 25. If we are correct in this assumption, the question immediately arises as to the status of the Jewish Church during the six hundred years that intervened from the Babylonian captivity to the birth of the Lord. During all this period it could hardly represent a true church because the Jews were a subject people, under tribute to idolatrous nations. Nevertheless it was protected in providence because of vital functions in connection with the advent of the Lord, that only these people could possibly perform. Among these was the preservation intact of the manuscripts containing the life story of the nation, by means of which alone a connection might be preserved between men on earth and the angels of heaven. The teaching is clear that there must always be a true church on earth, or in this case the representative of such a church, lest the connection between angels and men be completely severed. No one could perform this task of keeping open the path of influx from heaven but the Jewish scribes. Also it was essential that a remnant of simple faith must be preserved among the Jews, capable of receiving the Lord at His coming. That such a remnant was preserved is evident from what is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist,* also concerning the shepherds who heard the announcement of the angels, and came to worship the infant Jesus in the manger at Bethlehem,** and concerning the aged Simeon.***
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In addition to this it was imperative that a Virgin of the house of David, should be raised up, through whom the Lord might assume a human in the world, to become "the Word made flesh" to "dwell among us."**** * Luke 1: 6. ** Luke 2: 8-20. *** Luke 2: 25-36. **** John 1: 14. What then shall we say of the prophetical books of the Old Testament? Why are they placed in the received canon, after the second Book of Kings? This is puzzling because many of the prophets who wrote these books lived long before the conquest of the land. Jonah, for instance, prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, about 862 B.C. Joel and Amos both lived during the reign of Uzziah, about 800 to 787 B.C. Hosea's prophecy was contemporary with those of Isaiah, Micah and Nahum, about 785 to 713 B.C. Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Habakkuk prophesied immediately before, and during, the final destruction of Jerusalem, 606 B.C. Only the prophecies of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, belong to the period of the restoration. One wonders why these prophetical books were not interlarded with the historical books, and thus placed in obvious relation to the circumstances to which their prophecies were addressed. We find, however, that their placement in the canon seems to be taken for granted by Swedenborg. In the little posthumous work entitled A Summary Exposition of the Prophets and Psalms we find no mention of the historic situation to which the prophecies were addressed. The subjects to which they do refer are briefly listed in The Doctrine of the Lord, number 3, as follows:
The subjects concerning the Lord that are treated of in all the prophets of the Old Testament, from Isaiah to Malachi, both in general and in particular, are these: 1. The Lord came into the world in the fullness of times,, which was when He was no longer known by the Jews, and when consequently there was nothing of the church left; and unless He had then come into the world and revealed Himself, mankind would have perished in eternal death. As He Himself says: "Except ye believe that I am, ye shall die in your sins." 2. The Lord came into the world to execute a last judgment, and thereby to subdue the existing dominance of the hells. This was affected by means of combats (that is, temptations), admitted into His maternal human, and the attendant continual victories. Unless the hells had been subjugated no man could have been saved. 3. The Lord came into the world in order to glorify His Human, that is, unite it to the Divine, which was in Him from conception. 4. The Lord came into the world in order to set up a new church which should acknowledge Him as the Redeemer and Savior, and be redeemed and saved through love to Him, and faith in Him.
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5. He at the same time reduced heaven into order, so that it made a one with the church. 6. The passion of the cross was the last combat or temptation, by means of which He completely conquered the hells and fully glorified His Human.
In the following work on the Holy Scripture it will be seen that the Word treats of no other subjects than these.
In other parts of the Writings we find a few scattered references to the prophets, and at times in connection with the historic events to which their prophecies specifically referred. Even so, the Writings always point to the spiritual sense of the Word, which is timeless, and universally applicable to any age, and any church. In number 932 of the Apocalypse Revealed we read: "The Apocalypse is a Word similar to the prophetic Word of the Old Testament." We have taken this to mean that the Apocalypse is to the New Testament, what the prophetical books are to the Old Testament. The Apocalypse was written some seventy years after the Lord's resurrection. It describes the state of the Christian Church such as it would be at its end; the temptations through which that church was to pass at the time of its consummation, and the last judgment to be effected in the spiritual world at that time by the Lord. Finally it foretells the second coming of the Lord and the establishment of the New Church, represented by the New Jerusalem, with a remnant of simple good Divinely preserved among those of the former Christian Church. The relation of the Apocalypse to the gospels would seem to be parallel to the relation of the prophetical books of the Old Testament to the representative Jewish Church. They describe the last state of the Jewish Church, the advent of the Messiah, and the work of Divine redemption to be wrought by the promised Savior. Thus they have to do with the period between the Babylonian captivity and the birth of the Lord into the world. Considered in this way the first and second advents of the Lord are one. The second is but the continuation and completion of the first. In the spiritual sense of the Word ', the warnings of impending catastrophe pronounced by the ancient prophets, and their promises of eventual victory over the forces of evil, are not confined to the specific states of the Jewish Church. They are equally applicable to the first Christian Church, and indeed to the New Church. They apply to all men, and every age. It is interesting to note that, not only is the placement of the prophetical books of the Old Testament in the received canon approved in the Writings, but the same is true of the order in which they are placed, regardless of the times in which they were written.
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They evidently have a spiritual order of their own, as is evident from the following statement in The Doctrine of the Lord:
It has been granted me to go through all the prophets and the Psalms of David, and to examine each single verse, and to see what is there treated of, and it was seen that nothing else is treated of but the church established, and to be established by the Lord, the Lord's advent, combats, glorification, redemption, and salvation; and heaven from Him, together with their opposites. Because all of these are the Lord's work, it appears that the whole Sacred Scripture is concerning the Lord, and hence that the Lord is the Word.* * Lord 37.
We learn further, from the True Christian Religion that the order in which the prophetical books of the Old Testament are placed in the Christian canon reflects the orderly arrangement of all the societies of heaven:
I have been permitted to learn through much experience that man has communication with heaven through the Word. While reading the Word, from the first chapter of Isaiah to the last of Malachi, and also the Psalms of David, and keeping my thought fixed upon the spiritual sense, a clear perception was given me that each verse communicated with some society of heaven, and thus the whole Word with the entire heaven. This showed clearly that as the Lord is the Word, heaven is also the Word, since heaven is heaven from the Lord, and the Lord, through the Word is the all in all things of heaven.* * TCR 272.
We do not understand this to mean that there is a continuous internal sense from each prophetical book to the following one. Rather we believe that each book has a continuous internal sense within itself from beginning to end; but each book is distinct and separate from all the others, each one presenting a particular phase of the Lord's redemptive work which could not otherwise be given. In this respect we would liken them to the four gospels. This, however, is adopted only as a working theory to be tested by future scholarship. Our tentative conclusion is that, if one is seeking to understand the historical sense of the prophetical books, they must be studied in direct connection with the time and situation to which each prophet was addressing himself; but if one's attention is fixed upon the spiritual sense of the Word, the statements of the prophets must be understood as having a universal application to every advent of the Lord, and to every church to be established by Him.
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ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE GENERAL CHURCH Various 1975
SECRETARY
During September 1973, through August 1974, ninety-five members were received into the General Church. Six were dropped from the roll. Four resigned from the Church. Fifty deaths were reported. On September 1st, 1974, the roll contained three thousand three hundred and sixty-three names.
Membership, September 1, 1973 3,328 (U.S.A.-2,179, Other Countries-1,149) New Members (Cert. 5,971-6,065) 95 (U.S.A.-61, Other Countries-34) Deaths reported 50 (U.S.A.-30, Other Countries-20) Resignations 4 (U.S.A.-3, Other Countries-1) Dropped from Roll 6 (U.S.A.-4, Other Countries-2) Losses (U.S.A.-37, Other countries-23) 60 Net gain during September 1973, through August 1974 35 Membership, September 1, 1974 3,363 (U.S.A.-2,203, Other Countries-1,160)
NEW MEMBERS
THE UNITED STATES
California: San Francisco Mr. Dale Carroll Moss
Delaware: Wilmington Mr. William R. M. Schrock
Florida: Lighthouse Point Mr. William Einer Boker Mrs. William Einer Boker (Athlyn Ruth Evenson)
Florida: Miami Mrs. Hans G. Franson (Maria Routa) Mrs. Donald C. Schmucker (Linda K. Brown)
Idaho: Rupert Mr. Edro Ira Cranch
Illinois: Chicago Mr. E. Dennis Bradin Mr. Lewis Taulby Francis
Illinois: Glenview Mr. Donald Philip Alan Mrs. Donald Philip Alan (Evelyn May Pearson) Miss Janice Dawn Alan
Indiana: Bloomington Mr. Cedric King Mrs. Cedric King (Susan Louise Synnestvedt)
Maine: Keuts Hill Mr. Geoffrey Stafford Childs, III Mrs. Geoffrey Stafford Childs, III (Normandie Lee)
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Maine: Stetson Mr. Eugene Oscar Muth, Jr.
New Jersey: Willingboro Mrs. E. Bruce Tichenor (Constance Anne Campbell)
Ohio: Cincinnati Mrs. Kenneth Alvin Stoecklin (Mary Anne Lovdjieff)
Ohio: Fairlawn Mr. Charles Aaron Crehore Mrs. Charles Aaron Chehore (Kathy Louise Stoecklin)
Oregon: Seaside Mr. John William Hall
Pennsylvania: Ardsley Mrs. Joyce Elizabeth (Bell) McKinstry
Pennsylvania: Bryn Athyn Miss Suzanne Victoria Bernhardt Mr. Martin M. Echols Miss Cara Glenn Mr. Dale Eugene Glenn Mrs. Dale Eugene Glenn (Gray Schoenberger) Mr. David Bruce Glenn Mr. Geoffrey Lee Grant Mr. Neil Hansen Miss Lisa Hyatt Mr. Brian Walter Keith Miss Aileen King Miss Gretchen Lee Miss Debra Anne Morey Miss Laurel Odhner Miss Jennifer D. Smith
Pennsylvania, Feasterville Mr. Bernt von Grabe Mrs. Bernt von Grabe (Kathi Kahler)
Pennsylvania: Freeport Alexander Heilman Lindsay, Jr. Miss Laurie Ann Lindsay
Pennsylvania: Gibsonia Mr. Jerry Jaroslav Sustar
Pennsylvania: Hatboro Mrs. Elizabeth Joan (Sylvainus) Finch Miss Susan Elizabeth Finch Miss Eileen Joyce Stoughton
Pennsylvania: Huntingdon Valley Mr. Daniel Alden Miss Marie Denise Brown Mrs. Brian Keith (Gretchen Louise Umberger) Mr. Peter John Mergen Mrs. Peter John Mergen (Rene Hill) Miss Kathy Odhner
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Mr. Brian Gage Blair Mr. Neil Sylvanus Lantzy
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Mrs. Douglas J. Cooper (Diene Pitcairn)
Pennsylvania: Schwenksville Mr. Dewey Odhner
South Carolina: Spartansburgh Mrs. Anita (Bagwell) Coffin
Texas: Fort Worth Mr. Robert Albert Beiswinger Mrs. Robert A. Beiswenger (Cathy Seaborn)
Washington: Seattle Dr. James Boggess de Maine Mrs. James Boggess de Maine (Lourdes Trifina Magno)
CANADA
Ontario: Islington Miss Gabrielle Holly Cranch
Ontario: Kitchener Mr. Richard Frederick Hart Gardam Mr. Richard Edward Hill Mr. Robert David McMaster Mr. James Lynn Petzke Mrs. James Lynn Petzke (Susan Jane Sandford)
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Ontario: Lakefield Mrs. Allen D. Facey (Ruth Elaine Niall)
Ontario: Missisauga Miss Sally Joyce Frazee
Ontario: Scarborough Mr. Robert Carter Scott Mr. Kenneth William Tait Miss Janice Margaret Tait
Ontario: Waterloo Mr. Gerald Allen Friesen Miss Anne Louise Junge
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil: Brasilia Mrs. Paulo Cesar Gama Fontana (Sonia Paes)
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro Miss Elsa Sarmanho Arraes Mr. Dario Jose dos Santos
EUROPE
England: London Mr. Michael Stanley Hiller
Netherlands: Amstelveen Mr. Paul Alexander Mokken Mrs. Paul Alexander Mokken (Johanna Braam)
Netherlands: The Hague Mrs. Leonore Luykx-Kruyt
AUSTRALIA
New South Wales: Beverly Hills Mr. Murray Frederick Heldon Mr. Owen Douglas Heldon Miss Sylvia Rose Heldon
New South Wales: Blakehurst Mr. Ian Knowlson Keal
New South Wales: Hurstville Mr. John Angas Sandow Mrs. John Angas Sandow (Elsa Lenore Roberts)
New South Wales: Peakhurst Mrs. June (Barnes) Kelly
New South Wales: Penshurst Mr. Brian Lindsay Horner Miss Anne Elizabeth Kirsten Miss Wellesley Ruth Rose
New South Wales: St. Ives Mrs. Martha Amaryllis Terre-Blanche
New South Wales: Tamworth Mr. William Keith Martin
Queensland: Anglers Paradise Mrs. Brian Keith Heldon (Kay Margaret McLennan) Miss Ellen Verona Farrell
DEATHS
Behlert, Mrs. Leonard (Bessie Harris), October 2, 1973, Fox Chase, Pennsylvania (79) Blair, Mr. William Fuller, Sr., July 4, 1974, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (73) Blair, Mr. James Edmund, November 14, 1973, Sarver, Pennsylvania (85) Boothroyd, Mr. Russell B., February 5, 1974, Escondido, California (83) Bowie, Mrs. Archibald (Anna), April 26, 1974, Torrance, Scotland (97) Brown, Mrs. Robert Morgan (Doris Ellen Stuart), September 8, 1973, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (61) Brown, Mr. Ralph Raynor Brown, February 12, 1974, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania (61) Carter, Mrs. Norman H. S. (Mary Mildred Macdonald), May 13, 1974, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (69) Centervall, Miss Senta, September 1, 1973, Valhallavagen 102, Sweden (86) Cranch, Miss Edith Rouette, November 1, 1973, Sarver, Pennsylvania (82)
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Cullen, Mr. Albert Edward, October 11, 1973, New Castle, Delaware (75) da Silva, Mr. Jose Raymundo, July 1, 1974, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (97) Dean, Mrs. Harry (Madge Holland), August 24, 1974, Llangesnt, Angelsey, North Wales (75) Dellisanti, Mrs. Angelina (Gianelli), October, 1957, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (74) delayed report. Edgar, Jefferson Jay, December 29, 1973, Quartzsite, Arizona (68) Farrington, Mrs. Theodore Robert (Ruth Clara Sonneborn), 1969, Chicago, Illinois (72) delayed report. Ferrand, Mrs. Michel (Alice Beatrice Nichols), September 14, 1973, Ryde, N.S.W. 2112, Australia (90) Foord, Mrs. Albert (Ruby Shepherd), November 10, 1973, Colchester, England (73) Ford, Mrs. Robert E. (Virginia Louise de Maine), March 22, 1974, Plainfield, New Jersey (63) Fuller, Mr. David Marshall, June 5, 1974, Glenview, Illinois (82) Furry, Mr. William Harry Thomason, February 2, 1974, Foxboro, Massachusetts (69) Gaskill, Miss Jennie May, August 22, 1974, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania (80) Glebe, Mrs. Nelson (Beatrice Watters Gardiner), September 18, 1973, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (80) Gunther, Mr. John H. September 14, 1973, Easton, Maryland (72) Hamm, Mrs. John (Aganetha Heppner), April 17, 1974, Shannonville, Ontario, Canada (84) Hansen, Mrs. Frederick T. (Laura Terkelsen), February 3, 1974, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (96) Henderson, The Rev. William Cairns, January 26, 1974, Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania (66) Hicks, Mrs. Curtis (Luelle Pendleton), January 11, 1974, Cranford, New Jersey (85) Horigan, Mr. Walter Lee, July 17, 1974, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania (84) Hussenet, Mr. Elie, July 2, 1974, St. Cloud, France (82) King, Mrs. Louis (Dorothy Maud Cole), February 19, 1974, Cuba City, Wisconsin (86) Knapp, Mr. William Felix, December 31, 1973, Baltimore, Maryland (69) Lanford, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Kintner, January 3, 1974, Scottsdale, Arizona (76) Lewin, Mr. Walter Ernest, March 19, 1974, Bristol, England (89) Lockhart, Mr. Raymond L., March 25, 1974, Richboro, Pennsylvania (62) Loeppky, Mrs. Heinrich (Margaretha Giesbrecht), date unknown, Saskatchewan, Canada McQueen, Mr. Harold P., July 8, 1974, Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania (85) Nyberg, Miss Hildegard Maria, December 1, 1973, Beckomberga Sjukhus, Sweden (89) Odhner, The Rev. Dr. Hugo Ljungberg Odhner, January 4, 1974, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania (83) Patzmann, Mr. Henry Ray, November 14, 1973, Evanston, Illinois (59) Pemberton, Mrs. Garth (Violet Wood-Bush), June 21, 1974, Durban, Natal, Rep. S. Africa (83) Pendleton, Mrs. Charles R. (Ruth Hicks), May 1, 1974, Abington, Pennsylvania (91) Pollock, Mrs. Thomas F. (Amy Lillian Marelius), August 18, 1974, El Cajon, California (84) Ridgway, Mr. Herbert Rowland Lancelot, December, 1973, Pretoria, Transvaal, Rep. S. Africa (75)
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Salisbury, Mrs. Edward Ernest (Irma Jean Guthrie), September 11, 1973, Revesby, New South Wales, Australia (59) Schoenberger, Mrs. August John (Inez Viola Witt), date unknown, delayed report Sharp, Mrs. Albert Lewis (Dorothy Eva Ashley), November 8, 1973, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania (74) Smith, Mrs. Reginald (Angelica Vida Knapp), August 8, 1974, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania (73) Strobaeck, Mr. Svend Andreas, December 3, 1973, Dragor, Denmark (53) Woelfle, Miss Pauline Krug, June 22, 1974, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (90)
RESIGNATIONS
Blair, Mr. James Edmund, Jr., Roanoke, Virginia Boolsen, The Rev. Gudmund U., Copenhagen, Denmark Furbee, Mr. Friend S., Pt. Pleasant, Virginia Peterson, Mrs. Jack, Glenview, Illinois
DROPPED FROM THE ROLL
Johnson, Mrs. Gustaf (Elizabeth Martha Ferber), address unknown, Germany. Nussbaum, Mrs. C. A. (Mary Hilda Collins), address unknown, Mauritius Osborne, Mrs. I. B. (Ida Blanche), address unknown, U.S.A. Pratt, Mr. Donald Edward, address unknown, U.S.A. Pratt, Mrs. Donald Edward (Nita Americus Harper), address unknown, U.S.A. Richardson, Mr. William Henry, address unknown, U.S.A
Respectfully submitted, NORBERT H. ROGERS Secretary
CORPORATION
MEMBERSHIP
During the year 1974 the number of persons comprising the membership of the corporation increased to 400. The changes in membership consisted of:
49 New Members:
Alan, Donald E. Anderson, Albert F. Archer, Frederick G. H. Baker, Gregory Langton Bergner, Craig Christian Bruser, Henry B., Jr. Bruser, Henry B., III Brush, James S. Buick, William W. Buss, Neil Martin Mayer Paul Clifford P. Miller, George M. Needer, John H. Perry, Charles Frank Rabone, Bazett John Radcliffe, William B. Rigg, Ralph C., Jr. Runion, Charles C. Schroeder, William G., Jr. Simons, S. Brian
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Carlson, James Alfred Childs, Alan D. de Chazal, Denis V. R. Frost, John Anthony Gladish, Donald P. Gladish, Michael D. Haworth, Donald R. Hodges, Albert F. Jorgenson, Gordon Thomas Karallus, Argo D. Klippenstein, Glen Kuhl, Denis M. Larsen, Ottar T. Larsson, Bertil W. Lowry, Roderic D. Smith, Bradley G. Smith, Duncan G. Soderberg, Allan C. Slenhouse, James Neil Synnestvedt, Donald O. Synnestvedt, Justin Tuccio, Salvatore J. Wade, Hansell R. Waelchli, Fred Waters, G. G. Welch, William Angier Woodworth, Donald D. Zeitz, William R. Zuber, Donald Edward
12 Deaths Of Members:
Blair, William F., Sr. Boatman, James S. Brown, Ralph R. Cooper, William R. Fuller, David M. Furry, William H. Gill, Alan Henderson, W. Cairns Horigan, Walter L. Lockhart, Raymond L. McQueen, Harold P. Odhner, Hugo Lj.
DIRECTORS
The By-Law, of the Corporation provide for election of thirty directors, ten of whom are elected each Year for terms of three years. The board presently consists of thirty directors. At the 1974 Annual Meeting ten directors were elected for terms expiring in 1977. The present directors, with the dates their terms expire, are as follows:
1975 Alden, William B. 1975 Asplundh, Lester 1977 Asplundh, Robert H. 1976 Brickman, Theodore, Jr. 1975 Campbell, David H. 1976 Cooper, George M. 1976 Doering, Grant R. 1976 Elder, Bruce E. 1976 Gyllenhaal, Charles P 1976 Gyllenhaal, Leonard E. 1976 Junge, James F. 1977 King, Louis B. 1977 Kuhl, Denis M. 1976 Lindsay, Alexander H. 1975 Mansfield, Willard R. 1977 Morey, Gordon C. 1976 Morley, H. Keith 1975 Nelson, Lewis 1975 Pendleton, Willard 1975 Pitcairn, Lachlan 1977 Pitcairn, Stephen 1977 Sellner, Jerome V. 1975 Smith, B. Dean 1977 Smith, Robert A. 1975 Synnestvedt, J. Ralph, Jr. 1976 Synnestvedt, Leo 1975 Umberger, Alfred A. 1977 Williamson, Walter L. 1977 Wyncoll, John H. 1977 Zecher, Robert F.
Lifetime honorary member of the board:
DeCharms, George
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OFFICERS
The corporation has five officers, each of whom is elected yearly for a term of one year. Those elected at the board meeting of March 8, 1974 were:
President Pendleton, Willard D. Vice President King, Louis B. Secretary Pitcairn, Stephen Treasurer Gyllenhaal, Leonard E. Controller Fuller, Bruce
CORPORATION MEETINGS
The 1974 Annual Corporation Meeting was held at Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, on March 8, this being the only corporation meeting held during the year. The President, Bishop Pendleton, presided, and there were 82 members in attendance. Reports were received from the Nominating Committee, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the election for directors was held. William Alden, chairman of a special committee appointed to study nominating procedures, reported that the committee had been appointed because of the concern of many that the present nominating procedure does not insure proper representation of the corporation membership on the Board of Directors, and the practice of nominating just enough men to fill board vacancies tends to play down the rights of the members to select their representatives. The committee suggested that the selection of nominees should be on a geographical basis, dividing the corporation membership by districts. Membership on the board would be on the basis of corporation membership in each area. This suggestion brought out the problem that membership in the corporation in many areas is very small. In addition, representatives from outlying areas would be unable to attend meetings because of time, distance, and travel costs. In conclusion, Mr. Alden suggested that the committee be enlarged so as to be more representative and that the assignment be broadened to review the entire corporation election procedure, both as to the membership in general and as to the board in particular. Mr. Alden's suggestion was approved by resolution and the new committee was asked to make firm recommendations to the next annual meeting. It was suggested that the pastors make a renewed effort to solicit new corporation members from their societies and districts.
BOARD MEETINGS
The Board of Directors held four meetings during 1974, the president presiding at all of them. The average attendance of directors was 22 with a maximum of 24 and a minimum of 21. The regular Board of Directors meeting and the organization meeting of the board were held in March, followed later in the year by board meetings in May and October. The treasurer reported that the General Church payroll and pension payments were now over one million dollars per year. The accounting function has become so complex that it will be necessary to go to an automated system. The board approved the treasurer's suggestion of studying the possibility of using a Burroughs L5000 or similar machine for the accounting functions of the General Church, the Academy of the New Church, and the Bryn Athyn Church.
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The treasurer reported that the Finance Committee had worked out a program which adopts new concepts for making the finances of the corporation and the General Church as a whole more understandable to all church members. An audio-slide program showing a comparison of finances of (1) the total General Church; (2) the Corporation; and (3) General Church member churches has been prepared and will be available to societies and districts. The Salary Committee's recommendations for increases in starting salaries of ministers and teachers and changes in the salary increments were approved. Salary increments for professional advancement for teachers and other special allowances and assistance for ministers were granted. Mr. William Alden reported that since the Annual Meeting, four new persons had been added to the membership of the Committee on Nomination and Election Procedures. At its last meeting, the committee discussed the following suggestions: (1) Treasurers of societies and districts be included on the board as non-voting ex officio members; (2) Board members be assigned to represent certain areas of the church; (3) Absentee ballots be used for the election of board members; and (4) treasurers of the societies and districts be ex officio members of the Nominating Committee. Mr. Alden stated that a full report would be made to the Annual Meeting in March of 1975. Mr. William Alden, reporting as Chairman of the Committee on Assistance to the Financially Indigent, Elderly, and those in Need of Nursing Care, said that his new enlarged committee had been studying many ways to grant assistance. A system used in England had intrigued the committee. Under this system, members of a community volunteer services and help which enables the needy persons to remain in their own home. The committee plans to further investigate this system along with a renewed look at the feasibility of a New Church nursing home. A full report with recommendations will be made to the Annual Meeting. Mr. Leonard E. Gyllenhaal reported that the Investment Committees of the Academy, the General Church, and the Bryn Athyn Church had been combined into one joint committee. The new committee is most deeply concerned with maintaining the investment income level in a declining market. A sub-committee was appointed to study means of evaluating investment performance for church-type endowment funds and recommend standards that can be applied so that the Investment Committee can make more intelligent reports to the Board of Directors. A method for making deferred gifts to the church through a Charitable Remainder Unitrust or a Charitable Gift Annuity was discussed by Mr. Gyllenhaal. These deferred giving plans enable the donor to derive income from the asset given for his life and the lives of one or more designees and also take advantage of a charitable contribution deduction for the year the gift is made. The board approved the use of either trusts, if such a request was made. Reports from the Treasurer's Office, Budget Committee and other standing committees were received and discussed with the necessary action being taken.
Respectfully submitted, STEPHEN PITCAIRN Secretary
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TREASURER
In 1974 the Board of Directors approved a new format for reporting on the financial operations of the General Church Corporation. This change is reflected in the accompanying statement which emphasizes what has become the major financial function of the corporation, namely, support of pastoral and educational salaries. Last year 47% of the budget was allocated to over twenty-four societies and circles throughout the church, involving intricate financial transactions, including foreign exchange to help meet the minimum standards of the General Church Salary Plans. Of considerable importance also is the financial responsibility for moving pastors to new assignments. During 1974 this involved unprecedented expenditures of over $32,000. Moving costs have been accelerating at an unbelievable pace which is Why we must transfer money each year into a reserve. Last year $10,000 was added to the reserve to help provide for future expenses, an important goal we had hoped to achieve. These, together with the many other uses of the central body, resulted in record expenditures of over $561,900 in 1974. In spite of the depressed economy, individual contributors gave in record numbers to the corporation $10,000 more than ever before, and it was most gratifying that 60% of this came from the small contributors. Compared with the previous year, the results were as follows:
Nearly 70% of our income, of course, comes from investments in the New Church Investment Fund. While the fund experienced an 189o' decline in market value, it continued to pay out the planned 4 1/2% increase in income. As a result, it turned out to be a successful year for the corporation, and once again we were able to reinvest $60,000 to provide for next year's salary increases. While the year was a success in terms of meeting our financial commitments, it is a fact that we lost ground to the wage inflation. During the last ten years our major effort has been devoted to improving salaries and benefits for our ministers and teachers, and substantial progress has been made. In 1974, 699o' of all expenditures were salaries and wages, totaling over $382,000, but our best efforts, resulting in an average 8% increase throughout the church, fell short of the alarming 12% increase in the cost of living. While the economic outlook is clouded, we remain optimistic for next year. With the help of the membership throughout the church, we should be able to meet all our goals for 1975. Respectfully submitted, L. E. GYLLENHAAL Treasurer
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STATEMENT OF GENERAL FUND INCOME AND EXPENSE
Years Ended December 31, 1974 and 1973
1974 1973
Amount Percent Amount Percent
INCOME
Contributions Regular $154,639 $144,218 Special 9,334 9,952
Educational Services Salaries 72,017 73,673 Pension Plan 22,637 20,440
TOTAL PASTORAL AND EDUCATIONAL $261,327 47% $240,113 45%
Facilities 35,034 6 28,057 5
Services and Information New Church Life 21,977 24,311 Other Printing and Publishing 57,242 57,454 Moving 32,609 25,428 Travel and Meetings and Assembly 6,933 14,568
Miscellaneous 16,652 24,402
TOTAL SERVICES AND INFORMATION $135,413 24 $146,163 27
1974 has been an historic year for the NEW CHURCH LIFE, for it saw the passing of its editor, the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson on January 26th. Mr. Henderson's work has been acknowledged elsewhere. Here it should be recorded that the January, February and March issues were planned by him. Subsequent issues until October were under the charge of the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers, who was appointed by the Bishop to be Acting Editor for an interim period. I assumed the acting editorship on the first of September, and the November and December issues were my responsibility. Because of these emergencies and changes, the total number of pages for the year were slightly reduced from 576 to 560. In order of space used, the total was made up as follows:
Announcements 31 Miscellaneous 31 Communications 30 Resurrection Addresses 12.5 Reviews 10 Directories 8.5 Talks to Children 8
Excluding editorials, new notes and reports, the contents of NEW CHURCH LIFE in 1974 came from 43 contributors, of whom 30 were members of the priesthood and 13 were lay.
CIRCULATION
Figures as of December 31, 1974 supplied by the Business Manager show a net gain of 39. Total circulation is shown in the following tabulation:
1974 Paid subscriptions By Subscriber 865 Gift 349 1,214 Free to Clergy, Libraries, New Members, etc 309 1,523
Respectfully submitted, MARTIN PRYKE Acting Editor
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EXTENSION COMMITTEE
Last year we gave our final report as a committee of the Council of the Clergy. This year we give our first report to the joint Council. The reason for this is that at last year's Council of the Clergy meetings the council released our committee and Bishop Pendleton formed it into a committee of the General Church. From this time on we will report to the Joint Council. The committee has been active throughout the year-meeting monthly except during the summer months. Its membership consists of both priests and laymen. The members are as follows: the Rev. Peter M. Buss, Mr. Edward Cranch, the Rev. B. David Holm (Chairman), the Rev. Robert S. Junge, Mr. Sanfrid Odhner, the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers, the Rev. Donald L. Rose, the Rev. Erik Sandstrom, the Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr, and the Rev. Douglas M. Taylor. Changes will be made in this committee as needs arise. Announcements of the formation of this committee have been made throughout the church by means of the church periodicals. This has had its effect, for more and more people are contacting the committee in connection with missionary work. Names of contacts and inquirers are being referred or sent to us on quite a regular basis, and we take care of them individually. It is hoped that this committee can develop into a headquarters towards which the various missionary efforts throughout the church can look for guidance and help. There are some very encouraging signs that such development is taking place. With increasing frequency we receive inquiries and requests concerned with this use. We do what we can to give encouragement and practical help in each case. Also individuals are looking more and more to us regarding specific help in individual cases of interested newcomers. These are encouraging and healthy signs. The church has long needed such a headquarters. It is also hoped that this committee can develop into a "clearing house" in which ideas can be shared, results analyzed, and experiences compared. This will prove valuable as time goes on, for we will then be able to give help and suggestions based upon what has proved successful in the past. We are already doing this in the field of advertising the Writings, and hope to add other fields as well. All ideas and experiences of the members of the church will be appreciatively received. We have continued in our efforts to work through the existing organizations of the church. With one marked exception, this has not proved too successful. However, we will continue trying. The marked exception has been several of the Epsilon Societies within the church. The Bryn Athyn and the Detroit Epsilon Societies have been especially active in their efforts to work with the central committee. We have been able to help them in the missionary efforts in their societies. In Detroit, we helped select and finance an advertisement in a large newspaper. We also provided suitable follow-up letters. This effort proved surprisingly successful. In Bryn Athyn, the Epsilon Society has been quite active in cooperation with the committee. This society's distribution of books is becoming increasingly far-flung. More and more people from different areas of the church (some from overseas) are asking for books. In a number of instances this involves the central committee. Requests for books are also made for libraries in various parts of the country. The committee has a working agreement, that when a request comes from a distance, this is cleared through the committee.
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In this sense we are developing a relationship with the Bryn Athyn Epsilon Society that is unique. It, in practical fact, is doing much to spread the Writings around the country and even the world. We are deliberately not trying to force into a mould our relationship with this local organization. We will allow the use to determine the form of our inter-relationship. During the past year we have spent considerable time and effort trying to come to an agreement with the Swedenborg Foundation in connection with receiving free missionary copies of the Writings for distribution. We had thought we had come to an understanding that we would receive them free. Indeed, we received one shipment without charge. However, in the course of the year the policy was reconsidered and we must now pay a discount price for them. An order has been placed. The little periodical of the committee The Missionary Newsletter has now new co-editors, Mr. Sanfrid Odhner and the chairman. It has been renamed The Missionary Memo and will come out at closer intervals. It will contain items on current missionary efforts-the exchange of ideas and experiences-and items on the doctrine of evangelization. We welcome communications or contributions and will be glad to include them in the Memo. The name of the committee has also been given considerable attention. After due consideration we are agreed to retain the present name, at least for the time being. During the year the committee has considered several proposed missionary pamphlets. They are now in the process of being revised, and more work is planned on them. We also sent out a questionnaire to all of the clergy, asking them their views on a number of questions regarding evangelization. This questionnaire is being analyzed and its results should be known by the time this report is being read. The committee is currently revising the Missionary Manual and is working on a new section for it. This manual was printed in 1965 under the supervision of the Rev. Harold Cranch who was the first chairman of this committee when it was still a part of the Council of the Clergy. The manual is now almost out of print. The budget of the Committee for 1975 has been increased and now stands at $1,200.00 for running expenses-exclusive of salaries and other hidden expenses. This gives us an increased ability for missionary activities during the year. We are glad to report that there have been active efforts which we know of in evangelization in 1974 in Bryn Athyn, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Durban, London, Pittsburgh and Toronto. The committee has a number of goals for the future. Among these are the developing of a newcomers' questionnaire designed to determine what interests to try to stimulate, and techniques to follow, in helping an interested person come into the church. We also hope to do more to stimulate missionary interest and activity among young New Church people. In connection with this we are currently trying to organize a group in the Academy College dedicated to evangelistic work. We also plan a pilot program aimed at stimulating inquiry into the New Church on a campus other than our own. During the year of 1974 a good deal of ground work and organization was done. We are confident that this will serve as a foundation for the future evangelization undertaken by this committee of the General Church. Respectfully submitted, B. DAVID HOLM Chairman
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RELIGION LESSONS
I have now served as Director of Religion Lessons and as Editor of New Church Education for more than a year. I have found the work both rewarding and challenging, for both jobs serve important uses of the General Church. The enrollment in the Religion Lessons program is given below. From this we see that 401 children from 240 families are enrolled in our program, as compared to 384 children last year. This is a far more realistic figure than the previous year. The reason for this is that we sent self-addressed and stamped cards to every family we had not heard from for the past two years, asking them to indicate whether or not they made use of the lessons. Those who responded negatively and those who did not respond at all have been removed from our rolls. The fact that there is still an increase in the number of children is due to the fact that all of the families in the Southeast District of the United States, who previously had been in a program under the direction of the Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr, have now come into our committee's care. The above figures do not include those children who are doing the lessons in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In each of these countries there is a local committee which directs its own program-using our material and more or less our system. Also, a large shipment of material has been sent to Sweden, and we are now setting up a committee in Holland. Also, we have offered our services to our people in Brazil, but there has not been time to receive a reply. This all shows promise of extending our uses. Our new system of keeping records has now been fully incorporated into our system. This makes it possible for us to tell at a glance how all the children of a family are progressing. Revision work is going ahead, but too slowly. It is regrettable that more time cannot be given to it. Revision is an important part of this work. A new method of doing this has been developed. Two other priests serve as readers, and make comments and suggestions. A mother of a child on those specific lessons is also asked to read and comment. Also, a New Church teacher of that age level is asked to go over the lessons for readability. To facilitate this revision work, the director is now teaching through the mails one child from each lesson group. This makes it possible to thoroughly evaluate (from the child's response) both the lessons and the question sheets. A new project is in the early stages of development. We now have material to carry a child all the way through high-school. But we have little material for the very young. Our pre-school program begins with four-year-olds. They are sent about eight projects through the year, to do at home with their parents. This has been going well, and many parents express their appreciation. However, we want to do more for these children, and for those even younger. We have now begun developing a whole series of cassette programs for these little children. These programs will include brief readings from the Word with simple explanations, songs, action sequences, poems and brief talks. It is our plan to have the first of these cassettes available in September. Again, very real gratitude and appreciation must be expressed for the vital work done for this committee by Theta Alpha. The officers and those appointed to work on Religion Lessons serve as a council and advisory board to the director.
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We meet monthly, and I have found this contact not only pleasant but invaluable. These women, together with the director, make up the Religion Lessons Committee. The following are members: Marilyn Asplundh, Myra Asplundh, Margaret Baker, Beatrice Cook Childs, Beatrice Goerwitz, Ruth Gyllenhaal, Eva Henderson, Bernice Sandstrom and Christine Taylor. The work is divided up among these women. They coordinate the work of the counselors and teachers, keep records, make up and send out festival lessons and pre-school projects and send out certificates and awards. Other members of Theta Alpha serve as counselors who coordinate the work of the teachers. Many more serve as teachers, who keep contact through the mail with the children assigned to them, receive their lessons, correct and return them. These counselors and teachers are from quite a few of our societies. There is no space to mention all these women, but without their faithful efforts, the work of the Religion Lessons would come to a standstill. They deserve the gratitude of the whole church. Appreciation should also be expressed for the work done by our committee's office secretary, Macy Cross, and her helper, Phillis Clymer. They cheerfully send out the lessons, keep the records, and do the multitude of day-to-day tasks that keep this large undertaking functioning.
Statistics of Children on Religion Lessons
(as of December 1974)
Pre-School (4-year-olds) 25 Pre-School (5-year-olds) 43 Kindergarten 38 First Grade 56 Second Grade 40 Third Grade 36 Fourth Grade 29
Fifth Grade 32 Sixth Grade 30 Seventh Grade (Life of Lord I) 26 Eighth Grade (Life of Lord II) 21 Ninth Grade (City of God) 8 Tenth Grade (NJHD) 12 Eleventh Grade (HH) 5
This total does not include students taught these lessons directly by pastors. The position of Editor of New Church Education has proved to be an enjoyable and stimulating experience. The efforts to make this a family magazine have continued with, we hope, at least some success. We have plans to change the name of this magazine to better describe its purpose. Again, much of the work of this use is done by others. Thanks are due to our contributors, artists and secretary Terry Weaver. Without their valued help, the magazine could not be produced. In regard to the Sunday School Committee, there is very little to report. More material has been collected, but it needs editing before it can be reproduced and made available to our societies, circles and groups. Efforts will be made this coming year to make time for some of this work. Respectfully submitted, B. DAVID HOLM Director
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PUBLICATION COMMITTEE
The death of the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson in January, 1974, was a serious loss to the committee. His expertise in lucidly presenting doctrinal teachings by the written word and the high quality of his literary judgment have been sorely missed. The Reverend Martin Pryke has accepted appointment to fill the vacancy on the committee. Otherwise the membership of the committee remains the same named in my previous report published in NEW CHURCH LIFE, June, 1974, page 270. During the twelve month period ending August 31, 1974, the Committee met five times. Only Bryn Athyn members were able to attend three of these meetings, but members from away were able to be present at the other two meetings, specifically the one held in March during the week of the Council of the Clergy Meetings, and the one held in August during the week of the Educational Council Meetings. Publication was completed of Dr. Odhner's Essays on the Ten Commandments, which is a companion booklet of his previously published Essays on the Lord's Prayer. The adaptation of the text of Our Wedding Customs pamphlet for general use in the General Church has been completed, and only details having to do with the printing are still to be determined. Work is in process on binding four hundred copies of In the King's Service, children's stories written by Gertrude Diem and illustrated by the late Ken Hultgren. One hundred copies of material on Betrothal from NEW CHURCH LIFE are being reprinted and should be available at the end of 1974. And the manuscript text of a pastoral pamphlet on Betrothal has been promised for consideration during the summer of 1975. Consideration is being given to reprinting Dr. Odhner's Saul, David and Solomon, Kurt Asplundh's Johnny Appleseed and David Simons' Unity in the Universe. Consideration of a number of other items was discontinued either because it was felt the content and style would not meet the needs of our time, or because it was deemed that the estimated demand did not warrant the expense of reprinting. Respectfully submitted, NORBERT H. ROGERS Chairman
SOUND RECORDING COMMITTEE
The Sound Recording Committee has had another busy year. Molly McDonough, the office secretary, new to the job last year, has settled into the work and the office is running efficiently. Anne Finkeldey is still doing a good deal of the technical work on a volunteer basis, which is greatly appreciated. It is the hope of the committee that she can soon devote her time to the archiving of tapes. Lauri Klein has been hired on a part time basis to relieve Mrs. McDonough so that she can spend more time with the technical side of the work. At our annual meeting, in November, our incumbent officers were re-elected-Cedric Lee as Vice-Chairman, Boyd Asplundh as Secretary, and Elizabeth Hayes as Treasurer.
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They have done their work faithfully and well. As need and problems arise the chairman and officers meet together, to keep things running smoothly. A supplement to our catalog has been issued containing 561 new titles and this brings our total listings to 2984. This is, we believe, an all time high. At the same time circulation is also at an all time high of 3013 reels and cassettes for the calendar year. This large increase over last year's figures is due largely to the increased demand for cassettes, which now represent over half of our circulation. Especially has this been true of the Bryn Athyn area. Our office secretary estimates that 40% of our circulation is from "walk in" borrowers. As of September 30, 1974, the treasurer reported committee net worth of $20,348.44, an increase of $4,114.18. This increase is due in large part to an adjustment in our depreciation figures. During the same period there was a total income of $12,045.33. Total expenses were $8,961.44. Added to this figure is $1,481.90 in accounts payable. We are pleased to report that both users' and special contributions increased this year. This enabled us to operate without General Church funding during the year. Deep appreciation must be expressed for the many hours of volunteer labor which makes it possible for this important use to continue. Our volunteers function in many centers of the church. Without their help, the work of the committee could not continue, much less go forward as it is doing. Respectfully submitted, B. DAVID HOLM Chairman
VISUAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE
The twelve months of 1974 showed an increase in the use of our slides. The circulation figures of 1974 and 1973 are compared as follows:
1973 1974 Slide sets 23 46 Total of slides 634 973 Borrowers 11 23
During the year more Easter slides were made, and we hope to do the same with Christmas slides during the coming year. We are also investigating the possibility of making new sets of slides from an excellent series of pictures from both the Old and New Testaments which have come into our hands. The increase of circulation this past year may be due to the increased publicity we gave it during the year. Respectfully submitted, B. DAVID HOLM Chairman
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CLOISTER OR CLUSTER Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager.
Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. (See our January, 1975, issue, p. 24; March, p. 128; April, p. 158; and in this issue pp. 230 ff.)
It has been proposed that we would spread the church more effectively if we used cluster communities, by which is meant strong societies in urban areas where our members would live among non-church folk. We have, of course, had such situations for very many years and it would be interesting to know whether these have produced more conversions to the church than have communities. We feel, however, that this discussion could now usefully be brought to a close, but in doing so would like to exercise our editorial privilege by making one general comment-not profound but worth keeping in mind. The church will undoubtedly grow in many different ways according to the differing characteristics of nations, people and needs. To adopt one pattern of development would be tragic, as would it be to promote one to the exclusion of others. It is clear to many that our early communities have already served the church in many useful ways, which could not have been possible with a different form. It is equally clear that this is not going to be the best form for all places or all people. It is our personal conviction that the church will need strong community centers, but that it will also need city societies (cluster communities, if you will) as well as small groups reaching out into the hinterlands of those awaiting conversion. This is a stimulating, and not a stultifying, dream for the future.
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PRESENCE OF OTHER WORLDS WILSON VAN DUSEN 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH: It may be of use to the reader if I answer Professor Brown's criticism of my book.* The book was written for thousands of people who never heard of Swedenborg, many of whom are not even religious. It can't be criticized in relation to the doctrine of the General Church since it never intended even to touch upon it. The criticism would have to be concerning whether this is the best way to present Swedenborg to a general audience. My intent was to bring in the man Swedenborg, to make him interesting and creditable, not to put him aside for the Writings. Rather than hit the reader over the head with doctrine, doctrine is only implied in the quality of his life and the many quotes from the Writings. I am also criticized for having a psychological model. My approach is phenomenology, the same as Swedenborg's, which is no model at all. It is an attempt to capture the qualities of experience just as they are. Regarding the chapter "The Presence of Spirits in Madness," I am criticized for using doctrine to confirm science. It seems to me I wasn't dealing with either doctrine or science. I was comparing modern hallucinations with Swedenborg's experience. The former is not science and the latter is not doctrine. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, February issue, p. 81. The most important part is at the end of the review. "As I read it, Mr. Van Dusen invites us, if we will, to journey into our own minds following the methods of Swedenborg: minimal breathing and the techniques of meditation. We should seek rather to come into the presence of the Lord and the realm of the spiritual through the three-fold Word; any other path is fraught with danger." I simply cannot believe that anyone finds reflecting on our selves, our lives, our ends (meditation) dangerous. What if the Word speaks for it?* The Word speaks much of dreams and explains both their uses and poor qualities. Are we not to look at this type of spiritual experience? For me the Word points to many paths, even common labor treated as a spiritual exercise. Are we not to follow any of these paths? I cannot believe that the study of the Word (which suggests many paths and ways to regeneration) becomes the end in itself to substitute for all the paths reflected in it. That would not be following the Word but mere study, which easily leads to the pride of proprium. * DLW 404(viii); Psalms 19: 14, et al. It is implied that I advocated consciously seeking the presence of spirits. Not to my knowledge. The closest I came was to say that it appears that spirits interact with us in the hypnogogic state. This state, "fraught with danger," is experienced by everyone twice each time they sleep.
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Among the several spiritual uses in pausing and looking at your own hypnogogic state is to discover and learn from the language of correspondences in yourself, as Swedenborg did. From this experience much of what the Writings say of correspondences becomes more vivid and impressive. I don't find following the many ways to grow spiritually that are touched upon in the Writings dangerous at all. Rather I would say they present an exciting and challenging venture with our immortal destiny at stake. The following points are missed by reviewers. This is the first work bearing on Swedenborg by a major publisher in a long while. It will soon be out in paperback and is to be published in England. It probably will be the most widely read work on Swedenborg in the English-speaking world in the coming year. Although it was intended to be an introduction, it is the most advanced work available on Swedenborg's inner states and the several heroic means he used to approach the Lord. WILSON VAN DUSEN Ukiah, California
INITIAL CONTACT RICHARD LINQUIST 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: The Rev. Norbert Roger's appreciative words about the article "Initial Contact,"* which I authored, have focused my mind again upon that study. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, page 110. He sensed a tendency in the article "to state that such and such an external indicates such and such a mental trait, as if it were a fact rather than a suggested possibility."* * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, page 169. I believe that such a tendency would illustrate the theme of the article, which was that mental states are clearly pictured in the natural sphere of the body. Interpretation, of course, depends upon the mind of the observer. His mind might be blinded with falsity thus making it impossible for him to see anything heavenly in his neighbor. As Heaven and Hell 487 states, "from evil none can see what is good and true." But from "truth which is from good anyone can see evil and its falsity." Any wise man can read mental states, not as a remote possibility but as a near possibility or probability even approaching the point of certainty. Thus the very "ruling love" of men in the love of self can be learned from wise men "who see what they themselves do not see."* * HH 487.
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A careful reading of my study reveals that the illustrations of externals which indicate internals used the words "could," "may" and "seem." Mr. Rogers gently chastised me for my statement in the next to last paragraph: "Thus our initial contact with men outside of the New Church ends with a decision to offer or not to offer knowledges of spiritual truth." His comment was: "To me it seems that the purpose of making character judgments is not to determine whether or not to communicate doctrinal truths to people, but is rather to decide which truths to convey and how best to accommodate them." I hope that my statement reflected a concern that men have a holy fear of casting heavenly gifts before those whom they believe are determined to spoil spiritual life. Men associated with the New Church would not, I hope, have a selfish possessiveness but rather a special custodial attitude toward those knowledges they have been chosen to see judgments about whether or not to reveal spiritual doctrine, I believe, are first in time, but always first in end is the love of giving. Accordingly the ultimate sentence of the article suggests that we be like the angels who desire nothing so much as to render service, to teach, and to lead into heaven. . . . "* * HH 450. RICHARD LINQUIST Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
CLUSTER COMMUNITIES POLLY M. SCHOENBERGER 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: Having experienced both community and "cluster community" living, it was with considerable interest that I read Mr. Kurt Simons' article "Cluster Communities: Why and How."* Since moving from Bryn Athyn to Pittsburgh in 1971, I have been continually impressed by the attitude of the members of the church who reside in this city. Far from bemoaning their physical separation, there is a positive feeling that this is not only beneficial to themselves but also to the growth of the church. (And aren't we sometimes too quick to measure our growth merely in new baptisms? Aren't the friends, neighbors, and co-workers we may possibly affect by good example or distinctive approaches to problems-regardless of their actual conversion-also important?) * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, January issue, p. 24. Another positive aspect of non-community life is the constant reevaluation of our understanding of doctrine and, particularly, our presentation of it to questioning friends.
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How often, in walking my dog through a neighboring park, have I met fellow dog-walkers and in the ensuing conversation, touched upon some church-related topic (and how seldom that would be possible in one's roamings through a church community)! In living house by house, street by street, all in the church, this kind of challenge is rarely met; and yet isn't it one of our more important challenges? In a city-community like Pittsburgh, one finds the best of both situations: the encouragement by nonbelievers to reconsider one's approach to doctrine and the delving more deeply into the doctrines with church people in classes and worship. In conclusion, it might be well to note that the cluster community approach, if Pittsburgh can be used as a living example, takes more work and spirit on the part of its members than the traditional community. The physical arrangement does not lend itself to closeness and united enthusiasm towards a common goal; instead, this spirit stems from a common belief in the teachings of our church, which strength will hopefully be communicated, by example, to our nonchurch friends. For those who have responded with enthusiasm to Mr. Simons' article, Pittsburgh may be used as an example. Here are the universities and colleges of which he speaks; here are people who, for the most part, prefer noncommunity living; and here is the attitude that life among nonchurch people is stimulating and rewarding, rather than something to be endured. If use to the church is important to those seeking a place to live and the cluster community approach seems attractive, Pittsburgh or another similar society might be considered. POLLY M. SCHOENBERGER Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Title Unspecified KURT SIMONS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: Reading Dean Glenn's and Mr. Zuber's reactions* to my article on cluster communities has stimulated a few further thoughts. Mr. Zuber is entirely correct that the discriminatory selling practices necessary to maintain an enclave community can be accomplished within the letter of the present law. It is equally clear, however, that such discrimination is opposed to the spirit of that law, and the letter of the law tends to evolve in the direction of the spirit, so that it would not seem prudent to count on such loopholes as private sales indefinitely. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, pages 128 and 158. It may be worth noting that in the article I was attempting to find a solution to the question of how to achieve the sphere, the psychological setting, for presentation of the doctrines that would be most likely to assure their affirmative reception in freedom.
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A secondary (though not in importance) consideration was of what might be the best form of community organization for New Churchmen. The latter goal was the result of a feeling about our present communities stated succinctly, if frankly, by a friend of ours: "Most of us develop strength as it is called for, and would be stronger standing as a unit, rather than leaning heavily on other units." From the evangelization point of view, it seemed clear to begin with that the ideal sphere must partake-as does the introduction of novitiate spirits after death-of affection and gradualism. The Rev. Robert S. Junge in his excellent article "Towards a Philosophy of Missionary Work"* notes that, * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1965, page 455.
The resuscitation process begins very gently. . . . Beginners need simple, affectionate, friendly discussion. To argue or dispute abstract terms will only increase their frustration. When we are tempted to argue, let us remember what is said of the celestial angels and their calm communication of their thoughts largely through their affections and example. The Writings say of them in the Spiritual Diary: "I could know nothing of the subject of their thoughts . . . except that they made no account of the fallacies and falsities of spirits, but as puerilities [or childish things], yet by no means deriding them, thus accounting them as nothing [they never looked down on them], themselves remaining in their own tranquil state." (SD 1105) You aspiring missionaries who get into heated arguments note-"themselves remaining in their own tranquil state."* * Ibid., pages 457, 459.
The angels have an advantage over us, we may say, in having plenty of time for their presentation. But maybe that's just the point. To the degree that an evangelization effort works under a time pressure, to that degree there is not only a temptation to make it actually heated but to give the appearance of being heated or rushed, even if the style of presentation itself is calm. Think of our long history of pamphlets, discussions and lectures trying to cram major portions of doctrine into more or less "one shot" presentations. Think of the all but overwhelming temptation to do this when the newcomer's relation to us is that of a visitor. Stretching things out into a series of pamphlets or classes or visits mitigates this problem somewhat, but such situations are still set apart from the daily warp and woof of the newcomer's life. Yet the daily grind of that warp and woof is just where the moral problems arise most tellingly. If we want to be there with the apt idea (by example or otherwise) when it is desired, and hence likely to make the greatest impression, we must share that daily life with our fellow men. We must be sufficiently at home with them that discussion of these things is no big deal.
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This is especially true for the interaction of wives and mothers, which is virtually impossible for enclave dwellers to have with outsiders. Yet if our teachings about the home are both our most important and most appealing message, shutting our wives up in enclaves may be a real critical deprivation to our evangelization efforts. A further price we pay for any lack of gradualism is that we do not reach those not ready for religion, those who would never be a visitor or pamphlet reader but whose life in the future might be fundamentally changed if the seeds of good and truth were planted now. Since this group probably comprises the majority of the world's population, its importance to the church's future can hardly be overestimated. We have to reach them, and we can't by any other method than, in effect, the evangelization of charity since they're not interested (and may not be for years, or even until the next world) in the evangelization of truth. The whole point of our missionary work is to make people meaningfully aware that there is a New Church option for their free will to choose. For many, and probably most, people I think the only realistic way this can be accomplished is by the subtle introduction to the doctrines which comes from experiencing New Churchmen at home. Mr. Zuber's concern over possible difficulties for the newcomer in separating the person of the exemplar friend from the doctrine he follows may be reduced if the newcomer is introduced by his New Church friend into their New Church friendships. In Mr. Junge's words,
There is a transition which comes with seeing that these things are not just good ideas which their personal friend has, but that all in the church have these ideas. If they all have them, affectionately, if not intellectually, the newcomer is being prepared to see that these ideas are not from individual men, but from the Lord alone.* * Ibid., page 461.
A final aspect of the cluster plan, which seemed particularly appealing to me, is the help it gives to us in our own work of regeneration. For, as any parent is aware, knowing you are an example is an effective (if not always comfortable) way of stiffening a sagging will in the battle with proprium. Thus we come full circle in the cluster-example approach and -far from us just doing the world an evangelization favor-our external evangelization efforts help us on the long road to the internal evangelization of our unregenerate selves. And maybe for our children to see the example of us out there in the midst of this nasty world standing up on our own two feet of principle is in the long run a better preparation for them than an attempt to sequester them, and ourselves, away from that world, even if we could. KURT SIMONS Delmar, New York
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Church News Various 1975
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
The happiest occurrence for the San Francisco (Bay Area) Circle during the past year has been our growth in numbers. The Rev. Geoffrey Howard continues as our Pastor and flies up from Los Angeles twice a month, always enthusiastic and well prepared for the duties we expect of him in the short two days be spends with us. He is currently giving a fabulous series on Conjugial Love at the Monday evening classes. We were sorry to lose Jon and Wenda (Junge) Critchlow to the San Diego Circle, but we have been most happy to welcome additions to the Circle: Sue Eidenoff and her sister, Mickey, often drive over from Oakland; Carla Washburn is living in San Francisco; Colonel Allison Nicholson was transferred from Washington to Oakland Army Base and is living with his family at Fort Mason; Tom and Peggy Marerro and their four boys have joined us; Linda Abele has moved to Napa, not too close to our center of activities, but we were most happy to see her in October. The Men's Weekend for both the San Francisco and Los Angeles men was held at Pajaro Dunes in March and was most rewarding. In the coming year there are plans to have a weekend for couples and singles in addition to the planned Men's Weekend. The Easter celebration was very special with the festivities held in the Kistner home. In June the New Church Day family picnic was held at the Escondido Village Center-a community building used by the occupants of Escondido Village, which is special housing for Stanford students. We attended a service beautifully adapted to small children and then joined in the festivities of a pot luck picnic with all contributing. A welcome visitor joined us, Private Tom Redmile, a Marine now stationed at the Presidio. The Women's Guild elected Christine (Heilman) Pendleton as President to replace Mary Aye who had given us a great two years. Nora (Cranch) Cooper remained as Secretary-Treasurer and Tryn Clark was elected Sunday School Director. The New Church Day banquet was held at Borel's Restaurant in San Mateo. John Doering did a tremendous job as toastmaster after making all the arrangements. Red Pendleton spoke of different ways to raise children and told of some of his own experiences as both child and father. Ruth Wyland spoke about some New Church attitudes toward modern psychological theories. John Doering presented the gift from the circle to Barbie Pendleton who would attend college in Bryn Athyn in the fall. Our pastor wrapped up the evening with remarks concerning the past and future of the San Francisco Circle. Mr. Howard broke his foot in September and although we missed one scheduled weekend, we were most happy to welcome the Rev. Norman Reuter for the first October meeting as he was in the area. He brought along his charming wife, and we had a surprise birthday party for her. The Annual Business Meeting was held in November. We unanimously elected John Doering as Secretary and Chris Clark as a member of the board. We reviewed the activities of the year and discussed the plans for the coming year. Our Christmas celebration was again held in the Escondido Village Center and the fantastic attendance numbered fifty-five. The Church Service was followed by a wonderful luncheon and the festivities were climaxed by a series of tableaux. The passages from the Word were selected by John Doering who taped music to be played during each tableau. The children were costumed and the tableaux staged by Tryn Clark and Chris Pendleton.
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Mr. Howard read the selected quotations. We were especially happy to greet many visitors: Mrs. Cairns Henderson, Mike and Lynne Pendleton, Barbie Pendleton, Kevin Davis, and Stephanie Nicholson. Other visitors from closer by were Alice Grubb and Bronley Blair from San Francisco, and Andrew Grubb from his Army camp in Monterey. So we proceed into another year. We continue to rent a chapel from the Methodists which is ideal for our needs. For young couples searching for a place to add their talents, give a thought to San Francisco. We would love to welcome you. RUTH CRANCH WYLAND
HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA
You have heard of smooth takeovers in industry; these are not unknown in ecclesiastical circles. In the Hurstville Society for instance, the new man at the helm, the Rev. Michael Gladish, took over from the Rev. Douglas Taylor with hardly a ripple on the surface of the organization. Not that there are no changes, for all ministers have their own methods and personalities, but Hurstville members have noticed no slackening in the quality of leadership and instruction. This is also an opportunity to thank Bishop Pendleton for his continuing thoughtfulness where the needs of the General Church in Australasia are concerned. A very important decision was made by the Property Trust recently-namely to establish a fund for a new church building; no not a new Church. The "General Church Building Fund" was begun because the need is foreseen for a larger building; years away, no doubt, but it is an exciting prospect. Mr. Gladish has himself to blame for a very busy calendar; after all he makes it out. However, he seems to thrive on work; indeed it is good for everyone. He is experimenting with different kinds of doctrinal classes, trying for more audience participation for one thing, which means, incidentally, more effort on the part of the audience. Something quite ambitious in scope were the Christmas Tableaux. Two new scenes added were one showing Anna and Simeon with Mary and the Babe in the Temple, and another depicting Balaam prophesying. There were quite a large number of technicians this time adding their special skills to the production. It is always a pleasure to have visitors, and we so enjoyed the visits of Mrs. Donald Moorhead, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Morley and Mr. and Mrs. Bob Asplundh, that we assure them they can come as often as they like. 1975 promises to be interesting, hard working, and therefore, most likely, spiritually profitable. NORMAN HELDON
GENERAL CHURCH
Messrs. William H. Clifford and Brian W. Keith, second-year students in the Theological School of the Academy, have been recognized by the Bishop as candidates for the priesthood, effective April 1, 1975.
CENTRAL WEST DISTRICT
There will be a gathering of the membership of the Central West District of the General Church in the vicinity of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the weekend of May 24-26, the Right Reverend Louis B. King, Assistant Bishop of the General Church, presiding. WILLARD D. PENDLETON Bishop
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NEWNESS Rev. NORMAN H. REUTER 1975
Announcements
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV JUNE, 1975 No. 6 And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. (Revelation 21: 5) All Christians have seen in these words the promise of a new age. They have been recognized as prophetic of a new beginning for mankind. It has been noted that what is new is to proceed from Him that sat upon the throne-from the one God of heaven and earth. The means by which all things are to be made new are said to descend from God out of heaven. And dimly it has been perceived by some that this new dispensation is to be identified with the second coming of the Lord. There has been much speculation on this, and on the whole Book of Revelation. Yet that book has remained, for the most part, closed to the Christian Church-a book sealed with seven seals. Why is this? Why do people grope in the darkness when the light has come? For the true meaning of our text, and the inner sense of the whole Word has been revealed to all who have ears to hear, and eyes to see! The spirit of truth has come, and will lead those who hearken to its message into all truth, as the Lord Himself promised. The rational revealing of truth is the new thing that has come to earth, descending from God out of heaven, and it has the power to make all things new. This spirit of truth-this spiritual leading of the mind to the essence of all truth-is the revelation of the Lord at His second coming. Of this revelation it is said "it is from the Lord alone, and that it is received by those who will be in His New Church, which is the New Jerusalem."* * AR Preface.
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Here, then, is that which distinguishes the New Church from previous Christian churches. It is Divinely proclaimed to be the church which is to be composed of those who recognize, believe and love the revelation of the Lord at His second coming. This is what is to distinguish the New Church from Christianity at large, and give reason for its existence amidst the multitude of denominations and sects. It is the church that is to recognize openly that the Lord has made His second coming by the revelation given to the world through the instrumentality of Emanuel Swedenborg. This is its single, and all-important, reason for existence. If the New Church fails to recognize, study, acknowledge, be guided and inspired by this revelation, it will have no real reason for existence, and will then be reabsorbed into the fallen Christian Church. Its sole purpose-its only reason for being-is to proclaim and live, to study and establish, the new gospel of the second advent, that thereby men may again be led to the true worship of God, a genuine knowledge of the spiritual world, and a real understanding of the progress of regeneration, or the rebirth. May all those who call themselves New Churchmen strive daily to prepare themselves to take part in this great undertaking, for those who do so can be used by the Lord to spread the effects of His redemption to all mankind. Spiritually speaking, they have been given talents from the Lord, of which they must render an account. "Behold, I make all things new." These words are the grand climax of the great pageant that is called in the Writings the last judgment. In them is embodied in an epitome the whole purpose and end for which that judgment took place. After the last general separation of the evil from the good in the spiritual world, the Lord proclaimed abroad that He would make all things new. A total change was to take place in the whole of creation. Already the Apocalypse had spoken of a new heaven and a new earth, as well as of a New Jerusalem in which was to be sung a new song. In respect to the church this was the prophetic indication that there was to be a totally new church established on earth; not a modification of the former church, but a New Christian Church. And it is important that we realize that this renovation is so far reaching as to leave nothing untouched; for the Lord is doing this recreative work of making the heavens and the earth anew. He does not mingle the old with the new. He Himself said: "No one putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse."* For this reason the New Church is called a new dispensation and not just a new sect or a continuation of the former Christian Church.
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The New Church is another distinct beginning, a fresh start in the progress of the human race. It is to be the last of such beginnings in the history of this world, because the judgment in the year 1757 is recorded as the final general judgment. Therefore, in this crowning church, everything is to be remolded through the life processes of that church. Nothing is to be carried over from the old into the new except it be measured by the touchstone of the heavenly doctrines and be infused with the new spirit that has come with the Lord in His second coming. * Matthew 9: 16. This great new vivification, this rebirth of all creation, is not only promised but also confirmed by the closing words of the text: "Write, for these words are true and faithful." The influx and inspiration for the great new work is to come through the new heaven formed by the last judgment; for all genuine renovation comes from what is interior to what is more exterior, through the higher into the lower, by means of the spiritual descending and operating in the natural, where it can find a matrix to fix the new formations and thus make them eternal, because ultimated. From this New Christian Heaven the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descends. A new doctrine is given to men, divinely given, and divinely sanctioned; no longer leaving the church to the errors of man-made doctrines, but providing it with an authoritative doctrine, a sure lamp to shed its light on the mysteries of the previous revelations, and to reveal new truths therein. This also is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. But let us pause a moment and consider the word "new"; consider some of the doubts and problems that arise in the thought and life of the church in endeavoring to understand and apply the doctrine contained in the text; "Behold, I make all things new." Do the Writings teach us that those of the New Church are to make a complete break with the former Christian Church? Are they to create a new worship, a new ritual of their own? And is the fruit of the church's labor finally to build up a new civilization? Yes, the heavenly doctrine certainly teaches that we are to make such a break, that we are to create a distinctive life, that we are to be a people set apart, chosen by the Lord, chosen not because of any superior degree of goodness, but set apart because of the need of human instruments in the Lord's hands for the building up of this new civilization. If there is to be a new beginning, a new dispensation, the Lord must use men to bring it about; and if we fail in the task others will be raised up to take up the challenge, for the end will be accomplished. The Lord has said that it will take place, and He confirmed that it was so with these words: "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
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But this renewal cannot take place at once. It is slow work as is any regenerative process. As in the first stages of personal regeneration, there is scarcely anything to the rebirth but a desire to reform, and a recognition, although at first not too clear, that this means the giving up of the old habits of life, the inculcation and establishment of new modes of thought, and finally the development and expression of new loves. So in the initiament of the church the real distinctive and genuine thing is the ideal, which is dimly seen and yet ardently hoped for. In outward appearance the New Church seems much as other churches; in the every day conduct of its members the same perverse heredity is to be found; but if we hope and pray, if we read and study and persevere in our faith, and remain steadfast to our trust, it is promised that the transformation will surely come. The new forms, however, cannot be plastered on from without by regulations, or by the imposition of new ideas. They must grow as the embodiment of a high faith and a strong conviction regarding the truth, expressed in a continual endeavor to carry out our visions drawn from the new revelation as best we can in the existing conditions. We cannot pause in the struggle. There is no such thing as remaining stationary. There must be either progression or retrogression. We cannot afford to yield and compromise if it involves giving up some fundamental principle. Let us adapt ourselves to surrounding conditions, as all new movements must at their inception, but may we never attempt to straddle two positions, to serve both God and mammon. What does the New Church already have that is new, that is distinctive? First, and central to all else, is the new vision of the Lord as glorified and risen above the heavens. It is the fact that the Lord has made His second coming, not in flesh but in spirit, that constitutes the necessity for, and creates the possibility of, the New Church. That church is to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, not as the Son of man who walked and talked with His disciples in Palestine, but as God Himself who, having so descended and made Himself known to mankind, rose again and now in the new revelation manifests Himself as the God who rules the heavens and the earth. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."* * Matthew 28: 18. It is the glorified vision of the Lord Jesus Christ that is new in the world-so new, so unheard of, that men, for the most part cannot comprehend it. Yet with this vision in mind the New Church is able to penetrate into all the mysteries of faith, into untrodden paths of truth. Now the Father hath given the church "another Comforter, that He may abide with [her] forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him."* * John 14: 16, 17.
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Another distinctive quality of the New Church arises from the new idea of the life after death, which the Writings reveal; in fact, they present the first divinely recorded view of the other world that has ever been given to men. In this revelation is seen the goal toward which all may strive, the angelic models after whose pattern they may learn to cast their lives. The doctrine of regeneration as taught in the heavenly doctrine is also new; indeed, the very concept of such a slow and systematic mode of reformation is utterly foreign to the thought of the faith alone world. Instantaneous salvation under some guise is generally believed in, even among those who have little or no external connection with the institutions of the fallen church. So it is evident that in the New Jerusalem all the fundamentals of religion are totally different from those of the decadent Christian Church and the civilization developed from it. The very word religion has taken on a new significance in the Writings. There it does not mean certain devotional acts of worship at stated intervals, but it refers to the life of the church, the quality of its thinking and willing and doing-its very being and essence, as well as its form. In regard to the individual the doctrines stress the fact that religion is of life, and that it only takes root insofar as evils are shunned as sins against God by a life of daily repentance. There is no such thing as a sudden conversion without previous preparation. The laws of cause and effect are ever operative; they cannot cease at any time. This mode of salvation is an utterly new concept to most today. But to the member of the New Church who knows and believes these things, wherein is the newness for him? To those raised in the church these things that are so new to the world are old, in the sense that they are matters of his earliest knowledge; they are principles to which his mind assents, and by which it has been trained from earliest childhood. What, then, is the import of our text to such? It is simply this: newness is not confined to any single event or period in our lives, but if there is progress in regeneration, we are ever entering into new things. Every time one learns something from the doctrines be has added something new, which in a greater or lesser degree affects his whole thought and affection-his character; indeed, if you please, his future to eternity. At first this new truth is merely in the memory, clouded by a veil of appearances-fallacies of the senses. But if the genuine affection of truth is present, if truth is sought and loved for the sake of good, illustration will be given by the Lord, and in the light of this illustration the apparent contradictions created by these appearances will be reconciled.
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Then the truth itself will be more clearly seen, because in this new vision of the truth the Lord is present in His creation. When one learns to love to do these truths, from desire, carrying them out into his life, then the Lord can dwell in the good of his will, in his "tabernacle of God", and thereby conjunction is effected. As each evil is restrained, each sin put away, it is as if a heavy mist is rolled away, and everything is seen in a new light. The old becomes new because now, through the eyes of a purified love, more and deeper things are seen therein. This greater illustration is possible because the individual of the spiritual church no longer sees truth only from teaching, from knowledge imparted to him by others. But as a result of that advancement which is made possible by his shunning some evil and thus forming some new love, he sees truth from life-from his regenerate love, which is his very life. These new perceptions of truth are called truths from good. These are the new perceptions that come after victory in temptation, the consolation that the Lord mercifully provides after the depths of despair. Thus the Lord wipes away all tears from the eyes; that is, falsities are removed from the mind and one's understanding is further enlightened. His spirit is elevated by visions of the truth, new perceptions of things, which he thought he had understood before, but which he had merely stored away in the memory. In the first reception of truth, human teachers help to store the knowledges of truth in the memory. But the Lord alone, through temptations and the experiences of life, draws them out hence and teaches us their true significance, and thus leads by them to use. From time to time, if the love of truth for the sake of good is present, He creates from them for each individual of the church a-new ideal a new goal toward which he may strive. Without this progressive mode of illustration life certainly would lose its vitality; it would seem purposeless because apparently leading nowhere. Therefore the Lord in mercy continually makes all things new. He is constantly sustaining us, feeding us with the spiritual bread of life. He is, and evermore will be saying, "Behold, I make all things new." Amen.
DISTINCTIVE NEW CHURCH BAPTISM ARNE BAU-MADSEN 1975
A DOCTRINAL STUDY
The doctrine of distinctive New Church baptism, and thus rebaptism of converts from the former Christian Church, is as old as the very idea of an organized New Church. The first rebaptisms were actually administered in connection with the founding of the first body of the New Church in 1787. Even a general survey of the Writings will make it clear, however, that we are not dealing with a mere time-honored tradition, but with an essential aspect of the teachings contained therein. How can we otherwise understand the unequivocal statements concerning the Lord's second advent, the consummation and rejection of the former church, the establishment of a new heaven and a new church, and concerning the nature of the revelation upon which this new heaven and church are founded? If the Lord, as we know, by His first advent instituted a new church, entirely distinct from the former, then it is only logical to assume that the same would happen at His second advent, and with similar consequences for the consummated church. It is a fact, nevertheless, that the Writings contain teachings which seem to indicate that the New Jerusalem descending from heaven signifies a newness in the already existing Christian Church-a gradual change in respect to its internal state-rather than the establishment of a new and separate body of the church specific on earth. In support of this it might be pointed out, that the rejection of the Jewish Church at the time of the Lord's first advent was ultimated in such events as the sack and destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, and of the city itself, the dispersion of the Jewish nation, and the cessation of sacrificial worship, which was replaced by the sacrament of the Holy Supper, as was circumcision by baptism; but nothing similar occurred in connection with the second advent. We do not find teachings in the Writings indicating, supporting or commanding any basic change in the external form of the sacraments or ritual of the former church. Even the custom of godparents or sponsors in connection with baptism-which might seem questionable from a New Church point of view-is apparently accepted as orderly.* It would furthermore be very difficult to point to any event at the time of the last judgment, which might be comparable-either in nature or in magnitude-to the utter destruction and dispersion of the Jewish nation. * TCR 530.
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The particular teachings, which seem to support this idea of a gradual internal restoration of the fallen Christian Church, are such as the following:
. . . the "coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven with power and glory," means the Lord's presence in the Word, and revelation . . . to "gather together the elect from the four winds, from the end of the heavens even to the end of them," signifies a newness of the Church in respect to love and faith.* * SS 14: 2.
And concerning this internal newness in its relation to the external church, we are taught:
As to the external appearance divided churches will exist as heretofore, their doctrines will be taught as heretofore; and the same religions as now will exist among the gentiles. But henceforth the man of the church will be in a more free state of thinking on matters of faith, thus on the spiritual things which relate to heaven, because spiritual freedom has been restored to him. For all things in the heavens and in the hells are now reduced into order, and all thought concerning Divine things and against Divine things inflows from thence . . .* * LJ 73.
We might thus conclude that the change, which was effected by the Lord's second advent, was a reordering, of the church in heaven, and a restoration of the communication between that and the church specific on earth, that is, the Christian Church. By the death or rejection of this church we should consequently understand the rejection of the false doctrinal systems, which had reigned supreme until the time of the last judgment, as well as the rejection of those who had confirmed themselves in these falsities. This would certainly seem to be confirmed by the following passages:
The Apocalypse treats of the two religious systems in the Christian world, that with the Reformed and that with the Papists . . . It is these two ruling systems of religion which [have been rejected] by the last judgment . . . * * CLJ 22.
From these things it may appear upon whom of the Reformed the last judgment was effected; that it was not upon those who were in the center, but upon those who were around it; who from external morality, as was said, appeared exteriorly like Christians, but interiorly they were not Christians, because they had no spiritual life.* * LJ post. 184.
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It is obviously necessary to distinguish between the false doctrines and the men of those churches, and it would consequently be possible to imagine the emergence of the New Church as being a revival of the churches in the Christian world, a gradual reception of the descending New Jerusalem, a slow awakening of the church from its deathlike sleep, in support of which one might quote the following statement:
Can there be anything, then, more absurd than to say that the soul of the Lord was from His mother Mary?, as is at this day dreamed by both the Roman Catholics and the Reformed, they having not as yet been awakened by the Word?* * TCR 82: 3.
With a little interpretation one might say, that because of the new state of spiritual freedom and potential enlightenment, it is possible for Protestants and Catholics to return to the Word, search it, see the falsity of the former doctrines, and, rejecting them, receive the descending New Jerusalem or the doctrine of genuine truth. Some of the teachings quoted above clearly indicate the emergence of a new state among the men of the Christian Church, and the necessity of distinguishing between the state of that church before and after the last judgment; but to identify this newness with the New Church itself is indeed a matter of interpretation. There was likewise a change of state among Catholics after the Reformation, a change that caused them to be entirely distinct from those of their faith who had entered the spiritual world before that event:
. . . [the] great tract which is Babylon, wherein, as above said, dwelt a great multitude, one stratum above another-to wit, those who lived before the time of the Reformation beneath, and those who lived afterwards above.* * SD 5323.
That these strata were quite distinct from each other is evident from the description given in Spiritual Diary 5317. This new state was, however, an effect of the establishment of a new body of the church specific, namely the Protestant, entirely separate from the former or Catholic Church. It did not constitute a restoration of the Catholic Church to its previous function as the heart and lungs of the Lord's kingdom on earth, as is clearly implied by the following teaching:
In this man, the church where the Word is read and the Lord thereby known, is as the heart and the lungs . . . This is why those Christians among whom the Word is read constitute the breast of that man. They are the midmost of all, round about them are the Papists . . . . * * SS 105.
May we not say, by the same token, that the change of state among Christians after the last judgment was an effect of the establishment of the New Church as a separate body, not a sign of the restoration or revival of the old Christian Church; and that the New Church is entirely distinct from the former churches, both internally and externally?
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Must not this distinction be even more complete and profound than that between Protestants and Catholics since that which separates is not another reformation, but the Lord's second advent? It is not a revival of that which was; but the very beginning of true Christianity, the former churches being Christian in name only.* Surely it must be in the light of this that we are to understand the statement, that the faith of the New Church cannot at all be together with the faith of the former church.** When we add hereto such teachings as that ". . . it is impossible for the uses of these two sacraments [baptism and the Holy Supper] to enter the mind of any one, unless those uses are disclosed and set forth by the spiritual sense. . . "*** and "no one can hereafter come into heaven unless he be in the doctrine of the New Church as to faith and life,"**** as well as " . . . truth falsified takes away communication with heaven and closes heaven,"***** it must be abundantly clear that the sacraments have no efficacy, unless administered by the priesthood, or within the sphere of a church which acknowledges the Writings as the Lord's second advent, and consequently rejects all the false doctrines of the former church. * TCR 668. ** BE 102. *** TCR 667. **** Can. Trin. X: 7 ***** CR 258. The fact that the Christian Church did not undergo an external devastation similar to that of the Jewish Church, does not at all imply a difference as to the consequences of the Lord's two advents. It does not mean that the former Christian Church is not as rejected and dead as is the Jewish. The Jewish Church was devastated as to the very ultimates of worship because it was a purely external church, the representative of a church, devoid of any internal worship; while the Christian Church, being an internal church in its origin, was devastated in respect to its internal state of worship, and this as completely and irrevocably as was the Jewish Church in respect to its externals. We do, however, find in the Writings a number of teachings, which seem to present certain problems regarding this understanding, such as the following description of the New Heaven:
. . . after the New Christian heaven was made by the Lord, a new one was made at the same time of those who were of the Roman Catholic religion. The reason is, because the Christian heaven collected out of the Reformed, constitutes the center, and the Papists are round about it; therefore when the center is made new, something new is at the same time produced in the circumference.* * AR 631.
It is quite clear that this passage is not describing the former or imaginary heaven of Christians, which passed away at the last judgment, but the new heaven which was subsequently established; and it seems to indicate that the center of this new heaven is a renewed or purified Protestant heaven, not, as we might expect, a distinct New Church heaven.
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We search in vain for any mention of the establishment of a new center, corresponding to the establishment of a new and separate body of the church specific on earth, such as happened after the Reformation. This certainly appears to support the idea of the New Church as an internal revival of the Christian or Protestant Church, and thus the efficacy of the sacraments administered by its priesthood-especially when it is considered in the light of the series of clear teachings that a man who is in a state of simple faith from the sense of the letter of the Word, and at the same time in charity, does have communication with heaven and the Lord through the Word and the Holy Supper; and that the presence of falsities of doctrine does not necessarily disrupt this communication or communion. That such a man can be in a true acknowledgment of the Lord is evident from these passages:
But those who believe the Lord to be the Son of God also have the true faith, because such believe Him to be God.* * TCR 379: 2.
The doctrinals contained in the True Christian Religion agree with the doctrinals of those of the Roman Catholic Church, and with the doctrinals of those of the Protestants who acknowledge a personal union in Christ, and approach Christ, and who partake of the two elements in the eucharist.* * Inv. II.
He can receive the benefits or uses of the Holy Supper:
As for example, when in the Holy Supper he thinks in simplicity of the Lord from the words then used-"This is My body, and this is My blood"-the angels with him are in the idea of love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor; . . . and because there is such a correspondence, there flows an affection out of heaven through the angels into that holy state in which the man then is, which affection he receives in accordance with the good of his life.* * AC 3464.
The presence of falsities in the mind of such a man does not necessarily disrupt this communion:
. . . for it is a canon, that with those who are in evil of life truths are falsified, and with those who are in good of life falsities are made true. The reason why with these falsities are made true, is that they are applied so as to agree with good, and in this way the crudities of the falsity are wiped away.* * AC 8149.
This treatment of the efficacy of a simple faith in appearances of truth from the Word is, of necessity, very sketchy; but it does serve to illustrate or represent that aspect of the teachings contained in the Writings, and may make us wonder whether we are justified in saying that the administration of the sacraments in the Christian Churches is but an empty external act, without any efficacy whatsoever.
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Yet, it cannot be denied that the Writings also contain a set or body of teachings, outlined above, which almost inevitably must lead us to that conclusion. It may thus appear that the Writings contain two different sets of teachings concerning this subject, and this is of vital importance to the understanding of the true nature of the New Church-two bodies of doctrine so opposed to each other that they seem to be mutually exclusive. To see such a contradiction as real is, however entirely unacceptable to anyone who acknowledges the Writings as a rational and Divine revelation. Such an acknowledgment must necessarily mean the acceptance of all the teachings as Divine truth. We may have to make a choice between the two elements of the apparent contradiction, temporarily setting one aside with the realization that we have not as yet fully understood its implications; but not in the sense of accepting one and rejecting the other. The latter would be to reject this Divine revelation as a whole. There can be no contradictions in the Writings, but only in the finite mind or understanding of the reader. To see the heavenly doctrines in their order and harmony we must view them in accordance with the principles of heavenly order, which are coordination and subordination. In other words, in order to reconcile an apparent contradiction it is necessary to view one teaching in the context of the other, or in subordination to the other. One must be in the center and the other in the circumference. In order to accomplish this it may be necessary to find a missing link, a teaching or series of teachings, which place the elements of the contradiction in their proper relationship. In the present instance the following passages seem to serve this use:
All those who do good from religion, after death reject the doctrine of the present church respecting three Divine persons from eternity, and also its faith as applied to the three in their order.* * TCR 536.
Those who do the good works of charity from religion, and consequently do not commit evil, before they have accepted the doctrine of the New Church concerning the Lord, may be likened to trees that bear good fruit, although but little . . . They are like little chapels or houses of God, where pious worship is performed . . . In heaven such are clothed in garments of a red color, and when they have been initiated into the goods of the New Church, they are clothed with garments of a purple color, which acquire a beautiful golden glow in proportion as they also receive truths.* * TCR 537.
In these passages the two aspects are, we may say, brought together and shown in their proper relationship. The efficacy of simple faith is confirmed, but is also shown to be a state of limited development, since such men are likened to trees bearing good but little fruit, or to small chapels of God.
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It is only by initiation into the New Church, into the vision of the Lord in His Divine Human, leaving behind the idea of the Lord as the Son of God, that their potential state of true Christianity can become actual and full. This is also what the Writings teach, when they say, that there is a marriage of the Lord with the church before His Human is acknowledged to be Divine; but that it is only a full marriage when His Human is acknowledged to be Divine.* * AR 812. Even a formal and external attachment to the doctrines of the former church seems to impose such a limitation upon the spiritual development of man. We are thus taught concerning the French nation, that they do not really acknowledge the Pope as the Lord's vicar, and they do believe that the Word is Divinely inspired; but "that they do not progress further, and draw the doctrinals of faith and life from the Word, is of the Lord's Divine Providence, because they still adhere in externals, or in formalities, to the Roman Catholic religious persuasion; lest truth and falsity should be mixed together . . ."* The doctrinal sphere of a church is not an airy abstraction, but a reality. It can only be of no effect upon the mind of man if he is in such a state of indifference that his only connection with the church is the presence of his name on the roll. But, then, such a man could not even be potentially a true Christian, since he entirely lacks sincerity. That it is impossible for a man in a simple state of faith to enjoy that full communication through the Word and the sacraments, which qualifies him as a man in or of the church specific, is also evident from this teaching: * AR 741.
. . . those whose intelligence and wisdom are formed out of genuine truths and goods [have] communication with societies in accordance with the form of heaven; while those whose intelligence and wisdom are not formed out of genuine truths and goods, and yet out of what is in accord therewith, have a broken and variously coherent communication, since it is not with societies that are in a series in which there is a form of heaven.* * HH 204.
In the light of these teachings it seems evident that the New Christian Heaven described above * cannot really be that heaven with which the New Church on earth is to be conjoined. The very fact that the angels of this heaven are distinguished according to the doctrines to which they adhered during life on earth, must mean that they are not yet in the full state of the marriage between the Lord and the church, and thus cannot constitute the center of that heaven which is founded upon the acknowledgement of the Lord's Divine Human. This assumption is further strengthened by the teaching that the New Christian Heaven occupies an expanse below the ancient heavens,** which can hardly be the case with that heaven with which the specific New Church on earth is conjoined-the church which is the crown of all the churches that ever existed on earth, and the only one to possess a revelation of the Lord's Divine Human.*** * AR 631 ** See AR 876. *** TCR 786
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It can thus come as no great surprise that a teaching does exist which adds a significant aspect to the description given in Apocalypse Revealed 631:
The middle space is where those are who are truly Christian; and in its midst is the New Jerusalem-foursquare.* * TCR 786.
The true Christians in the middle space must be the same as the Reformed mentioned in Apocalypse Revealed 631, who relative to the Catholics occupies the center; but who, viewed from the true center, the New Jerusalem, constitute an intermediate region or level. This understanding is also confirmed by the teachings concerning the introduction of Catholics and Reformed into the New Jerusalem, which evidently must represent a state quite distinct from that of the simple good among Christians;* and being more interior it must also be of a higher elevation, thus a higher expanse. The New Christian Heaven described in Apocalypse Revealed 631 is indeed new and Christian; but only because of and through the genuine New Heaven, the state of a full marriage of the Lord and the church, founded upon the heavenly doctrine in its purity. * See BE 108 There is consequently no contradiction between the two series of teachings. They are both true, but the one concerning the efficacy of simple faith must be seen in the context of, or in subordination to, the ruling one, declaring the establishment of the Church of the New Jerusalem as the only true Christian Church. Then, and only then, does this fundamental aspect of the doctrines stand forth in that clarity and harmony which is the hallmark of the Writings. It is evident that the states of Christianity before and after the reception of the heavenly doctrine are fundamentally different, and that a sign of this transition is orderly and necessary. The following declaration certainly removes any remaining doubt:
"And His Wife hath made herself ready" signifies that they who will be of this church, which is the New Jerusalem, are collected together, inaugurated, and instructed.* * AR 813
One might wonder, however, whether this inauguration should consist in rebaptism, confirmation or possibly a public declaration of faith.
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It is, after all, a transition from one state of Christianity into another, rather than a general introduction into Christianity. This question may be answered, if we view the changing of garments which accompanied the initiation of the good Christians into the New Church,* in the light of the teaching, that ". . . baptism as regeneration is represented by many things both in heaven and in the world; in heaven, as just said, by white and purple garments . . . " ** In the spiritual world Christians are not re-baptized, they are given new garments for baptism with water does not take place in the spiritual world. In this world, however, rebaptism is evidently the proper sign of the spiritual putting on of new garments, or a new state of faith. * TCR 537. ** TCR 687. The conclusion of this study must consequently be, that the doctrine of distinctive New Church baptism is in full accordance with the teachings of the Writings, and indeed is the only true understanding of those teachings. Baptism into the former Christian Church may serve a use as a sign of preservation and preparation for a future introduction into the New Church, either in this life or the next; but it cannot serve as the proper sign of introduction into that church. In that respect it has no efficacy, for it represents a state which must be put off and left behind, as were the red garments of the good Christians. The principle of distinctive New Church baptism has at times been interpreted as an expression of exclusiveness and rejection; but it actually is-quite to the contrary-an expression of the highest degree of charity and use. Without it the New Church on earth could not exist. It would be rent asunder by that mixing of the states of the old and new faiths, which the Writings so emphatically warn us against, and with it would perish all the good Christians whose state of integrity is preserved and protected by its existence. It would indeed mean the end of everything, for we are taught:
Unless a New Church exist, which shall abolish the faith of the old church, which is in three Gods, and introduce a new one, which is a faith in one God, thus in the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ, not any flesh can be saved, according to the Lord's words.* * Can. Trin. X.
Upon this New Church, founded upon the threefold Word, and entirely distinct-externally as well as internally-from the former churches, depends the whole future of the human race; and anything we can do to promote its growth and preserve it in its purity is an act of charity towards all mankind.
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CHANGE Rev. KURT H. ASPLUNDH 1975
Change in the New Church
(The last of a series of three Doctrinal Classes. See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975. April issue, p. 146 and May issue p. 196.)
We conclude this series by talking about some of the changes that are closest to our heart-changes in the New Church. This is a subject that will interest everyone, but for different reasons. The older generation will be interested to analyze these changes because they may seem to threaten the essential principles of the New Church. The younger generation, on the other hand, will be interested to hear of changes that may seem to promise a resurgence of the church. Perhaps we should seek some perspective on changes in the New Church by first noting Swedenborg's anticipation of what it would be. In answer to a question put to him by one of the first receivers of the heavenly doctrine: "How soon a New Church may be expected?" Swedenborg replied: "I daily see spirits and angels, from ten to twenty thousand, descending and ascending, and being set in order. By degrees, as that heaven is being formed, the New Church likewise begins and increases. The universities in Christendom are now first being instructed, whence will come new ministers . . ." * * Letter to Dr. Beyer, February, 1767; R. L. Tafel, Documents concerning Swedenborg, Vol. 11, p. 260. Four years later, Swedenborg again wrote this early follower, shortly before the publication of the True Christian Religion: "I am certain of this," he states, "that after the appearance of the book referred to, the Lord our Savior will operate both mediately and immediately towards the establishment throughout the whole of Christendom of a New Church based upon this 'Theology.' The New Heaven, out of which the New Jerusalem will descend, will very soon be completed."* * Ibid. p. 382. We are not the only ones having difficulty distributing books of the Writings to the public. Swedenborg noted in his Diary after the publication of the first volume of the Arcana Coelestia: "I have received letters informing me that not more than four copies had been sold in two months, and this was made known to the angels. They indeed wondered, but said that it should be left to the Providence of the Lord, which was such as to compel no one. . . ."* * SD 4422.
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Swedenborg had no illusions that the New Church would spread quickly. "This cannot take place in a moment," he writes, "but it takes place to the extent that the falsities of the former church are set aside."* "It is certain that the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, will exist . . . and it is also certain that the falsities of the former church are first to be removed. . . ." ** But the angels with whom Swedenborg conversed on the subject of the growth of the New Church had only "slender hope of the men of the Christian Church, but much of some nation far distant from the Christian world."*** * TCR 784. ** AR 547. *** LJ 74.
We speak of change in the church and must therefore first define what the church is. We will outline its essential uses, which never change, and speak briefly about the importance of external organizations that serve these uses. Having done this, we will look at some changes that have affected the New Church; some which detract from its essential uses; some which support its uses; and some which may need further evaluation to determine their effect, good or bad. And finally, we will consider the relation of change to evangelization. What is the church? It is the foundation of heaven.* It is the basis upon which the heavens rest and into which they flow. We are taught that "when there is no church, there is no longer any communication of man with heaven; and when this communication ceases, every inhabitant perishes."** There must be a church if the human race is to survive, and if heaven is to be supported. "Though it consists of comparatively few," we are told, "still by means of it the Lord is present everywhere in the whole world, and by means of it heaven is conjoined to the human race. . . ."*** * AC 4060: 4 ** AC 931. *** Verbo 40. In order that the church may perform this function of a vital link it must provide for three essential uses. These are: "an acknowledgment of the Divine of the Lord, an acknowledgment of the holiness of the Word, and the life that is called charity."* It is the purpose of the church then, that the Divine of the Lord may be revealed, and that men may be led to acknowledge the Lord as being Divine. It is the purpose of the church to preserve and respect the Word of the Lord which reveals Him, and, it is the purpose of the church to promote the life of charity among men. *DP 259: 3. Any external organization of the church ought to serve these uses, and these uses cannot be fully served without an external organization.
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There are those in the church today, as there have been some in every past generation, who deny the importance of a church organization. Is it not possible, they say, for the uses of the church to be served by an individual who goes to the Lord in the Word and lives a life of charity based on his understanding of the Word's teachings? Possible, yes. Indeed, it is only in the individual heart and mind that the church of the Lord exists on earth. "It does not follow," we are taught, "that they are of the church who are born where the Word is, and where the Lord is thereby known, but they who, by means of truths from the Word, are regenerated by the Lord, who are they who live according to the truths therein, consequently who lead a life of love and faith."* * WH 6: 3. However, this individual reception of the Lord is supported and sustained by an external organization of the church, just as the mind and spirit of man is housed and fed by the body and its senses. The external organization supports the uses of the church in the world and provides for the external order in which they may be promoted in the individual. The truth is that all uses, however internal, must eventually come to rest in external organizations. A passage in the Writings confirms this by teaching that "use can never be separated from organic substances."* Without organization of some kind, how could a church be preserved? How would the Word be published? Could the sacraments be administered in an orderly way without a priesthood? And by what orderly means could a priesthood be trained and inaugurated? How could there be a distinction between the spiritual use of the New Church and that of any other church. Without new and distinct forms of worship and life, the faith and life of the New Church would be commingled with that of the old. It is by means of an organized church that such forms can exist. * SD 3577. Perhaps the major discontent concerning the organization of the church comes in seeing what appear to be abuses or disorders in it. However, a careful reading of the Statement of the Order and Organization of the General Church, the organization of the church with which we are primarily concerned, would show that it has been established without binding restrictions and with utmost regard for the spiritual freedom of the individual. The problem with organization is not inherent in the nature of this organizational pattern, but could arise from abuses or disorders imposed on it by individuals. Here, it is well to remember the teaching that while misuse of uses is possible, this does not do away with the use itself, except for those who are misusing it.* * DLW 331e.
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While some may say that an organization stands in the way of worship or their internal relationship to the Lord, or that it suffocates the true life of the church, and even stifles the evangelistic zeal of its members, I contend that this is not inherent in the order and organization of the General Church. This form of organization is provided to serve any genuine use of the New Church. Where anything stands in the way of these essential uses it may be removed without destroying the organization. There is great freedom in this form of organization because it is based on the idea that no written constitution, or manmade formula of organization will be permitted to bind the future of the church. This is a most remarkable thing, a unique and wonderfully adaptable form of external organization. Students of church government and history would do well to study the form of organization of the General Church and how it was brought into being through the wisdom of the first Bishop of the General Church, the Right Reverend W. F. Pendleton. What we are saying is that the General Church is uniquely adaptable to change even while providing for an order and organizational form that is strong and lasting. Take just one illustration of this point. I have heard some young people say that our form of worship, especially as expressed in a cathedral service, is stiff, cold, and fails to provide for them the opportunity to fully express their feelings of worship. They may also feel that this has a discouraging effect on visitors, and may therefore hinder our evangelistic efforts. While the point itself could be discussed and debated at length, the important thing to recognize is that this form of worship is by no means the only possible form of worship, or the only permissible form of worship for the church. It is not bound on the church. There is an orderly mechanism for considering change, for seeking from the Word a new way. Perhaps the future will find the General Church using very different forms of worship that have been seen to promote the essential use of worship more perfectly than what we now have. The church is not bound by tradition. Sometimes, it seems, that traditions and customs run deep, and that the church is very brittle, but that is not the way it is set up. People tend to be traditionalists, and to hold to familiar customs, and that is not all bad. There is some protection from irresponsible innovation in the weight of tradition. But essentially, the church is free to move, to grow, to change, to live. I remember a statement made by a young man who had been invited to speak as a representative of the younger generation at an assembly banquet. He said: "The church is precious, but not fragile." This phrase sticks in my mind and is significant. Yes, the church is precious.
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We would not want to cast it, as a pearl, before swine. We would treasure its value. But it is not fragile. It won't break if we touch it, and use it. It is strong enough to suffer some sincere mistakes. Sometimes I think we in the church are too much afraid of making mistakes. There is certainly a desirable balance to be struck between rash experiment and prudent restraint. But let us not be immobilized by a fear of mistakes. There is a teaching from the Writings that I think has application here. It is the remarkable teaching that "preservation is perpetual creation." * This is said of the universe and how it is sustained, but it would apply to the church as well as to many other things. The church in the individual man is preserved by ever new states and new truth. Man cannot seek a plateau of faith or life and rest there. In order to preserve the church in himself, man must perpetually turn to the Word, and continually respond to the Lord's inflowing life. Then there is a creation of new states of the church within, which are its preservation. * AC 10076: 5, 6842; TCR 46e et alia. On the organizational scale there is a similar necessity for a perpetual creation and renewal of the life of the church for the sake of its preservation. If there is freedom and order, the great variety of individuals who make up the church can be drawn into a beautiful harmony of uses for the perfection of the church. Let us not be afraid then, to consider change and development. Of course, we must necessarily consider change in the light of the Writings and strive to promote the Lord's ends rather than our personal inclinations. Not every plan will succeed, but that should not inhibit us from making any plans. Those that are from the Lord will succeed, while those that are from us will eventually fail. Yet we cannot always judge at first what is from the Lord and what is from man. States and efforts must ripen before a judgment is clearly known. Where there is sincerity, a looking to the Lord, and a patient submission to the order of the church, there can be no lasting harm in a mistake. The church is not fragile. I might mention two specific developments in the General Church which have had great consequence for the church. We look upon these as longstanding patterns of the life of the General Church, but at one time they were new ideas and changes of bold magnitude. I speak of New Church education and the community society. What would the General Church be like today if these two ideas had not been taken up? It would be a very different organization. There have also been abortive and unsuccessful New Church experiments, but I leave description of these to our church historians.
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We turn now to a more particular consideration of changes in the church. I would classify these in three groups: changes that seem to detract from the essential uses of the church; changes that seem to support and enhance the uses of the church; and changes that need further evaluation. It is an uncomfortable feeling to pass judgment on segments of New Church life that others have developed and supported. But just judgment will not be from man, but from the Word. And I think there is a responsibility for just and honest appraisal of trends, ideas, and practices in the church, especially on the part of the priests who are set as watchmen on the walls of the New Jerusalem. The Writings speak of the responsibility of the priest as a watchman against what is destructive of the church. What are some trends and changes that seem apparent in the church today that could be counted as detrimental to its uses? One is a tendency to teach an accommodation instead of an ideal. The early Academicians stated principles of the church without apology. How often now are we inclined to accommodate or modify the ideal that we believe is set forth in the doctrines because of our fear of giving offence, alienating, or seeming to set ourselves up in judgment over others? Of course, we don't want to become like the Pharisees of old. Yet, it is a mistake to misrepresent the truth of doctrine. What is important is that we check our innate tendency to condemn and despise, and set ourselves up as judges of another man. We may judge of a clear evil, but should draw no conclusions as to the state of the evildoer. The Lord did not condemn the woman taken in adultery who was brought to Him by her accusers, but He did not fail to call her deed a sin. Should we be reluctant to point out what the Writings teach about divorce, marriage between partners of different religion, women who preach, the state of the former Christian Church, and many other things which might be called the "hard sayings" of the New Church? Here is another area. It is difficult to evaluate outside of our own life, but there seems to be a natural tendency for the church to decline toward externalism. There is, of course, nothing wrong with externals properly subordinated to internals. But when external matters begin to take precedence over internal, the effectiveness of the church is threatened. Perhaps an illustration of this situation would be the feeling that simply being born within the church makes one a member of the church with access to all the privileges and rights of the club. The Writings are clear that "the church is from the Word, and with man it is such as his understanding, of the Word is."* Again, we read: "it is not doctrine, but soundness and purity of doctrine," that establishes the church; neither is it doctrine, but faith and a life according to it. . . . "
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What is the state of individual study and reflection on the doctrine of the Word? Has the church changed from a reading church to a spoon-fed church? * TCR 245. Again, what is the present support of, the practice of family worship? This is not to say that a formal ceremony with the children is a badge of New Churchmanship. But if that is not the practice of many New Church families, what other means are being employed to transmit to their children the affections and ideas of the church? It should not be left to the school. Indeed, we may even find concern for the distinctiveness of our schools. Do our teachers today have the interest in applying the teachings of doctrine to their understanding of subject matter as seemed the case in the enthusiastic states of new beginnings, at the time when the Academy schools were begun, and local schools sprang up around the church? Social distinctiveness is another area which societies of the church seem to have difficulty in sustaining. Does the abuse of alcohol, the use of drugs, and the search for sensual delight apart from use, parallel the teachings of doctrine concerning recreation? What about the more subtle ostracisms, the gossip, the crude, and sometimes cruel jokes we allow ourselves to indulge in when we are relaxing with church friends? These are individual problems which each individual must seek to meet, yet do our social encounters seem more conducive to such things, and more accepting of them than may have been true in the past? Another kind of change that is not so personally related has to do with the activity of the New Church. Translations of the Writings are appearing these days, which border on paraphrases instead of accurate rendition of the text. How far should the Writings be popularized in this way? It seems a risky trend. Lest we get the feeling from what has been included so far about change in the church, that everything is going downhill, I think some positive changes should be noted: I think the development of the Academy College in recent decades is a strengthening thing for the entire church. The increased awareness of a need for evangelization seems a useful addition to the spheres of activity for the General Church. The development of three New Church communities in recent years and the resulting increase of enrollment in their church schools is encouraging. Other changing features on the New Church landscape need further evaluation to know how they can best be turned to positive support of the essential uses of the church.
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What will be the effect of our present growth patterns? How can we turn to advantage the fact that New Church people are diffusing throughout the country and the world to a greater extent than was previously the case? What challenges are represented by the fact that we have a greater percentage of young people in the church today than was the case twenty years ago? We may ask if the new interest in personal counseling and sharing groups is a trend that will lead to a more effective use of doctrine in life? Some New Churchmen seem to be joining the back-to-nature movement we see in the world now. Is this merely a personal preference or does it represent a way of life more in harmony with the teachings of the New Church than our twentieth century suburban ideal? These questions deserve further thought.
The subject of change is directly related to that of evangelization. Evangelization is a change, a change for the individual who is brought to a knowledge of the New Church, and, at the same time, a change for the church because of the addition of that man or woman to the sphere of the church's activity. In fact, imagine what a change would result in the organized New Church if we added three thousand members over the next year. Perhaps something of the reason why our growth is slow is that we are not capable of sustaining the change that fast growth would create. But not only would change result from the success of missionary work, I think greater missionary success would result from successful change in the church. The church needs to change attitudes and activities to open the way for more successful evangelization. I say this in the context of all that has gone before. I am not advocating any change in the essential uses of the church, nor even in the order and organization of the church body. What I am suggesting is that the creation of new attitudes and activities, which are supportive of the essentials of the church, will inevitably attract new receivers. We may visualize evangelization as a process of reaching out and drawing in. I think we should create a new picture of it as an encompassing. I do not mean that we should broaden, or water-down the essentials of our religion in the sense of joining the ecumenical movement, or in the sense of becoming accepting of a wider range of ideas and practices. I am thinking of an extension of the unique and distinctive principles of the New Church into wider fields, which will be a support and a confirmation to the unchanging essentials. I will cite one illustration to clarify the point. A few individuals have taken a renewed interest in the years.
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There is perhaps no field where the New Churchman might enter so readily with so much to offer. It is by no means a compromise of essential uses to enter into the study of the ancient churches as represented in the artifacts and collections of our museum. Indeed, what is done can be a powerful confirmation of the teachings of the Writings concerning the ancient churches and the science of correspondences. Where the time and interest permit, New Churchmen can carry their religion into fields of study and endeavor where it will affect people who did not previously know of the church. I feel strongly that this kind of evangelization will have a more powerful effect on the world in which we live than will the typical evangelistic approach of advertising books in the newspapers. I would like to share some thoughts on changes that might promote the New Church in the world, enabling the New Church to open itself up for new members. Before allowing my enthusiastic spirits full reign, however, I would add this caution. We are taught in the Writings that the first Ancient Church was "adulterated by innovators, both as to its external and its internal worship."* It is indicated that every church faces the danger of being undermined by innovations. Another passage shows that a desire for innovation is a cupidity, an evil desire. Let us beware then of innovations-changes for the sake of change, a desire for novelty, perhaps just an unwillingness to carry out essentials and a desire to escape from them to a fantasy world of grandiose schemes. * AC 1241. First, there is what I would call internal changes that would help prepare the New Church for increase, and first among these I would list a new kind of charity. Charity is a way of life that is directed by faith. The faith of the New Church is a new faith, calling for a new kind of charity. Do we not have good reason from doctrine for having a receptive attitude toward change? We know of the great diversity and variety of the Lord's creation, but we can unify it all in the vision of the grand man of heaven. Each man has a use which may be put to the benefit of the human race. People do not have to fit into a mold to be a part of the New Church. By an exercise of charity we must learn to break any molds we may have made in our own minds about people. We may not like everyone, but we should be able to appreciate everyone's potential for good. If the Lord has a place for a man in heaven we should have a place for him in the church. There seems evidence that we need to increase not only our faith, but our charity even in relation to those in the church who hold ideas differing from our own. Sometimes people in the church are wrong. They have false ideas which cannot be accepted as a representation of the New Church.
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On the other hand, some ideas that we may scorn or dismiss are more directly in accord with the truth than our own. A New Churchman should be able to evaluate his own and others' ideas, fairly and with sympathy, against the standard of truth. And we will find that the Lord is more accepting of differences than any man or organization of men. I think the New Church has to develop something of this openness to difference to create a favorable climate for evangelization. Now I will turn to some areas of external change or development that may be appropriate for the New Church. These come under three headings: 1. Strengthening the center. 2. Strengths for church members. 3. Going out. I spoke of the positive nature of the development of the Academy College. There should be additional strengthening of this university center for the New Church. Certainly, we seek to do this in the area of theology, with a continuous production of scholarly studies and with the theological training of candidates for the ministry. Much more could be done in developing the principles and practices of New Church education. We have the opportunity to derive the most effective educational system the world has ever known, and yet the field lies fallow, for the most part. We need language specialists, not only scholars of the ancient languages to take the lead in preserving a knowledge of the Word in the original tongue, but to enter into a variety of modern languages so that the Writings may be translated for the millions who have no opportunity to read them in their native tongue. We need a strong philosophy department to renew the interest in Swedenborg's scientific and philosophical works, but also to view the work of the world's thinkers from the light of the Writings. Some may say, we haven't the means or men to enter these fields, and that is true today. But can we not begin now to inspire and develop the men? Why should some of our best scholars divert their efforts into secular work when the needs of the church are so great? Think of the tremendous amount of scholarly work that has been done in the Academy since its inception. The manuscript work, the Swedenborgiana library, the early interest in language, education, philosophy; all done with men drawn from a smaller church membership than we have today. Other areas of New Church research that would be natural supplements to our university include Biblical studies, archeological studies; I have mentioned already the work of the museum and the study of ancient religions and mythology. What a lot the New Church has to offer in psychology and the other sciences. We need to develop also the study of the various arts that combine to provide the elements of ritual.
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What a treasure house of medieval art lies open to us in the cathedral and in the Bryn Athyn community. The fine new organ in the cathedral should be an incentive to some to devote themselves to the development of New Church music. In addition to a university as a center of intellectual life in the New Church there is need for a publishing house. We cannot continue to depend upon other bodies of the church, or other publishing houses, to provide for the distinctive literature we need for church and extension work. Why should we make do with the pamphlets of others which never say just what we might say ourselves? Many invaluable books and printed articles lie hidden in scattered rooms about the campus. Reprints are needed. Can we not encourage young people to take up the arts of printing for the sake of the church, and establish a full-scale print shop for all church and Academy needs? Additional strength for our own church members could be given by the further development of study courses in doctrine, for adults as well as children; reprinting and new collateral literature; production of slides, films and tapes for use in small church groups, or by individuals. Young people could add a tremendous strength to the existing societies and circles of the church by continuing the New Church Peace Corps idea. Pairs of young people, perhaps wanting a year off from college, could seek placement in societies of the church where their very presence is a powerful strength. In addition, such volunteers could help in society schools. Others could engage in research projects at home or abroad, perhaps following out a lead from the museum, joining an archeological digging team. Others might be interested in film-making, providing the church with reverently done, accurate and useful films of the letter of the Word. The business-minded could engage in fund-raising, or business enterprises to support church projects, such as the Zambia mission. Perhaps students would run a full-time exchange or outlet for Bryn Athyn rummage. The possibilities seem endless. Finally, there are ways of going out to the world. Perhaps the young have more opportunities for this than the older generation. The New Church needs to be made known in a positive way among the people of the world, starting with those in communities near our church centers. Here are just a few ideas, which are simply suggestive. Many others will come to your minds. New Church cell groups could be promoted on college campuses, which could be supplied with church literature. They could open their doors to interested students for worship or doctrinal discussion.
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A New Church traveling college choir or glee club could be developed, perhaps specializing in a distinctive form of music. Glenview has the prospect of obtaining a radio station. Why not the Academy? Could we not broadcast religious programs? New Church films might have wider appeal than just for our own people. Some of you may have read articles on "Cluster Housing" in NEW CHURCH LIFE.* There are also study houses in some of our cities, run by various organizations. Subjects offered are not necessarily of a religious nature. There may be possibilities for a New Church study house. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, pp. 24, 128, 158, 227, 230 ff. In all of these ways we go out as New Church men with the object of performing a use that the New Church is particularly equipped to perform. And by going out in this way, and by contacting people in these fields, we enter into what has been shown to be the most effective missionary effort ever: contact with a friend. If we are committed New Church people, and we seek to pursue fields of endeavor for the benefit of the New Church, whether temporarily, as students, or as a life-long occupation, we cannot help having an effect on the people whom we contact. The church will grow from our efforts. No one could stop it from growing.
DIVINE PROVIDENCE IN HISTORIC EVENTS OCCURRING BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS Rev. GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
(This is the last of three articles dealing with the period between the Babylonish captivity and the birth of the Lord. See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, April issue, p. 153 and May issue p. 206.)
There is no consecutive Divine Revelation to guide the student who seeks to understand the meaning of the events that transpired between the Babylonian captivity and the advent of the Lord. Yet that the Lord was constantly directing the course of human events in such a way as to prepare mankind for His birth into the world is surely beyond dispute. It appears to us, as we survey the recorded history of this period, that indications of His providential government are unmistakable. Nevertheless, we are fully aware that our conclusions are based on altogether insufficient evidence, and they may need to be greatly modified by future scholarship. We hold no brief for our tentative interpretation of these events.
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Many modern Christian scholars have ceased to believe in any authoritative revelation contained in the Sacred Scriptures. They have therefore come to the conclusion that "God reveals Himself only in history." Yet history is nothing but a human interpretation of past events. Such an interpretation reveals the mind of the historian, rather than the will of God. It reveals his knowledge and his intelligence, but at the same time his personal point of view, formed under the influence of the thoughts generally current in his day. Above all it reveals his ignorance, for no one, in a lifetime of devoted study, can possibly learn even a millionth part of the scientific facts, or the human ambitions and prejudices that combine to produce the events men call history. For this reason historians are by no means agreed as to the meaning of those events. Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi lived and prophesied during the period of the restoration (520 to 397 B. C.) but their prophecies, historically understood, relate only to a portion of that period when the Jews were under the dominion of Persia. Zechariah and Haggai encouraged the returned captives in their endeavor to build the temple, and reestablish in Jerusalem the ancient worship of Jehovah. Together with Malachi they foretell the coming of the Messiah, and promise the restoration of His kingdom. But between Malachi and John the Baptist, there was no Divine prophecy. We must therefore look to secular sources for information, if we would seek to understand what happened during these four hundred years. The sources available to us are confined to the non-canonical books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Maccabees, together with the writings of Josephus, a Jewish historian who was born in 37 A. D. The secular history of the period, drawn from archeological research, is confused and uncertain because historians are not agreed as to many important points. Nevertheless it seems to us that in the broad sweep of recorded history, it is evident that the Lord was secretly preparing, not only the Jews, but all the nations of antiquity for His advent, and the establishment of the Christian Church. This much is clear: the entire period between the two Testaments was characterized by a continuing struggle for world domination, first by Assyria, and then in turn by Persia, Greece, and finally Rome. In connection with this struggle the land of Canaan was strategically placed. No nation could hope to conquer the ancient world unless the powerful government of Egypt was subjugated. Yet, in order to conquer Egypt the armies of every contending nation had to cross through the Holy Land. For this reason, every nation that aspired to power was brought into contact with the Jews, with their religion, and with the Old Testament Scriptures on which that religion was based.
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At the same time the Jews became acquainted with other nations and their varying cultures. The eastern peoples were brought into contact with the inhabitants of Europe because the emperors of Persia sought to extend their conquests into Greece, by crossing the Bosporus and the Aegean Sea. In this attempt they were frustrated by the valiant defense of their country by the Greeks at Thermopylae and Salamis. Later, because of the deterioration of the Persian Empire, and the rise to power of the Macedonian states, Alexander the Great was able to lead his armies across the Bosporus to challenge and defeat the Persian armies in Asia Minor. Continuing his victories he occupied Jerusalem without a struggle, and swept on to bring the land of Egypt under tribute. Returning, he spread his conquests throughout the whole of Mesopotamia and beyond, even to the borders of India. There his armies revolted, and he was obliged to return to Babylon, where he established the capital of his vast empire. But at the very height of his power he succumbed to a fatal disease, bequeathing portions of his dominions to the five generals of his army. Seleucus was given control of Asia Minor, and Ptolemy was made ruler of Egypt. Both these Greek kings coveted the land of Canaan, and wars between them for the possession of that land continued for more than a hundred years. For a time the Seleucidae would gain the ascendancy, and then the Ptolomies would establish temporary sovereignty over the disputed territory. Meanwhile, the Jewish people were impressed into military service, and were placed under tribute, now by one, and then by the other, as the fortunes of war shifted sides. In 198 B. C. Antiochus the Great Greek king of Asia Minor, became the undisputed ruler of the land of Canaan. In 170 B. C. Antiochus Epiphanes succeeded to the throne. He sought to stamp out the Jewish religion by force. He pillaged the temple, and compelled the Jews to worship at the altars, which he had set up in honor of the Greek idols. To break the spirit of the Jews he forced them to eat swine's flesh, which was to them an abomination. Against this tyranny the Jewish patriot Mattathias led a revolt. He slew the Greek soldiers who were insisting upon his obedience to the new laws enacted by Antiochus, and then he fled to mountain fastnesses. There he gathered a growing band of other patriots who waged a guerilla warfare against the Greek army. At last under the leadership of Judas Maccabaeus, they were strong enough to meet the Greeks in a pitched battle, and to defeat them. As a result, in 165 B. C. a treaty was signed by which the Jews gained virtual independence. They established what came to be known as the Asmonian Dynasty of Jewish kings who continued to govern the country until the conquest by Rome under Pompey, in 63 B. C.
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During this period the Jewish government became utterly corrupt. Each ruler was slain by an aspirant to the throne who then ruled only until he was replaced by a successor who had no legitimate claim to power. Meanwhile the Greek language had spread throughout all the nations of the ancient world, and had been recognized as the medium of learned and scholarly communication. This would seem to explain why the Jews translated their ancient scriptures into Greek. This was done by seventy scholars living in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. Their translation became known as the Septuagint and, curiously enough, it became the basis for the translation of the Old Testament into English and other European languages. The Hebrew Scriptures had indeed been preserved with meticulous care by the scribes and the Massorites, but, before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, no Hebrew manuscript survived that was more ancient than the ninth century A. D. With the conquest of Jerusalem by Pompey, the Roman general, in 63 B. C., and the extension of the Roman Empire throughout the ancient world, Latin gradually replaced Greek as a universal language. This however was effected by gradual stages, and the replacement took place long after the establishment of the primitive Christian Church. Meanwhile the land of Canaan became a Roman province. In 40 B. C. Herod the Great, an Edomite was appointed to rule over the Jews as a king, under tribute to Caesar. Because Herod was not a Jew, he could not inherit the throne of David, which all prophecy declared to be the destined ruler of the kingdom of the Messiah. There was therefore no incentive for the Jews to unite under him in rebellion against Rome. The Jews accepted his government out of necessity, and without enthusiasm. Yet Herod was ambitious to perpetuate his power, and pass it on to his descendants. For this reason he sought to curry favor with the Jews by helping them to rebuild the temple which had been destroyed by the Greeks. Herod's temple therefore was the one that existed on Mount Zion at the time of the Lord's birth. Here it was that the Lord taught His disciples, and challenged the traditional interpretations of the Mosaic law as administered by the priests and elders. What we have here attempted is an extremely brief and inadequate account of the historic events, which occurred during the years between the captivity in Babylon and the advent of the Lord. Our purpose has been to suggest how the Divine Providence secretly governed all things during this period, when there was no Divine revelation, in order to prepare the world for His advent, and for the establishment of the primitive Christian Church.
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That this must be the case is beyond dispute; but how it is true remains largely concealed from human understanding. Our tentative suggestions as to the meaning of these world movements, are, based on altogether insufficient knowledge. Yet we believe that the truth concerning the Divine guidance of events throughout this period, will become clear, and in time will be fully confirmed, as new insight is granted to those who will study the period in the light of the heavenly doctrine.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE ANCIENT WORD STEPHEN D. COLE 1975
What is the Ancient Word? How important is it to know what the Ancient Word is? There are several ways to answer these questions. Here we will offer a few suggestions, based not so much on what the Writings say but rather where and how the Writings speak of the Ancient Word. Specifically we will consider the memorable relation about the Ancient Word in True Christian Religion no. 279. In the first edition, the passage in question is divided into two paragraphs. A large part of the first paragraph was drawn from Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture no. 102, which in turn parallels De Verbo no. 36. The second paragraph is essentially identical with Apocalypse Revealed no. 11. The passage begins by relating what angels had told Swedenborg seven years earlier when he had been collecting what Moses wrote in Numbers chapter twenty one from The Wars of Jehovah and The Enunciators. Since this sentence of introduction was probably written in 1769 the original experience would therefore have taken place in 1762. This, in fact, was the time when De Verbo, which contained the first draft of our passage, was written. But De Verbo no. 36 corresponds only to the first part of True Christian Religion no. 279. Does the second part of this memorable relation, the part identical with Apocalypse Revealed no. 11, also refer to the episode in 1762? The second paragraph tells of Swedenborg's conversation with spirits from Great Tartary. The only other passage that clearly deals with this same incident is the passage in Apocalypse Revealed, which has already been mentioned. This work, however, was written two years after 1762. If we search the Writings for references to the Tartars,[268] only a handful turn up and only one of these is in the great notebook of memorable relations, the Spiritual Diary.
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This one passage, it appears, was written between March 25, 1762 (SD 6027) and December 30, 1763. The account is obviously repeated in Last Judgment (posthumous) no. 133 which passage is, interestingly, only a few pages from the above mentioned De Verbo, no. 36 in Swedenborg's original manuscript (Codex 12). Although the Diary passage (6077) speaks of 'Lesser' Tartary the passage in Last Judgment just speaks of Tartary, and AR 11/TCR 279 speaks of 'Great' Tartary. Despite this difference there are several points of close agreement between SD 6077/LJ post. 133 and AR 11/TCR 279. In both cases the spirits mention 1) that they are from a densely populated country; 2) that the Chinese are their friends; 3) but they live on the other side of the great wall; 4) that strangers who intrude on them are not given the means of leaving; and 5) that they possess a Divine Book of some kind. There are some apparent inconsistencies (e.g., the Divine Book in SD/LJ Post is the Psalms of David and in AR/TCR it is the Ancient Word) but the similarities are great enough that it is hard to conclude that they refer to different experiences.* * C. T. Odhner comes to the same conclusion in NEW CHURCH LIFE 1904, p. 144. At this point it might be useful to summarize and present the origins of TCR no. 279 in the form of a diagram:
1762 1763 1764 1769
Verbo 36 ---> SS 102---> TCR 279: 1, 2 ____________________________________________________ SD 6077--> LJ post. 133 ---> AR 11 ---> TCR 2 79: 3, 4
The question that this raises, however, is that if Swedenborg learned in 1762 that the Ancient Word was preserved on earth why did he continue to write that the Ancient Word was lost (Verbo 36, SS 102) and not publish any indication otherwise until 1766 (date of publication of AR 11)? One possibility is suggested by the introduction to this part of the relation: "This new thing is permitted (AR: 'deserves') to be mentioned. . . ." (TCR 279: 3). Could it be that this matter of the preservation of the Ancient Word was, at least for several years, one of those things about which Swedenborg was not permitted to speak (cf. AC 2125; DP 212: 2)? Be this, as it may, the teachings on the Ancient Word from 1766 on leave no doubt that this Word, although it disappeared from common awareness, was still kept in Tartary. This is found not only in the passages already mentioned but also in Conjugial Love no. 77: 2.
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What a dramatic change in the teaching this represents may not be realized until these later statements are compared directly with statements such as the one in Arcana Coelestia (3432) where it speaks of the Word of the Ancient Church "which is no longer extant." It is true that even in True Christian Religion the Ancient Word is said to be lost; but there it clearly means lost, yet secretly preserved. It is interesting to note that while in Sacred Scripture no. 102, after it says that the Ancient Word gradually disappeared, it adds: "and at length was lost" whereas in the corresponding portion of True Christian Religion just this one phrase is deleted. There certainly seems to be a change in the teaching, but it is unsatisfactory to conclude that the earlier teachings are wrong and then later corrected. In order to explore further this changing teaching about the Ancient Word an observation might be made about the actual words used in the Writings when referring to the Ancient Word. To look in the Arcana Coelestia, for instance, in order to find references about the "Ancient Word" is to look in vain. Throughout the Arcana this Word is called "The Word of the Ancient Church" (Verbum Ecclesiae Antiquae), or some similar name identifying it with the Ancient Church. This usage continues into the Apocalypse Explained.* * Since I know of no complete list of such references I offer those that I have: A 1068e, 1071: 1, 1241, 1409: 2, 2895, 2897, 3432: 2, 3686: 2, 8273: 4, 10632: 4; HD 247, 255; SD 5605; WH 6; AE 734: 10. This does not include references to "books of the Ancient Church." Beginning with De Verbo and consistently thereafter there is no longer reference to the "Word of the Ancient Church" but rather to the "Ancient Word" (Verbum Vetustum).* Why this change? And why is the Ancient Church Ecclesia Antiqua while the Ancient Word is Verbum Vetustum? In Harper's Latin Dictionary under antiquus is the following information: ". . . that has been or has been done before, old, ancient, former (opp. novus, that has not previously existed, new; while vetus, that has existed a long time, is opp. recens, that has not been a long time in existence, recent)." Thus if the Writings intend a distinction between antiquus and vetustus (related to vetus) as applied to church and word it could well be that the Ancient Church is to be seen as belonging to former times and existing no longer while the Ancient Word is to be understood as having existed a long time and existing still. If this is the case the English word "ancient" is an unfortunate translation of vetustus. * References to the Ancient Word: Verbo 37, 38; SS 102, 103, 117; DP 254: 2, 328: 2; SD 6107; AR 11; CL 77: 2; TCR 265: 3, 275, 279. References to the [Ancient] Word: Verbo 36; TCR 264, 266; Coro. 39.
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How does this matter of terminology relate to the earlier discussion? As may have been noticed, the change in terminology closely coincides with the time of Swedenborg's first record of his conversation with the spirits from Tartary. The last reference before the Diary passage was to a Word the ancients had (AE 734: 10) and the first mention after this Diary passage is to the Verbum Vetustum. Circumstances would seem to suggest that it was because Swedenborg learned from the spirits from Tartary that this Word was preserved that he changed the way he referred to it. Swedenborg's intention, of course, can never be proved but this would certainly seem a plausible explanation. Thus far we have only seen that the teachings changed; we have not seen for what purpose they changed. Any discussion along these lines is, and perhaps must remain, largely speculative. It is interesting to note, however, that it was the Arcana Coelestia, written before the last judgment and consummation of the Christian Church, that so strongly states that the word of the Ancient Church was lost (AC 2897, 3432) and that it was of use only to the Ancient Church (AC 10632: 4). It was after the last judgment and as the New Church began to be established that Apocalypse Revealed no. 11 suggests: "Ask about it in China and perchance you will find that Word there among the Tartars."
HEAVEN BECOMES MORE PERFECT BY ITS INCREASE 1975
It is worthy of mention that the greater the number in any society in heaven and the more these make a one, the more perfect is its human form, for variety arranged in a heavenly form is what constitutes perfection, and number gives variety. Moreover, every society of heaven increases in number daily, and as it increases it becomes more perfect. Thus not only the society becomes more perfect, but also heaven in general, because it is made up of societies. As heaven gains in perfection by increase of numbers, it is evident how mistaken those are who believe that heaven may be closed by becoming full; for the opposite is true, that it will never be closed, but is perfected by greater and greater fulness. Therefore, the angels desire nothing so much as to have new angel guests come to them. Heaven and Hell 71.
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ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS B. DAVID HOLM 1975
COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY
The 77th Annual Meetings of the Council of the Clergy of the General Church of the New Jerusalem were held in the Council Hall of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral, March 3-7. They were opened by a service of worship, conducted by Bishop Willard D. Pendleton in the cathedral chapel. At these meetings there were four members of the episcopal degree of the priesthood, thirty-two in the pastoral degree, five in the ministerial degree and four guests. They were the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton, presiding; the Rt. Rev. Elmo C. Acton, the Rt. Rev. George de Charms, the Rt. Rev. Louis B. King; the Rev. Messrs. Alfred Acton II, Kurt H. Asplundh, Bjorn A. H. Boyesen, Ragnar Boyesen, Geoffrey S. Childs, Robert H. P. Cole, Harold C. Cranch, Roy Franson, Victor J. Gladish, Daniel W. Goodenough, Daniel W. Heinrichs, Henry Heinrichs, Willard L. D. Heinrichs, B. David Holm, Geoffrey H. Howard, Robert S. Junge, Kurt P. Nemitz, Ormond deC. Odhner, Dandridge Pendleton, Martin Pryke, Norman H. Reuter, Morley D. Rich, Donald L. Rose, Frank S. Rose, Erik Sandstrom, Erik E. Sandstrom, Frederick L. Schnarr, David R. Simons, Christopher R. J. Smith, Lorentz R. Soneson, Kenneth O. Stroh, Douglas M. Taylor; Glenn G. Alden, Mark R. Carlson, Thomas L. Kline, Ottar Larsen, N. Bruce Rogers; and by invitation Candidate Patrick A. Rose, and Mr. Arne J. Bau-Madsen; and from the General Convention of the New Jerusalem-from March 5-7-the Rev. Messrs. Horand K. Gutfeldt and Robert H. Kirven. At the first session on Monday afternoon, March 3rd, after the Minutes of the 1974 Meetings had been accepted as published in NEW CHURCH LIFE (June 1974, pp. 242-244), Bishop Pendleton welcomed the members of the Council and the two guests, Candidate Patrick A. Rose and Mr. Arne Bau-Madsen. At this same session the Bishop spoke concerning some of the needs of the General Church. He spoke of the great need for proper modern translations of the Writings, of the need of our young people for instruction and guidance in a world under the influence of the "new morality". He also spoke of the need of our people to understand the vital importance of the doctrine of ordination, for that doctrine was now being challenged from more than one direction.
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He further mentioned the possible need of the General Church to adjust to the unfavorable current economic climate. After procedural matters, which included a message of affection and appreciation to our secretary the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers who was hospitalized, two reports were given and discussed. The first was on the Academy by Bishop King, and the other was on NEW CHURCH LIFE by the Rev. Martin Pryke. The last item taken up at this first session was Betrothal and Marriage and Pastoral Responsibility presented by the Rev. Christopher Smith. He considered the pastoral problems faced where there are various disorders involved. This was followed by a long, and stimulating discussion. The second session, on Tuesday morning was preceded by a coffee hour-as was every morning session. After worship we were privileged to hear an address by Bishop de Charms, The Two Foundations of Truth. He considered the teaching that the Word is a foundation of truth and that nature is a foundation of truth. Just as nature holds many secret treasures waiting to be discovered, so does the Word. There is still much of the Word, as to its internal sense, that we are largely ignorant of-the prophets for instance. The Writings give us the key to go to those parts of the Word. He developed the theme of the great importance for us to do this. This address was followed by considerable discussion. The Council then chose to bear a resume of a paper by the Rev. Robert Cole which had been carried over from last year-The Inmost Celestial and the Internal Spiritual as the Origin of Affirmative Delights. His thesis, founded on many passages, was that as a church we can find many affirmative approaches to those outside the church and to our own young people. We must take care not to dwell too much upon the negative-"thou shalt not". The inmost celestial and the internal spiritual degrees of the mind are the means by which the Lord leads man into affirmative delights. We too should try to use them to the same end. Discussion followed this. The third session, on Tuesday afternoon, began with a discussion of the possibility of revising certain favorite and suitable Psalms from our Psalmody and publishing them separately for use in worship. Since 700 copies of the Psalmody were in stock, it was deemed wise to postpone this work. It was then the Council's wish to hear a resume? of the Rev. Geoffrey Child's paper on conjugial love entitled Above Every Love. This had been previously circulated. The main thrust of this paper was that while from affection we had formed great regard for the doctrine of conjugial love, still had we, as a church, underestimated its doctrinal standing?
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From many passages the speaker identified conjugial love closely with love to the neighbor, and love to the Lord, and to the very soul of man. It is a parent of other loves. It, more than any other love, labors to open the interiors of the mind. It is the highest of uses and indeed their complex. It is the primary bond of conscience. To love the married partner is to love the Lord, and this is identified with innocence. The speaker then contrasted all of this with the love of adultery which is the inmost love of self and thus is a hatred of others of the highest degree. Thus the highest wisdom is to shun adultery. This resume? was discussed in a lengthy and most interesting way. The Council then chose to hear the report of the Theological School by Dean Erik Sandstrom in which he gave a capsule but thorough outline of the policy of admittance and of the curriculum of the theological school. This report was, of course, discussed quite fully. The fourth session, on Wednesday morning, was chaired by Bishop King. After worship and some procedural matters, the first paper of the Program Committee was presented. This was Bishop Pendleton's entitled The Lord's Resurrection Body. The Bishop noted that differences on this vital question stemmed from the very beginnings of the church-in the days of John Clowes, Robert Hindmarsh and Samuel Noble. There had been and still are two opposing views. One is that the Lord glorified the material body which He received from Mary, and the other, that He totally rejected the Mary human and that His glorification of His Human must be understood spiritually. Passages which seem to substantiate both views were quoted. While it is often said that the Lord glorified and rose with the whole body, nowhere is it said He glorified the material body. What then is meant by the term "body" in these passages? In some passages body refers to the obvious physical body. But in others, in reference to the Lord's body, it refers to the good of the Divine love. Do not His flesh and bones, which were glorified, refer to His Divine good and truth in ultimates? This good and truth in ultimates is essentially the Word, which was made flesh. Thus He rose as to the whole of the Word from firsts to lasts. The Bishop then directed our minds to a series of passages on the sensual as a new approach to this immense subject. From a number of key passages, the thesis was developed that the sensual or exterior sensuous is what is meant by the body which the Lord glorified. Man, when he dies, leaves behind this sensual or lowest degree of life. With the Lord this was glorified and became the Divine Sensual. It was the corrupted sensual-the proprium-that the Lord took on at His advent. It was this, through temptation and victory that He glorified.
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By glorification this was His "flesh and blood"-the Divine body which He took on from the Father. In essence this body is the Divine Love in human form-the Divine good and truth visible in the Word-the Word itself. Is not this what the Writings are? The living, Word made flesh-the living Word proceeding from the Glorified Human-visible to the people of the New Church. This valuable and new approach to the subject of the Lord's resurrection body was appreciatively received by the council and was followed by a long and enthusiastic discussion. Near the close of this session, the Rev. Frank Rose made the proposal that a Pastors' Summer School be organized under the auspices of the council. After discussion it was agreed to form a committee to investigate the feasibility of this, the committee reporting on this at a later session. At the fifth session, on Thursday morning, after worship Bishop Pendleton welcomed our visitors from Convention, the Rev. Horand Gutfeldt and the Rev. Robert Kirven. After some announcements the second paper of the Program Committee was heard. This was a paper by the Rev. Daniel Goodenough entitled Methods in Instruction-A Survey of Memorabilia. This was a carefully researched paper from the memorable relations on the many methods the angels employ in instructing- the newly arrived spirits in the spiritual world. In a short review adequate justice cannot be given to this excellent paper. A few examples will perhaps give a picture. The angels make frequent use of representations in teaching children and adults. Should we not then use visual and dramatic aids in teaching? Angels employ both brief explanations to issues and at other times quite long explanations. It would seem that this depends on how involved the idea is. Ideas become very important after death. Speeches, discussions, questions and answers, debates, contests are all used as techniques of instruction. Yet angels do not force anyone's opinions, respecting freedom and allowing falsities to judge themselves. They patiently listen even to false ideas and carefully explain the truth in answer. Usually, in the world of spirits, all are welcomed to assemblies-both good and evil. Also learning by experience is often used-even negative experiences, but the angels provide protection and lead spirits to reflect, using the contrast between good and evil and truth and falsity. In short, the angels are masters of accommodation. This paper was followed by a lively discussion and appreciation of it was expressed. The sixth session was held Thursday afternoon. The Council voted to hear the Rev. Frank Rose's presentation on Doctrine. He pointed out that it was the Lord's will that there be doctrine in the church, for doctrine clarifies the mind of man.
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The speaker limited himself to one aspect of doctrine-that doctrine teaches us how to believe and how to live. Doctrine is to be drawn from no other source than the Word. For doctrinal things are like a body to truth. Everything of doctrine relates to the two great commandments-love to the Lord and love to the neighbor. Thus the Word must be searched for the sake of love and life. In doubtful points of doctrine a man can go to the Lord, and the Lord will show him what is true. A discussion followed and general agreement with the presentation was expressed. Next the Rev. Erik Sandstrom's paper The Person of our God was given. He stressed the great importance of having a real and living concept of the person of God-not His person apart from essence, but a concept of His person from His essence. We must see God as a man-not as the son of Mary, but as the Divine Human. The Lord can and does accommodate and present His person to angels and men. We are to visualize Him as a man in a human figure. Without this He is not truly visible to us. There can be no conjunction with an invisible God. This paper was carefully documented and was well received and discussed fully. The informal session of the Council was held Thursday evening at the Civic and Social Club. Our guests from Convention were asked to tell us a little about their work and they were asked a number of questions. Later in the evening, the Rev. Harold Cranch presented a very interesting tape and slide show designed for missionary work. The seventh and last session was on Friday morning. After worship there was discussion of several subjects: starting a file for mistakes in translation of the Scriptures and the Writings, the Summer School for Pastors (which was tabled for a year) and the formation of a standing committee on the form of these council meetings. It was then decided to hear a resume? of a paper by the Rev. Willard Heinrichs on Homosexuality. This distressing subject was handled extremely well by the speaker. The Scriptures and the Writings had been searched to shed light on this disorder. For instance, we learned that homosexuality and the love of dominion are closely related. There was a long discussion following the resume?, and appreciation was expressed for this timely study. There was then a discussion raised by the Rev. Kurt Nemitz concerning the passing of the elements, the bread and wine, in the Holy Supper. It was the general understanding that the elements should be given by the priest, for he represents the Lord and all good and truth are from the Lord.
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The 77th Annual Council meetings were brought to a close by Bishop Pendleton pronouncing the benediction for the assembled priests. Many of those present expressed the feeling that these had been outstanding meetings this year. B. DAVID HOLM Secretary Pro tem
JOINT COUNCIL NORBERT H. ROGERS 1975
1. The 81st Regular joint Meeting of the Council of the Clergy and Directors of the Corporation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem was opened by the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton at 10 a.m., on March 8, 1974, in the Council Hall with the Lord's Prayer and reading from Psalm 119 (verses 129-136). 2. Attendance:
Of the Clergy: Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton, presiding; Rt. Rev. Elmo C. Acton, Rt. Rev. George de Charms and Rt. Rev. Louis B. King; Rev. Messrs. A. A. Acton, K. H. Asplundh, B. A. H. Boyesen, R. Boyesen, R. H. P. Cole, H. C. Cranch, R. Franson, V. J. Gladish, D. W. Goodenough, D. W. Heinrichs, W. L. D. Heinrichs, B. D. Holm, G. H. Howard, R. S. Junge, K. P. Nemitz, D. Pendleton, M. Pryke, N. H. Reuter, M. D. Rich, E. Sandstrom, E. E. Sandstrom, F. L. Schnarr, C. R. J. Smith, L. R. Soneson, K. O. Stroh, D. M. Taylor, G. G. Alden, M. R. Carlson, N. B. Rogers. (33) Of the Laity: Messrs. W. B. Alden, E. Boyd Asplundh, L. Asplundh, R. H. Asplundh, T. W. Brickman, Jr., W. W. Buick, G. M. Cooper, G. R. Doering, B. E. Elder, B. A. Fuller, C. P. Gyllenhaal, L. E. Gyllenhaal, J. F. Junge, A. H. Lindsay, H. K. Morley, L. Pitcairn, S. Pitcairn, J. V. Sellner, S. B. Simons, B. D. Smith, R. A. Smith, L. Synnestvedt, R. Synnestvedt, Jr., W. L. Williamson, J. H. Wyncoll, R. F. Zecher. (26) Guests: Mr. Arne Bau-Madsen, the Rev. Drs. Horand Gutfeldt and Robert Kirven. 3. The Minutes of the 80th Annual Meeting were accepted as published in NEW CHURCH LIFE, June 1974, pp. 246-254.
4. Bishop Pendleton noted that 1976 was the centennial of the Academy, and that the question of celebrating it has been given much consideration in Consistory. The consensus was that it would be most fitting to celebrate the Academy's centennial in conjunction with a General Assembly to be held in June of 1976 because of the close relationship as to the ends of the Academy and the General Church. Other times of the year had been considered, but immediately following the Academy's school closing in June had come to be seen as the least inconvenient time for the greatest number of General Church members.
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It would also make it easier for more young people to attend the Assembly. He added that there were actually three dates that could be considered the birthday of the Academy, namely January, 1874, when at a meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the decision was reached to set about organizing the Academy, the occasion now referred to as Founders' Day; June, 1876, when at a meeting in Philadelphia the Academy was actually organized; and in the fall of 1877 when the Academy schools first opened and the Charter was granted. Not until 1925 was the decision made that June 1876, would be regarded as the birthday of the Academy. The Bishop concluded by asking counsel as to whether or not to call a General Assembly beginning on Saturday, June 6, 1976, as proposed. It was noted that attendance at a General Assembly in early June would be adversely affected by the fact that in a number of countries schools were still in session at that time. However no more convenient time was suggested, and joint Council voted in favor of the Bishop's calling a General Assembly at the time proposed. 5. Bishop Pendleton next placed before the council the question of the use of absentee ballots in the election of an Executive Bishop and/or an Assistant Bishop. He pointed out that the use of absentee ballots was contrary to the history of the General Church, but that because of the growth and spread of our membership, it had been increasingly felt by many that members unable to attend a General Assembly should be provided with an opportunity to participate through the use of absentee ballots. A committee, with Bishop King as chairman, had been appointed to investigate the question. A report was called for. Bishop King reported that the results of their enquiries had convinced the committee that the use of proxies in electing a Bishop and Assistant Bishop was not favored by members of the General Church, and was unwarranted, while the use of absentee ballots was useful, and was desired by many as it permitted members who could not attend a General Assembly to express their consent to be governed. The proposed resolution permitting absentee ballots was read, and is given below in the form in which it was adopted. Bishop King urged that all members of the joint Council do all they could to counteract the impression some members of the General Church might get from being able to vote by absentee ballot that their attendance at assemblies was no longer important. Mr. James Junge thought that the mechanics should be included in the resolution to guard against the possibility of the absentee ballots being turned into proxy votes; as for example, by someone planning to attend the assembly collecting a number of signed blank ballots, and then marking them at the assembly.
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Bishop Pendleton said that his understanding was that application for an absentee ballot would have to be made to the secretary by the individual member of the General Church himself, and its use would be restricted to that member. He further suggested that a provision could be made requiring every absentee ballot to be returned to the secretary by mail. This suggestion was incorporated into the resolution. The Rev. Martin Pryke was concerned about the possible danger of having actions affecting the General Church taken by uninformed votes through the use of absentee ballots. The Rev. Daniel W. Heinrichs thought that consent to be governed was a most important principle, and that enlarging the voting base in the General Church through the use of absentee ballots would be a good thing. The Rev. Harold C. Cranch agreed that an uninformed vote was not desirable, but pointed out that in the choice of Bishop or Assistant Bishop it was unlikely that any vote would be uninformed or subject to last minute change. The reason is that in the General Church, the process of selecting a Bishop or Assistant Bishop is according to a deliberate and progressive order that gives ample opportunity for members of the church to become informed about the name and qualifications of the candidate who had been selected by the Council of the Clergy and supported by the Board of Directors before final action is to be taken at a General Assembly. While favoring the use of absentee ballots, he felt that in time all voting in the church should be by mail. This would help dispel the idea held by some in other countries, that the General Church is merely an American church.
The Rev. Kenneth O. Stroh raised the hypothetical question of having more than one nominee for office. Bishop Pendleton indicated that he had not seriously considered the possibility and its implications. By tradition the Council of the Clergy is expected to nominate one, and only one, candidate for the office, for the consideration and counsel of the Board of Directors, and eventually only the one candidate nominated by the Council of the Clergy and supported by the Board is presented to the membership of the General Church. It is to be understood that the right to give consent implied also the right to reject or to withhold consent. Mr. Keith Morley asked that this information and explanation of our process of selecting a Bishop or Assistant Bishop be included in the published report of this meeting. A particularly important point to make clear is that the responsibility of the Board of Directors had to do with the confirmation of a nominee, not his selection; selecting a nominee was the responsibility of the Council of the Clergy only.
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The Rev. Erik Sandstrom advocated that a candidate for Executive Bishop or Assistant Bishop do a great deal of traveling throughout the General Church, so that he might become known to the membership before his name was presented to the assembly. This would be particularly advisable in the case of using absentee ballots. Bishop Pendleton noted that what is really involved for most people is their confidence in the nomination of the Council of the Clergy. He pointed out that as the General Church grew, it would become impossible for anyone to become personally known to all throughout the Church. He also pointed out that when a nomination is presented to members at a General Assembly the question before them is, "Do you support the nomination . . . ?" This essentially is also what is asked of the Board of Directors when the nomination of the Council of the Clergy is presented to it for consideration. The Board does not have the right to veto a nomination, but it does have the right to counsel reconsideration. Returning to the question of absentee ballots, the Bishop drew attention to the possibility that if the General Church adopted the use of absentee ballots, it would set an example which local societies might want to follow. There was some discussion about societies opting to use absentee ballots in determining their own affairs. Nothing came of it since, as the Bishop reminded the Council, every society had the right to determine its own government. Mr. Dean Smith did not think the availability of absentee ballots would actually encourage members not to attend a General Assembly. Interested members would attend if at all possible, and if not possible would appreciate the privilege of being able to vote by absentee ballot; while those not really interested would not be likely to ask for an absentee ballot. Joint Council having expressed its readiness to vote on the question, Bishop King presented the following resolution, which incorporates the suggested provision about returning the ballot:
Be it resolved: That in the event that a member of the General Church cannot attend a General Assembly, an absentee ballot for the selection of a Bishop and/or Assistant Bishop be accepted; provided application for such ballot be received by the Secretary of the General Church six weeks prior to the Assembly, and be returned to the Secretary individually by mail ten days prior to the first session.
In response to a question, Bishop Pendleton explained that the term "Selection" had been deliberately chosen after much thought and discussion to help make it clear that the vote at the assembly was an important part of the process of selecting a Bishop or Assistant Bishop. The question was called for, and the resolution was adopted.
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6. The Rev. B. David Holm, Secretary Pro Tem., called on to comment on the Secretary's Report, directed attention to the membership statistics in the printed report (see NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, May issue, page 210), and emphasized that every effort was made to keep the membership figures correct and current. The Bishop explained that all decisions to drop members from the roll were made by him, not by the secretary or anybody else. 7. The following Memorial Resolution for the Rev. Alan Gill was presented by the Rev. Martin Pryke:
On 17th, October, 1974, the Reverend Alan Gill was called into the spiritual world, and so a lifetime devoted to the work of the Lord's New Church closed. It is fitting that this Joint Council should recognize his passing, for Alan Gill served as a priest of the General Church for thirty-eight years in New York, Kitchener and Colchester. (See a biography in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, p. 72.) Those who knew him will first think of his unassuming and gentle manner which expressed an inner modesty and respect for others and their point of view. He was patient, kind and generous. He was faithful and diligent in the face of ill health and adverse circumstances. But also Alan Gill was possessed of a keen interest in the doctrines, loyal to them in the preservation of their integrity, firm in his insistence on their application to the life of the church. It is a privilege to have known him and, as members of this Joint Council, to record our respect and affection for him, as well as to convey to his wife and family our understanding sympathy in their temporal loss.
The resolution was adopted in silence by a standing vote, and the Secretary was instructed to send a copy of it to Mrs. Gill. 8. The meeting, recessed for refreshments served in the Choir Hall by the Women's Guild. 9. Mr. Leonard E. Gyllenhaal was called on to give the Treasurer's Report. (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, May issue, page 218.). Commenting, on the report, Mr. Gyllenhaal said that in preparing it he had made changes in the format in an effort to simplify the report and also make it more informative. Every center and district of the General Church had sent in the information he needed, and all were represented in the figures shown in the report. He asks that the name of each contributor to a district and the amount of his contribution be sent to his office. This was because most of our districts are not recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and contributions to a district were liable to be disallowed as tax deductions unless his office could supply the data needed to support the claim. The Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom asked whether his traveling expenses in England were included in the report, and was told that they were in the Miscellaneous figure.
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He was given a negative answer when he asked if the recommendation regarding, the Internal Revenue Service applied to those serving outside the United States. The Rev. Ragnar Boyesen expressed appreciation for the response and help he had received from Mr. Gyllenhaal, and asked whether all societies should have the same fiscal year. Mr. Gyllenhaal replied that it did not matter, as his office converted all reports to the same fiscal year and to their U. S. dollar equivalents. In answer to the Rev. Douglas M. Taylor, Mr. Gyllenhaal said that reports had been received from Australia and New Zealand, and some other places as well, but they had come to hand too late for him to do more than to include the totals reported in Miscellaneous. The Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen noted that he reported his travelling expenses to the General Church Council of Great Britain, and the Rev. Alfred Acton asked about the Midwestern Academy figures. Mr. Gyllenhaal said that neither the General Church Council of Great Britain nor the Midwestern Academy was represented in the report. He thought both should be included to have a complete picture of the financial state and activities of the General Church. Copies of their reports would have to be sent to him. Mr. Leo Synnestvedt congratulated Mr. Gyllenhaal for presenting a very informative report. This remark was greeted with applause. 10. Mr. Theodore W. Brickman gave an oral report of the Salary Committee. He expressed satisfaction that the Treasurer's report made it possible to see the exact performance of all groups. This would greatly help the committee in its deliberations, and would enable the treasurers of the societies and districts when they next met together to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various parts of the General Church. Though the salary scale was increased by 8 % last year, it did not keep up to the 12 % rate of inflation. Also to be taken into account is that each time an increase has been granted, it had generally come from the General Church for the most part. It is not a problem that could be resolved easily. The committee was also very concerned about teachers' salaries. 11. As there were no questions, and as no other subject was brought up, Bishop Pendleton adjourned the meeting at 12:14 p.m. NORBERT H. ROGERS, Secretary
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TWELVE Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa. Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. At this time of the year we celebrate the Lord's commissioning of the twelve apostles and their going forth throughout the whole spiritual world to preach the gospel that "The Lord God Jesus Christ reigns." There were indeed three occasions when the Lord sent out His apostles to spread the tidings of His coming-occasions which caused those who had been disciples or followers, to become apostles, those sent forth. The first such was during His own ministry:
Then He called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.* * Luke 9: 1, 2.
By this means the apostles began to be prepared for the wider missions which were to be theirs in the times to come. It was to be their lot to take up the torch after the Lord's death and resurrection, so that the Christian Church might be spread throughout the world. Therefore, before His ascension, the Lord again commissioned these men:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the consummation of the age. Amen.* * Matthew 28: 18-20.
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This work they did with great zeal and bravery to the end of their days. Traveling great distances, they suffered opposition and persecution. Imprisonment, torture and even the prospect of a martyr's death did not deter them. But their work was not even then finished, for nearly two thousand years later the commission was renewed in the other world, as we know from the familiar words written at the close of the True Christian Religion:
After this work was finished, the Lord called together His twelve disciples, who followed Him in the world; and the next day He sent them forth into the whole spiritual world to preach the gospel, that the Lord God Jesus Christ reigns whose kingdom shall be for ever and ever . . . . This took place on the nineteenth day of June, in the year 1770.* * TCR 791.
It is remarkable that these simple and generally ignorant men should have been chosen for such a task. Would not those more educated, who were more learned in the law and the prophets have been able to make more impression on the Jewish people and on the gentile empires around them? But a new church is built upon the simple good of the former age; not upon those immersed in the external trifles of their religion. Thus the Christian Church was built upon those who cherished the prophecies of a coming Messiah and who held within them some grasp of the necessity of a life of obedience to the way of God. Such men could be prepared for great tasks. The apostles followed the Lord and listened avidly to His teaching; they had the experience of themselves going out from Him, and back to Him, to carry His message during His lifetime. They later, on their own, extended their experience as they went farther a field, inspired by the Holy Spirit to carry the gospel to heathen nations. Evidently their preparation or development continued in the other world for their work was to continue there. Undoubtedly the closing stages of their preparation took place in that time between the last judgment in 1757 and the nineteenth of June 1770. During this time they were close to Swedenborg who was serving as the Lord's instrument in His second coming. It is noteworthy that at the close of a section in the True Christian Religion which deals with a saving faith in the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ, Swedenborg wrote: "The above was written in the presence of the Lord's twelve apostles, who were sent to me by the Lord while I was writing it."* * TCR 339e.
This comprises a remarkable and unique history of human devotion and commitment-an exalted use performed here on earth and continued in the heavens.
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To reflect on this in our celebration of New Church Day may inspire us to see how we, each in our own small way, may emulate the work of the apostles; how we too may respond to His call, may prepare ourselves for our use to eternity, may receive the message of the gospel in our own hearts, and may serve to carry that message to our fellowman.
INTERESTING ITEM Editor 1975
We are indebted to a reader for drawing our attention to an excerpt from "The Borough"-a long poem by the British poet George Crabbe (1754-1832). "The Borough" tells of life in England of about the year 1810. It is divided into twenty-four chapters which deal with such subjects as "Elections . . . . Amusements," "The Poor and their Dwellings," "Prisons," "Schools," etc. Our quotation is from the section entitled, "Sects and Professions in Religion" and deals with the Swedenborgians. Crabbe was a Church of England priest, and it is interesting to see how the New Church was viewed by such a member of the establishment-less than forty years after Swedenborg's death. Need we add that we publish this for the interest of the content, rather than for the quality of the poetry?
Some Swedenborgians in our streets are found, Those wandering walkers on enchanted ground; Who in our world can other worlds survey, And speak with spirits though confined in clay; Of Bible-mysteries they the keys possess, Assured themselves, where wiser men but guess; 'Tis theirs to see around, about, above How spirits mingle thoughts, and angels move; Those whom our grosser views from us exclude, To them appear-a heavenly multitude; While the dark sayings, seal'd to men like us, Their priests interpret, and their flocks discuss. But while these gifted men, a favour'd fold, New powers exhibit and new worlds behold; Is there not danger lest their minds confound The pure above them with the gross around? May not these Phaetons, who thus contrive 'Twixt heaven above and earth beneath to drive, When from their flaming chariots they descend, The worlds they visit in their fancies blend? Alas! too sure on both they bring disgrace, Their earth is crazy, and their heav'n is base.
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WOMEN'S USES DOROTHY G. RADCLIFFE 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: Quite a bit has been written recently on the distinctive qualities of the masculine and feminine.* There remain, however, many problems as to the practical application of these distinctions. I would like to offer some questions for the consideration of those interested, in the hope of arousing some useful discussion on this subject. * Erik Sandstrom, "The Feminine Mind," Theta Alpha Journal, Fall 1973; Harold C. Cranch, "Uses of Men and Women," NEW CHURCH LIFE, July 1974, p. 294; Margit K. Boyesen, "Some Reflections on the Nature of Men and Women," Sons of the Academy Bulletin, February 1975. The question has been raised in several of our societies whether women should be permitted to serve on a board of trustees or on other similar organizations. The responses have differed, but it is evident that this question will continue to arise. It appears to me that this is only part of a larger area that needs clarifying by means of a thoughtful and renewed look at the Writings and by discussion by the clergy and laity. While New Church men and women would agree that a woman should first and always looks to marriage and the hope of a conjugial relationship, there are some aspects of her use that need to be explored. Should our young women be encouraged in careers during and after their high school and college education? If so, what careers? Should they be encouraged in only those of the more obvious feminine uses such as teaching and nursing? Should they be discouraged from careers in medicine, engineering, and law? These questions particularly arise when a woman has finished her schooling and when marriage is not in the foreseeable future. Should her job be considered a stopgap until her marriage? What about the woman who feels that she probably won't get married? Should she consider a career, if so inclined, outside those commonly held to be more suitable for women? What about the ever-increasing number of older women whose families have grown up and left home and whose wifely and society duties are not enough to keep her busy. Should she resume, or start, a career? Obviously these are all very individual questions, yet ones that need, I feel, to be looked at or reexamined from the Writings with help from all members of our church. DOROTHY G. RADCLIFFE Mitchellville, Maryland
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WHY BOTHER WITH DOCTRINE? GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE.
Our friends in the General Convention always twit the clergy of the General Church as being too stiff, too unyielding, too wrapped up in the study of abstract doctrine, when the great need of the New Church is love. I am reminded of the little girl in the movie The Wizard of Oz, who gave voice to the deepest longing of her heart to fly, singing, "Birds fly over the rainbow, why, then O why, can't I?" Her love of flying was touching, and indeed prerequisite to any such accomplishment, but it would have remained a dream unfulfilled if men had not probed the secret forces of nature, and discovered the laws of aerodynamics by means of which to bring into being all the wonderful uses of the modern airplane. The hidden forces of the spiritual world, and the laws according to which they operate, are just as vital to the performance of spiritual uses, as the laws of nature are to the performance of natural uses. Nor can these forces, and these laws be discovered except by means of the heavenly doctrine. By means of that doctrine the Lord teaches men what spiritual uses really are, and how they can be performed. Nor can this be learned from any other source. This is not something that can be accomplished in a moment. It requires a lifetime of persistent and devoted study. Those who think that they can perform the spiritual uses of love to the Lord and genuine charity toward the neighbor, while remaining indifferent to the doctrines taught in the Writings are following an ignis fatuus. The laws of spiritual life are just as immutable, and just as independent of any man's opinion, as are the laws of nature. They must be known, and they must be in some measure understood if they are to be lived. The learning and understanding must come first, and only according to this can living follow. Love, without knowledge and understanding, is impotent to accomplish its purpose. GEORGE DE CHARMS Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
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MINISTERIAL CHANGE WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. Patrick A. Rose, who will be ordained in June, has accepted an appointment by the Bishop to serve as assistant to the pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois, effective September 1, 1975. WILLARD D. PENDLETON Bishop
EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL LOUIS B. KING 1975
The General Church Educational Council will hold its 1975 meetings at the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania from August 18-22. In addition to members of the Educational Council, all New Churchmen currently active in the work of education are encouraged to attend. For housing or additional information please communicate with the secretary, Mr. Carl Gunther, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 19009. LOUIS B. KING Assistant Bishop
ANCIENT CHURCH CONFERENCE AUBREY ODHNER 1975
A conference on the subject of the Ancient Church will be held in Bryn Athyn, Pa., from August 27 through September 1, under the auspices of the Academy of the New Church. The conference is being supported by the Paul Carpenter Fellowships. Invitations to the conference have been issued by the Paul Carpenter Fellowships Committee on the basis of some previous commitment to this field of scholarship. AUBREY ODHNER Secretary
ON HOLY GROUND Rev. FREDERICK L. SCHNARR 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV JULY, 1975 No. 7 Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. (Joshua 5: 15)
The Children of Israel had finished their forty-year period of wandering in the wilderness. All of those who were over twenty years of age when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb. Aaron, the high priest and brother of Moses, had died in the final years of their wandering as they approached the land of Canaan. Moses himself, their great and aged leader, had come to the very edge of the land of Canaan, to the side of the river Jordan, and there upon a mountain he had looked across to the land of Canaan before dying. At the Lord's command he had turned his leadership over to Joshua. Joshua, in charge of a whole new generation, prepared the people to cross over the river Jordan, to begin the conquest of that land of milk and honey that had been promised to them for so many years. They crossed the river Jordan with ease, for when the priests carried the ark of the tabernacle to the edge of the river, the waters parted, so that the Children of Israel could walk through on dry ground. Having reached the shores of the land of Canaan, the Children of Israel were instructed to form camp, to circumcise all those males that had not been circumcised in the wilderness, and to eat the feast of the Passover. It was while they were being prepared in this first camp in the land of Canaan, that the story of our text takes place. Joshua was scouting the approach to the first enemy city, Jericho, when suddenly a man stood in his path with drawn sword. Joshua did not recognize that the man was an angel, and asked him whether he was a friend or an adversary. The man replied, "As captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
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And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so."* * Joshua 5: 14-15. Joshua must have been greatly surprised and perplexed by this request from the angel of the Lord. He had been awaiting important battle instructions from the Lord. He was a soldier and about to commence war, and the only instruction he received was the command to remove his shoes. Joshua did not understand the spiritual signification of this event, for such knowledge and thought was not possible in an age where men had fallen into complete externalism. None of the Children of Israel knew that the acts commanded by Jehovah were symbolic, and would be a means of containing spiritual instruction to mankind for ever. What Joshua did know, was that a similar episode had taken place many years before, and under something of the same circumstances. Moses had escaped from Egypt when he was a young man, after he had killed an Egyptian. He found work as a shepherd with a Midianite priest named Jethro. While he was taking care of the flocks, the Lord appeared to Moses for the first of many times. Moses saw a burning bush that was not being consumed, and when he turned aside to look at it, a voice spoke from the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And He said, Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."* * Exodus 3: 4, 5. These two episodes are similar, not just in their reference to the putting off of shoes and standing in a place of holiness, but in the fact that both initiate major stories and events of Scripture. The Lord speaking to Moses from the burning bush begins the story of the liberation of the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt and their subsequent trials in the wilderness of Sinai. The Lord, in the form of an angel with drawn sword, speaking to Joshua commences the story of the conquest of the promised land of Canaan and its subsequent settlement. The spiritual sense makes clear bow significant it is that these episodes should initiate these two major stories. Now, the Writings tell us that these two major stories of the Word describe in the internal sense the two major periods or states of life that man must pass through to become a spiritual man, that is, an angel. The first state of life is signified by the story of Moses going to Egypt and leading the children of Israel from captivity; it continues in the story of the wilderness journey, with all its incidents, and concludes with the settlement of three tribes on the east side of Jordan before the river has been crossed and the land of Canaan conquered. This period of life is called in the Writings the state of reformation. The state of reformation is a time when man's thoughts and loves are changed and ordered to be different from what they were before.
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They are arranged into a new form, and so the term 'reformed' is used to describe this state. For the work of reformation to proceed, there must be something provided by the Lord, and something provided by man. The Lord provides the truths of His Word, and what is more, He gives man the intellectual ability to understand those truths sufficiently to have some intelligent concept of God, and to see the distinction between goods and evils. But to reform, man on his part must exercise obedience to the truths that he learns, and stop doing the evils that truths reveal are sins against God. Because he does not yet love good, he must compel himself to obey, even though the inclinations of his will prompt otherwise. That he can so compel himself from the sight of truth in the understanding is the clear teaching of all revelation. Now when man performs such obedience, and does it consistently over a period of time for no other reason than that it is the Lord's instruction, the Lord is able to build in man something that was not there before-a new love. And that new love is called the love of obedience. It is the Lord's first permanent presence with man. It makes man into an angel-what the Writings call a natural angel, or an angel of the lowest heaven. Once a love of obedience has been formed, that love, as a king or ruler in the mind, orders and arranges all of man's thoughts and loves under it, so that man's mind becomes a different form than it was in the beginning-it has been reformed.* * Ref: AC 8974: 3, 8987; F 31; DP 233; TCR 105, 571, 587. The state of reformation is called the first step towards wisdom. The Lord allows man to remain in such a state and to live forever as an angel of the lowest heaven. But the Lord does not will that man should remain in this state, but rather that he should advance further into spiritual and celestial loves through the life of regeneration. The life of regeneration is the second great period or state of life that the Lord wills man to enter. It is depicted in the story of the Word by the crossing of the river Jordan and the conquering of the land of Canaan under Joshua; it continues through the story of judges, of the prophet Samuel, and the first three kings of Israel, Saul, David, and Solomon. The building of the great temple at Jerusalem under Solomon describes the final formation of the state of regeneration. The term regeneration does not just refer to the ordering and reforming of the things of man's thoughts and loves, it refers rather to a whole new creation, a new birth of something that did not exist before. In reformation man does good from the knowledges of truth that form his intellectual belief and faith. The love of obedience that he comes into does the works of charity that truth directs, and delights in them, but it does not seek the doing of good as the ruling delight of its life. Such a delight can only come from spiritual loves, and spiritual loves can only be born when man is willing to do the work of regeneration.
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This is why the state of regeneration is totally different and distinct from the state of reformation. To regenerate, man must not only learn to obey truth and cease to do evil, as the children of Israel gradually did under the leadership of Moses, but he must be willing to use truth as well, to enter into its whole purpose. He not only ceases to do evil, but he strives to shun evil, and fights to conquer it-this is the story of Joshua fighting to conquer the land of Canaan. When man is willing to make such an effort in his own freedom, he gives to the Lord the freedom to form in him a new creation, a whole new man-a man of spiritual and celestial love, instead of natural and sensual love. Such a man is given by the Lord a new will in place of the old; he is reborn or recreated. He comes to delight in the doing of good as the love of his life. He too has a delight in obedience, but it is an obedience bathed in a higher love that looks to the spiritual welfare of the neighbor, and supremely to celestial uses of the Divine good itself.* * Ibid.; AC 9274. While reformation and regeneration are two different states, each contains the presence of the Lord. Each must be formed from the goods and, truths of the Word, and when these are received by man, then something of the Lord's life, something of His Divine love and wisdom is present with man. This presence of the Lord with man is referred to as a holy place, or holy ground. Now, no material thing, no object, no man, and no angel, is ever holy from itself. The Lord alone is holy. The goods and truths of the Word are also holy for they are the Lord's means of being present with man. When a man or an angel is called holy, it is only in reference to that with him which is from the Lord, either his reception of those goods and truths in his life, or his representation of them through some office or use. The Lord speaks to man through His Word and calls him to enter into the life of those goods and truths that form the life of reformation. This was represented in the Word by the Lord calling to Moses from the burning bush. Note though, that Moses had to turn aside to see the burning bush before the Lord spoke to him. Man must be in the effort to be led and instructed by the Lord before he will heed and obey the teaching of revelation. In a state of ignorance, but with a desire to be led, he turns to learn goods and truths from the Word, to learn of the nature of the Lord. It will be remembered that Moses knew nothing of the Lord Jehovah, for he had been raised in the courts of Egypt. And when the Lord spoke to Moses He was hidden in the fire of the bush. Moses did not see the Lord yet as a Divine Man, nor did he understand the Divinely human qualities of the Lord. And this is true of the man preparing to enter the state of reformation.
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He scarcely knows anything about the Lord, and certainly does not yet know and acknowledge Him as a Divinely human God. The Lord appears to Him in the natural truths of the Word at the beginning of the life of reformation, and man gees the Lord only obscurely. But still, in those first natural truths and goods of the Word there is the means of the Lord's presence with man, and so Moses was told, "the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." When man has passed through the state of reformation, he is prepared, through the instruction and work of that state, to know and acknowledge the Lord in His Divine Human, in the spiritual truths and goods of the Word, and the doctrines of heavenly life; he is prepared to enter the life and work of the state of regeneration if he so, desires. The crossing of the river Jordan represents the passing of man from the state of reformation to the state of regeneration. That which makes it possible for man to enter this state is his desire to serve the Lord and the neighbor above self. He sees that this is the instruction of the spiritual truths and goods of the Word, and believing this to be true, he prepares himself for the great effort and work that are required for the Lord to have the freedom to give man the spiritual and celestial loves of heaven. From the knowledge of spiritual truth man is able to see the enemies of his spiritual life-the enemy tribes that possess the land of Canaan-his interior evil loves and desires. And these, he must not only shun, but strive with all his might to overcome. Joshua was searching for a way whereby to attack the enemy, representing the effort and desire of man to do the work of regeneration. Suddenly, a man stood in his path, and Joshua asked him whether he was friend or foe, not recognizing that it was an angel. The Lord appeared now as a man in this story, for the man who has done the work of reformation has already come to see that the Lord is a Divinely human God, a Divine Man. But what he does not yet see, are all the implications of this belief that are revealed only from the knowledge of spiritual goods and truths. Man cannot perform the work of regeneration from the natural truths of the Word. Natural truths do not reveal the nature of interior evil; nor do they reveal the interior qualities of the Lord's Humanity, which knowledge finally is the means of leading man into all spiritual and celestial wisdom. That Joshua did not recognize the man on the path in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand, as the angel of the Lord, represents that the natural truths of the Word, sufficient to do the work of reformation, are not now sufficient to do the work of regeneration. Man must prepare himself for regeneration by approaching the Lord in the spiritual goods and truths of His Word. And as man does so, he finds and understands the truth that man cannot possibly overcome the powers of hell in him from his own effort and ability.
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Truly, his effort must be present as though he were fighting by himself, and it must be unceasing, but still he knows that all conquering is done only by the sword of the Lord. The sword of the Lord is the presence and power of the Lord's Divine truth and Divine good fighting for man whenever man, through his own efforts, invites the Lord to help him. When man in his effort approaches the spiritual goods and truths of the Word so that he may be led by them, he comes into the holy presence of the Lord. And so the angel said to Joshua, "The place whereon thou standest is holy." It is only when we understand the general representation of these stories concerning Moses and Joshua, that we can grasp the full signification of why each was told to remove his shoes from off his feet before coming into the holy presence of the Lord. The shoes of the feet, or anything that covers the feet, represent that part of man's natural mind which the Writings call the sensuous.* The sensuous is the lowest part of the mind. It includes all the feelings of the five senses, which are called sensual delights. It includes all the experience and knowledge gathered through the five senses, which form the basis of our natural memory. It includes also, all our thoughts and ideas, and all the conclusions that we arrive at when we reason purely from such knowledge.** Because our heredity, with all of its inclinations to evil and falsity, rests in the sensuous, it has become that part of us wherein the loves of hell find a dwelling place and an activity. * AC 6844, 1748. ** AC 5157, 5094, 5125. If man is sincere in making an effort to approach the Lord in those natural goods and truths that form the life of reformation, and those spiritual goods and truths that form the life of regeneration, he must first loose or put off the shoes from his feet. That is, he must first be willing to lay aside and reject all those sensuous concepts which are drawn merely from the things of the world, and which have within them nothing but the conclusions of his own intelligence. Unless he is willing to do this, he is not willing to be led by anyone but self. If a man desires to approach and to stand on holy ground, to come into the presence of the Lord, he must put off his sensual life and raise his eyes above the kingdom of the world, to the kingdom of love and wisdom in human form, which is the Lord's heavenly kingdom. He must do this to enter reformation, and he must do it again more fully and completely when he enters regeneration. Without careful thought from the instruction of Divine revelation, the putting off of sensual thought and life to come into the presence of the Lord may not seem a teaching of great importance. Moses must have been surprised that this was the first command of Jehovah in revealing Himself.
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Joshua must have been dumbfounded when instead of the instructions for war he expected to hear from Jehovah, he was told "Loose thy shoes from off they foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy." And such too is man's reaction. For when he thinks of putting off the delights, thoughts and conclusions of the senses, he thinks he is being asked to give up his whole means of life. This is the self, the character that he conceives as the whole person. And yet it is also the means of hell being with him and ruling him. The Lord does not will or intend that man should give up the sensuous plane of life. But the sensuous into which man is born must be put off before the Lord, through the states of reformation and regeneration, can form a new sensuous, a sensuous that is ordered and ruled by spiritual and celestial loves. Now it is true, that man does not quickly shed his sensuous thought and life when he approaches the Lord, nor is it possible for him to do so. But he must be in the effort to do so. He must be willing to look above the plane of what is purely sensual, and to put off and reject those sensual delights and ideas that stand in the way of the goods and truths of the Word which convey to man the whole means of heavenly life, the Lord's holy presence. When man first enters the life of reformation his effort to look above his sensual thought and life to the instruction of Divine revelation seems very hard and even tedious. Moses, while he put his shoes off to approach the burning bush, yet argued with the Lord about the work that lay before him. Such is not the case with the regenerating man. Joshua, though surprised at the instruction to loose his shoe from off his foot, yet did so without hesitation and flung himself to the ground in worship. In this he represented the attitude of the man who has passed through the work of reformation, and is now prepared to follow the instruction of spiritual good and truth without hesitation or question. Such a man no longer desires his own sensual life, but knows, understands, and wills that in -the new sensual life provided by the Lord there is the most suitable and wonderful means for the love of the neighbor and the love of the Lord to find ultimate expression. In this new sensual are all the delights of the senses, all the beautiful and orderly delights of the world and of heaven, and the thoughts and experiences relating thereto. To stand barefoot on holy ground is to partake of the Lord's life. The empty shoes we leave behind, filled with the love of self and the things of hell, have no place in the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
LORD'S RESURRECTION BODY WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
(Delivered at the Council of the Clergy Meetings, March, 1975.)
I
Since the early days of the New Church, the nature of the Lord's resurrection body has been a subject of recurring discussion among students of the Writings. The collected evidence of the beginnings of this controversy is found in a work entitled The Glorification of the Lord's Humanity and the Nature of His Resurrection Body. This notable work, which was published in London, 1856, consists of reprints extracted from the Intellectual Repository for the years 1818 and 1834 to 1836. These extracts, for the most part, are articles, which were written by the Reverend Samuel Noble, but also included are articles and statements by the Reverends John Clowes, Robert Hindmarsh, Manoah Sibley, William Mason, and others. We note with particular interest what is said in the preface to this publication. We read in part: "The principal object of this reprint is to present the New Church public with the articles on the Glorification of the Lord's Humanity . . . by the late Reverend Samuel Noble . . . But while this is its leading object, it has been thought desirable to give the whole of the correspondence which then took place . . . and even if some of the different views here given may be regarded as other than harmonious varieties of the same truth, we are to reflect that the differences of opinion are chiefly as to the manner in which the Glorification was effected, the grand doctrine of the Divinity of the Lord's Humanity being maintained in integrity by them all."* * Preface to The Glorification of the Lord's Humanity; hereafter referred to as GLH. Judging from the record, it is evident that this first great doctrinal controversy of the New Church was conducted with dignity and grace. With one notable exception, the record is free from the rancor and impatience which unfortunately have crept into so many doctrinal disputes in the history of the New Church.* Certainly the Reverend Samuel Noble, in responding to both the Reverend John Clowes and the Reverend Robert Hindmarsh, spoke with deep respect for these two pioneers of the New Church.
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That Noble's generosity was returned in kind is evident from the words of Clowes, who, in speaking of Noble's criticism of his position, said, "Much as I lament . . . that in this instance, the children of the New Dispensation cannot be brought to think exactly alike, yet I am consoled with the reflection that the difference of their opinion does not affect the substance and real truth of that dispensation, neither has it a tendency to diminish the influence of that substance and truth on the minds and lives of those who receive the dispensation. For whether we say that the material body of the Lord was glorified, or not, we are all agreed in this, that He now reigns in heaven in a Divine Substantial Body, or Humanity, and in that Body or Humanity is the One Only True and Living God . . . ."** * Mason's reply to Noble, GLH, PP. 91-112. ** Manchester, September 10, 1817; GLH, p. 8. It Is not my intention to trace the history of this controversy from its inception to the present day. For our purpose it is sufficient to note that it has been revived from time to time and that the differences, which characterized the original controversy, persist at this day. There are those who hold that in the glorification of the Human, the Lord glorified the material body, which He derived from the mother, and there are those who hold that any reference to the Lord's body is to be understood in the spiritual sense. In this connection it should be noted that the apparent contradiction in which we find ourselves is carried over into the Writings from the New Testament. We note here the teaching that after His resurrection, the Lord appeared to His disciples "while the doors were shut";* yet when Thomas doubted the credibility of the vision, the Lord said unto Him, "Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side; and be not faithless, but believing."** Also in Luke it is recorded: "Behold, My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have."*** Earlier in the same chapter, however, it is recorded that as the risen Lord walked with two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus, He suddenly "vanished out of their sight."**** We can readily understand, therefore, the dilemma in which students of Christian theology found themselves. On the one hand, it seemed that the Lord had indeed risen in the Mary body, and on the other, that He was a spirit who could pass through closed doors and could suddenly vanish from sight. In the course of time it was the former view, which prevailed. To this day it is the doctrine of all orthodox Christian Churches that the Lord rose with the identical body which He had in the world. While few may subscribe to this doctrine, it nevertheless remains the official doctrine of most Christian churches. Yet nowhere is it said that the Lord rose with the material body; what is said is, "A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have."***** * John 20: 19. ** John 20: 27 *** Luke 24: 31. **** Luke 24: 39. ***** Luke 24: 39.
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II
In treating of this arcane subject, the Writings relieve the mind of the appearance that the Lord rose with the material body. The teaching is that: "The Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like that of another man, and thus material; and put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, so that the Human too became Divine.* But here a question arises; for although the Writings teach that the Lord did not rise with the material body, they do teach that He rose as to the body and in this, "differently from any man."** Concerning this we read: "Man as to the body dies. But the Lord . . . rose with the whole body."*** "With the Lord, all is Jehovah, not only His internal and interior man, but also His external man and the very body; and therefore, He alone rose into heaven with the body also."**** Also: "The Lord made the very bodily in Himself Divine, both its sensuous things and their recipient organs, and He therefore rose again from the sepulchre with His body."***** Finally: "The Lord . . . [glorified] His whole body; so as to that part of the body, which from those who are born of human parents is rejected and putrefies, was with Him . . . . made Divine."****** It is these and similar passages which have led some of the most able students of the Writings to the view that although the Lord put off everything from the mother, He nevertheless glorified the material body; that is, the same body which He had in the world, and made it Divine. Yet if this be so, how do we account for the following teachings. "The Lord overcame and utterly expelled that which was infirm and hereditary from the mother, nay, at last there remained not anything from the mother"?******* "When the Lord was made Jehovah even as to His Human, that which was not life in itself [and certainly the material body has no life in itself] was banished."******** "What receives the Divine must be altogether Divine; what is not Divine would be utterly banished by such a union."********* Also: "With the Lord the prior forms, which were from the maternal, were completely destroyed and extirpated, and Divine forms were received in their place."********** Finally: "That the Lord put off all the maternal in the sepulchre . . . For in the sepulchre all such ... had to be dissipated."*********** * Lord 35: 2. See also AC 2159, 2658, 6849: 5; Ath. 161, 162. ** DLW 221. *** Ath. 192. Italics added in this and following numbers. **** AC 1729. ***** AC 5078. ****** LJ post. 87. ******* AC 2159. ******** AC 6849. ********* Ibid. ********** AC 6872. *********** Ath. 161.
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Nowhere in the Writings is it said that the Lord glorified the material body; what is said is that: "He rose with the whole body, differently from any man";* that: "He alone rose from the dead as to the body";** and that: "He glorified His very body."*** The question before us, therefore, is what is meant by "the whole body" and by "the very body." Is the reference here to the same body, or material body, which the Lord had when He lived in the world? This was the view which was held by John Clowes, as is evident from his response to the question, "Is it to be supposed that the blessed Jesus rose from the grave with his whole body complete or, as some conceive, that its material part was dissipated in the tomb . . . ." In answer to this question, Clowes said, "It is to be supposed that He rose with His whole body complete and that He left nothing behind Him in the sepulchre, consequently that the material body was not dissipated but glorified [reference here to Luke 24: 37-41]. It is evident, therefore, that the blessed Jesus rose from the grave with the same identical body of flesh and bones which had been laid in the grave."**** * DLW 221. ** AC 2083: 2. *** AC 10125: 4. **** GLH, p. 1. This statement by Clowes was promptly challenged by Noble, and the scene was set for the first great doctrinal controversy of the New Church. In replying to Clowes in a courteous but firm manner, Noble said: "We object principally to the assertion that 'the material body was not dissipated but glorified.' Now [as] everything material appertaining to the Lord was from the mother, it would therefore be equally correct to say that the human from the mother was not put off but glorified . . . But both propositions are alike contradicted by Emanuel Swedenborg, who says 'that the human from the mother, which in itself was similar to the human of another man, and thus material, the Lord put Off.'"** To this statement, Noble adds the following: "Emanuel Swedenborg says (though we cannot at this moment refer to the passage) that what is material cannot by any sublimation or rectification be exalted into what is spiritual; much less, we may add, can it be exalted into what is Divine!***-accordingly [Swedenborg] says in [Lord 35] that, 'the human nature' (meaning such as that of an ordinary man) 'cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor be commixed therewith.'"**** * Lord 35. ** It is possible that Samuel Noble was referring here to the teaching found in the work on The Intercourse Between the Soul and the Body: "It is of order that . . . the spiritual should flow into the material, and not the reverse" (Infl. 1). *** GLH, pp. 3-4.
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III
In comparing these two sets of passages, which concern the nature of the Lord's resurrection body, we are faced with an apparent contradiction. It is evident, however, that the key to the contradiction is to be found in the use which the Writings make of the term "body," Generally speaking, we think of the body as the material clothing of the mind or spirit as, for example, where it is said, "The body is only, as it were, a covering or crust which is dissolved in order that man may truly live and that all things belonging to him may become more excellent";* also: "Man is a spirit . . . clothed with a body while he lives in the world ... (and) the body which he carries about serves for uses in this world . . . nevertheless, there is something more which thinks and wills, of which the body is the material organ";** further: "The power of sensation which appears in the body is properly of the spirit, and is of the body only through influx."*** It is obvious that in these, as in similar passages, the reference is to the physical or material body; but the term body, as used in the Writings, is by no means confined to an object in space.
* AC 1718. ** AC 4364. *** AC 4622: 2. In common speech we frequently use the term body in a different sense. For example, we speak of a body of laws, of a body of facts, of a body of men, or of the body of the church; the reference here being to a group of particulars or individuals which are bound together and collectively form an organized whole. Hence the Writings speak of "the spiritual body [which is] formed in the material body . . . by means of goods and truths which flow in from the Lord through the spiritual world . . . ."* In this connection I would also observe that the term body as found in the letter of the Word when it is understood in its spiritual sense refers to the good of love as, for example, in Matthew 6: 25, where it is said, "Take no thought . . . for your body," by which is meant that the Lord will provide what is good.** So it is that where the Scriptures speak of the Lord's body, it is the good of the Divine love which is meant. We can understand, therefore, why it was that in speaking of the bread of the Holy Supper, the Lord said, "This is My body, which is given for you; this do in remembrance of Me."*** Concerning this we read in the Writings: "That it is the Lord's Divine Human . . . from which comes life and salvation is well-known from the words of the Holy Supper . . . [Therefore] whether you say His Divine Human, or His body, or His flesh, or the bread, or the Divine love, it is the same."**** * AE 750: 16. ** Luke 22: 19. *** AC 2343: 9.
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IV
We come then to the question of what is meant by the Lord's words, "A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have."* Does this mean that the Lord glorified the flesh and bones of the Mary body and therefore "rose . . . with the whole body, differently from any man";** or are these words to be understood in terms of what is signified by flesh and bones, that is, as good and truth in ultimates, and in this sense, "differently from any man"?*** Concerning this we note the teaching of the Writings that by the Lord's flesh is signified the voluntary of His proprium;**** and by His bones, the intellectual of His proprium or the Divine truth in ultimates.***** The truth of the matter is we cannot have it both ways; either the Lord glorified the material body, or He dissipated it in the tomb. For my own part, I hold to the latter view. My reason for this is that I believe the following teachings are primary: "With the Lord the prior forms, which were from the maternal, were completely destroyed and extirpated."****** "The Lord put off all the maternal in the sepulchre for ... all such ... had to be dissipated,"******* "What receives the Divine must be altogether Divine; what is not Divine would be utterly dissipated by such a union."******** * Luke 24: 39. ** DLW 221. *** Ibid. **** AC 149, 3813, 4735. ***** AC 3812; AE 364: 5, 659: 14. ****** AC 6872. ******* Ath. 161. ******** AC 6849 I say that these passages are primary because the rejection of everything that was received from the mother was essential to the glorification process. As I understand it, therefore, the material body, and all of its involvements, "had to be dissipated";* for as the Writings state, "It is one thing to acquire something from a means, and another to acquire it by a means. The Lord acquired good by a means because He was born a man, and derived a heredity which had to be expelled, but He did not acquire good from a means because He was conceived of Jehovah, from whom He had the Divine; and He therefore gave Himself all the goods and truths which He made Divine."** Surely what is said here applied to the material body which the Lord derived from the mother; that it served as a means is evident; but having served its purpose, it had to be expelled because the Divine, although it can be adjoined, cannot be conjoined to what is not Divine.*** * Ath. 161. ** AC 4065. Italics added. *** TCR 718; AR 55, 222: 3; DLW 60. What was it then that the Lord glorified when He came into the world? Was it not those forms of good and truth; that is, those knowledges of good and truth, which constituted the Word before His coming?
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To understand this, we must bear in mind that in the Lord from eternity there were three infinite and uncreate degrees, namely, the celestial, the spiritual, and the natural degree; but prior to the assumption of the Human in the world, "the two prior degrees existed actually, and the third degree [only] potentially; but after the assumption of the Human in the world, He put on also the third degree, called the natural; and He therefore became Man, like a man in the world; but with this difference, that in the Lord this and the prior degrees are infinite and uncreate."* It was then by means of the human from the mother that the Lord put on the Human from the Father and became the Word in ultimates which is the Word made flesh. Concerning this we read: "The Lord gradually and continually . . . put off that which was merely human; namely, that which was derived from the mother, until at length He was no longer her son, but the Son of God, not only as to conception but also as to birth."** Note here also the teaching that, "Because the Lord fully glorified the natural Human even to its ultimates, He therefore rose with the whole body, differently from any man ... And because the Lord ... made Himself Divine truth in ultimates, He is called 'the Word,' and it is said that, 'the Word was made flesh.' For while every man is his own good, and his own truth, and man is a man from no other source, the Lord, by the assumption of a natural Human, is Divine good itself and Divine truth itself . . . both in firsts and in lasts."*** It was, therefore, because the Lord rose as the Word that he rose "differently from any man."**** * DLW 233. ** AC 2649: 2. *** DLW 221. See also SS 98. **** Ibid.
V
In reflecting on those passages which treat directly of the nature of the Lord's resurrection body, I agree with the Reverend Robert Hindmarsh, who, having entered into the original controversy, published a work entitled An Essay on the Resurrection of the Lord.* In the appendix to this work, he listed, with certain critical omissions, most of the key passages on this subject. In treating of those passages which seem to imply that the Lord glorified the material body,** Hindmarsh makes the following comment: "It may probably be supposed by some that where the Author [Swedenborg] in the numbers cited . . . speaks of the very Body, the Sensual Principle, all the Humanity, the very Corporeal Principle, the Ultimates of the Human Principle, the whole Body, the complete Body, and the real Natural Humanity of the Lord from first to last, as having been glorified and raised from the dead, he means the same thing as the infirm, material, or maternal Humanity.
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But this appears to be an entire misapprehension of the subject; for, though the terms above recited may at first sight be thought to refer to the Humanity from the mother, yet it is probable they are all to be understood as belonging exclusively to the Divine Natural Humanity from the Father.*** * London, 1833. ** Op. Cit., pp. 167-170. *** Op. Cit., pp. 171-172 When the Writings specifically speak of the material body, there can be no question as to what is meant; but as already considered, the term "body" is used in the Writings with different connotations, as for example, where it is said, "It is evident what is meant by the Lord's 'body,' namely, the Divine love . . . [for] the Lord's very body when glorified . . . is nothing else."* Obviously, the reference here is to the Divine Natural Humanity, which was both conceived and born of the Father; it cannot have reference to anything else.** It is with this in mind that I would direct your attention today to a series of passages in the Writings which, to the best of my knowledge, have not yet been directly applied to the subject of the Lord's resurrection body. This series of passages treats of the sensual degree of the mind, and it is my hope that it will serve as a new approach to a subject which for so long has been a matter of divided opinion within the New Church. For my own part, I am convinced that the teachings of the Writings concerning the sensual degree have a profound bearing upon the understanding of the nature of the Lord's resurrection body, and I therefore present them to this council for your consideration. * AC 6135: 3. ** AC 2628, 2649, 2798.
VI
I begin with a passage with which you are all familiar; it reads: "The Lord from His own power made Divine all that was human with Him; thus not only the rational but also the interior and exterior sensuous, thus the body itself (ita ipsum corpus). He thus united the human to the Divine. That not only the rational but also the sensuous, thus the whole body (ita totum corpus) also, was made Divine . . . may be seen from the fact that He alone rose from the dead as to the body . . . ."* I do not believe that the reference here is to the physical body, which the Lord put on from the mother, for this, having been dissipated, could not have been glorified. As I understand it, the body which- is spoken of here is the external of the sensuous, which is the seat of sensation and may therefore properly be referred to as the living body, in that it is here that the body has its life. As the Writings repeatedly teach, it is not the eye which sees nor the ear, which hears, nor the tongue, which tastes, for as stated: "The eye does not see from itself."**
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So we read: "The eye is only an organ of the body through which the internal man sees those things which are outside the body."*** Also: "The eye itself, properly speaking, is but the sight of the spirit led out-of-doors."**** In other words, "Bodily things, properly so-called, are sensuous things." ***** The reason for this is that, "The sensitive power which appears in the body is properly of the spirit, and of the body only through influx."****** When it is said, therefore, that "God became Man, as in primes, so also in ultimates";******* the reference is not to the organs and viscera of the material body but to "the ultimate of life which is the sensual."******** The full statement reads as follows: "By means of the Divine Human of the Lord, order was restored even to the ultimate of life which is the sensual."********* * AC 2083: 2. ** WIS. 11: 3. *** AC 3679: 3. **** AC 1806: 2. ***** AC 5072. ****** AC 4622: 2. ******* Lord 36. ******** SD 4847. ********* Ibid. We are all mindful of the teaching that when the Lord came into the world, He became the Divine truth in ultimates;* or as stated elsewhere, "The Lord Himself came into the world, and became Man, in order that He might be at the same time in ultimates as He is in primes . . . This was the reason for the Lord's advent." ** To understand these teachings, we must first establish what the Writings mean here by ultimates. In this connection we read: "The sensuous is the ultimate of life with man."*** "The ultimate of the intellectual is called the sensuous scientific; and the ultimate of the voluntary is called sensuous delight."**** "The ultimate of life in the human is called the external sensuous."***** "The sensual is the ultimate of the life of man's mind, adhering to, and cohering with, the five senses."****** "Ultimates are in man's natural mind, which is formed from the senses of the body, whence comes the memory of objects, which are material ideas."******* "The Lord glorified His Human even to its ultimate, which is called the natural and the sensuous."******** Note well this last passage, for it leaves us in no doubt as to what is meant by the teaching that the Lord became Divine Man in ultimates. * SS 98. ** AE 726: 7. *** AC 9212, 9216, 9726, 10236; HH 353; AE 543: 2. **** AC 9996. ***** AC 10028. ****** TCR 565. ******* SD 2751. ******** AE 513: 19. Now it is my understanding that when man dies, he not only leaves behind him the material body but also the corporeal or external sensuous.
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Concerning this we read: "By the sensuous, which is the ultimate of the natural, is properly meant that which is called 'flesh' . . . which perishes when man dies, thus what has served man for his functions in, the world; as the sensuous of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch."* This external is called "flesh" because it communicates with the world; yet, as already noted, "The power of sensation which appears in the body is properly of the spirit, and is of the body only through influx."** In other words, what the Lord lifted up was not the material body but the life of the body; that is, that which is in the body by influx. It is the life of the body which is the "very body," and this life is the sensitive principle or sensuous. So we read: "It is known that the external or bodily senses are five . . . and that these constitute all the life of the body; for without these senses the body does not live at all . . . ; so that the very bodily part of man is nothing else than a receptacle of sensations, and consequently life from them. The sensitive is the principle, and the bodily is the instrumental. The instrumental without its principal . . . cannot even be called the body . . . ."*** As I understand it, therefore, the essential body, or the living body, which is the ultimate of life with man, is the external of the sensuous, concerning which it is said, "[The] sensuous is the ultimate plane, in which the life of man terminates, and on which it reposes as a base . . . for it stands forth directly in the world, and through it as the outermost, the world enters, and heaven departs."**** * AC 10236: 2. ** AC 4622. *** AC 5077. Italics added. **** AC 10236: 2.
VII
This brings us to the consideration of two passages, which, perhaps more than any others, have been cited as teaching that the Lord did indeed glorify the material body. Both of these passages are found in the posthumous work entitled The Last Judgment. The first of these passages reads: "[Because] the Divine is in Him . . . [the Lord] could glorify His whole body; so as to that part of the body, which with those who are born of human parents is rejected and putrefies, was with Him glorified and made Divine . . . ."* Bear in mind that Swedenborg was here speaking to certain Mohammedan spirits who, in all probability, were incapable of thinking of the Lord's resurrection body apart from the appearance; that is, apart from the appearance that the Lord glorified the body He derived from the mother; but the truth remains that the Lord did indeed rise as to the body; that is, as to the external of the sensuous which with man "perishes when [the] man dies."**
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Like the first passage, the second is also the record of a conversation which Swedenborg had with certain spirits; in this instance the spirits are classified as gentiles. The passage states: "After [the Lord] had rejected that of the body which He had taken from the mother . . . He rose as to the whole body, nor did He leave anything in the sepulchre, as is the case with every other man, who rises only as to his spirit, and never as to his material body."*** The implication here is that unlike man, the Lord rose with the material body, but note well what is said. "After the Lord had rejected that of the body which He had taken from the mother . . . He rose as to the whole body."**** Now what was it of the body that the Lord took from the mother? Was it not the material body? And is it not said in the work on The True Christian Religion: "All of the material is from the mother"?***** Yet although the material was rejected, we are told that, "[The Lord] rose with the whole body." By the whole body here, therefore, is meant the essential or living body, which, as already stated, is the ultimate of life with man. As I understand it, therefore, the reference is not to the material body but to that body which was both conceived and born of the Father, that is, the Divine sensual. Is not this what is meant by the Lord's words, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted Up"? ****** * LJ post. 87. ** AC 10236: 2. *** LJ post. 129. **** Ibid. Italics added ***** TCR 92. Italics added. ****** John 3: 14. By the Son of Man is signified the Word, and by the brazen serpent, the Lord's Divine sensual.* Concerning this we read: "By the serpent is signified the ultimate of life with man which is called the external sensual . . . Because this ultimate in the Lord was [made] Divine, a serpent of brass was made among the sons of Israel with whom all things were representative."** By this is meant that all who look to the Lord's Divine Human will live again.*** From this it follows that had the Lord not come into the world and glorified the Human, even to ultimates, no mortal could have been saved; for such was the state of the sensuous with man that, "he could no longer look upward to the celestial, but [only] downward to earthly and corporeal things."**** Hence we are told that when the Lord, as represented by Moses, first perceived the state of the separated sensuous, He recoiled in horror;***** and this to the extent that "He willed to withdraw from the perception and [from all] derivative thought."****** * AC 197, 425. ** AE 70: 5. *** Ibid. **** AC 242; see also AC 244, 245, 247, 249; AE 581: 10. ***** AC 6949, 6950; Exodus 4: 3. ****** AC 2222.
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It is not our intention here to dwell upon the state of the sensuous; these teachings are well known to all the members of this council. Nevertheless, it should be observed that it is in the sensual of man that his proprium resides.* Concerning this it is said, "[The] sensual of man is altogether corrupted, for in it is [his] proprium . . . which in itself is nothing but evil."** What was it then that the Lord took upon Himself when He came into the world? Was it not the human proprium with all of its attendant evils? With the Lord, however, these evils were hereditary, for the Lord had no evil which was actual or His own.*** So we read: "The Lord was born into a church which had fallen into an infernal and diabolical proprium through the love of self and the world, in order that by His own Divine power He might unite the Divine celestial proprium to the human proprium, in His Human essence, so that they should become one in Him; and unless this union had been effected, the whole world would have utterly perished."**** In this connection we also read: "The Lord's proprium itself, which He acquired for Himself . . . is Divine. His proprium from conception was what He had from Jehovah the Father and was Jehovah Himself. Hence the proprium, which He acquired for Himself in the Human, was Divine. This Divine proprium is what is called His flesh and blood. The Lord's Human, after it was glorified . . . cannot be thought of as human, but as Divine love in human form."***** We can understand, therefore, why we are told that when we think of the Lord's body, we are to think of it "in a super-eminent sense"; also why the things which are treated of here "signify His Divine life in the sensuous, which is the life proper to the body, and also the resurrection of this";****** for, whereas the material body which was from the mother******* was dissipated, the Divine body from the Father was lifted up. * AE 768: 3; SD 5464: 8; DP 211, 313: 2. ** AE 563. *** AC 1444. **** AC 256. ***** AC 4735. ****** AC 10252: 7. ******* TCR 92. To think of the Lord's body in a super-eminent sense is, as stated, to think of it as Divine love in human form.* Every idea, no matter how abstract, must rest upon some object of thought, and so it is that when we think of the Lord who in essence is Love itself, we envision Him as a Divine Man in a human figure."** But man is not man because he possesses a human figure; he is man because he is a vessel receptive of good and truth from the Lord. So it is that the Lord, who is Divine Man, is Man because He is Good and Truth itself.
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To see God, therefore, is to perceive that He is good and that all good with man is from Him. But as good cannot be presented to the sight of the understanding except in the form of truth, it is in, and as, the truth of the Word that the Lord is revealed. In reflecting on this, we are reminded of the teaching that prior to the advent, although the Lord proceeded as the Word, He was not yet the Word in ultimates but only in primes but that when the Word was made flesh, the Lord also became the Word in ultimates.*** Concerning this we read: "Before the incarnation of Jehovah was accomplished, conjunction with Him could not take place except through an angel, thus by means of a representative human; on which through an angel, thus by means of a representative human; on which account . . . all things of the church . . . . . were made representative, and consequently, men worshiped Jehovah by types affecting the senses of the body, and at the same time corresponding to spiritual things."**** So it was that in the pre-Christian churches all things including the Word were representative.***** We are told, however, that, "It was otherwise after [the Lord] assumed the natural human, and united this, when glorified, to His Divine, and thus conjoined into one in Himself the Divine celestial, the Divine spiritual, and the Divine natural. He was then able, by means of this, to conjoin Himself to man in his natural, yea, in his sensual, and at the same time to his spirit or mind in his rational, and thus to enlighten man's natural light, with heavenly light."****** * AC 4735. ** AC 8705: 4, 2209: 3, 5110: 3. *** SS 98. **** Coro. 51: 2. ***** Ibid. ****** Coro. 51: 1.
IX
It is then in, and as, the Word, which was made flesh that the Lords Divine Humanity is revealed. Herein is to be found that body of truth which the Lord lifted up out of the sensual; that is, out of those sensual types and images in which the Word was vested. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Lord made the sensual in Himself Divine; and as the sensual was glorified, so was the rational which is referred to in the Scriptures as the Son of Man. Hence the Lord became not only the Word in ultimates but also the Divine doctrine, which is the Son of Man;* for the "Divine doctrine itself is the Word in the supreme sense"** and He alone is Man. This, as I understand it, is the testimony of the Writings concerning themselves; for what are these Writings but the Word made flesh; that is, the living Word which is the truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human? Here we may see Him, not as He was seen by the prophets, that is, through the instrumentality of a representative human; nor as He was seen by the disciples, that is, in the infirm human from the mother; but as He may be seen by the men of the New Church; that is, as the one God of heaven and earth who is now revealed in His own Divine Human.
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While it is true that our vision of Him is obscured by the limitations of our own understanding and while it is true that in the letter of the Writings, there are certain apparent contradictions, yet we know that even as God is one, His Word is one, and it is not divided. When we find, therefore, two sets of passages which seem to involve a contradiction, we know that there are yet other teachings which, when applied, serve as a conjoining medium. * AC 1607, 4809, 9684: 3; AR 273. ** AC 3712: 2. In preparation for a discussion of the nature of the Lord's resurrection body, I have placed two sets of passages before you. To all appearances, we have here a subject, which lends itself to two different interpretations. Obviously, each set of passages presents a fundamental truth, which is basic to the understanding of the subject. But as each seems to lead to a different conclusion, the question is how are they to be reconciled. In presenting to you the further teachings of the Writings concerning the external sensuous, it is my hope that some light may be thrown upon the subject. It is not that I assume that this approach will answer all of your questions, but I do believe that it opens the way to a new perspective on a subject, which has long engaged the attention of New Church scholars. Whether you agree with me is not important; what is important is that we continue in our search for the truth in the hope that the Lord will bestow upon His church an ever-increasing understanding of the Divine doctrine. This will not come to pass apart from a diligent study of doctrine; neither will it come to pass through any claim of our own to enlightenment. The understanding of doctrine is a gradual process, which is dependent upon a firm faith in the integrity of the Lord's Word and a careful comparison of passages. As the prophet Isaiah said, "Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little."* It is with these words of Isaiah in mind that I have presented this address to you. * Isaiah 28: 9-10.
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DISCIPLES WERE ALSO HUMAN Rev. DONALD L. ROSE 1975
(The first of a series of three articles.)
The Lord said to the disciples, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"* Judas is a special case, this man from Kerioth who only pretended to care about the poor and who apparently was a thief,** the man whose kiss was an act of betrayal.*** * John 6: 70 ** John 12: 6 *** Let the interested reader see the excellent studies by H. L. Odhner, New Church Life, 1960, page 280, and by F. S. Rose, New Church Magazine, Summer 1965. See also The Life of the Lord by G de Charms, pages 449-451. What of the others who were called "the eleven" immediately after the demise of Judas? What kind of men were they? Inevitably they have enjoyed something of hero worship in Christian history. Artists sometimes portray them with halos about their heads. They have been called saints, and millions have imagined them in most exalted positions in the kingdom of heaven. The truth about their position in the other world is, therefore, a little jarring to the new reader of the Writings. They hold no keys and can confer no special favors. "Peter has no more power than others."* They are not first in heaven; indeed, "they are held there in no greater estimation than others." ** Myriads in heaven are more worthy than they are.*** * AC 3750. ** HH 526. *** SD 1330
They Are Not Holy
The idea of dining with these men is to some the very epitome of heavenly joy.* But this is illusion. The phrase "holy apostles" does occur in the Book of Revelation,** but the Writings say that people ought to know better than to think that these men are or were more holy than others. They "were not more excellent than others."*** We are not to take literally the passage which places them on thrones of judgment, even though they took it literally themselves! "Who does not see that the apostles are not to judge any one, and cannot?"**** One of the unfortunate results of the exalted view of the apostles was that men from popes down to the lowest monk have imagined themselves in line for positions of holy judgment too!*****
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Another unfortunate result is that it diverts people from the actuality, the reality of the Lord's use Of these men who were quite human, yes, even unpleasantly so. * CL 6. ** Revelation 18. *** AR 790. **** AR 79. ***** AR 798e.
Unpleasantly Human
The final chapter of the fourth gospel has Peter eyeing John and saying, "and what shall this man do?"* Or, as the Revised Standard Version renders it, "what about this man?" What is the tone of the question? What human trait does it portray? At worst it portrays contempt, as if Peter were actually saying, "he is not anything."** For "at that time" Peter was indignant.*** His envious indignation was rebuked. It is not an admirable picture of Peter, who was by that time considerably humbled, having thrice denied the Lord. It is not an admirable picture either when ten of the disciples "began to be much displeased with James and John."**** Just imagine for a moment what that human scene was like. * John 21: 2 1. ** AC 10087: 4, *** AE 9: 5. **** Mark 10: 41. James and John, shamelessly eager for the two most favored places, were also quite ready to see the Samaritans scorched with fire from heaven. But the Lord turned and rebuked them and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of."* Could men so deserving of rebuke be loved by the Lord? The answer is, yes, for the Lord says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten."** And the point here is that the men who make up the Lord's church are of themselves pathetically weak. Our image of the church in any age is not to be a hero worship of flawless beings. The Lord's church is made of people who try and who stumble, people in desperate need of the Lord. * Luke 9: 55. ** Revelation 3: 19. The Writings speak of the terrible state of need the disciples were in. Things earthly, worldly and external had possession of their minds.* And when the Lord spoke to them He spoke "in adaptation to their infirmity."** It was part of their infirmity that their childish selfishness had to be appealed to. Otherwise they would not have dedicated themselves to that important work. * AC 2553: 2. ** AC 3417: 3.
They Would Have Gone Back to Their Fishing
The disciples hoped for glorious reward in the Lord's kingdom. Very conscious of what they had given up, and so, transparent in his feeling of self-merit, Peter asked on their behalf, "what shall we have therefore?"*
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They probably paid little heed to the Lord's words about the last being first and the first last, giving attention rather to the words that seemed to promise that they would sit on thrones of glory. * Matthew 19: 27. If they had known what was really meant by that saying and that it did not apply to them in a special sense, "they would have rejected the saying, and, leaving the Lord, would have returned every one to his own occupation."* J. F. Potts renders this surprising passage even more strongly, saying that they would have rejected "the Word." In any case the passage portrays the disciples in stark reality. The truth is that at that time the idea of their greatness "cleaved to them and could not be rooted out," and this idea gave rise to disputes among them and to indignation with one another.** * AC 3857: 7. ** AC 8705: 2. These were the men whom the Lord used to build His church, and these men-ponder the implications of it-are "now angels."* * TCR 4.
LEXICON OF SWEDENBORG'S LATIN JOHN CHADWICK 1975
(This article is based upon and reproduces part of the Preface to A Lexicon to the Latin text of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, edited by John Chadwick and published by the Swedenborg Society.)
When I joined the Advisory and Revision Board of the Swedenborg Society in 1945, I had been offered a post as editorial assistant on the Oxford Latin Dictionary, a projected new dictionary of classical Latin, of which the first half has now been published. As I learnt the trade of lexicographer, it became clear to me that the skills I was acquiring might also be employed to explore the use made of the Latin language by Swedenborg. The need for such a dictionary was evident from many of the discussions, which took place on the board; we were driven to argue about the meaning of certain words and phrases on the basis of dictionaries compiled for other purposes and from authors of a totally different period. So far as I know there exists no dictionary of Latin as it was used in the 17th and 18th centuries. Since many authors of that date aspired to imitate classical styles, their work was generally intelligible to a scholar trained to read classical Latin; but this use of the language for subjects unheard of in antiquity led to the creation of a new vocabulary, especially in the developing sciences of the time, such as anatomy and botany.
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I noted places where the existing translations seemed to me in error, but it was difficult without the authority of a dictionary to refute the translator's judgment. It was in these circumstances that I persuaded the Advisory and Revision Board that the only way of improving our knowledge of Swedenborg's Latin was to start a collection of materials, which might in due course provide the basis for a complete study of his vocabulary. The traditional method by which this is done is by reading through a text and copying from it onto slips of paper short sentences containing any word, which appeared to be interesting, or in any way unusual. Among those who labored at this task I need especially to mention the name of the late Rev. E. C. Mongredien. I myself collected a lot of material by cutting up proofs of the third edition of the Latin Arcana Caelestia; and for many years I have made a habit of noting on slips any usage that caught my attention. The collection grew in this way until several shelves at Swedenborg House were filled with boxes containing the slips, now sorted into alphabetical order. When a word was discussed, it was therefore possible to see quickly if any interesting examples of its use had been collected. Eventually I prepared a specimen of what a lexicon to Swedenborg's Latin might look like, and a version of this was shown to members of the 'Translators' School' organized by the Society in the summer of 1971. As a result of this and subsequent discussion I was encouraged to go on with the production of a lexicon of this type, although we knew that it might be incomplete. It would, however, have been impossible without a great deal more work, but for the existence of Potts' Concordance. For although the Concordance is in English, it was based upon the Latin text, and it gives in each article the Latin word or words which are exemplified in its quotations. Moreover Potts added at the end of Volume VI a vocabulary of Latin words, intended primarily as an index to enable the user to find the English word under which the Latin is treated, but including also references to most of the remaining words which were not of interest for the purposes of the Concordance. We set out therefore to check this list against our collection of material, and supplement the material by adding slips for words not yet represented in it. We were also able to produce a long list of words not noticed by Potts, and to correct some errors in his list. But we felt confident that the combination of these two sources would enable us to cover almost the whole of Swedenborg's immense vocabulary.
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There were also in existence a number of other vocabularies to particular works, notably that to True Christian Religion and Divine Providence prepared by the late Wm C. Dick. These proved to be less useful than we had expected, partly because they were incomplete, but also because they were designed upon a much smaller scale, so that much time was wasted in looking up the references to verify the sense. It is a general principle of lexicography that a large dictionary may be abbreviated a whole series of smaller dictionaries was quarried out of the New (Oxford) English Dictionary-but it is impossible to expand a small dictionary to make a satisfactory larger one. A completely new method of collecting dictionary material has come into existence in the last few years. Thanks to a grant of funds by the Swedenborg Scientific Association and the Translation Committee of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, I was able to get one volume of Arcana Caelestia transcribed onto tape, so that it could be read by a computer. The Literary and Linguistic Computing Center of the University of Cambridge then devised a program to enable the University's giant computer to print out from this text any word desired, complete with its context; and the machine was instructed to, do this for every separate word form it encountered in the book. Owing to the nature of the Latin language, this meant that we should have several examples of every common inflected word; thus Dominus 'the Lord' would appear also in its inflected forms, Dominum, Domini, Domino; and at least one example of every word would be included. This has much increased the amount of material we have available, though it has not added many words which we had not already collected. However, we hope to be able to extend the coverage to some other works in due course. I have been very much helped by the Rev. N. Ryder in the task of preparing the first part of the Lexicon. Not only did he make a big contribution to the supplementation of the material by extracting references from Potts' Concordance, but he read through, checked and criticized the first draft, and so saved me from numerous errors and oversights. The Rev. J. M. Sutton has recently joined the team of checkers; the more help we have at this stage the better. When finally approved the finished version is being typed by Miss M. G. Waters, the Secretary of the Swedenborg Society, and will be printed photographically from this typescript. It will be issued in not more than ten parts, in a loose-leaf form so that it can be conveniently kept in binding cases until it is complete. It is possible to write a dictionary on any scale the lexicographer chooses, even though certain limits may be dictated by the material.
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All lexicography is in consequence a process of choice, the selection of the details judged to be most useful to the prospective users. This Lexicon is in no way exempt from the process; it could have been made considerably larger, it could have been shorter and less informative. We hope the choice made will render it useful without being unwieldy. It aims to include every Latin word used by Swedenborg in his theological works, that is to say, from the time of the opening of his spiritual sight in 1745 to his death in 1772. The unpublished manuscripts he left are as valuable as sources as the books printed in the author's lifetime; indeed they are in some ways more authentic than the first editions, which were much at the mercy of the printer. Interesting and useful as it would have been to extend its purview to include the earlier works, this is a task, which must be left to others. It is not easy to decide what is a Latin word; as a rule, words of other languages are excluded, but in a few cases notes have been included; and the famous words of the 'spiritual' language are indexed. Proper names are more difficult. There seems no point in listing every historical character mentioned in these books, especially if the name appears in the customary form or with a Latin -ius ending. But where it might occasion doubt, it is included; and wherever an adjectival form is used it is indexed since its form is then specifically Latin. However, large numbers of Hebrew and Greek names from the Bible have been omitted, since no further information on them is required for purposes of translation; though here too some discretion has been used, and names, which have peculiar Latin forms, are listed. With these exceptions, our intention is to give every word, though of course inflected forms will be found under the customary head-word; a number of cross-references are included which may help the student, even if superfluous for the scholar. Adverbs are treated separately from the corresponding adjective. Perfect participles are given separate entries if they have become virtual adjectives, but here the line of division is often tenuous. Words and usages occurring in the Latin versions of the Scriptures quoted by Swedenborg are included, but where there is evidence that Swedenborg himself used them without allusion to a Biblical passage, these references are preferred. The coverage of Biblical Latin is probably inadequate. It is inevitable that our collection of material is incomplete, though sampling has shown that the number of words omitted is very small. More difficult to detect are the cases where we have overlooked a meaning of a word. The editor would be very glad to receive notes of omissions in either of these categories, but would like to point out that what constitutes a separate meaning is often a matter of opinion.
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The subdivision of meaning could often be taken further, but scale and usefulness must decide what finally appears in the Lexicon. Numerous entries in Potts' Vocabulary may not be found owing to the different criteria adopted in determining how to treat a word. It perhaps needs to be remarked that the editor is not interested in differences between his interpretation of a word and that of previous translators, unless a case can be presented to demonstrate that he is wrong. It is our hope and intention to correct errors that have occurred in the existing translations, and to open the way to further improvements. We are well aware that many imperfections will be found in this work; but it is being published in parts in a format, which will allow for easy revision in the light of criticism. It is our wish to invite constructive criticism, and also offers of help with the complicated processes involved in editing the material. A few jobs are of a mechanical nature, but for others some knowledge of Swedenborg's Latin and an acquaintance with the Writings are necessary. The editor would be particularly grateful for offers from scholars able and willing to devote time to serious criticism of the preliminary draft. However, we trust no one will be deterred from offering assistance by a feeling of his own inadequacy. Swedenborg himself has left us in no doubt of the very humble use performed by makers of dictionaries (SD 805), and those of us who cannot aspire to theology may yet contribute at the linguistic level to the great task of disseminating the knowledge of the Writings.
ANOTHER KEY TO SWEDENBORG'S DEVELOPMENT WILSON VAN DUSEN 1975
There is another key to Swedenborg's spiritual development that to my knowledge, appears to have been overlooked by other scholars,* The key is in the little known Messiah About To Come.** The implications of this book are important because they provide a clear method that anyone else could follow. * An exception is an article entitled "The Messiah about to Come" by the Rev. Morley D. Rich, NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1956, page 63. ** Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1949. In a scholarly introduction Alfred Acton, the translator, places the writing of this work by Swedenborg between April and July 1745.
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It thus follows immediately after the first appearance of the Lord to him and his commission as a revelator. It also follows the important development shown in the Journal of Dreams and precedes his lengthy Biblical indexes and the Word Explained. It is clearly in the midst of the transition period in which he had turned from science and was becoming a mature revelator. Swedenborg's purpose is relatively clear. The Lord had appeared to him; he was to master the Bible and become a revelator. He would search the Word of God and set down everything that really spoke to him about the Messiah coming. He sought to understand the second coming of the Lord that is taking place. Messiah in Hebrew means the same as Christ in Greek-the anointed. In his later mature understanding Swedenborg was to say that the Messiah, King, Anointed, means the Lord as to Divine truth and also the Divine Human when He was in the world. Swedenborg copied a number of headings on blank pages and then went through Castellio's and Schmidius' versions of the Bible and Apocrypha copying down passages in Latin. The major headings were "The Kingdom of God Which Is to Come," "The Messiah about to, Come into the World," "Babylon," etc. He makes the most references to Isaiah, Psalms, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. In the New Testament he refers only to Matthew and the Apocalypse. There are also several references from the Apocrypha with much of the Wisdom of Solomon and the Book of Baruch. Of the Wisdom of Solomon he says, "A marvelous description of Wisdom. It is to be likened to the wisdom, which proceeds from my Lord. Therefore it is a description of those who are to be introduced into the kingdom of God.* * Op. Cit. no. 204. Several things occur to the reader who uses this work to feel his way back into Swedenborg's life. For one, the Lord often speaks directly to the reader in the first person. It is no academic exercise. Here the Lord seems angry, threatening to destroy. There he is milder and anxious to have His children settled in heavenly Palestine. I agree with Acton that these references to Palestine are to the New Jerusalem, an idea that was later to become central to Swedenborg. It also becomes apparent that the Lord is speaking a symbolic language which the reader can at times follow while at other times the meaning rises above our understanding. In a few places he seemed to take this meaning in a literal and material sense, for instances he takes Ezekiel 31: 1-8 to refer to the European nations.* Most of the time Swedenborg seems to be following the deeper spiritual meanings as shown by his choices and comments. * Ibid. no. 70.
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Why did Swedenborg choose these passages and not others? The method of his choice is not immediately apparent. Some of the early passages of the Old Testament have been taken by many scholars to predict the coming of Christ. But beyond these, almost any scholar would choose other passages not selected by Swedenborg. My guess is that he chose passages, which spoke most clearly and intimately to him. This is in accord with his underlining certain passages and his comments. Swedenborg's approach seems to have been intimate and spiritual rather than an academic exercise. The meanings Swedenborg is seeing in these passages are not always clear. In some respects this is one of the values of this work! We have to feel our way back into Swedenborg's situation and understanding to see some of the meaning. Whereas in all Swedenborg's other theological works he tries to make everything clear and rational, in this we read the symbolic passages that spoke to him. We are challenged to follow. There are several somewhat more explicit guides to the meanings he experiences. For one, Swedenborg wrote brief summaries of what a chapter of Biblical passages meant to him. Some of these meanings we can easily trace to the Bible passages and others are much more obscure. Swedenborg occasionally underlines a passage that means a great deal to him, or he interjects a few comments of his own in the midst of the passages. For instance, after quoting two passages from Isaiah he says, "That the Messiah was numbered among the guilty and is to undergo death because of your wicked deeds. Also many things, which the Messiah is to suffer for the wicked deeds of the guilty. The whole chapter-with outstanding clarity (Isa. 53: 1-12)-with outstanding clarity." * Swedenborg also occasionally wrote N.B. in the margin. Acton doesn't indicate it, but this is of course, the standard Latin abbreviation used even today, nota bene, note well. One passage has two such notations." The passage has to do with Jova raising up a prophet into whose mouth the Lord's words will be put. This theme of the servant of God through whom the Lord will speak, Swedenborg notes several times. * Ibid. no. 15. One might even find some meanings in Swedenborg's many errors in copying the Bible, each of which is found by Acton's careful scholarship. Most of these appear to be the kind of errors easily made in copying (e.g. deorsum instead of seorsum). Occasionally they are more mysterious. But this method is too uncertain and unnecessary. The Bible passages chosen and his few comments are a sufficient guide. There are passages chosen, such as the following that must have had personal meanings for him. "That he received a sign.
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A maiden shall bear a son whom she shall call Emanuel. He shall learn to choose the good. . . . (Isa. 7: 12-16)."* The combination of Swedenborg's choice of passages, his underlining, his N.B. and his comments leads to the conclusion that he experienced these passages as the living Lord speaking to him. Indeed, the reader who dwells on these passages gets somewhat the same effect. The Lord is speaking to his servant who will have the word of God issue from his mouth and lead his people to the New Jerusalem. * Ibid. no. 1. I believe that this work illustrates both a major step in Swedenborg's development as a revelator and a method that can appropriately be followed by others. Each could collect under headings the Biblical passages that speak most directly to him and dwell on these as a real living word of God for him. This method tends to lessen the human experience of a distance between the Divine and the human as it did for Swedenborg. Indeed, the last section of the book, which seemed to puzzle the translator is a beautiful example of this. Swedenborg writes a prayer at the end in Swedish: Nov. 17, 1745. I began to write. Lord Jesus Christ, lead me to and on the way on which thou willest that I shall walk.* * Ibid. page 105. Suddenly the writing is in Latin, and the Lord speaks through Swedenborg's hand. Be ye holy; be ye gifted with the Spirit of God and Christ; and be ye persevering in righteousness. This will be the testimony of the Kingdom of God.* *Ibid. Finally this approach to the Divine yields what had been presaged in the very passages that Swedenborg underlined and noted, the servant of God who would have God's words come from his mouth. The Messiah About To Come is a lovely, significant, unnoticed gem among Swedenborg's works.
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SACRAMENTS, RITES AND ORDINANCES Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. In addition to our regular Sunday worship we are accustomed to four classes of special observances of the church. First there are those special services which are but adaptations of our normal worship to meet special occasions-our celebrations of Christmas, Easter and New Church Day, our memorial services and other such occasions dedicated to special events in our lives which encourage us to turn to the Lord in some special act of worship. None of these involve special rituals and therefore can be properly described as special forms of our normal service. There are other forms of worship which do involve special rituals, and principal among these are, of course, the two sacraments of baptism and the Holy Supper. These form the second group of which we speak and they do indeed stand out clearly and uniquely. Above all the Lord commanded them when He was in the world. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."* And at the last supper the Lord said, "This do in remembrance of me."** In addition to these clear commands, the Writings give additional testification to their validity:
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[The Lord] therefore set up a new church, which should not like the former be led by representatives to internal things, but should know them without representatives; and He enjoined instead only a few external observances, namely baptism and the Holy Supper-baptism, that by it regeneration might be remembered; and the Holy Supper, that by it might be remembered the Lord, and His love toward the whole human race, and the reciprocal love of man to Him.*** * Matthew 28: 19. Italics added. ** Luke 22: 19. Italics added. *** AC 4904: 3.
The deep significance of these two sacraments, and the reason why they are set apart from all other rites of the church, are shown where they are described as two gates:
These two sacraments are like two gates to eternal life. Baptism is the first gate, by which every Christian is initiated and introduced into, what the church teaches from the Word concerning a future life; all of which are so many means to prepare him, and conduct him to heaven. The other gate is the Holy Supper, through which every one, who has suffered himself to be prepared and led by the Lord, is introduced and admitted into heaven. There are no other gates than these.* * TCR 721.
There are other rites of the church, but these are the only two, which are truly sacraments and are universal gates. They are universal gates because they are available to all and are necessary to all; it is only by learning the truths of the Word (represented by baptism) and by a life of regeneration (represented by the Holy Supper) that man may enter heaven. Sacraments may further be recognized as set apart by virtue of the fact that they involve correspondential acts washing with water and the eating of bread and the drinking of wine. These are laid down as proper ultimates, which serve as a basis for communication with the heavens and, through the heavens, with the Lord. They are spiritually effective, by reason of this correspondence, insofar as they are entered into with reverence and sincerity. In our third category of special forms of worship, we place those rites which are clearly enjoined upon us in the Writings although they are not distinguished as sacraments. We refer to betrothal, marriage and ordination. We are taught that "Consent is to be strengthened and confirmed by a solemn betrothal,"* and that in heaven betrothals are administered by a priest,** with the clear implication that such is the orderly way on earth also.*** Concerning weddings note the following:
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When the time of betrothal is completed, the wedding ought to take place. There are ceremonies, which are merely formal, and ceremonies, which are also essential. Among the latter are weddings . . . these are classed among essentials to be publicly solemnized and formally celebrated . . . consent is to be declared in the presence of witnesses and also to be consecrated by a priest.**** * CL 301. ** CL 21: 4. *** See also article by the Rev. C. R. J. Smith, to appear in our next issue, entitled "Betrothal Is Necessary." **** CL 306. See also CL 308.
That ordination is also enjoined upon us is clear from this number:
The clergyman, because he is to teach doctrine from the Word concerning the Lord, and concerning redemption and salvation from Him, is to be inaugurated by the promise of the Holy Spirit, and by the representation of its transfer.* * Can. H.S. IV: 7. See also DP 291; AR 606; TCR 146, 297 where the need for ordination is implied or assumed.
These three rites, betrothal, marriage and ordination, protect and support the vital uses of marriage and the priesthood. They can be ignored or secularized by the church only with the possibility of grave danger to these great institutions. To ignore betrothal or to content ourselves with a civil marriage ceremony cuts at the roots of a proper understanding of what marriage is. To permit un-ordained laymen to perform priestly functions (except in cases of extreme necessity) cuts at the roots of proper church government and of the presence of the Divine among men. The remaining rites, our fourth category, are confession of faith, dedication and the burial service. It has been found by the church that much good may result from recognizing in a formal and religious manner the assumption of adult responsibilities, the setting apart of a building for the uses of worship, and the respectful disposal of the body. Yet these can in no sense be regarded as necessary or essential rites. They are neither sacraments, nor are they rites enjoined upon the church in the Writings. It is important that we distinguish between the sacraments, the enjoined rites and those deemed useful. The distinction should be in our thought of them, but might be represented in the terms we apply to them. One suggestion has been that we should speak of sacraments, rites and ordinances of the church.* Less attractive would be to refer to sacraments, enjoined rites and other rites. But whatever the terms may be that we adopt, the essential idea involved is not an unimportant one. The sacraments and the enjoined rites are required of us by the Lord! * See HD 124.
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FURTHER REFLECTION ON OLD AGE Editor 1975
In the November, 1974, issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE we published an editorial entitled "Use in Old Age."* We are glad to be able to add to these thoughts by quoting from a memorial address recently delivered by the Rev. Kurt H. Asplundh. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1974, p. 484. "For what reason does the Lord permit life on earth to continue when the body or mind cannot respond to the bidding of the spirit? The fact is that there are eternal reasons hidden from our views. For 'The Lord is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works.'* We readily accept that powerful influences from the spiritual world are at work on the minds of totally helpless infants, laying some of the deepest foundations for later spiritual life. What healing work is accomplished in our own lives during sleep, when the passions of our inherent evil must yield to human fatigue? Can there not be vital spiritual preparation also in old age, even when the body or mind fails? The Writings teach, in fact, that 'as the body or external man grows old, the internal passes into newness of life, man's spirit being perfected by age as his bodily powers diminish.'** As the body weakens, man's spirit gains strength. * Psalms 145: 9. ** AC 4676. Italics added. "We should also consider that the duration of a man's life on earth is determined by four aspects of his use: not only by his use in the world to men; but also by his use, while on earth, to spirits and angels; third, by his use to himself in the world, either that he may be regenerated, or that he may be let into his evils; and fourth, by his use after death in the other life to eternity.* The Lord alone can foresee the interrelation of these aspects of a man's use. He alone can foresee the moment of man's death. While we might choose otherwise from our finite perspective, we must acknowledge that the Lord knows that hour best. We must seek from Him the wisdom and courage to trust in His providence. With His help we can learn to face the conditions of our life, be they ever so grievous, with calm assurance in the prayer: 'Not my will, but thine, be done.'"** * SD 5003. ** Luke 22: 42.
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TRANSLATORS' EXCHANGE 1975
Some of our readers may be interested in this exchange between the Rev. Dr. George Dole of the Swedenborg School of Religion, Newton, Mass., and the Rev. N. Bruce Rogers of the Language Department of the Academy of the New Church. NEW CHURCH LIFE welcomes the opportunity to draw the attention of its readers to the importance, intricacies and complexities of the translation of the Writings into: English.
Per Quod Sit
In the Standard Edition (John Whitehead's translation), The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, no. 36 reads in part as follows: "As man is so created, there has been given him an internal and an external; an internal by which he is in the spiritual world, and an external by which he is in the natural world." This involves a misconstruction of the Latin text, which reads, ". . . per quad sit . . .", not ". . . per quad est . . ." in each of the last two phrases. That is, the quad clauses are nominal, not adjectival, and are objects of the repeated preposition per. To translate correctly with minimal change, then, we should read, "an internal by being in the spiritual world, and an external by being in the natural world." In clearer English, then, and with less limiting articles, we may read, "an internal by virtue of his involvement in a spiritual world, and an external by virtue of his involvement in a natural world." The necessity of making the quad clause nominal and the validity of taking it as the direct object of a preposition are confirmed by a precisely parallel occurrence in Apocalypse Explained, no. 940: "Cum purificatum est interius hominis a malis, per quad desistat ab illis . . .". There is clearly no possibility of translating this "When the more inward part of man is purified from evils, through which he refrains from them." We must clearly read, purified from evils by virtue of his refraining from them." GEORGE F. DOLE
I have read with interest Dr. Dole's communication regarding the proper translation of per quad sit in HD 36. Certainly the point that he raises is a linguistic possibility as he himself ably demonstrates by his reference to the phrase in AE 940; here the quad must indeed be construed as introducing a substantive clause, the entire clause serving as the object of the preposition per, and not as a relative pronoun constituting the object itself.
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Nevertheless, in the conclusion drawn concerning the proper translation of per quod sit in HD 36, I believe that Dr. Dole has overlooked another linguistic possibility, and that is a relative clause of purpose. It is true that John Whitehead's translation is not quite correct, but the phrase could properly be translated, "an internal by which to be in the spiritual world, an external by which to be in the natural world." And this, I believe, in context, is the proper construction. It is, as I see it, an echo of the ut simul sit in the first sentence of the paragraph, which must be construed as a purpose or a result clause, and not as a substantive clause. Besides, it may be questioned whether, as Dr. Dole would have it, a man could be in either world without having first the means by which to exist in it. Certainly the body must be formed before the man can live in the natural world. So I would also believe that some internal plane with its own substantial vessels must first be formed in order that a new human being may take his place in the spiritual world. I refer you to The Divine Wisdom II, III. So I would conclude that, although Dr. Dole's suggestion is a linguistic possibility, it is not a likely one, and doctrinally, even an improbable one. N. BRUCE ROGERS
I had indeed overlooked the possibility the Rev. Bruce Rogers outlines, which would make per quod sit . . . essentially a relative clause of purpose, and does complicate the picture. Having gone over nn. 36 and 37 again, I am inclined to think the interpretation proposed in my original note the more likely one, though I do waver to and fro. The doctrinal difficulty Mr. Rogers raises hinges on the precise meaning of internum here. The closing sentence of n. 36 makes it synonymous with internus homo, and the closing sentence of n. 37 states quod malis non sit internus homo sed solum externus. This is because apud malos internum est in mundo . . . ac in eadem (luce) etiam externum because it is not "in" the spiritual world, it is not really "internal" at all. So I would see quia ita creatus est as giving man the "means by which to exist," and the datum est as a further step intended to occur because of, and possible because of, the nature of the creation, but a step which mali do not take. I would waver back toward Mr. Rogers' view, though, if I were presented with parallel instances of relative clauses of purpose from the Writings. It is perhaps instinct that tells me that Swedenborg would not have trusted the subjunctive to convey this meaning, but would have written per quod potest esse or the like.
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The matter seems to be somewhat unresolved, and has grown beyond the limits of a brief communication. While I am no longer happy with the "clearly's" in my first note, I should be happy if there are those who would profit from and join in the dialogue. GEORGE F. DOLE
NEW CHURCHMEN AND THE WORLD LEON S. RHODES 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: An editorial in the April issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE* invited comment on the unique responsibility of New Churchmen to become involved in the moral issues debated in the world. To begin with, the feelings of admiration which are aroused when I read about the courageous efforts of some (not all) organizations and individuals to confront the evils burgeoning in the world suggest that this may even be an act of evangelization, which could attract people to the doctrines. If, with our very special vision of the moral issues, we take an active stand against the rampant evils eroding society today, this may very well attract the attention of men and women looking for true moral leadership. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, page 166. In other respects, however, experience indicates that the New Church is still too small to undertake a real confrontation against the insanities plaguing the world. About a dozen years ago in Bryn Athyn there were a few efforts to organize an active campaign against increasing pornography. Perhaps if others had believed the excesses to which those inroads of the early 60's would lead, there would have been more response, stronger action. Yet it is unlikely that the avalanche of corruption would have been stayed. Since our efforts, in all likelihood, would have been for naught, can it be argued that we should not have participated? Or should we 'next time' be more active, firmer? Although the growing flood of pornography and many related evils would not have been significantly slowed, and certainly not stopped by even an all-out effort in our little community or tiny church, may it not be that it would have been well worth the effort in another respect? Our children and young people, who today seem somehow casual about the changes in moral standards, and seem to accept and condone standards intolerable a few years ago, could have been affected by seeing their parents and the men and women of the church stand up to be counted on the Lord's side. We might not have been effective as far as the world was concerned, and might not even have greatly changed the attitudes which have crept into our youth, but in some measure they would have been more conscious of what we stand for what the New Church means to us.
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There is nothing more disheartening today than to hear casual phrases dismissing disorders, "Oh, times have changed", "You're old fashioned" or "It really isn't important." It is difficult, indeed, not to blame such reactions to some extent on our own reluctance to take a stand, to speak out, to sound the alarm. No matter how futile our efforts to combat the rampant disorders, which we know, are a part of the collapse of the fallen church, the nascent New Church can be nourished and strengthened by acts which demonstrate its uncompromising courage. The laymen of the New Church are in a unique position to promote important ideas when such issues arise, but most important of all will be the effect on those close to us who can thereby come to know what is meant by the phrase, "The Church Militant." LEON S. RHODES Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1975
In the April issue of the Missionary Memo published by the General Church Extension Committee, we read with pleasure of three attempts by our pastors to carry the message of the New Church to larger audiences. The Rev. Kurt P. Nemitz has appeared on TV in Denver, Colorado, the Rev. Daniel W. Heinrichs has had a series of radio broadcasts in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Rev. Robert P. H. Cole has taped messages which are to appear on TV and will also be broadcast in the Midwest. We look forward to hearing the results of these efforts.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
The Twenty-seventh General Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, from Saturday, June 5, to Wednesday, June 9, 1976. The program and other information will be given in later issues of NEW CHURCH LIFE. WILLARD D. PENDLETON Bishop
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CHURCH NEWS Various 1975
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH
Certain staff changes have been reported which will take effect at the beginning of the 1975/76 school year. Mrs. Kenneth I. Latta has resigned as Housemother of Glenn Hall and will become Manager of the Bookroom. Mrs. Thomas Redmile will succeed her as Housemother of Glenn Hall. The Rev. Ormond deC. Odhner has resigned as Head of the History and Social Studies Department and Mr. Brian L. Schnarr has been appointed as Acting Head in his place. Miss Janna King will join the core faculty of the Girls School and will teach English and physical education. Mr. Philip C. Pendleton is retiring after teaching a course in government in the College for a number of years. Mrs. Michael H. Williams-Hogan will join the core faculty of the College to teach part time in the fields of sociology and government. Mr. Gerald A. Friesen who stepped in to fill a need while Mr. Brian L. Schnarr was on a leave of absence, will leave the Academy staff at the end of this school year.
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Since our last report to NEW CHURCH LIFE we have had the happy experience of welcoming our new pastor the Rev. Michael Gladish. That was in early December of last year. Mr. Gladish's next visit from Hurstville to our circle in Auckland is expected after mid-March, possibly April. Always we greet as a special occasion the opportunity to meet New Church friends from overseas and so, indeed, it proved when we were visited by Mr. and Mrs. Keith Morley accompanied by their New Zealand relatives Mrs. and Miss Sutton, in the early part of November last year. Last month our members enjoyed an all-too-short visit from Mr. and Mrs. Bob Asplundh who met almost all the members of the Auckland Circle at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mills. It was a pleasant evening of conversation, and slides of New Zealand to show the Asplundhs what they were missing by staying only two days. HARRY BEVERIDGE
SECOND SOUTHEAST DISTRICT ASSEMBLY
A sunny sky highlighted the city's azaleas and dogwoods as people from seven states gathered in Atlanta on Friday, April 11, 1975, for the Southeastern District Assembly. Bishop and Mrs. Willard Pendleton, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Gyllenhaal, and the Reverend and Mrs. Thomas Kline arrived to take part in the second official assembly of the district. Atlantans and out-of-towners renewed old friendships and made new ones at a Friday night open house at the home of Tom and Judy Leeper. A quick census showed that Alabamans outnumbered all other visitors. The next morning, while volunteer babysitters took care of all the children at Leepers, thirty-eight adults met at the Community Room of nearby Perimeter Mall for a business meeting. After a prayer Bishop Pendleton began the meeting with a discussion of the directions of growth in the church and stated that the church follows its people. He noted that the Southeast is growing economically and that the number of church people living and working in the Southeast is also growing.
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The Bishop indicated that the Southeast District had grown to the point where a resident pastor seems advisable. He sought the group's reaction to the idea. To give us background information, the Bishop introduced first Donald Woodworth, the treasurer of the Atlanta group, and then Gordon Smith, the district treasurer. They told us what the current financial support is and expressed the opinion that this would increase if a pastor were assigned fulltime to the district. Mr. Smith, a resident of Charlotte, said that Atlanta is the financial capital of the southeast and the center of growth. Bishop Pendleton then called in Mr. Gyllenhaal, who gave a detailed accounting of donations and cost of operations for the church as a whole and for districts like ours. The Bishop opened the floor for questions and discussion. People living outside of Atlanta were concerned that visits by a minister might not increase if a pastor were moved from Washington to Atlanta. The Bishop answered by saying that although no schedule had been made up yet, 'he expected that there would be more visits to Alabama and the Carolinas. What about Richmond? The Bishop said tentative plans were to serve Richmond from Washington with assistance from Bryn Athyn. Finally, the Bishop asked the group whether it was ready to consider the question of a resident pastor for the district. The vote was unanimous, and the Bishop appointed Mr. Kline to serve as the first pastor. Speaking for the first time at the meeting, Mr. Kline said he was looking forward to the assignment and had many plans, which would keep everyone in the new district very busy. Everyone smiled; realizing he had been interning in Washington, the group knew he meant it. Keeping everyone busy on Saturday afternoon meant a family picnic at Leepers. After the picnic Bishop Pendleton gave a children's class on the Lord's Prayer. That evening was the banquet. Forty-one adults returned to the Perimeter Mall Community Room, where Conrad Bostock was hosting a social hour before the banquet. The dinner was organized by Stephanie Latta and prepared by all the Atlanta families. Bishop Pendleton, the speaker for the evening, began by recalling a visit to the Atlanta church group in the 1930's. He noted that Sarah Wheeler, who was at the banquet, had been a member of the group, and he recalled that he had given away his northern upbringing by eating fried chicken with a knife and fork. The Bishop then went on to speak about the growth of the New Church, which at times seems so slow. Sometimes we are discouraged that the church is still so small, but we should recall the prophecy of the church being with a few at first. Who are these few? They are those who are interiorly affected by the truth of the Word. The Lord communicates with men by means of the Word. The threefold Word we believe in gives us a basic belief in a heaven from the human race. What makes man human? Man, unlike animals, can be affected by truth, and therefore, man can do good. Man is the only moral being. The Bishop closed his speech with a quote: "If ye continue in my word, ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Church on Sunday morning was held in the building the Atlanta group uses for weekly services. Between the lessons Mr. Kline gave a children's talk about sheep and innocence. Following the lessons, the children left the service to attend Sunday School. The Bishop gave a sermon based on the twenty-third Psalm. Trust in Providence comes from knowing that, even though we can't see the Divine Providence, the Lord is guiding events for eternal good. An administration of the Holy Supper followed the sermon. After the service was over, we drank toasts to the church and to our friends, the new pastor and his wife. The assembly was over. In all, seventy-eight people participated, with almost seventy at the final church service. The blue skies and pleasant temperatures continued throughout the weekend, and we said goodbye with much hope for the future of the new district. TERRY D. WARLEY
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SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION
The 78th Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association was held on Monday, April 21, 1975, at Bryn Athyn, with an attendance of 33 members and 28 guests. Prof. Edward F. Allen was reelected president. Mr. Paul J. Simonetti was elected to the Board of Directors along with incumbents Rt. Rev. Elmo C. Acton, Rev. Daniel W. Goodenough, and Messrs. Michael A. Brown, Charles S. Cole, Jr., Donald C. Fitzpatrick, Jr., Joel Pitcairn, Jerome V. Sellner, and Tomas H. Spiers. At a meeting of the board later in the evening the following officers were reelected: vice president, Mr. Charles S. Cole, Jr.; secretary, Miss Morna Hyatt; treasurer, Mr. E. Boyd Asplundh; editor, Mr. Lennart O. Alfelt. The president welcomed a number of members and guests from out of town. Reports were read, and Mr. Curtis Glenn of New Jersey drew attention to and read, excerpts from an article in Industrial Research entitled, "Is there an Ether?" by Dr. H. C. Dudley of the University of Illinois Medical Center, which indicated some exciting new scientific developments. The Rev. Robert S. Junge then presented an address entitled "Comparison, Analogy, and Real Correspondence," in which he demonstrated the importance of analogical thought in the development of the interior natural mind as a basis and nexus to later spiritual thought from correspondences. The Writings and philosophical works use the terms comparison, significative, likeness, similitude, analogy, and correspondence in some cases definitively. Frequently, however, they seem to be used interchangeably as synonyms to enrich the understanding of the basic concept of correspondence and so to lead to spiritual thought. The Writings state that all comparisons in the Word are correspondences. In the Writings comparisons are used for the sake of the simple. In the development of the mind the goal seems to be to enter into analogical thinking in such a way that similitudes, comparisons, metaphors, and analogies cohere to the subject so that they lead to the sight of correspondence. The mind will then be formed to receive influx, and it will be able to think correspondentially from use or, what is the same, from causes. The whole of the threefold Word is so constructed as to lead men to such spiritual thought, which is no longer based upon comparisons and analogies, but upon real correspondences. Analogical thought is a function of the interior natural mind, which is constituted of the conclusions drawn analytically and analogically from things from the senses. Thus the natural has communication through the senses with worldly and bodily things and through things analogical and analytical with the rational, and thus with the things of the spiritual world (AC 4570: 2). The rational after regeneration is formed through affections of good and truth, which are implanted in the truths of the first rational. Thus comparison and analogy play a vital part in forming a plane of truth for the reception of spiritual influx. In contrast to logical analysis, analogy infers causes on the basis of probability rather than proof. Its assumption of parallel circumstances implies an attitude towards orderly relationships frequently not present in a purely analytical approach. An appreciation of harmony prepares the natural rational for future thought. We are awed by the ability of the mind to interpret nerve impulses. Much more remarkable is its ability to associate and compare! Ideas develop perhaps only by means of metaphor. As the mind constructs analogies, it seeks the origin of the harmony that it sees. The Lord can then implant spiritual goods and truths, more bountifully to the extent that the mind has been developed through the proper use of reason. The man is now confronted with a real correspondential relationship which looks to revelation rather than to experience. The threefold Word is accommodated to each degree of mental development. Thus as the natural mind is trained in its functions through the Word, so the spiritual mind can be trained in its.
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The well-trained New Churchman sees the world of experience and the world of Divine revelation in a close parallelism. The goal is to see the relation of the Divine to the human. However, commitment of the will is required in order that the mere comparison and analogy of the humanist may give way to the real correspondence which revelation alone can disclose. In Swedenborg's pre-theological works we see the development of his analogical thought until his mind was prepared to think from real correspondences. "Conclusions respecting things unknown from their resemblances and analogies to such as we know ... is a method of attaining wisdom at once familiar and natural" (Principia P. 16). He uses analogical thought as a fundamental means to the development of his philosophy, yet he also sees its basic limitation. In the Word Explained we read, "What this or that spiritual thing is, cannot be expressed since our understanding can think [of it] only when it is said that it is such and such or that it must be so-called by analogy or by eminence," (877) and much more on the subject of comparison and correspondence. In Swedenborg's example we see how such reasoning was a basis and a bridge to spiritual understanding. It did not turn upon itself or fall back into the shifting sands of mere experience together with its inevitable determinism. His mind became more and more actively attuned to the harmonies of creation until he was fully prepared to think spiritually and from correspondence, not only about creation, but from revelation itself. At this point the continuous progression of analogy and comparison gave way in a discrete step to real correspondences. Each of us should look for the analogies in our fields. For example, those who work in language may explore metaphorical expression as a means for opening and elevating thought rather than solidifying it in realism for its own sake. Scientists use induction and, while seeking to verify analogies in the laboratory, they should learn to live with open questions, questions that bring us face to face with the relation of creator to creation. This developing and inquiring function of the natural rational is too often confused with its illustrative and confirmative function of later states. In a world that seems dedicated to confining the mind to mere analysis and to refuting any but the most sterile analogies, we must restore and uphold the use of analogy as a basis and nexus to genuine metaphysical thought. The only road to freedom is a correspondential relation of cause and effect, seen first through analogy, probable but not yet self-evidently true, until the internal mind is opened by the spiritual affection of truth. The discussion of the address included the following topics: the tendency of analogies to break down, which perhaps makes them useful in opening the mind to spiritual influx; the language of mathematics; analogy in exegesis; analogy in teaching human body and its value in enlightening the science as well as in preparing the mind for spiritual development; real correspondences compared and contrasted with metaphor, radical metaphor, analogy, representative, and significative; the use of these concepts and terms in the pre-theological works; how can we understand the statements from the Writings that everything in the Word is correspondential when David, who represents the Lord, could not correspond to the Lord? The address and a complete account of the meeting, including reports and the discussion, will be published in the July-September issue of the New Philosophy. Those wishing to become members of the Association and/or to subscribe to its journal are cordially invited to write to Mr. E. Boyd Asplundh, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 19009. MORNA HYATT Secretary
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MY FATHER'S BUSINESS Rev. WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV AUGUST, 1975 No. 8 Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business? (Luke 2: 49)
The occasion of the text was the Lord's visit to Jerusalem when He was twelve years of age. According to scripture, Mary and Joseph had gone up to the feast of the Passover and had taken the Child with them. Upon their return journey, they believed that the Child was among the large company of kinsfolk and acquaintances with whom they were traveling, but at the end of the first day, the Child was missing. Fearing for His safety, Mary and Joseph returned with haste to the city, and there they found Him, "Sitting in the midst of the doctors [of the law], both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers."* * Luke 2: 47. We can readily understand Mary's and Joseph's concern. As any other parents, they feared that some harm might befall the Child, but in all probability their fears were accentuated by the memory of the events which surrounded His birth. Who this Child was, they did not yet know, but they knew that He was as no other. Not only was He conceived of the Holy Spirit, but on the night of His birth, an angel of the Lord had proclaimed His advent, and wise men from the east had followed His star until it brought them to the place where the young Child lay. What is more, it was Simeon the prophet who, when the Child was presented to him in the temple, prophesied, saying, "This Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel."* We can readily understand Mary's and Joseph's concern when they found that the Child was missing. * Luke 2: 34. What then must have been their relief and, at the same time, their astonishment when after three (lays they found the Child sitting in the midst of the doctors of the law, both asking and answering questions.
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Yet despite her relief on finding that the Child had come to no harm, Mary reproached Him, saying, "Son why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing."* Surely, considering the circumstances, it would seem that Mary was justified in reproaching the Child, but as if in defiance of her authority, the Lord answered her, saving, "How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?" * Luke 2: 48. We note here with special interest that our text constitutes a statement of purpose. Literally translated, it would read, "Knew ye not that I must be in the things of My Father?" The question before us, therefore is how the Greek is to be carried over into the English language. Whereas in the King James version it is said, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business," modern scholars have chosen to render the text as follows: "Did ye not know that I must be (was bound to be) in My Father's house."'* There is a difference between these two renditions of the text, for whereas the one is a clear statement of purpose; the other places the emphasis upon the place where the Lord was to be found, that is, in the temple at Jerusalem. In this, as in many other instances, the King James Version is to be preferred. The reason for this is that the translators of the King James Bible were more concerned with the intent of scripture, while modern translators are more concerned with the credibility of the scriptures as an historical document. * Revised Standard Version, 1952; New English Bible, 1961. In expressing a decided preference for the King James version of our text, we would note that at this day it too leaves something to be desired. This is explained by the fact that the term "business" carries with it an occupational connotation that does not support the real meaning of the text. This, of course, is one of the limitations of the so-called Authorized Version in that many of the words that are employed in the text have come to have new meanings, and others have fallen into disuse. To arrive at the true meaning of the text, therefore, we must return to the literal rendition which, as stated, reads, "Knew ye not that I must be in the things of My Father?" When understood in the light of doctrine, it becomes apparent that what is meant here is, "Knew ye not that I must enter into the works of My Father," that is, "that I must do His will." Translated in this way, the text is consistent with those later declarations of purpose which abound in the New Testament, as, for example, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me"; * also, "The works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works . . . I do . . . ";** and again, [335] "I can of mine own self do nothing . . . because I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent Me."*** * John 9: 4. ** John 5:36. *** John 5: 30.
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In this connection it is to be observed that our text constitutes the first of many references to the Father, which are found in the four gospels. Further, it is to be noted-that in speaking of His Father, the Lord, with a few notable exceptions spoke of Him as if He were speaking of another. It was this manner of speaking which gave rise to the appearance that led to the later doctrine of a tripersonal God, that is, of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each a Divine person in His own right. But reason rebels at the idea of one God in three persons, for, as the Writings say, "You cannot make it clear that God is one, unless He is one person."* Thus it was that in speaking of the Father, the Lord was not speaking of another but of the Divine love, which was within Him as the soul within the body. Hence the further teaching of the Writings that, "The Divine was to Him a soul, and consequently the inmost of His life."** It was in this that He who came into the world as man differed from all other men. As it is said in John, "in Him was life";*** that is, the good of the Divine love which in relation to the Divine Human was as a Father. * AR 490. ** AC 4641. *** John 1: 4. Had the Lord while He lived in the world openly revealed His true identity, there would have been none who would have believed His testimony concerning Himself. This is why He spake of the Father and of the Holy Spirit as if He were speaking of two other persons. This also is the reason why in the first Christian Church the doctrine of a tripersonal God was allowed to prevail.* If the Lord was to be known, therefore, it was essential that He should come again, not as to His person but in and as the spiritual sense of the Word. Hence the teaching of the Writings that, "The second coming of the Lord is not a coming in person, but in the Word that is from Him and is Himself."** In this, and in no other way, could the Lord be revealed in His own Divine Human as the one God of heaven and earth. Is this not what is meant where it is taught in the Writings that without the doctrine of genuine truth, that is, the truth concerning the Lord, the Word in its letter cannot be understood?*** * Lord 55; Ath. 166. ** TCR 776. *** SS 1-4, 24-25. What then shall we say of Him who although born as are other men was yet Divine Man? The appearance is that because He was born of woman, He was in all respects as other men. Yet there was a difference, and the difference was that, although born of woman, His soul, which was conceived of the Father, was Divine.
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Hence it is said in the Writings that, "Since it was God who descended, it was necessary, if He was to become man actually, that He should be conceived, carried in the womb, educated, acquire knowledges gradually, and thus be introduced into all intelligence and wisdom."* What is treated of here is that process by which man becomes man, for it is by means of instruction that the human mind is formed, that is, by means of knowledges which, when rightly ordered, are receptive of intelligence and wisdom. We must note here, however, that with the Lord, as distinguished from all others, the educational process opened the way to the perception of all intelligence and wisdom.** * TCR 89. ** Ibid. With this in mind, we can appreciate what was involved in the incident described in the text, for it is recorded that Mary and Joseph, having sought the Lord, "found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors [of the law], both hearing them and asking them questions."* In this way, that is, by means of instruction, this Child, as any other child, put on the human. This was affected through the instrumentality of the human affection of truth, which he derived from the mother. Were it not for this affection, no man would become man but would be as the beast, knowing neither good nor evil. Into this affection, therefore, all men are born, and it is from this affection that man is endowed with the ability to acquire for himself those knowledges whereby he may enter into the perception of truth and thus into intelligence and wisdom. * Luke 2: 46. What we are concerned with here is, as stated, the educational process. In the educational world of today, it is assumed that knowledges come from without, that is, by way of the five senses. This is true, but it does not follow from this, as is also assumed, that knowledge is truth. It is here that the Writings break with the thought of the day in that they insist that whereas knowledge is basic to the understanding of truth, they clearly distinguish between the knowledge of a thing and the perception of it.* To perceive the true nature of anything, one must first perceive the use it is intended to serve. This is not possible apart from the Word, for it is by means of the Word, that is, by means of knowledges derived from the Word, that the way is opened whereby man may enter into the perception of truth. Hence the teaching of the Writings that "the Lord in His childhood did not will to imbue Himself with any other knowledges than those of the Word."** This does not mean that the Lord was not instructed in other knowledges; what it does mean is that from early childhood His sole desire was to be instructed in those knowledges which served as a means whereby the way was opened to the perception of His Father, "with whom He was to be united and become One."***
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Thus it was that He said to Mary, who represents that human affection of truth into which all men are born, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?" * AC 5649: 3. ** AC 1461 *** Ibid. In reflecting on the nature of the Lord's childhood and the progressive states of instruction, which marked His advance toward unition with the Divine, it is to be noted that all the wisdom to which the mind can ever attain is inherent in the soul from conception. In this, therefore, the Lord differed from all other men in that His soul from the Father was Divine. Hence we account for the statement of the Writings that, "the Lord possessed all truth previous to His instruction . . . [for] this truth was stored up in His internal Man."* Despite all appearances to the contrary, therefore, man is not instructed in truths but in the knowledges of truth, and as these knowledges are gradually acquired, the way is opened whereby those truths, which are inherent in the soul from conception, are presented to the sight of the understanding. Is not this what is meant where it is said in the Writings that, "all instruction is simply an opening of the way."** * AC 1469. ** AC 1495. It was then by means of those knowledges which the Lord is said to have acquired gradually that He put on the human mind, and as "the knowledge of a thing must precede the perception of it,"* He was in this as other men. But as 'the mind which He assumed was ordered and formed, the way was progressively opened for the influx of the soul from the Father which, descending into the plane of the human, was perceived by the Lord as a revelation from the Divine. Hence it is said that He was instructed by way of "continual revelations, and thus by Divine perceptions and thought from Himself . . . which perceptions and thoughts He implanted in Divine intelligence and wisdom, and this even to the perfect union of His Human with His Divine."** To this it is added: "This way of growing wise is not possible with any man; for it flowed in from the Divine Itself, which was His inmost, being of the Father, of whom He was conceived; thus from the Divine love itself, which the Lord alone had . . . ."*** * AC 5649: 3. ** AC 2500. *** Ibid. Love is the life of man, and as the Lord is Divine Love Itself, He is Divine Man. This is the fundamental truth of all Divine revelation. Among the men of the Most Ancient Church, this was known as a matter of common perception, but once man ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; that is, once he began to think and reason concerning the truths of faith from sensual appearances, he lost his celestial integrity and was no longer capable of being led by the Lord through his affections.
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Lest the human race should perish, therefore, the Lord separated the understanding of man from the perverted will and opened the way whereby a new will could be formed in the understanding. This new will is formed by way of instruction from the Word. So it was that the Lord came into the world as man; and as man He too was instructed. In this way the Lord put on the human; and having assumed the human, He glorified it and made it Divine by means of continual revelations from the Father. Thus He became the Word made flesh, which is the Word made visible to the sight of the understanding. So, it is that at this day it is now possible for man, if he will, to enter with rational perception into the so-called mysteries of faith; that is, into the acknowledgment and perception of a God who in essence is Divine Man. We can understand, therefore, what was involved in the Lord's words to Mary when He said, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business." Amen.
LESSONS: Luke 2: 22-40. Luke 2: 41-52. Apocalypse Explained 852 (a) and (b). MUSIC: Liturgy, pages 435, 518, 398, 441. PRAYERS: Liturgy, nos. 25, 106.
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS COL. B. DEAN SMITH, USAF, RETD 1975
(Delivered at the Commencement Exercises of the Academy of the New Church, June 7, 1975.)
One hopes that he can accept with proper humility, the great honor of participating in this commencement. For nowhere else on this earth is an institution charged with the primary responsibility of educating men in the light of the Lord's revelation. The knowledge of that revelation is the common bond that draws the support of men and women throughout the General Church. The knowledge of that revelation is the bond that calls for the dedication of the surrounding community of Bryn Athyn. And, the knowledge of that revelation brings parents and families together from all over at this time to celebrate the ushering in of new states in the active uses of the church. It is the knowledge of that revelation that enables us to recognize, simultaneously, the completion of three distinct levels of education-High School, College, both junior and senior levels, and Theological School-because, although those levels are clearly different states of rational development, there always is in this assembly a general sphere of affirmation of the truth that there is one God, and that that God is the Lord Jesus Christ as He has revealed Himself in His second coming.
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Each one of you graduates in each of the three schools has come to, a new level of understanding in pursuit of knowledge from the Lord. In fact, everyone in this assembly represents varying degrees 6f understanding of the Lord's truth. Although our levels of understanding may be different, we are of one will, and that is the will to, pursue the truth throughout our lives. Very often occasions such as this pass only too rapidly. Many of you are basking in the warmth of friendships established throughout your years at the Academy. Those of you who are leaving the physical surroundings of the Academy wonder how long memories will stay with you. You have determined and vowed to remain in touch in years to come. But, you are also confident that the knowledges you have gained will enable you to meet whatever challenges you now face in the world in which we live; and indeed, they will help you to meet the challenges. You need only to sort them out and put them in proper perspective. For our knowledge is not absolute. Only the Lord's truth is absolute, and our knowledge is only as useful as we make it in living a life according to that truth. The challenges we face, both from within and without the church, are many and varied. This morning, I would like to share with you some thoughts about that challenge. In sharing these thoughts, I believe it is good practice to insure that one's audience goes away with some thought of what one says. So, I think it is only fair that I tell you that there is an underlying theme in what I say. I do this, not to confine my thought, but rather to give you a key word as a reminder, just in case your fond memories in years to come don't otherwise include this commencement address. The key word is few-F E W. I will hasten to add, and for this I'm sure you will be happy, I am only going to take a few moments of your time to say what I have to say. It is my hope that in those few moments I can provide you with a few useful thoughts. As a former military officer, I must confess I borrowed a little from the Marines. I am sure you have all seen or heard the Marine recruiting slogan: "The Marines are looking for a few good men." That's not a bad slogan, for with a few good, dedicated men, the Marines could do a lot. How about another slogan, like: "The New Church is looking for a few good New Churchmen"; or maybe, "The New Church needs a few good New Churchmen." I do not wish to imply anything negative with regard to those who are already of the church-but rather, suggest to those of you that are graduating that you are only a few in number; and therefore, your impact on society must be through quality, not quantity.
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I am suggesting, also, that there are plenty of guidelines for you to follow, and answers to be found, in the Lord's teachings. When we don't seem to be able to find the answers in the Word, I would suggest that the problem lies with human factors that inhibit our understanding, and not a deficiency in the Lord's revelation. So you say, "Well, we aren't doing very well, look how slowly the church is growing." True, but should we really be measuring The Lord's Church by how many registered voters we have? In the lessons this morning, we heard one of the most beautiful stories. It is particularly applicable at this time of year, when we celebrate the 19th of June: the woman clothed with the sun, representing the New Church, fleeing into the wilderness-and the dragon that would devour the woman's child. We are taught that fleeing into the wilderness represents the fact that, at first, the New Church will be with a few, and later, with many. What we don't know is what period of time is spanned by "at first"; nor do we know when "later" will come. But does it really matter? We are now a few, and we certainly know we are in a wilderness, of mankind without spiritual direction, many denying the existence of God, and conjuring up scores of dragons. The world we live in is sad. There is much confusion. Economic hardships abound. Political and social leadership vacuums are drawing us deeper and deeper into a Cimmerian darkness of tangible despair. To scramble the words of Sir Winston Churchill, "Never before, have so many, needed so much, from so few." What does that mean? It means that the world is in great need of the Lord's church; not in need of just the organized church of men and their propriums, but the Lord's church. Sometimes the distinction becomes foggy and is lost in semantics. There is a dichotomy, moreover, and we must solve it. On the one hand we recognize the need for evangelization; yet on the other hand, we unwittingly dilute the strong principles and teachings of the Lord's church in the name of reducing dissonance between ourselves and the rest of the world. Without maintaining strong principles and doctrines, what do we have to offer in evangelization? Often we engage in self-examination as a church, and we should. But, it should not become self-flagellation. I simply cannot accept a thesis that says we, who would be of the church, don't know what is going on in the outside world that we are ingrown and supercilious, and consider ourselves purified in relation to the rest of the world.
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That is nonsense. I believe we are all fully aware of what is going on, and that is the frustration of it. We wish to educate ourselves and our children in the light of the Lord's revelation; and yet we say, "But that distinguishes us too much from the rest of the world, and we will become isolated and removed." Should we then break up our communities and disperse and infiltrate other communities? I think that places a little too much emphasis on us as individuals, rather than on the power in the ultimation of a church community; a community that believes so strongly in what it has that the people live and worship together. Then there are those who say we must stand on street corners and pass out literature, and maybe-just maybe-someone will read it and come to the church. Maybe so, but it hasn't worked too well in the Christian Church thus far. So how do we live with the rest of the world? Well, first, we have to accept the fact that we are part of it. We work in it, live in it, participate and help form its character. When we judge it, we judge ourselves. What we first must do is solve some of our own internal difficulties. Let me give you an example of a semantic difficulty. When reference is made to the "learned men of the world," it is a condemnation of men who use knowledge to confirm things of the world alone. It is not a condemnation of men and women outside of the organized General Church per se. An educated member of the General Church who used knowledge to confirm things of the world alone, and not to see application nor to confirm the Lord's truth, would also be categorized as a learned man of the world, in a negative sense.* Thus we must sort out and discuss openly the meaning of terms we use, and not leave them to imagination. For we all use the same reference material. * AC 9394. There are some things that simply should not give us difficulty if we "diligently read and meditate on the Word of God" throughout our lives. If we constantly pursue the truth, and when we don't see it clearly, say to ourselves, "That point is not clear; therefore, I must study more until I understand "how can we miss? As Bishop Elmo Acton once said in an open New Church Society Meeting:
We meet, then, to think together from the Writings concerning the application of their teachings to our use of education. It is our loyally holding to the authority of the Writings that unites us, and it is only the understanding of their truths in application to our common use that can bring about our natural and spiritual success. One of the essential purposes of our community life is so that we can ultimate the spiritual truths of the Writings in the education and training of our children, and I am convinced that, if we all sincerely strive to think from the Writings, we shall come into agreement-into more and more particular applications of the truths.* * From a tape recording of an address given to the society school meeting held in Glenview, Ill., November 29, 1950. Not checked by the speaker.
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We must all come to the same conclusions concerning the truth; and if we don't, each one of us must go back to the Writings to find where we and the organized church lack knowledge of the Lord's church. Those of you who are graduating today have a multiplicity of responsibilities, and you must execute those responsibilities with a full understanding of the source of all truth. In your desire to share the wonderful joy of the Lord's New Church, help its centers of education and worship to grow. Choose a society and go to it; enter fully into its activities; support its uses, and with all of your hearts. Provide whatever financial assistance you can, no matter how small. Find ways of inviting surrounding communities to share-for the Lord's church is universal, and we are only small instruments that can help if we know our subject well. Dr. Hugo Odhner addressed the universality of the New Church in his book, Spirits and Men:* * Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1958.
The New Church is a religion of universal application. It is adaptable to the needs of all states. It must provide leadership and instruction for all normal human types, and provides uses-spiritual uses-for all, and benefits for every age. Yet it does not cater to morbid states. The New Church cannot satisfy the neurotic demands of those who would feed on the sensational, or be maintained in the good life only by the thought that they are 'chosen of God' or by some religious frenzy or some special earthly reward. It cannot encourage the 'escapers' who retreat as recluses from worldly duties or social obligations. Nor can it be content-like so many-to substitutes a moral life for a spiritual! It cannot permit the individual to evade responsibility by placing the power of salvation or the prerogative of truth seeking in the hands of priests. It cannot pretend that rituals are more than gates to the spiritual life. it avoids appealing to merely natural affections in men, although realizing their place and value. For the New Church seeks rationally to restore the balance, the normal state of mind in which truths and uses can be seen in their progressive aspects, so that there is no false sophistication which contemptuously rejects ancient truths, nor any idolatry of traditions just because they are old; no stagnation; no disproportionate emphasis which shall sidetrack the people of the church into such temperamental eddies as are represented by the many denominations of the present day.
It seems to me that Dr. Odhner lays out a clear mandate to those of us who would be of the New Church. I urge you, and I challenge you to become a "few good New Churchmen" who will work toward meeting the needs of all society. Those of you who are graduates of the High School class of 1975, will you be proud to be known by your fruits? In this moment of joy in having completed this phase of your education and setting your sights and hopes for things to come, resolve that not only will you be known by your fruits, but generations to come will say, "Now there, were good New Churchmen."
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Those of you who are graduating from college, both junior and senior levels, are faced with the immediate challenge of entering into the active uses of society. Raise your families in New Church schools. Train them to study the Writings. Teach them Swedenborg's Rules of Life. Lead them to understand and know the joy of the Lord's church. Prepare yourselves and your children not to accommodate or live in a state of detente with the dragon, but to slay the great red dragon that would otherwise devour the woman's child-the doctrines of the New Church. To our graduate of the Theological School, now entering the first degree of the priesthood: you indeed have a challenge. But what a delightful one! Lead us in the search for truth. Assist us in our studies-and, in the enlightenment of your office; keep us in the direction of the Lord's revelation. Don't let our personal experiences and propriums lead us away from the source of truth. Continue your research and study, and share with us your findings. Perhaps you will find how we can do a better job of evangelization without taking away man's freedom, and yet without appearing to be disinterested in society as a whole. To many of you in this room, this is the most exciting moment in your lives, and it should be. Seldom do we have the real opportunity to know how much we need each other than when we are about to part. With that state there is sorrow, and yet there is joy. For that is really what the Lord gives all of us-the ability to share the joys of His revelation. Let us work together to bring that joy more fully into our lives and the lives of those who have not yet found the Lord's church. Let us not institutionalize the misunderstandings and confusion that our propriums, create. But rather, let us all rededicate ourselves to the challenge that exists in society today. For indeed, the world needs a few more good New Churchmen. And I know you will delight in being that few more.
COME NOT TO THAT HOLY TABLE Rev. PETER M. Buss 1975
Introduction
The Lord does not close the door on any man. When we are in evil states, it seems that He is not willing to listen if we call, and the Old Testament appears to support this. "Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity . . . when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood."* Yet that is said of our state, not of the Lord's willingness to listen; and it is said of the false blessings for which we might ask, not of the gifts, which He continues to offer us. * Isaiah 1: 4, 15. From the moment of a man's birth, through to the end of his life, the Divine providence is unceasing to lift us from the hells to which we may incline.* There is no second of our lives when the Lord will not hear, if we turn to Him in prayer for genuine aid; no time at which we might think that, because of our sins, the avenue of approach to Him is closed. * DP 332-337. The Holy Supper, however, is a most special approach to the Lord. It is an act of worship it is true, and therefore is a communication with the Lord in the same spirit that prayer is, but because it is the most holy act of worship, there are states in which man is warned not to draw near and partake of it. It seems useful to set out the teachings as to when we may come and when we may not, that our use of this universal gate into heaven may be that which the Lord intends.
The Times when a Man Ought to Come
1. When he is worthy
"By the regenerate, who come to the holy supper worthily, those are meant who are in the three essentials of the church and heaven interiorly."* The three essentials are the acknowledgment of God, charity, and faith. The term "the worthy" applies always to those in good. Those who eat and drink worthily, and appropriate eternal life, are those with whom good forms the internal man, and "are in general an image of heaven, consequently an image of the Lord."** Elsewhere we are told that all worthiness is from conjunction with the Lord.*** * TCR 723; cf. 722, 719, 720. ** AC 3513: 2. *** AR 167.
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A man who has good within him receives the primary benefits of the Holy Supper, which are conjunction with the Lord, and introduction into heaven. We call these the primary benefits, not because that term is used, but because they are the most strongly emphasized uses of the sacrament, especially in the doctrinal treatments on the subject.* The particular power of the Holy Supper lies in the fact that nowhere is the mind kept so fully on the Divine Human of the Lord, and on the love which is the essence of that visible God, as in the sacrament of His flesh and blood;** and only in His Divine Human can the Lord truly be.*** "This do in remembrance of Me."**** "[The Lord] enjoined worshipped . . . the Holy Supper, that by it might be remembered the Lord, and His love toward the whole human race, and the reciprocal love of man to Him."***** * HD 210, 213; TCR 711ff; DP 122; AC 4904, 2811, 4692, 4724, 4735. ** DP 122; AC 4904. *** AC 2811, 4692, 4724. **** Luke 22: 19. ***** AC 4904. Many people have wondered how a person may know if he is "worthy" to take the Holy Supper, and if he is, whether he would dare to come to it thinking, not of repentance, but of conjunction with the Lord, and entrance into heaven as the purpose. This is not the place to enter deeply into the question of how far we may know our spiritual state, but certain points are cogent. If a man is conducting detailed self-examination prior to the Holy Supper, he is able to discover good states in himself as well as evil ones. Although it is possible that a good state may contain an evil internal, there are teachings which say that a man should be able to tell whether they are genuinely good states or not. Firstly, he is told to examine his life, not when in the company of others, but when alone, in his own home, for then he sees what be is, not what he wishes others to think he is.* Then, if he examines, not his behavior, but his end, the thing he loves and has in view, he may see what the quality of his life is.** It is possible for him in such an examination to discover that he has delight in use separate from self, as opposed to use for the sake of praise and self-glory.*** He may find that he has a genuine regard for the neighbor, or his country, or the Lord's kingdom, or especially the Lord, in which case "he may know that his life is a heavenly one."**** This, we assume, would only be sensed in a most humble state, and by a most regenerate man.
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He may find that he has goodwill toward the neighbor, and pity for those in misery, especially for those in error in regard to doctrine; then he may know that there are internal things in him through which the Lord is working.***** Perhaps he will look back on evils he has formerly loved, and find that he now abhors them; this is a definite sign of progress.****** In all these examinations a knowledge of correspondence helps to sense what his life will be here and hereafter, although they are not the key-the examination of the end unlocks the secrets of his ruling love.******* * DP 61, 104, 261; DLW 397, 418. ** AC 1909, 3796, 2982, 1317, 5159; cf. AC 4307; HH 487; AC 1102. *** AC 3796. **** AC 1909. ***** AC 1102. ****** AC 9014; 5; cf. AC 7918. ******* HH 487. In the self-examination that should at times precede the Holy Supper, therefore, it seems that a good man must see signs of goodness which are a source of gratitude and encouragement. Even though the evil also think themselves good,* their thought is of a far different character. A good man will have humility and a wish to serve. He will have a sense of holiness in the presence of the love for others which he feels within him. More than these, he will know in his heart that any good found in him is from the Lord; so his worship will be in innocence.** * Ibid. ** AC 3994. Yet does he come, then, asking for conjunction and for heaven? Does he conclude that for him, repentance is no longer necessary? Surely not. Those who are far along the road to regeneration will examine themselves with a view to eliminating their evils, just as much as a less regenerate man will. They will know that the only obstacle to their doing the Lord's will better, is the presence of a proprium still somewhat active, and of evil not yet rejected, for no man is ever pure; even the angels examine themselves for evils and falsities.* A good man will approach the Holy Supper, probably in the same spirit as he always has-looking to repentance and amendment of life.** Yet in his heart there is a love which is positive, which is asking for new strength when he takes the bread, and new understanding when he drinks the wine. He is seeking the living creative gifts of the Lord so that he may serve those he loves in his heart. This love is interior, not clearly recognized; yet it prays. Thus in his conscious mind he is asking forgiveness for evil, and for power to repent. In his heart he is also asking for the power and the light to love and to serve more fully. He receives an answer to both prayers-and heaven too. * HH 487. ** AC 4217.
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2. Those who are repenting, or actively intending repentance
Although it is the regenerate who is termed "the worthy," it is very clear from other teachings that there are others who should come to the sacrament, and who would not be considered unworthy. Those who are repenting, actively combating their sin, are welcome, for they are becoming "worthy"; they are receiving the grace of Him who alone is truly worthy. Hence the teaching that the man who "looks to the Lord and performs repentance" is also conjoined with the Lord by the Holy Supper.* * AR 224. Equally important is the use of the Holy Supper to initiate repentance. Here the Writings are speaking to the unregenerate. If a man is called to attend the Holy Supper, he ought to examine himself, see and recognize his evils, confess them before the Lord, ask for help, and then refrain from them and begin a new life. He is told to do this in connection with the Holy Supper, hence is it most rightly called a "sacrament of repentance."* * AR 931; TCR 567; DP 265: 2; TCR 530; DP 280. What is noteworthy is that actual repentance is to follow the sacrament. The man is to approach the table, intending repentance, and "afterwards, when the sins, of which you have found yourselves guilty recur, then say to yourselves, We will not consent to these because they are sins against God. This is actual repentance. "* Such repentance is said not to be severe, provided a man had not previously immersed himself in the delights of evil.** * AR 531. ** Life 97; HH 533. Surely, therefore, a man must not wait until he is worthy before partaking of the Holy Supper. It is only the presence of sin which is loved which renders a man unworthy.* When he comes with the desire to have sins made absent, then he is in the spirit of repentance. It was that "man in repenting" might look to the Lord alone that the Holy Supper was instituted; for only from the Lord in His Divine Human can the power to repent be granted.** * AC 10208: ** DP 122. A man may be in a holy state, therefore, before he is regenerate. If he comes humbly, with knowledge and remorse for his sin, if, though the sin will still plague him, he intends to reject it, then his mind is turning towards the Lord. He is remembering His mercy, with hope of its bending towards him as he repents. He is remembering His will, that we should love Him as He has loved us, and love others the same way. He is aware of how far his life is from this, but hopes it will not be so in time to come because the bread of life, and the wine that maketh glad the heart of man will sustain him on the way.
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"Not unlike [the thoughts of the angels] are the thoughts of the man who is in a holy state when receiving the bread of the Holy Supper; for he then thinks not of bread, but of the Lord and His mercy, and of what is of love to Him and of charity toward the neighbor, because he thinks of repentance and amendment of life.* * AC 4217. Italics added.
The Exhortation Read in the English Church
In support of this last point, and leading into the next, is the exhortation read in the Church of England before the Holy Supper, which is quoted or cited at least twelve times in the Writings, always with the greatest approval. It is a beautiful piece of writing, but it is also, the Writings say, the "veritable Divine truth,"* and "true religion itself."** Equally remarkable is the statement that "those who live according to the doctrine drawn from the above exhortations have spiritual faith, and after the life in the world come into heaven."*** * DP 114: 4. ** LJ 214. *** AE 250: 5.
This is the form of the exhortation quoted in the last-mentioned passage:
The way and means to be received as worthy partakers of that holy table is, first, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offenses to be such as are not only against God but also against your neighbors, then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them; being ready to make restitution and satisfaction according to the uttermost of your power, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offenses at God's hand; for otherwise the receiving of the Holy Communion doth nothing else but increase your damnation. Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slanderer of His Word, an adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent ye of your sins, or else come not to that holy table; lest after the taking of that holy sacrament the devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas,* and fill you full of iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul. * The reference to Judas is made because, according to the Gospel of Luke, Judas partook of the Holy Supper, and then went out to betray the Lord. See Luke 22: 14, 21-23, but compare Mark 14 and Matthew 26.
Judge therefore yourselves, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent ye truly for your sins past; have a lively and steadfast faith in Christ our Savior; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men.
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Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to live a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in His holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort, and make your humble confession to Almighty God.
Beautiful as the writing is in this exhortation, it is clearly a human piece of oratory, not a Divine one. It is not to the language that the Writings refer, in calling it the "veritable Divine truth," but to the spiritual truth contained within. Thus, when it is suggested that a man in repenting must "be in perfect charity with all men," we may recognize the language as pertaining to concepts of the former Christian Church. One cannot be in perfect charity, spiritual charity, immediately. Yet the spirit speaks of the intention to be in perfect charity, and because of the intention, if it is pursued, what is wished becomes in time the reality. What, then, is the doctrine from this exhortation which is the veritable Divine truth, and which, if followed, produces spiritual faith, and a door to heaven? The first part is very close to the pattern of genuine repentance set out in the True Christian Religion.* It adds, however, the concept of restitution to those we have offended or harmed, which is in accord with the story of Zaccheus the publican. He promised to repay fourfold any he had cheated, and of him the Lord said, "This day is salvation come to this house."** Thus it makes the intention to repent and to make restitution the means to becoming worthy partakers of the Holy Supper. It is called, in the Writings, an exhortation "to be in charity by reconciliation and repentance."*** Finally in this connection, we note the phraseology of that last section which makes it clear that the intention to live a new life is enough to begin with. "Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins . . . and intend to live a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in His holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort." * TCR 567; AR 531. ** Luke 19: 1-10. *** TCR 722.
Come not to that Holy Table
Now the warnings. To take the sacrament if one does not intend repentance does but increase one's damnation. Also, after taking it, the devil may enter into a man as it did into Judas, and fill him with iniquities and bring him to destruction of body and soul. The Writings support the exhortation in these points most directly,* but other doctrines of the Writings also teach them. * LJ 214; SD 5970. cf. DP 114; TCR 526.
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1. If one is in sins of which repentance is not intended
Let us not mistake this teaching. Some have said, or felt that they may not come to the Holy Supper because they have sinned in a particular way in the past. For example, a man who has committed adultery may feel that this act bars him from partaking for ever. More generally, a person may say, "I have done such and such an evil in the last few months. Therefore I cannot come." That is not the teaching. No single act bars man from the sacrament, or from heaven! We are warned against coming, knowing full well that we are not intending repentance. Especially is this the case if a man knows from the truth what evil is-that is, when his intellectual apprehends the truth, but his will refuses to will the good. Then the conjunction of truth with evil is "profanation, and is meant by eating and drinking unworthily in the Holy Supper."* Another passage speaks of the Holy Supper in connection with the teaching that "the holy things of the church are profaned by sins, because these remove them from what is Divine,"** and the Holy Supper is said to contain "such holiness that human minds are thereby conjoined with heavenly minds."*** Finally, there is the direct teaching that "it is known that those who eat the bread in the Holy Supper unworthily, do not appropriate good to themselves, but evil."**** "Then shall ye begin to say, Lord, we have eaten and drunk before Thee. But I will say to you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity."***** * AC 4601: 3. ** AC 10208. *** AC 2177: 8. **** AC 4745. ***** Luke 13: 26, 27. See TCR 723. It is interesting in this regard that prayers are also somewhat harmful if there is no intention of repentance with an evil man. Certainly they are not heard if a man remains in the delight of his Sin.* They are also said "rather to confirm a man, for they make his conscience quiet under the idea that sins are remitted, provided one has deprecated evils, and used the means of salvation."** In similar vein the Writings speak of those who were amongst the worst, who, "on the preceding evening and day, when they have gone to the supper, have abstained in externals from worldly things."*** Afterwards, however, they behaved as wickedly as before. The attendance does harm to such people, for it causes them to be "secure so that thus they can live more securely and be confirmed in that very evil of life."**** Such a person was President Stjerncrona, who lived a most wicked life, but perceived many truths, and practiced this mock repentance before the Holy Supper, thus using the sacrament for the show it presented to the world.***** * TCR 329: 4; AC 4227: 4; SD 3678. ** SD 3677; cf. DP 280. *** SD 2777-2779. **** Ibid. ***** SD 4754.
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2. If there has been insufficient preparation
It seems from all that has been said of the proper means of preparation for the Holy Supper that we must not come if we have neglected to prepare. It is not to be taken from custom; it is too important for that, and to do so induces on our minds a loss of the sense of its holiness. At the same time, a word of caution is needed. It would appear justifiable from the teachings to believe that detailed self-examination is not needed every time one comes to the sacrament. That should take place once or twice a year;* but, on the strength of that examination, and the intentions then formed, the sacrament may be taken with a more general preparation, at other times. Between the times of detailed examination, one may reflect on how far he has progressed in his intention, or pray for renewed help against the evil he is now continually fighting, or read and study during the week before, that new light may be gained. The point is that some preparation is necessary-at least, the whole thrust of the teachings seems to say so. * TCR 567.
3. If one does not acknowledge God
This treatment cannot omit the statement concerning a man who at heart believes nothing, but attends church out of habit, and for the appearance. He profanes the Holy Supper by taking it, "for he sees the bread and wine with the eye, and tastes them with the tongue, while the thought of the mind is, 'What is this but a useless ceremony, and how do this bread and wine differ from that on my own table?'"* At times the hells breathe such thoughts into believers too, and this passage indicates the strong need to shun them. * TCR 722.
Doubtful Cases
One can see from the doctrine the clear dividing line between those who intend repentance, and are going to undertake it, and those who do not intend to come face to face with their sin. But there are many who do not feel sure into which category they fall. They feel in their hearts that they have come to the Holy Supper, many times, intending to repent, and sincerely asking for help, and then they have slipped back into evil again. They have failed. Have they profaned the Holy Supper? Should they not come in future, knowing from bitter experience how likely it is that they will give in once more? Perhaps these questions are at the core of our doubts about approaching the sacrament. Here we enter the realm of judgment.
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Nevertheless it seems there are most compelling arguments for such people to attend the Holy Supper, and by no means to shun it. The first reason is found in the purpose of the sacrament, and of prayer. The externals of the church exist to call to remembrance the need to worship God and obey His Word. They are not just for the chosen few, they are part of the outstretched arm of the merciful Lord, who came to call sinners to repentance. We do not wait until we have succeeded in our struggles before we may worship. The teachings about who should not come are clearly meant for those who feel no remorse on account of their sin. They are for the man who does not intend repentance-not for him whose spirit is willing, but who is oppressed, and failing, because the flesh is weak. Where there is remorse, where there is guilt, where there is fear for eternal damnation, there is hope. If a person feels these when he thinks of his evils, he should try once more. He should examine his evil in the light of truth once more, see it for what it is, ask again for help, and approach the Holy Supper intending to try again. And if he fails again? He should come once more, and keep on coming, as long as he mourns by reason of his sin. Consider the following teaching about a man who has chosen evil in young manhood-as is the case with "very many," or "the majority," at this time of life (Latin plerusque). "If therefore when a man betakes himself to evils, as is the case with very many in young manhood, he feels any anxiety when he reflects upon his having done what is evil, it is a sign that he will still receive influx through the angels from heaven, and it is also a sign that he will afterwards suffer himself to be reformed . . . for with those who are then in anxiety, there is an internal acknowledgment of evil, which when recalled by the Lord becomes confession, and finally repentance."* Probably one of the greatest values of prayer and of the Holy Supper is that they, especially the sacrament, keep us anxious on account of our sins. Without this approach to the Lord, anxiety diminishes, and when it vanishes, "hope vanishes."** * AC 5470. ** Ibid. Perhaps we may say a word about those who wonder if they should come if they happen to be in a bad mood at the time of the service. Often something happens, in the bustle of Sunday morning, or during the week before the service, which induces a negative state. Is it wrong to approach the Holy Supper, feeling that one is in a temper with one's wife, or children, or with a friend? Ideally, the answer is, that one should guard against having the sacrament denied through such states.
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If they occur, however, and especially if we feel we were responsible for them in some way, then that is not the time to take the sacrament. The New Testament makes that clear. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to, thy brother, and then come, and offer thy gift."* Reconciliation, then worship! There is also the passage in the exhortation discussed above that urges us to be "ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness at God's hand." Perhaps in such a circumstance a private administration can be sought soon afterwards. Men and women must feel free to ask the priesthood for the sacrament at any time, if their personal needs require it. * Matthew 5: 23, 24.
Conclusion
The common ingredient in all those who may approach the Holy Supper is an awareness of the evils of one's proprium. The man who is in spirit an angel sees his evils and falsities, as do the angels at times.* He knows that he has no good of his own, that without the Lord's presence all his good loves would flee away; and he knows that there is much in him that still binders the Lord's work. The penitent man comes in the determination to shun his sin. And the man who is trying to repent, but is weak, comes in states when examination and remorse have revealed to him anew the need to look to the Lord alone. * HH 487. When the proprium is active, then there is no humility, and man profanes by what is his own. He comes to the sacrament while the delight of evil is not rejected, even in wish. He comes without the acknowledgment of the God he is supposed to worship. Or he comes when proprium has made him angry with others; then how can he be humble before the Lord? Whether the state is permanent or temporary, it is a state alien to the central purpose-that the Lord should be remembered, and His love, and our humble love for Him. "Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins ... draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort, and make your humble confession to Almighty God."
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BETROTHAL IS NECESSARY Rev. CHRISTOPHER R. J. SMITH 1975
Over the past ten years, roughly four out of every ten couples who were married in the General Church were not betrothed prior to their wedding.* This indicates to me that the church as a whole has not seen the use and importance of this rite. We have yet to see that betrothal is not given as a matter of choice. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1974, page 534. The familiar teaching is that "consent is to be strengthened and confirmed by a solemn betrothal."* Its added use is to usher in the state that immediately follows consent, as the reasons given for the betrothal are all entered into as soon as consent is given. This is the order followed in heaven, for there, once a couple recognize each other as conjugial partners, "they deliberately address each other and are betrothed."** As in heaven, so it should be on earth. * CL 301. ** CL 316: 3, 229. It appears, moreover, that betrothal is of greater spiritual significance and therefore more important than the wedding. It is the strengthening and confirmation of consent, which is "the essential of marriage,"* and there is the noteworthy fact that in heaven priests officiate at betrothals but not at weddings.* Furthermore, we are instructed that "the minds of two are prepared by betrothal for conjugial love."*** * CL 21e, 299: 2; AC 3090. ** CL 21: 4. *** CL 302. Because of its use, it is not surprising to learn that "betrothals before marriage have been in use from ancient times."* And for us today, it should still be taken as a matter of course, as is assumed in the question: "Must not a bridegroom first cause himself to be seen, before he proposes betrothal, and afterwards marriage?"** * AC 9182: 4. ** Coro. 48. Considering the use of betrothal, then, and seeing that it is not offered as a matter of choice, should a priest require a couple to be betrothed before he officiates at their wedding? After all, is not betrothal following consent according to the laws of Divine order? And indeed, does a couple acknowledge not this particular law when they are asked in the wedding ceremony: "And will you now be united together in marriage as husband and wife, according to the laws of Divine order?"* * Liturgy, page 95.
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It seems to me that consent should not be given until betrothal is desired by both partners seeking marriage. This would not only emphasize the need to speak about religion during courtship, but would also help ensure that consent be given its proper place as "the essential of marriage." Consent is perhaps taken more seriously and is less likely to be broken if the man "proposes betrothal,"* or, if the woman gives consent on condition that they are betrothed. * Coro. 48. If it is argued, however, that one partner is still new to the church, and is not yet ready to accept this or some other essential teaching concerning marriage, then is that couple ready for a New Church wedding? To say, "I wed thee . . . in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,"* is to profess belief in His laws of order and also a willingness to obey them. * Liturgy, page 96. Another argument is often heard: "It is better to have a broken engagement than a broken betrothal. Why not let the couple be engaged for a while, to see how they get along, before they become betrothed?" This objection represents thought that is not based on the Word. It ignores the teaching concerning the focal importance of consent, and it shows ignorance of what the Lord is telling us when He explains how marriage and religion must go hand in hand. Note further, the Heavenly Doctrines do not speak of the man-made custom of engagement, but only of consent and the necessity for betrothal, and "that when the time of betrothal is completed, the wedding ought to take place."* * CL 306. We are told that conjugial love is "above every love."* To receive such a high blessing, surely we are required to make an equally high effort to follow the teachings of the Lord. * CL 64.
GENERAL CHURCH SOUND RECORDING COMMITTEE 1975
The General Church Sound Recording Committee catalog lists nearly 3000 church services, doctrinal classes and addresses by 45 General Church ministers. Also there are many other events and speakers recorded. Most are available either on five-inch reels or cassettes. For further information write: Sound Recording Library, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009.
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WORK OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH Rev. C. V. A. HASLER 1975
(Reprinted from New-Church Magazine, published by the General Conference of the New Church, London, (April-June 1975), Vol. 94, Number 672, page 45.)
Perhaps we should first of all openly admit why we are looking at this question.
1. We are affected by the wider movement of thinking in the world, which may be called "Women's Liberation"-and we hear demands for admitting that there is equality between the sexes. 2. These demands are heard also in the churches, where the ordination of women into the ministry is taking place. This includes the New Church Convention. We may have to make our position on this clear. 3. The article by Ian Johnson in New-Church Magazine* suggests that our attitudes, including some of Swedenborg's are out of date, and in any case, we do not offer sufficient scope for work to women in our organization. * July-Sept. 1974, Vol. 93, Number 669, page 89.
This is a difficult subject to consider-and it can only be considered at some length. There are no easy answers, and going on recent considerations of the organization does not lead me to feel very confident that many people are prepared to study the doctrinal position as it is presented in the Writings, before they make their minds up. However, I feel that this is a very fundamental question on which true development of the spirit depends, so that every effort should be made to be guided by the revealed truths, rather than follow the fashions of the day-which in any case are going to change in the next few years.
There is No Such Thing as Equality
I think that this is the first definite statement which the doctrines make when they begin to discuss the functions and uses of the sexes. The sexes are not equal, and to try to make them equal is to fly into the face of biological facts. Every cell in the body is either masculine or feminine, and if a person is not happy with his/her sex, then there is no help for them (except with the few cases of genetic disorders which must be considered separately).
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If a woman grieves about her periods, and regards herself as ill-designed, and an example of the unfairness of nature, or God-this surely is a very unhappy road to take. We must come to terms with our own sex first of all, and find out its privileges and responsibilities. In all our thinking about this question in the following pages, let us then never forget this one single fact which is beyond all dispute: if the contact between the sexes is to be fruitful, then the man must produce and implant the seed, and the woman must be willing to receive it and nurture it. There is no equality here. The sexes are distinct in their uses and essential to each other.
No Place for Rivalry
The question of the relation between the sexes has always been bedeviled by a supposed rivalry. This no doubt arose because men in their arrogance had regarded the women as inferior, less intelligent, etc. Women reacted and attempted to get their own back by their own means. If we are to consider New Church doctrine on this, we must clear our own minds of any thought of rivalry, but always look to the need to cooperate and yearn for the true conjunction. We should need no reminding of that great truth of the Divine Word which teaches us that man, who was created in the image of God, is not an individual, but a pair: "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them."* What we are trying to do is to apply that truth to the affairs of daily life, so that the contribution of each sex may be fully realized-and both need to be aware of what this use is. * Genesis 1: 27.
The Physical Has Spiritual Origins
One hears too often these days the argument that the sexual organs are something rather external to the person within, and that psychologically we are all the same inside, unless moulded by rigid environment into playing feminine or masculine roles. Hence we have "unisex"-and what a contradiction that is! Incidentally, this idea also finds acceptance among reincarnationists, who believe that we shall have to experience all conditions and both sexes before we become "perfected." This idea is gaining ground among the younger generation. The doctrines teach that our physical differences are almost a Dale reflection of the vastly different spiritual make-up. The mind of the male is entirely different from that of the female, so much so, that there is nothing alike in them, and essentially, they are both part of one whole.
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We shall briefly look at these differences in a moment.
Factual Education Does Not Make Equality
In Swedenborg's day, few girls (and not so many boys either) received any education, so that looking around; one might have concluded that women were less intelligent, because they did not know so much. Swedenborg, who moved among queens and princesses, surely never assumed such a foolish thing. He knew educated women, as well as uneducated men. Modern education is now universal in many countries, and although there are differences in the trends of learning between boys and girls at different stages, on the whole, they have the same abilities to absorb knowledge and sciences. But to conclude from that that this makes them equal, is like saying that because a hare and a horse eat grass, they are equal, and we should expect the same offspring from them. Surely, allowance must be made for the assimilation of knowledge. A mere scientific fact ceases to be just that when it is absorbed by a mind. It becomes one thing in the male mind, and another thing in the female mind. It becomes a factor, a power, an aspiration to some personal end. If a boy and a girl attain 98% in their O-level Geography it does not prove that their minds are the same, any more than if they both eat a large ice cream. It is the assimilation, which is important, not the basic diet.
Man's Basic Make-up
Man was created a form of understanding. Hence his form is harsher, more apt to break out into dispute or even battle. But this is the external of man. Internally he was created with the love of growing wise, and he has a thirst for knowledge and know-how. He must know, not because he is simply curious, but because his very masculinity is challenged. He feels he is not a man if he does not know, or understand-say, why his car has developed a clicking noise in the engine. Essentially, man should have the desire for spiritual truth, although few men are so motivated, and are far more interested in the things of the world-such as their car engine, etc. Yet, men do not reveal their love openly; they present a confident air of knowing, and of research-which is played almost as a game. But this game of finding out is deadly serious to the man. It is his nature to find out, and in his search he can get completely absorbed, detached from all other responsibilities or family considerations. He is indeed the producer of the seed-which represents knowledge or truth; he produces millions of them-but only few will ever become fertile.
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Woman's Basic Make-up
If man is internally love (of acquiring knowledge) and externally all intellect and understanding, the woman is just the reverse. It is, I feel, easy enough to accept the fact that woman has warmth and love and affectionate nature. Therefore the statement that woman was created to be love, does not usually off end anyone-only as it is understood to imply that therefore women have no intelligence or understanding-that they are all emotions, and no brain. This is such a perversion of the teachings of the New Church, that it is a wonder that anyone has taken it seriously. Swedenborg talks often enough about woman's wisdom, and teaches that internally the woman is wisdom-or the truth. However, the revelation qualifies this wisdom by this: that it is something which the woman draws from the man. Ideally, from her husband, but also from father, brothers, teachers. This of course is expressed in the Divine Word by the story of the creation of woman (Eve) out of man's rib. This certainly makes it sound as if the woman was dependent on the man, and awaited his good pleasure in dispensing his self-acquired knowledges to the poor, dumb female. I believe that we have had difficulty in presenting this truth of the Divine revelation, because it can be misrepresented very easily just in such a way. Let's try again. The woman is far from being the dumb and helpless creature. She knows, however, that she must choose a mate if she is to be fulfilled as a female-physically as a mother, and spiritually as a wife. Have you ever seen a female blackbird inspecting Mr. Blackbird's nest? There is no free love in nature! She makes sure that he is a good builder and provider before she consents to move in. What the doctrines say is that the woman chooses a man who is worthy of her respect. He must have some character; he must stand for something. He must have some goodness or good potential which she has the power to nurture and bring to life. She is far too practical to want knowledges simply for their own sake. She is not like the man in this-in pursuit of impersonal knowledge, often detached from practical life. Man's peculiar ability to do this is not an entirely happy characteristic. He often gets absorbed with trivialities, or grows proud and arrogant because of his knowledge. To the woman, all knowledge is a personalized thing. It is deeply hidden within her mind, and was received for some personal reason. To her, this wisdom is part of her feelings and life. It becomes a thing of loyalty-to be supported through thick and thin. In her loyalty, she tends to be much more stationary and less likely to explore new horizons. She will prefer to love a person, rather than a mere idea.
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But she understands those ideas, in some way, far more perceptively than the man, because they are deeply in her heart, and she feels more deeply about them.
Spinsters
Something of an emotive word! Spinsters were, and at times are, regarded as the rejects of masculine preference-except for the fact that one keeps meeting so many very charming and attractive unmarried women, that one wonders why the men did not notice. When New Church doctrine is considered, we get an entirely different explanation. It is the woman who chooses the man, and although he should do the wooing, she must decide in her heart, "this is the man whose image I want to propagate." Obviously, this is a more serious choice for the woman than for the man, because she makes alive within herself both his mental ideals, as well as his natural seed. The unmarried woman may very well be the one who has not found a man worthy of her; one who could value the tremendous gifts she can bestow, and which she cannot bring herself to waste on someone who cannot appreciate them. Her state is far more a reflection on the unattached males she met, than on herself. Let us see the unmarried woman as a person of character and of ten of deep convictions. I know those who feel that a marriage to a man whom they could not respect for his moral wisdom would be a travesty, and they are therefore content to wait for their true partner in heaven. Their conjugial ideal burns strong within them, and we should respect such convictions, and be grateful for the contribution which they make to society by their own influence, and the choice of their work.
Woman's Disadvantages
I said that the man, who presents to the world his storehouse of knowledge, is really presenting his external part. When a woman begins to present her ideas and ideals, she is exposing her internals. She becomes more vulnerable than the man, because she feels more deeply about these principles-they are her life, rather than a mere interest. It is possible to attack man's ideas and demolish them by an argument and yet keep the conversation on an impersonal level. To do a battle with a woman on the same terms is not possible-if it is a subject that means something to her.
Judgment Administered
The doctrines state quite clearly that there are certain matters of an intellectual nature, for which the feminine mind is not suited-where matters of judgment and the teaching of precise forms of truth are concerned.
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In these matters, the masculine mind is in a higher light of illumination, by the very nature of its faculty which is colder, capable of calculating penetration. In matters of judgment, it is a case of separation-truth from falsity, innocence from guilt. This requires a mind, which can detach itself, and become analytical, but the woman's mind is essentially conjunctive, and though it can force itself to administer judgment, it is acting against its inborn loving character. The Lord describes Himself as having a sharp, two-edged sword coming out of His mouth.* It represents the truth of doctrine which disperses falsities and fights against them. Almost a terrifying picture of the Lord, yet a necessary one, in the fallen condition of mankind where sins have to be pointed out and opposed. But this is not a characteristic which can be happily represented or performed by the woman. * Revelation 1: 16.
The Priestly Function
The chief use of the priestly office is to teach truths, and by means of them to lead to the good of life. Much of the teaching is concerned with matters of spiritual judgment and also with condemnation. This surely is a use, which should be administered by the masculine mind. One does not wish to see the women with a sharp sword coming out of their mouths! The women are not for warfare, for disputations, because they are more deeply hurt under attack. Their function is much more merciful, but as necessary to the welfare of the Church.
The Personal Angle
Perhaps we may digress a little to consider another doctrine, which also has some bearing on this. I have explained that the woman's acquisition of wisdom tends to be far more personal and loyal, while the man's is more intellectual and detached. There is warning to the effect that we should not attach ourselves too closely to a person, without considering the quality of that person. Indiscriminate friendships-without consideration of the good in that person, may be detrimental after death. In Heaven and Hell 15 we are even told: "In heaven, by loving the Lord is not meant loving Him in respect of His person, but loving the good which is from Him." I think this shows that our faith must remain under constant review. Even our love towards the Lord must be examined, revised, criticized. It seems to me that the feminine mind out of its sense of loyalty would find this almost impossible to attempt.
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Thus, without the masculine light (which can seem merciless at times) the church might very well stagnate and cease to progress because it would be given no penetration, and would become too personalized. Yet, we must not be afraid to explore new territory.
Forensic and Domestic Duties
This word, forensic, has come to mean to many people 'criminal' because it is associated with the investigation of crime. It means simply 'public'-and this is what Swedenborg means when he tells us that man's duties are particularly concerned with forensic occupations. The word comes from 'forum' meaning the market place. This can be interpreted as saying that man should go out to work-into the office and workshop, and engage in public affairs of the state, in politics and government. This was probably very much the case in Swedenborg's day. And women stayed at home-with the already mentioned exception of queens, and other aristocratic ladies. When he further tells us that women's duties are more domestic-most people immediately cry out that he is obviously a child of his own times, and that this can no longer be applicable in the days of universal education, and opportunities of all jobs. But I feel that it means simply this: while the man is particularly suited to do public, civil and out of the house jobs, it is the woman alone who can make a home. Quite apart from her supreme ability to cope with babies and children-which surely, is one of the most creative jobs of all, so much so that Margaret Mead argues that man's creativity in the arts is merely a compensatory mechanism to hide his inability to produce life-there is the ability in the woman to introduce a sphere of domesticity into any situation. This is just as true of the workingwoman as of the one who stays at home as a housewife. Even the one girl typist in an office of six men introduces a new dimension into the relationship. In other words, she can enhance all personal and direct relationships and inject warmth and love into them. But is she equally good at the public level? We have a number of politicians and administrators who are women, though in countries where there is apparently an equality between the sexes, as in Russia, the only woman minister in the government died recently and still has not been replaced by another woman. But even that was a very low percentage. Why not half and half? But we can learn quite a lot from our own female politicians. They argue their principles with great persuasion and fire, but I feel that because their own deepest love is so involved in their adopted principles, they are less able to withdraw and compromise. Often they give the impression that they cannot understand why others are unable to see how right they are.
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With our New Church understanding of the psychology of the male and female mind, we feel that the woman should not be exposed to such public attacks and debate, and that her influence should be exercised in a much more intimate or domestic manner. Her power of persuasion is not essentially public or forensic.
Man the Recipient of Love
So far we have examined the relationship of the sexes entirely from the intellectual point of view, and in this, we are taught, the man takes first place, for it is through his mind that new light reaches mankind, and the woman draws her inspiration from him. If it is felt that this arrangement is unfair to the feminine sex, it must be pointed out that this is only half the story. I do not believe that the church has pointed out clearly enough that the situation is entirely reversed when we come to consider the question of love and affections. Here man is the recipient, and completely dependent on the feminine faculty. He has no love, especially conjugial love, except through his contact with the feminine sex. His capabilities are always sterile and cold unless they are brought to life by the woman's love. She alone is the source of this essential in- life, so that while his contribution is first in time, hers is first in essence-just as is the case with faith and charity.
Moderating Influence
So much is taught about the female wisdom which perceives and moderates the male egoism and intellectualism-the woman's ability to influence the man -to greater, nobler ideals, to more affectionate administration and sympathy-even to the very ability to love selflessly. How is the Church to make a fuller use of this important ability? I do not believe that this should be done by projecting women into the priestly office-for, which they are not ideally suited, because this involves the deeper search into doctrinal truths to be made public in preaching. The masculine mind, being what it is, can reach beyond itself to explore heights and depths quite outside its own 'domestic' or personal limitations-and the preaching and teaching of the church must always be ahead as an ideal. Browning put it like this, "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Nevertheless, it seems clear that as a church we have not consulted, or been sufficiently influenced by the feminine point of view. I think that there has been quite a lot of rivalry-often taking the form of a jest, "Men! What do you expect?" or "No, use trying to explain it to the women-folk!" This is completely contrary to all New Church concepts, because we are told that the truth of the male and the love of the female belong to each other and must not be contemptuous of the other's gifts, which are required for growth and perfection.
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Personally, I do not believe that the women in the church at the present time are yearning to become clergy-but they are entitled to greater respect, to be consulted before any plans are announced or put into operation, any changes in services, etc. Whether this can be done on a personal level, or on membership of committees or subcommittees can be left open. But the secretiveness of our administration and announcements from the various councils, which are male-dominated, has been at times ludicrous. "Don't tell your wife, or it will get around the church" is about as complimentary as saying; "I don't like to leave her at home by herself in case she is unfaithful." If there is gossiping in the church, it is fed on rumors and confusion. When people are deeply involved, they talk, and if the talk is uninformed, because the members of the church are not always taken into confidence, it will lead to this division and rivalry. As far as the ministry is concerned, again, I feel that there has not been enough feedback on our work from the feminine point of view. I think we have been afraid to expose ourselves to it, or to consult it openly. Nor do I think that all the duties even in church service must be administered or conducted by men. I think what is important is that the final responsibility should be in the minister's hands, and he should be answerable for anything that is taking place. But quiet consultations in smaller groups should be going on in all societies of the church, and circles, because the church will not grow on intellectualism alone, and affectionate pressure from the feminine point of view will lead to greater understanding of the truth by the men as well. You will notice that I am deliberately advocating an almost domestic situation, rather than a public scene, for I believe this is where the warmth of the feminine affection can best be realized, and have the greatest influence. The woman is not climbing when she does man's work, but rather lowering her standards, because the church expects, and should recognize that her work and influence as a woman is even more important to our life. I also believe that if men truly sought the spiritual wisdom from the Lord, they would have genuine respect from their wives and other women, who would not wish to say, "I can do as well, or better . . ." Rather, they would know that they have an equally important function to do, which is to translate the truth into a living form, as Adam's rib was clothed with flesh and made into the living ideal. And every man would acknowledge that while his work was the first in time, hers was the first in essence.
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Small Addendum on Women's Liberation
This looks very much like the feminine uprising against male domination-but is this really the case? Isn't there another male interest hidden there? So often in the past, the selfish male, especially the younger one, took the line that the woman is very much like himself in her attitude to sex. She is just another sort of man-but with a skirt, and sexual organs of the female. "She is just as interested in sex; needs it just as much as I do, and can benefit by getting as much of it as she can. She can be as casual about it as I am." This is a fairly common attitude of the libertine. Our doctrine, however, tells us that the woman by nature is not like that at all, but is far more inclined to love one of the opposite sex. Again, we see the domestic as against the wandering, out-of-doors attitude. She wants to unite herself to one man, and not by preference to many. Yet, in the end she must unite herself with his philosophy and attitudes, for she has none of her own. Women's Lib may look very much like the feminine point of view, but is it not really a woman's acceptance of herself as the man sees her? Haven't they been persuaded that they are the same as men? They no longer have to be wooed, but they can throw themselves into the sexual, permissive maelstrom for free, and pretend that they are enjoying it. The Liberationists may claim that women now have a greater right to refuse than ever before, which sounds fine on the surface, but is it so in practice? How many girls or young women are strong enough to resist the pressure from their own and the opposite sex to make the sexual contact as casual as possible? Here surely is an exploitation far more pernicious than ever before, because the woman has been liberated from nothing else than the safeguards which gave her the personal and moral right to refuse. Today, she feels wrong when she does. Her own deeper inclinations are seen as shameful and are subject to ridicule. Therefore, the man has finally convinced her that she is just as amoral as he is. Biologically, she cannot be liberated from childbirth, from abortion, or from taking the pill, and psychologically she is left with all the responsibility and decisions. This is a pressure beyond all reason, and it is time that men woke up to the fact that they are in greater need of true love than cheap sex. In this, the Women's Lib is at least right. It is man's fault. They have not offered to the woman a worthy ideal which she can love and respect. The man must have spiritual and moral wisdom before true conjunction can begin.
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MAN'S IDEA OF THE LORD-TWO APPLICATIONS Rev. DANIEL W. GOODENOUGH 1975
(Based on a Chapel Talk given to the College of the Academy of the New Church.)
A man's idea of God, and his worship of Him, depend on much more than the doctrines he has learned about God. "Such as is a man's quality, such the Lord appears to him" (AC 3605: 4). Everything that we are, every good we experience or contribute to, every evil we enjoy or sidle up to, affects how we see the Lord. An evil man cannot avoid thinking that God, if He exists, is really evil within, even if He seems good on the outside. All man's life is connected, and his idea of God is intimately related to all the rest that he wills, thinks, and does. The converse is also true: the idea of God should flow down into all areas of man's life and reform and change them. For example, take the question, why are not the Writings clearer, or better written, or whatever else the asker thinks they should be. This is certainly not an unreasonable question for one who is not affirmative to the Divine authorship of the Writings. Yet if we are inclined to believe that the Divine is the author of the Writings, and that the Divine is infinite love and wisdom, then the answer is obvious-the Writings could not be better written and still does what they are intended to do. Thus for someone who wants to believe in the God of the Writings, a truer question is, what are the Writings trying to do, that they should be written as they are? Why, should they speak in this way? This question accepts their Divine authorship, while the question, why are they not better written, is simply a challenge to their author. As such, the latter question may express the frustration of our limited understanding, but it will not bring us any closer to knowing why they are written as they are. Not only the answers we reach, but even the very questions we ask, play a large part in determining how we think of God. If within the scriptures, gospels and Writings we see God as their author, they will suggest entirely different answers to us, than if we see only man as the author. The statements are the same in either case, but the meanings of the statements depend enormously on whether it is God or man that speaks them.
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The Writings frequently urge us to read the Word in the light of the Lord, to pray to the Lord for light, and to look to the Lord when we read His Word. These are no mere formalities. The Word can speak to us only if we see the Lord within it as its source. To take another example of how our idea of God should flow down into the rest of our thinking-we are taught that we should trust in providence. But providence is not an isolated doctrine, hanging by itself in the air somewhere. Providence is the Lord's providence, and to trust in providence is to trust in the Lord-in His infinite power, and in His infinite love and wisdom. Providence is not some distant machine that just works; providence is the Lord working. Thus it is the Lord who permits evil only when good can come out of it. If we believe in the God of the Writings, we will try to believe this too He will not permit any evil unless some good can result. Whether we are thinking of serious evils in society, evils in individuals, the suffering wrought by a tidal wave, or evils in ourselves, evil is still evil; and if we believe in God, we should fight it. But if we believe in the God revealed by the Writings we will also realize that evil which is beyond our control does have some use, and we will deplore it with less sense of desperation than will those who believe no one is governing the universe. Trust in the Lord's governing should not discourage us from working against evil. But if we know that God does not permit a hopeless evil, because He cannot permit it because He is love, then we have to be just a little patient about evil we cannot control. The real reason for trust in providence is the nature of God. The laws and the order of providence describe God, but as a system apart from God the laws of providence are senseless. Only as we see God as their center can providence become a credible doctrine and a source of trust. And so in every case doctrine, if it is true, centers on the Lord and describes Him. And when we see Him in it, He will reach out and touch us through doctrine-but not until we see Him within the doctrine.
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DISCIPLES ALSO WERE HUMAN Rev. DONALD L. ROSE 1975
(The second of a series of three articles. See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, July issue, page 310.)
"Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember?"* These are the Lord's words to the disciples. Yes, at His prompting they could recall that baskets of fragments remained after the feeding of a multitude. And yet, here they were worrying about not having enough bread. "And He said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?"** * Mark 8: 18. ** Ibid. vs. 21.
Great Faith versus Little Faith
When people undertake to praise the disciples and set them on a pedestal, they extol the greatness of their faith. The Lord did praise great faith in some people. But, surprisingly, we find that He did not praise the faith of the disciples. On the contrary, He called attention to their lack of faith, characterizing them as men of little faith. "O woman, great is they faith," He said to a gentile,* and He marveled to find "so great faith" with a gentile soldier.** But to the disciples on the occasion of their worrying about bread He said, "O ye of little faith."*** When they were unable to heal a boy, they asked the reason, and He said, "Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed ... nothing shall be impossible unto you."**** And strikingly, when they feared the storm and doubted about the Lord's care, He said to them, "How is it that ye have no faith?"***** No faith! * Matthew 15: 28. ** Luke 7: 9. *** Matthew 16: 8. **** Matthew 17: 20. ***** Mark 4: 40. The phrase "no faith" reminds us of a teaching that applies to the very best among us, that is, to those who are being regenerated. The teaching is that they alternately pass through states in which they have "no faith and charity."* Indeed, the regenerating man goes through states when he feels no interest in internal things, and in fact "feels in himself cold at the thought of them."** If we feel akin to the sometimes pathetic picture of these disciples, we should be stirred with hope, because, for all their weakness, they were on the way to heaven.
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We have mentioned in the previous article how easily they could have lost all interest in the Lord's kingdom and returned to their worldly pursuits.*** And we shall see later that the disciples evidently went through states of "no charity." Among themselves there often arose "reasoning," an unfriendly grumbling.**** They "disputed" among themselves,***** and there was "strife" among them.****** * AC 933: 2. ** AC 933: 4. *** AC 3857. **** Luke 9: 46. ***** Mark 9: 33. ****** Luke 22: 24. It is so helpful for us to realize just how human they were. We read, "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another."* We should not take this to mean that the followers of the Lord are people who just happen to have a constant fondness for each other. We should not let the emergence of personal conflicts bring us to the conclusion that the church is lost, and when we go through states of little or no charity we should not feel that we are hopelessly incapable of being like the "saintly" disciples of the Lord. The passage should rather be an invitation to us to continue in the Lord's love, very realistically aware of the disaffection that can arise, and to be fully willing to shun those things in ourselves which will arise to threaten the peace of the church. * John 13: 35.
Our Faith Should Be Greater than Theirs
At certain times, the Writings say, "the Lord called the disciples 'men of little faith.'"* These include times when they thought of Him as a mere man and "not at the same time God."** Thomas is the one who made the wonderful confession, "My Lord and my God." But the Lord then said, "Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed."*** The Writings show that the kind of faith those men had who had seen so many miracles is not as blessed as the internal faith that arises without external miracles.**** Indeed, although some people wistfully wish that they had lived at the time the Lord was in the world, it is actually more fortunate or more blessed to know the Lord in the Word without seeing Him in an earthly body. "They are blessed who do not, like Thomas, see the Lord with their eyes, and yet believe in His existence, for this is seen in the light of truth from the Word."***** * AE 815: 7. ** Ibid. *** John 20: 29. **** AC 7290, 8078. ***** F 10. Thomas was not the only one of the disciples to be slow to believe when told of the Lord's resurrection. The gospel record is very clear.
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When the women came from the sepulchre with the great news, they were not believed. They told what had happened "to the eleven and to all the rest." But when they "told these things unto the apostles," we read, "their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not".* Having disbelieved the first messengers, they heard it again from others, but "neither believed they them."** We have no reason to envy these men. As we shall see, some of the most important things concerning the Lord's life "were not disclosed to the disciples."*** * Luke 24: 10, 11. ** Mark 16: 13. *** AC 1690.
Their Intellectual Slowness
Peter was just a simple fisherman. He was the most articulate of the disciples, and yet the Writings say that "Peter was a very simple man."* At that time there was a general inability to understand anything but the most external concepts. "How shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?"** The Lord said this to the educated Nicodemus. The Writings say that although he was a learned man, his idea of regeneration went no further than the idea of a man physically returning into the womb.*** If that was the level of educated thought, it is no wonder that the Lord said to those simple fisherman, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."**** Actually, lack of education or intellectual pretension made the disciples more apt receivers.***** And they were simple indeed. The gospel story provides unforgettable pictures of uncomprehending disciples baffled by the Lord's teaching. * AC 2760. ** John 3: 12. *** Coro. 54: 3. **** John 16: 12. ***** SD 1216. When the Lord told them He had food to eat that they knew not of, it was an opportunity for them to lift their minds to higher things. But all they could manage to say to each other was, "Hath any man brought Him ought to eat?"* He then explained to them that His food was to do the work of His mission. But there was little of the work of His mission that they could understand. The temptations that He continually underwent "were not disclosed to the disciples."** It is interesting to note in this connection that when they muttered in utter bewilderment, it was often when He spoke of the temptation to come. "We cannot tell what He saith."*** "But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask Him."**** Peter, James, and John were told after the transfiguration, about the Lord's eventual rising from the dead. "And they kept that saying to themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean."*****
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This was something repeatedly stated in the most emphatic terms. "Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men."****** * John 4: 33. ** AC 1690: 2. *** John 16: 18. **** Mark 9: 32. ***** Mark 9: 10. ****** Luke 9: 44. We feel we cannot blame the disciples when at times they did not understand, but let us not miss the fact that the Lord deliberately called attention to their failure to understand, and seemed to rebuke them for it. When Peter became afraid of the wind on the water of Galilee, the Lord said, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"* After His resurrection the Lord rebuked them for their slowness. To two disciples (not among the twelve) He said, "O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken."** The same day He "upbraided" the eleven disciples.*** * Matthew 14: 31. ** Luke 24: 25. *** Mark 16: 14. They deserved to be upbraided the day they worried about not having bread. Prior to the feeding of the five thousand the Lord had said to Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this He said to prove him; for He Himself knew what He would do."* They had been prepared both by teaching and by example that bread need not be their concern. They had heard Him discourse on Himself as "the bread of life."** And so it was that He asked the disciples, "How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread?"*** * John 6: 5, 6. ** John 6: 32-58 *** Matthew 16: 11.
Their Hardness of Heart
The remarkable slowness of the disciples was not simply from intellectual dullness. There would be no rebuke if that were the case. The eleven were rebuked for "their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen." * When they beheld the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, and were even involved in it, they were unmoved by the implications. As it is said in Mark, "They considered not the miracle of the loaves; for their heart was hardened."** If instead of being hard in heart they had been pure in heart, they would have experienced what the Lord said in the sermon on the mount. "Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God."*** * Mark 16: 14. ** Mark 6: 52. *** Matthew 5: 8; see The World Knew Him Not by Donald L. Rose, General Church Publication Committee, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1970, page 9. The Lord has now revealed Himself anew, and the issue is not a simple matter of the intellect. "As very many say that they will believe if any one comes to them from the other life, it will now be seen whether they will be persuaded against the hardness of their hearts."*
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Indifference and unbelief on the part of us in the church is, of course, far more lamentable than it is with those who have not had the opportunities we have had. The Lord says to us, as He said to the twelve, that many good people have desired to hear the things which we hear but have not heard them.** * AC 1886: 4 Pref. ** Matthew 13: 17.
The Lord Looked upon Them
These incidents illustrate the slowness of the disciples, but they should not make us think that the Lord was impatient with them. His awareness of their limitations and His loving sympathy are beautifully portrayed in the incident of the rich young man. When the Lord spoke of the difficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom of God the disciples were "exceedingly amazed."* First He said directly to the disciples, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God?" Seeing their astonishment He addressed them by the word, "children." He said, "Children, how hard it is for them that trust in riches . . ." And finally when they muttered, "Who then can be saved?" we are told that He looked upon them. "And Jesus looking upon them, saith . . . with God all things are possible."** * Matthew 19: 25. ** Mark 10: 23-27. Italics added.
The Lord's looking upon anyone signifies His mercy toward them. Nothing is more encouraging than to know that the Lord is merciful to us as He sees our limitations. And He looks upon us from good. When He beheld a man who was to become one of His apostles He remarked that this was a man without guile.* The Lord looks upon sincerity of intent. No love is pure, not with disciples, not even with angels! This is the teaching of the Writings, but they then assure us that "it is the intention that is primarily regarded by the Lord" and that if we persevere, He will lead us more and more into genuine love.** * John 1: 47. ** CL 71.
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HEREDITARY GOOD Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. The Writings and the church frequently speak of our hereditary evils; we are fully aware of their existence and of how our salvation would be impossible if it were not for the counter-balancing influence of remains. Yet we rarely hear reference to hereditary goods-we may even wonder if such traits exist. Some have questioned it. Yet such must exist, for the confirmed spiritual states of parents are passed on to their offspring and, if this applies to evil characteristics, it must also apply to good ones. Note the following teachings:
The ruling love of parents is transmitted into the offspring and sometimes to remote posterity, and becomes their hereditary nature.* * AE 1002: 2. That offspring derive from their parents inclinations for such things as had been objects of the love and life of the parents, is a truth perfectly well known from history in general, and experience in particular.* * CL 202.
That we usually think of this teaching with reference to the passing of evil tendencies from parents to children, is not surprising, for, since the fall, these have predominated- overwhelmingly so-and they constitute our main concern when we consider the inheritance we receive or that which we pass on to our children. Because the Writings are given to meet the needs of man, they too speak mostly of hereditary evils, although they do also speak specifically of hereditary good:
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For the good into which man is born he derives from his parents, either father or mother; for all that which parents have contracted by frequent use and habit, or have become imbued with by actual life until it has become so familiar to them that it appears as if natural, is transmitted into their children, and becomes hereditary.* * AC 3469: 3.
There are many who enjoy an hereditary natural good, by virtue of which they feel delight in doing well to others, but who have not been imbued with principle's of doing what is good, either from the Word, the doctrine of the church, or from their religiosity.* * AC 6208.
The offspring born of two who are in truly conjugial love, derive from their parents the conjugial principle of good and truth; whence they have the inclination and faculty, if a son, for perceiving the things which belong to wisdom, and if a daughter, for loving the things which wisdom teaches.* * CL 202.
Just as inherited evil is not evil itself with the offspring, but is a tendency to evil, so inherited good is a tendency to good.* just as inherited evil does not condemn unless it is made man's own, so inherited good does not save in itself. Moreover, within it there may be much of the love of self and of the world.** * Ibid.; AC 3469: 3. ** TCR 423e; AC 1667: 2, 5032. Those who do good because of an inherited inclination, find a delight in so doing, but they do not do it from conscience-not at first. They are indeed easily led and deluded into thinking that what is evil is really good. They lack the direction given by truth-which is the only basis for a genuine conscience.* * AC 6208, 1033, 4988, 5032. Thus inherited natural good is not enough; it must be reborn so that it springs from a conscience built upon the truths of revelation. We must not mistake innate tendencies to perform kindly deeds, such as we sometimes recognize in children and even in adults, for the real life of charity. Nevertheless these inherited inclinations to good do serve as a means looking to man's reformation:
The good that a man derives from his parents is serviceable first of all for his reformation, for by means of it are introduced as by what is pleasurable and delightful, first, Scientifics, and afterwards the knowledges, of truth; but when it has served as a means for this use it is separated from these; and then spiritual good comes forth and manifests itself. This must be evident from much experience, as from the single instance that when a child is first instructed he is affected with the desire of knowing, not at first for any end that is manifest to himself, but from a certain pleasure and delight that is born with him and is also derived from other sources; but afterwards, as he grows up, he is affected with the desire of knowing for the sake of some end, as that he may excel others, or his rivals; and next for some end in the world; but when he is to be regenerated, he is affected from the delight and pleasantness of truth; and when he is being regenerated, which takes place in adult age, from the love of truth, and afterwards from the love of good; and then the ends which had preceded, together with their delights, are separated little by little, and to them succeeds interior good from the Lord, which manifests itself in his affection.
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From this it is evident that the former delights, which had appeared in the outward form as good, had served as means. * AC 3518: 2.
LEXICON OF SWEDENBORG'S LATIN NORBERT H. ROGERS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
I want to draw the attention of readers of NEW CHURCH LIFE, and hopefully through them to others in the General Church, and indeed to other New Church people as well, to the availability of the first installment of A Lexicon of the Latin Text of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, edited by John Chadwick.* Not only is Dr. Chadwick an internationally known classical scholar, but is also a well versed student of the Writings and so is well qualified to be in charge of this important ongoing project. * See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, July issue, page 312. The Lexicon will be expensive to, produce-$6.00 for this first installment-and will be of particular interest and use to serious students and translators of the Writings, but the whole church can only be benefited from the use of this lexicon by its students and translators. I am gratified that the small grants from the General Church Publication Committee and by the Swedenborg Scientific Association helped to launch this project, but our major thanks are due to Dr. Chadwick and to the Swedenborg Society. No financial assistance has, to my knowledge, been solicited for the prosecution of the project, but I am sure any contribution would be welcome. NORBERT H. ROGERS Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
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PRESENCE OF OTHER WORLDS KLAAS S. BIERMAN 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
I have read the review and communications in NEW CHURCH LIFE concerning Dr. Van Dusen's The Presence of Other Worlds.* I intend to comment very briefly on Mr. Michael Brown's communication,** since it was the most controversial, and to state three points which were not mentioned by anyone (save by Dr. Van Dusen himself, who, in his reply to Mr. Brown*** touched upon one of them). Firstly, Dr. Van Dusen's style is of imperative value. It clearly expresses and is ultimately concerned with the deepest thing in man-man's expression of himself and his faith. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, pages 32, 81, 172 and 228. ** Ibid. page 81. *** Ibid. page 228. Secondly, "Dedicated to Hugo Lj. Odhner, master scholar of the most important of all subjects," is a monumental tribute to an outstandingly well equipped student of the Writings, and the fact that The Presence of Other Worlds is dedicated to him will perhaps induce people to inquire who he was- "the master scholar . . . ,"-and from whence he came? I shall welcome the day when Harper and Row, or any other famous publishing house, can once again announce something similar-which brings me to my third point. Dr. Van Dusen's work was published by a distinguished publishing house and not an obscure printing press. I find it remarkable therefore, that the review in NEW CHURCH LIFE and the adverse criticism of Dr. Van Dusen's work by Mr. Brown failed to emphasize this point,* which is of great consequence, not so much to people who are acquainted with Swedenborg, but to those who have never heard of him. * In fairness to the reviewer, the Rev. Kurt P. Nemitz, it should be said that he did make reference to this point in the review, which he submitted. For the sake of brevity, the Acting Editor omitted some parts of the review including this item. I cannot find in Dr. Van Dusen's work the thing, which Mr. Brown seems to have found in abundance, namely "a mystical haziness." Neither can I let the phrase stand unchallenged, because it implies an occult or esoteric motive, which clearly does not emerge from the book. Lastly, that The Presence of Other Worlds is a reference on Swedenborg is not as Mr. Brown states, "questionable," but ipso facto. KLAAS S. BIERMAN Westville, Natal
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CHURCH NEWS Various 1975
THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY
The 165th Annual Meeting was held on Saturday, 3rd May, 1975. Approximately 40 members attended. The President of the Society, Mr. D. F. C. Mann, was in the chair and the meeting was opened with the Lord's Prayer, led by the Rev. E. E. Sandstrom. Mr. Norman Turner, Chairman of the Council, presented the Council's Report for 1974. The work of the Advisory and Revision Board was first mentioned. The main task before the board is the new translation of the Arcana Caelestia, and the Rev. J. E. Elliott is continuing with this work. Unfortunately, due to ill health, the Rev. Norman Ryder was forced to give up the post of consultant and the council and board had been very sorry to receive his resignation. Mr. Turner referred to the publication, during the year under review, of the booklet The Internal Sense of the Word, and Zulu translation of Heaven and Hell, and the Lexicon, Part I, all of which were on display. Mr. A. S. Wainscot had continued to care for the library and archives and the council had been pleased to hear that he was making a good recovery from his recent illness. There had been a pleasing increase in sales of books and it was encouraging to note that there was an upward trend in the number of books distributed over the past few years. Mr. Turner referred to the slight fall in membership, and emphasized that the council would particularly like to see more interest in the society from the young adult group in the New Church. The council had received notification during the year that Swedenborg House had been listed by the Department of the Environment as a building of special architectural or historic interest, but this listing is of no financial help in the expensive business of keeping the building in good repair. The society's autumn meeting had been specially arranged for young people and the council had been pleased with the good attendance and the interest shown, during the discussion, on the day to day running of the society. Mr. Turner concluded his remarks by saying that the work of the society falls heavily on a few and the council is anxious that there should be an increase in the number of new young members who would be willing to come forward and assume some of the responsibilities. Mr. F. B. Nicholls, Honorary Treasurer, then read the Auditor's Report and presented the annual accounts. He remarked that the deficit on Income and Expenditure Account had been smaller this year, but this was due in part to the receipt of some ?2000 in response to the Latin Arcana Caelestia appeal. The council had been very pleased to receive such a substantial sum from members and friends of the society. Mr. Nicholls said that the cost of keeping Swedenborg House in good repair is going up each year, and general expenses are liable to rise by about 20% in 1975. In spite of the deficit, the General Fund had increased over the year due to generous gifts and legacies. The Treasurer stressed that subscriptions and donations are very much more valuable to the society if they are paid through Deed of Covenant, and asked all members to consider contributing by this means. Finally, Mr. Nicholls referred to the retirement of Mr. A. D. Atherton, FCA, as Auditor for the society and paid tribute to all the work which he had done during the past twelve years, without any charge to the society. In moving the adoption of the Report and Accounts, Mr. Mann said that the council would like to see an increase in the sales of books in this country, and an increase in membership.
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He said that the society will undoubtedly suffer from the effects of inflation and urged all members to give of their utmost in support of the work of the society. The Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously with applause. The President also proposed to record congratulations to Mrs. Freda G. Griffith on the occasion of her being awarded the MBE for her meritorious services to the society, to record appreciation of the work of the staff during the year, to send a message of good wishes to the Rev. Norman Ryder who has been unwell, and to record great appreciation of Mr. Atherton's valuable services to the society for many years as auditor. The resolutions were carried with applause. Mr. Norman Turner then moved the council's nomination of Mr. D. F. C. Mann, MSc, as President of the society for the ensuing year and this was carried with applause. Mr. Mann thanked the meeting and spoke of his appreciation. The council's nomination of Mr. R. H. Griffith, FCA, as Vice-President of the society was moved by Mr. Mann and was carried with acclamation. M;. Dan Chapman moved that Mr. F. B. Nicholls, FCTS, be elected Honorary Treasurer of the Society and this was carried unanimously, with applause. The four members of the council retiring by rotation, Mr. G. P. Dawson, Mr. P. L. Johnson, the Rev. C. H. Presland and Mr. Owen Pryke, had, with the exception of Mr. Pryke, offered themselves for reelection. One nomination had been received, Mr. F. C. Elphick, and, there being one vacancy, Messrs. Dawson, Elphick and Johnson and the Rev. C. H. Presland were declared elected. The chairman of the council spoke appreciatively of the long service given to the society by Mr. Pryke. He had been a member of the council for thirteen years and his presence at meetings will be missed. Mr. Turner said he was happy to welcome Mr. Elphick as a new member. A special resolution was then moved, that Mr. Dan Chapmen, who is over the normal age, limit for retirement laid down in Section 185(1) of the Companies Act 1948, shall serve on the council and this was carried with applause. The president gave his address, entitled "Marriage," after which Mr. John Cunningham moved a vote of thanks to the president for his paper and this was approved with acclamation. The meeting was closed with the benediction pronounced by the Rev. Dennis Duckworth.
THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH
Joint Meeting
The Annual joint Meeting of the Faculty and Corporation of the Academy of the New Church was held in the Assembly Hall at Bryn Athyn, Pa., on the evening of May 16, 1975. In attendance were 292 persons, including adult visitors and students. President Willard D. Pendleton opened the meeting with a short service of worship, followed by acceptance of the minutes of last year's meeting and the adoption of a memorial resolution for the late Mr. Edwin T. Asplundh, a member of the Corporation from 1945 and a Director from 1956 to 1965.
The President next presented a brief report expressing his appreciation of the support of the faculty and corporation over the past seventeen years, in which he noted that he would be moving into the newly reinstituted office of chancellor on September 1st. His report was received with a standing ovation in tribute to his leadership. The Rt. Rev. Louis B. King then presented his report as Executive Vice President, in which he noted that he would assume the office of president on September 1st (the office of executive vice president being abolished at that time). Included in his report were announcements of the resignation of the Rev. Dandridge Pendleton as principal of the Boys School, effective at the end of the next school year (1975-1976); of the resignation of Prof. E. Bruce Glenn as dean of the college, effective in June, 1977; and of other staff changes already reported in NEW CHURCH LIFE, July issue, page 328.
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Bishop King then went on to review recent developments in the Academy and its expectations for the future. Received also was the annual report of the Secretary of the Corporation, Mr. Lachlan Pitcairn, reviewing the activities of the corporation and the board of directors for the past year. This report and those of the President and Executive Vice President, together with other administrative reports for the year, the memorial address presented, and the minutes of this meeting, will be found published in the Annual Number of The Academy Journal for 1974-1975. After a brief discussion of the reports there followed an address by the Dean of the College, Prof. E. Bruce Glenn, on the uses of the College. Dean Glenn centered the first part of his address on selected passages from nos. 346 to 356 of Heaven and Hell, "The Wise and the Simple in Heaven," using these as a basis for discussing the special place and use of the liberal arts in preparing for heaven. He then went on to discuss the need to advance the college, particularly the senior college, and the directions in which this advance could and should be made, concluding with a personal note of confidence in the college faculty. (This address will also be found published in the Annual Number of The Academy Journal for 1974-1975). In discussion, appreciation for the address was expressed by several people, and also appreciation for the recent College Arts Festival. President Pendleton particularly emphasized the challenge, which Dean Glenn had presented, saying that the advancement of the senior college cannot be accomplished without the support of the church. The question is, will we respond? N. BRUCE ROGERS Secretary
COMMENCEMENT
The ninety-eighth commencement of the Academy of the New Church was held in the Asplundh Field House on the morning of June 6, 1975. At this time, graduates of each school, Girls and Boys Secondary Schools, College, and Theological School, received degrees, diplomas and certificates signifying completion of various levels of academic achievement. Preceding the graduation ceremonies, a service of worship was held. Bishop Louis B. King read from Revelation chapter 12 and Apocalypse Revealed 546-547, where it is emphasized that the New Church is to be "first among a few." The traditional service also included the singing of "Shema Yisrael" and "Hagios, Hagios, Hagios." Following the service, Vice-President King introduced the commencement speaker, Col. B. Dean Smith (USAF, retired), of Mitchellville, Maryland. Col. Smith stressed the central and cohesive part which our knowledge of the threefold Word has in providing the foundation for the Academy schools. This knowledge of revelation acts to bring support to the Academy from the church body as well as the enlightenment for the various levels of education within the Academy. Col. Smith suggested to the graduating classes that the New Church, like the military, needed a "few good men" to meet the challenges of the world and the growth of the church. For the church must not only remain true to its principles within, but must also work in the world as well.* * See complete address page 338. Thirty-three graduates of the Boys; School were called forward to receive their diplomas and certificates. Principal D. Pendleton announced that three of the graduates had matriculated with honors. The class valedictorian was Mr. Alan Rose of Kitchener, Ontario. Mr. Rose suggested that the quotation on their banner, "By their fruits shall ye know them," was appropriate to the Class of 1975. He compared the class to a grapevine which needed much pruning and watering (truth). Having done these things, the Academy, like the grower, must await the results-the fruit of the harvest. Following the address, the forty-one graduates of the Girls School were called forward. Principal S. Smith announced that nine girls had graduated with distinction.
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Miss Lucinda Fuller of Glenview, Illinois, spoke as valedictorian for her class. Miss Fuller said that her class had received a strong degree of idealism from the Academy and expressed the hope that their ideals would be permanent. The importance of these ideals in future challenges from the world was emphasized. The Academy College graduated thirty-four students for its junior college, all receiving the Associate in Arts degree. Of this group, fourteen graduated with distinction. The valedictorian was Mr. Karl Parker of Islington, Ontario. Mr. Parker took as his theme the complementary roles of freedom and responsibility in college life. Freedom in college gave one the opportunity to make unpressured choices, which could be carried into society life. But, this freedom to acknowledge the Lord through His Word carries with it a responsibility for the individual's own spiritual life. Three graduates from the senior college had the Bachelor of Science degree conferred upon them. Mr. Julien Odhner II of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, spoke as valedictorian. Mr. Odhner reflected upon the 19th of June and the relation of the Lord's second coming to the Academy. He stated that the graduates have been prepared to seek the truth through a rational approach and therefore participate fully in the second coming. For this gift the graduating class "rendered thanks to the Academy." The sole graduate of the Theological School was Mr. Patrick A. Rose. Acting as his own valedictorian, Mr. Rose spoke to the importance of doctrine in the training of priests. While many theological seminaries are de-emphasizing doctrine in order to accommodate more, "practical" courses such as counseling, psychology, and church finance, Mr. Rose is grateful that the Academy Theological School is out of step and continues to concentrate on doctrine. While doctrine may seem cold and solely intellectual, it's real essence is that of the Lord's teaching and therefore a message of love. Doctrine provides a vision and presence of the Lord and it is for help in striving toward this vision that Mr. Rose thanked the Theological School faculty. In response to the address by Col. Smith, Bishop W. D. Pendleton, as President of the Academy, expressed a sense of inspiration from the address, especially in regard to its emphasis upon the essential nature of the Academy founded upon the principles of revelation. President Pendleton further expressed delight with the remarks of the valedictorians and saw promise for the future of the Academy and the General Church in their expressed sentiments. Such hope is important in today's world. Vigor rather than despair is needed. The graduating classes have their use before them; namely, as disciples of the Lord's New Church. Finally Bishop Pendleton expressed the confidence of the faculty in the abilities and promise of the graduating students. The exercises closed with the traditional singing of "Vivat Nova Ecclesia" and the recession of the faculty, corporation and students. Outside the Field House an informal gathering provided opportunity for congratulations, gift giving and some farewells. GREGORY L. BAKER
AWARDS 1975
At the Commencement Exercises on June 6, the graduates received their diplomas, and honors and awards were announced as follows:
THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL
BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY: Patrick Alan Rose.
SENIOR COLLEGE
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: Elsa Beth Lockhart, Julien Hughes Odhner II, Lucinda Alethe Tennis.
JUNIOR COLLEGE
ASSOCIATE IN ARTS: With Distinction: Kenneth James Alden, Cara Glenn, Lisa Hyatt, Cedric King, Laurie Ann Lindsay, Dewey Odhner, Karl Edward Parker, Scot Pitcairn, Karen Julie Schnarr, Kathleen Elizabeth Smith, Lawson Merrell Smith, Louis Daniel Synnestvedt, Suzanne Synnestvedt, Kim Umberger.
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ASSOCIATE IN ARTS: Gail Elizabeth Childs, Ronald Scott Daum, Gwendolyn Cooper deMaine, Alvin David Friesen, Edith Sue Fuller, Glenn Genzlinger, Nathan Donald Gladish, Karl Daniel Hedstrom, Kathy Renee Korff, Craig Alan McCardell, Donald Lowell McQueen, George Alexander McQueen, Norman Alan Norton, John Kevin Odhner, Susan Pamela Olson, Donald Spencer Schnarr, Deborah Sjostedt, Kurt Smith Wille, Stephen James Winslow, Zamokuhle Thabani Zungu.
GIRLS SCHOOL
DIPLOMA: With Honors: Sheila Anne Fitzpatrick, Lucinda Jean Fuller, Pamela Jeanne Harer, Denise Margaret Kendig, Wendy King, Roxanne McQueen, Kira Lee Runion, Kendra Synnestvedt, Maret Evelyn Taylor, Susan Margaret Umberger. DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE: Phyllis Yvonne Alan, Diane Alden, Darcy Bostock, Kim Bostock, Darlene Margaret Braun, Marlene Eva Braun, Sharlene Diane Braun, Rebecca Anne Budlong, Denise Burnham, Vina Luelle Caldwell, Martha Childs, Shelly Cooper, Diana de Charms, Loraine Gladish, Charlene Hale, Lynn Leslie Hedstrom, Darcie Herder, Eleanor Elisabeth Hotson, Amy Johns, Erin Bridget Keegan, Nancy Jo Latta, Penelope Louise Lau, Jill Sharon Luig, Susan Beth Nickel, Lucyellen Norman, Tamber Lynn Norton, Patrice Rhodes, Lacey Allyn Smith, Theresa Louise Smith, Loren Gay Soneson, Heidi Thomas.
BOYS SCHOOL
DIPLOMA: With Honors: Keith Genzlinger, Philip Heilman, Alan Rose, Brett Zeitz. DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE: Kent Alford, Eric Asplundh, Reed Asplundh, Christer Baeckstrom, Michael Brannon, Matthew Cole, Keith Cooper, Gilbert Crampton, Kevin Davis, Gary Elder, Bryant Engelke, Scott Fuller, Derek Glebe, Richard Greer, Patrick Grubb, Kirk Hasen, Michael Hasen, Ralph Hill, Bruce Horigan, Charles Lindsay, Andrew Mitzen, Stephen Nelson, Wayde Pitcairn, Donald Posey, Leonard Rose, Christopher Smith, Kristopher Smith, Matthew Synnestvedt, Clinton van-Zyverden.
THETA ALPHA AWARD
The Theta Alpha "Alice Henderson Glenn" award was given by the faculty of the college to Lisa Hyatt and Laurie Lindsay.
SONS OF THE ACADEMY AWARDS
The Sons of the Academy awards to outstanding male students in the senior and junior college were granted to Lawson M. Smith and Scot Pitcairn. The Sons of the Academy silver medal was awarded by unanimous vote of the Boys School Faculty to Reed Asplundh and Keith Genzlinger.
BRYN ATHYN PENNSYLVANIA
The past year in Bryn Athyn was highlighted by several changes in the leadership of the Academy and the society. After a too-short term as Dean of the society, Bishop Louis B. King moved over to the Academy where he served this year as Executive Vice President. The Rev. Kurt Asplundh was appointed dean of the society while continuing as principal of the elementary school. The Rev. Douglas Taylor was imported from Australia to serve as assistant to the dean, and a warm welcome was extended to Mr. Taylor and his family. He has brought a fresh zeal to the society and gave us an appreciation for the missionary work he devoted himself to in Australia when we were privileged to hear at the Swedenborg birthday celebration a 45-minute tape about Swedenborg's life and works which Mr. Taylor had written for nationwide broadcast by Australian radio in 1970. As new people moved into new positions at the beginning of the school year, the society was also pleased with the installation of a Dew organ in the cathedral last fall, and is particularly grateful to the Cairncrest Foundation, which provided the major part of the gift, and others who helped with the purchase.
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The organ is a magnificent instrument and a fitting complement to the architectural excellence of the cathedral, as many visitors have also discovered. Future visitors to Bryn Athyn will be pleased to learn that the Guest Committee of the Women's Guild introduced a new service this year under the supervision of Mrs. A. Wynne Acton, for visitors and newcomers, to acquaint them with the many uses of the General Church, the Academy and the society. A map has been prepared and a guide service is also being offered. With ice hockey fever well entrenched in the community, the Bryn Athyn society and Caryndale inaugurated what is hoped will become an annual exchange. This year the Bryn Athyn "Old Men" (with some young men helping out) hosted Team Caryndale, and beat the visitors for the Bishop's Cup. Still a happy spirit of camaraderie between the two societies survived the game. Bryn Athyn is now harvesting an ambitious community garden organized by Stanley F. Ebert in which some 75, families are participating-and reaping much more than the fruits of the soil. The society is also preparing for both the General Assembly and the nation's Bicentennial next year. Bryn Athyn has been designated an official Bicentennial community and a Bicentennial committee is making plans for assembly visitors, as well as tourists who will be coming to see the cathedral. BRUCE HENDERSON
GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
The Twenty-seventh General Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, from Saturday, June 5, to Wednesday, June 9, 1976. The Assembly will include a celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Academy of the New Church. The program and other information will be given in later issues of NEW CHURCH LIFE. WILLARD D. PENDLETON Bishop
VISITORS TO GLENVIEW 1975
Visitors to Glenview for any occasion who need assistance in finding accommodation please communicate with the Hospitality Committee, c/o Mrs. Philip Horigan, 50 Park Drive, Glenview, Ill. 60025. Phone (312) 729-5644.
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MIDWESTERN ACADEMY MICHAEL S. COLE 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the Midwestern Academy of the New Church will be held at 8:45 p.m., October 31, 1975 in Pendleton Hall, Glenview, Illinois. The purpose will be to elect members of the Board of Directors, hear reports, and transact such other business as may come before the meeting. MICHAEL S. COLE Secretary
FOUNDERS' DAY 1975
The members and friends of the Midwestern Academy of the New Church are cordially invited to attend the 2nd Annual Founders' Day Celebration, to be held at Glenview, Illinois, September 26-28, 1975.
GENERAL TRUTH FOR CHILDHOOD Rev. DAVID R. SIMONS 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV SEPTEMBER, 1975 NO. 91 And [Esau] said, Let us take our journey and let us go, and I will go before thee. And Jacob said unto him, My Lord knoweth that the children are tender and that the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly according as the cattle that goeth before me, and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my Lord unto Seir. Genesis 33: 12-14.
Human growth is a complex and deliberate process. The soul working in secret, guided by a wisdom which looks to eternal uses, reaches out into its environment and selects, from available materials, substances from which it fashions a body, a mind and an eternal spirit-a unique human being endowed with potentials for eternal growth. Step by ordered step, life working from within builds suitable ultimates in and through which these potentials of the soul may be expressed. A body is formed by which the soul may drink in sensation from the world, and through which it may act, and in this body a mind and spirit develop by which sensation is stored up, interpreted, and put to use. In its own unhurried, yet inexorable way the sequence of life moves on and up cells become tissue, cartilage and bone; experience becomes knowledge, thought and conviction; intelligence becomes wisdom, perception and love. In all growth generals are to be followed by particulars. Always, the Writings teach, any given stage or state is an egg to that which is to follow. It is a foundation and platform from which, and on which, future development rests. To seek to omit or bypass a step or state in the series would be to upset or interfere with the order of providence. To seek to unduly hasten, or force from without, what the soul will bring about in its own good season from within, cannot but result in harm to the full development which is to follow.
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Esau, the rugged hunter, must not be permitted to "overdrive" Jacob, the dweller in tents, nor his little ones. Jacob and Esau are reunited. Past injuries-the stolen birthright and blessing, which made it necessary for Jacob to flee into the land of Padanaram, where he made his fortune-are reconciled by the giving and reception of gifts. At first Esau refuses Jacob's present, in keeping with an ancient realization that by refusal the affection for giving is heightened and increased, and at length, when Jacob insists, he accepts, and the brothers are united.* Now it is that Esau invites Jacob to join him in his journey to his mountain home at Seir. But Jacob, knowing he could never keep pace with his rugged brother, declines saying, "The children are tender, and the flocks and herds are suckling . . . , and if I drive them on in one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord I pray pass over before his servant, and I will proceed slowly to the foot of the work that is before me, and to the foot of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir."** * AC 4366. ** See AC 4374. In contrast to animals, which are born into the perfection of their lives and which for the most part, mature rapidly into the instinctive wisdom and life of their kind, human growth is a slow, methodical process-one, which is intended to have no end. The growth and development of man is to take place by successive steps each one of which has far reaching implications as a foundation for future steps. Contrary to appearances, growth is not brought about, nor directed, by forces outside of man, although environment can definitely place restrictions and limitations on the urgings of the soul. In growing, every organism is prompted by forces of life from within. It is for this reason that forced growth, pressure from without to be what we are not ready to become, or to do what we are not yet ready to do, can bring harm. As the Lord said, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?"* * Matthew 6: 27. Physically this fact is obvious. Premature physical strain, such as forcing a child to walk too early in his development, can harm the normal contour of his bones. Undue nervous strains too early, cause irritability and fatigue. Bones grow before muscles, and muscles should not be unduly strained while they are in the process of catching up, or harm will result. These principles of physical growth are of even greater significance as they apply to the growing mind.
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Undue strain and pressure on the mind to advance into states for which it is not ready or properly prepared can have far reaching consequences. By "over-driving" states, the bone of fundamental ideas can be warped, the muscle of intelligence and reason can be impaired, and the nerve center of worthwhile ambition, which is the mainspring of our as-of-self life, can be frustrated. For the order of life is that the "tender" mind of childhood is not to be "driven," but rather "led on softly," according to its state, to the goals of life-the mountain refuge of Seir. The orderly pattern of mental development involves a progression from generals to particulars. Learning is not to be confined to the discovery and storing up of what is new, although of course, life begins in this way. Genuine learning is interested in the interpretation of experience and knowledge. It delights in entering into what is known, and in discovering in the known and familiar, deeper implications-the qualities and values stored there by the Lord. As the development of a skill, such as woodcarving, involves a control and refinement of gross motions and an elaboration of expression through subtle variations of motion, so learning to use our own mental endowments should be an entering into particulars from generals. True education will take pains to provide of knowledge, experience, and skill into which the mind can enter systematically step-by-step with growth. For the teaching of doctrine is clear:* generals "are those things which [are] compared to an egg; because in generals there are contained particulars and in these singulars. . . . For all things both in general and particular are foreseen by the Lord, even what they will be to eternity."** The most important general truths, so necessary to eternal growth are present with us in the Word. It is important that the church discovers them in revelation and put them to use in education. * AC 4345. ** AC 4383. In His Word, the Lord Himself, "leads on softly." Revealed truth progresses from generals to particulars in a gradual sequence, which is perfectly accommodated to the needs of the growing mind. In the Old Testament, ideas progress in a gentle series from the simple to the complex, and this on many levels, so that there is no end to the challenge for growth. It begins with the simple story of creation made-up to tell of spiritual things: Adam and Eve in the garden, and their removal from the garden for disobedience, Cain slays Abel and is punished, there are giants in the earth and a flood from which Noah, who obeys the Lord, is saved-all of which provides a picture of God the Creator who is present caring for the children of men. Then, there is actual history, still with a spiritual sense: Abraham, Isaac, and Esau and Jacob, twelve sons-a family, a tribe, and a nation-a chosen people who are protected from enemies and led to the promised land.
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The Lord here is seen as providence, as redeemer from slavery, as protector, as leading to a better life. The Old Testament involves generals, the New involves particulars the particular story of the birth and life of a Divine Man. This is the Lord, His wonderful deeds and teachings, which reveal unlimited power, wisdom and love-"For with God nothing shall be impossible."* * Luke 1:37. And finally the Lord reveals Himself in the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, which are His second coming. And while this new revelation is couched in general truths formulated as doctrines, it reveals the particulars and singulars of the former scriptures-the spiritual essence of the Old Testament stories and the inner love and wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth. The Writings are not essentially for children-although every revelation has that in it, which is adapted to all human states. Nevertheless, they tell us the truths, which children need to satisfy their tender states. The Heavenly Doctrines provide specific examples of the basic concepts, which are most suited to the tender minds of children-the same ideas which are woven into the very fabric of the Old Testament. In revealing these general ideas they make it possible for us to "lead on softly" at a pace accommodated to human growth. The first idea of God needed by the human mind, we are taught, is that He creates and cares for all things. "The first of the Church is the knowledge that there is a God, and that He is to be worshiped. His first quality to be known is that He created the universe, and that the created universe subsists from Him."* * AC 6879. The first and fundamental idea of God is that of an infinite, all-powerful, "Doer"-that all things come from Him, and all things are caused by Him, even such things as evil and punishment.
The most general things are to be believed first, and they are afterwards to be illustrated by individual truths; as for instance this general memory-knowledge: that all things which take place are from God, thus also the evils of penalty. But in what manner these are from God is to be learned afterward, and also the nature and origin of that which is done from permission. In like manner this truth: that all worship of God must needs begin with holy fear, within which is the thought that God will reward the good and punish the evil. The simple and little children must believe this, because they do not yet apprehend what permission is-even according to the Lord's words, "Rather fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell" (Matthew 10: 28) ; and when they begin by not daring through fear to do what is evil, there is gradually insinuated love together with good, and then they begin to know and perceive that nothing but good is from God, and that evil is from themselves, and at last that all evil is from hell. . . . When these, and many other [particular] truths, are insinuated into the [general] memory-knowledge [of childhood, these knowledges appear] in a very different aspect; for then this memory-knowledge becomes like a transparent vessel, in which the 'truths that shine through cause the vessel to be seen no otherwise than as one general truth.* * AC 6071.
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Such general truths, because they receive the light of heaven, bring order, harmony and security to the human mind. The use of basic ideas accommodated to the tender minds of children is further illustrated by the "anger" of Jehovah spoken of in the Old Testament. Concerning this appearance the Writings say,
That in the Word "anger" is attributed to Jehovah or the Lord, is because it is a most general truth that all things come from God, thus evil things as well as good. But this most general truth which must be taught to children, youths, and the simple, should afterwards be illustrated, that is, by showing that evils are from man, though they appear as if from God, and that it is so said in order that they may learn to fear God, lest they should perish by the evils which they themselves do, and afterwards may love Him. For fear must precede love in order that in love there may be holy fear. For when fear is insinuated in love, it becomes holy from the holy of love; and then it is not fear of the Lord's being angry and punishing, but lest they should act against good itself, because this will torment the conscience.* * AC 6997: 2. Italics added.
The Lord is to be known by children as Creator and Doer, and they should be impressed with His constant near-presence as the cause of everything that happens. Because the Lord is with us, there is no chance, no accident, no causation apart from Him. This truth about the near presence of the Lord, so vital to human security and peace of mind, is expressed in the Old Testament by the phrase, "God shall be with you."* "For when the Lord is with anyone He leads him and provides that all things which happen, whether sad or joyful, befall him for good: this is the Divine Providence."** "Nothing is permitted [to happen to man] except for the end that good may come out of it."*** This is the reason why in ancient times when anything accidental happened, men would say, as children should be brought up to think, "God caused it to happen." For we are taught: * Genesis 48: 21. ** AC 6303. *** AC 6489.
The idea concerning chance among the ancients . . . was that it happened from God; and therefore they expressed the idea of chance by the phrase "God caused it to happen to the hand." For they . . . knew that the providence of the Lord is in each and all things, and that things which happen, that is, appear as of chance, were of providence. Wherefore, the simple, who could not distinguish between the things which were of permission, and those which were of good pleasure, attributed to the Lord both good and evil; good because they knew that all good is from Him, and evil by reason of the appearance. . . .
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[Consequently] if any one smote another by chance, thus without will from foresight, it was expressed by the words, "God caused it to happen to the hand."* * AC 9010.
The idea that the Lord is the cause of all things, so often repeated in the Old Testament narrative, is a primary concept suited to the state of childhood. It is only as the mind approaches rationality that the particular truths, which qualify this general, should be taught, namely, that "all order is from the Lord, and according to this order are all things directed by Him both in general and in particular, but in many different ways, to wit, from will, from good pleasure, from leave, and from permission."* Distinctions between laws of order as to good and laws of order as to truth separated from good would be meaningless and harmful to children. * AC 2447: 2.
We live in a world in which the multiplicity and proliferation of knowledges and the urgency for advancement in technical fields is placing an ever heavier burden on childhood. The pressure for increased learning, for more facts and more time in study, threatens to rob our children of their tender states-their rightful spiritual heritage. There is a growing tendency to force on children learning for which they are not yet ready, and to expect an inner motivation which has not yet been awakened. There is a focussing on the processes of the acquisition of knowledge which minimizes far more important factors of growth-namely digestion and assimilation by which the mind incorporates knowledges into itself. There seems to be little or no recognition that growth must come from within, that if we force-feed, if we "over-drive" from without, we disrupt and hamper the forces of life in their work and negate the very delights which make learning possible. Educators and parents must learn to lead on slowly "according as children are able to endure" if they would provide for genuine and lasting growth. The realization has dawned on a few farsighted educators that there is a need to proceed more slowly in the initial phases of learning-that special effort should be made to discover the fundamental truths appropriate to childhood which can be built into a substructure for all future learning, a central core of universal ideas to which all future knowledge and experience may be related. But what is not realized is that the world has rejected the very source of such ideas-the Word of God. For it is religious truth, it is ideas and concepts which come from and relate to the Lord which are the most general ideas to which all knowledge must be related if it is to have meaning in the human mind. The clear teaching of the Arcana is:
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In order that memory-knowledges and truths may be anything [in the human mind] they must be brought into a form in which they shall mutually regard each other, which cannot be effected unless they are consociated under a general; and therefore it is this general which holds them together in form, and causes that each constituent therein may have its own quality. The general itself, together with other generals, must also be brought into relation under things more general; and the more general things again under the most general; for otherwise the general things, and likewise the more general things, would be dissipated. The most general universal, by virtue of which all things are held together [in the human mind] is the Lord Himself, and that which holds together is the Divine truth proceeding from Him.* * AC 6115: 2, 3. Italics added.
It was to provide for this Divine truth among men, it was to provide a unifying center for all thought and love that the Lord willed to be born on this earth. It was to provide for the eternal growth of genuine intelligence and wisdom that the Lord God of the universe assumed a human and made this human Divine in order that He might become intimately present in His Word as Creator, Redeemer and Savior of the human race. And it is by direct contact, in family worship, in New Church schools and in worship, with the stories of the Word, with the fundamental precepts of Divine revelation that the mind is brought into order and into living relationship with Him who is Order Itself. When life in all its phases is interpreted in the light of the advent of the Lord, then Jacob and his children, who represent all things of truth in the understanding,* will be "led on softly" to full union with Esau, who represents genuine good in the Will,** at the mountain refuge, Seir, which corresponds to the conjunction of truth with good ***-which conjunction is heaven. Amen. * AC 4352. ** AC 4350. *** AC 4387.
PRINCIPLES SUBDUE AFFECTIONS Rev. WILLARD L. D. HEINRICHS 1975
When the Lord made His first advent into the world to establish a new church in place of the one that had perished, He placed before His followers a challenge and a promise. He said, "If ye abide in My Word, ye are truly My disciples. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."* At the present day, when the Lord is working to build the New Christian Church established at the time of His second advent, we are presented with the same challenge and promise. Considering the state of the world in which we live, we would do well to reflect regularly on the meaning of these Divine words. * John 8: 31-32. The world, or the age, in which we live, is clearly one of unrest. In some parts of the world there is a profound state of unrest. In others, such as here in our own country,* this state is perhaps only beginning to become manifest. People from almost every walk of life are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the past performance of human society. On every hand we hear voices calling for significant changes in society and in the individuals who make up society. The most compelling cry is forever more freedom, freedom for all individuals and groups to pursue their ends or goals without interference and without a burden of discrimination and oppression. The question that constantly arises, however, is, how shall we change society and the individuals in society in such a way that the change is for the better is useful for all concerned. How can we establish an order wherein one man's freedom does not produce slavery of some kind for others? * The Republic of South Africa. Not a few leaders in the Christian Church, down through the centuries, have recognized the truth that the state of human society can be improved only by first effecting a change in the individuals who compose society. Following upon this recognition, a variety of methods have been used to try to accomplish the desired change. In some cases the church has built up elaborate traditions and has established a host of pious acts designed to accomplish such a change. Before long, however, abuses crept in, some of which became institutionalized. At the same time, the chronic evils of mankind, such as enmity, hatred, adultery, theft, hypocrisy, and bigotry, continued unabated even in the highest circles of the church.
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Contrary to expectations, society tended to become more resistant to any significant or useful change, and the freedom of the individual suffered. People's minds became chained in a maze of so-called mysteries of faith. Their actions were caught up in a net of meaningless pious duties. As the inadequacy of this method of improving mankind became painfully evident, reformers arose seeking to throw off the shackles of the established church. They charged that man's spiritual and moral improvement had been hopelessly complicated and, moreover, had been taken out of the hands of God. Accordingly, they discarded much of the church's tradition and many of its pious acts. In place of these, they offered an easy formula for the change and salvation of man. They urged people to look not to the church and its priesthood, but to God for salvation. They said that people must believe that Jesus Christ had already atoned for all their sins when He endured the sufferings of the cross. If a person submitted to this faith and accepted Christ as his personal savior, intercession would be made with the Father, and through the Holy Spirit he would be saved out of pure grace-reborn a new person, instantly without any effort of his own. It was thought that if all men were to use this formula, a perfect society would soon materialize. In the last few hundred years, millions of people have tried this apparently easy formula. Some have undoubtedly come away feeling reborn, liberated and made clean, at least for a while. Other people, however, sooner or later discovered that they still suffered under the same evil unruly passions as before, that they returned to the same old patterns of thought and life. Where the failure of this method of human improvement was not obvious to the individual who applied it, it was certainly evident to many of his associates in the community. Instead of proving to be an instrument for the change and betterment of society, the reform movement at length discouraged such a development. Ingrained self centeredness and the obsession with worldly and material things, with all the other associated evils, remained to dominate society. In the final analysis, the failures of the established Christian churches to improve the individual in society seem to have far overshadowed the successes. As a result, in the world of our day, a large segment of society, including many of its young people, have ceased to look to the church for the improvement of the state of mankind. Many of its traditional concepts have been derided and discarded. It is no longer believed by many that there is a God who is concerned for the welfare of His people and who is adequate to look after them. Human intelligence and ingenuity is looked to as the only possible savior of men.
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The idea that our human nature is fundamentally evil is no longer intellectually respectable. The majority of learned people, along with their followers, if they do not propose that man is but a product of environmental conditioning, believe that he is basically well disposed. If, from birth, we could avoid interference with our natural impulses, we could produce a happy, liberated society. Further, it is held that if anything has to be changed, it is the system-society's present organization and methods of operating. By whatever means an individual may deem appropriate, including unrestricted violence, the system is to be changed. It is thought that when the society's and state's limitations on self-expression have been removed, individuals will require no substantial change. An age of universal love and brotherhood should naturally evolve. So goes the doctrine of some of the modern humanists. But where has this philosophy led people when put into practice? The answer should be obvious to even the most casual observer of many of the daily happenings in western society. While some protest demonstrations have been peaceful and have been carried out for a useful purpose, in many other instances freedom to express oneself has led to pointless and disruptive acts of civil disobedience. Under the leadership of ambitious and unprincipled men, civil disobedience has, in many parts of the world, degenerated into frequent instances of mob violence, major uprisings, looting, burning and general anarchy. Along with this trend, we have witnessed an unparalleled upsurge in crime, which has increasingly involved hundreds of thousands of young people in serious disorders. Under the banner of "love," so-called freedom of expression has caused many more people to succumb to a life of immorality and frustration. Now, while the doctrine of the more extreme humanists has produced a stronger awareness of the need for love and brotherhood among men, it could hardly be said that it has produced the love and brotherhood itself. All the familiar evils that have plagued society since the fall of the Most Ancient Church have not been disappearing. If anything, they have been violently inflamed. New Church people everywhere cannot help but be touched and disturbed by the present state of western society. All too frequently our own homes are affected by, or penetrated by, this turbulent state. It is therefore our very clear responsibility to turn frequently and gratefully to the fountain of wisdom in the Lord's Word as it is now opened to the New Church. From this source, and this source alone, can we draw the principles and the strength to meet the forces of hell within ourselves and around us in society, which threaten the spiritual well being of our Church, our homes, and ourselves.
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But, if we would effectively meet this challenge, we would do well to reflect on the primary reasons why first the established Christian churches and now the humanists have failed to check the evils of mankind. The Heavenly Doctrines contain literally thousands of passages that bear on the subject. Thus we must restrict ourselves to generalizations at this time. While the established Christian Church first mentioned was correct in its conviction that it is the individual who is in serious need of change, nevertheless it erred seriously in that it took the very means of changing a person away from him. Rather than faithfully abiding in the Lord's Word, it set the Word aside, claiming that the truths of faith therein were mysteries beyond the comprehension of the common man. Thus the internal things of the church were neglected, and external things, such as traditions and encyclicals evolved from human intelligence, took their place. When the genuine truths of the Word were thus neglected, heavenly freedom, genuine love and charity, were placed beyond the grasp of most people so long as they lived in this world. For the Writings everywhere teach that "the knowledges of faith are most necessary for forming the life of charity, which cannot be formed without them."* * AC 2049: 4. If we would avoid the error of this church, we must ensure that no tradition, no man-made code of piety supplants or takes the place of the Word in the New Church, or in our own mind and life. And in the rearing of our children, we must gradually lead away from a reliance on family religious tradition, parental authority, and a code of external decorum, toward an individual approach to the Lord in the Word on the part of the child, a confidence in Divine authority, and an internal and external life in agreement with His commandments. The reformed churches, in seeking to free the individual, and thus society, from the oppressive bondage of evil, also went astray. While they did not physically take the Word from people, still they rendered its truths meaningless and thus powerless by means of their particular approach to the Scriptures. General principles were formulated by men first, and then the Scriptures were consulted for confirmation of these principles. Relative to this kind of approach to the Word, the Heavenly Doctrines teach:
It is one thing to confirm false principles by the Word, and another to believe in simplicity what is in the Word. He who confirms a false principle, first assumes a principle which he will not at all recede from, nor in the least yield, but scrapes together and accumulates confirmations wherever he can, thus also from the Word, until he so strongly persuades himself, that he can no longer see the truth.
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But he who simply or with simple heart believes, does not first assume principles, but thinks that because the Lord thus said it, it is true; and if instructed from other sayings in the Word how it is to be understood, he acquiesces and rejoices in heart.* * AC 589.
Elsewhere we are taught that "in general when the principle is false, nothing but falsities can follow from it; for all things conform themselves to the first principle."* Salvation by faith, out of pure grace, is such a false principle. Its effect on man has not been to free him, or to improve his society. Its effect has been to subtly encourage people to disregard charity as an essential and instead to give free exercise to their evils. This, of course, only serves to spawn a whole new generation of confirming falsities. * AC 1017. From the overall effect that this church has had upon mankind, we may realize that having and reading the Word is not in itself sufficient. We must approach the Word in utmost humility and thus free of preconceived notions or principles. We must come seeking the truth, not looking for confirmations of our previously adopted opinions, or evils of life. To seek the latter is to profane and falsify the truth-to destroy its power to free and save. This, and the necessity of returning repeatedly to the Word for the truth, is underlined in the Arcana. It is said there "nothing therefore is of more importance to a man than to know what is true. When he knows what is true, and knows it so well that it cannot be perverted, then it can not be so much immersed in cupidities and have such a deadly effect."* * AC 794. Italics added. Again, as regards our children, we have an obvious duty to discharge. We must not only instruct them to live by the teaching of the Word as opposed to their own ideas and desires, but we must lead them by humble example. When we have in some degree broken a commandment of the Lord in front of our children, let us not try to rationalize away the offense. Let us quietly acknowledge our fault and resolve not to repeat the offense. In this way our offspring will be strengthened in the conviction that Divine truth is sacred and all people, whether they be adults or children, must submit to its authority. They must know that strict obedience to the Lord's commandments under all circumstances offer the only possibility for achieving true freedom and happiness. There is no shortcut to heaven. It is folly to indulge ourselves in evil, hoping blindly that the Lord can somehow save us out of mercy apart from our using the means, the truths provided in His Word. Besides rejecting the Word of the Lord as the essential means to truly liberate and improve man, many of the modern humanists have seriously erred in mistaking hereditary natural good for genuine good or charity, and have evolved the false premise that human nature, man's natural instincts, are basically good.
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They ask what need there is for a so-called Divine revelation to teach us what is good. The falsity of this premise and its baleful effect upon people when adopted is also explained in the Writings for the New Church.
There are many who enjoy hereditary natural good, by virtue of which they feel delight in doing well to others, but who have not been imbued with principles of doing what is good, either from the Word, the doctrine of the Church, or from their religiosity. Thus they could not be endowed with any conscience, for conscience does not come from natural or hereditary good, but from the doctrine of truth and good and a life in accordance therewith. When such persons come into the other life, they marvel that they are not received into heaven, saying that they have led a good life. But they are told that a good life from what is natural or hereditary is not a good life, but that a good life is from those things which belong to the doctrine of good and truth and the . . . life [according to this doctrine]; for by means of these, men have principles [of conscience] impressed upon them that concern what is true and good, and they receive conscience, which is the plane into which heaven flows. In order that such persons may know that this is the case, they are sent into various societies, and they then suffer themselves to be led astray into evils of every kind, by mere reasonings and the derivative persuasions that evils are goods, and goods evils, and in this way they are persuaded in every direction, and are carried away like chaff before the wind; for they are devoid of principles, and also of a plane into which the angels may operate and withdraw them from evils.* * AC 6208. Italics added.
The above would appear to be an accurate description of the state of those who have accepted the false premise of the humanists concerning human nature. We find such people rallying behind almost every apparently good cause, adopting almost any means to promote it, no matter how much the means conflicts with the desired end. Without the guidance of the Word they fall victim to every current evil trend or immoral practice in society. Like chaff in the wind they are blown from place to place. Now we must acknowledge that some, or perhaps even many, of those caught up in the humanist movement, may have good intentions; but their false principles and the wayward life produced through following the blind impulses of the flesh, certainly are not going to lead to the liberation and improvement of the human spirit and thence of mankind in general. When we witness the effects of the purely humanistic approach to life, as they show themselves constantly in today's society, we should again look inward upon ourselves to see if we are allowing ourselves to be content with a merely natural or hereditary good, or natural charity. We must recognize the absolute necessity of continually drawing from the Word true principles, if we are to be spiritually, truly charitable towards others-if we are to avoid adversely affecting the spiritual and natural welfare of other people in society.
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It is not enough to think that, if we are only rightly motivated, it matters little how much we know, and that our mistakes made in ignorance will be forgiven, if only our intentions are right. Such an attitude strongly suggests spiritual laziness, and a defect in genuine charity. It in no way furthers the, welfare of society. It leaves us helpless to aid others significantly in avoiding the snares of the evil. This is especially the case in respect to our children and those who are dependent upon us for proper guidance. He who truly loves his neighbor wants to do the very best for him. Having this as his end, he is led to love the means to this end, which is an ever-deeper penetration into the spiritual truths or principles of the Word. It becomes increasingly plain that there is but one method by which mankind can hope to liberate itself from the myriad evils which at this day threaten to engulf and destroy it. People must accept their responsibility to approach the Lord through the medium of His Word, individually and regularly. General and specific truths must be derived from the Word and established in our minds as true principles altogether to be observed and done. Still we may wonder how it is that principles from the Word can serve as the best and only means of our salvation. We may ask why they have the power to make us truly free. In the following passages from Swedenborg's Memorabilia entitled "How Principles Subdue Affections," we find a brief and rather striking response to this question.
That principles of truth change and subdue the cupidities, or delights of evil, was made known to me, from experience. When I was in an affection of evil, and principles of truth were insinuated within, then those delights began to cease: hence also [it was] recognized that they were evil.
From this it may be evident in what way faith, or the knowledge of truth, operates upon the conscience, and how, by means of truth, man is reformed; for there is in faith, or [in] the truths insinuated by the Lord, an imperceptible blessing, relating to eternal blessedness, which [becomes] preferred to evil delights. From this it may be manifest, how it is with reformation by the truths of faith.
Also, on the other hand, [it becomes evident how] the affections of good can be, and are wont to be, crushed by false principles; namely, when the false is accepted as true. For instance: when anyone is in conjugial love, and [then] adopts the principle that to love his wife is only an obligation by virtue of the external contract, and nothing more-if any one confirms himself in this false principle, he then destroys conjugial love, and turns it into lasciviousness, and, at the same time, regards adulteries as unimportant. It is so with all things else: as, also, he who adopts the principle that piety and the goods of charity avail nothing. From this principle he destroys charity and the affection of good, and is no longer careful about the life; and so forth.
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How strongly principles operate, may be evident merely from this: if any one believes that the food in which he has delighted is injurious to him, he then by virtue of that principle, abstains from that food, and, at length, turns away from it in dislike-if he only adopt that persuasion, or be in it from some physician whom he supposes to know. It is thus in many other cases; so [it is] that principles subdue affections. Hence it may be evident, of how great importance it is to be acquainted with the knowledges of truth, and to believe that what is here stated is true.
When [anyone] possesses, and accepts, and believes principles of truth, or truths of faith, then, although their operation, so long as he lives in the body, is invisible, yet, still, the Lord infuses blessing therein, which, if he does not perceive [it] in the life of the body, yet he does in the other life; and then, [his state is] better still, when he has put restraint upon his natural disposition, and begins to shun, and hold in aversion, evil delights. But time is needed; for this cannot take place in a moment. Much time is needed to change delights in this manner; for they belong to the life derived from childhood.* * SD min. 4610-4614.
This is the answer then that Divine revelation gives to this age of unrest and dissatisfaction. When we draw truths from the Lord's Word to serve as principles for the ordering of our thought and life, we are not adopting mere lifeless intellectual concepts. Principles drawn directly from the Word and applied humbly to life are filled with life and power, although to begin with we may not perceive this to be so. The truths of the Word are forms filled with Divine substance. They are expressions of the Lord's Divine love and wisdom. They are the vessels into which His saving mercy flows, banishing by degrees all that is evil and false in the human mind. If we will only choose to supply our minds with an increasing number of these vessels and accept them as authoritative principles of life, a wondrous miracle will be wrought silently by the Lord. Progressively delight in evil will give way to an aversion for evil until we are at last free from its contaminating influence. We will begin to perceive a delight in what is good. And within this delight there will be a blessing-heavenly joy itself-awaiting our discovery when we enter into eternal life. Thus does the Lord reply to the voices that call for change in man and in his society, that call for freedom and happiness, brotherhood and love. The Lord does not offer a solution that will instantly change people, but He offers the only solution. "If ye abide in My Word, ye are truly My disciples. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
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ORDINATION PATRICK A. ROSE 1975
Declaration of Faith and Purpose
I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one infinite God, that He is one in essence and in person, and that in Him is the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that the Lord came into the world to subjugate the hells and to glorify His human. Had He not done this all men would have perished. I believe that the Lord speaks in the Old Testament, the New Testament and in the Heavenly Doctrines, and that these three revelations are His Word. I believe that the Lord gives man freedom, and that from this freedom man can turn to the Lord or turn to himself. He who turns to the Lord and follows Him will dwell forever in heaven after death; but the man who rejects the Lord and follows his own desires will experience eternal frustration in a hell he has made for himself. I believe that the New Church is the Lord's church on earth. There alone is the Lord truly acknowledged as one God. There alone is the truth in His Word clearly seen. Falsities have so completely devastated the previous Christian Church that true Christianity can exist only in the New Church, where the Lord has revealed Himself anew in the Heavenly Doctrines. Nevertheless, I believe that the Lord is infinitely merciful. Those outside the New Church who are in ignorance concerning the Lord are not thereby condemned, for if they live good lives they will be saved. In their good the Lord is present, and when they learn of Him in the life to come they will receive Him. I believe that the office of the priesthood has a Divinely ordained role in the establishment of the New Church among men. It is the duty of the priesthood to teach truths from the Word and by this means to lead men to the good of life. Only by means of truth can men see the Lord, and only by leading a life of good can they be conjoined to Him in love. The work of the priesthood therefore has as its end the conjunction of men with the Lord, which is salvation. In presenting myself for inauguration into the priesthood of the Lord's New Church, it is my prayer that the Lord Jesus Christ will give me the enlightenment to see His will, and the courage to set His will above my own.
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I ask also for the strength to dedicate my life to serving His people, so that I may, in some small way, be instrumental in leading people to know and love the Lord. In the presence of the Lord, and in the presence of this congregation, I declare that my faith, my purpose and my prayer is that the Lord's will be done. He is our God. PATRICK A. ROSE
LOVE IN UNDERSTANDING WILSON VAN DUSEN 1975
An error keeps being made regarding the primacy of thought or feeling, an error which is contrary to both the Writings and to human experience. It is serious enough to block regeneration. It may be involved in a long standing difference in outlook between Convention and the General Church.* Perhaps only a fool would enter a dispute that has entertained friends for decades, yet I would like to enter as amicus curiae, a friend of the court. A little reflection may help set the matter straight. Understanding it will lend a deeper significance to the apparent dualism in the Writings. * See: "Why Bother with Doctrine," George de Charms, NEW CHURCH LIFE, June 1975, page 286. The error occurs when either thought or feeling is made primary, as though the other part doesn't exist or can be overlooked because it is insignificant. An emphasis on the primacy of thought leads to an emphasis on ideas, study, learning, understanding or doctrine. This is the more common emphasis because, as the Writings indicate, thought is more obvious than feeling.* The opposite emphasis on love, affections or feeling tends to overlook substantive ideas in favor of feeling, having an experience, towards aesthetics, what moves people. * DLW 1. To put the whole matter briefly, both the Writings and human experience are in accord that these two can never really be separated. They are two aspects of a single process which might be called the inner of human experience. We can choose to emphasize one or the other, but the reality is that they always exist together. An emphasis which overlooks part of this reality tends to be crippling and can impede regeneration. Regeneration in part rests on the conscious unity of love and understanding.
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First I will touch on the intrinsic interrelatedness of love and understanding in the Writings, and show how this accords with everyone's experience and then examine the practical consequences. We are dealing not with a simple pair of ideas, that is, love and wisdom, but two parallel series, which involve a number of terms. Corresponding to love there is esse (being), affections or feelings (its derivatives), will, charity and end. Corresponding to wisdom there is existere (taking form), thoughts, understanding, faith and cause. In the innermost of the mind and the celestial kingdom, love and wisdom are the appropriate terms. Affections and thoughts are a lower level both in terms of spiritual worlds and in man's experience. The more we deal with an estrangement or alienation of love from wisdom the more likely we are to be dealing with the lower levels because wisdom is wise enough to act out of love, but our ordinary thought is not always so wise. Under whatever terms, we are dealing with a fundamental parallelism that runs through the spiritual worlds and through man's experience. At first sight this appears to be a duality. When examined closely, it is found to be a unity having dual aspects. The ideas of love and wisdom, or love and understanding, and their parallel counterparts are almost always treated together as aspects of a single unity in the Writings. The Writings are quite clear that they are aspects of a single process.
Man can have no thought except from some affection of his life's love and the thought is nothing other than the form of the affection.* * DP 198. Where there is esse (being) there is existere (taking form); one is not possible apart from the other. For esse is by means of existere, and not apart from it. This the rational mind comprehends when it thinks whether there can possibly be any esse (being) which does not exist (take form), and whether there can possibly be existere except from esse. And since one is possible with the other, and not apart from the other, it follows that they are one, but one distinctly. They are one distinctly, like love and wisdom; in fact, love is esse, and wisdom is existere; for there can be no love except in wisdom, nor can there be any wisdom except from love; consequently when love is in wisdom, then it exists.* * DLW 14. Italics added.
These passages could hardly be clearer. Indeed it's easy to gather hundreds of passages in which the same unity is expressed, especially from Divine Love and Wisdom and the posthumous Divine Love and Divine Wisdom. It constantly recurs in the Arcana Coelestia and in the Biblical exegesis of the Writings. For instance, what has life in itself is said to be fruitful, which pertains to love, and to multiply, which pertains to faith. "The fruit which is of love contains the seed by which it so greatly multiplies itself."*
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It should only be necessary to point out to the student of the Writings that these two are everywhere aspects of a single process. "They are one distinctly." * AC 43 Yet, the process can seem to be taken apart and this is where man enters into illusion, falsity and evils. Wherever it seems to be taken apart, where one is preeminent over the other, there is illusion and some destruction to the underlying reality.
. . . love and wisdom . . . . although they proceed from the Lord as one, are not received as one by angels; and the wisdom which is in excess of the love, while it appears as wisdom, is not wisdom, because in the overplus of wisdom there is no life from love. From all this it is evident whence comes the diversity of reception according to which angels appear to dwell according to quarters in the spiritual world.* * DLW 125.
This actual turning to the Lord is from love together with wisdom; not from love alone, nor from wisdom alone; for love alone is like esse (being) without its existere (taking form) since love has its existence (form) in wisdom; and wisdom without love is like existere without its esse, since wisdom has its existence (form) from love. Love is indeed possible without wisdom; but such love is man's, and not the Lord's. Wisdom alone is possible without love; but such wisdom, although from the Lord, has not the Lord in it; for it is like the light of winter, which is from the sun; still the sun's essence, which is heat, is not in it.* * DLW 139.
The Writings are immensely clear and consistent on this point. Love and wisdom, and all their derivative functions come from the Lord as two aspects of a one. In our more limited and estranged condition we can seem to deal with one or the other aspect as though it were preeminent or the only. Yet this is only an appearance which is an aspect of the limitations of our understanding. The reality is oneness. The appearance is of easy division and emphasis. The appearance can go to the extent of including those who feel wise from themselves,* like the whale "that lieth in the midst of his rivers, that hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made myself."** We will not multiply examples to prove what should be apparent. Rather, let us consider other aspects of this affective truth. * AC 130. ** Ezekiel 29:3. Students of the Writings may be surprised to learn that this is quite in accord with present views of human experience. As Swedenborg indicates * reason, intelligence, the rational side of the process is more apparent, for after all it has form, that is thoughts, words, concepts, ideas. The affective, feeling side is less apparent, especially to reason which respects only what is like itself. Yet, it is now widely accepted that our conscious mental processes are always affective or emotional and rational or intellectual at the same time. What the Writings say on this was a far weightier revelation two centuries ago when philosophers thought they could easily divorce themselves from feeling and deal with pure truths. Without affect or feeling thought falls dead and loses meaning. * DLW 1
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Do not thought; speech, and action, grows cold in the measure in which the affection, which is from love, grows cold? And do they not grow warm in the measure in which this affection grows warm? But this a man of discernment perceives simply by observing that such is the case, and not from any knowledge that love is the life of man.* * Ibid.
Let us illustrate this from ordinary experience. When talking with a person with whom you feel at odds, several things happen. What the other person says may make little sense. You may light on a fragment of what is said and proceed to find fault with it. There is considerable evidence that you might actually distort what is heard, so that you hear what you think is said, rather than what is actually said. Studies of gossip, for instance, show that the original message quickly bends in the direction of what the gossips like to think about. A very affective situation is likely to lead to distorted perception, a fact that confuses witnesses to a crime. Experimental studies show that poor children draw coins bigger (and more important) than they really are. The relationship between affects and thought and perception, is the basis of much advertising. One could multiply the examples. In my book, The Natural Depth in Man, I recommend that people study-their own hypnologic state, as Swedenborg did, partly because it eventually instructs that all thought is affectively based. In this state it is possible to watch feeling form into thought and speech. It would be difficult to find anyone in modern psychology who would dispute Swedenborg's underlying theses, love and wisdom, affection and understanding arise together and exist as a unit. The affective side is the inner of thought and the source of its meaning or life. This is the basis of the clinical psychologist's projective tests. For instance, on the Rorschach Test it is routine to look at the intellectual aspect of the person in relation to the affective to see how these interact. In the normal person, affect and thought arise together and function as a harmonious whole. In the disordered person one or the other is over emphasized. In serious pathology they can be quite contrary to each other. For instance, the manic, who seems active and gay, can show serious depressive undercurrents in the Rorschach Test. In pathology, reason, which feels so independent and preeminent over feeling, is shot through with unrecognized feeling. This is a large part of the basis of psychosis, the most serious of the mental disorders. An extreme of this can be illustrated by a disordered individual who felt that the Lord's Prayer was the answer to everything.
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He recited the prayer often. He was hospitalized because he felt put upon by others, especially the sheriff. If he could have forgiven others, even a bit, it would have helped a great deal toward his release from a mental hospital. Pointing out the forgiveness of others part of the prayer was useless because, though he seemed to operate from the prayer preeminently, his affects were supreme and opposed to others. But we are the same. It is difficult to hear (that is, understand) the person we do not like. Indeed, thought and feeling can seem to come apart but this is always illusion. The most extreme examples I can think of are very affectively flattened schizophrenics. One such lady described her perceived world as one in which everyone had turned to cardboard images. There was no movement, no life whatever. She herself was one of these cardboard fakes propped up. She showed no feeling nor did she perceive any. Yet feeling, even in this extreme case, was not missing. There was an ominous foreboding about everything. She dared not put her hand behind anyone; she dreaded confirmation by feeling the stick of wood holding up the cardboard. Apparently affect can never totally disappear, even though it could seem to. My point is simple. Swedenborg says that love and wisdom and all their derivative aspects are a one. We can seem to emphasize one more than the other but, the more we seem to succeed, the closer we approach falsity and illusion. After some centuries of trying to pour knowledge into children's heads, it was gradually discovered that there is an affective side to learning. This has given rise to a greater use of media-whatever enhances perception. It has also led to a greater emphasis on the affective domain in education. Where there is retardation or brain dysfunction it has led to the use of action, physical movement, as a basis for intellectual learning. Again, this thesis is so widely understood and accepted that examples do not need to be multiplied. Even though we've now accepted the thesis that love and understanding, affect and idea always go together, it is still possible to ask of the ordering in this process. Again, the Writings are immensely clear on this point. The process is first affective, then intellectual, not the other way around. The basic support for this may be found in the Intercourse of Soul and Body. There and in countless other places love, affection, or feeling is dealt with first; thought or understanding is a consequence. Esse creates its existere. The mind arises by influx from heaven and the Lord. Influx is immediately from the Lord, mediately or secondarily from the world. The Lord acts through the heavens to the spirits who are with man-to the affections, "for spirits are affections,"*-to thought and consciousness.
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We only seem to be animated from the world, "for the sight of the mind flows into the sight of the eye."** . . . a love contains in itself all the power of knowing which is of that love."*** * HH 517 ** Influx (i.e. Intercourse of Soul and Body) 6. *** EU 96. Regardless of any other appearance, the mind arises from innermosts to outermosts, from the Lord to soul, to affections and thoughts. This is true even of perceptions of the outer world which seem so much to come from out there, to in here. But it is the life, in here, which makes perception possible and is its innermost. Translated into the question of preeminence of love or understanding, this means that love is first; it is the esse, which finds its existere as thought. Yet this order is not one, which makes legitimate an exclusive emphasis on love. If Bishop de Charms'* perhaps too simple description of the General Church and Convention difference is correct, both sides are in error. * See footnote 1, and "Is Swedenborg's System a Dualism?", H. Gutfeldt, New Philosophy, Vol. 77, No. 4, pages 163-170. This theme is quite central to understanding the Writings. For instance, we might ask what is the spiritual? It is the affection for truth.* The Writings never totally divorce affection and truth as many are wont to. The central idea of use is also as the form of affection:
. . . affections are derived from love and are continuous with it: they bring forth uses in forms . . . which shows that affections and use are respectively love in its essence and love in its form.** * AC 5639. ** Love IX
Often doctrine is treated as simply the form of truth, neglecting its affective side. Yet, again doctrine is the same one with dual aspects.
There is a twofold doctrinal, the one of charity, the other of faith; although in themselves the two are one, for the doctrinal of charity involves all things of faith. But when a doctrinal is made solely of those things which are of faith, the doctrinal is said to be twofold, because faith is separated from charity.* * AC 2417. Italics added.
What confuses some is that the Writings do treat of forming the understanding first, as though to prepare a receptacle. There are a few examples of this, not so many as the central themes above.
Moreover, those two principles (love and wisdom) proceed in union from the Lord, and likewise flow in union into the souls of angels and men; but they are not received in union in their minds. The first received there is the light which forms the understanding, and by slow degrees, the love which forms the will. This is also of providence: for every man is to be created anew, that is, reformed; and this is effected by means of the understanding.
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For he must imbibe from infancy the knowledge of truth and good, which will teach him to love well, that is, to will and act rightly: thus the will is formed by means of the understanding.* * Influx 14: 2. Italics added.
This appears to be the opposite of the order, love to understanding. It is the basis for an emphasis upon teaching the Word. Again, this is like an appearance, having some reality, within a "real." It is proper that we should study, learn as of ourselves. This is the preparation for regeneration. From infancy the understanding is to be educated. Then the maturing person is to attempt to do good as if of himself. But, in regeneration, the truth finally comes out. Only God can do good. All mind is from God. Love is the life (esse), which finds its existere as wisdom. Wisdom is understanding with the life of God within it. Though it appears that we can prepare the vessel by teaching, educating the understanding, the real process is internal from God, through love. The regenerated man seeks truth from affection * for he is spiritual and loves God. If we are foolish enough to try to take apart a unity and ask whether love or understanding is first, it will appear that understanding is first though the real truth is that love is first in order. But it is only first in order. It is false to think that it can be emphasized to the exclusion of understanding. * AC 8234. Real consequences can be drawn from this affective understanding. It is an eminently applicable matter. We are capable of perceiving both the affections and the understanding in any of our acts. When talking with another person I can identify with my thoughts and words, and fall into pride at my cleverness while overlooking my real intentions-something everyone has experienced. But, if I also look at my affections I get a more sensitive inner picture of what is really occurring. Do I feel disdain for the other, or superiority? Do I really feel as if I am reaching out to understand, to appreciate the other? The same process obtains in spiritual matters. Before retiring I could quickly mumble a prayer that seems to get me by for the night, or I can also search out my affections in my relationship to God. It is said that God needs few words, since He reads the heart. Opening up to our feelings has an added advantage in overcoming proprium. We have much more of a sense that we rule ourselves in our thoughts and words, than we do in our feelings. Our feelings are more like a gift, said to be from the spiritual world. Attention to our affections tends to unmask ourselves. Attention to affections in the learning process opens it to deeper aspects. Yet, none of this says one aspect instead of the other. The truth is both. The spiritual love truth.
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The regenerating seek truth from affection-esse, life, taking form, becoming something. The idea of love in understanding is another example of the innermost animating the outermost. Perhaps the analogy of music would be useful. However affectively moving, it has a form, which can be diagrammed and printed. But an exclusive emphasis on its form would be tediously academic and would miss its real quality. One can also dwell on the qualities and try to overlook the form, but form, beat, rhythm is implicit and part of its affective quality. Love and understanding are similar. For me, this clarifies what, for a long while, seemed an annoying and unnecessary dualism in the Writings. The apparent dualism arises because the Writings treat everywhere of an inner and outer, a higher to a lower. Moreover, this is not simply an arcane dogma; on careful examination it is apparent in every act and thought. In yourself, do you not sense the affections of your thoughts, and how thoughtful affection is? Is not our relationship to God a matter of feeling as well as thought? What is the term for this unity? Why it is simply life, or better yet Life. Hopefully we will hear less of the either/or, which is not real and is not in accord with the Writings or our lives.
GOOD AND TRUTH 1975
All things in the universe, which are according to Divine order, have relation to good and truth. There is nothing in heaven, and nothing in the world, which has not relation to these two; the reason is, because both good and truth proceed from the Divine from Whom all things are. Hence it appears that there is nothing more necessary for man to know than what good and truth are; how the one has respect to the other; and how one is conjoined to the other. But such knowledge is especially necessary for the man of the church; for as all things of heaven have relation to good and truth, so also have all things of the church, because the good and truth of heaven are also the good and truth of the church. It is according to Divine order that good and truth should be conjoined, and not separated; thus, that they should be one, and not two; for they proceed in conjunction from the Divine, and are conjoined in heaven, and therefore they should be conjoined in the church. The conjunction of good and truth is called, in heaven, the heavenly marriage, for all there are in this marriage. Hence it is that in the Word heaven is compared to a marriage, and that the Lord is called the Bridegroom and Husband, but heaven, and also the church, are called the Bride and Wife. (HD 11-13.)
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DIVINE FAIRNESS AND HUMAN FAIRNESS Rev. DANIEL W. GOODENOUGH 1975
(Based on a Chapel Talk given to the College of the Academy of the New Church.)
How of ten do we hear the challenge to the Lord's government, "It isn't fair." Everyone should have just as good a chance to go to the celestial heaven as anyone else-or just as good a chance for a conjugial partner, or just as good a chance to learn Divine truth here on earth. Whatever the complaint, it seems unfair that people should have such diverse heredities, backgrounds and environments in which to develop. Let us first understand that every sane adult is held in equilibrium by the Lord so that he has freewill to look to himself or to a God outside of himself. Every sane adult has freedom to go to heaven or to hell. And a human who does not come into this freedom will be taken to heaven after death. Yet the fact remains that heredity, background, and environment may offer some limitations to the progress of regeneration. After all, the truth you know, the good spheres in your background, and other good experiences you have been through do make a difference in your spirit, and they should facilitate regeneration if you choose to look to the Lord. Spiritual varieties do exist among people, and some of these seem to come in part from circumstances beyond their control. Why is this? We should realize that if the Lord is infinite love and wisdom, and if He has all power in His universe, then such differences among men are by definition fair. They have to be fair because He is fair and He would not permit something unfair. If we doubt the Lord's infinity, or His love and wisdom, then we can ask, "Is it fair?" But if we are affirmative to the God taught in the Writings, our question must be, "How is it fair?" A number of passages suggest solutions, such as the following:
It makes no difference whether they are in such joy as that experienced by the angels of the highest heaven or by the angels of the lowest heaven, since everyone who enters heaven comes into the highest joy of his own heart; anything greater he does not assume, for he would be suffocated. by it. For illustration of this compare a peasant and a king. A peasant may be in a state of the highest joy when he goes about in a new suit of rough homespun, and sits down at a table on which is pork, a piece of beef, cheese, beer and common wine; and he would be distressed at heart if he were to be clothed like a king in purple, silk, gold and silver, and if a table were to be set for him with delicacies and costly food of many kinds with noble wine.
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From this it is clear that there is heavenly happiness for the last as well as for the first, for each in his degree.* * DP 254: 3, 4; cf. 334. Yet doubts may remain, questioning this aspect of Divine government. All this may be true, but why doesn't it seem fair? The problem is likely to lie in our own notions of fairness and equality. So deeply ingrained in our thinking is the ideal of democracy that we may allow ideas of political and social equality to be the basis for our idea of spiritual equality. We may think that spiritual fairness has to be like the political and social fairness we have been brought up to believe in. The goal of democracy is the welfare of the individual and collective man, and this is of course highly desirable as a goal on the civil plane. But life is more than civil and social, and the goal of true religion from man's point of view must be the performance of use. Use, not the individual man's happiness, is the true aim of religion. It is true that the Lord's purpose in religion is that man may be happy. But if that happiness becomes man's purpose in life, then he thinks of heaven as a reward for the good he does, and comes into a basically selfish orientation towards life. The Lord above all want man's happiness, but man can have this only if he concerns himself primarily with use, because it is in use that affection and happiness live. Heaven is not really a reward of happiness. Spiritually man should see that the purpose of religion and life is use-use, good for the whole, for heaven and for the human race. Usefulness and charity towards others should become the reasons we want heaven. And the Lord knows that therein lays real happiness, if use is our end. But if we want heaven for its promised happiness, we are still, like children, asking the Lord for a reward for our good. After all, if you asked a natural angel how he feels about his place in heaven, and whether it was fair, he would answer, not in terms of how much happiness he had, but in terms of the use he had come to love. He could not want greater happiness because he is serving the Lord in the way he understands and loves best, and more than this be could not ask, indeed would hate to ask because it would imply dissatisfaction.* Over concern with spiritual equality seems to involve the idea of envy, and of heaven as a reward more than as a use. * Cf. AC 1936: 4. In other words, Divine fairness ensures that every sane adult is in equilibrium and freedom to choose between good and evil, between heaven and hell. It is human fairness that wants more than this, that sees heavenly happiness in terms of quantity, and wants everyone to have full and equal access to the same amount of heavenly happiness.
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Divine fairness is oriented around use, because use always looks to the good of the universal heaven, and any real happiness follows use as a free, undeserved gift. There are many aspects of Divine fairness, and many ways in which Divine fairness surpasses human fairness. If at first something spiritual seems unfair, as it often may, it is a sign that we do not fully understand the Lord. The way we come to understand Divine fairness is also the way we come to understand the Lord Himself. Let us remember what He spoke through the mouth of His prophet Isaiah: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your way My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."* * Isaiah 55: 8, 9.
DISCIPLES WERE ALSO HUMAN Rev. DONALD L. ROSE 1975
(The third of a series of three articles. See NEW-CHURCH LIFE, 1975, July issue, page 310 and August issue, page 368.)
If one thing would set the disciples off as superior people, it would perhaps be their dying the death of the martyr. Our admiration is stirred when upon hearing that the Lord is returning to Jerusalem, Thomas says, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."* And yet our admiration is not sustained when on the eve of the crucifixion the disciples insist upon their steadfast bravery. "I am ready to go with Thee, both to prison, and to death," said Peter.*** And when Peter protested that He would die rather than deny the Lord, we read, "Likewise also said all the disciples."**** But in the darkness of Gethsemane "all the disciples forsook Him and fled."***** All had claimed loyalty, but "they all forsook Him."****** * John 11: 16. ** Luke 22: 33. *** Matthew 26: 36. **** Matthew 26: 56. ***** Mark 14: 50.
Martyrdom and Reward
To lay down one's life for a good cause is in itself a noble thing.* And in this the disciples, like very many of the early Christians, were noble.
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But the Writings show that it is the motive that qualifies the deed, and that a noble deed could have self-glory and merit in it.** We are reminded that people have willingly died for false and foolish causes, and even those who die for true causes are not true martyrs if their intent is "to have preference in heaven."*** It is indicated in the Spiritual Diary that the apostles placed merit in martyrdom almost to the point of not wanting any but martyrs admitted into heaven! But they seem to have been humbled by being shown to what extent self-regard had motivated them.**** * TCR 414. ** HH 472. *** SD 3187, 3188. **** SD 1325-1327. The disciples were intent on reward for their self-sacrifice. Recall Peter's saying, "Behold we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore?"* But there was innocence in their thought of reward. * Matthew 19: 27.
To believe that they will be rewarded if they do what is good, is not hurtful to those who are in innocence, as is the case with little children and with the simple . . . But in so far as he comes into the good of love and of faith, (man) is removed from having regard to merit in the good works which he does.* * AC 9982.
Even though the disciples "were continually with the Lord, and heard many things concerning His kingdom, yet they were not able to perceive interior truths."* * AC 3857: 6. They could understand simple promises. It is not evil to desire to go to heaven, for it is a trust in the Lord's promise.* The twelve were very much affected by promises of heavenly joy. They remembered that the persecuted would be blessed and would inherit the kingdom.** They remembered the words, "Rejoice yet in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold your reward is great in heaven."*** And when they were physically beaten for preaching in the name of the Lord, they rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer so.**** Those who think themselves worthy for their self-sacrifice, have much to learn in the other life, but the Lord loves them and takes great care of them.***** * TCR 440 ** Matthew 5: 11, 12. *** Luke 6: 23. **** Acts 5: 41. ***** AC 1110. Although the disciples were almost childish in their pursuit of heavenly reward they were not so different from us. How often the Lord leads people who have a sense of their own worthiness and gradually enables them to reject the idea of self-merit.*
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Can we not see ourselves often in pursuit of reward? The writings invite the individual to reflect and consider:
When [a man] does good to anyone it is for the sake of an end in the world; and therefore, although he is not doing so consciously, still he is thinking of recompense, either from those to whom he does good, or from the Lord in the other life . . . and when he has done any good, if he can make it known and thus set himself above others, he is in the delight of his life.* * AC 2715.
Setting Self Above Others
From the beginning the disciples heard the Lord preach of His "kingdom." Their first understanding of this was of a kingdom to be set up in this world, in which they would be set above all other people.
But when they heard from the Lord Himself that His kingdom is not on earth, but in heaven; then neither could they think otherwise than that His kingdom in heaven is altogether like a kingdom on earth. And therefore James and John asked that in His kingdom the one might sit on His right hand and the other on His left; and the rest of the apostles, who also wanted to be great in that kingdom, had indignation, and disputed among themselves which of them should be greatest there.* * AC 8705, see also AC 8573.
The disciples were intent on the matter of which of them would be the greatest. "There arose a reasoning among them which of them should be the greatest."* When this issue arose, the Lord told them that their concept of greatness was not part of His kingdom, that he who seeks to be first will be last, that unless they became as little children they would not enter heaven. But the question still occupied their thoughts. Once He asked them, "What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace; for by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest".** * Luke 9: 46. ** Mark 9: 33, 34. How often when there is a dispute in the church, the thing that really underlies the dispute is something we are ashamed to come out and speak of directly. On the surface the issue may be one thing, but underneath there is a striving as to who is the greatest. Stronger than the word "dispute" or the word "reasoning" is the word "strife." And what is so appalling is that the strife took place after the Last Supper when the Lord's temptation in Gethsemane was at hand! Even then being set above others was dominating their thoughts. "And there was also a strife among them which of them should be the greatest." * We surmise that it was partly in response to this that the Lord then washed the disciples' feet and said that they ought to wash one another's feet.** * Luke 22: 24. ** John 13: 1-17.
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This question of being greater than others is one of the beautiful illustrations of the mercy and patience of the Lord in His gradual leading away from pathetic ideas and affections.* The first good of the disciples was a mixed or mediate good, but those first ambitious stirrings were used by the Lord to lead them eventually to heaven. "Thereby they might be aroused and introduced to good, so as to learn, and to teach, and to do it."** For at first the disciples were incapable of seeing that "heavenly delight is not the delight of greatness and pre-eminence, but is the delight of humiliation and the affection of serving others; thus of desiring to be least, and not greatest.*** * See AC 3387, 3857. ** AC 3417. *** Ibid. It is possible for people in the New Church to think of "getting to the highest heaven" as if it were coming first in some kind of contest. In naive states we might think of "getting to the highest heaven" as being associated with a glow of accomplishment, not realizing that those of the highest heaven know that they are saved by mercy* and are far from the notion of worthiness. * AC 5929. Though some suppose heaven and heavenly joy "to consist in being the greatest," this is far from the truth.* Such is the persistence of human pride that those who learn that the least are the greatest, undertake to become least in order to become the greatest.** We should not be surprised to find in the New Church that those with profound doctrinal understanding will think of themselves as greater than others. Nor should we be surprised if others look down on the doctrinally learned and fancy themselves "greater" by virtue of their "celestial" quality and their emphasis on love. * AC 452 ** See AC 952, 2027: 3.
States of No Charity
During the life that leads to heaven the individual passes through states in which he is in no faith or charity.* The disciples sometimes manifested an astonishing lack of concern for others. When a gentile woman sought the Lord's mercy and help, the disciples "came and besought Him saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us."** James and John were ready to call down fire upon the Samaritans *** and, contrary to the Lord's wishes, they forbade a man from casting out devils in the name of the Lord-their reason: "because he followeth not us."**** * AC 933. ** Matthew 15: 23. *** Luke 9: 54. **** Mark 9: 38.
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The disciples actually rebuked people for bringing children to the Lord,* and when they did this, it is said that the Lord was "much displeased."** Swedenborg comments on this in his unpublished The Word Explained and says that "the disciples also begrudged the gentiles the preaching of the gospel."*** It was extremely difficult for the disciples to bring themselves to preach to gentiles or to think of them as loved by the Lord.**** * Matthew 19: 13; Luke 18: 15. ** Mark 10: 14. *** WE 7043. **** See Acts 11. Strange as this may seem, it is actually a common tendency for those who have the truth to think of those outside as far beneath them. Christians have felt superior to other people because they have the Word, "written on paper but not in their hearts."* "It is very common for those who have taken up an opinion respecting any truth of faith, to judge of others that they cannot be saved, unless they believe as they do-a judgment which the Lord has forbidden."** It is possible for New Church people to imagine that when they leave this world they will be preferred for having had the Lord's Word written on paper, or to imagine that subscribing to certain doctrines has made them spiritual. But after death "it is not asked what your belief has been, or what your doctrine has been, but what your life has been."*** * AC 4190: 2. ** AC 2284: 4. *** DP 101: 3. The disciples were evidently human, and they must have had the same petty personal problems that we have. When the Lord said that a brother ought to be forgiven seven times in a day, Peter must have listened intently, thinking to apply this literally to his problems with other brethren. The Lord had to explain to Peter that he could not just count seven times, but was to forgive "every time."* * AE 257: 4.
These Men Were Chosen
"Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil?"* The reason for the Lord's choice of these men is a study in itself. At least we may see that it was not because they were head and shoulders above all others. The Lord remarked on their hardness of heart and weakness. A rebuke for the twelve is apparently involved in the words, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?"** They had not been able to cast out a certain spirit, for "they had not reached the proper state, and it was for this also that the disciples were rebuked by the Lord."***
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In Gethsemane the Lord called attention to the weakness of those who could not watch with Him one hour.**** * John 6:70. ** Mark 9: 19. *** AE 556: 17. **** Matthew 26: 38-40. We have noted in a previous article that the Lord praised the faith of gentiles, but called the disciples men of little faith. To be of the Lord's church, then, is not to be superior to others. Why are we among the few who are of the Lord's New Church? Perhaps we are inferior to others, or rather in greater need. This is by no means a new thought, but it is worth reflecting upon. In a way we are chosen; there are uses that we are able to perform, and there are lessons to be applied to life. Among these lessons is the wonderful story of simple fishermen who became apostles, and, for all their human frailty, were sincere in their intention to follow the Lord. The story should fill us with hope, hope for ourselves as also for our fellow servants whose faults and weaknesses become apparent to us. The disciples are now angels, and we may well imagine that if we met one of them and seemed to idolize him, he would say, as did the angel of the Apocalypse, "See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant ... worship God." * Revelation 22: 9.
Postscript
It is of incidental interest that when Swedenborg wrote the Divine Providence (in 1763) he had only met one of the apostles in the spiritual world.* And we may be virtually certain that it was the apostle John.** But at the end of Swedenborg's mission he met all of them, and they went forth to preach the New Gospel with great zeal and industry.*** * DP 324: 4. ** Documents II page 258. *** TCR 108.
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GIVING AND RECEIVING Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. We readily recognize that true charity expresses itself in giving to the neighbor. The giving may be of the most ultimate kind-a material gift to represent affection or concern. But it may also be a gift of truth, passing on some knowledge learned and valued; or it may be the giving of affection and love, an inspiration to good. Further reflection reminds us that human relationships, human communication, the bonds of human society, involve mutual exchanges, that if one tells, another must listen, and if one gives, another must receive Perhaps we do not give as much thought to the need of being good receivers as we do to the need of being good givers. There are some who find it easy and delightful to do much for others, but find it very difficult indeed to accept help for themselves. Charity does require both, and we need to consider whether we do both well. To give brings much delight-unless the gift is rejected, or accepted reluctantly or ungraciously. If there is an art to giving there is certainly an art to receiving, and perhaps it is not so easily acquired. Yet it is an essential of charity that we provide opportunities for others to serve us as well as for us to serve them. The warmth of an exchange of charity-on whatever plane it may be-depends upon its mutuality. It behooves us, therefore, to learn to be gracious and grateful receivers-manifestly delighting in the love and concern which is offered us, anxious to strengthen the bond by our willing and kindly acceptance of it.
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WHY BOTHER WITH DOCTRINE? STEVE GLADISH 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: Bishop De Charms recently defended the General Church clergy's emphasis on doctrine, in answer to the friends in General Convention who believe that the great need of the New Church is love.* * See NEW CHURCH LIFE 1975, June issue, page 286. I too appreciate the doctrinal studies and sermons and articles that the scholars in our Church labor over and produce. I do not choose to live without a steady doctrinal inflow. Yet I do not expect an Eastern city-dweller to expatiate on life in the desert. I do not expect a Pennsylvanian to discuss the cross-cultural problems of the Navajo. And I do not usually expect those immersed in one field to genuinely internalize and understand from experience a field of rather opposite emphasis. Especially if a wall is built to separate the two, and people are warned by the experts in one field not to live on the other side. Love and truth work happiest in unity, yet I hear men using truth to war on love, when these men may never have experientially lived love as a dynamic and not a doctrine. I accept the man who spends most of his time up in his head. But God gave us a body to attend to, and the affective realm of loves, interests, and emotions to attend to as well. All three centers or domains are important. He who has more learning than good deeds is like a tree with leaves and no fruits.* * See AR 936. People of one persuasion are drawn to each other and magnify each other's particular spheres and spirit associations. Ten scholars living in close proximity may enhance and broaden their enlightenment, or limit their enlightenment to preoccupation with a common specialty or concern. These scholars may build an intellectual and social armed fortress against the world, or they may serve as filters and bridges to the world. These scholars might look fixedly at the moon floating fairly above in the heavens, or they might watch the rushing creek and experience the beauty of the moon coming alive in ripples across the waters. They might look at doctrine and not find life alive in it, or they might look at life and find doctrine alive in it. I see a man of love who hears the truth and understands it; I have seen a man of truth who does not hear love, nor understand it, let alone reply to it. I have seen truth and the truth-sayers many times in history shut love out, with no attempt to respect it or understand it from its own standpoint, giving it no day in court, neither reading its literature nor reading doctrinal teachings from its standpoint.
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But let the reader know: love does not shut truth out. Draw a circle and shut love out, and it will draw a larger circle to enclose you within. STEVE GLADISH Tucson, Arizona
KNOWING OUR OWN STATES DANIEL W. GOODENOUGH 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: The address by the Rev. Peter M. Buss "Come Not to that Holy Table,"* is important and very useful at a time when many appear to be unduly beset by fears of availing themselves of the Holy Supper. This most holy act of worship was surely given not for the sake of the glory of God but for man's sake-even as man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man; given that we might be granted renewed strength and inspiration in fighting against our spiritual enemies, and be uplifted into lives of charity and use. It is a sign of humility that from time to time we should question our worthiness to partake of this sacrament, but if we then act from these doubts by turning away from the Lord's Table, we may in fact doubt the Lord's ability to heal and save. The parable of the prodigal son shows how far the willingness to repent can help us; we become worthy not because of any good of our own but because we wish honestly to receive good from its only source. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, August Issue, page 344. Mr. Buss' argument might have been strengthened by greater reliance upon True Christian Religion, nos. 719-721, which explain why 'The Lord is present and opens heaven to those who worthily approach the Holy Supper; and He is also present with those who approach it unworthy, but does not open heaven to them. . . ." We might have expected stern warnings here against taking the Holy Supper in an unworthy state. But the Lord is present even with the unworthy, though He does not open heaven to them; His presence is external, and universal, rather than internal, and particular, as it is with those who are being regenerated. The lack of warning to the unworthy in this passage would seem to indicate that the man wavering in doubt about his worthiness should partake of the Lord's sacrament; even if he is not worthy, the Lord may be with him externally, provided his intention is to approach the Lord. Only he should be warned against taking the Holy Supper who disbelieves in it, or in God, or who has no real desire to give up his evils of life. But if we seriously desire to change our lives because God so wills, we need not fear. A more important point raised in the address is the degree to which man may know his internal state.
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This is in fact a very large question, with several hundred numbers from the Writings bearing directly upon it. The possibility of knowing one's spirit has been a continuing debate for many centuries, in which those in the mystical tradition have stressed consciousness of one's internals. The New Church has also debated the subject and scarcely a generation ago split primarily, I believe, over this point. While I would not disagree with any of Mr. Buss' specific statements, I would comment that the bulk of the many relevant passages in the Writings emphasize that man cannot know with anything like certainty his own internal state-not only because spiritual truths are unknown to people, but because the inner workings of the heart's ruling love are simply by nature beyond our ken.* The evil man honestly believes that which he loves to be good and so calls it. How can we know for sure that what we interpret as good, in fact is good? From evil it is impossible to know good, and evil always deludes itself into thinking itself good, or that external good is genuine good. If we could always be sure of seeing the truth (and so of seeing truthfully), then we could know ourselves with certainty. But we can see life truthfully only if we have chosen to be in good and truth, and how can we know with any assurance that our evaluation of ourselves is not self-deluded, as the self-evaluation of the evil always is? ** In view of our changing states, our enlightenment and hope followed by obscurity and doubt, which of our many pictures of ourselves is accurate, and more important, what state in ourselves is a good and true state, with clear enlightenment to interpret with sure accuracy our pictures of ourselves? He who is surest of good may be farthest from good, and he who seems to himself farthest from good may in fact be in good.*** * Cf. AC 6686. ** Cf. AC 9128: 2; DP 215: 13; HH 487. *** AC 1043: 3. What we are given to see (though not with certain knowledge) are particular states of evil that we should shun. This does no violence to our freedom, whereas sure knowledge of a state of regeneration would be destructive to our freedom.* How can you be free to oppose a state that you know is the Lord's with you? Man's lot is rather one of uncertainty, in order that he may search for the truth about himself, with freedom to deceive himself. Certain knowledge of our interiors would destroy that search in freedom. Man should look for a clear evil that he can see, and shun that, with the certainty that the Lord will come to him if he does his part. Of the Lord we can have certainty, but not of ourselves. * See AE 1153, 1154, 790: 8, 802: 5; DP 174-189.
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"It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."* From certainty about one's own state comes not hope and humility, but confidence and a dangerous security of life.** * Lamentations 3: 26. ** Cf. DP 178, 179, 340. I do not imply contradiction to the statements of Mr. Buss in his fine address, but this opens an enormous subject that demands thorough study of the very many passages that tell us what kinds of things, and in what states, we can know about ourselves. It is an important subject, because the sure conviction of one's own rightness-a most potent force in all church history-is one of the most destructive of all human conceits. DANIEL W. GOODENOUGH Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
REVIEW ORMOND ODHNER 1975
A Life of Swedenborg, Seminar Books, London, 1974; an up-dated and revised edition of the late Rev. J. Stuart Bogg's An Illustrated Life of Swedenborg, first published, c. 1910, in the New Church Young People's Magazine (English Conference); originally revised in 1924 by the Rev. H. G. Drummond.
This brief life of Swedenborg apparently the eighth edition of Bogg's work, is available in both a handsomely printed, profusely illustrated, thirty-two page pamphlet, and in an eight page, unillustrated "small newspaper" or "broadsheet" form. Its short sketch of Swedenborg's life, generally accurate, presents him first as a man of renown in science, philosophy, and government, and then as seer, revelator and humble "servant of the Lord Jesus Christ." Its review of his doctrine is best when it treats of the first volume of the Arcana, the Earths in the Universe, Heaven and Hell, and the Last Judgment. The fact that Mr. Bogg originally wrote his little book for New Church young people (young people already rather well acquainted with the teachings of the church) probably accounts for his choice of material. Thus he lays great stress on the "Swedenborg miracle stories" (such as the seer's report of the Stockholm fire, the Queen's secret, etc.) as external proofs of Swedenborg's contacts with the spirit world. He does, however, note that Swedenborg himself wrote that such incidents should be regarded simply as further testimonies to his intromission into the spiritual world, on a par with his "memorable relations" concerning such historical characters as Luther and Melancthon, already published in True Christian Religion.
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Undoubtedly this new little life of Swedenborg will find a useful place in the church, but I cannot believe that it will be of much value in arousing initial interest in the church. Perhaps its chief drawback is its long introductory, rather tedious, sometimes inaccurate, glowing account of Swedenborg's father, Bishop Jesper Swedberg. Another is the fact that not until exactly half way through the pamphlet do we come to Swedenborg's life and teachings as servant of the Lord in His second advent. Several historical inaccuracies are continued in this reprint. One mentions two assassination attempts against Swedenborg, which may be based on a misinterpretation of Spiritual Diary 4530, which tell of a spirit who tried to inspire Swedenborg with suicidal thoughts every time he saw a certain knife. The pamphlet also contains the popular legend concerning John Wesley, founder of Methodism, to the effect that Swedenborg wrote Wesley that he had been informed in the spiritual world that Wesley desired to see him; that Wesley openly admitted this desire, but, about to leave on a journey, proposed a meeting date a few months later; and that Swedenborg replied that this would be too late, since he would pass into the spiritual world, permanently, on March 29th, 1772 (which, of course, was the exact date of his death). Intensive research into this story has led me to doubt it in its entirety, primarily because Wesley, from the time he first read Swedenborg's Writings in 1770, openly delighted in attacking the seer as a madman and a wild dreamer of lurid dreams. More serious, perhaps, are some of the doctrinal omissions from the pamphlet. It fails to give the Writings' explanation of the Divine Trinity; it does not tell of the place of man's ruling love in effecting his eternal lot, except to say that men go to hell because their loves lead them there; and never once does it describe the beautiful and most glorious ideals of eternal marriage as they are set forth in Conjugial Love. ORMOND ODHNER
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DIRECTORY 1975
GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
Officials and Councils
Bishop: Right Rev. Willard D. Pendleton Assistant Bishop: Right Rev. Louis B. King Bishop Emeritus: Right Rev. George de Charms Secretary: Rev. Norbert H. Rogers
CONSISTORY
Bishop Willard D. Pendleton
Right Rev. Louis B. King; Right Rev. George de Charms; Right Rev. Elmo C. Acton; Rev. Messrs. Alfred Acton; Kurt H. Asplundh; Peter M. Buss; Daniel W. Goodenough, Secretary; Daniel W. Heinrichs; B. David Holm; Ormond de C. Odhner; Martin Pryke; Norbert H. Rogers; Donald L. Rose; Erik Sandstrom; Douglas M. Taylor.
"General Church of the New Jerusalem"
(A corporation of Pennsylvania)
OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION
Right Rev. Willard D. Pendleton, President Right Rev. Louis B. King, Vice President Mr. Stephen Pitcairn, Secretary Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Treasurer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CORPORATION
Rt. Rev. Willard D, Pendleton; Rt. Rev. Louis B. King; Mr. E. Boyd Asplundh; Mr. Robert H. Asplundh; Mr. Theodore W. Brickman, Jr.; Mr. William W. Buick; Mr. Geoffrey Cooper; Mr. George M. Cooper; Mr. Robert I. Coulter; Mr. Grant R. Doering; Mr. Bruce E. Elder; Mr. Charles P. Gyllenhaal; Mr. Leonard E. Gyllenhaal; Mr. James F. Junge; Mr. Alexander H. Lindsay; Mr. Willard R. Mansfield; Mr. Gordon C. Morey; Mr. H. Keith Morley; Mr. Stephen Pitcairn; Mr. Jerome V. Sellner; Mr. S. Brian Simons; Mr. B. Dean Smith; Mr. Gordon B. Smith; Mr. Robert A. Smith; Mr. Leo Synnestvedt; Mr. Alfred A. Umberger; Mr. Walter L. Williamson; Mr. John H. Wyncoll; Mr. Robert F. Zecher. Honorary Life Member: Right Rev. George de Charms.
Council of the Clergy
Bishops
PENDLETON, WILLARD DANDRIDGE. Ordained June 18, 1933; 2nd Degree, September 12, 1934; 3rd Degree, June 19, 1946. Bishop of the General Church.
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Chancellor of the Academy of the New Church. Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. ACTON, ELMO CARMAN. Ordained June 14, 1925; 2nd Degree, August 5, 1928; 3rd Degree, June 4, 1967. Special teacher of Theology and Religion, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. DE CHARMS, GEORGE. Ordained June 28, 1913; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1916; 3rd Degree, March 11, 1928. Bishop Emeritus of the General Church. President Emeritus of the Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. KING, LOUIS BLAIR. Ordained June 19, 1951; 2nd Degree, April 19, 1953; 3rd Degree, November 5, 1972. Assistant Bishop of the General Church. President of the Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009.
Pastors
ACTON, ALFRED. Ordained June 19, 1964; 2nd Degree, October 30, 1966. Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois. President of the Midwestern Academy of the New Church. Headmaster of the Immanuel Church School. Address: 73 Park Drive, Glenview, Illinois 60025 ASPLUNDH, KURT HORIGAN. Ordained June 19, 1960; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1962. Dean of the Bryn Athyn Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. BOYESEN, BJORN ADOLPH HILDEMAR. Ordained June 19, 1939; 2nd Degree, March 30, 1941. Pastor of the Colchester Society. Address: 30 Inglis Road, Colchester, C03 3HU, England. BOYESEN, RAGNAR. Ordained June 19, 1972; 2nd Degree, June 17, 1973. Pastor of the Stockholm Society. Visiting Pastor of the Copenhagen, Jonkoping and Oslo Circles. Editor of Nova Ecclesia. Address: Aladdinsv?gen 27, 161 38 Bromma, Sweden. BUSS, PETER MARTIN. Ordained June 19, 1964; 2nd Degree, May 16, 1965. Pastor of the Durban Society. Address: 42 Pitlochry Road, Westville, Natal, Republic of South Africa. CHILDS, GEOFFREY STAFFORD. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1954. Pastor of the Detroit Society. Address: 280 E. Long Lake Road, Troy, Michigan 48084. COLE, ROBERT HUDSON PENDLETON. Ordained June 16, 1963; 2nd Degree, October 30, 1966. Pastor of Sharon Church, Chicago. Address: 5220 North Wayne Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604. CRANCH, HAROLD COVERT. Ordained June 19, 1941; 2nd Degree, October 25, 1942. Pastor of the Olivet Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Address: 2 Lorraine Gardens, Islington, Ontario, Canada M9B 4Z4. FRANSON, ROY. Ordained June 19, 1953; 2nd Degree, January 29, 1956. Pastor of South West District, resident in Tucson, Az. Address: 8416 East Kenyon Dr., Tucson, Az. 85710. GLADISH, MICHAEL DAVID. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd Degree, June 30, 1974. Pastor of the Hurstville Society. Address: 26 Dudley Street, Penshurst, New South Wales, Australia 2222. GLADISH, VICTOR JEREMIAH. Ordained June 17, 1928; 2nd Degree, August 5, 1928. Address: 3508 Linneman Street, Glenview, Illinois 60025. GOODENOUGH, DANIEL WEBSTER. Ordained June 19, 1965; 2nd Degree, December 10,1967.
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Instructor in Religion and History, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. HEINRICHS, DANIEL WINTHROP. Ordained June 19, 1957; 2nd Degree, April 6, 1958. Pastor of the Ohio District, resident in Cleveland, Ohio. Address: 1194 Belle Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107. HEINRICHS, HENRY. Ordained June 24, 1923; 2nd Degree, February 8, 1925. Address: R. R. 2, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5. HEINRICHS, WILLARD LEWIS DAVENPORT. Ordained June 19, 1965; 2nd Degree, January 26, 1969. Superintendent of the South African Mission. Visiting Pastor to the Transvaal Circle and isolated members and groups in South Africa. Address: 30 Perth Road, Westville, Natal, Republic of South Africa. HOLM, BERNARD DAVID. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd Degree, January 27, 1957. Director, General Church Religion Lessons and Instructor in Religion in the Bryn Athyn Church Elementary School. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. HOWARD, GEOFFREY HORACE. Ordained June 19, 1961; 2nd Degree, June 2, 1963. Pastor of the Los Angeles Society. Visiting Pastor to San Francisco. Address: 5114 Fine-hill Ave., La Crescenta, Calif. 91214. JUNGE, ROBERT SCHILL. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd Degree, August 11, 1957. Instructor in Religion and Education, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. KLINE, THOMAS LEROY. Ordained June 10, 1973; 2nd Degree, June 15, 1975. Visiting Pastor to the Southeastern District, resident in Atlanta, Georgia. Address: 3795 Montford Drive, Decalb County, Ga. 30341. NEMITZ, KURT PAUL. Ordained June 16, 1963; 2nd Degree, March 27, 1966. Visiting Pastor of the Central Western District, resident in Denver, Colorado. Address: 3118 S. York St., Englewood, Colo. 80110. ODHNER, ORMOND DE CHARMS. Ordained June 19, 1940; 2nd Degree, October 11, 1942. Professor of Church History and Instructor in Religion, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. PENDLETON, DANDRIDGE. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1954. Principal of the Boys School, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. PRYKE, MARTIN. Ordained June 19, 1940; 2nd Degree, March 1, 1942. Acting Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE and Instructor of Homiletics and Religion, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. REUTER, NORMAN HAROLD. Ordained June 17, 1928; 2nd Degree, June 15, 1930. Address: 506 Anne Street, Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19006. RICH, MORLEY DYCKMAN. Ordained June 19, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 13, 1940. Address: 2924 Orchard Lane, Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19006. ROGERS, NORBERT HENRY. Ordained June 19, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 13, 1940. Secretary of the General Church. Secretary of the Council of the Clergy. Chairman, General Church Translation Committee. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. ROSE, DONALD LESLIE. Ordained June 16, 1957; 2nd Degree, June 23, 1963. Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society. Address: 7420 Ben Hur Streeet, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15208. ROSE, FRANK SHIRLEY. Ordained June 19, 1952; 2nd Degree, August 2, 1953. Pastor of the Carmel Church, Caryndale, Ontario. Address: R.R. 2, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2G 3W5. SANDSTROM, ERIK. Ordained June 10, 1934; 2nd Degree, August 4, 1935. Dean of the Theological School, Professor of Theology and Religion, Academy of the New Church. Visiting Pastor to the Erie (Pennsylvania) Circle. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009.
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SANDSTROM, ERIK EMANUEL. Ordained May 23, 1971; 2nd Degree, May 21, 1972. Pastor of Michael Church, London, England. Visiting Pastor to the Circles in Paris and The Hague. Address: 135 Mantilla Road, Tooting, London, S. W. 17, 8DX, England. SCHNARR, FREDERICK LAURIER. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd Degree, May 12, 1957. Pastor of the Washington, D. C., Society. Address: 3809 Enterprise Road, Mitchellville, Md. 20716. SIMONS, DAVID RESTYN. Ordained June 19, 1948; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1950. Assistant Pastor of the Immanuel Church. Principal of the Midwestern Academy. Visiting Pastor to the Madison Circle. Address: 2700 Park Lane, Glenview, Illinois 60025. SMITH, CHRISTOPHER RONALD JACK. Ordained June 19, 1969; 2nd Degree, May 9, 1971. Visiting Pastor to the Pacific Northwest, resident in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada. Address: 1536 94th Ave., Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada V1G 1H1. SONESON, LORENTZ RAY. Ordained June 16, 1963; 2nd Degree, May 16, 1965. Pastor of the New England, New York and Northern New Jersey District, resident in Connecticut. Address: 145 Shadyside Lane, Milford, Connecticut 06460. STROH, KENNETH OLIVER. Ordained June 19, 1948; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1950. Director of Music, Bryn Athyn Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. TAYLOR, DOUGLAS MCLEOD. Ordained June 19, 1960; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1962. Assistant Dean of the Bryn Athyn Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009.
Ministers
ALDEN, GLENN GRAHAM. Ordained June 19, 1974. Minister to Florida District, resident in Miami, Florida. Address: 211 N. W. 150th Street, Miami, Florida 33168. CARLSON, MARK ROBERT. Ordained June 10, 1973. Instructor in Religion, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. FIGUEIREDO, JOSE LOPES DE. Ordained October 24, 1965. Minister to the Rio de Janeiro Society, Brazil. Address: Rua Desembargador Izidro 155, Apt. 202, Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. LARSEN, OTTAR TR?SVIK. Ordained June 19, 1974. Assistant to the Pastor of the Olivet Church, Toronto, Canada. Visiting Minister to the Montreal Circle. Address: 73 Haliburton Ave., Islington, Ontario, Canada M9B 4Y6. ROGERS, NORBERT BRUCE. Ordained January 12, 1969. Instructor in Religion, Latin and Hebrew, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. ROSE, PATRICK ALAN. Ordained June 19, 1975. Assistant to the Pastor of the Immanuel Church, and visiting minister to the Twin-Cities Circle. Address: 73A Park Drive, Glenview, Illinois 60025.
Associate Member
WEISS, JAN HUGO. Ordained June 19, 1955; 2nd Degree, May 12, 1957. Address: 2650 Del Vista Drive, Hacienda Heights, Calif. 91745.
Authorized Candidates
CLIFFORD, WILLIAM HARRISON. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. KEITH, BRIAN WALTER. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009.
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South African Mission
Pastors
BUTELEZI, STEPHAN EPHRAIM. Ordained September 11, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Address: 1118 North Rd., Clermont Township. P. O. Clernaville, Natal. MBEDZI, PAULUS. Ordained March 23, 1958; 2nd Degree, March 14, 1965. Resident Pastor of the Hambrook Society, Visiting Pastor of the Balfour Society, the Greylingstad Society, and the Rietfontain Group. Address: Hambrook Bantu School, P.B. 9912, Ladysmith, Natal 3370. MBATHA, BHEKUYISE ALFRED. Ordained June 27, 1971; 2nd Degree, June 23, 1974. Resident Pastor of the Kwa Mashu Society, Visting Pastor of the Impaphala Society and the Dondotha Group. Address: P. O. Box 11, Kwa Mashu, Natal 4360. NZIMANDE, BENJAMIN ISHMAEL. Ordained August 21, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Assistant Superintendent, Resident Pastor of the Clermont Society, Visiting Pastor of the Enkumba Society. Pastor in charge of the Alexandra Society, the Mofolo Society, and the Tembisa Group. Address: 170131st Avenue, Clermont Township, P. O. Clernaville, Natal 3602. ZUNGU, AARON. Ordained August 21, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Mission Translator. Visiting Pastor of the Umlazi Group. Address: 2102 Main Avenue, Clermont Township, P. O. Clernaville, Natal.
Minister
NKABINDE, PETER PIET. Ordained June 23, 1974. Assistant to the Rev. B. I. Nzimande, Resident Minister to the Alexandra Society. Visiting Minister to the 'Mofolo Society, the Quthing Society, and the Tembisa Group. Address: P. O. Box 56, Bergvlei, Johannesburg, Transvaal, 2012.
Societies and Circles
Societies Pastor BRYN ATHYN CHURCH Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton Rev. Kurt H. Asplundh (Dean) CARMEL CHURCH OF KITCHENER, ONTARIO Rev. Frank S. Rose COLCHESTER SOCIETY, ENGLAND Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen DETROIT SOCIETY, MICHIGAN Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs DURBAN SOCIETY, NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA Rev. Peter M. Buss HURSTVILLE SOCIETY, N.S.W., AUSTRALIA Rev. Michael D. Gladish IMMANUEL CHURCH, GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS Rev. Alfred Acton LOS ANGELES SOCIETY, CALIFORNIA Rev. Geoffrey H. Howard MICHAEL CHURCH, LONDON, ENGLAND Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom OLIVET CHURCH, TORONTO, ONTARIO Rev. Harold C. Cranch PITTSBURGH SOCIETY Rev. Donald L. Rose RIO DE JANEIRO SOCIETY, BRAZIL Rev. Jose Lopes de Figueiredo SHARON CHURCH, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Rev. Robert H. P. Cole STOCKHOLM SOCIETY, SWEDEN Rev. Ragnar Boyesen WASHINGTON SOCIETY, D. C. Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr
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Circles Visiting Pastor or Minister AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND Rev. Michael D. Gladish BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS Rev. Lorentz R. Soneson COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Rev. Ragnar Boyesen DAWSON CREEK, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA Rev. Christopher R. J. Smith (Resident) DENVER, COLORADO Rev. Kurtz P. Nemitz (Resident) ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA Rev. Erik Sandstrom FORT WORTH, TEXAS Rev. Kurt P. Nemitz THE HAGUE, HOLLAND Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom JONKOPING, SWEDEN Rev. Ragnar Boyesen MADISON, WISCONSIN Rev. Robert H. P. Cole MIAMI, FLORIDA Rev. Glenn G. Alden (Resident) MONTREAL, CANADA Rev. Ottar T. Larsen NORTH JERSEY Rev. Lorentz R. Soneson NORTH OHIO Rev. Daniel W. Heinrichs (Resident) OSLO, NORWAY Rev. Ragnar Boyesen PARIS, FRANCE Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom ST. PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA Rev. Patrick A. Rose SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Rev. Roy Franson SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Rev. Geoffrey H. Howard SOUTH OHIO Rev. Daniel W. Heinrichs TRANSVAAL, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Rev. Willard L. D. Heinrichs TUCSON, ARIZONA Rev. Roy Franson (Resident)
In order to avoid confusion, it seems well to observe, in the official records and the official journal of the General Church, the recognized distinctions between a "Society," a "Circle," and a "Group." A "Group" consists of all interested receivers of the Heavenly Doctrine in any locality who meet together for worship and instruction under the general supervision of pastors who visit them from time to time. A "Circle" consists of members of the General Church in any locality, who are under the leadership of a regular visiting pastor appointed by the Bishop, and who are organized by their pastor to take responsibility for their local uses in the interim between his visits. A Group may become a Circle when, on the recommendation of the visiting pastor, it is formally recognized as such by the Bishop. A "Society" or local "Church" consists of the members of the General Church in any locality who have been organized under the leadership of a resident pastor to maintain the uses of regular worship, instruction and social life. A Circle may become a Society by application to the Bishop and formal recognition by him. WILLARD D. PENDLETON Bishop
Committees of the General Church
Chairman General Church Extension Committee Rev. B. David Holm General Church Publication Committee Rev. Norbert H. Rogers
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General Church Religion Lessons Committee Rev. B. David Holm Orphanage Committee Mr. Leonard E. Gyllenhaal Pension Committee Mr. Garthowen Pitcairn Revolving Building Fund Committee Mr. Leonard E. Gyllenhaal Salary Committee Mr. Theodore W. Brickman, Jr. Sound Recording Committee Rev. B. David Holm Translation Committee Visual Rev. Norbert H. Rogers Education Committee Rev. B. David Holm
Address all committees, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009 except the following:
Mr. Theodore W. Brickman, Jr. 1211 Gladish Lane, Glenview, Ill. 60025. Mr. Garthowen Pitcairn 600 Woodard Drive, Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19006.
CHURCH NEWS BARBARA FORFAR WIEBE 1975
CARYNDALE, ONTARIO
If the health of a society can be assessed by the number of events crowding the calendar, then this society could be given a clean bill of health. But important as our activities, doctrines, uses and organizations are, we are constantly aware that the real challenge confronting us as individuals is to draw from our varied programs the enrichment, instruction and inspiration necessary to improve the quality of our lives. We have had a useful and enjoyable year highlighted by two Episcopal visits. Bishop Pendleton "dropped in" last October on an ordinary weekend, gave the Friday doctrinal class, preached a memorable sermon on use, presided at a meeting of the directors of the General Church in Canada, Incorporated, and met for an hour and a half with the Joint Council of the Carmel Church. His visit meant gentle leadership and wise counsel on a relaxed and informal weekend. Bishop King was here in March to address the Sons Ladies' Night Banquet-an exhilarating occasion attended by a huge crowd who responded warmly to his own warmth and sincerity. As Executive Vice President of the Academy, Bishop King discussed the present state of the Academy, outlining some of the new directions being contemplated, and inviting us to communicate to him any of our concerns about the Academy. Bishop King also gave the doctrinal class on Friday evening and preached on Sunday-Palm Sunday. His talk to the children at that service was so vivid that he made us all feel part of the throng standing there on the cobblestones of Jerusalem waving palms and shouting "Hosannah." A rich variety of courses and classes were offered last year. On Tuesday evenings students of the Divine Love and Wisdom met in various homes for study and discussion; there was a Parents Workshop held for those interested in gaining new insights into the special skills we all require to be effective parents, teachers and counselors; Friday classes on Divine Providence continued-stimulating as ever; the pastor conducted a Leadership Course designed to encourage fuller, freer and more confident participation in all of our society discussions; be organized and ran a workshop on presenting the church to others; and finally, if one could not get to any of these, there were Scripture Study-cum-Coffee Break classes almost every Wednesday morning.
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These last, stimulating and well attended, have now run for two years. In that time we have read, systematically, about twelve chapters at a time, all the books of the Word from Genesis to the Second Book of Kings, including, in connection with Solomon, Proverbs. Next year we plan to continue reading the books of the Word, plus those books that Swedenborg notes have value for the church. Those who attend these classes find that disciplined reading significantly heightens our response to all of our classes and sermons. What more delightful way is there to enjoy a coffee break? Last year Mr. Rose undertook the Herculean task of personally interviewing every member of the congregation to determine what concerns we have as members of the society, what our concerns for its future are, and to provide him with additional insights into how best to meet the needs of a society composed of individuals, different in many respects. The interviews took more than a year to complete and Mr. Rose reports that he is very optimistic about the future of our society; he notes that our various problems and concerns are capable of solution if we can talk about them openly in a spirit of charity. 156 people were interviewed, including every member of the Carmel Church living within a 20-mile radius of Kitchener. Of interest too is the fact that approximately 60% of our membership lives in Caryndale. The concept of periodic personal interviews with the pastor is a useful one. It gives everybody access to the pastor's ear, and, he reports, provides him with a pastoral overview which is useful indeed. April is Missionary Month in Caryndale and this year the Rev. Harold Cranch came down from Toronto on four successive Fridays, gave three illustrated talks, and showed and commented upon the fine film: "Helen Keller." These evenings were well attended although we were, not exactly inundated with visitors, but those who did come enjoyed the presentations and Mr. Cranch's interesting commentary. We have found that the success of these missionary meetings depends not so much on advertising, as on the personal invitations issued by our own members. Our splendid hockey team-Team Caryndale-was active all winter preparing for the big game against the Bryn Athyn (Old Men's) Hockey Team held in Bryn Athyn on March 15. A formidable bus load of stalwart players, loyal wives, and cheering fans travelled to Bryn Athyn on the 14th under ghastly road and weather conditions, which totally accounts for the 6-3 loss our team sustained at the hands of the B. A. Old Men-that, and the fact that their old men were a lot younger than our old men. Anyway, our visitors were royally entertained in Bryn Athyn, a marvellous time was had by all, and the series is all evened-up: a '74 win for Team Caryndale; a '75 win for Bryn Athyn. This being International Woman's Year, Mr. Rose thought it appropriate to ask the women to take responsibility for our June 19th Banquet. Five beautifully gowned and corsaged women gave the traditional toasts, and we were much enriched by the thoughtful, courageous and inspirational papers given by Joey Odhner Kuhl, Vivian Kuhl Riepert and our special guest from the Olivet Church, Patsy Frazee Raymond. To quote The Carmel Church Chronicle report, the banquet "was a moving New Church Day celebration . . . [which] sparkled with feminine warmth and affection." And because I had the great pleasure of acting as toastmaster, it was also a highlight of my life. At this writing Caryndale is vibrating with summer activity. Visitors keep pouring in; our evening baseball program is underway; we had a happy and athletic Canada Day celebration on July 1st; Candidate and Mrs. Bill Clifford are here to relieve Mr. Rose, who for the first time in his ministry is taking the summer off. He has been advised by the Bishop to take a holiday. Under no circumstances is he to use the time to organize an Eskimo or Arctic Academy! Maple Leaf Academy was a huge success again this year judging from the reports of all the young people who filtered through Caryndale last month. Two new houses are under construction in the older sections of the community, which means that of the 45 already established lots, only six remain to be built on.
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Eighteen new half-acre house sites are presently being opened up. Since April the area has been crawling with massive earthmovers, surveyors, dump trucks, bulldozers, and assorted interested adults and children. The new road is cut, water pipes by the yard are in and the hydroelectric lines are to follow. Our joy at the prospect of new families moving in to Caryndale simply cannot be diminished by a spark of noise and a speck of dust. Any day now at least three families will start to build in the new area reminding us that building the church in our community, as in our hearts, is an ongoing process. We now have bus service-the limited services of a Dial-a-Bus, which, when called like a taxi, will pick up Caryndale passengers and transport them to our nearest shopping center. There it is possible to transfer to other city routes. We understand the service will be continued beyond a six month trial period if warranted. We hope it is because many of our residents are greatly enjoying the freedom of mobility the bus provides. BARBARA FORFAR WIEBE
1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS All ex-students, members of the General Church and friends of the Academy are invited to attend the 59th Charter Day Exercises, to be held in Bryn Athyn, Pa. Friday and Saturday, October 24th and 25th, 1975. The Program:
Friday 11 a.m., Cathedral Service with an address by the Rev. Alfred Acton II. Friday afternoon-Football game. Friday Evening-Dance. Saturday, 7 p.m., Banquet, Toastmistress: Miss Sally J. Smith.
CANADIAN ASSEMBLY 1975
The Third Canadian National Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held in Islington (Toronto), Ontario, Friday, October 17, to Sunday, October 19, 1975, the Right Reverend Willard D. Pendleton, Bishop of the General Church, presiding.
CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY 1975
The Fifth California District Assembly* will be held in La Crescenta, California, Friday, October 31, to Sunday, November 2, 1975, the Right Reverend Louis B. King, Assistant Bishop of the General Church, presiding. * Formerly referred to as the Western District Assembly (see NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1966, page 96).
ORDINATIONS 1975
Kline.-At Mitchellville, Maryland, June 15, 1975, the Rev. Thomas L. Kline into the second degree of the priesthood, the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton officiating. Rose.-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, June 19, 1975, Candidate Patrick Alan Rose into the first degree of the priesthood, the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton officiating.
CORRECTION 1975
Neuhaus.-In the record of the baptisms of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald L. Neuhaus and their son, Christian Emmanuel Odin Sanvidge, in the July, 1975 issue, page 332, their name was incorrectly spelled.
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PLEDGE Rev. LOUIS B. KING 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV OCTOBER, 1975 No. 10 When thou dost lend thy neighbor any manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his house, to fetch his pledge. Thou shalt stand without, and the man to whom thou dost lend shalt bring forth the pledge without unto thee. (Deuteronomy 24: 10-11)
Freedom of choice is the image of the Divine in man. Nothing is more sacred to him or distinctly his own than the ability and the will to respond to life's forces as of self. A free and reasoned response is the pledge of human character, of the will and the understanding united, which man (by regeneration) brings out of the house of his human mind to return freely to the Lord. When we share with our fellow man an idea based on some truth from revelation or nature, we are acting as a medium through whom the Lord upbuilds the character of another. All that the Lord gives to man He gives through man. But in so giving let us guard zealously the recipient's freedom to accept or reject. It is our right to present the truth forcefully, to reinforce it with every reasoned conviction of the rational faculty; but never are we to trespass upon the domain of his free election. His sacred right is to consider and reconsider Our offering. He must decide for himself, and such a decision involves not only reasoned reflection but conscientious willing. Love is the life of man. It resides in his will and we, no matter how convinced of the truth and goodness of our offering, must not intrude our convictions upon another's will or try in any way to control his choice. The ancient law of the pledge given by the Lord through Moses to the children of Israel illustrates the regard we should have for the freedom of others.
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The lender (the benefactor) was not to set foot in the house of the borrower to obtain a pledge for his loan. The borrower was to be in complete freedom to accept or reject the terms of the loan and he was guaranteed the privacy of his home to so consider. If he decided to receive the loan, he would bring out to the lender a pledge, a verbal or written contract, or perhaps a valued article as collateral. So do we in our own age become spiritual lenders and borrowers to each other' "Here is the truth as I see it" we say to our fellows. "This, I would suggest, is the right action in your situation. Think about it! See if it is not the way of use and hence in keeping with the Lord's will." So should we lend our counsel to our friends? And if they consider and accept it, their will's consent becomes a pledge, a pledge of love, of life and, therefore, a pledge to be made in utter freedom in the privacy of their own heart. How wrong on our part is it to employ coercion, to use the subtle pressure of position, wealth, or family tie to transgress the boundary of free choice. God Himself, whose love would save all and whose wisdom would erase all disorder and avoid all mistaken choice, will not interfere with the free volition of His creatures. The necessity of making a choice and the direction of that choice we may urgently, advocate to another. With skill, perception and the most unselfish motive we may implore the will of another and woo his reason. Yet we are not to enter the house of his will. We are to stand patiently, sympathetically outside and receive his pledge at his hand. With little children, who have not as yet come into their own right of adult reason and willing, parents must act as their conscience in many things. But the whole effort of right education is to open the mind by knowledges from without and, at the same time, promote and protect the implantation of remains from within, so that one day adult rationality will become a reality, and with it freedom of choice in selecting spiritual values. The fervent hope is that our young people will pledge their love and support for the things of the church. And the church in turn will minister to their individual needs, warning against sin, exhorting to repentance, inspiring use, and above all imparting a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Divine Humanity. If this vision becomes their vision, and if they pledge a new life in accordance with it, the church will fulfill its purpose; yet while the decision is in the making the church also must stand without. It must not compel! It is difficult for parents and teachers to recognize and respect the maturing judgment and freedom of young adults.
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Particularly where parental care has been faithful and fervent, where companionship has been intimate and sympathetic, where spiritual love has yearned, labored and sacrificed for the right decision-suddenly parents find themselves standing outside awaiting the opened door and the pledge. Though lingering parental love would prompt us to decide for them, though we would still shelter them from any hurt, deliver them from temptation, yea prevent them from wrong decisions, we must heed the command, "Thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. Thou shalt stand without." And if we find difficulty in releasing these reins of freedom let us reflect upon the relationship that our Heavenly Father maintains towards us. It is His law that man shall be a free agent in spiritual things, and He faithfully, with patience, honors that law. Think of the Divine love! Ponder its excellence and its patience. It creates the kingdom of nature a theater representative of Divine love and wisdom; then man out of the dust of the ground, in the image and likeness of God, a living receptacle of love, capable of sensating love as life, and returning-freely returning-it and its glorious blessings of delight to others. Finite man-ponder him also the culminating end and purpose of prior creation! And if man's formation was the Lord's goal, how overwhelming must be the endeavor of that Divine love to possess the human heart. Yet what a testimony to the inviolability and sanctity of the heart's freedom that God will not possess it-the heart-except under these conditions, "Behold I stand at the door and knock! If any man will hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with Me." What fabulous economy the Lord employed in setting the cosmic scene for finite man to receive the Divine life, feel it as if his own and thus return it freely and spontaneously. The kingdom of nature was fashioned first as a substantial origin and source of substance for his physical body. The mental faculties and capacities were next given and ordered that the Divine might enter into man, be recognized, loved and obeyed. Everything conceivably useful and beneficial to man's acceptance of the Lord and subsequent happiness, the Heavenly Father has provided from the beginning. Yet never once in all the history of the human race has the Lord ever interfered with man's freedom, or even hinted at the coercion of his thoughts. Man is free ever to disbelieve in his Maker, to doubt the existence of law and order, even to scorn the suggestion of any ultimate reality or absolute value outside of subjective whim or objective sensation.
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Man is totally free to reject the Lord, together with any or all affection for Him or appreciation of what the Lord has done or given for the sake of human happiness. And the Lord, the Heavenly Father, stands patiently outside-infinitely desirous of a pledge. And if it is not forthcoming, the Divine love will never cease its giving, nor its willing, nor its merciful forgiving. Life, liberty, rationality and indefinite opportunities to receive and use these Divine gifts wisely will continue to be man's inalienable endowment. The Lord will never cut them off. More generous than this, the blessing of free choice, to be one's self and develop one's own eternal character by bringing forth or refusing the pledge of affirmation, will never be denied man by the Lord. Only man denies himself this privilege. Spiritual freedom must come with humility-humility born of apparent defeat in the regenerative combats of daily living. Surely we would shield our adult loved ones from the sad consequence of misjudgment and misconduct. And do we not seek to avoid these pitfalls ourselves? Yet character is formed through permissions of evil. The mistakes made when insisting upon our own way, for ourselves and for others, often awaken in us a realization of our desperate need for the Lord's help. Adversity, humility, even despair, help to break the persuasive of self-love so that the prison doors of proprial life may be opened and we may step out into the sunlight of righteousness, to offer our pledge to the Lord. The Lord alone lives; the Lord gives others to live from Himself; the Lord reveals His truth, to guide that life; the Lord bows the heavens and comes down that man may be free. And the providence of that infinite love is seen in the specific choice of faith and conduct, which each man makes for himself, assisted but never coerced by the Lord. The private judgment and motivation of his inner heart, made in the silent seclusion of his own house, is the pledge of love, which the Lord seeks from His children. When infants are baptized, parents stand in the presence of the Lord and offer a pledge in behalf of their charge. The promises made are awesome, profound and moving. At the time there is inspiration and hope that the Lord's kingdom in the heavens will come down into the hearts of these little ones so that they may ripen into fruitful New Churchmen. Parents may offer every assistance in preparation towards the day of this fulfillment, but when the issue is at hand they must stand without, waiting, hoping, praying for love's pledge. And when the pledge is given, it is given not to parents, though on the occasion they rejoice from inmost love and gratitude, but it is given to the Lord, who is the Life, the Truth and the Way; and who has stood faithfully by, knowing, observing (better than anyone else) the law of the pledge. "When thou dost lend they neighbor any manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
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Thou shalt stand without and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring forth the pledge!" Amen.
LESSONS: Deuteronomy 24: 1-22; Luke 15: 11-32; New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 141143. MUSIC: Liturgy, pages 474, 448, 482, 438. PRAYERS: Liturgy, nos. 117, 118.
LIFE AND DEATH Rev. GEOFFREY S. CHILDS 1975
The Lord opened Swedenborg's spiritual eyes, to show us that when the body dies, man goes on living in another world. Spiritual life after death is the theme of the Word. Yet how many believe it? How often do we believe it? The Lord writes, through His scribe: I can assert that man, as soon as he dies, is in the other life, and lives a spirit among spirits; and that he then appears to himself and all others precisely as a man in the world, endowed with every sense, both internal and external; thus that the death of the body is only the casting away of such things as had served for use and function in the world; and, moreover, that death itself is a continuation of life, but in another world. . . . I speak yet and have spoken with almost all whom I have known in the world, and are dead; with some, after two or three days after their death. Most of them are highly indignant that they had not believed that any life would remain after death.* * AC 8939: 2, 3. It is said that "most of the learned are amazed, when, after death, they see themselves in a body."* The negative principle, which is reasoning from the senses about all things, does not believe in spiritual life. It does not believe it exists. This negative principle is a creed among the learned who are conceited-among those who have no humility. It therefore astonishes them to see that they are still alive after earthly death. Some of the simple, it is said, are terrified by this reality-that is, those among the simple who had thought of ghosts being spiritual beings. Fright and death had gone together in their mind and, thinking from the senses, life after death had to be ghostlike and even terrifying. This because such life is above sense thinking, and because nearly everyone is terrified of death. From sense thinking, death is thought of as the final abandonment-man is deserted.
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There is the fright of terminal agony, final terrible pain. And there is the lingering belief that with death everything ends-all is over; life is a nullity. * HH 313. Man defends himself against his fear of death. He jokes about it, or he turns away from thought about it' He deliberately turns away from thinking, about it because it makes him uncomfortable. When those he is very close to, his parents or partner or those in his family, die then he or she has to think about it. That there is sorrow then is not wrong. Death involves a long parting from the person who has died. It is a last farewell to that person on earth, and long separations are a cause of sadness. Since spiritually those who are closely bound by love do not separate, natural separations by death are a permission. To mourn then for a time is natural. Even celestial people-like those of the Most Ancient Church-have a concern over death because for the husband, for example, it means leaving behind his wife and children for a time. But this is only a passing sadness because they, unlike us, know the reality. Swedenborg was in a unique position. Being present in both worlds, he knew the truth-but of course he could not make people believe it. Belief has to come from good love, not from outward testimony. Therefore Swedenborg was in the sad position of being at funerals of close friends, and not being able to tell their family on earth what was actually going on. Of this he writes:
I have spoken on this subject with some on the very day their bodies were being entombed, who saw through my eyes their own corpse, the coffin, and the funeral ceremony; and they said that they reject that body, which had served them for uses in the world in which they had been, and that they are now living in a body which serves them for uses in the world in which they now are. They also desired me to tell these things to their relatives who were mourning; but it was given me to reply, that if I should do so they would scoff, because what they could not see with their own eyes they would believe to be nothing, and would set down as delusive visions. For men cannot be brought to believe that just as they see one another with their eyes, so spirits see one another with theirs.* * AC 4527:3. Do we have to wait until we die in order really to believe? Are we so natural that to think spiritually is really beyond us? It is beyond our proprium. But, by the grace of God, man is more than his proprium. There are also remains and loves that flow in from the Lord and the angels. But belief is hard even for the good part of man-that part, which he receives from the Lord-unless first man faces his fears and concerns about physical death. Doing this will not erase these fears, but openly facing them will perhaps put them in proper perspective and then perception can flow in with genuine light.
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What are man's fears about death? A noted doctor, who has given this subject much thought, study, and reflection, writes that the fear of death is a far stronger factor in life than man admits to himself. He hides it, because he is afraid to think about it. This doctor writes that to a young child death is vague and frightening. For the slightly older, death is "the stuff of nightmares. It is only after the age of nine or ten that the full implications of death as a permanent state of loss begin to sink in. And by the time a person reaches his mid to late twenties he tends to mark the passage of years in fractions of a lifetime. Thus at age 35, half his life is over, at age 50, two thirds, and so on. He dreads, not only the toll that advancing age is taking of his body, but the ever increasing likelihood of death itself."* Astonishingly, a study has shown that doctors have a greater fear of death than other comparative groups, and professionally very often use euphemisms rather than saying that a person "died." He suggests that defenses against thinking about death are so strong, not only because man fears it, but because man cannot imagine his own death. Therefore the mock and real humor, if it can be called that, that has grown up around death is not just from fear. There is a reality in it. There is something in man that knows he cannot die. The Writings support this that is, they state the Divine truth. Loves within man are the highest reality and they easily survive the death of what is lower, that is the physical body. Because the Lord gives good loves, He makes it so. * "A Doctor Discusses Death . . ." by Dr. Marshall Goldberg, Detroit Magazine, pages 12-16, June 30, 1974, Detroit Free Press. The fears about death are defined as fears of pain, of abandonment, of a last terror. A question much on a dying patient's mind, but seldom asked, is "will there be terminal terror? Will it be very painful? How much will my relationships with my loved ones change?"* There are direct teachings in the Writings that touch on these basic fears. But there are also evidences from medical experience that confirm what the Word teaches. Man needs both because of his doubting make-up. This doctor writes: I find I can help ease the anguish of my dying patients in two ways. Having witnessed not only countless patients die, but some resuscitated from cardiac arrest, I think I now have some inkling of what the last several seconds of life are usually like. How? Because of the well-known fact that even after cessation of the heart beat, it still takes three or four minutes for the brain to die, and certain patients, if questioned early, [cardiac arrest cases revived] . . . can recall and relate what the experience was like. For some it is strangely, surpassingly peaceful. . . . For others, it is somewhat analagous to a stunning blow in the jaw: a scintillating haze, yet, there is always an initial anesthesia.* * Ibid., page 13. 6 Ibid.
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Consulting other doctors, he has found the same experience: that it is almost a rule that there is a mood anesthesia; that many times a great sense of peace is felt. Rather than the annihilation of self, with great terror, there is a strange, surpassing peace. There is also the fact that many patients who are dying talk to those in the other world. To perceive the reality of spiritual life, of spiritual love, what is dead in man must die. This is not playing with words. The Lord said, "Be thou faithful unto death"-until the death of self-love in you "and I will give thee a crown of life."* Again, "He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second death."** The second death refers to yielding to evil loves, and falling into the permanent or second death in hell.*** There is the beautiful teaching: "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth."**** By the dead here are meant "those who have afflicted their souls, crucified their flesh, and suffered temptations."***** * Revelation 2: 10. ** Revelation 2: 11. *** AR 102, 106. **** Revelation 14: 13. ***** AC 639.
No one can perceive the reality of life after death, until he feels deeply the reality of love, of spiritual love. This cannot happen until we "die in the Lord"-until in temptation self-love dies. Then life comes. The fact that inner love gives the perception of eternal life, is seen in what happens near death, and right after death, with every human being. Then man is brought near to certain celestial societies in heaven. These societies are in intense, deep love. Their sphere brings a transcending peace. This is why sometimes at death on earth there is an astonishing calm. And once men do die, that is their bodies die, the celestial angels immediately draw near. They bring with them complete protection, and a calm that knows no comparison-that has in it inmost joy. The spiritual sun, and through this the Lord, shines upon the spirit who has just died and acts as a magnet of irresistible spiritual force, lifting the spirit from the dead physical body and into eternal life. The states, which follow, are revealed-the tremendous joy of discovering the spiritual world, and the wonderful reunions, which then take place. Of further entrance into the new world, for a good man or woman, it is said that he then for the first time begins to live. He discovers life! "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." * * John 11: 25, 26.
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MARRIAGE WITHIN THE CHURCH Rev. GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
The Writings teach that conjugial love is possible only in a marriage between one man and one woman who share a common religious faith. That love however is spiritual in origin and essence. It is a state of mind and an affection of the heart. It must therefore be established with each individual. When so established it may exist, not only with married partners, but also with those who are not married, although its fulfillment is possible only by means of marriage. Traditionally there has been in the Christian Church a general recognition that a religious faith, which is shared, by both husband and wife is important to any happy marriage. Yet how far this belief is stressed has always depended upon the degree to which religion plays a dominant role in the lives of men and women. The Christian Church has always been distinguished from eastern religions in that it has recognized monogamy as the only legitimate form of marriage. Especially in the Catholic Church, the doctrine that mutuality of religious faith is essential to lasting happiness in marriage has been strictly maintained. Among Protestants however, there has been far less concern for this requirement. This is largely because the differences that distinguish various Protestant sects are not regarded as so important. In fact they are becoming more and more obscured, not only because the traditional doctrines of the church are largely neglected as being irrelevant to life in modern society, but also because of increasing stress upon moral and social activities, in the performance of which those of varying faiths may freely cooperate. Of course the central reason for the notable changes in attitude with regard to sex and marriage which have become so obvious in recent years lies in the fact that the Bible is regarded less and less as an authoritative pronouncement of truth from God. Yet, in spite of this evident decline in Christian faith there still remains a widespread belief that marriage involves, not only a legal contract, but also a religious bond. For this reason most Christians still prefer a marriage ceremony solemnized by an ordained minister in a building dedicated to worship, as opposed to a legal marriage performed by a justice of the peace.
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Furthermore, in Christian countries there has always been a high regard for the sanctity of marriage, a deep concern for the protection of the home, and a recognition of the primary responsibility of parents for the care and education of their own children. Especially with the masses, therefore, certain basic truths concerning marriage still survive a continuing erosion of traditional moral standards. Nevertheless, even from the beginning of the Christian Church, the accepted concept of marriage has lacked any recognition of what is spiritual and eternal. Historically, this is because the statement in Matthew 22: 30 * was interpreted literally to mean that there is no marriage in the life after death. It was believed therefore that the contract between husband and wife, even if solemnized by a religious ceremony, was dissolved when one or both of the partners passed into the spiritual world. This is why the phrase "till death do us part" has been introduced into the marriage ritual. We believe that this concept was unavoidable, and that it was permitted in providence because a spiritual idea of conjugial marriage as a union that would endure to eternity, is among those teachings of which the Lord said to His disciples, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."** Although men in general acknowledged that the Word of the Lord, because it contains the wisdom of God Himself, must have infinite depths of meaning, yet its deeper import could not be understood by men at the time of the Lord's advent into the world. This indeed is why it is said of the Lord that "without a parable spake He not unto them."*** It follows from this that when the Lord seemed to deny the existence of marriages in heaven He was speaking a parable. What He really meant is explained in Conjugial Love.**** There we are told that the Lord was speaking of the spiritual marriage which must take place in each individual. This is none other than the conjunction of love with faith, of good with truth, through the performance of a use. To understand this we must carefully note the context in which the Lord's words occur. * "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." ** John 16: 12. *** Mark 4: 34. **** CL 41. The Sadducees were trying to entrap the Lord by making Him appear ridiculous to the multitudes who gladly received His teaching. They themselves did not believe in the resurrection of man after death. They therefore asked Him what would happen in the event that seven brethren in succession took the same woman to wife, and all died without issue. This would be in accord with the levirate law.* According to this precept of Moses, if a married man should die childless, his brother should marry his widow, and raise up a son who would be regarded as his heir.
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In the hypothetical case they proposed, "Which," they asked, "of the seven brethren would be the husband in heaven of the woman whom they all had married?" The answer given by the Lord is explained in number 41 of Conjugial Love referred to above. Its teaching is so important that we shall quote it in its entirety.
SPIRITUAL NUPTIALS ARE MEANT BY THE LORD'S WORDS THAT AFTER THE RESURRECTION THEY ARE NOT GIVEN IN MARRIAGE.
There are two things, which the Lord taught by these words: first, that man rises again after death; and second, that in heaven they are not given in marriage. That man rises again after death He taught by saying that God is not the God of the dead but of the living, and that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are living. He also taught the same in the parable of the rich man in hell and of Lazarus in heaven (Luke 16: 22-31). The second point, that in heaven they are not given in marriage, He taught by the statement that those who are accounted worthy to attain to another age neither marry nor are given in marriage. That here no other nuptials are meant than spiritual nuptials is very evident from the words that immediately follow: that they cannot die any more because they are like unto angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. By spiritual nuptials are meant conjunction with the Lord. This is effected on earth, and when effected on earth it is effected in heaven also. Therefore in heaven they are not again married and given in marriage. This is also meant by the words, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but they which are accounted worthy to attain to another age, neither marry nor are given in marriage." They are also called by the Lord "sons of the nuptials" (Matthew 9: 15; Mark 2: 19); and in the present passage, "angels," "sons of God," and "sons of the resurrection." That marrying means being conjoined with the Lord, and that entering into marriage means being received into heaven by the Lord, is clear from the following passages: Matthew 22: 1-14; Matthew 25: 1-seq. From verse 13 of that chapter, where it is said, "Watch, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh," it is evident that by the bridegroom the Lord meant Himself. Also from the Apocalypse 19: 7, 9. That there is a spiritual meaning in each and every word which the Lord spoke is fully shown in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning the Sacred Scripture, published in Amsterdam in the year 1763. By the "spiritual marriage" as we have already said, is meant the conjunction of good and truth. This takes place in man's interior natural mind. It is affected by the life of religion, that is, by a life based on the acknowledgment of God, by a belief in the holiness of the Word, and by a conscientious observance in everyday life of whatever one believes to be the law of God. For all who attain to adult age this marriage must take place on earth, and at the same time in the inner spirit of man that lives after death. Of this marriage the Sadducees knew nothing. To them marriage was a contract that was terminated when one or both of the partners died. Such a marriage cannot continue after death because there is in it no spiritual or eternal bond. Therefore the Lord said of this kind of marriage that it does not exist in, heaven.
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That true love is eternal is acknowledged by man from common perception. Every bride and bridegroom who love one another hope that their love may never end. The thought of its ending is cause for deep sadness because it is to them the most precious thing in life. What, indeed, would heaven be without it? Yet if it is to endure to eternity, husband and wife must be united by a religious conscience, which they have in common. Not otherwise can they be conjoined as to souls and minds than by striving together to achieve a spiritual ideal of life, which they both regard as supremely, important to their happiness and well-being. Herein lies the true secret of a marriage in which the first love of the honeymoon may be constantly renewed to grow deeper and stronger to eternity. This is the reason why we are taught in the Heavenly Doctrine that conjugial love goes hand in hand with the life of regeneration. It is not acquired in a moment. It is not identical with "falling in love." This may be the result of a purely natural attraction, and if this is so, it will not endure. One may fall in love believing that marriage will surely bring happiness to one's self. If it seems to fail in this, one may fall out of love just as easily as one fell into it. The true love of one's married partner is the most selfless of all human affections, excepting only the true love of God. It causes each partner in marriage to forget self in the constant longing and endeavor to bring happiness to the other partner. Where this is the case, a married couple may endure many trials, disappointments, and seeming failures, and still continue to love one another ever more deeply. This will be true if, in facing the challenges of life, they both strive from religious conscience to overcome every temptation induced by the natural loves of self and the world. These, like the poor "are always with us." A marriage between one man and one woman who belong to any Christian religious sect, the teaching of which is sincerely believed by both partners, and which is conscientiously lived in application to everyday duties and responsibilities, may be of eternal duration. This is recognized by man from common perception, and is attested by poetry and literature wherein the inmost longings of the human heart are openly expressed. Yet we are told in the Writings that in the modern Christian world, true conjugial love is extremely rare, and for the most part men do not even know that it exists.* It is a new kind of love which has been made possible by the revelation of the Lord at His second advent through the theological writings of His servant Emanuel Swedenborg. It is therefore one of those things to which the Lord referred when He said, "Behold I make all things new."**
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It is distinguished from the marriage love which is common to the first Christian Church, by an acknowledgment and worship of the Lord as He appears in His glorified Human through the Heavenly Doctrine, by a love of the spiritual truth that has hitherto been concealed within the literal sense of the Word, but which is now made available to man's rational understanding, and by a life according to a religious conscience formed by that spiritual truth. We would stress the fact that such a conscience cannot be inherited from parents or come from teachers by instruction. The conscience of children and young people is always imposed from without. It is adopted by the learner because of confidence in those who teach. It is never more than a traditional faith, which may be acknowledged without being interiorly understood. It may be accepted from affection or from loyalty to one's family, school or church; but it does not satisfy one's inmost thoughts and feelings. If it is to do this it must be individually understood in a way that is not possible before adult life is reached and one begins to think for himself, apart from his dependence upon the opinions received from others. It must be based on mature reading, reflection, and personal conviction. It must rest upon the authority of no man or body of men, but solely upon the direct teaching of Divine revelation, and thus upon what the Lord Himself says. This need for an individual conscience is just as imperative for those who have grown up within the sphere of the New Church, and whose minds have therefore been molded by the truths of the Heavenly Doctrine, as it is for those who are led to a knowledge of the New Church only after adult age has been reached. Marriage within the church does not mean necessarily, a union between two young people who have been raised in the church. What it does mean is a marriage between a man and a woman, both of whom are willing to approach the Writings with an open mind, and search therein for a common source of Divine instruction by means of which they may gradually form an individual conscience that both can share. Even with two young people who have been raised in the New Church there are inevitably distinctly different consciences. This because the background of instruction at home is different, and even when it is seemingly the same, it is received differently by each child. There is of course an even greater divergence between the conscience of one raised in the New Church, and one whose background of instruction and training has been outside of that church. But in both cases there is positive' need for the establishment of a new, individual, and adult conscience, to which both husband and wife give sincere allegiance. If this is not the case one may well ask, "Why should I relinquish my accustomed conscience in order to accept yours?"
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This may be done in order to preserve domestic peace; but it will leave the inner mind and heart of both partners out of harmony with each other. Nor can they grow together. That alone which can lead to internal harmony, is for each partner to recognize that his or her traditional faith is not enough. It must be modified by personal reading and reflection upon that which alone is above the minds of either partner, and to which both must look together for Divine counsel and guidance. This is indeed an exalted ideal of marriage. To many it may be a "hard saying." But let us emphasize the truth that it does not require great scholarship. Genuine faith in the Lord and in His Word is simple, direct, and uncomplicated. It may exist in a very real way with both men and women who are not deeply learned, but who nevertheless love the spiritual truth of the Lord's Word, and seek it with the whole heart. It may be nonexistent with those who possess great learning without diligently striving to apply that learning to the solution of the vital problems of their everyday life. The essence of religion is to believe in the Lord, to revere His Word, and faithfully to live according to one's best understanding of the Divine commandments. It is therefore within the reach of all men who sincerely seek it. In this the Lord's saying is true: "My yoke is easy and My burden is light."* But it must be clearly understood that, if internal harmony of conscience is to be achieved between a husband and a wife, there must be willingness on the part of both to look to a common source of Divine instruction. Where this is the case the Lord will be present to bless the couple with a love that may grow deeper and stronger to eternity. Such a love is described as to its origin and its nature in numbers 58 to 74 of Conjugial Love. We recommend these numbers to the careful consideration of all young people who are contemplating marriage. We make no attempt to interpret them, but allow the Lord, by means of them, to speak directly to each one who asks for His help and guidance. The establishment of the new love between husband and wife, of which they speak, lies at the very center of the life of the New Church, not only for those who are married, but also for those who are not. This is because the real marriage of conjugial love must take place in the individual mind and heart of every true disciple of the Lord in His second coming. On this spiritual marriage the life of the New Church, that is, the life of regeneration with all who belong to that church, and the hope of an eternal and blessed union in heaven of husband and wife, depends. Such is the conjugial love which is called in Matthew 13: 46, "the pearl of great price"; and in Conjugial Love number 457 "the precious jewel of human life, and the repository of the Christian religion." * Matthew 11: 30.
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OBSERVING THE SABBATH Rev. VICTOR J. GLADISH 1975
When the Lord commanded, in the Old Testament, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy,"* the essential precept which He gave to mankind was one of right thought and genuine love rather than of any particular action of the body. When bodily actions carry out and communicate the genuine internal state of a person they are real and of eternal value, for they are the thought and love speaking, but so far as they are not from the heart they are merely empty gestures. The injunction concerning the sabbath, given as one of the Ten Commandments, derives its origin as a holy day of rest from labors from the Lord resting on the seventh day of creation: "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."** In the Israelitish Church the essential use of the observance of a sabbath on every seventh day was a ceremonial representative embodying a looking and longing for the coming of the Lord, "the desire of all nations." But when the Lord came on earth He gave it the use of instruction in Divine things. At His second coming He gave an enlargement of this use. In the True Christian Religion, after speaking of the representation of the sabbath along the lines we have mentioned, the following is said, "But when the Lord came into the world, and in consequence representations of Him ceased, that day became a day of instruction in Divine things, and thus also a day of rest from labors and of meditation on such things as relate to salvation and eternal life, and also a day of love towards the neighbor."*** * Exodus 20: 8. ** Exodus 20: 11. *** TCR 301. In the Jewish Church the chief thing that set the sabbath apart was that no work must be done which was characteristic of the other six days of the week. The spiritual reason for this was its representation, understood then in the spiritual world, and now in the New Church. It should be borne in mind that there was a mere representative of a spiritual church with the Jews. In addition certain actions were specifically forbidden them, not necessarily because the work involved was more foreign to worship and rest than others not mentioned, but because they represented things that were foreign.
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Thus they were forbidden to kindle a fire on the Sabbath, because that represented the activity of proprial love; but it is obvious that they may have done many things that would give as much or more play to self-love. When the Lord was accused of breaking the Sabbath by healing diseases, He reminded His accusers that none of them would hesitate to lead his ox or ass to water on the Sabbath, nor to rescue a beast of burden which had fallen into a pit; yet these things involved more labor than certain things which were specifically forbidden. In this teaching of the Lord it is to be noted that not only were caring for ox and ass and the healing of the sick in the true spirit of the Sabbath, but also these things were all representatives of the spiritual restoration, nourishment and peace of the heavenly Sabbath. The brief passage from the True Christian Religion has shown that for the First Christian Church and also for the New Christian Church the keynote for Sabbath observance is instruction. Instruction is the great means by which the person of the spiritual church can approach the Lord and be conjoined with Him. But it is obvious that other things in harmony with this keynote rightfully belong to the day. It is obvious from the teaching and example of the Lord when on earth, and also from His teaching in the Heavenly Doctrine, which shows still more plainly what is in harmony and what is not. The statement in the Crowning Revelation, which seems to set forth most explicitly the nature of that which properly belongs to the Lord's Day, this day "of instruction in Divine things," is that quoted from the True Christian Religion. Let us examine carefully what is said there. First of all, note that it is pointed out in the sentence preceding this quotation, and emphasized later in this chapter on the Third Commandment, that Sabbath in the original language means rest-not merely the rest of tired muscles, but especially that rest and peace from the Lord which is possible from a clear conscience and an elevation of the mind to Him. The first thing which is mentioned as in harmony with instruction is rest-"a day of instruction in Divine things, and thus also a day of rest from labors." The cessation of the weekly employments is meant to be for the sake of instruction in spiritual matters-"and thus also a day of rest from labors." This is a principle of prime importance to be considered whenever there arises a question as to whether any particular activity is in keeping with the spirit of the Sabbath. It is not mere activity of body that may be condemned, but an interfering activity. The ceasing from labors is primarily in order that there may be opportunity for instruction in Divine things, and secondarily that both body and mind may be in a state of rest, refreshment and peace, conducive to the reception of that instruction.
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The second thing that is said to be in harmony is meditation-" meditation of such things as relate to salvation and eternal life." Unless meditation accompanied the instruction it would be poorly received, it would have scant value. Divine instruction is received by man from the Word and by means of accommodation of the Word. One realizes the import of this instruction to himself by meditation on the things of salvation and eternal life. Divine things are given in order that they may build heavenly things in man. Meditation is of high value to any real learning. But meditation need not, and should not cease with the close of active instruction. It is not meant that one should be engaged in the rituals of worship the whole of the Lord's day, nor that he should listen to preaching endlessly, nor that he should fill out the balance of the day with religious reading. But if the results of the rituals, the preaching, the reading did not remain in his thought, govern his meditation, and even give character to his general state, there would be something lacking from what the Lord's day can provide. Finally it is said that the Sabbath is "also a day of love to the neighbor." "When the Lord came into the world . . . that day became a day of instruction in Divine things, and thus also a day of rest from labors and of meditation on the things of salvation and eternal life, as also a day of love to the neighbor." * The Lord's day is a day of love to Him, and for learning of His provisions for us, but it is also a day of love to the neighbor. It is an important truth that love to the Lord cannot be expressed apart from love to the neighbor. Love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor are ever intimately conjoined; one cannot exist wholly apart from the other. That the Sabbath is also a day of love to the neighbor seems to involve that there is also a place on that day for such things as in their form are not primarily of love to the Lord, but of love to the neighbor. We are all so constituted that we can best look to the Lord and love Him, if we concern ourselves with the welfare and happiness of our fellow man. In the chapter of the True Christian Religion already referred to it is said that it is evident that the Sabbath was made also a day of love to the neighbor from what the Lord did and taught on that day. A passage in Matthew, a passage in Mark, three in Luke and three in John are cited in confirmation. These passages include the accounts in three gospels of His healing a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath in spite of the opposition of the Pharisees; at this time the Lord asked them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"**
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And He also made the significant statement, "It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days."*** I This appears to indicate a freedom from formalism and bigotry in keeping the Sabbath-to encourage doing what is genuinely useful to others and to ourselves. In others of the passages listed there occur various acts of healing and teaching on the Sabbath in which the Lord proclaimed the justice of helpful response to the needs of men. * Ibid. ** Luke 6: 9. *** Matthew 12: 12. We find that nothing less inclusive than the Divine Truth of the Word is adequate to govern the Sabbath. This is what is meant in the internal sense of the Lord's words, "The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."* The Son of Man signifies the Divine truth of the Word. It is the spirit of the Sabbath, which is the essential, not so much how that spirit is attained. This does not mean that specific forms of observance are unnecessary. Let us hold fast to the idea that it is a day of instruction in Divine things, and of meditation on those things, with such rest from labors, or refreshment from toil as will be of service to that instruction and meditation; and besides all this, a day of love to the neighbor. * Matthew 12: 8.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
The Twenty-seventh General Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, from Saturday, June 5, to Wednesday, June 9, 1976. The Assembly will include a celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Academy of the New Church. The program and other information will be given in later issues of NEW CHURCH LIFE. WILLARD D. PENDLETON Bishop
VISITORS TO BRYN ATHYN 1975
Visitors to Bryn Athyn on any occasion who need assistance in finding accommodation please communicate with the Guest Committee, c/o Mrs. Stanley F. Ebert, Box 462, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. Phone: (215) 947-0109 or Mrs. George T. Tyler, Box 353, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009, Phone: (215) 947-1186.
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NUMBER COUNTS Rev. KURT P. NEMITZ 1975
What is this church into which we have all been baptized? Many of you may respond to this question with something to the effect that the church, which one enters through baptism, is a belief about God and the nature and purpose of life, and a way of living based on what the Lord teaches in His Word-especially in the Word of His Heavenly Doctrines. This answer is fundamentally correct. But it fails to take specifically into view another very important aspect of the church-an aspect of the church, which is in fact essential to the fulfillment of the uses of baptism, and, I believe, to the continued existence of our church itself in the years ahead. The concept of the church as a way of believing and living stresses the inward and personal aspect of the church. And it is important to note that this concept is not incorrect. We are told that there are three essentials of the church: the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine, the acknowledgment of the holiness of the Word, and the life which is called charity.* "In proportion as the Lord is conjoined with man, the church is in man."** * DP 325: 2. ** SS 78. But while this concept of the church as a way of believing and living is not incorrect, it is indisputably incomplete. This is the clear implication of the continuation of the passage from the Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture just quoted, which goes on to say, "The church is within man; the church outside of him is the church that exists among a number who have the church within themselves."* In other words, the church is not solely a spiritual state within the individual person, the church is also a group of people! * Ibid. Italics added. This is a rather obvious point, and yet it is an aspect of the church that I think we in the General Church are prone to overlook-to the detriment of both the outward and inward health and growth of our church. One often meets the attitude among our members that regular, full participation in the communal activities of the church conducted by her various societies, groups and circles, such as worship, classes and social gatherings, is not really so very important.
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The thinking behind such an attitude of indifference and consequent neglect of the communal activities of the church seems to be, "I believe in the Lord and what He teaches, and I try to live an honest life. I've got the church in me, and that's what counts." Yes, that is what counts-if its consequences are actually followed out. What I have in mind is that if the church, which in its essence is heaven, is truly within a person, then that person should, to the utmost of his or her ability, participate in and support that group or body of other men and women who hold the same faith in the Lord and who constitute the church in general. The Lord teaches us in the Arcana Coelestia, "With those in whom there is an internal church there must also be an external church, for the internal of the church cannot be separated from its external. . . . The external church consists in doing what is good . . . . "* "Doing what is good," this is a matter not only of fleeing from evil but also of loving and serving others, is it not? * AC 6587. The church cannot but also be a group of people, joined together in love and faith in the Lord, serving and supporting each other in their worship of Him. The church, we are told, "is the Lord's heaven on earth," * and heaven, as we all know, is a kingdom of uses or mutual services. We are born for the sake of others, not just for ourselves.** * AC 10760. ** TCR 406. Indeed, it is only through the church as a group of people performing spiritual uses to each other for the Lord's sake that any individual is able to have the church developed within himself. This may sound like an overstatement, but ask yourself the following questions and you will readily see that it is not. How would anyone even know about the Lord and His teachings if men and women did not from the beginning join together to translate and publish, preach and proclaim His revealed Word? And which one of us could have come however far spiritually as we may feel we have, without the instruction, inspiration and encouragement that the Lord has mercifully provided for us through the ministry of that group of faithful men and women who serve Him as His church? The inner, essential church is most certainly the understanding love of the Lord's teachings and their purposes that motivates a man or woman; and the groups of these men and women, organized by them for their worship and service of the Lord, are merely an outer embodiment of this living essential-but what an important "body"! God always operates from inmost to outmosts, and through these builds up intermediates.* So, for example, through the soul, which is an inmost spiritual substance, the Lord forms first the physical body.
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Then through the body and its brain, His influx brings into being the mind and character. It is similar in the case of the church. The Lord's Holy Spirit, the life of His Divinely human love and wisdom, works through the agency of the community of men and women who act together as the body of His church. Through the instruction and worship provided by the organized groups of His church, our God works to build up the internal church within each of those whom He has called to membership in His church. * Can. Red. VIII. Swedenborg Society Edition no. 31. The point I have been leading up to is this: baptism is not only an introduction into the internal church, but also into the external church. Or to put it another way, baptism is also an introduction into a group of people, who are joined together in the worship and service of the Lord. This, the entrance into the group or body of the Lord's followers is, as I understand it, what is meant in what is said about the church and the first use of baptism. "The first use of Baptism," we are taught, "is introduction into the Christian Church and," the passage continues, "insertion among Christians in the spiritual world."* * TCR 677. Entrance into the collective body of men and women who constitute the church-as well as into association with Christian angels-is the first use of baptism because through the agency of the church and of the angels, baptism's other, higher uses are affected. The second use of baptism is that a Christian may come to know and acknowledge the Lord as Savior and Redeemer, and may follow Him.* It is evident that this is effected largely through the activity of the organized church-with the angels helping, of course. The instruction and inspiring affections that make possible this knowledge and living acknowledgment of our Lord, Jesus Christ, are provided by Him through the diligence of the priests and laymen of His church. * TCR 681. This is a point which those of us whom the Lord has entrusted with the care of children should never forget. Children very probably need the spiritual help the Lord can provide through an individual's active participation in a formal group of His church even more than we adults do. Their innocent but as yet spiritually empty and undeveloped minds are in vital need, not only of the understanding of the Divine Truth, but especially of the holy affection for the Lord and His Word; and this understanding and affection can be preeminently imparted and received in the sphere of communal worship. The covenant we make with the Lord at our child's baptism must clearly involve a commitment to bring that child into as active a participation in a society, circle or group of the church as we possibly can.
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And since the participation in the communal activities of worship and instruction involved in the first use of baptism leads to the fulfillment of its second use, so also does it obviously lead to the fulfillment of Baptism's third use, namely the Christian's regeneration and eternal happiness.* * TCR 684. The concept of the church as an organization, as a group of people conducting formal activities, may seem rather mechanical and mundane, but without this body to work through, the Lord would not be able to build up those spiritual qualities with a man or woman in which alone He can be present with His unending peace and blessedness. Which leads us inevitably to the conclusion that every person-not just parents-baptized of the Lord's mercy into His New Church has a responsibility to commit himself to participating in and supporting both the local and general bodies of the church with which he is associated. The activities of the church, foremostly its services of worship and classes of instruction but also its social gatherings, are not something that a person sincerely endeavoring to be a New Christian can simply take or leave as the mood strikes him. Every time one of us absents himself (or herself) from the activities of the church group, he deprives both himself and others of what the Lord could provide through the group and through his presence in it. However, many of us, when faced with a decision about going to or supporting some activity or other of our church, may be inclined to say to ourselves, "It can't matter whether or not I go today (or contribute to this project); my presence (or contribution) couldn't really be very significant." But wait now; can this be so? For my part I cannot believe that the Lord in His all-knowing wisdom would have called any one of us to be members of His New Church here on earth if-besides our utter need of His Church for our salvation-He had not known that He has given each one of us some unique and valuable talent that we could contribute to the healthy functioning and growth of the church, His kingdom on earth. The number counts, and it counts that we are actively among the number.
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EXTERNALS Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. During recent months we have published in NEW CHURCH LIFE several articles which deal with the subject of the externals of religious observance.* They have dealt with the Sabbath, ritual and worship, the rites and sacraments of the church. These have, we believe, been timely articles because traditional external forms are being seriously challenged, both within and without the church. * "Ritual" by the Rev. Mark R. Carlson, May issue, 1975, page 187; "Sacraments, Rites and Ordinances," editorial, July issue, 1975, page 320; "Come Not to that Holy Table" by the Rev. Peter M. Buss, August issue, 1975, page 344; "Betrothal Is Necessary" by the Rev. Christopher R. J. Smith, August issue, 1975, page 354; "Observing the Sabbath" by the Rev. Victor J. Gladish in this issue page 447. Observance of the Sabbath is regarded as being old fashioned and stuffy, and the day has become a day devoted solely to recreation instead of being a day set apart for the Lord, a day of instruction in Divine things. Worship is viewed as being hypocritical-a challenge, which involves a serious spiritual judgment. Ritual is seen to be distracting-although the very opposite is its purpose. The rites and sacraments are attacked as being unnecessary and meaningless-often by those who have not troubled to investigate and so learn their very real meaning and significance. Certainly in the New Church we should examine most carefully what the Writings have to teach on these matters before we follow the world to abandon them in an emotional revolt.
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As the articles referred to demonstrate, the Writings do indeed have something to say on all these matters and so make it possible for us to understand them rationally-appreciating their use and function while being able to avoid seeing them as mystical or magical means to instantaneous salvation. Externals are not to be decried. It is of Divine order that we are born into a world of fixed space and time, for it is only in such an environment that we can freely choose between good and evil. Even in the other world there are spiritual ultimates, which express and represent spiritual states. We are frequently enjoined that nothing can remain in the spirit that is not ultimated and brought forth into speech and act. The function of external religious observances is to clothe and confirm states of the spirit. The prayer of the heart is confirmed by being ultimated and expressed in the words of the lips. Some may then say that externals are hypocritical when the internal is not in full accord with the external expressed. No doubt external worship is sometimes hypocritical, but let us not think that worship cannot be sincere until we are regenerated. Prior to regeneration we do have passing, borrowed, states that are good-and it is indeed fortunate that this is so. Essentially these are the remains which the Lord has implanted throughout our lives-gifts from Him that are affections of what is good and knowledges of what is true. On these we may base states of humility and repentance, of longing for truth and help from the Lord, that will make us eagerly desire to go into His house for refreshment of the spirit. We may be going in, in a spirit of self-righteousness and conceit; we should be going in, in a spirit of spiritual hunger and humble approach to Him from whom comes the only bread of life. And who is to judge the state of another as he enters the house of God? If we do indeed approach the external observances of the church in this spirit-in a spirit of reverence for the Lord and His Word, and with an awareness of our need for His constant help and guidance-then we will indeed be strengthened and those external forms (because of the affection within us) will serve to support such states, and to inspire us to a new response to the Lord's love and His Word. In this sense externals may indeed lead to internals; external forms may teach and uplift us in our spiritual endeavors. Number 1618 of the Arcana Coelestia is a leading, clear and powerful (oft quoted) number on this subject. Treating of Abraham's building an altar in the oak groves of Mamre, it says that this signifies worship and that by worship, in the internal sense, is meant "all conjunction through love and charity." When a man is in this state of regeneration then he is continually in internal worship and for him external worship is a natural expression of that internal state.
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Therefore, "the angels are in such worship. With them, therefore, there is a perpetual Sabbath." Having said this of the regenerate and angelic state, the number goes on to speak of the needs of man on earth: But man, while in the world, ought not to be otherwise than in external worship also; for by external worship internal things are excited, and by means of external worship external things are kept in holiness, so that internal things can flow in. And besides, man is thus imbued with knowledges, and is prepared for receiving celestial things, and is also gifted with states of holiness, although he is unaware of this; which states of holiness are preserved to him by the Lord for the use of eternal life, for in the other life all the states of his life return. These are clear teachings, which deserve our careful attention and reflection. The Lord expressed the same essential idea in beautiful and powerful words when He was in the world: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." * * Matthew 23: 23. Italics added. Dare we reject the help offered us by prescribed (Divinely prescribed) external forms properly used? Dare we abuse the Sabbath so that it no longer draws us closer to God? Dare we avoid worship with the instruction and states of prayer and praise that it offers? Dare we neglect the rites and sacraments, which are designed to initiate us into new states in orderly and powerful ways? Our readers (priesthood or laity, old or young) may wish to respond to this whole subject of the proper place of externals in the life of the New Church.
TWELVE DISCIPLES LEON RHODES 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
The recent articles by the Rev. Donald L. Rose* offered stimulating ideas about the twelve disciples who followed the Lord during His earthly ministry. Within the church there is an additional idea about the disciples, which Mr. Rose might care to explore. * See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, July issue, page 310, August issue, page 368 and September issue, page 411. The powerful and familiar announcement of the dawn of the New Church included the rather surprising event-the calling by the Lord of His twelve disciples to be the specific messengers of His reign.* * See TCR 791, 4, 108.
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As Mr. Rose observed, the disciples were mortal, ordinary men in most ways, yet one of the few events in the spiritual world heralding the second coming called them forth for this very special mission-one that, apparently, could not have been served by any of the other myriad angels in the spiritual world. As we ponder the import of the Nineteenth of June, we might wonder what it was that required these twelve, and supposedly no others, to perform this exalted use. As in the New Testament, these men do represent all the variety of ways in which the New Church can be approached-a symbolism, which, therefore, is renewed for the New Church. In addition, there is certainly a profound power in the fact that these men best knew the Lord as a man on earth. Others who might have been summoned to bear these tidings are not included-Mary, Lazarus, or any of the great Christian leaders. It is probable that there is deep significance in this, and perhaps Mr. Rose has some additional ideas to share. LEON RHODES Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
WHY BOTHER WITH DOCTRINE? GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
I freely admit that the article I submitted to the NEW CHURCH LIFE for publication in the June number, 1975,* was unfortunately worded. It may well have sounded flippant, and appear as an attack on the General Convention. For this I apologize. * Page 286; see also responses to this communication in the September issue by Dr. Wilson Van Dusen, page 401, and Mr. Steve Gladish, page 418. No offense was intended. It was calling attention to a fact that is freely acknowledged by both the General Convention and the General Church, namely, that the General Church places greater stress on the importance of doctrine than does the General Convention. To state this was not intended as an attack on the General Convention, nor was it designed to express a sense of superiority on the part of the General Church. My real purpose was to present a proposal that was to be considered rationally, and judged by every reader of the article, as to whether it is true or false. In brief the proposal was: that the mode by means of which all the uses of natural society come into being, finds a perfect analogue in the mode by which all spiritual uses of charity come into being.
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It is fully recognized that no natural use to society can be produced unless there is a desire for it, or a love. Love must first be present because it is the cause of all thought, and the mainspring of all action. It is the essential quality, the very essence of everything that follows. But if love is to produce thought and action it must be accompanied by faith. By this I mean to say, that one must not only wish for something; he must believe that it can be achieved. Every inventor is a man who believes that something, which his love desires, can be accomplished. Usually, such a man is said to be "before his time." This is because he believes in the possibility of accomplishing something before others are prepared to acknowledge such a possibility. He is therefore, as it were, and alone in his faith, though others may share his love. But if any love is to be realized, the one who loves must not only persist in his faith, he must search for the means by which alone its goal of use may be achieved. He must gather knowledge, and experience. He must investigate the forces of nature in order to learn the laws by which they operate, and he must discover ways in which these laws may be applied to the accomplishment of the use he has in view. This may require a long search. It may lead to many disappointments. The one who originated the search may need the help of others, and sometimes what is required is the cooperation of many others, over a long period of time. But only as men persist in this search, inspired by a love that refuses to be defeated, can the search prove successful, and the use which the love envisaged at last become a reality. Is this not the history of all modern scientific progress? To illustrate: the cure for cancer, which has been only partially successful over a period of many years; any search for new mechanical devices designed to meet a long felt need; the search for the laws of aerodynamics, initiated by the Wright brothers, from which have sprung all the wonderful uses of the airplane; the search for means to ascend into the stratosphere, which in due time, with the cooperation of many scientific experts, made possible the landing of men on the moon, and the exploration of other planets-all of these have demanded persistent search for knowledge, and the gradual development of expertise which, in Swedenborg's day, would have been regarded as utterly impossible. Now what I was asking in the communication under criticism is this: "Is the same long and arduous process necessary as a prerequisite to the performance of the spiritual uses of charity?" By these I mean uses such as are performed by the angels, and similar, though far less exalted uses, which are to be performed by those who are to constitute the Lord's heavenly kingdom on the earth.
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All such uses must be inspired in the first place by love to the Lord as He reveals His Divine Human in the Heavenly Doctrine at His second coming. This love is primary, and it is the soul, and inmost quality of all that follows. From no other love than this can uses of truly spiritual charity arise. Nevertheless, the forces of the spiritual world, which have been concealed from the sight of men from the beginning of time, the existence of which has been proclaimed in the Word to every church, from the Most Ancient Church, through the Ancient Church, the Jewish Church, and the Christian Church, and which were acknowledged by every sincere worshiper of God in every age-these forces were taken for granted, but were not understood. They were ascribed to the infinite power of God, as if beyond all human comprehension, even as the forces of nature were, to a very large extent, prior to our modern age. The understanding of these spiritual forces, the laws by which they operate, and the means whereby they may consciously be applied to the uses of spiritual charity, have now been made available to men, and the Lord now, from His infinite love, invites men to search for them, saying: "Now it is permitted to enter intellectually into the mysteries of faith." By revealing the internal sense of the Word the Lord has opened the way whereby men may discover all the hidden forces of the spiritual world. But first of all, there must be in man's heart a love of the Lord, a desire to understand His Word, and from these a love of doing uses which will be of spiritual benefit to the neighbor. This love and this desire are the very essence of all New Church thought and life. They must come first, and must infuse all subsequent thought, and all subsequent action with their life. But they must be accompanied by an abiding faith that the spiritual truth of the Word actually exists, that it can be discovered, and that its discovery will yield a rich harvest of unforeseen spiritual uses, of great benefit to mankind. One must persist in this faith in spite of many disappointments and seeming failures. One must humbly acknowledge the inadequacy of one's own little mind, and gladly accept the help of others in this vitally important search, and this over perhaps many generations. Is this true? Is the comparison with scientific progress valid? These are questions which we believe should be considered calmly, judicially, and rationally-directly from the statements of the Writings. If they are found not to be true, then some other way, based on the teaching of the Writings, should be demonstrated. If it is, I would be the first to welcome it, and to modify the view, here hypothetically advanced, to accord with it. GEORGE DE CHARMS Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
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KNOWING OUR OWN STATES PETER M. BUSS 1975
(See "Come Not to that Holy Table" by the Rev. Peter M. Buss, August issue, 1975, page 344 and a response by Rev. Daniel W. Goodenough, "Knowing Our Own States," September issue, 1975, page 419.)
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
I agree with the Rev. Dan Goodenough that my article could also have contained some of the teachings about what a man cannot know of his state; although the purpose of the article was to deal with an entirely different subject, and this concept arose parenthetically. What can we know of our own states? A passage in Divine Providence states, very strongly, that a man knows nothing of his interior state. It is under the heading: "The affections of a man's life's love are known to the Lord alone."* The teaching presented here, and in the whole series on the laws of the Divine Providence is that man has three levels of life: his life's love, which is like a king in his mind; the interior affections and thoughts surrounding that love; and the exterior affections and thoughts which descend from that love. We are told that man knows some of the exterior affections and thoughts, but not even all of these. "But the internal affections of thought, from which the external have their existence, never manifest themselves before man. Of these man knows no more than one sleeping in a carriage knows of the road, or than one feels the revolution of the earth . . . man knows nothing of the things that are going on in the interiors of his mind, which are too limitless to be numbered, and yet those few externals that do come within the view of his thought are produced from the interiors. . . ."** * DP 197-200. ** DP 199 see also DP 200. Such a teaching is very much in line with what Mr. Goodenough brought out in his communication. Why, then, does the Arcana Coelestia seem to say that we can know our state? "Everyone may see what the quality of his life is, if he will but search out the nature of the end he regards." * If he finds his end is for the sake of the neighbor, for society, for the Lord's kingdom, and particularly for the Lord Himself, "he may know that his life is a heavenly one."** If his end is towards self and the world, then he may know that his life is an infernal one. Similar teachings appear elsewhere in the Writings.*** There are a vast number of aspects to this subject, and many doctrines can be brought to bear. I wish to make only a few observations. * AC 1909. ** AC 1909. *** AC 1102; 3796; HH 487; cf. also AC 2892, 4307. It seems that there is no real contradiction in these various passages, if we reflect that the one series is saying that we cannot see the interiors themselves, and the other is saying that we may see some symptoms of the interiors, in the exterior.
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The passages in Divine Providence especially * present a general concept, a doctrinal Point, logically supported. Man can't see his interiors; he doesn't know anything of what is going on in them, while he lives in the world. The Lord alone knows and directs these things. * DP 197-200; 174-179. By contrast, the passages, which talk about knowing one's states, are observations, and they always contain proviso's. If a man can attend to his end; if he can find out that he has good thoughts towards the neighbor; if he finds in himself a delight in use apart from self-glory; if he knows correspondences-these are all symptoms in the external which indicate the presence of a certain internal. The distinction therefore would seem to be between knowing the internal on its own plane (which we cannot do), and having indications of the internal, not because it shows itself in its own essence, but because it manifests its presence in a lower degree. It seems that a good man must sense the presence of a good love within himself, because it inflows into his natural mind, and excites corresponding delights. When these are felt, if he is good, he is humbly grateful. Does he have any certainty, from these indications, regarding his spiritual state? Remember, he is seeing, not the thing itself, but symptoms. How can you be certain, when you are seeing only external manifestations of an internal love? The only way that certainty would come would be if a man never saw anything but good symptoms; if he found that never did he think of self and the world as his primary end; never did he have anything but kind thoughts towards the neighbor; never did he cease to have as an end the furtherance of his (the neighbor's) spiritual state. How many men on earth can claim such an experience? Where they exist they probably won't reflect so much on themselves anyway. It seems to me that a man who has been regenerated (and by definition is almost sure to be hoary-headed) may attain to some feeling of security, and that he will do so without the kind of harm that earlier knowledge of his future lot would have brought.* For the rest of us, examination will reveal some cause for hope, and alternately cause for real concern. We will find different results from self-examination in different states. * DP 174-179. What is the value of the teachings about knowing something of a good internal state? Surely, to give a little hope. In a certain state a, man looks at his wife with the eyes of love, and feels that at that time there is a strain of innocence in his love.
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He then lives from that good feeling he has, and he hopes that it is a sign that the conjugial for which he longs may be being established within him by the Lord. He can't be certain, because he sees negative states at other times, and he also realizes that selfishness can be an internal for a feeling of love. Nevertheless he has had what certainly appears to be a message from, a symptom of, a love that is within. These messages of hope with a penitent man are the breath of heaven. They support his flagging spirit through harder times. Memory of the wonder of love is the inspiration to seek it anew. None of this however indicates the advisability of a young man's spending his time searching his mind for symptoms of good. The overall tendency of the mind before regeneration is towards evil, and the overwhelming teaching of the Writings is that we should devote our efforts to discovering and turning from evils. Good comes by that way; the doctrine of life for the New Jerusalem, especially as it is set out in the book by that title, is that insofar as a man shuns an evil as a sin against the Lord, in that degree he comes into the opposite good.* Therefore, we are advised, shun evil, and the good will come, as the ultimate gift from the source of good. * See especially Life 70. "Cease therefore from asking in thyself, 'What are the good works that I must do, or what good must I do to receive eternal life?' Only cease from evils as sins and look to the Lord, and the Lord will teach and lead you."* * AE 979. PETER M. BUSS Durban, South Africa
WOMEN ON BOARDS ROBERT E. SYNNESTVEDT 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
In 1896 when the General Church was incorporated, none but male members were eligible to become members of the board of directors, nor even members of the corporation itself. This is still the case and probably for the same reasons. Those reasons stemmed from a consideration of the following points, among others. When husband and wife are communicating and working together, the wife is represented on the council through her husband. Women, who are ruled by their affections, tend to become personally involved when it is necessary to judge the matter being discussed objectively. Few women are skilled in forensic matters.
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The presence of women in a council of men tends to inhibit the freedom of debate. Now the nomination of two women as candidates for election to the board of directors of the General Church of the New Jerusalem in Canada is disturbing. It seems to be a concession to the new liberal thinking expressed by the National Council of Churches, and the modern trend. It is in opposition to the principles held by the founders. As a member of both corporations (the General Church and the General Church in Canada) I am concerned that this change may not be in order. By nominating women for election to the board of directors the committee may or may not be contravening the bylaws. These do provide that women may be elected as members of the corporation but make no specific provision for them to be members of the board of directors. Of those three who have written on the subject of masculine and feminine uses* and whose articles were referred to by the committee, none advocate placing women on the corporation's board of directors. The Rev. Harold Cranch's paper includes this statement: "The decisions for the forward progress of the church need legal provision and protection-a masculine use. This is provided for by the Board of Directors." As to whether the committee "is not acting contrary to doctrine," as it believes, perhaps action on such a controversial question should be deferred until doctrinal references are provided for further study-beyond those cited by the authors of the three papers mentioned which do not appear to support this action. * "The Uses of Men and Women" by the Rev. Harold C. Cranch, NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1974, page 294; "The Feminine Mind" by the Rev. Erik Sandstrom, Theta Alpha Journal, Fall, 1973, page 3; "Some Reflections on the Nature of Men and Women" by Miss Margit Boyesen, Sons of the Academy Bulletin, February, 1975, page 12. ROBERT E. SYNNESTVEDT Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
VISITORS TO GLENVIEW 1975
Visitors to Glenview for any occasion who need assistance in finding accommodation please communicate with the Hospitality Committee, c/o Mrs. Philip Horigan, 50 Park Drive, Glenview, III. 60025. Phone (312) 729-5644.
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CHURCH NEWS Various 1975
GENERAL CONVENTION
The 151st annual General Convention of the Swedenborgian Church (usually known to us as "Convention") held at Urbana College, Ohio, at the end of June last saw two significant steps taken. The Rev. Ernest O. Martin who has served two terms as President was succeeded by the Rev. Eric Zacharias, and Dr. Dorothea Harvey was ordained into the ministry. This last is doubtless the first time a woman has been so ordained in the New Church. At this service the Convention sermon was preached by the Rev. George D. McCurdy. There was something of a departure from normal procedures when the Council of Ministers devoted a considerable part of their meetings (held prior to Convention) to a consideration of the authority of Swedenborg's works. This produced a very great variety of views among the ministers and sufficient interest among the laity that, during Convention itself, a panel discussion on the subject was arranged at the last minute.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
It is interesting to learn that attempts are being made for a small group in Ottawa, Canada's capital, to receive regular administrations from our priesthood. The Rev. Ottar Larsen, who is the visiting minister to the nearby Montreal Circle, hopes to be able to hold regular services and classes in Ottawa as well. Nine adults and two children were present at the first meeting in June last.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Growing pains! The inspirational states involved with a new church building, a new church land development and a new school have been very much present in the last decade of our growth, lending an uncommon glow of progress to our daily living. The same goals were sought by all and attained with a minimal divergence of opinion. By very reason of these goals attained a number of new families have been attracted to the area and a whole new pattern of growth has ensued. Our challenge today is to consider carefully all the various views of how our uses should develop in the light of the Writings, and to employ the utmost charity in preserving individual freedom while maintaining unity of purpose. Due to an unusual rise in the water table, new housing in Acton Park has come to a virtual halt until a public sewer comes in. But growth in the school continues both in numbers of students and by the addition of a ninth grade in the fall of 1975. Last year Dr. Bill and wife Dorothy Radcliffe and Janna Zuber were added as part time teachers. This year will see Mrs. Zuber as a full time teacher, Mrs. Radcliffe retiring, and Mr. Nathan Gladish aiding part time on a volunteer basis. The departure of the Rev. Tom and Nina Kline and their children will leave a very big hole in the school and society. In their two years here, with Mr. Kline as assistant to the pastor, they have made quite a place for themselves in both our uses and affections. Our heartfelt best wishes go with them in their new pastorate in Atlanta, Ga. Their wonderful gift to the church of a baby grand piano will be a constant reminder of their most welcome stay here. Of particular pride to our pastor and society is the paying off of the church's mortgage, and the acquisition of a society banner with our emblem, the white horse, superimposed on a gold alpha and omega on a red velvet background, beautifully embroidered by Sherry Boyce. This same emblem, envisioned by Mr. Schnarr and designed by Gael Coffin, is also available in small pins for men and women.
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Our seasonal uses and special occasions have gone on much as usual with the difference that our Christmas tableaux and 19th of June program were held in the church proper due to the welcome problem of growth, and they proved very effective in their new setting. Our "Echo," published monthly, records all the details, but more than that, this little magazine, with its guest editorials, has provided a forum for a number of different lay opinions, as well as providing space for some of the school children's compositions. On the physical side, a weekly Saturday morning soccer game has developed under the guidance of Dr. Radcliffe, happily involving whole families. A rough estimate of all the society's guests, for a three month period including the Bryn Athyn seniors and Boy's Club, is over five hundred. We keep busy! Spiritually we have been fed by a series of classes from True Christian Religion, and a lengthier series on remains, hereditary evil and natural good. The Men's Group discussed "The Life of the Lord," and the Combo (men and women) took up "Spirits and Men." Plus we have had guest speakers, Messrs. Bruce Glenn, Austin Arrington and Robert Asplundh, as well as visiting ministers, the Rev. Messrs. Robert Junge, Dandridge Pendleton, Lorentz Soneson and Ormond Odhner. Highlighting the year were visits from our two bishops, and on both occasions guests from Virginia were present. Bishop and Mrs. Louis King were here in November when he gave a talk as Vice-President of the Academy, spoke informally of his trip to Africa, and then preached on Sunday. It was a happy and informative weekend and a real pleasure to get to know Bishop King and his wife in his new capacity, giving us a feeling of being an important adjunct of "Our Own Academy." Winding up the year, it was most inspirational to have an episcopal visit from Bishop Willard Pendleton, coinciding with our New Church Day celebrations. At a banquet Friday evening the Bishop, seeing a table of very young men in front of him, put aside his prepared remarks and spoke extemporaneously on the subject of how the Lord communicates with man. He captivated young and old alike as he showed, especially by means of the basic doctrines of conjugial love, of use, and of the glorification, how the good of these doctrines clearly testifies to the truth of them. Saturday morning he attended the trustees' meeting, but the afternoon and evening again found him sharing his good will and athletic prowess at a society ball game and picnic. Sunday, June 15th, provided a special and moving privilege when our own Rev. Thomas Kline was ordained into the second degree of the priesthood by Bishop Pendleton, who then delivered a most appropriate sermon on the priesthood. The combined occasions were most up lifting, especially, perhaps for the young folk, in giving us a feeling of being a part of the whole of the Lord's New Church on earth. The power and usefulness in helping us to think beyond our own small endeavors cannot be overestimated. Finally, in the passing to the other world in the past year of our friends Orah Nelson, Jim Boatman and Millicent Allen, our thoughts have been extended to that other world which is the Lord's final end in creation, and the uses of death, in strengthening our affectional ties with that world, have been felt strongly by us all. JANET H. DOERING
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1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS All ex-students, members of the General Church and friends of the Academy are invited to attend the 59th Charter Day Exercises, to be held in Bryn Athyn, Pa. Friday and Saturday, October 24th and 25th, 1975. The Program: Friday 11 a.m., Cathedral Service with an address by the Rev. Alfred Acton H. Friday afternoon-Football game. Friday Evening-Dance. Saturday, 7 p.m., Banquet, Toastmistess: Miss Sally J. Smith.
1975
In order to avoid confusion and embarrassment, those who will be guests in Bryn Athyn homes for the Charter Day weekend should order their Banquet tickets in advance, by mail, unless they have made other specific arrangements with their hostesses. The date is October 25. The regular ticket price is $5.75. For all students, including those not presently attending the Academy, the price is $3.00 per ticket. Checks should be made payable to The Academy of the New Church. Orders should be sent to the attention of Mrs. R. Waelchli, The Academy of the New Church, P.O. Box 278, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania 19009, before October 16th. Please mark clearly on envelopes "Banquet Tickets." Tickets will be carefully held at the switchboard in Benade Hall for pick-up either by you or your hosts. No tickets can be sold at the door because of the need for advance arrangements with the caterer.
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STATEMENT OF RESIGNATION WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV NOVEMBER, 1975 No. 11 In June of this coming year (1976) I will have served for one year as Acting Bishop of the General Church (1961-1962), and for fourteen years as Executive Bishop (1962-1976); in my opinion these fifteen years constitute a full term of office. It is, therefore, my intention to retire on September 1, 1976. I have selected this date for retirement because it is at this time of the year when all changes of office in the General Church normally take place. It follows from this that at the meetings of the Council of the Clergy, to be held during the week of March 1-6, the Council will be called upon to proceed to the selection of a nominee for the office of Bishop of the General Church. The name of the man selected will then be forwarded to the Board of Directors for counsel and response. Assuming a favorable response the name will then be presented to the General Assembly which meets June 5-9. In the unlikely event that the Council of the Clergy is unable to arrive at a consensus which meets the requirement of essential unanimity, or in the event that the General Assembly does not approve the choice of the Council of the Clergy, the Assistant Bishop of the General Church would serve as Acting Bishop until such a time as the matter is determined. This is the order we have followed in the past. It is with regret that I give up the responsibilities of the episcopal office, but the time comes when the good of the use is best served by another. I take this opportunity, therefore, to express my deep appreciation to all who have upheld my hands during the years of my administration. I am grateful for the unfailing support which I have received from so many. WILLARD D. PENDLETON Bishop of the General Church
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THANKSGIVING Rev. MICHAEL D. GLADISH 1975
Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks; for that Thy name is near Thy wondrous works declare. Psalm 75: 1. A thanksgiving for the yearly harvest was one of three special feasts of thanksgiving that the Lord commanded in the book of Exodus-not only for the Jewish Church, but also, in an internal way, for the Christian Church and for the New Church. The other two feasts, the feast of the Passover and the feast of first fruits (or the feast of unleavened things and the feast of weeks) were equally important, but this final feast of ingathering of works out of the field is the one that most nearly answers to our traditional harvest festival celebration. It is the one that represents the culmination of all our natural and spiritual efforts in a given year or state, and it is the one, therefore, in which we may look back on a full and complete range of Divine blessings, and give thanks in a specially full and complete way. But in order to understand this festival, and so enter into it with genuine thanks and joy, we need to know how it relates to the other two, both in a natural and in a spiritual sense. And we need to know how and why it is that the Lord commands our thanks at all, or in other words, how He can demand something that obviously must come from the heart in freedom. The three festivals instituted by the Lord describe a progression of states and circumstances faced by the man of the church. The first, the Passover, represents the state of purification depicted in the liberation of the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. Spiritually it is a purification from falsities, the first step in the process of regeneration. The second, the feast of weeks, was established to celebrate the introduction of the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, where they were then enabled to gather a harvest of the first fruits of their inheritance. Because the children of Israel (technically, the sons of Israel) represent the truths of faith, and the land of Canaan represents the good of the church, we can see that this introduction and the feast to celebrate it represent the implantation of truth in good with an individual man of the church. What is the implantation of truth in good? Simply the establishment of a true and genuine conscience in the mind of one whose remains, or innocent good affections, have been prepared to receive it.
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This constitutes the second major step in regeneration. The third feast, the feast of ingathering, was instituted to be a constant reminder of the blessings that the children of Israel received while dwelling in the land, and it signifies the same thing as did the actual dwelling in the land itself, namely, the implanting of good derived from genuine truth or conscience. And what is the implantation of good? It is the life of good which has been learned through conscience but which no longer depends upon the compulsion characteristic of conscience since that heavenly state is reached where the man from his new will really loves, and spontaneously wants, to do what is useful to others and to the Lord without any thought of self and its reward. Since the land of Canaan represents heaven, this is what is meant by dwelling in Canaan, and it is the final state of regeneration. As the three feasts in a series remind us of the three states of the children of Israel-their liberation from Egypt, their entrance into the promised land, and their dwelling permanently in that land-so they may remind us of the three internal states that highlight the progression of our own spiritual regeneration: purification from falsities through learning and obeying the truth, the implantation of truth in good or the establishment of a life according to conscience, and the implantation of good or the life of good for its own sake from the pure love of good. Since this final state is a culmination and summary of all the other states leading up to it, we may see how the celebration of the feast of ingathering (the harvest festival) is really a fulfillment of the others. In it are contained the internal things of all the others; it represents the purpose for which the others exist. So, too, in the celebration of our harvest festival, there may be contained a remembrance of many former states and a special thankfulness for all the good loves and delights of our present life which we have been enabled to receive because of the constant teaching and leading of the Lord. For everything of a natural harvest represents something of a spiritual harvest; so all of the fruits and vegetables we see here before us today represent goods, which have been received into the life by means of truth. And just as these things are good to eat naturally, so the spiritual things are good for us to appropriate spiritually. Just as our bodies are satisfied and delighted by good food, so our souls and minds are satisfied and delighted-rewarded fully-by the living spirit of charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord.
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We present an offering of the things of the harvest to the Lord in order to represent the fact that our receiving is through giving; our conjunction with the Lord in order to receive is through reciprocation-the returning of what we can aide by means of a life of service from love. But how is it, then, that the Lord commands us to give thanks? For just as the three feasts of thanksgiving were commanded for the Jews of the Old Testament, so they are commanded for us, but in the internal way. Yet it is hard enough to become engrossed in an external observance of thankfulness (or an external celebration of any kind) when it is compelled; how much more difficult may it seem to become a real active participant in a spiritual celebration when this is compelled! Regarding this problem the Heavenly Doctrines are not, of course, silent. In the first place we must remember that spiritual states are never compelled by the Lord by natural means. Just because we feel pressured by family or tradition to come to church, for example, that is no guarantee that we will feel any spirit of internal worship. But internal states are changed permanently by internal or spiritual means, and since nothing can effect our genuine spiritual reception of truth or good without our willingness and cooperation, we may see that internal thanks is indeed urged and commanded, but not forced from us. But the Heavenly Doctrines speak to us in the following terms:
The Lord does indeed demand humiliation, adoration and thanksgivings, and many other things from man, which appear like repayings, and thus not gratuitous; but the Lord does not demand these things for His own sake, for the Divine has no glory from man's humiliation, adoration and thanksgiving. In the Divine, anything of the love of self is utterly inconceivable-that such things should be done for His own sake; but they are for the sake of the man himself; for when a man is in humiliation he can receive good from the Lord, because he has then been separated from the love of self and its evils, which are the obstacle; and therefore the Lord wills a state of humiliation in man for his own sake; because when he is in this state the Lord can flow in with heavenly good. The case is similar with adoration, and with thanksgiving.* * AC 5957.
Since it is the Lord Himself, and what comes directly from the Lord, that makes heaven, we can see that heavenly life is the life of reception of the Lord; it is the life of love from the Lord to the Lord as expressed in the delight of the love of performing uses. But how can a state of thanksgiving, from command and self-compulsion, contribute anything to the real reception of love from the Lord? In answer to this we may say that it is the same as with any good and useful state, which we may wish, or need, to acquire. We are taught in the heavenly doctrines that reformation begins in most ultimate things (the Lord washing our feet) through a motivation from conscience.
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We may not like doing something the Lord commands, but it is only by practicing it as far as we are able on the ultimate plane of life that we can prepare ourselves for the real spiritual change that affects our delights. The doing of a thing reinforces it in our minds and makes it just that much more acceptable to us (and this is true of either good or evil). Thus, in the case of good loves, the Lord can accept our effort, however feeble, provided it is seen to be a determined effort, and on the basis of that effort He can perform the spiritual miracle of changing our loves permanently. From all this we can see that in regard to the state of thanksgiving, which the Writings say should be a perpetual state with us, even seemingly little and external things can contribute a great deal: the habit of saying "Thank you" when anyone does a little favor, the blessing to the Lord before meals, the habit of seeing-through correspondences-the illustration of spiritual things (benefits) in natural things, and so on. In fact, the Scriptures and the Heavenly Doctrines teach that there is nothing in the world that we cannot in some spiritual way be thankful for, since everything in providence conduces to the Lord's ultimate end, the salvation of human souls for the blessings of heavenly life. This idea is summarized in the words of Paul, "All things work together for good to them that love God."* And so even the simple provision by the Lord of uses (work and occupations) that we can perform may be seen as a blessing worthy of thanks, for uses help to bring us out of our selfish states and make us respect the will of others-an obvious preparation for us to respect the will of God. * Romans 8: 28. We read in the Psalms, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,"* Even if it is only an external formulation at first, still that is a preparation, through recognition and the exercise of conscience, for the implantation of good in our lives-thus comes the growing willingness to find real delight in the spontaneous expression of thanks to the Lord. It is a part of the progression of states leading up to the one represented by the last of the three great festivals mentioned before-the feast of ingathering, where the fruits of our faith are seen and enjoyed as charity.
* Psalm 92: 1. And as the Psalmist also said, "Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks; for that Thy name is near Thy wondrous works declare." Our thanksgiving is a gift to the Lord, and as such it is like any gift or deed-in itself merely a motion, not unlike the motion of a machine. But regarded along with man's will, intention, or conscience it is a true testification of internal states-states that are never perfect, but always formative and progressively developing as long as man is in this world. "Unto Thee do we give thanks; for that Thy name is near Thy wondrous works declare." Any name signifies quality as we may realize when we think of the name of any one of our friends.
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Thus the Lord's name signifies His Divine quality, which preeminently is that of mercy or love exercised with infinite wisdom. That His mercy and love are near-with us at all times-His wondrous works in the minds and hearts and lives of man declare. Thanksgiving as represented by the three feasts commanded in the Old Testament, should inmostly be a celebration of the Lord's leading us out of our own falsities and evils into the life and delight of heavenly loves. It should be a thanksgiving for the Lord's redemption and salvation. As these Divine actions have for the New Churchman preeminently been effected through the teaching of the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, in what better way, finally, can we express our gratitude to the Lord than by submitting our will to these teachings, reading daily, and humbly seeking to understand and obey the loving exhortations of Almighty God! Amen.
The Reverend Thomas L. Kline has accepted an appointment by the Bishop to serve as resident pastor of the Southeastern District of the General Church, effective September 1, 1975. Mr. Kline now resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
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PRIMITIVE OF MAN Rev. GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
What Begins at Conception?
Of course, what actually begins at the moment of conception is the formation of an embryo which, when it is matured, is born into the world as an infant, a new human being. The soul of the infant is from the father. This is explicitly taught in the Writings where we read that "Every man's soul is from the father."* This is confirmed by the following: * DP 277a: 3.
The soul is in the seed, for from the seed impregnation takes place, and the seed is what is clothed with a body by the mother. The seed is the first form of the love in which the father is. It is the form of his reigning love, together with its nearest derivatives, which are the inmost affections of that love. These affections in every one are veiled over with the decencies of moral life, and with goods belonging partly to civil life and partly to spiritual life. These things constitute the external life even with the evil. Into this external life every infant is born; hence it is loveable.* * DP 277: 3, 4.
The forms which are the receptacles of love and wisdom, first exist with man when he has been conceived and is being produced in the womb.* * Wis. II: 2.
The seed which is from the father is the first receptacle of life, but such a receptacle as it was with the father, for it is in the form of his love. . . . There is a likeness of races to their first progenitors, and a greater likeness in families, and a still greater likeness in houses. This likeness is of such a nature that generations are distinguishable, not by disposition alone but even by faces.* * DLW 269.
The soul, which is from the father, is the man himself; while the body, which is from the mother is not the man in himself, but is from the man. It is simply the man's clothing, woven of such things as are from the natural world, while the soul is woven of such things as are in the spiritual world. . . . Since the soul of man is the man himself, and is spiritual in its origin, it is evident why the mind, disposition, nature, inclination and affection of the father's love dwell in offspring after offspring, and return and display themselves from generation to generation. Because of this many families and even nations are recognized from their first father. There is a common likeness which shows itself in the face of each descendant. . . . For in the semen from which every man is conceived there exists a graft or offshoot of the father's soul in its fullness, within a sort of envelope formed of elements from nature. By means of this his body is formed in the mother's womb, which body may become a likeness either of the father or of the mother, the image of the father still remaining within it and constantly striving to put itself forth.
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If it cannot accomplish this in the first offspring it does so in those that follow. A likeness of the father in its fullness exists in the semen for the reason that the soul from its origin is spiritual, and the spiritual has nothing in common with space, and is therefore like itself in little compass as in great.* * TCR 103. From these teachings the fact that in some sense human life in every offspring begins at conception, and that it is derived from the soul of the father, is beyond dispute. Nevertheless, conception is not the first beginning of individuated human life.
What Happens at Conception Depends upon What Has Already Taken Place
Man is not formed in the womb by the seed of the father. This is only an appearance, not the reality. He is actually created by the Lord before conception.
The Lord conjoins Himself to man in the womb of the mother from his first conception, and forms him. By the Lord here and elsewhere is meant the Divine that proceeds from Him as the sun of heaven where the angels are, and by and through which all things in the whole world have been created. That this is life itself has been already shown. That life itself is present from first conception and is what gives form, follows from this, that in order to be the form of life which man is, and in order to be an image and likeness of God, which man also is, and in order to be a receptacle of love and wisdom, which are life from the Lord, thus a recipient of the Lord Himself, man must be formed by life itself.* * Wis. III: 1.
From this it is clear that although the soul of the offspring is from the father; and although this "soul is the man himself," yet the offspring is not merely "a graft or offshoot from the father's soul."* As we understand the matter, this offshoot includes everything, which is transmitted into the offspring from the father. It is from "the father's reigning love, together with its nearest derivatives."** For this reason there is in the soul of the offspring, not only an hereditary tendency to evil which has accumulated through countless previous generations, but also those goods which are inherited from racial, national, tribal, and family ancesters. Of these it is said that "they make the infant loveable."*** Nevertheless, the father does not form the embryo in the womb. This is done by the Lord Himself, and He does it by means of vessels created before conception. What the Lord does through those vessels transcends all paternal heredity, overrules it, and produces in the offspring an individual altogether distinct from the father. * TCR 103. ** DP 277: 3. *** DP 277: 4.
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Where and How Is Human Seed Created?
Concerning this we read: "Man's semen is conceived interiorly in the understanding [of the adult human male] and is given form in the will. It is transferred therefrom to the testicles where it clothes itself with a natural covering, and is thus conducted into the womb and enters the world."* We note especially that the seed "is conceived interiorly in the understanding" of the father, and "is given form in his will." Thus the first creation takes place in the brain. How it is "transferred therefrom to the testicles" we are not told. But only after this transfer is accomplished is it said "it clothes itself with a natural covering." * TCR 584. Human seeds are thus created in great abundance because "The seeds [of truth] are innumerable because they are of faith, thus of all spiritual and celestial things. But the universal and only seed, in which the rest are arranged in their order and subordination is this-that the Lord alone governs the universe, and that He is the All in all things of truth and good; and that man, spirit, and angel, regarded in themselves, are nothing."* Elsewhere we read that "they who constitute the province of the seminal vessels, where the good semen is collected together with serum with which it is combined, that it may be suited for emission, and afterwards resolved in the neck of the womb," intensely desire to come into heaven. This is because "the seminal vessels contain such a substance as [corresponds] to the desire of entering heaven, indicating that it desires regeneration, or to enter into the womb that it may be born anew. . . . Such a desire also exists in those particles which are the seminal vessels."** * SD 1440. ** SD 875; cf. AC 5056. It is evident that there is something here, which does not come from the father. Obviously, the inmost of the seed is a Divine creation. It is not life itself, but is a finite receptacle of life.
Concerning the First Creation of Human Beings
"The Lord created with man, and afterwards forms with him, a receptacle of love which is his will; and He adjoins to this a receptacle of wisdom which is his understanding."* We would note that the receptacle of love is the man's will, and the receptacle of wisdom is the man's understanding. The number continues: * Wis. II.
As there are two things in the Lord, love and wisdom, and these two proceed from Him; and as man was created to be a likeness and an image of the Lord, a likeness through love and an image through wisdom, so two receptacles were created with man, one for love and the other for wisdom.
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The receptacle of love is what is called the will, and the receptacle of wisdom is what is called the understanding. Man knows that he has these two but he does not know that they are joined together in the same way as they are in the Lord, with this difference that in the Lord they are life, but in man receptacles of life. What the forms of these receptacles are cannot be explained because they are spiritual forms, and spiritual things transcend the apprehension. They are forms within forms, ascending even to the third degree, innumerable, separate, and yet harmonious, and each particular is a receptacle of love and wisdom. Their origins are in the brains where they are the beginnings and heads of the fibres through which their endeavors and forces flow down to all things of the body, higher and lower, and cause the senses to be present in the sensories, the movements to be present in the moving parts, and the functions of nutrition, of chyle-making, of blood-making, of separation, of purification, and of prolification to be present in the other organs, thus their uses in each of the particulars.* * Ibid.
We would note here that the receptacle of love is called the "will" of the offspring, and the receptacle of wisdom is called his "understanding". We take this to mean the inmost will of the future man, and the inmost understanding of the future man. This will, and this understanding are not from the father. They are from the Lord alone. They transcend all hereditary effects from the father's love and life, and for this reason we have called them a Divine endowment. They are not life in itself, but life conditioned, and determined to a specific end, by the spiritual vessels into which, and through which it acts. This is according to the universal law that "reception is according to the form of the receiving vessel".* These inmost receptacles of life are elsewhere called the "dwelling place of the Lord with man." This dwelling place is not in the least affected by the paternal heredity, nor indeed by the life of the offspring. It remains with man to eternity, altogether unchanged, because it is above man's consciousness. Yet by means of it the Lord is immediately present with every man, spirit, and angel-with those in hell as with those in heaven. Reference is made to it in Psalm 139, verse 8: "If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold Thou art there." * HH 569 and elsewhere. These inmost receptacles of life are minutely individual, as we read: "Life which is Divine love is in a form." "That form is a form of use in its whole complex." "In such a form is man individually."* Every man therefore is an individual form of use. We understand this teaching to mean that every offspring from a human father is not merely an "offshoot from the father's soul" but is an individual by virtue of these inmost vessels receptive of love and wisdom, which are created by the Lord in the brain of the male adult human being. As these are clothed in the testicles and there supplied with a serum in which they float, they are known as seeds or spermatozoa.
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They are created in unimaginable numbers, and millions of them are present in every coition of husband and wife. Yet only one sperm penetrates the ovum to begin the formation of an embryo. Frequently even this does not occur. Nevertheless each of these spermatozoa is a finite creation, an inmost form of use, so determined by the Lord Himself in His providence which constantly looks to the perfection of a heaven from the human race. Each one is a potential human soul, receptive of love and wisdom. These are rendered finite by the limitations of the created vessel into which, and through which the Divine life flows. * Love III-V. According to our understanding, each of these spermatozoa, when spiritually viewed, is representatively pictured in number 432 of the Divine Love and Wisdom. There it is called "the initiament of man as it is by conception." It was seen to be of three discrete degrees which together appeared as a type of the brain in least form, being divided into two hemispheres.
The right bed was the receptacle of love, and the left bed the receptacle of wisdom; and by wonder moving connections these were, as it were, consorts and intimates. Moreover it was shown in the light of heaven which shone effulgent, that the compages of this little brain within, as to make and fluxion, was in the order and in the form of heaven, and that its outer compages was in opposition, contrary to that order and form. . . . The two internal degrees, which were in the order and form of heaven, were the receptacles of love and wisdom from the Lord; and the exterior degree, which was in opposition, contrary to the order and the form of heaven, was the receptacle of hellish love and insanity. . . . Because love and wisdom is the very man, for love and wisdom in its essence is the Lord, and this primitive of man is a receptacle, it therefore follows that in the primitive there is a continual effort into the human form, which also it puts on successively.* * DLW 432.
What Is This Primitive of Man?
We believe that, as seen by Swedenborg, it was a spiritual representation of the sperm, which penetrates the ovum and initiates the process of conception. According to my understanding, the "two interior degrees" were a representation of that "inmost vessel receptive of life" which is said to be created by the Lord in the brain of the adult human male. This "is in the order and the form of heaven." The third degree, however, contains the paternal heredity, including the tendency to evil together with traits and characteristics derived from a long chain of ancestors. This, in our view, is what may be identified with what is called "an offshoot from the soul of the father."* * TCR 103. The teaching therefore is beyond question that "the primitive of man" is not merely inflowing Divine life.
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It is inflowing life conditioned by the form of the vessel into which, and through which it flows. Thus it is individuated. The Divine love so received produces the inmost love of the future man, and the Divine wisdom so received produces the inmost wisdom of the future man. Because, as we are taught, no two things in the created universe are exactly alike or identical, therefore no two "primitives of man" are identical, nor can they be to eternity. Therefore the love received in each one and the wisdom received in each one are both unique. Neither of these is derived from the father, but they are an immediate gift of the Lord. The love received contains in potency all the love from the Lord which a man can receive to all eternity; and the same is true of the wisdom received. Therefore these two together are the very man as to his inmost being. By them he is distinguished and set apart from all other human beings. By them also he is endowed with a use that is his very own, one that he alone can perform. This use is nothing but a particular form of love which, together with its wisdom, makes him an individual, capable of performing a use to society, and indeed to the whole of heaven, which no one else can perform. This he does by sharing with the neighbor these unique Divine gifts of love and wisdom. The means whereby one shares these gifts may be extremely various. They may be chosen by the man, as if from himself, in accord with his native bent and inherited talents, and also in accord with the opportunities for service which may be presented to him in the providence of the Lord. His choice is in no way restricted unless it be by some physical or mental disability acquired through heredity or through illness or accident, or, perchance, through the lack of an opportunity to acquire the necessary education. The use however is not the kind of work he does, but rather the love from which he thinks and acts in whatever he does. The use determines the way he acts, not the deed itself. This is evident from the fact, which is well known, that although a hundred or a thousand persons may be engaged in the same profession or occupation, each one will perform a different use. For this reason no one can "step into the shoes of another" and perform any service in exactly the same way as it was performed by the other. Thus the stamp of the individual will be apparent, not only in his finger-prints, or in the tone of his voice, or in the expression of his face, but also in whatever work he may perform. We read in Conjugial Love:
The origin of conjugial love is Divine celestial because it is from influx from the Lord into men's souls. Being from the Lord it is love, wisdom, and use, these being the three essentials which together make one Divine essence, and nothing can proceed from Him and flow into man's inmost which is called his soul, save what is of the Divine essence.
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In their descent into the body, these three essentials are changed into things analogous and correspondential. . . . Love, being the activity of life, cannot rest unless it is doing something; nor can wisdom exist and subsist except when doing something from love and with it; and doing is use. . . . With use, love and wisdom not only make the man, they are the man. Indeed, and this perhaps will astonish you, they propagate man; for in man's seed is his soul in perfect human form, covered over with substances from the purest things of nature, from which, in the mother's womb, is formed a body. This use is the supreme and ultimate use of Divine love by means of Divine wisdom. . . . Therefore all things in the universe are procreated and formed from use, in use, and for use.* * CL 183; see also AC 8603: 2; DP 3: 2; CL 220.
What Use Is Performed by the, Millions of Spermatozoa Which Do Not Penetrate the Ovum?
It should not be imagined that the spermatozoa which do not enter the ovum to initiate the process of conception are souls vainly waiting to become human beings. They also have their appointed uses which are innumerable, all of which contribute to the supreme end of Divine creation, namely the perfection of a heaven from the human race. just how this is the case remains concealed in the secret recesses of the Lord's Divine providence which lies beyond the reach of finite man's understanding. Nevertheless, that such uses exist the Writings plainly state, and something concerning them can be known from Divine revelation. "In every seed," we read, "there is the idea of the infinite and the eternal; for there is in seeds an effort to multiply and to fructify themselves to infinity, and to eternity."* * DLW 60.
Every Divine work has respect to infinity and eternity, as is evident from many things which exist both in heaven and in the world. In neither of them is there ever one thing exactly similar to or the same as, another. No two faces are ever alike or identical, nor will be to eternity. In like manner the mind of one is never altogether like that of another. There are as many faces and as many minds as there are men and angels. . . . That such infinite variety is in each and all things is because they all originate from the Divine which is infinite.* * LJ 13.
There is, therefore, in the multitudinous production of seeds a Divine purpose other than procreation. Thus there are uses reserved for seeds that do not germinate, yet contribute to the Divine end of creation. It is of the Divine providence that germinations are limited, and this is essential to the preservation of the human race. So we are told that:
Any seed, be it the produce of a tree, or of grain or of a flower, is so created that it may be multiplied to infinity, and endure to eternity. For from one seed are produced many, five, ten, twenty, a hundred, and from each of these again as many more.
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Such fructification from one seed continuing but for a century, would cover the surface, not only of one, but of myriads of earths.* * Ibid.
It is clear therefore that the end of creation is not frustrated, but is rather promoted by the fact that innumerable seeds do not germinate, but instead are deflected to other uses, all of which look to the same Divine end. The same number continues:
The angelic heaven is the end for which all things in the universe were created. It is the end on account of which the human race exists, and the human race is the end regarded in the creation of the visible heaven and the earths included in it. Therefore the Divine work, namely the angelic heaven, primarily has respect to infinity and eternity, and therefore to its multiplication without end, for the Divine Himself dwells therein. Hence also it is clear that the human race will never cease, for were it to cease, the Divine work would be limited to a certain number, and thus its looking to infinity would perish.* * Ibid.
All the uses Divinely provided for seeds that do not germinate are beyond human comprehension. But one such use is plainly evident, namely, that by this means there may be presented an idea of the Lord's infinity which may be grasped by men. Further reasons for limiting germination may be seen in the provision that animals, fish, and insects live by acquiring food from one another.* But there is a most vital use performed by the human protozoa which enter the vagina of the wife, but do not penetrate the ovum. So we read: * TCR 32.
How the husband's life enters through the thighs by means of love; how truth then becomes good, or understanding, the will of the wife; and how finally the husband's understanding becomes the form of the wife's affection; thus how it is to be understood that the wife is formed from Adam's rib, and that Adam said., "Bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." Also that they shall become one flesh, and that a man shall cleave to his wife.* * SD 6110 (20)
How the seed is distributed through the body in all directions, is received by the soul (anima) which is in the whole body, thus in the fibers and vessels everywhere, and then delights or gives pleasure to the wife, and fills her with delight so that she is formed into the form of the man. . . . How this produces intelligence in him, and how it produces impregnation.* * SD 6110 (63); see also CL 198-201.
From all this it is evident that the end of creation is present even in seeds that do not germinate, as well as in seeds that do. Nevertheless, the conclusion is inescapable, that a potential human soul is present in every human seed, for in it is the Divine love of perfecting a heaven from the human race, and every human seed contributes to the accomplishment of that supreme purpose of the Divine in all creation, and this in innumerable ways beyond all imagination.
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"O GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD" Rev. DOUGLAS TAYLOR 1975
By far the most usual form of blessing before meals which is used in the General Church is from Psalm 136: "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy is for ever."* There is no rule or regulation saying that these are the only words to be used; it is simply that they have entered very deeply into our hearts because we understand the two universal reasons for thanksgiving contained within them; or because we sense that something of the kind must be involved; or else, we hardly think of what we are saying, repeating the words from mere idolatrous custom in the unreflecting belief that this is the "done thing". We can utter these Divinely inspired words intelligently and from the heart to the extent that we understand and appreciate the two universal reasons for giving thanks to the Lord. We are to render our thanks unto Him, first, because He is good, and second, because His mercy is for ever. All the thousands and thousands of Divine gifts and blessings that we can remember daily (and especially at the Thanksgiving season) stem from these two-the Lord's goodness and mercy. If the Lord were not infinitely good and merciful, there would be no Divine blessings, and no reasons for thanking Him. * Psalm 136: 1. See also the first verse of Psalms: 106, 107 and 118. His mercy is an effect or result of His Divine good. Consequently, the two are not the same. The Divine good is another term for the Divine love, which is an infinitely good love-in fact, goodness itself. In itself it relates properly to the Lord's work as Creator, to all that He has made, to everything that is in order, to everything that can be governed by a general influx. The Divine mercy, though, is that same Divine love or good as it looks upon what is out of order and consequently in misery. It is therefore defined in the Writings as "love grieving."* The Divine love grieves for the human race; for of all the Lord's creatures mankind alone through freedom of choice is capable of being out of order and thus of requiring a particular influx for each individual.** Since mankind is the object of the Lord's work of redemption (or restoring to order), we think of the Lord as the Divine Redeemer when we think of His eternal mercy. The words we are considering, then, contain within them all the doctrine of creation and all the doctrine of redemption.
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In reciting them we are praising and worshiping the Lord for His work of creation and for His work of redemption. * AC 5480. ** AC 5850. When we consider what is meant by saying that the Lord is good, we can see in some measure why it is said that the Lord has created the universe, and all that is in it, because He is good. His very life is Divine love, a Divinely good love that is not self-regarding and destructive of others outside of itself, but, on the contrary, is a love that is creative, outgoing, and eternally striving to give to others what is its own-and this to an infinite degree. "Love," we read, "consists in this, that its own should be another's; to feel the joy of another as joy in oneself, that is loving."* * DLW 47. If, then, God is love, if He is good itself, if He is the only life, it follows that He must first create others outside of Himself, to whom He can impart life, and to whom He can give the enjoyment, delight, and happiness of His Divine good. These others to whom the Lord gives such gifts must have nothing of His infinity or Divinity in them; clearly they must be quite outside of Him, because otherwise He would be loving Himself. And to love Himself would be altogether contrary to the Divine essence. Such an evil, ingrowing love is diametrically opposite to the Divine good and its essential love, which is "not to love self, but to love others and to be conjoined with others by love."* *Ibid. Here, then, is the reason for the creation of human beings. We were created to be the object of the Lord's love; we were created to receive the blessings inherent in the Divine goodness; we were created because the Lord is good. In creation we see not only the Divine love but also the Divine wisdom, for what the one wills, the other brings to pass. Wisdom is the way love works. The marvellous ordering, formation, and arrangement of all the good things in the universe serviceable to man are from the Divine love by means of the Divine wisdom. Everything that is in order has a use to perform, a way in which it should act, and it is made in exactly the right form to perform that use. The bee is a perfect form for supplying us with honey; the eye is a perfect form for seeing. The Divine good does not operate apart from ways and means, and these means or forms belong to the Divine wisdom. Just as the Divine good longs to give the happiness of heaven, so does the Divine mercy long to save or rescue from the unhappiness of hell; that is to bring mankind back to a state wherein he may receive once again the benefits and blessings of the Divine good. For good lies within mercy and is its soul.
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Thus the giving of the written Word is really an act of the Divine mercy, since it is for the sake of those who are not yet in order. The "Word made flesh" said: "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."* * Matthew 9: 13. Let us by all means give thanks for temporal blessings, that is, for those natural gifts that are means to our eternal salvation. Yet before all these things, let us give thanks to the Lord for the two all encompassing reasons given in His Word-that He is good, and that His mercy is for ever. Without the heartfelt acknowledgment of this, the "goods of this world will not be blessings.
SPIRITUAL LAWS IN COMMON EXPERIENCES Rev. ERIK E. SANDSTROM 1975
"The kingdom of God comes not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here, or lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you."* In this teaching is contained the simple message, that the heaven or hell in which man has been while in the world, becomes his spiritual reality after death.** For the whole spiritual world is contained in man, and all the laws of that world, which we usually consign exclusively to life after death, are in fact present in common everyday experiences. How many examples of these laws can we find illustrated here on earth? * Luke 17: 20, 21. ** AC 8918: 4. Perhaps the most well known spiritual law, is that of presence by aspect; that is, the law whereby those who are in mutual affections and thoughts appear to each other in an instant, even though they are from distant societies; and that as soon as there is any disagreement, they vanish from each other's sight.* How is this law present in common experience? * HH 194,121. It is present; quite simply, by the mechanism we call forgetting. We forget those things, which do not harmonize, with our personality. But that does not mean that we erase everything, which disagrees with U.S. What happens instead is that our recollections blur and overlap, with the outcome that we recall only what is conformable to our own spiritual constitution.
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Thus, for example, we recall having had a conversation about a specific topic, but forget with whom, or where, it was held. Also, we ascribe ideas to our own imagination, when in fact we had first heard those ideas from others. We have forgotten from whom, or when, we first heard them. Another example is the more mundane one of forgetting who was at a certain occasion in the past; or conversely thinking that someone was there who in fact was not. And so people suddenly appear and vanish in our memory. A closely connected spiritual law, is the apparent absence of distances, or of time and space. Instead of time and space, there are changes of state. The greater the change of state involved, the longer are the apparent times and distances.* * EU 1271,138; HH 42. But the changes of state, which are brought about by traveling in this world, should cause no one any surprise. The longer the distance spanned in this world, the greater are the mental adjustments of our state. The only difference between the two worlds as regards this law, is that here we travel first, and adjust our states afterwards; whereas in the spiritual world, the change of state comes first, and as a consequence spirits seem to travel through equivalent distances, or for equivalent times. Yet in retrospect, both worlds become the same. Although we enjoy the aspect of travel here on earth, we nevertheless tend to forget that part, and recall the delights of arriving at our destination. So also angels enjoy the delights of the new state into which they have come, but do not attend at all to the change itself.* * SD 5177. There is of course an enjoyment, which attaches to the change itself which traveling affords here on earth. Nevertheless, the enjoyment is proportionate to the pace at which the change occurs. A pleasure cruise provides constant enjoyment, because the change of state is well within what man can cope with. But too many quick and sudden changes, as we experience by jet travel, brings about only tedium-and forgetfulness. In both worlds, therefore, the states are recalled, but the changes of state forgotten. Another law of the spiritual world, is that the environment reflects the goods and truths that are in the minds of angels, or the evils and falsities of devils.* How is this law present by common experience? * HH 186, 584. Quite simply by such things as home decorations, bookshelf contents, garden-neatness-or its absence-and even the neighborhood. Of course any single picture of a home is not sufficient to form an accurate impression of someone's spiritual state. Only when a home is seen sequentially, and how it has grown and changed with each move to new locations, can we catch a glimpse of the permanent spiritual affections, which underlie such changes.
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Every married couple, consciously or unconsciously, strives to attain its ideal home, or to preserve and foster that hominess which satisfies its states. Thus we can only get a fair idea of our spiritual environment by looking back at all the homes in which we have lived. Closely connected with our spiritual home, is the ideal of marriage, and of conjugial love. This is one ideal, which perhaps has suffered from being placed above common experience. Yet there are laws regarding conjugial love, the most well known one being that men and women are, in providence and thus by creation, born as pairs on earth, or at least reborn as pairs into the spiritual world. How do we feel the presence of this law of being sure of one's partner? Such a judgment needs an even longer perspective than the judgment of one's spiritual environment in the home. And because another person is involved, that judgment may itself come back on one's own head.* With that proviso understood, the only indications of the conjugial sphere that would conceivably manifest themselves in common experiences, would be in terms of joyous memories. In heaven, conjugial joys are present; here on earth, they are recalled with fondness as old age is reached. The married delights of the past are then felt in the present as a feeling of contentment, which is properly beyond analysis. Even partners who are destined for heaven, yet are not conjugial partners, would feel such contentment in each other. For Divine Providence is leading them both to heaven, whether together or apart. No surer knowledge of one's partner can be afforded than that, because were we to glimpse the working of providence, it would appear merely as "scattered heaps and collections of materials from which a house is to be built."** Only the Lord sees the finished heavenly home with its conjugial occupants. Yet such an ever present, underlying contentment may allow the elderly to look back on their married life, and glimpse their heavenly home being constructed. * Matthew 7: 1, 2. ** DP 203. A spiritual law which presents us with an aspect of finality, is the law regarding man's internal memory, or his book of life. In this memory are recorded all things that man has said, thought, intended, or done, from his earliest infancy even to extreme old age.* Although this law holds out both fear and hope for our own judgment after death, it is interesting to note that by means of this law all other spiritual laws can make themselves felt also on earth. For in each of the above instances of spiritual laws operating on earth, we find the mechanism of recollection, or of reflection, to be essential in our recognition of these laws.
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The mechanism of recollection or of reflection, is the book of life. * AC 2474. After death, man's true life catches up with him, and the internal memory causes man to return to all his former states. Starting from the age of death, he returns through his states until he reaches that state wherein his true ruling love resides. Whereas on earth his book of life was a minute record of his experiences, after death his experiences become the living record of his book of life. Man does again what he truly loves to do. Yet our book of life is present also in common experiences. What in man's experience takes him back, time and again, to the same old states, which he had experienced before? Habits. Man's habits, good and bad, reveal to him his own book of life, although only in scattered paragraphs! Yet the breaking of evil habits, and the forming of genuinely good ones, has sufficient power to alter our book of life. The more of this we get done here on earth, the fewer will be our vastations, and the more rapid will be our instruction for heaven, after death. "For behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
CIRCLE'S COMPLETION Rev. KURT P. NEMITZ 1975
An ancient, almost intuitive concept which one finds especially emphasized in the Eastern religions, and which is still generally known today is that of the circle-or cycle-of life. Nearly everyone is familiar with the idea that life goes forth from God into creation and flows back to Him. This piece of ancient wisdom must be rather important, for it is expounded in the Heavenly Doctrines on a number of occasions. The strong statement is made, for example, in Divine Love and Wisdom, that "the end of creation . . . is that all things may return to the Creator, and that there may be conjunction [with Him]."* * DLW 167. The clear description given in the doctrines of the creative process whereby God finited the substance of His infinite Being through successive compositions makes it relatively easy for the New Church person to understand how all things came forth from God. But one wonders how many of us understand equally clearly the second half of the circle of life. How is the line of life drawn back to its Divine origin?
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It is explained to be sure in the section in Divine Love and Wisdom just referred to, that "the uses of all created things ascend by degrees from ultimates to man, and through man to God the Creator, from whom all things are."* Still, the question remains, "Just how is the final connection between man and God made?" * DLW 170e, cf. 65-68. A passage in Apocalypse Explained gives us the key to understanding just how the circle of life is finally brought around to its beginning and origin. There we read, "It is on account of order that the earth produces vegetables, and that vegetables nourish animals, and that both are useful to man for food, for raiment, and for pleasure. And because man is the one in whom God is, in this way all things return to God from whom they originated."* * AE 1129: 5. Italics added. Here is the explanation. Because God is present with and in man, what is done to and for man is as it were done to and for God Himself. Of course! It sounds so obvious when one has once heard it. We recall now what the Lord Himself said about the righteous who wondered how they had fed, clothed, made a sick call and prison visit to the Son of Man, their King. "I assure you that whatever you did for the humblest of my brothers you did for me."* * Matthew 25: 40, The New Testament in Modern English, by J. B. Phillips, 1959. So is the circle drawn to its close.
NICE-GUY SYNDROME Rev. DANIEL W. GOODENOUGH 1975
(Based on a Chapel Talk given to the College of the Academy of the New Church. AC 4804.)
"Everyone may indeed be friendly to another, but still he should be most friendly to what is good."* The clear implication is that if a conflict arises between personal friendship and what is good, man's choice should be in favor of what is good. Why? Because good is from the Lord, and thus really is the Lord, whereas a friend, if he has not good in him, is removed from the Lord. We should love both man and the Lord, but if there is a conflict between them, the religious man places his God above all else. Otherwise he makes man into his God, and worships and believes in man, and not in God. * AC 4804.
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You cannot believe in God in a secondary way. He must either be the standard and authority of your life, or you actually deny Him within yourself. That is the reason for the teaching that to love the neighbor is not to love the person, the individual man simply as an individual man; to love the neighbor is to love the good that is in the person.* To love the whole person, including his evils, means to place man above God and to believe in man rather than in God. * See TCR 417. Even today, outright denial of God is not particularly fashionable; yet how easily man makes that very denial by placing man above God. And how easily we fall into the same pattern-of not out rightly denying God, but of denying the good that is from God, by loving man more than we love what is good. We cannot love man more than we love what is good without interiorly denying God, who is Good itself. It might be called the nice-guy syndrome, and in the New Church we seem to be nearly as prone to it as anyone is. For example, no one likes a thief in the abstract. Yes, stealing is wrong, immoral. But if the thief is a nice guy, a friendly fellow, someone with a nice smile and a kind word, and especially if he acts in a friendly way towards ourselves, then our natural affections reach out to accept him and excuse what he has done. To state it truly, it is very easy to be a sucker for the nice guy, whatever open and serious evils he may be guilty of. To follow out the example, let us look at what a thief is guilty of. Unless he is completely ignorant, his stealing is a sin against God. "Thou shalt not steal" is the Seventh Commandment, which means that stealing is indeed forbidden by the Lord, as is murder and adultery. The Writings make plain that the first and most important way anyone can become good is to obey the Ten Commandments. Man can work on less crucial areas of life later, but the first thing is to avoid, to shun the evils outlined in the Ten Commandments. One who willingly disobeys them simply flaunts his own self against God. This is why the Writings say that he who deliberately, and with confirmation, breaks one of the Ten Commandments, breaks them all.* To do so is to deny God. He may be a nice guy, but if we excuse the act of willful stealing, we simply are saying that God matters less than man. * TCR 523; CL 528. Still we feel sympathy, and try to avoid thinking of him as a thief, and tend to feel that because he is a nice guy, he must still love his fellow man. He must at least be a moral man, if he is a nice guy. Yet the unhappy truth is that the world is filled with nice guys who in their selfish loves do much to destroy the world and the lives of people in it.
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Both experience and revelation tell us that the world has much evil in it. If we are sceptical of what the Writings say, we can read about it and see it continually around us-not that there is nothing but evil, but still there is much of it, around us and within us, and nearly always masked in appearances of good. To deny obvious evil because many people seem nice is, sad to say, the height of gullibility and naivet?. A study of evil men would result in a picture of a great many people who could be very nice guys when they wanted to be. In the case of a thief, however nice a guy he seems to be, there lurks within his stealing contempt for his fellow man. He who willingly steals can only despise his neighbor. He may not think he hates his neighbor, and he may like other people so long as they do not oppose his will. But he could not steal willingly if he felt any real love for other men. The only possible exceptions would seem to be in those cultures or sub-cultures where some are brought up to steal. We cannot make spiritual judgments of others, and that is not required. What is required of man, and of the man who would believe in God, is condemnation of the act of stealing, and of other acts which clearly and obviously transgress the Lord's Word to man. What is needed is refusal to condone an external action that is a flagrant evil against God and a crime among men. To be duped by the nice-guy syndrome is infantile.
SUMMER ACADEMIES Rev. MORLEY D. RICH 1975
Laurel Leaf '75.
When in the course of New Church events, over 100 persons gather for a solid week of religious learning, experience and enjoyment totaling some 48 hours of lectures, discussion and active participation; and when, in addition, they remain through (1) the disabling of two of the main lecturers, (2) a 24-hour virus infection, and (3) frequent rains; and they still feel that they have gained outstanding benefits and pleasure-can it not be said that there has been a real happening of which the church at large should be informed? Such an event was Laurel Leaf Academy of 1975, held the last week of August.
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So we would call your attention to the account of it by the Rev. Frank Rose, which appears in the Church News of this issue, page 511. We would add to this some general reflections and a historical sketch. As in the heavens so in the community of the New Church, each and every human spirit has unique qualities and talents to contribute to its growth and inner maturation. And by the sharing of these the whole community is enriched. This also applies to the combined efforts of groups, of special projects, and of other cooperative contributions within the whole body. These but enhance each other. And when this is seen then it is as in heaven, where angels are filled with joy when they see others excelling in uses other than their own. All human history brings forth voluminously the fact that new things emerge only out of a large and long background of previous efforts and trials. Inventions, discoveries, new ideas and theories, all advances in every field, these are always the fruit of long and mostly hidden labors on the part of many. And so it is with the new things of the New Church. It is in this perspective that we like to review the Summer Academies of the past fifteen years or more. Many responsible people have made major contributions in this field in their own ways and by their own means-pastors, teachers, lay workers and participants. And a perspective of this kind makes possible a balanced and proportioned picture in relation to other parts and functions of the New Church. What are sometimes called the Summer Academies-British, Maple Leaf, Laurel Leaf, Pine Needle, and others-perform a very special function in aid of New Church education, evangelization and religious life and it is difficult to define this use without risking a diminishing of a certain spirit of lovely spontaneity. What actually happens is that in a more free, affectional and relaxed atmosphere than is possible, or perhaps even desirable in a full-fledged, programmed institution, many people gain new feelings and approaches and attitudes toward the Word and the church, and a stronger sense of relationship with each other-this by lively discussion, sorting out ideas and truths and fallacies, and seeing new truth for themselves. Were there space in these pages, I could quote many comments from participants, which testify, often eloquently, to this fact.
These sessions also give opportunity for trying new modes of association and experience in the stream of New Church thought and feeling. As examples of this, we briefly describe the "family" idea, and what was called "Shalom"-both tried for the first time at Laurel this year. And I should add that all such experiments are carried forward only with the full consent, understanding and enthusiastic participation of all hands.
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The "family" project was an attempt to furnish additional opportunities for individuals to achieve a closer association in a smaller unit of the whole. Groups of a dozen members (put together at random) were gathered together under a leader ("father" or "mother"), and called a "family." There were seven of these families, plus the staff family. Each family gathered for an hour-and-a-half of informal conversation each evening after supper. Conversation was concerned with such subjects as camp problems, opinions and feelings about procedures and events, perhaps a further discussion of some particular lecture subject, also some planning in regard to the family's camp duty; for each family was responsible for some one part of the work of the camp (e.g., transportation, entertainment, tours, sports, services, etc.). Usually the session closed with a member reading a favorite passage from the Word. In this way, in a large body of 100 people, each person gained a feeling of closer relationship with a few than might otherwise have been possible. "Shalom," from the Hebrew word for peace, was the last scheduled event of the day. Held at 9:30 in the evening, it consisted of an effort to recreate, in a tranquil sphere, some living experiences of the letter of the Word. One of these was concerned with the raising of Lazarus, and another with the washing of the disciples' feet by the Lord. It is beyond the scope of these observations to make any thorough historical account of this field of New Church endeavor. But just a few facts may be of interest, and should be on record. Obviously we cannot comment on the experimental and radical efforts of the early, activist Academicians-the new idea of assemblies, new educational theory and experimentation, the establishing of degrees in the priesthood, et alia. Nor can we here treat of one of the first large-scale attempts at summer schools,-the Almont effort promoted by the Rev. E. J. E. Schreck in 1900, and still continuing. Many church camps and young peoples' summer schools make up the antecedents of these "academies." But let us simplify by mentioning that one of the prime forerunners was a Young Peoples' Weekend, originated by the Rev. Martin Pryke in 1948 to meet the needs of British young people. Continuing through the years under the Revs. Kenneth Stroh, Morley D. Rich, Erik Sandstrom and Frank S. Rose, these developed, in 1959, into the first session of what was called the British Summer School, under the supervision of Mr. Rose, and fostered, encouraged and financially supported by the British Academy which had been formed in 1953-54. Through the years, the British Academy Summer School was opened to all New Church young people in England and Europe.
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In the first year, there were only 11 students. But, by the tenth summer school, the registration had reached 72, including people from seven countries, and plus a staff of five ministers and seven lay assistants. This "academy" is still continuing, with much benefit to the church as a whole.* * See The Newsletter, published by the General Church in Great Britain, Vol. 19, Nos. 5, p. 30; 6, p. 36; 7, p. 43; NEW CHURCH LIFE 1954, pp. 25, 76, 534; 1957, p. 490; 1959, p. 515; 1960, p. 435; 1961, p. 560; 1962, p. 547; 1965, p. 505; 1968, p. 558. The Maple Leaf Academy is the Canadian effort in this direction. First formed in 1969, largely by the initiative and spirit of the Rev. Frank Rose, the first one had an enrollment of 49 members. Primarily addressed to young people of high school age in later years, it has increased to attendances of 100 plus.* * NEW CHURCH LIFE 1969, page 465; 1970, page 443. Finally, there was formed in 1971, under the auspices and support of the Pittsburgh Sons, the Laurel Leaf Academy, a week's activity held in a lovely State Park (Laurel Hill), again under the guidance and inspiration of the Rev. Frank Rose. A good statement and accounts of the first one may be found in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1972, page 29. There was an enrollment of 70 at this first camp; open to all of college age and older, its participants and staff have steadily totalled over a hundred. So much for the historical record. And, in closing, it should be remarked that these uses have been filled with much loving, unremunerated labor and care, and with a keen sense of responsibility, especially in regard to trying new things. As someone said, "I'm not about to swallow whole every new idea that comes down the pike." But we can and must, with care, without prejudice and without fear or favor, examine, analyze and test some of them. For "every man is gifted with states of holiness by the Lord," in many and various ways and circumstances.
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ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESIGNATION Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 50 cents. Bishop Pendleton's announcement that he will resign as Bishop of the General Church, effective September 1, 1976, will not perhaps come as a surprise to many, for he has made it clear that he planned to step down in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless the actual announcement inevitably comes as something of a shock as we realize that a period of fifteen years of devoted service to this high office is coming to an end. There will be other occasions for a fuller appraisal of Bishop Pendleton's service to the church, but we cannot allow this historic issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE to go out without an expression of the deep appreciation of the church for the leadership it has received during his episcopacy. Bishop Pendleton, while working from principle carefully drawn from the Writings, has had a sensitive regard for the freedom of the priesthood and the laity alike mindful of the fact that the church cannot really grow or gain strength except from the free response of its people. His presence will be missed to the far corners of the church, for he and Mrs. Pendleton visited General Church centers around the world-for this they were loved in many places. Sufficient for the present to say this brief word of appreciation and to express affectionate good wishes to the Bishop and to his wife who has supported him in all that he did.
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BLESSING BEFORE THE MEAL Editor 1975
The Reverend Douglas Taylor, on page 483, draws our attention to the significance and power of the blessing which is used most commonly in General Church homes: "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy is forever."* This is a particularly useful article for an issue, which, for our United States readers at least, comes out at the time of Thanksgiving. It is well that we reflect carefully on these words, which we use so often and which can so easily become a "vain repetition." Mr. Taylor makes it clear why these particular words are so appropriate for this use and anyone who reads his article carefully cannot but find a new power in using this blessing. * Psalm 136: 1. We suggest that perhaps there is also a need for us to use other forms in addition to that, which is best known. Perhaps we would not then so easily pass the blessing by as a mere formality, and whatever form were used we would be inclined to think more consciously and carefully of what we are saying. With this use in mind we suggest some alternatives that some families might care to consider-all of which are undoubtedly presently used by some of us. (1) "Hodhoo laiHOWAH, ki-tov; ki l'olam chasdo." Some homes have found a power in sometimes using this Hebrew original of our usual blessing. It can be recited or sung.* * Liturgy, page 625; Hymnal, no. 272. (2) "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."* * Psalm 145: 1. (3) "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."* This can be extended to include the preceding verse so that it reads: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." *Psalm 103: 2; or 103: 1, 2. (4) "The eyes of all wait upon Thee, and Thou givest them their meat in due season." * * Psalm 145: 15. (5) Perhaps there is a value in having a special blessing for special occasions. The following seems suitable for Sundays, or Christmas Day, or New Church Day (perhaps at breakfast): "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."* * Psalm 118: 24. We have selected only those which are quotations from the Word-for many this is a preferred practice, but there is really no reason why we should not use those of human composition, just as we use prayers written by men, and sometimes those which are spontaneous. Would any of our readers care to send us additional suggestions?
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AFFECTIVE OR COGNITIVE? Editor 1975
In recent years the educational world has been diven by a dispute which is typical of that world, and which may therefore well have been forgotten within a few years. In -the meantime it is important and not to be avoided by those involved in New Church education. The challenge has been made that education has been far too cognitive in its approach-its emphasis is all on the imparting of facts. Instead we are told, we should be affective-we should be far more concerned with arousing an affectional response from the children than with filling them with knowledges. Not surprisingly the challenge has been made within the world of New Church education also, and we have been happy to include some exchanges along these lines in the pages of New Church Life.* We particularly welcome the contribution made by the Rev. B. David Holm on page 499 of this issue. It has been surprising to us that this dispute (if it may be so called) has taken such a firm hold within the church, for it seems to us that if anybody in the world is in a position to resolve this problem it is the New Church-are the Writings not full of teaching concerning the proper relation between good and truth, will and understanding, charity and faith? How often have we not heard that love clothes itself in, and operates through, wisdom; that in the development of man faith comes first in time, but charity is first in end? We welcome Mr. Holm's letter because it draws our attention to these points in a clear and powerful way. * See NEW CHURCH LIFE., 1975, June issue, page 286; September issue, pages 401, 418; October issue, page 458. We believe that some calm reflection on these teachings will be significantly helpful in leading us to see the true balance between the cognitive and the affective. Undoubtedly education at times places an undue emphasis on one or the other; undoubtedly we all have much to learn regarding the best ways of meeting the changing-needs of our children. But we will not make advances by dividing ourselves into camps and challenging others to overturn our tents if they can, or dare. What will draw men together in things of the understanding is a mutual turning to the teaching of the Lord's Word; what will draw us together in things of the will will be the opening up of our hearts to the love of God-which is often best done by the devoted and faithful performance of our mutual uses.
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REGENERATE MAN'S CONFIDENCE DANIEL W. GOODENOUGH 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: I much appreciated the thoughtful letter of the Rev. Peter Buss about man's knowledge of his internal states.* I am in agreement with his thinking on the subject, though I would make one observation about "some feeling of security" which the "hoary-headed" regenerate man may enjoy. We are warned against a security of life from believing ourselves saved,** yet regenerate faith should fill man with true confidence from the good of love and charity.*** This is a confidence in the Lord, not from a perception of one's own good. The regenerate man more than anyone knows and perceives that of himself he is nothing but evil and that all good and truth are from the Lord.**** Thus his security is the Lord, not his own states, which he knows he cannot trust. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, October, 1975, page 461. ** DP 340: 4; and see Concordance sv. CONFIDENCE. *** AC 4352: 3, 4683: 2, 5963, 6272: 2, 7762, 9241. **** AC 633, 8995: 4; DP 158; HH 280. How can anyone-regenerate or unregenerate-number his own internal goods without claiming them as his own, which is an appropriation to self that we are told not to make? * The not-yet-regenerate man dreams of a security from knowing the Lord has regenerated him, but in the fulness of regeneration he will find the only real security is a heartfelt trust in the Lord from shunning evils as sins. He will find full and real confidence from them by knowing that from the Lord is everything good and true, and far from knowing he is good he will perceive rather just how true it is that everything from himself is evil. * DP 320, 321; cf. AC 6324, 6325; BE 69. Those who acknowledge that the Divine Providence does all things "reflect only upon the evils in themselves."* To the unregenerate this seems an unnecessary and distasteful exercise in unpleasantness, but to the regenerate it is the beginning of his confidence in the Lord, since without it he lacks the humility to trust truly that the Lord alone is his Savior. For how can man know, perceive and fully feel his dependence on the Lord if he has confidence in any state of his own? * DP 321: 7. Mr. Buss writes eloquently of the external signs which the Lord grants for man's hope.
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Let us take heart from such signs, not by supposing they mean we have good, but by realizing more deeply that all the good in our lives is a gift from the Lord even as the evil in our lives is from ourselves. The natural man imagines that his good is from himself and the evil is somebody else's fault. The confidence of the regenerate man is perception that the opposite is so. DANIEL W. GOODENOUGH Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
AFFECTIVE OR COGNITIVE? B. DAVID HOLM 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: I have read with interest Dr. Van Dusen's article "Love in Understanding."* It is a clear statement of how love and wisdom, good and truth, and will and understanding are to make a "one" if they are to be real. He also makes it clear that love, good and will are Divinely intended to be first in order and are to take the primacy. These are surely the clear statements of the Writings. While he mentions the fact that the understanding must first be formed as a receptacle for the will, still he does not go into a very full treatment of this-nor does he bring out the important teaching that a new will must be formed in the understanding by means of truth. This is regrettable, for I believe these are essential concepts-not only in education but also in regeneration. * See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, September issue, page 401. We are regenerated through the understanding. Indeed the unregenerate, hereditary will must be discarded in order that a new will may be formed in the understanding. This is an important point. For while good is the primary as to end in view, still truth is the first in time in the regeneration of our natural man. Now it is true that good is still present and tempers and guides without man's conscious awareness of it. These are the remains of good stored up in the interiors of the natural. But as to man's conscious efforts, he must first depend upon truth to teach him what is good. Of course this is not the ideal state. It is an accommodation for our perverted natural mind. Still the fact remains that we could never come into good on the natural level except it come to us through truth. Because of our state, truth simply must apparently take the first or primary place in our regenerative process. This is made abundantly clear in the Esau-Jacob series in the Arcana. The whole series can be very enlightening to those who are interested in this affective-cognitive dialogue now going on in our church and schools. For those who cannot go through the whole series, AC 3539: 3-6, and 3603 entire give a summary of the general teaching in the series.
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Generally speaking, Esau represents the good of the natural-probably the genuine good of remains, while Jacob represents the truth of the natural-the Scientifics and knowledges of faith which are learned. Esau is the firstborn or heir-good is the principal in importance and end, and even in time when remains of good are considered. Jacob is the younger-truth is secondary because it is to serve as a vehicle or the means to an end. Truth is also second even in time, for truth enters after the first good of remains. Still, during the developing stages truth takes the ascendancy over good as to appearances. Jacob, by devious methods, takes Esau's birthright and blessing. Our corrupted will make this state necessary, for there is no good in that will. A new will can be formed only in the understanding. It is formed and developed by good, which enters by means of truth. Of course this is not what the Lord intended for man, but it is the Divine method of dealing with fallen man and of regenerating him. In this state good is to be received and formed into a new will (of which remains are the nucleus) by means of the truths of faith entering into the understanding. There is no other way for it to be done. The spontaneous goods of remains are for a time bypassed and replaced by truth and its forced good. Jacob supplants Esau in the Genesis story. Now come the long years in which we laboriously learn (often reluctantly) to do good by means of what truth teaches us. Jacob lives in Haran with Laban. But gradually the conscience of the new will is built up, and more and more delight is sensed in doing good because it is good. At last we come back into a state in which good-spontaneous and genuine good rules. We then see truth from good and it serves as the orderly vehicle or tool of good. Jacob bows to Esau and they are reunited. There is great danger in ignoring these teachings given here in the Arcana. They give balance to our understanding of the workings of good and truth, and will and understanding. They teach us not to overstress the affective for they point out that we are dealing with a corrupted will. Its affections and delights are highly suspect, and we must not appeal to that. Certainly, we are to try to stimulate the remains of good, but this is all too often an intangible thing. If we are realistic, we must acknowledge that we must work chiefly with the understanding by means of truth throughout the formative years (which includes the self instruction of much of adult life). Now this does not mean that we are to deal solely with facts. This is the error fallen into by those who overstress the cognitive approach. We are to deal with truth-which is in this state a teaching of what good is. Unless we teach truth in such away that it is an effective and affective vehicle of good, we have failed.
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If we take such a balanced approach we do much to insure that the time will indeed come to those individuals we influence (including ourselves) when good rules, and truth is its willing subject. B. DAVID HOLM Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
PROPOSAL FOR THE ACADEMY 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: In reading over the Academy financial reports for the last few years, it becomes apparent that while its overall viability is hardly in question the Academy is coming under considerable financial strain. This must especially be the case in view of the remarkable fact that, to make its distinctiveness possible, "the Academy does not receive a single penny of State or Federal subsidy (we are the last institution on the East Coast to maintain this status)"! * Yet the Academy faces the same skyrocketing costs of inflation, energy, etc. that are compromising or extinguishing private institutions of learning on every side that do have use of such government funds. Furthermore, while the endowment income that is the Academy's chief support has been remarkably dependable as a result of wise investment decisions, it would seem less than prudent to expect such success to continue indefinitely in a time when the economy is experiencing the difficulties it now is and seems likely to continue experiencing. And to cap the whole situation off, it is clear that for a time Academy enrollment is going to diminish significantly as a result of demographic factors in the church,** which will have the effect of pushing the per-student cost higher still. * L. B. King, "Report of the Executive Vice President," Academy Journal, Aug., 1975, p. 14. ** Ibid., p. 16. What lends particular urgency to this matter, however, is that, far from retrenching, certain uses of the Academy need to and are ready to expand. Most particularly, it seems clear that the time has come to expand the senior college in a significant way, allowing it to offer a full-scale baccalaureate program that a much larger percentage of our young people will find relevant to their careers than is at present the case.* It is certainly nothing short of tragic to raise young people in the church, bringing them through all the years of New Church education now available, only, in effect, to abandon them educationally in the first flower of rationality that the whole system has been preparing for!
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And yet that is just what is happening when the vast majority of them, necessarily, leave the Academy after completing junior college. (They can't all be teachers or ministers, after all.) The resulting loss to the church, however, even just in terms of further development of New Church thought, is probably beyond our right calculation. * E. B. Glenn, "The Uses of the College," Academy Journal, Aug., 1975. Is there a way out of this dilemma, a way of providing the material basis, not simply for static maintenance of present Academy uses in the face of possible coming economic adversity, but to provide for a major expansion of the college? On first glance it seems unlikely. The Academy has been fortunate in the past to receive large gifts to its endowment from a few wealthy donors. This must have been under providence's guidance since without these gifts the Academy would never have achieved even its present level of operation. And these gifts have continued in quite substantial amounts to the present day. Yet they too are necessarily affected by the economy and it seems unlikely that they could be increased in the near future in the major amounts necessary for significant Academy College expansion, if indeed they can be continued at present levels.* * M. Pryke, "Report of the Executive Vice President," Academy Journal, Aug., 1974, p. 12. The other source of income, of course, is contributions from the general membership. While theoretically these might be increased, the likelihood is that they will at best keep up with inflation and they may even decline, as the economy gets tighter. It is an article of faith among the ecology minded these days that conserving an existing resource is a more prudent-and realistic-course of action than depending on discovery of a new one. Application of this simple but sound principle may, by process of elimination, be the only option open to us to provide for the Academy's expansion or even, if the economy gets into really desperate straits, simply continuing Academy functioning. It is clear at the outset that minor cost cutting is not the question here, a process that the Academy is already engaged in in any case. Is there a more sizable stone that has been left unturned? Perusal of the Academy budget indicates that, without close comparison, the largest expense in the budget after instructional costs is running the dormitories and dining hall. And "expense" is the right word since the amount paid as room and board fees by the students (or parents) covers less than half the cost of running the dorms and dining hall. In the 1975/76 budget this means that the Academy will have to make up a difference of more than $180,000.* If that does not seem all that great an amount of money, it need only be recalled that that is money out of income, not capital.
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It is equivalent to a full third of the entire Academy's (i.e., high school and college) budget for teacher salaries. If the Academy could close the dorms and dining hall, it would be the equivalent of its receiving a gift that would allow it to increase its teaching staff by 33%. If all that increase were placed in the college, it would go a major part of the way to making a broader-scoped senior college possible. It would be an achievement fitting for a Centennial. * L. E. Gyllenhaal, "Report of the Treasurer," Academy Journal, Aug., 1975, p. 39. But close the dormitories? It sounds preposterous. Yet when you reflect on it for a moment you begin to wonder about just the opposite point of view: how did the Academy ever get off on the dormitory tangent in the first place? Our church is centered around and built upon the home, more-at least in an intentional sense-than perhaps any religious or secular movement preceding it. The New Church is, after all, the first organization where people have ever really understood the fundamental importance of marriage and family to the Lord's whole plan of creation. And on a more external plane, putting visitors up in our homes is a long and excellent tradition in the church. Why then have we not put Academy students up in Bryn Athyn homes from the beginning? Regardless of financial questions, institutionalizing kids in the mass, depersonalized environment of a dormitory, psychologically isolated on a campus apart from home and family spheres of the "real" world, is perhaps the most significant blunder modern educational practice has evolved. Adolescence, during the first awakening of the love of the sex, is perhaps the time of greatest need for the continuing presence of the home sphere-with its orientation toward the conjugial ideal. And this must especially be so in an era as saturated with scortatory temptations as the present one. Being immersed in a herd of fifty other adolescents caught up in these same turbulent states, on the other hand, and isolated from home contact for long periods, makes unfair and perhaps impossible demands on the emotional needs of teenagers-and adolescents are not yet adults. The "home away from home" of living with a family in Bryn Athyn would seem an ideal and distinctively New Church solution, getting kids out of the dorms and into New Church homes and the Academy out of the dormitory business. Like most ideal solutions, however, it does present problems. Questions of responsibility, discipline and a host of other matters immediately come to mind. Yet most of those questions involve human relationship issues. The financial-legal side certainly appears to present few difficulties. Taking some friends' children (for aren't we all friends in the church?) in to live with you is not nearly so fraught with legal obstacles (e.g., fire laws) as operating a public dormitory.
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And, especially if the host family can keep rent to a minimum, as you would for a friend, the cost to the parents or students would be minimal, helping maintain our tradition of making an Academy education available to anyone but without having to tax Academy resources. To say that matters of human relationship are the major or only problems confronting this plan is not to suggest that we are almost home (so to speak!). On the contrary, these could easily present greater obstacles than any mere legal or financial hurdles. But human relationships, trust, charity-these are what our church is all about. We have long remarked on the dedication of our Academy teachers through the years, laying down their lives in some very real ways for what they believed in. Are there more of us with that kind of forbearance, determination and vision to lay down in the service of our cause? Young people are sometimes difficult, assuredly. They can also help renew your faith. But most of all they are perhaps our most direct contribution to the future of the church on earth. Here then is an opportunity to help both them and the Academy. Could it work? It certainly would seem worth a try, perhaps beginning as a small-scale pilot experiment. If this plan has its beginning in Bryn Athyn it certainly need not end there. Serious consideration is already being given to developing secondary schools in other General Church districts.* This will require sufficient concentrations of students at one place in a district to justify a school. Boarding them with "home away from home" families may be not simply the best but the only way such a plan can be made economically feasible. * L. B. King, Ibid., p. 16. Oh-and about those empty dorm buildings! This year, contrary to the last accrediting committee's recommendation and the Academy's own needs, "The hope of a new College library had to be put off for the forseeable future."* And then there's that old people's home that wasn't economically feasible. * M. A. Carswell, "Report of the Librarian, 1974-75," Academy Journal, Aug., 1975, p. 23. KURT SIMONS Delmar, New York
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REVIEW Jr. DONALD C. FITZPATRICK 1975
We Are Immortal. By A. C. Ferber. Exposition Press, Hicksville N. Y., 1975. Cloth, pp. 143. $7.00.
Some readers of NEW CHURCH LIFE will be familiar with Mr. Ferber's earlier books, The Secret of Human Life on Other Worlds and Where is Heaven? In this new work the author, a member of the General Church, turns his attention to the task of presenting what the Writings teach concerning the life after death and concerning the processes by which man chooses in freedom to spend eternity either in heaven or in hell. The result is a book so rich in ideas that the reader may wish for a somewhat less hurried pace and for somewhat fuller explanations than are possible in the 127 pages of text. The strength of the book lies in the abundance of direct quotations of generous length used to show what the Writings themselves have to say on the subject under discussion. These quotations serve to continually remind the reader that Mr. Ferber is not presenting his own philosophy, but rather the ideas of revelation drawn together from many sources in the Writings in an effort to give a clear picture. We Are Immortal is useful also in that the author provides references to enable the reader to go to the Writings for himself for further study. Some readers may find the method of numbering the references confusing since they do not appear in numerical order in the text and are not listed alphabetically when they are brought together at the end of the book. One other drawback may be the fact that the book is divided into sections with only capitalized side headings to mark where each section begins. The result is a long text, which made this reader wish for more space between sections from time to time to indicate that it might be appropriate to pause to reflect on the ideas being presented. As a brief introduction to what the Writings say about the life after death, however, We Are Immortal provides a useful survey and, perhaps, an incentive for the reader who is unacquainted with the Writings to investigate them for himself. DONALD C. FITZPATRICK, JR.
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IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1975
The September 6 issue of the New-Church Herald contains the first section of a report of the 168th Annual Conference held in south London, July 21-24, 1975. There are several items of interest to the whole of the New Church. Conference has, as we have noted before, decided to appoint its presidents for five-year terms. The Rev. John O. Booth was installed into the presidency at a special service, which also included the administration of the Holy Supper. In this service the president nominate made the following declaration of faith:
In the presence of the Lord and before this congregation I declare my belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as the one and only God of heaven and of earth, who in making His second coming has revealed angelic understanding of the Sacred Scriptures. I acknowledge my faith in the Word contained in the Bible and the Writings of the Second Advent.
I declare that I shall willingly serve the needs of the members and associates of the Church, to encourage scholarship and instruction, fellowship and service, to work to establish unity and understanding between our various committees and councils, and to strengthen the bonds of mutual respect and understanding between all branches of the organized New Church at home and abroad.
We certainly congratulate Mr. Booth on his appointment and wish him a successful and happy term in this important office. This same report speaks also of the New-Church College (the Conference theological school), which sold its property outside London a few years ago. The College is looking to reestablishing itself in Radcliffe, Lancashire, where it can be staffed by local members of the clergy. The Rev. Ian P. Johnson is the resident director and has the assistance of three other ministers: the Rev. Leslie Chambers in pastoral studies, the Rev. Michael Stanley in New Testament studies, and the Rev. Christopher Hasler in theology. After several years with no students the College is now delighted to have three. The College is in a stronger financial position after the sale of its old property and so is able to help in other educational activities of benefit to the church. It has supported Purley Chase which is used as a center for summer schools and the like, the Swedenborg Society in the preparation of the new Latin Edition of the Arcana Caelestia, and various schools which are held periodically throughout the year. The council of the College is also looking into the possibility of supporting the work of publication within the church.
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CHURCH NEWS Various 1975
NORTHEAST DISTRICT ASSEMBLY
The third Northeast District Assembly, held in Morris Plains, New Jersey, began on May 9th, 1975. Throughout the district we looked forward eagerly to the gathering. The New Jersey Circle had worked hard, Bishop King traveled from Bryn Athyn to preside, and all was ready as we began to arrive Friday night. Those of us who arrived that night, and members of the New Jersey Circle who greeted and registered us, gathered for coffee and cake. After visiting we retired to our rooms, anticipating the next two days. Bishop King, with our pastor, the Rev. Lorentz Soneson, called the Assembly to order on Saturday morning. The room was full of district members from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. We were very pleased to see the many friends from Bryn Athyn who joined us. After an opening service of prayers and readings, Bishop King relayed Bishop Pendleton's greetings to us all. He then talked about the uses of assemblies-among them worship, education, and sharing together the knowledge that all good comes from the Lord. The Bishop then called for the Pastor's Report. Mr. Soneson summarized the year, outlining signs of growth such as additional children's classes, summer socials combined with worship and class, a record turn-out at Pine Needle Summer School, the Boston group's decision to seek circle status, and increased visits to the isolated. He spoke also of the growth in district unity. Finally, he went over some problems and added some ambitions and dreams for the future. A discussion and response to some of the ambitions followed the report. We then moved to the Treasurer's Report, by Mr. Brian Simons, and a discussion of contributions and costs. After a short coffee break, we heard an inspiring address by Bishop King on the three propriums. He told us that before the fall the propriums were in their proper order: love of the Lord, love of the neighbor, and love of self (in it's place, self-preservation). After the fall, they reversed. A lively and educational question and answer period followed the episcopal address. Following luncheon, the bishop introduced Mrs. Virginia Branston, manager of the Swedenborg Foundation in New York. She gave us a useful, informative, and often humorous talk. The Swedenborg Foundation, one hundred and twenty-six years old, is dedicated to the translation and distribution of the Writings-its use is vital. Mrs. Branston went over the foundation's inventory figures, related entertaining stories about some of their contacts, set out catalogues for us to take, and played us a portion from the new tape of My Religion by Helen Keller. Again, discussion followed Mrs. Branston's presentation, ending about three o'clock. At this time our pastor gave a class, "Dealing with Moral Disorders," partly based on Dr. Odhner's book, The Moral Life. He spoke of the overwhelming disorder-moral and civil-found today in marriage, careers, everywhere. And he spoke of how especially difficult this is for young people. This address prompted many questions-from all ages-and a useful dialogue. After a coffee hour many retired to their rooms to rest and to prepare for the Bishop's Reception and the Banquet. Carpools, which had been arranged earlier, transported us all to the Jack Lindsay's beautiful home for the reception. We enjoyed the lovely weather in the yard, and the visiting seemed all too short.
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Just before 7:00 we were transported to the Morristown Women's Club for a delicious catered banquet. Following the meal, Toastmaster Elmer Simons explained the banquet's theme: "Going to the Well, the Word in the Home." We sang, toasted, and were entertained by a special song to the tune of "The Old Oaken Bucket." We then enjoyed three fine speeches. Lincoln Schoenberger spoke first-his subject was "A New Member". He recalled the stages we go through from adolescence-from reading the Writings because you have to for class, to reading because you want to. Sal Tuccio spoke next on "An Old Timer". He spoke of making the Word the center of a home in family life and family worship, and in a marriage. And thirdly, the Rev. Norman Reuter spoke on "A Mentor" (faithful counselor). He reminded us of states we've all passed through, and spoke of some we hope to reach. He described the true delight derived from really reading the Writings-a state in which the reading is pure joy. Bishop King closed the banquet following a presentation of pewter to Allan and Dolores Soderberg, who headed the Assembly Committee and who were moving out of the district. Sunday was another beautiful day for a moving worship service, including the Holy Supper. One hundred and twelve attended Sunday, including the buffet luncheon. Before the buffet, wine was served for toasts. Bishop King responded to the banquet's theme-and the weekend-tying it all together. Over lunch the talking continued. We hated to leave-it had seemed much too short. Assemblies are so very important to those in large societies, to us who live in semi-isolation within a district, and to the truly isolated families. We who were guests are grateful to the New Jersey Circle, to our pastor, and to the bishop. These brief periods are stays for us-stays against the world's disorder and confusion. Mostly we are grateful for the Lord's Word, His second coming. For here He is our greatest stay against worldly disorder, and ourselves. With His Word, the well in our homes, we are never really isolated. DIANA G. PETERSON
EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL
AUGUST 18-22, 1975
A rich diet of spiritual food characterized this year's council meetings. Three offerings by members of the priesthood constituted particularly significant contributions to the development of New Church education and provided ample demonstration of the need for and the value of priestly leadership in this use. The Rev. Alfred Acton's series of five lectures entitled "Human Development" was not only a thoroughly researched doctrinal study, but it led the mind into new avenues of thought regarding the basic concern of New Church educators. Using the series of correspondential relationships between the physical growth of the body from conception to the time of birth, and the growth of the states of the human mind from infancy to about age twenty, Mr. Acton opened new vistas of thought that should be most helpful to educators and parents alike in making the necessary applications of the doctrines to life. It was felt by some that this study was the most significant work produced in this field since Bishop de Charms' work the Growth of the Mind. While acknowledging that he and Mr. Acton did not agree on some points, Bishop deCharms stated that he felt his own work had only been a beginning and he was highly pleased to see new ground being broken. Obviously Mr. Acton's work will be of real benefit to all of us. In a series of three lectures the Rev. Dan Pendleton discussed "The Accommodation of Affections in Learning." He showed from the teachings of the Writings how vital it is that we exercise extreme care when separating the affective aspects of learning from the cognitive. Using Heaven and Hell 589 as a key number Mr. Pendleton cited numerous passages that stressed the need for balance between these two aspects of the human mind if it is to develop properly. He noted that while affections seem to be first in time they are nothing without truths to give them form. It is essential to keep in mind, he said, just what level of affection one is dealing with in any given situation.
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We must avoid trying to take over the guidance of those inner affections that are the province of the Lord alone. This series of talks was doubly useful since it was delivered to our evening sessions to which interested members of the Bryn Athyn Society were also invited, thus giving many parents also the benefit of Mr. Pendleton's study. Other topics considered during the week included a "Report on Open Education" by the Rev. Kurt Asplundh. This subject was lucidly presented in its historical perspective with other systems of education, and was a well-balanced summary of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of educational approach. Carefully relating each point to the doctrines and the philosophy of education we have drawn from them, Mr. Asplundh provided us with a fine example of the type of study and application every New Church educator should bring to bear in relating the work of men to truth Divinely revealed. Mr. John Rose of Pittsburgh provided us with an example of adult education techniques as they are applied to his work in the business world. How people can learn the most in the shortest period of time was fully explored, as well as the educational implications of training people to live in a world that is becoming increasingly interdependent. Highlights of the workshop sessions this year were the work of the Religion Curriculum Committee, and a tour guided by Mr. Marvin Clymer, naturalist for the Pennypack Watershed Association, whose specialty is "Outdoor Education." A series of four open meetings dealing with the problems of specific grade levels such as the middle school grades, high school grades, etc. were opened to anyone interested, and provided for some much needed horizontal educational considerations. Some of the questions raised in these sessions are due to receive on-going consideration by the various schools involved, with a view to bringing the results of their studies to the next series of Educational Council meetings. Other than the regular sessions devoted to individual meetings of our standing committees, the usual business session, and one or two limited group meetings for special purposes the activities of the Council consisted of some very pleasant social occasions such as our daily luncheons at the Civic and Social Club-where we heard an interesting review by the Rev. Robert Cole of his work in religious radio programs in the Chicago area, and an account of his trip to South Africa and brief visit to the Holy Land by the Rev. David Simons-plus two very delightful open houses at Bishop King's home and the home of the Boyd Asplundhs. Though attendance was down this year (average= 66) those who were able to participate came away richly inspired and will return to the use with renewed vigor. Our thanks to the Academy and the Bryn Athyn Society for once again being our gracious hosts. CARL R. GUNTHER Secretary
ANCIENT CHURCH CONFERENCE AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 1, 1975
Under the auspices of the Academy of the New Church and supported by the Carpenter Fund a distinguished group of scholars from three branches of the New Church met in Bryn Athyn to share their insights and studies in the field of the Ancient Church. Papers on various relevant disciplines were presented for discussion by the following speakers:
The Right Reverend Elmo C. Acton-The Ancient Word Mr. Stephen D. Cole-Nations of the Ancient Church The Reverend Harold C. Cranch-The Museum as a Tool for Research and Education The Reverend Dr. George F. Dole-Pre Philosophical Epistemology The Reverend John E. Elliott led a discussion on the translation of the Writings Professor E. Bruce Glenn-Man the Symbolist Then and Now The Reverend Dr. Horand K. Gutfeldt-Indications of the Most Ancient and Ancient Churches in Egypt
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The Reverend Robert S. Junge-The Role of Correspondences and Evidence of the Internal Sense in Identifying the Ancient Word The Reverend Dr. Robert H. Kirven-Report of the Eranos Conferences Mr. Prescott Rogers-Ancient Church and Ancient History-the Need for a Methodology The Reverend Norman Ryder-The Ancient Church and the Old Testament The Reverend Erik Sandstrom, Sr.-Some Characteristics of the Ancient Church
A journal of Proceedings will be published and will be for sale to all who are interested in the subject of the Ancient Church, if they will send their request to Miss M. Wilde, Secretary, Museum Committee, Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009. Bishop Acton, the Reverends Erik Sandstrom, Robert Junge, Harold Cranch and Professor Glenn are all well known to readers of NEW CHURCH LIFE. But since this was an historic meeting of New Church scholars, it may be pertinent here to give some current information about the scholars from the Conference and the Convention. Dr. Dole is the Covenant Coordinator at the Swedenborg School of Religion in Newton, Massachusetts and an instructor in classical and biblical languages there. Dr. Gutfeldt is currently professor of psychology at Urbana College where he chairs the psychology department, and is college chaplain in addition to assuming several other functions in the Convention. Dr. Kirven is Director of Studies at the Swedenborg School of Religion and former editor of the Messenger. The Reverend John Elliott is a minister of the General Conference at present giving full time to the translation of the Arcana Caelestia. The Reverend Norman Ryder, also a minister of the General Conference is at present serving the Chester and Wallasey Societies and is engaged in a translation of Joshua and Amos. This listing of their current responsibilities by no means exhausts the former accomplishments of these scholars which are too numerous to include in this report. Mr. Prescott Rogers is a classical scholar and is currently working for his doctorate in religion at Temple University while teaching at the Academy. Mr. Stephen Cole is a theological student at the Academy with special interest in the Ancient Church having built up an extensive file which will be useful to future scholars in this area. In addition to the regular sessions of the conference, two open evening sessions were devoted to the Reverend Harold Cranch's presentation of the Museum as a Tool, and to the subject of translation of the Old Testament and the Writings when the Reverends Norman Ryder and John Elliott discoursed on the work already accomplished and that which is now in progress in England. These two sessions provided an opportunity for a wider group to meet the visiting scholars; and a reception following the translation session extended a further chance for social exchange. The conference met for luncheon at the Civic and Social Club four times when short impromptu reports were given by other conference members. A reception hosted by Bishop and Mrs. Pendleton on Sunday afternoon provided yet another opportunity for friendly interchange between the conference group and the hosts and hostesses who had entertained the visiting scholars in their homes during the week. As a result of all these varied activities there developed a warm sphere of interest and understanding in the conference itself and a feeling of unity in the pursuit of a common goal, which bodes well for future joint efforts of New Church scholars. Because the group on this first occasion was limited to twenty-two full time members-though other guests were invited on the basis of special interest to the sessions on translation-the conference provided an excellent opportunity for all to become better acquainted as individuals and to appreciate each other's expertise and special contribution to the subject of the Ancient Church. The members of the conference felt that a future session should be held within five years, at the outside, to which in all probability other scholars and disciplines should be invited.
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This first joint New Church scholars' conference was a working group and its limitation in size was in no way intended to be exclusive, for the Carpenter Fund Committee was well aware of widespread interest and specific qualifications for inclusion in such a conference. However, practical considerations necessarily limited the size to a small group, which allowed for a real understanding and mutual appreciation to develop. In this respect the entire group felt the conference was a success. MARGARET WILDE
LAUREL '75
There is nothing like a crisis to promote growth. This year the Laurel Leaf Academy faced many challenges, and in the process matured. Within hours of the opening of camp the Rev. Morley Rich was taken to the hospital, and Bishop and Mrs. King announced that they much regretted that they had to return to Bryn Athyn. We had the pleasure of having Bishop King lead us in our opening worship, and summarize his series on part two of Conjugial Love, and then he departed and the camp had to adjust to changes in the program. The Rev. Don Rose began his lecture series earlier than he had originally planned to fill the void. He talked about "What we say in our hearts" taking us through a fascinating journey in the study of the Writings, where that expression is used. The Chief Leaf, Frank Rose, continued Bishop King's subject for a couple of lectures and gave a third on "The Lord as our Father and the Church as our Mother." The Rev. Glenn Alden volunteered a lecture on the subject of temptation and guilt, a subject close to concerns we all face. Dr. Wilson van Dusen, attending as a camper, was asked to fill another lecture spot, and talked informally about his love of the Writings, and his plans for making them known more widely. One or two bombshells kept the audience awake and interested as he gave us some personal reactions to the church. To complete the lecture series, the Rev. Morley Rich returned from the hospital, and gave in a single lecture the essential points in his intended series on "Our Father in Heaven." The evening program included a daily meeting of the "families" into which camp was divided, and the "Shalom" program of studies in the Word, designed to help people reflect on the teachings of the Word, and consider applications in their own lives. Worship is a very important part of Laurel. We had daily services in the morning, with talks by one of the ministers in camp, and simple evening services at the conclusion of the Shalom program. The Friday evening sunset service on a mountaintop was held under a cloudy sky, but there was plenty of light and color, and a welcome time to see the sky after so many days among the overhanging trees. Saturday morning it was raining very slightly for the service in the hemlock grove. We sat on the hill looking toward the stream, under towering, centuries old hemlocks, and heard the Rev. Don Rose preach on the lost sheep. Later in the day the rain increased, and for the first time in the five year history of these Laurel camps, we were obliged to hold the Holy Supper service indoors. The Rev. Kenneth Stroh conducted a very simple and moving administration of the sacrament with over half of the camp as communicants. Many other things make up the life of Laurel: excellent food by Howard Roth and crew, volleyball, hikes, outings, talent night, and this year-stomach flu-and with it all, a very powerful and distinctive New Church community evolves. Over 100 people were there, including children, 16 staff and 83 campers-aged 17 to some in their fifties. And there is room for more. Come join us for Laurel '76. FRANK S. ROSE
HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA
There is every opportunity in Hurstville for becoming well-instructed New Church people. Currently offered by the Rev. Michael Gladish are four different classes.
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As well as the bi-weekly Doctrinal Class, there is one on the work Heaven and Hell, one on Divine Love and Wisdom, and also a Beginner's Class. Quite often there is also homework to do and if this is combined with private reading and Sunday worship, Mr. Gladish would feel well repaid for his efforts. We have now new pews from an old church, a Catholic church that no longer had need for them. Some are already repolished, and show that they will add beauty to the church. The Hurstville Society has two roving ambassadors abroad just now, John and Lenore Sandow. They left looking forward to meeting New Church people in many places. We too had overseas visitors recently: Colonel Kintner, calling in to see his daughter Gail and son-in-law George Markou after completing duty in Thailand; and Mrs. Raymond Lockhart, who came to be with son Michael and his wife Kerry after Scott was born. Another visitor for a few weeks was Mr. Basil Lazer, known in many places for his missionary booklets. At present here on a working holiday is twenty year old Jenny Bartle from Auckland. The Social Committee discussed distinctive New Church social life-something that many have thought about. One essential was seen to be the avoidance of social activities that would be destructive of a proper sphere. One suggestion used this year was a progressive dinner at three homes, where the theme was "Food for Thought." A number of maxims were made up to stimulate discussion, for example, "A crumb of truth is better than a loaf of falsity," and, "There is no excuse for spiritual malnutrition" (in the Church). At an open house at the Gladishes', people had to discover by questioning others what was on a paper pinned to their backs. Names and phrases selected from the Swedenborg Concordance were used-for example, "Most Ancient Church," "Conjugial Love." Just finished was a Rummage Sale "Mike's Market" a sign on the wall said. Sponsored by the local Sons, it netted a very creditable sixty dollars. It was followed by a barbecue supper. NORMAN HELDON
SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS
1975-1976
The Academy
Theological School 9 College (Full time) 121 Girls School 146 Boys School 137 Total 413
Midwestern Academy
Grades 9 and 10 (Boys and Girls) 20
Local Schools
Bryn Athyn 305 Colchester 13 Durban 36 Glenview 87 Kitchener 47 Pittsburgh 34 Toronto 32 Washington, D.C. 22 Total reported enrollment in all schools 1,009
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LOCAL SCHOOLS DIRECTORY
1975-1976
BRYN ATHYN: Rev. Kurt H. Asplundh Principal Mr. Carl R. Gunther Assistant to the Principal Mrs. Clark Echols Kindergarten Miss Gretchen Lee Kindergarten Mrs. Edward Cranch Grade 1 Mrs. Robert Johns Grade 1 Mrs. Grant Doering Grade 2 Mrs. Michael Pendleton Grade 2 Mrs. Arthur Schnarr Grade 3 Miss Rudaina Abed Grade 3 Miss Rosemary Wyncoll Grade 4 Miss Heather Nelson Grade 4 Mrs. Gina Rose Grade 5 Mrs. Brian Keith Grade 5 Mr. Dirk van Zyverden Grade 6 Miss Wadad Abed Grade 6 Miss Claudia Bostock Grade 7, Girls Mr. Garry Hyatt Grade 7, Boys Mrs. Barbara Synnestvedt Grade 8, Girls Mr. Yorvar Synnestvedt Grade 8, Boys Mr. Richard Show Music Mr. Gale Smith Physical Education Mrs. Harry Risley Physical Education Mrs. Robert Alden Librarian COLCHESTER: Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen Headmaster Miss Hilda Waters Grades 1-7 DURBAN Rev. Peter M. Buss Headmaster Mrs. Neil Buss Infant Room Miss Kathryn E. Wille Junior Room GLENVIEW: Rev. Alfred Acton Headmaster Rev. David R. Simons Principal Mrs. Daniel Wright Head Teacher and Kindergarten Miss Marie Odhner Grade 1 Mrs. Donald Alan Grade 2 Mrs. Kenneth Holmes Grade 3 Mrs. Ben McQueen Grade 4 Miss Cindy Tennis Grade 5 Mrs. Ralph Synnestvedt, Jr. Grade 6 Mr. Richard Acton Grade 7 Rev. Patrick Rose Religion Mrs. William Hugo Librarian KITCHENER: Rev. Frank S. Rose Principal Miss Barbara Walker Kindergarten Miss Loella Eby Grades 1, 2, and 4 Miss Joan Kuhl Grades 5 and 6 Mr. Stewart Eidse Grades 7 and 8.
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MIDWESTERN ACADEMY: Rev. Alfred Acton President Rev. David R. Simons Principal Mr. Richard Acton History Mrs. William Hugo Library, Typing Mr. Gordon McClarren Math, Science Miss Cindy Tennis History, Physical Education Mr. Dan Woodard English, Physical Education Rev. Patrick Rose Latin PITTSBURGH: Rev. Donald L. Rose Principal Mrs. Marion Kendig Grades 1-3 Miss Karen Junge Grades 4-6 Mr. Garold Tennis Grades 7-9 TORONTO: Rev. Harold C. Cranch Principal Rev. Ottar Larsen Assistant Principal Mrs. Jack McDonald Kindergarten Mrs. Keith Morley Kindergarten Miss Sylvia Parker Grades 1-3 Mrs. Norman Hiebert Grades 4-6 Mrs. Leigh Bellinger Grades 7-8 WASHINGTON: Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr Headmaster Mrs. Frank Mitchell Grades 1-3 Mrs. Phillip Zuber Grades 4-5 Mrs. B. Dean Smith Grades 6-7 Mrs. Fred Waelchli Grades 8-9
Part-time teachers are not included. The teaching staff of the Academy of the New Church is listed in the Catalog Numbers of The Academy Journal.
TWENTY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRYN ATHYN, PA., JUNE 5-9, 1976
Prior Events
Friday, June 4 2:00-5:00 p.m. Registration of guests 8:30 p.m. President's Reception
Saturday, June 5 10:30 a.m. Commencement Exercises 2:00-5:00 p.m. Registration of guests
Assembly Events
Saturday, June 5 8:00 p.m. First Session of the Assembly: Episcopal Address 9:30 p.m. Discussion Centers (Three locations in the BACES Building) 10:00 p.m. Open Houses
Sunday, June 6 6:00 a.m. Sunrise Service 9:45 a.m. Children's Service 11:00 a.m. Divine Worship 2:30 p.m. Second Session of the Assembly: Doctrinal Address 4:00 p.m. Discussion Centers 8:00 p.m. Divine Worship 9:00 p.m. Pageants
Monday, June 7 10:00 a.m. Third Session of the Assembly: Business Session 11:00 a.m. Three speakers 2:30 p.m. Meeting of Theta Alpha 2:30 p.m. Meeting of the Sons of the Academy 8:00 p.m. Fourth Session of the Assembly: Three speakers 9:30 p.m. Discussion Centers 9:30 p.m. Cathedral lights and music
Tuesday, June 8 10:00 a.m. Fifth Session of the Assembly: Business Session 11:00 a.m. Doctrinal address 1:00 p.m. Young peoples' luncheon
7:00 p.m. Assembly Banquet
Wednesday, June 9 6:00 a.m. Sunrise Service 9:30 a.m. Holy Supper Service
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VIRGIN MARY Rev. MARTIN PRYKE 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XCV DECEMBER, 1975 No. 12 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1: 18.
The very core of all true Christian belief is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God of heaven and earth; and the foundation of this belief is that in His incarnation He was born of a virgin. Without this, Jesus Christ was not God but man, and if He was only a man, then He was a charlatan for He declared Himself to be the Son of God and one with the Father. The virgin birth is clearly taught in the Scriptures and it cannot be denied without tearing them apart and denying any authority to them. Our text is an example of this categorical teaching: "When . . . Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit." Mary's part in the effecting of the Lord's advent was a vital one and a study of it offers teaching which is of value to us as we strive to make it possible for the Lord to effect such an advent with us. This He does to the regenerate man who has opened his heart and mind so that the Lord may enter into him. As we well know, Mary served as the Divinely chosen instrument of the Lord's incarnation. Concerning her state, her genius, her inherited nature, we know little; why she was chosen above other women we cannot really tell. Yet there is much that we can know and that is revealed. We are taught that Jehovah assumed the human according to His Divine order,* which means that "it was necessary, in order for Him ,actually to become man, that He should be conceived, carried in the womb, born, educated, gradually acquire knowledge, and by it be introduced into intelligence and wisdom".** * TCR 89. ** Ibid.
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This mode of birth must surely have meant that Mary herself had to be introduced in an orderly manner into a state to receive the Divine seed (the Holy Spirit which came upon her) and had to be prepared for motherhood itself. There can be little doubt that Mary was brought into a state of reflection concerning the Messiah, and a longing for His coming. We know that she must have heard of the angel's promise to Zacharias of the birth of John, for she left immediately after the annunciation to herself to visit Elizabeth, whose pregnancy had been confirmed to her by Gabriel. "And, behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren."* John's mission had been plainly declared to Zacharias: "To make ready a people prepared for the Lord."** Mary belonged to the remnant of the Jewish Church who had a simple and firm faith in the coming Messiah. The story of Gabriel's appearance to Zacharias must have kindled a new hope within her heart; she must have been full of a longing to see Him who would save her people. * Luke 1: 36. ** Luke 1: 17. Yet, it was also necessary that Mary be prepared for motherhood, just as all women are prepared for this high use. Here her preparation lay in the fact that she "was espoused to Joseph." The Writings tell us that the Lord could only be born to a virgin who was in legitimate marriage.* We remember that Jewish espousal meant that Joseph had sought Mary in marriage and had obtained both her consent and that of her father. This was considered to be equivalent to marriage, although it was only after a passage of time that the marriage was consummated. Espousal was not to be violated any more than marriage; such violation was punishable by death. Thus the espousal of Mary had introduced her into the beginning of the state of marriage and this was necessary for orderly conception; for a woman should be prepared for motherhood by initiation into marriage, and so be led to look to, and long for, the bearing of children. * Jus. 38. We see, then, that in consequence of these preparations Mary was in thought concerning the Messiah, and in longing expectation of His early coming. She was also prepared for motherhood by her expectation of marriage with Joseph. In due course the time arrived when Mary's use could begin and the angel Gabriel appeared to her in Nazareth, saying, "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."* These words prepared Mary still further, inducing in her a state of fear and awe, a state, which inmostly affected her, for "she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be."**
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In this state of humble receptivity, the angel said to her further, "Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus."*** To which Mary, still filled with awe, replied, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?"**** * Luke 1: 28. ** Luke 1: 29. *** Luke 1: 30, 31. **** Luke 1: 34.
Mary's question was not one of doubt, but of wonder. The angel replied with the familiar words which describe the mode of the Lord's conception in the virgin's womb: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."* * Luke 1: 35. That which with man comes from the father, the soul itself, with the Lord was the Divine-clothing itself in the womb of Mary. This was the Holy Spirit, the Divine proceeding from Jehovah which was the seed from which the human was conceived. This was none other than the Word, the Divine Truth proceeding, which had created the world, and which had been given in representative form to all the past churches, and which now was made flesh. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. . . . All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.* * John 1: 1, 3, 14. "The human by which God sent Himself into the world is the Son of God."* This He Himself frequently taught and it is evident from the fact that that human was conceived of Jehovah God as father. The human was assumed by God Himself in order that He might descend into the world and come among men. Nevertheless, while he is called the Son of God, it was also proper that He be called the Son of Mary; but this can only be said of that which was from Mary. "That by the Son of Mary is meant merely the human, is very evident from man's generation, in that the soul is from the father and the body from the mother. . . . As to the Lord the Divine in Him was from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the mother; and these two united are the Son of God." ** * TCR 92. ** Ibid. In the process of glorification, of course, the human from Mary was gradually expelled. "When He glorified His Human, He put off everything pertaining to His mother and put on everything of His Father."*
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Throughout His life, as He conquered the assaulting hells, He removed all human limitations and frailties which had been assumed in the act of incarnation, until after the passion of the cross the tomb was empty of all that had been taken from Mary-there remained only the glorified Divine Human Itself. * TCR 94. Thus while it was true to say of the Lord that He was the Son of Mary; it is no longer true to do so now. "It is believed that the Lord as to His Human not only was, but also is, the Son of Mary; but in this the Christian world is under a great mistake. That He was the Son of Mary, is true; but that He is so still, is not true; for by the redemption He put off the human which He derived from the mother, and put on a Human from the Father; consequently the Human of the Lord is Divine, and in Him God is Man, and Man God."* * TCR 102. In this connection it is to be noted that while in the world the Lord Himself never called Mary His mother. He did not reject her as the woman by whom He had made His incarnation-from the cross he tenderly placed her in the care of John the apostle-but He knew that to call her mother would be to deny Himself as Divine in the eyes of many and would deny the process of glorification which He was undergoing and by means of which He was casting off all that He had from her. Furthermore we are taught that Mary herself, now in heaven, declares that it is not her wish that she should be called the mother of God, saying, "that she had been the mother of the Lord, for He was born of her; but that He, having become God, put off all the human He had from her, and that, therefore, she worshiped Him as her God, and wished no one to acknowledge Him as her son, because the whole Divine is in Him."* * Ibid. It is not appropriate, therefore, that we now refer to the Lord as the Son of Mary; He is the Son of God. To do otherwise is to place ourselves in danger of either worshiping Mary, on the one hand, or implying a denial of the divinity of the Lord, on the other.
That the Lord was born of a virgin was, as we have seen, of the greatest importance in establishing His divinity; yet the representation is also significant. The virgin, by whom the Lord was born, signifies, we are told, the church as to the affection of truth.* The affection of truth here spoken of is not simply the natural man's desire for knowledge and the power and wealth which knowledge brings. It is an affection for truth which seeks truth for its own sake, or rather for the sake of the good which may be done by means of it. The Lord comes to man by means of such an affection for truth, even as He made His incarnation by means of the virgin Mary.
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Yet, we may ask how such an affection of truth comes into being so that it may be the means of the Lord's coming to us. The answer is that this affection of truth is implanted in us by the Lord Himself. Such an affection is among the remains which are given to all men when they are in states of orderly delight. These remains, which are both affections and knowledges, are given to us to serve as the very basis of our regeneration, as the resting place of the Lord within us, as that of the Lord with us into which He may come They are hidden and only come to view when we call them forth by struggling to shun evils as sins against God. * Jus 3 7. It is true that if the Lord did not implant within us an affection of truth for the sake of good we could never be saved, for there would be nothing in us in which He could rest. In the same way it is true that the Lord could not have come into the world unless there had been a virgin who was in a state of longing for the Lord's coming. The affection of truth is essential because without it we do not seek an authority outside of ourselves; without it we do not seek to establish a true conscience; without it we have no beginning for a new life. Thus at Christmas time we will recall to our minds the beautiful story of the Lord's birth and will remember the humble and willing part that a young Jewish woman played. In doing so our hearts will be full of gratitude for the vision we have been given of the Lord Himself, and for the redemption from the power of hell which He brought about. At the same time we will not forget that it is necessary that the Lord make the same coming into each one of us; He came to the whole of mankind, but He reaches out always to come again individually into the lives of every man. He can only come if we nurture in our own minds the love of truth, a love of learning from the Divine Word in order that we may make His truth active in our lives here on earth-in our relations with our neighbors and in our obedience to His commands. The Lord came into the world for no other purpose than that these things should be affected in the hearts of men. "Mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."* Amen. * Luke 2: 30-32.
LESSONS: Isaiah 7: 10-16; Matthew 1: 18-25 and 2: 1-11; True Christian Religion 92-94 (portions). MUSIC: Liturgy, select from pages 522 to 553. PRAYERS: Liturgy, nos. 57, 148.
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GENEALOGIES OF THE LORD Rev. PETER M. BUSS 1975
Introduction
New Churchmen as well as others tend to overlook the lists, which tell the descent of Jesus Christ from Abraham and David. They know there must be an internal sense to them, but cannot imagine that the church can learn much of it, just from a set of names. The teaching of the Writings is that the ancients framed genealogical tables in order to show the development (or deterioration) of spiritual things, since one spiritual state is conceived and born of another.* It is true, that this esoteric means of representing a series is not easy to penetrate, and probable also that many generations of the church will pass before the lists given in the Old and New Testaments begin to yield most of their import. Nevertheless, the "generation of Jesus Christ" is particularly interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are two lists, and one of them is the first thing said in the New Testament. It must be important, for the first thing said reigns universally in all that follows. Secondly, the New Word tells us many things about the spiritual heritage of the human, which the Lord assumed and glorified. When we examine the genealogies in Matthew and Luke, we find some exciting confirmations of these teachings, and we find cause to believe that the whole process of the glorification is summarized there. The full picture may await a more enlightened age; but something of their beauty may be seen today. * AC 339, 400.
The Literal Sense
There are two genealogies of the Lord. One is at the beginning of Matthew, the other in the third chapter of Luke. What has puzzled scholars for centuries is that they do not agree. The comparison below forms a basis for consideration.
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Matthew Luke
1. Abraham 1. Abraham 2. Isaac 2. Isaac 3. Jacob 3. Jacob 4. Judas 4. Juda 5. Phares 5. Phares 6. Esrom 6. Esrom 7. Aram 7. Aram 8. Aminadab 8. Aminadab 9. Naasson 9. Naasson 10. Salmon 10. Salmon 11. Booz 11. Booz 12. Obed 12. Obed 13. Jesse 13. Jesse 14. David 14. David 15. Solomon 15. Nathan 16. Roboam 16. Mattatha 17. Abia 17. Menan 18. Asa 18. Melea 19. Josaphat 19. Eliakim 20. Joram 20. Jonan 21. Ozias 21. Joseph 22. Joatham 22. Juda 23. Achaz 23. Simeon 24. Ezekias 24. Levi 25. Manasses 25. Matthat 26. Amon 26. Jorim 27. Josias 27. Eliezer 28. Jechonias 28. Jose 29. Salathiel (35) 29. Er 30. Zorobabel (36) 30. Elmodam 31. Abiud 31. Cosam 32. Eliakim 32. Addi 33. Azor 33. Melchi 34. Sadoc 34. Neri 35. Achim 35. Salathiel(29) 36. Eliud 36. Zorobabel 37. Eleazar 37. Rhesa 38. Mattan 38. Joanna 39. Jacob 39. Juda 40. Joseph(55) 40. Joseph 41. Jesus(56) 41. Semel 42. Mattathias 43. Maath 44. Nagge 45. Esli 46. Naum 47. Amos 48. Mattathias 49. Joseph 50. Janna 51. Melchi 52. Levi 53. Matthat
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54. Heli 55. Joseph (40) 56. Jesus (41).
The list in Matthew begins with the words, "The generation (or origin) of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham." It then gives the descendants from Abraham to David, from David to the captivity, and from the captivity to Jesus, claiming that fourteen generations are contained in each of these three sections. (In fact, the third section, inclusive of the first and last names, contains only thirteen generations; but for the internal sense, this is not important: the fact that the word "fourteen" is used is what matters.) Matthew's list seems to have been taken from the First Book of Chronicles, and is in part a review of the kings of Judah. Where Matthew himself found this list we do not know, although it seems that the records of the parenthood of important persons were kept in the temple of Jerusalem at that time. If so the genealogy of the house of David would be there. Matthew appears to have copied his table from one, which was in turn copied from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. His names coincide with the Greek version of Chronicles. Some scholars have mentioned that this was done with accuracy. Perhaps-but four of the kings of Judah were left out, apparently to enable Matthew to divide his list into three groups of fourteen. Jehoakim is omitted; also three kings in a row-Joash, Amaziah, and Azariah. (One commentator wondered if Matthew had mis-read the Greek of Ahaziah and Azariah.)* It is also stated that Zerubbabel was begotten of Salathiel, whereas Zerubbabel was in fact his nephew, Salathiel having died childless.** This is explained by the fact that this list might be intended to trace a legal descent, rather than a physical one. * See Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 7, pp. 250-253 ** Chronicles 3: 19. Incidentally, Joseph, according to this genealogy, was descended from Jehoiachin, whom Jeremiah was inspired to curse, saying, "Thus saith the Lord . . . no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah."* That was true-no man of that house did rule, and Jesus Christ was not of the house of Joseph. Nevertheless, both genealogies end with Joseph, partly because it was a law of the Mishnah that if a man accepted parenthood of a child, no one queried it.** * Jeremiah 22: 30. ** Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 7, p. 253; Mishnah: Baba Bathra 8: 6. No one knows where Matthew got the last twelve names in his list, no where Luke found the names from Nathan, the son of David, to Heli, the father of Joseph.
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Presumably they were from the temple records. These records were destroyed with the sacking of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., after which the house of David could be determined no longer. A final point on the Matthew genealogy is that, departing from usual custom, it mentions women in its history. Descent is not traced through a woman, but there is reference to four women. The first is Tamar, who, although she was his daughter-in-law, acted the harlot with Judah in order to raise seed to his dead son. The second is Ruth, a Moabitess. Rahab, who may have been the harlot of Jericho, although the time is wrong, appears. Finally, Solomon is said to be born of "her who was Urias"-that is, Bathsheba, for whom David committed murder. When we turn to the Luke genealogy, we find some significant differences. Firstly, it starts with Jesus "being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was of Heli, who was of . . ." and the list traces the genealogy of Joseph, up through Abraham, right to "Adam, who was of God." The Writings make a great point of the fact that the words "the son of" appear only the first time, when saying that Jesus was supposed the son of Joseph. After that the genitive is used-the word "son" does not appear.* * Q VIII. Luke has a total of 56 generations between Abraham and Jesus, compared with Matthew's 42. The first fourteen of Matthew's list agree perfectly with those in Luke-down to David. Then they diverge, Matthew tracing the descent through Solomon, and Luke through an older son of David, Nathan. There is a brief joining of the lists in Salathiel and Zerubbabel; but they part again, and have no common ground until Joseph.
Resolution of the Genealogies
Christian scholars have tried to resolve these differences in various ways, and so have New Church scholars. I have found four treatments of the genealogies in this century: by the Rev. J. F. Buss,* by the Rev. Alfred Acton,** the Rev. C. Th. Odhner,*** and Bishop N. D. Pendleton.**** The first and last of these are of particular value, Bishop Pendleton's for the wealth of insight into the doctrine of the Lord which he brought to a consideration of the internal sense. * "The Two Genealogies of Jesus Christ," The Star of the East by J. F. Buss, James Spiers Press, pp. 1645. ** NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1909, pp 223-228. *** NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1912, pp 712-724. **** Selected Papers and Addresses by N. D. Pendleton, pp. 39-46.
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Interestingly, these men differed in many points. Mr. Buss felt that the two genealogies could not be reconciled. Joseph could not have two fathers, and neither could Salathiel. Messrs. Acton and Odhner took strong exception to this, and argued that such a stand weakened our belief in the historicity of the New Testament. They pointed out that no one, not even the hostile Jews of that time, had questioned Matthew's and Luke's genealogies. (Of course, one must remember that the temple was destroyed very shortly after these gospels were written, possibly before they came into alien hands.) They also argued, agreeing with such Christian authorities as Annius of Viterbo (A.D. 1490), and Martin Luther,* that Luke was really tracing the physical origin of the human through Mary. The reasoning is that Mary was the daughter of Heli (the name Heli is a variation of the name Joakim) but Heli had no soils. Under Jewish law, Joseph then becomes the legal heir of Heli.** * Selected Papers and Addresses by N. D. Pendleton, pp. 39-46. ** For general reference see: Interpreter's Bible: Vol. 7, pp. 250-253; Vol. 8, pp. 80-83. Also ZonderVan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, pp. 675-678. Also The Virgin Birth of Christ by J. G. Machen, pp. 203-209. This reasoning is also applied to Salathiel. His real father is presumed to be Jechoniah, but he married Neri's daughter, who had no brothers, and became his heir. I agree with Bishop N. D. Pendleton's view that this is a strained interpretation. Bishop Pendleton made the far more important point, however, that we should not try to prove something that the letter of the Word does not say, for in doing so, we may be harming our understanding of the internal sense. After all, the Lord had good reason for saying that both lists were genealogies of Joseph, not of Mary. Whose ancestry they in fact depicted, we will probably never discover, nor need we. The Divine origin of Jesus Christ is established through better authority than a list of names long lost. It is an eternal verity, revealed by God Himself. His descent from David is now quite unimportant. He was "the son of David", as to the infirm human: but that quasi-parenthood He rejected utterly.* "If David then called Him Lord, how is He his Son?"** * AE 205. ** Matthew 22: 45; Luke 20: 44; cf. AE 205. These aspects of the letter may be interesting in a way, but the real delight that a New Churchman can perceive in the genealogies comes from an inquiry into their spirit. "The generation of Jesus Christ"-what are we told of those spiritual, or Divine states which entered into and formed the Human, when God descended through the heavens to dwell with us?
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A Point of Contact between the Old and the New
The Writings give no direct indication of the internal sense of these genealogies. The observations given here are from the general doctrine, and from principles of exposition. The Matthew genealogy has importance from its being the first part of the New Testament to appear, and it is, in a general sense, a summary of all that has gone before in the history of Israel. It is not a literal summary of history, but a line of the kingship-from Abraham, through Judah, whose descendants were to wear the crown, until Shiloh should come.* And to what does that summary tend? It speaks the truth that the Old Testament and its representative royalty looked only to the birth of the King of kings-to the axis on which the history of the world has turned. * Genesis 49: 10; AC 6371-6373. Here we have confirmation of the truth that all of the Old Testament treats of the Lord alone. The genealogy presents the idea in three ways. Literally, it is a history of the heredity the Lord took on through the Jewish people. More deeply, it tells of the spiritual "heritage" which the Lord assumed, those states which were the presence of the Divine with the angels, and which were represented by the Old Testament names. And ultimately, it is a prefiguring, a gathering together in array, of the entire process of glorification which was foretold in the Old, and repeated in the New Covenant. For the inmost burden of both Testaments is the same. Both tell of the states which the Lord passed through as He glorified His human. This table of names, then, is a nexus between the two perfectly compatible revelations. It is the transition from prophecy to fulfillment, the drawing together of all promises, the herald of the manner of their keeping in Jesus Christ.
The Infirm Human
The Rev. J. F. Buss felt-although he was alone in this that the Matthew genealogy dealt in the main with the infirm human, which the Lord assumed through Mary, and cast off. He had some good reasons, most important of which is that the Lord was willing to be called the "son of David," as to the infirm human, but not as to the Divine Human. He rejected such an appellation, saying, "If David then called Him Lord, how is He his son?"* Mr. Buss argued that the Lord had two heredities, one from the Divine and the other from the mother, and it was of these that the two genealogies spoke. * Matthew 22: 45; Luke 20: 44; AE 205.
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It does not seem that so external a subject could have been the main thrust of these first verses of the New Testament, especially when we consider that the Mary human was at best an "additamentum," in fact a barrier to the Divine work, and that it was to be expelled. The genealogy tells in the supreme sense of the assumption by the Lord of the Divine Human from eternity, and the glorification of that Divine, which was before in the heavens. I cannot but wonder, however, whether in the internal historical sense the heredity of the Jewish race, and thus the assumption of the infirm human is not presented. As to that heredity He was considered for a while, by His permission, as the son of David. When there passes in review before us the wicked history of the Old Testament peoples, are we not reminded of the fact that the Lord assumed through Mary a human defiled with hereditary evil, which had to be rejected in its entirety?* * AC 5041, 5157, 1414, 1444 et al. Particularly interesting here are the four women mentioned. Each one of them was in some way unacceptable or evil, and Tamar especially is dealt with quite fully in the Writings. She was the daughter-in-law of Judah, and her husband had died childless. Judah, after several unsavory happenings, had sent her away, not allowing his third son to raise up an heir through her to her dead husband. She then pretended to be a harlot, and allowed Judah himself to take her, and from her seed the descent is traced. The Writings give this origin as a example of the terrible heredity of the Jewish nation, and of their character* -an heredity sullied by the evils of many kings which was passed to Mary at a time when there was no good and no truth left in all the world. Such was the evil the Lord allowed to be adjoined to the human through heredity; through it He fought and conquered every hell. * AC 4818, 4859, 4865, 4911, et al.
The Divine in the Heavens
In the supreme sense, however, the picture presented is far more positive and beautiful. It was not the Mary human that the Lord glorified; it was the Divine which was with the angels and which was the Divine Human before the advent. Before the advent the Lord in flowed into heaven (which consisted for the most part of the celestial),* and the influx into men on earth was through the Divine Man which He there set forth-through the grand man of heaven.** Thus it is said that at that time "the Divine Human was the Divine itself in heaven."*** * AC 4180. ** AC 6371, 6280, 3061, 4180, 10579; DLW 233 et al. *** AC 5663.
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Through this Divine Man, the Divine itself in heaven, there was influx into men on earth. When the human race began to fall into evils, however, that influx was insufficient to sustain them; it had not the power of the Divine itself for it was sullied, its power somewhat deflected by its reception with the angels.* In order to save mankind the Lord took on "just that which was with the angels of the celestial kingdom"** that He might be present in actuality as a Man. He did not take anything from the angels themselves, but He assumed the Divine, which was with them. * AC 6371-3, 4180, et al ** AC 6371; and all references in the previous paragraph's second footnote. It is these states of the Divine in the heavens, which are represented by the genealogy of Matthew, and it is in this view that we begin to see the wondrous picture which the list unfolds. For we may think of the Infinite Divine love, descending through the heavens, and gathering together every state of good and truth there, welding them into a one, as the heredity of the Human to be born. No single human state, nor the good of myriads would do. That the human might receive the Divine itself, all angelic states, not as they were received by angels, but as they were perfect from the Divine, were disposed into the Human. Hence the Lord was born a spiritual celestial man, the Divine truth of the Divine good, for the reason that "the Divine was in Him."* It was for this reason, because all states of truth from good in the heavens were present that He is called "the son of David, the son of Abraham." For Abraham represents the celestial, and David the spiritual, and this also explains why David is mentioned first of the two. The same thing is represented by Benjamin, who was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem also represents the spiritual of the celestial; and David, and finally the Lord Himself, were born there also.** * AC 4592. ** AC 4592, 4594; see AC 4585. The three sets of fourteen names represent the three heavens, or at that time three expanses. Fourteen represents what is full and holy as to both good and truth.* Abraham and his descendants represent the celestial; "David the king," as he is called there, the spiritual; and, by inference, the period after the captivity, the natural. What the individual names represent will be a matter for future ages to determine; but enough can be seen from this view to let us sense the descent of the Divine until it came into the human, possessed of all power wherewith to perform its Divine work. "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that Holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God". * AC 7842, 4177, 8400.
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The Return Kingdom
The gospel of Luke, starting as it does with Jesus and returning to God, represents the glorification of the Lord's Human, even until it was wholly Divine. It depicts the ascent of the Human towards the Divine itself. Two facts support this view. The genealogy is given in connection with the Lord's baptism, not His birth, and baptism represents regeneration-thus, with the Lord, glorification. Also, the verse which introduces this table reads: "And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph . . . "The number "thirty" signifies what is full or complete in respect to remains; and with the Lord, what is full in respect to those remains that were "of the Divine."* This same passage specifically states that it was because of this representation that the Lord did not begin His public ministry until He was thirty years of age. * AC 5335. We speak of the Human as "ascending" to the Divine, and of progress from lower truths to higher goods, because the Writings themselves use these terms. At the same time we must be mindful of the reality, that the Divine itself is omnipresent, and the glorification was a process whereby the Lord prepared the Human, that the Divine might be present in all its power. "All instruction is only an opening of the way"* that more internal things may inflow. This truth too is illustrated in the fact that although Luke's genealogy is in ascending order, yet it is shown that each generation is of the one above, and thus finally they are all of God. * AC 1495. In Luke we find that there are more names between Joseph and David than in Matthew, and they are all different, with the possible exceptions of Zerubbabel and Salathiel. From David to Abraham they are the same. Here we find illustrated that general doctrine that the Lord came to save the spiritual, and through His advent the spiritual heaven was formed and ordered. Before the Lord's advent, heaven was not divided into three, as it is today. There was one established heaven, the celestial heaven, and the better people of the spiritual church were adjoined to it.* Nevertheless there were the expanses below the celestial heaven, and, since evil was multiplying on the earth, they were filled with evil spirits and genii, while the spiritual who were capable of being saved were preserved in the lower earth.** Also adjoined to these evil spirits and genii were simple good spirits. Since the evil were kept in restraint by heaven, and observed external decorum of behavior, 'the simple spirits, presumably natural in character, were under their control, but were not harmed, as the spiritual would have been.*** * AC 8054, 4180, 6372. ** AC 6854, 6914, 7686; see AE 222: 4 and references. *** AC 6914.
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When He came to earth, however, the Lord banished the evil from this realm, and gave it for an inheritance to the spiritual. The spiritual heaven was formed by this means, and the false concepts of the spiritual angels banished by the new light from the Divine Human.* The simple spirits who before had been adjoined to the evil, were now adjoined to the spiritual church, forming a new quality in the realm of the natural heaven.** * AC 4295, 4075, 1752; also AC 6854, 6914, 8054. ** AC 6914: 5. It is this total change in the nature of the spiritual realms that is reflected in the different names in Luke, and this is the spiritual reason why there was no possibility that Luke, who apparently knew of the gospel of Matthew, could be permitted to use the same line of descent. For not only did the Lord create new heavenly societies as He lifted all those in the lower earth to their final abode, but He imparted a quality, a new character to all that would dwell there. There are more names in Luke, not only because of the quantitative aspect of the new heaven, but because of the abundance of joy, of good and truth, which awaited the blessed, who found their personal heaven there. These names therefore represent the states of glorification of the Lord, and the new states with which He gifted the heavens as He glorified in Himself the truth Divine that belonged in the heavenly realm. The names representing the celestial heaven did not change. In the spiritual sense, the reason is that although the celestial heaven did, in fact, receive more light through the glorification, it did not undergo drastic revision. In the supreme sense, however, these names represent the glorification of the Divine, which the Lord had assumed, which was with the celestial heaven. Why were new names not required to distinguish between the Divine in the heavens, which the Lord assumed, and those states when glorified? It would seem that there is an answer. The Writings teach that "there is a parallelism between the Lord and man as to the celestial things of good, but not as to the spiritual things of truth";* the reason being that the things of love inflow from within from the Lord directly, but those of truth inflow by an external way, and do not always correspond, because of the interference of man's proprium. Thus the names in the celestial division can represent both the Divine with the angels of heaven, and also the glorified Divine Human. * AC 3451: 4, 1831, 1832, 3514. But Luke's list does not stop with Abraham. It ascends even to God, and "God, in the supreme sense, is the Divine which is above the heavens; but God, in the internal sense, is the Divine which is in the heavens.
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The Divine which is above the heavens is the Divine good, but the Divine which is in the heavens is the Divine truth."* This represents the truth that the Lord made the Human Divine truth, and then Divine good. * AC 7268. It is also true that there are realms above the celestial heaven. There is the "heaven of human internals,"* in which are the first two degrees of truth Divine from the Divine Itself.** Thus "heaven" exists in the two radiant belts of love and wisdom which surrounds the spiritual sun.*** Through these realms the Human also passed, until it was altogether Divine. It would seem that the second degree of truth Divine would be represented by Noah and his descendants, and the first degree, by the Adamic generation. More than that we are unlikely to discover, since those degrees are too full of love and wisdom for any human comprehension.**** * AC 1999 ** AC 8443 *** AC 7270 **** AC 8443. Why, we may ask, did the Matthew genealogy relate nothing which would correspond to the descent of the Lord through these degrees? A simple answer would be that the Human that the Lord took on was from the Divine in the heavens, and not above them. Perhaps, however, a deeper concept is also involved. In the passage, which speaks of the heaven of human internals, it is said that these internals "have not life in themselves, but are forms recipient of the Lord's life." Man's internal therefore is a recipient. However, the passage is careful to continue, "Thus it is with man. But the Lord's internal was Jehovah Himself, inasmuch as He was conceived of Jehovah. . . . With this internal the Lord united the Human essence; and as the Lord's internal was Jehovah, it was not a form recipient of life, but was Life itself."* The Lord took nothing that was representative of the human internal, for His internal was Divine. Hence Matthew says nothing about that realm. * AC 1999 In Luke, however, there is a return-to Him from whom all things came. In this genealogy we are reminded of the whole scope of history, not just the history of the Jews. The entire Divine work of creation looks to the end of a heaven from the human race, and so too did the most wonderful re-creation of all, the glorification of Jesus Christ. Because He became Life in itself, beyond creation and all human ways, we can ascend to heaven. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Me."* * John 12: 32.
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SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE YOUNG ALEC CRAIGIE 1975
The world in which we spent our youth is now a period in history. It ended nearly half a century ago, exhausted by a war fought on a scale previously unknown, its young men surrendering their lives to each other on unfamiliar fields, or returning home to face economic forces only dimly understood. The great depression followed, and left in its wake a generation firm in the ethic that only he who works in an accepted pattern deserves to share in the world's bounty. That generation lived in a simpler world than the one which we now know; more rigid in its economic views, less generous and tolerant in its provision of social benefits to the old, the young, the weak, or even those to whom the word work in any previously accepted sense is anathema. In the world of fifty years ago adults were accepted as individuals, with individual outlooks, but young people were-well they were young adults growing up in an adult world, expected to supplement the family income and assume some adult responsibilities. Their share in the social structure was usually confined to school or workshop. Certainly their world did not expect to receive from them any announcement of a new social order, or new theories of social justice. Ironically it was out of the colossal heat and agony of an atomic war that a new social framework appeared, having vast new economic empires and a dazzling new technology. In place of the routine progress of old established order, an immensely complicated world was born, which seemed to spring into being almost overnight. This new and unfamiliar world, having a different concept of the social structure, can only, we are sometimes told, be properly understood by the young. Which leads us at long last to our beginning. What is the social philosophy of the young? They may be expected to have a more intimate knowledge of this post-atomic world, but does this place upon them the responsibility for custody of the social conscience, as some apparently feel? At no previous time has a younger generation been so stirred with interest in social justice, or so determined that the existing system shall be changed. Looking over books published in the past few years, which discuss the world of today and the social philosophy of varying age groups one, might gain an impression that society is now polarized into two irreconcilable groups-an impossible situation.
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To a generation, which takes in its stride the magic of the computer and sees nothing unusual or unexpected in bouncing images off a satellite in space, the doubts and problems and constant wariness of their parents is a source of irritation. To the young, the preoccupation of the older generation in acquiring and maintaining the daily needs of the household is distasteful in the extreme. They see older people as tied down to material things, making friendships for profit or convenience, exercising a cold-blooded relationship with their neighbors, cautious of social contacts. Religion to some of the young is part of the established framework of a society, which they completely reject, in its present form. In support of this attitude they could quote the utter cynicism of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People,* and its successors over the years. The false friendships, the self-seeking interests advocated by such schools of thought, become labels to be fastened to the genuine interest and friendships possible in the fulfillment of shared use. * McGraw-Hill, New York, 1936. A full generation after How to . . . Alvin Toffler in his bestseller Future Shock * drew a deadly bead on Carnegie's earlier work by giving one section of his book the title "How to Lose Friends . . . ."** Here Toffler considers the life and philosophy of the junior executive on the rise up the corporate ladder. He quotes from a business magazine offering advice on various ways in which the young executive can smoothly detach himself and his family from their old friends of a lower corporate level. The magazine urges its readers to be patient with their wives, who may not at first appreciate the necessity of discarding friends of an earlier-and more modest-period, in order that there shall be no drag on the husband's upward progress. * Random House, New York, 1970. ** Ibid, pp. 106-107. The class of literature lampooned by Toffler has its counterpart however in some of the published work of the past few years, produced by the publicists of the young. These authors serve their clients poorly by taking stands which hold in complete contempt the established order and all that it holds dear, not so much with any view of improvement, as in an apparent effort at destruction. Charles A. Reich, whose book The Greening of America * held a prominent position in the literature of rejection at the opening of this decade, grants to the younger generation a degree of skill and foresight almost supernatural, which he terms "Consciousness 111". To quote, ". . . We have all heard the promise: affluence, security, technology make possible a new life, a new permissiveness, a new freedom, a new expansion of human possibility.
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We have all heard it, but to those born after World War II it means something very different. Older people learned how to live in a different world; it is really beyond them to imagine themselves living according to the new promises. The most basic limitations of life-the job, the working day, the part one can play in life, the limits of sex, love and relationships, the limits of knowledge and experience, all vanish, leaving open a life that can be lived without the guideposts of the past . . . "** * Ramdom House, New York, 1970. ** Ibid, pp. 218-219. A more moderate writer, Donald A. Michael, social psychologist and Chairman of a Unesco function, predicts in The Next Generation,* "A growing group of the most talented, sensitive, and searching young adults will be repelled by what they interpret as politicking, commercialism, high-pressure bureaucracy and the 'big' society, and by logic and the esoteric 'dehumanized' and 'hemmed-in' experience of the devoted scientist. They will seek expression and careers in the arts, the humanities; in teaching in primary and secondary schools; in social service in the emerging nations and at home; in organized and unorganized political action, social protest and so on. Uncynical commitment to an uncorrupted task will be their goal. They will also turn intensively to self, emphasizing experiences with love, family, sex, religion or hallucinatory drugs."* * Ibid, p. 161. Opponents of the new philosophy are almost as bitter in their attack as Reich is in favor. John W. Aldridge, of the University of Michigan, in In the Country of the Young* exclaims, "the young . . . are remarkable for their inconsistencies: for their belief in progress and the perfectibility of man and their ignorance of, and indifference to, the lessons of history; for their insistence upon immediate revolutionary reforms and their disregard of the inevitability of evolutionary process; for their preoccupation with style and their boundless appetite for banality; for their indifference to standards of personal conduct when applied to them by adults, and their insistence upon the most exemplary standards of conduct when applied by them to adults. . . ."** * Harper's Magazine Press, New York, 1970. ** Ibid, pp. 11-12. As a survivor of this club and spear battlefield it was a relief to turn to The New Morality-a Profile of American Youth in the 70's* compiled by Daniel Yankelovich, a social scientist heading a social research firm and teaching psychology at New York University.
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For one thing, of the books current on this subject, Yankelovich appeared to be the only researcher who felt that morality played any part in the philosophy of the times. Also he avoided language surcharged with emotion, and dealt in observable results. His studies primarily covered a period of about four years and dealt with a variety of subjects. Some of the graphs on college students proved depressing: "Religion as a very important value to college youth" went from 38% in 1969 to 28% in 1973; "Prohibition of marijuana easily accepted" declined from 55% in 1968 to 38% in 1973. On the other hand, "Size of the career-minded group" increased from 55% in 1968 to 66% in 1973, and "Economic security as an important job criterion" from 33% in 1970 to 58% in 1973, which contrasts strangely with, "Would welcome less emphasis on money," 65% in 1968 and 80% in 1973. There is a slight response to the moral aspect in the statement on the immorality of taking things without paying for them, 72% in 1971 and 84% in 1973, or using violence to achieve worthwhile ends, 56% in 1971 to 66% in 1973. Interest in life in a commune diminished from 36% in 1971 to 30% in 19731, but more open sexual freedom was favored by 43% in 1969 and 61% in 1973. In criticizing adult society the two principal targets are the concern of business with profits rather than public responsibility (94%) and foreign policy believed based on power interest (88%). Summarizing, Yankelovich says: ". . . some of the changes depicted in this study, such as the renewed quiet on the campus and the new seriousness of students in pursuit of careers, may appear at first glance to reinforce the widely held view that the 1960's represented an odd aberration in our national history. The 1970's, it is said, have restored 'normalcy' linking up a chain of continuity with the 1950's when young people were preoccupied with their own personal lives and destinies, and the privatism of the 1970's with their strong focus on self."* * Ibid, p. 7. To generalize on the basis of the surveys quoted, ignoring as they do any approach to religion would be to leave out of account the center of our discussion. While the approach of our young people to careers and economic security may have changed somewhat, religion, with some important exceptions, is still viewed as an arm of the establishment, and as such may be subject to suspicion. The "important exceptions" are all the more remarkable for the nature of their organization. In stark contrast to the permissiveness required in the life of youth, these exceptions include philosophies or religions such as Hare Krishna, the Jesus People, the Divine Light Mission and others of the same type. They are religions, which demand complete subjection on the part of their followers, who may remain faithful despite exposures of outright exploitation and occasional bad treatment. It may be that this represents a swing from the earlier years of Timothy Leary and the flower children.
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Possibly this acceptance of a rigid discipline shows a need felt for protection from the widespread breakdown of religious conviction. One thing seems evident; there may be a trend among young people towards a more conservative attitude in terms of career and economic security, a growing disinclination to subscribe to the social fetishism of a few years ago, a more realistic grasp of the part they can play in the world scene to their own advantage as well as others. But whether they seize on the disciplines of the street band or ignore religion completely the fact appears to be that the spiritual values we prize are not being accepted and it can only be assumed that our presentation is inadequate. The doctrines of the church must feel the warmth of affection in order to grow; without it, truth is cold. ". . . nothing which is of doctrine, and indeed nothing which is of memory-knowledge, can enter into man, save by means of the affections; for in affections there is life, but not in the truths of doctrine and memory-knowledge without affections."* This does not mean that we should surrender the mental and spiritual discipline of doctrinal study to the uncontrolled course of individual or group emotions. It does mean that the success achieved by the church summer schools or academies in arousing the interest and affection of young people attending deserves wider study-which undoubtedly it will receive. In these sessions an atmosphere of friendship has encouraged a growth in understanding and acceptance of doctrine; it is possible that wider use may be made of this, based on experience gained. * AC 3849. In the end of course the decision on acceptance or rejection of the truth as given in revelation must rest with the young men and young women themselves. They are in freedom and must remain so. "It is a law of Divine Providence that man should not be compelled by external means to think and will . . . the things of religion; but that man should lead and sometimes compel himself."* * DP 129. We can only hope that in providence we shall find the courage and conviction, by precept and (most importantly) by practice, to encourage them to reach a proper choice.
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REPEATED MARRIAGES Rev. GEORGE DE CHARMS 1975
The question of repeated marriages, that is of marriages entered into after the death of one of the partners, is one of great importance to the life of those who belong to the New Church. Divine teaching concerning it is given in Conjugial Love from number 318 through number 325. An entire chapter is devoted to the subject, and what is there taught should be known and carefully considered by every one who may be in a position to contemplate such a marriage. The chapter is divided into eight propositions each with presents a separate phase of what is a very complex human problem. Our purpose is to call the attention of all the members of our church to these particular numbers, without any comment or interpretation of our own, except a few cautionary remarks which are designed to avoid any serious misapplication of the teaching plainly given. This is important because, if wrongly used, this teaching may well be very harmful to the life of the Church. First of all it should be clearly understood that what is said in these numbers is not intended to justify open criticism or condemnation of others. No one can know the inmost motives of other people. The states of conjugial marriage here referred to are for the most part known only to the Lord. Nevertheless, something concerning them can be known by any individual faced with the necessity of making a judgment in regard to his own life. He may derive from these numbers Divine guidance as to the course, which he should pursue. He may be given an intimation of his own religious conscience by which to protect in himself the love and the desire for an eternal conjugial union in soul and mind with one partner. The teaching applies differently, though with equal force, to both men and women. A widow may derive from these numbers an intimation of conscience as to how she should react when confronted with the possibility of entering into another marriage after her husband has been called into the spiritual world. To give Divine guidance to both men and women when they are confronted with this problem is the clear purpose and intent of the instruction contained in these numbers. If it is regarded in this light, it may prove to be of immense value and significance in the constant struggle of those in the New Church to establish and protect love truly conjugial.
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As we have intimated, the questions here involved are extremely complex because individual human beings are all different. No two marriages are exactly alike, although they have many things in common. Conjugial love is a conjunction of souls and minds between one man and one woman and "being spiritual, [such] an actual adjunction of the soul and mind of the one to the soul and mind of the other, . . . can never be dissolved."* * CL 321.
"These two are not separated by the death of the one, since the spirit of the deceased partner dwells continually with the spirit of the one not yet deceased, and this until the death of the other, when they meet again and reunite and love each other more tenderly than before because in the spiritual world. From all this follows the irrefragable consequence, that those who have lived in love truly conjugial do not wish to marry again. If, after the death of the partner, they contract something like marriage, it is done for reasons apart from conjugial love, and these reasons are all external, such as: if there are small children in the house and provision must be made for the care of them; if the house is large and provided with servants of both sexes; if forensic occupations withdraw the mind from family affairs in the home; if mutual aid and services are necessary; and other like reasons."* * Ibid.
There may therefore be legitimate reasons why either a widower or a widow, who has been in conjugial love with a partner who has been called into the spiritual world, may nevertheless enter into the marriage relation with another partner.
"In the case of those who have been in no love truly conjugial, there is nothing to prevent and hinder them from again contracting matrimony."* However, the fact that either a man or a woman whose partner had died does remarry gives no cause for others to judge as to the motives by which they were animated. With regard to all New Church people who believe in the Heavenly Doctrine, and who strive to live according to it, it should be presumed that they are acting from religious conscience in accord with their best understanding of the Divine teaching given in these numbers. Only if there is overt and incontestable proof that this is not the case should they be adversely judged by other members of the New Church. * CL 320. The state of any one, either man or woman, who marries again after the death of a partner is altogether different from the state of a virgin bride conjoined in marriage to a young unmarried man. What these differences are, under various circumstances which are cited, is clearly set forth in Conjugial Love numbers 322 and 323, and they should be reflected in the ritual observance of any such remarriage so as to distinguish it from the marriage of a virgin and a young bachelor.
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This is important to the couple who are being married because the forms of ritual should express the truth concerning the states of those taking part in them. This is because in the New Church there should be no external form without its appropriate internal. So far such a difference has not been provided in our General Church liturgy, but the questions involved should be discussed with the priest or pastor who is performing the ceremony and suitable revisions made. That there are legitimate and weighty reasons why either a widow or a widower may re-marry does not make a second marriage legitimate before the death of one of the partners-except for the cause of adultery, or of certain other causes in which adultery is latently present. Specific teaching in regard to this may be found in other chapters of Conjugial Love, and this should be sought out and brought actively into the thought and the life of all married couples. No husband or wife can know with certainty, during the life of the body, whether they are eternally united by true conjugial love. Nevertheless they must hope that this is the case. They must deeply long for such a union and strive continually toward it. This must be the deepest desire of their hearts and their constant prayer to the Lord. They should cling to this hope throughout life, allowing no thought of a separation or of another union to find lodgment in their minds, even though at times they may be sorely tempted to doubt, or may experience periods of cold when the ardor of their first love has seemingly passed away. At such times it is important to recall the words of the Lord to the angel of the church in Ephesus:
I know thy works, and thy labor and thy patience and how thou . . . for My name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.* * Revelation 2: 2-5.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1975
The Twenty-seventh General Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, from Saturday June 5, to Wednesday June 9, 1976. Those who wish to prepare for the music at the Assembly services will be interested to know that it is planned to use the following from the Psalmody: Psalm 19, page 82, and Psalm 45, page 298.
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'WOMEN'S LIB' MOVEMENT Rev. ERIK SANDSTROM 1975
"Illa domi," says the Spiritual Diary*-"She should be at home." Is this true of our age? Did it only apply to Swedenborg's time? Is it true in principle? The tendency of the present generation is to answer the last question in the negative, though there is far more of a confusion of tongues than a united chorus of voices one way or the other. Rarely, though not without exception, is there an attempt to think from some universal principle. Mostly the discussion is based on subjective attitudes. * SD 5936. Such attitudes cannot be trusted. We have to look for the real distinction between man and woman to hope to come to grips with the problem; and I am sure we have to be patient about achieving a solution that can be generally accepted as true, and that can be seen to promote more contentedness, security, and happiness for both women and men. Even in the New Church there are divided views. What I am hoping for is an approach, perhaps a discussion, that looks to universals-an approach that neither equates modern 'liberations' with true freedom, nor assumes that because a liberation movement is modern it must be all wrong. First let us hold out an olive branch to those who carry the women's lib banners. It is true that injustice has been meted out to womankind. As I see it, however, in the past this has essentially applied to only one area-woman has not been accorded the same level of intelligence as man. In our day another may be added, with hesitation-payment for women's services is confused. I say "with hesitation," because the problem of payment is subject to a prior and greater principle. The question is: "Should women have the same jobs as men?" But let us take one thing at a time, intellectual equality and economic equality. Incidentally, the reason why I do not include more injustices than the two mentioned, is because I cannot think of any others that have been generally accepted in bygone ages or by many in our age. As for intellectual equality the issue is beclouded on at least two counts. First, few appear able to distinguish between equality and similarity; and second, the intellectual seems to be almost universally accorded a human value superior to the affectional.
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Men and women do not have the same kind of understanding. I firmly believe they have the same level of it. As far back as history will take us men have been explorers, men have been the philosophers. This cannot be explained away by "social conditioning"; the rule is too universal, and has too few-hardly any exceptions. This in no way excludes, nor ever had excluded, women from understanding what men have explored geographically, technically, or theoretically. Yet it is striking that women have never been as much interested in the methods of finding out as in the findings themselves. Is not this because their intelligence is of a different kind? Men are by nature objective-they are like sight; while women are by nature subjective-like touch. But men and women can give and receive; they are meant to complement one another. Husbands and wives are created to become one. Suppose they have a baby. The father would think, "He is marvelously made, and he is my son." But the mother would coo to him and say, "You are so warm and soft." But cannot the mother think that way, and the father feels that way? Certainly, but each has a primary reaction, and comes into the other, or absorbs the other, through the opposite sex and in a true marriage through the partner. As Heaven and Hell puts it:
Man is born to be intellectual, that is, to think from the understanding, while woman is born to be voluntary, that is, to think from the will . . . Everyone, whether man or woman, enjoys understanding and will; but with the man the understanding predominates, and with the woman the will predominates, and the character is determined by that which predominates. Yet in marriages in heaven there is no predominance; for the will of the wife is also the husband's will, and the understanding of the husband is also the wife's understanding.* * HH 368, 369.
You can illustrate the difference between man and woman, and the way they complement each other, in a simple diagram thus:
Man Woman
w u Conjunction w u
"w" = will "u" = understanding
As the diagram suggests, the entrance gate into a man's mind is through the understanding, but into a woman's mind through the will.
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But, sadly, in our day women try to imitate men. They want to be politicians, judges, business managers, and now priests. Are not pursuits where the intellect is in evidence more highly priced than any other? By the same count, arguments (if eloquent and "smart") are generally given more public attention than deeds. But worse, modern man is frequently not worth imitating! He still wants to look intelligent, of course. But he is mistaking memory and reasoning for objective judgment. He is not allowing his mind to be led by the truth. He does not even acknowledge the existence of an objective truth; everything is subjective. So he too "thinks from the will"-but what will? Is not this what we have-woman lusts for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; she speaks to the man, and man listens to her? In this way woman has tried to be like man, and man has become like woman, and both have fallen together. The tree of knowledge was to be looked at; that was never forbidden. In fact, "Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food."* Some trees were "pleasant to the sight," especially the tree of knowledge; while others were "good for food" as well, especially the tree of life. The tree of knowledge was not good for food. The Lord God warned: "In the day that thou eatest thereof, dying thou shalt die."** Only eating of it was forbidden. * Genesis 2: 9. ** Genesis 2: 17. The Word has also a more direct way of castigating the perverseness of women trying to be like men, or men being like women: "The garment of a man shall not be upon a woman, neither the garment of a woman upon a man, for it is an abomination."* * Deuteronomy 22: 5; See also CL 175: 1-4. Would that women were satisfied with their own kind of intelligence-a graceful, perceptive one, and in its way just as knowledgeable! And that men were true to their calling-to explore and gather and present what is true! Then both men and women would be liberated-liberated from their proprium in whose subjectiveness they revel and glory, but to which they are instead subject. But our decadent age does not know that real intelligence is from the truth. That is why everyone wants to "do his own thing" (and of course think it too). And why should men be allowed to do it more than women? Poor women. And poor men too. Yes, earlier generations did not attribute as much intelligence to woman as to man. This was unjust. The pity is that everyone in our foolish age thinks she cannot have as much unless she has the same kind. And what about economic injustice? This problem dates roughly after the two great wars of this century.
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The widespread devastations brought women into areas vacated by soldiers; sometimes even to put the uniforms themselves on them. And of course they can do the jobs. They have the same amount of intelligence as men. But emergencies are neither normal nor happy conditions in life, and when women have to do men's jobs they of necessity try to do them the way men would (just as men, given comparable circumstances, would imitate women). The Writings comment:
It is thought by many that women can perform the offices of men if only they are initiated into them from their earliest age, as boys are. They can indeed be initiated into the exercise of them, but not into the judgment on which the right performance of the offices inwardly depends.* * CL 175: 2.
Wars are not known for bringing out the best in people (with the exception of the temporary sacrifices called for). The post-war era, even more after the second war than after the first, has seen more sensuality and crime than perhaps any previous age. The serpents that are wiggling their way through the nations must wear quite triumphant smiles. Yes, there were sensualities in the French-dominated world before the revolution, and earlier during the decline of Rome, and before that when Egypt was drunk with power, and so forth. Earlier churches too have fallen. But "this last time of the Christian Church is the very night in which former churches have come to an end."* My under standing of this is that a spiritual judgment in the inner world, or a war in this world, does not make human nature any different, but it tends to bring a perverse nature into the open. "There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."** * TCR 760. ** Luke 12: 2. Illa domi? That is the ideal. But what is a home? Does our generation know what it is? The very word "home" is warm. It is like soft music. But the word is not heard in modern songs. "There is no place like home"-who in our sophisticated age has an ear for a sentimental lyric like that? In the modern idiom the word "house" has replaced "home." Won't you drop in "at my house . . . ?" And that is the trouble. "Home" is now simply a spatial concept, the area inside walls, and one where unpleasant chores are carried out. What is a true wife-a "housewife" or a "homemaker"? To make a real home is to build a center of culture and a center of the church. Refinement, grace, depth of character, security, vision, are fostered there. Tilling the field is not superior to making a home out of a cottage; running a factory is not a greater use than turning a comfortable villa into a place of welcome; and-preaching from the pulpit is not more important than the sermon of life in the family.
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It should be recognized too that even in purely economic terms a homemaker's contribution to the family is a major one. But what about the wider areas of feminine influence beyond the family home? Here I have reflected that there is probably a home element, thus a need for the feminine presence, in just about any field of use. Schools and hospitals are obvious examples, but what else? Are there any obvious exceptions? I am not excluding the church, but would stress that just as the intelligence of a woman is of a different kind than that of a man, so her function should be of a distinctly different kind. Since, however, any implementation of this idea-in the community at large and in the church-would require much thought and counsel, perhaps even experimentation, I do not here presume to go beyond the idea itself. One thing is certain in this context, and that is that the higher education now just as available to women as to men is introducing an element in our social structure undreamed of a few generations ago. Clearly the clock cannot be turned back; in other words, this situation is here to stay. I believe that, in providence, it is waiting to be bent into a new social structure that has in it both order and life. Another idea-are there any falsities that have not commenced as a twisting of truth? And are there any wild social movements that are not a perversion of some orderly structure? Perhaps some who now applaud our modern women's liberation drive have an ideal hidden within them which they mistakenly identify with what they applaud. As it is, "women's lib" seems to apologize for femininity and scorn the sanctity of the home. A dead church bears many illegitimate children. Other such children are the sexual "liberation" that is destroying marriage, "liberation" from the discipline of law, and the consequent undermining of our judicial system and of the authority of our law enforcement units, and worst of all, "liberation" from the Word of God and from conscience. There is only one true liberation-from self. Men and women have one terrible thing in common-the proprium, which, insofar as it is allowed to run rampant, destroys the world. A woman's true liberation is from the lust that made her listen to the serpent; and a man's true liberation is not to follow a woman who has lost her femininity, that is, has lost the sphere that ennobles, the sphere of the conjugial. But here we must add one more injustice to women, beyond the two I have mentioned.
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It is not fair to them that they should have such difficulty finding true men around them, men of stature, men who see, men of strength, men who are worthy of their love, and of conjunction with them. The truth alone can bring the liberation we all need. How can anyone be lifted out of himself if there is nothing to lift him? But it will come if we work for it. Once the truth of the Gospel did make free,* but it was lost. The serpent had hissed a number of times before; at last it made the whole world look the other way. But the truth has been revealed again. If we let it, it will rise up a living church, restore marriages worthy of the name, and give us back our homes. It will be a gradual process. * See John 8: 32. "Illa domi" is not a call for degradation; it is an invitation to a use-perhaps beyond the sphere of the family home as well as within it-that is as elevated and noble and as demanding of intelligence as any. And it will supply what modern light lacks-warmth.
AUTHORITY OF THE WRITINGS MARJORIE ROSE SONESON 1975
The perennial problem of the authority of Emanuel Swedenborg's Writings might well be considered the crux of our claim as a New Church. The many facets that surround this issue have their origin in one essential controversy. The Writings are revelation in the true sense, or they are merely inspired works. The various sides that men of the church have taken actually come to only one issue in the last analysis. Either the Writings are the Word of the Lord, and thence infallible, or they are the words of an enlightened genius to be interpreted by the reader according to his reception. In taking their stands, some have attempted to doctor up the latter point of view to sound more reverent and reasonable. But they cannot erase the essential error. And they cannot hold to that compromise and still claim to belong to a New Church. In simplified terms the question of the authority of the Writing-s belongs to that ancient quibble over the difference between inspiration and revelation. Since truth is universal it often appears in unexpected places with an almost heavenly intensity, either in the form of beauty or in its unadorned state. Common examples are the magnificent passages of Beethoven's symphonies, and the unsurpassed plays of Shakespeare. How often it is asked: "Why single out the great books of Swedenborg as revelation?
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Are not all masterpieces also forms of revelation? Do they not inspire and lead men to truth and good and thence to a life of use?" The answer may be far simpler than one might expect. Many men and women are inspired, even to the point of contact with angels. Only a chosen few hear the voice of the Lord Himself. Those rare messengers selected by God to serve as His oracles are the ones who give the world revealed truth. As Swedenborg emphasized again and again, no one but the Lord was speaking through him, and the real author of the Writings is the Lord Himself. Thus, with the second coming, Swedenborg attained the rank of Moses and the writers of the Gospels. Indeed, in a sense he surpassed them, because the Lord employed Swedenborg's entire rational faculty, whereas the messengers of the first coming were scribes This may seem an oversimplification of a highly complex matter, but it is a basic point, which must be recognized before any further discussion is merited. If we realize that the occasional truths perceived by human beings without aid of revelation are like flickering candles, and that although their source is pure they cannot compare to the light of the direct sun, we can better understand the difference between works inspired directly and indirectly by the Lord. If we remove the distinctive source of the Old and New Testaments, and the Writings, we remove their authority. Remove that authority and we have no New Church. Many who have fallen into this basic mistake are willing to grant that there is a unique quality to the Writings; that their share of truth-content is exceptional; and that Swedenborg's experiences in the other world were actual. These people accept the Writings according to their own discrimination and perception. What they can agree with they accept wholeheartedly. What eludes them they consider error on the part of Swedenborg the man. Their chief argument for this attitude is that a human medium was used in this message from the Lord. It was necessarily subject to error, and they have found the errors. They occur in the technical terminology and in scientific facts that Swedenborg used by way of illustration. The more radical critics also claim that Swedenborg contradicted himself, and that this must eliminate him from comparison with the Biblical writers. What then of the paradoxes appearing in the text of the Old and New Testaments? We know that they do not destroy their validity. It is a question of context and content. Truth obviously cannot contradict itself, but when considered in its separate phases it can seemingly be made to contradict, much like the orange and red which glance off of a prism, two colors clashing. The question of a human medium for Divine revelation deserves further consideration. Swedenborg was carefully prepared by the Lord to become the seer for the second coming.
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But he nevertheless remained a human being, walking a material earth, and subject to the impurities and misconceptions of the lowest plane. The revelation was to be given to that same erring world, and in order to be received had to be given in its terms. We must modify our terms in speaking to children, but we can still speak to them of and from truth. And contained within our simplified explanations are higher concepts that they will later realize from exactly the same statements. The doctrine of the Christian Church illustrates this, for the second coming is an extension of the same truth told long ago. The human race has entered, through providence, into the age of reason. The Lord is ready with a new form of His same eternal wisdom by which the mature mind can learn. And as mortals enter the spiritual world there are untold truths awaiting them. The same pure source is now adapted to the awakened angel. While on earth we cannot yet understand fully because we do not comprehend spiritual speech. The modifications that truth must assume in order to reach us while on earth are even greater. Yet they in no way adulterate the truth itself. How else is God to appeal to our physical eye and ear than through a man like ourselves? Since this revelation is rational it had to operate through the rational mind of one of us. As it passed through, it had to take on (while not making them of itself) the misconceptions of that mind. Again an analogy may make this point. The sun shines from on high in pure and unrestricted rays. As it passes through the atmosphere it seemingly becomes less intense. Smoke or cloud will further obliterate it. Finally when it reaches our body it can act only on that pigment which is uncovered and receiving the rays. Impurities in our very system will again modify it, and thus blemishes will appear and reject the sunlight rather than receive its warm benefits. The Lord selected Swedenborg because his mind was of such a high quality that there were very few obstacles between his understanding, or reception, and the truth. Yet the fact that he was still in this world, and not exclusively among angels, showed that some blemishes did exist. The consequences appear occasionally in the Writings and these are what the men, who refute the authority of the Writings, attack. They are mistaking the effect for the cause. Some readers insist that the Writings are but "flickering candles," comparable to many other great books. On the contrary, they are the Lord Himself in all His brightness. Only the vague atmosphere of Swedenborg's vocabulary and preconceptions dims them. The Lord must use our terms or His voice becomes like music played on a pipe keyed above the scale of our hearing.
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In 1924 a German New Churchman, L. H. Staaden, set down six principles by which we might guide our attitude toward the Writings.* They were in brief: * "The Spiritual Word," NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1924, page 668
(1) The doctrines of the New Church are not true just because Swedenborg wrote them, but Swedenborg wrote them because they are true-and they are true because they are a new revelation from the Lord alone. (2) Swedenborg has but the authority of an instrument, and our grasp of the teachings depend upon our spiritual understanding. (3) The Lord did not dictate, as to the prophets, but gave Swedenborg understanding of the Divine Truths. Ideas, and not words and phrases flowed from the mouth of the Lord. (4) The Lord is the sole revelator and actual author of the theological books of the Writings, but He commissioned Swedenborg to choose the method of expression and composition, while led by Divine influx. (5) Since the Lord's operation is not confined to His instrument Swedenborg, others can come into similar appreciation of spiritual truth, although not becoming instruments of revelation. (6) It is incumbent upon everyone who has attained the above insight to regard these doctrines as the spiritual Word, and fear lest he bring injury to the internal sense of the Word.
These six statements seem to clarify and categorize the true attitude that professed members of the New Church owe to the Writings. In 1928 two men, both avowed New Church members, unwittingly personified the two attitudes toward this subject and were used by the editor of the NEW CHURCH LIFE for comparison.* Printing letters that these men had written to the New Church Herald the editor supported the stand of H. P. Baly. Baly's letter simply but ably spoke for the full authority of the Writings, asserting that nothing can be accepted or approved that is not in accord with that authority. He continued, ". . . [yet] now we are solemnly told that this is a sad state of affairs and destructive of freedom. What sort of freedom do we want? Does not every Christian aspire to be a servant of the Lord, and what is that but submission to authority, and is not true freedom attained by such submission? But we have those among us who, while professing to accept the Writings as Divine Revelation, just pick and choose what they will accept. That is their idea of freedom, and it is the weakness of the church." * Ibid, 1928, page 241.
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A man who signed himself "Senex" took the opposite stand, asking that we recognize only the authority of "the voice of the Lord in [our] own soul." Deploring that we might be expected to submit our intelligence and judgment to any book, he asked that we rely on private discrimination and "practical submission to the inner dictates of the Lord." This latter opinion has a transcendental tone about it that cannot be sanctioned by a church that realizes the dangers therein. For the voice of self is often so persistent that any higher dictate is drowned in the din. Since the separation of the will and the understanding, reason only is reliable. An understanding of the contents of the Writings enables that reason to grow into spiritual understanding. Yet some say that the Writings are no more than Swedenborg's manner of describing his own perceptions. What they believe to have been the difference before and after Swedenborg's eyes were opened would be interesting to know. Of course we do not receive the Heavenly Doctrine on mere authority. We rise above external faith in order that the purpose of the second coming may be fulfilled. The Writings are an appeal to understanding, and not to mere speculation. To those who doubt that they are genuine revealed truth, the best advice is that they pick them up and read them. If they then come into any real degree of comprehension they will find the Writings substantiated in numerous ways: by the truths therein, by the truth of the Old and New Testaments, by the operations of Divine Providence, by the laws of order proved by science, by the most elevated philosophy and by the severest logic.
Correlating all this testimony, the reader may discover the Writings sound, and therefore the claim that Swedenborg received them directly from the Lord also sound. Acknowledgement of this claim is vital if the church is to receive the doctrines in all their strength and certainty. By granting God Himself their author we are protected from the two most dangerous illusions of this issue: that Swedenborg's works are but illustrious examples of what a devout student can produce, and that we can receive the same inspiration via our own perception. The giving of the Heavenly Secrets was as much a miracle as the nativity. Unless we can see this new "star of wonder" we cannot become wise men and women of the New Church.
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CLERGY REPORTS WILLARD D. PENDLETON 1975
September 1, 1974 to August 31, 1975
Report of the Bishop of the General Church
District Assemblies
On September 20-22, I presided over the First Ohio District Assembly, which was held in Cleveland. While in the past there have been episcopal visits to both North and South Ohio, this was the first time that our people living in these areas have met together on an official basis. It was heartwarming to feel the response and enthusiasm of these two growing areas of the General Church. Under the able leadership of the Reverend Daniel Heinrichs, the uses of the district have flourished and hold promise of continued development. I shall always recall with special delight the useful and happy time that we had together. On April 11-13, I presided over the Second Southeastern District Assembly, which was held in Atlanta, Georgia. This too was a notable occasion. It was notable for the fact that at this assembly the members of the General Church in the district voted unanimously to ask the Bishop to appoint a resident district pastor. For many years this district has been served by a series of visiting pastors, and the appointment of a resident pastor is an important step forward. In complying with this request, I announced that the Reverend Thomas L. Kline was my choice and that his appointment would be effective on September 1, 1975. This announcement was greeted with enthusiasm. The remainder of the program consisted of services, a delightful banquet, and an opportunity for me to talk to the children.
Episcopal Visits
This year also included Episcopal Visits to Kitchener, Ontario, October 25-27; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 8-11; Glenview, Illinois, April 25-27; and Washington, D. C., June 1315. Each of these visits was outstanding in its own way. In all four of these societies, there are active plans for future development, and when viewed together, I am deeply impressed by the signs of vitality in the General Church. To the extent that these four societies are indicative of the strength of the General Church, I can say that we have much cause for encouragement.
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Other Activities
During the past church calendar year, I also presided, as in the past, over the Annual Meetings of the Council of the Clergy and continued to serve as Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church and as President of the Academy. On September 1, 1975, I relinquish this latter responsibility and move into the newly revived office of Chancellor. The reasons for this are fully documented in the Literary Number of The Academy Journal for 1974-1975, Vol. 14, No. 2, Jan., 1975.
Ministerial Changes
The Reverend Thomas L. Kline has accepted an appointment by the Bishop to serve as resident pastor of the Southeastern District of the General Church, effective September 1, 1975. Mr. Kline will reside in Atlanta, Georgia. The Reverend Patrick A. Rose has accepted an appointment by the Bishop to serve as Assistant to the Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois, effective September 1, 1975. WILLARD D. PENDLETON
COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY Various 1975
MEMBERSHIP
During the year ending August 31, 1975, one Candidate for the ministry was inaugurated into the first degree of the priesthood, one minister was ordained into the second degree, and one retired pastor passed into the spiritual world. At the end of the twelve month period the Council of the Clergy consisted of four priests in the episcopal degree, thirty-six in the pastoral degree, six in the ministerial degree, and one associate member, a total of forty-seven. Of these, thirteen were mainly or essentially employed by the General Church and/or the Academy of the New Church, twenty-seven were employed by societies or districts of the General Church, and seven were retired or in secular work. In addition the General Church had five priests in the pastoral degree and one in the ministerial degree in the South African Mission, besides the Superintendent. A Directory of the General Church and of its Mission in South Africa is published in NEW CHURCH LIFE, September 1975, pp. 423-429.
STATISTICS
The statistics of the Sacraments and Rites of the Church administered during the year, compiled from 45 reports from all those still to some degree active in priestly uses as of October 15, 1975, together with comparative figures for twelve-month periods five and ten years ago, are shown below:
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1974-75 1969-70 1965
Baptisms Children 128 135 149 Adults 33 34 55 Total 161 169 204 Holy Supper: Administrations Public 193 160 207 Private 36 62 Not given Communicants 5,584 5,271 5,370 Confessions of Faith 43 41 34 Betrothals 34 35 21 Marriages 52 54 40 Blessings on Marriages - Not given Not given Ordinations 2 0 8 Dedications: Churches 0 0 1 Homes 5 4 14 Other 0 2 1 Funerals or Memorial Services 45 51 51
REPORTS OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
The Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton continued to serve as Bishop of the General Church, Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, and President of the Academy of the New Church. The full text of his report appears on p. 551. The Rt. Rev. Elmo C. Acton, retired, taught part-time in the Theological School of the Academy of the New Church, and conducted two biweekly small group classes in Bryn Athyn. The Rt. Rev. George de Charms, retired, has been preparing for the press the manuscript of his book, A Commentary on the Harmony of the Four Gospels, and wrote several articles for publication in NEW CHURCH LIFE. The Rt. Rev. Louis B. King served as Assistant Bishop of the General Church and Executive Vice President of the Academy of the New Church. In the latter capacity he visited Glenview, Washington, D. C., the Northeast, Boston, Caryndale, Detroit, and North Ohio; and in the former, he visited Newton, Massachusetts, Wilmington, Delaware, and presided at the Assemblies of the Northeast District and of the Central Western District. The Rev. Alfred Acton II served as Pastor of Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois, Headmaster of the Immanuel Church School, President of the Midwestern Academy, and the Bishop's representative to the Midwestern District. The Rev. Kurt H. Asplundh continued to serve as Dean of the Bryn Athyn Church and Principal of the Bryn Athyn Church Elementary School. The Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen continued to serve as Pastor of the Colchester Society and Headmaster of the Society's Day School, and Visiting Pastor to the Letchworth and Manchester Groups.
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He also served as Chairman of the British Academy and of the General Church Council, Ltd. The Rev. Ragnar Boyesen continued to serve as Acting Pastor of the Scandinavian District, resident in Stockholm, and visiting Jonkoping, Oslo, Copenhagen, and individuals in Sweden and Norway. In addition he served as Headmaster of the Scandinavian Summer School, addressed friends and followers of the Writings at a Swedenborg's birthday celebration, acted as Editor of Nova Ecclesia, the only General Church periodical printed in continental Europe. It has a readership of 250. He also notes ways in which the General Church, Convention and Nova Hierosolyma have cooperated with one another in Stockholm. The Rev. Peter M. Buss served as Pastor of the Durban Society, Westville, Natal, Republic of South Africa, and Principal of the Kainon School. The Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs continued as Pastor of the Detroit Society, Troy, Michigan. He reports that his Society has under consideration the establishment of a community. The Rev. Robert H. P. Cole served as Pastor of Sharon Church, Chicago, Illinois, and Visiting Pastor to several General Church centers in the Midwestern District. In addition he was a Director of the Midwestern Academy, Co-Chairman of the Cronwall Scholarship Committee and Chairman of an Academy Fund. The Rev. Harold C. Cranch continued to serve as Pastor of Olivet Church, Toronto, Ontario, and Headmaster of the Olivet Church Day School. He also made pastoral visits to the Muskoka area and to isolated persons in Ontario. In addition he made an extended trip through western United States, holding services in various places on the way. In addition to his regular duties he gave a series of six audiovisual lectures in Toronto and three in Caryndale. The Rev. Roy Franson served as resident Pastor of the Tucson Circle, Arizona, and Visiting Pastor to the San Diego Circle, California, the Phoenix Group, Arizona, to a small group in El Paso, Texas, and to isolated people in the Southwest. The Rev. Michael D. Gladish served as Pastor of the Hurstville Society in Sydney, Australia, and Visiting Pastor to the Auckland Circle, New Zealand, and to the isolated in Australasia. The Rev. Victor J. Gladish, although retired, continued to conduct services at Sharon Church, Chicago, Illinois, as needed. He also gave assistance in making pastoral visits to Circles and Groups in the Midwest area. The Rev. Daniel W. Goodenough continued to serve as Assistant Professor of Religion and History at the Academy of the New Church. The Rev. Daniel W. Heinrichs served as Pastor of the Ohio District, resident in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to his regular duties he delivered the Charter Day Address in Bryn Athyn, and presented a special program to Academy students in the senior class of the Secondary Schools and in the College, besides also preaching in Pittsburgh and Glenview. The Rev. Henry Heinrichs was retired and had nothing to report.
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The Rev. Willard L. D. Heinrichs served as Superintendent of the General Church of the New Jerusalem Mission in South Africa, and Visiting Pastor to the Transvaal Circle, the Cape Town Group and the isolated in South Africa and Rhodesia. He also gave assistance to the Pastor of the Durban Society on occasion. The Rev. B. David Holm continued to serve as Director of the General Church Religion Lessons, Editor of New Church Education, Chairman of the General Church Extension, Sound Recording and Visual Education Committees, Visiting Pastor to the Wilmington Group, Delaware, and as Instructor of Religion in the Bryn Athyn Church Elementary School. The Rev. Geoffrey H. Howard served as the Pastor of the Los Angeles Society and Visiting Pastor to the San Francisco Bay Area Circle and to isolated members. The Rev. Robert S. Junge served as Instructor of Religion in the Academy of the New Church. The Rev. Thomas L. Kline served as Assistant to the Pastor of the Washington Society, Instructor of Religion in the Washington Church School, and Visiting Minister to the Southeastern United States District. The Rev. Kurt P. Nemitz served as Pastor of the Central West District, resident in Denver, Colorado. Besides his regular duties he has been acting as consultant to the Rev. Dr. George Dole in his new translation of Heaven and Hell. The Rev. Ormond de C. Odhner continued to serve as an Instructor of Religion and Professor of Church History in the Academy of the New Church. The Rev. Dandridge Pendleton continued to serve as Principal of the Boys School of the Academy of the New Church. The Rev. Martin Pryke served as Acting Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE, Instructor in the Theological School and Boys School of the Academy of the New Church. In addition he served as Visiting Pastor to a group in Kempton, Pennsylvania. The Rev. Norman H. Reuter, though retired, preached 35 times in the United States and 10 in England, conducted doctrinal classes and visited various Groups, Circles, Societies and isolated persons in the United States. He served as an Instructor at the British Summer School. The Rev. Morley D. Rich, although retired, prepared for publication the principal bulk of the Annals of the Academy and of the General Church. He also preached and gave classes in several places in England and in the United States. The Rev. Norbert H. Rogers served as Secretary of the General Church, and also as Secretary of the Council of the Clergy, Chairman of the General Church Publication Committee and of the General Church Translation Committee. In addition he was a member of the Bishop's Consistory, of the General Church Extension Committee and of the Academy Publication Committee. The Rev. Donald L. Rose continued to serve as Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society and Principal of the Pittsburgh New Church School. In addition to his regular duties he lectured at two New Church Summer Schools in Maine and in Pennsylvania. The Rev. Frank S. Rose served as Pastor of the Carmel Church, Caryndale, Kitchener, Ontario, and Principal of the Carmel Church School.
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In addition to his regular duties he acted as Executive Vice President of the General Church in Canada, led a session of the Religious Assembly of the Secondary Schools of the Academy of the New Church, gave a banquet speech in Detroit at the joint Convention-General Church celebration of Swedenborg's birthday, and conducted the Maple Leaf Academy and the Laurel Leaf Academy Summer Schools. The Rev. Erik Sandstrom continued to serve as Dean of the Theological School, Academy of the New Church, and Supervising Pastor of the Erie Circle, Pennsylvania. He also continued to give a series of biweekly small group classes in Bryn Athyn. In addition he took an extended tour of Scandinavia, South Africa and England. The Rev. Erik E. Sandstrom continued to serve as Pastor of Michael Church, London, England, and Visiting Pastor to the West Country Group in England and to The Hague Circle. In addition he made Pastoral Visits to the Group in Brussels, and acted as Headmaster of the British Summer School. The Rev. Frederick L. Schnarr served as Pastor of the Washington Society, Mitchellville, Maryland, Principal of the Washington Day School, and Supervising Pastor of the Southeastern District. The Rev. David R. Simons served as Assistant Pastor of Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois, Principal of the Midwestern Academy of the New Church, and Visiting Pastor to the St. Paul-Minneapolis Circle, Minnesota. The Rev. Christopher R. J. Smith continued to serve as Pastor of the Southwestern Canada and Northwestern United States District, resident in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. The Rev. Lorentz R. Soneson continued as Pastor of the Northeast District, resident in Milford, Connecticut. In addition to his regular duties he organized the 3rd Northeast District Assembly, conducted the 4th Pine Needle Academy Summer School, and taught at the Maple Leaf Academy Summer School. He also reports having lectured on the Writings to 400 people in Connecticut. The Rev. Kenneth O. Stroh served the Bryn Athyn Church as Director of Music and Supervisor of Pastoral Visiting for the Society. The Rev. Douglas M. Taylor served as Assistant Dean of the Bryn Athyn Church. The Rev. Glenn G. Alden served as Visiting Minister to the Florida District, resident in Miami. The Rev. Mark R. Carlson continued to serve as Instructor of Religion at the Academy of the New Church. The Rev. Jose L. de Figueiredo served as Minister to the Rio de Janeiro Society, Brazil. The Rev. Ottar T. Larsen served as Assistant to the Pastor of Olivet Church, Toronto, Ontario, and Visiting Minister to the Montreal Circle and to a group in Ottawa. In addition he was a teacher at the Maple Leaf Academy Summer School.
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The Rev. N. Bruce Rogers continued to serve as Instructor of Religion, Latin and Hebrew, and Acting Head of the Foreign Language Department, at the Academy of the New Church. The Rev. Patrick A. Rose, since his inauguration into the priesthood in June, gave assistance to the Pastor of the Ohio District for a time before taking up his appointment as Assistant to the Pastor of Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois. The Rev. Jan H. Weiss was in secular work and had nothing to report. Respectfully submitted, NORBERT H. ROGERS Secretary
FREDERICK EMANUEL DOERING TRUST 1975
Applications for assistance from the above Fund to enable male Canadian students to attend The Academy of the New Church at Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., for the school year 1976-77 should be received by one of the Pastors listed below as early as possible. Before filing their applications, students should first obtain their acceptance by the Academy, which should be done immediately as dormitory space is limited. Any of the Pastors listed below will be happy to give any further information or help that may be necessary.
The Rev. Harold C. Cranch The Rev. Frank S. Rose Two Lorraine Gardens 58 Chapel Hill Drive, R.R. 2 Islington, Ontario, M9B 4Z4 Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 3W5
The Rev. Christopher R. J. Smith 1536-94th Avenue Dawson Creek, B. C., V1A 1H1
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OUR CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS Editor 1975
NEW CHURCH LIFE Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Acting Editor Rev. Martin Pryke, Bryn Athyn, Pa Business Manager Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $5.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 5O cents. As we approach the celebration of the Lord's advent it may be useful to consider for one moment what really is the purpose of the festivities which then take place. It is easy to become so immersed in the celebrations themselves that we forget what they were designed for. There can be no other purpose for the celebration of Christmas than to renew and deepen our knowledge of the Lord's incarnation and redemption, and to arouse and strengthen affections for these things-all this so that we may be inspired to make the coming of the Lord into our own hearts and lives possible. As we look to the Lord in His advent we may, then, come to serve Him in a life of use to the neighbor; as we strengthen our love to Him, so we may strengthen mutual love among men. Everything we do should be designed to contribute to these central and spiritual ends, which surely means that nothing should be done which is not in harmony with these ends or which would detract from them. Many will be external forms, and these are surely needed, but they must be external forms, which clothe and agree with the eternal ends. They need to be checked constantly against this standard, lest we drift into forms, which are inappropriate and so become destructive of our real objectives. Our celebrations may become valueless if we either adopt empty forms, or if we do not infill genuine forms with a spirit of thanksgiving to the Lord and of devotion to our fellow man. Our purposes must be firmly established in our minds and hearts as we approach our celebration. The extent of their achievement will not, of course, be measurable, but the important thing is that they should be sought.
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IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES 1975
We are happy to be receiving issues of The Southern Newsletter-a new publication serving the needs of the Southeastern United States, and evidently edited by the pastor, the Rev. Thomas L. Kline. We trust that the following quote indicates real hope for future development in Atlanta and perhaps for the beginning of a new school:
I am pleased to announce the formation of our first "day school" in Atlanta. This is a nursery school, and its primary purpose is the teaching of heavenly truths to our young children. At present the school meets once a week and has an enrollment of eight students, ages three to five years old.
The Dispatch, edited by the Rev. Kurt P. Nemitz for the people of the Central West District, has a fascinating account of a contact that Mr. Nemitz has made with a group of twenty-eight men, women and children near Eureka in Eastern Kansas. This group began with one woman who had been introduced to Heaven and Hell after losing one of her children. Years later she talked of these teachings to others, some of whom became interested. They formed a group to read and discuss the Arcana Coelestia, and later obtained the use of a building so that they could meet on Sundays for a lay-service and a Sunday school, helped by material sent to them by the Boston Book Room (Convention). One of the group discovered Mr. Nemitz's circle in Denver, through the Yellow Pages, and this led to his being invited to visit them and hold a service and classes. It is hoped that he will be able to return. This has been their first formal contact with a New Church minister. We would wish this group of readers every success in their work and we hope to have further news of them in the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE. The following quotation from The New-Church Herald of September 6, 1975 completes an account of the New-Church College begun in our last issue:* The detailed curriculum would be available to anyone, on application, within a matter of months. The length of training would be four years, made up of three years of studies and the fourth year of Student Ministry. The Student would spend about six months working in a Society under supervision, but would also continue studies on various projects. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, page 506.
The College was also adopting a new constitution, the College being a separate charitable institution from the General Conference. It was now more independent financially, and so would also be independent in its own administration. The College Council would in future be elected by the Governors and not the Conference. However, there was a safeguard to this. The Governors would have to be registered members of Conference. It was also hoped to hold the Annual Meeting of the College in conjunction with Conference, so that a wide representation was present when the voting took place.
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WHY BOTHER WITH DOCTRINE? ALLISON L. NICHOLSON 1975
(See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, June issue, page 286, September issue, pages 401, 418, October issue, page 458, November issue, pages 497, 499.)
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
As a relative newcomer to the New Church, I too have reflected on the division between the General Church and Convention. Unlike Dr. Van Dusen, I do not feel qualified to explain to Bishop de Charms or the two organizations involved the nature of the dispute. Dr. Van Dusen is obviously a man of compassion genuinely interested in bridging the differences separating the two groups. His reservation concerning entering ". . . a dispute that has entertained friends for decades" was well founded. Central to the resolution of such a problem is first a clear understanding of the issues involved. Only then should a solution be advanced. The reference to AC 8234 stating the " . . . regenerated man seeks truth from affection . . ." is misleading when lifted out of context. The reference goes on to say, "From this it is evident that before the man of the spiritual church receives a new will from the Lord, that is, before he is regenerated, he does truth from obedience; but after he is regenerated, he does truth from affection, and then, to him, truth becomes good, because it is of the will." The simplicity of Bishop de Charms' description of the General Church and Convention differences is preferable to Dr. Van Dusen's well intended but doctrinally questionable article. ALLISON L. NICHOLSON Fort Mason, California
WHY BOTHER WITH DOCTRINE? MARGARET S. HYATT 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: A note of appreciation, if you please. When Bishop de Charms wrote "Why Bother With Doctrine," I felt glad that a priest, as venerated as he, was speaking to what I felt was a disturbing trend with some in the church depreciating the importance of doctrine in the search for lost love. It "hit the nail on the head," so to speak. At the time I felt satisfied, and yet, how beautifully lucid is his clarification! I did not have the privilege of being born into the New Church but came in as a young adult after having been a Catholic and a Methodist, in that order. One of the things that impressed me most was the warmth and affection of New Churchmen, which seemed to be based on sound, firm doctrine. And one of the men whose sphere impressed me most in that regard was the Bishop of the Church himself-Bishop DeCharms.
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In the twenty plus years since then I have not had cause to change my opinion. A more accurate criticism of the General Church, I feel, is rather that we are too ignorant of the truth we have at our fingertips, whereby our affections should be guided and whereby the Lord can replace our evil loves with good loves. Do we, indeed, search diligently to enter intellectually into the mysteries of faith? It is interesting, to note the ambiguous meanderings of people's thoughts in the name of love, which is apropos of the point. Our loves need the knowledges of truth to guide them to good uses; otherwise, they ramble hither and yon accomplishing no good purpose. There has to be the marriage of good and truth, love and wisdom, in order for there to be an effect. The first good loves we have are implanted by the Lord as remains, a gift. But these must be nurtured and guided by truth in order to grow and become fruitful, or they will be suppressed by selfish loves. For this we need doctrine. Thank you, Bishop de Charms for your patience, your wisdom and clarity in so beautifully showing us a parallel between the means of bringing about the fruition of our spiritual and natural loves. MARGARET S. HYATT (Mrs. Wynne S. Hyatt) Glenn Dale, Maryland
WOMEN ON BOARDS E. BRUCE GLENN 1975
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE: Not being a member of the General Church in Canada, I would not presume to comment on the nomination of women to the Board of Directors of that corporation (particularly since any publication of this letter will be after the election). However, Robert Synnestvedt's letter on the subject* raises some general questions which I feel need further examination. He speaks of the nomination of women to such boards as (Ca concession to the new liberal thinking," calls it "disturbing," and notes that it is in opposition to principles held by the founders. * NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, October issue, page 463. Mr. Synnestvedt does not indicate what founders he had in mind. I think we need, in this as in all matters, to distinguish principles drawn directly from the doctrines from those established or continued from human tradition. We hope that in the church the latter will always be founded in doctrine; but all traditions need to be examined by each generation from a perspective on doctrine that will inevitably differ to some degree from that of its fathers.
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An editorial on the "woman question" in NEW CHURCH LIFE for 1915 puts it succinctly: "The question is not, and cannot be among members of the New Church, whether the Heavenly Doctrine is 'antiquated' in respect to this or any other subject, but whether our understanding of the doctrine has made progress or not."* * op. cit. p. 68. I have seen a letter from one Academy founder to another in which it is assumed that the issue of women's suffrage in America is an aberration not to be seriously considered. Earlier in the century, reports in the LIFE reflect similar views among members of the church in England. Does any of us propose that the right to vote in civil affairs should be restricted to males? If we assume that the answer to this is "Of course not!", we have fallen into the pattern of unexamined tradition. There are important distinctions between civil and ecclesiastical affairs; but arguments from doctrine regarding the latter may well have implications as to the former. The "woman question" must be examined steadily in the light of doctrine; and neither liberal nor conservative has a special path to that light. Mr. Synnestvedt's letter cited four reasons for his concern over the nomination of women to the board in Canada. I should like to speak briefly to each of these before suggesting what seems to me an important distinction. 1) Wives, in a true marriage, are represented on such boards by their husbands. If there are boards of directors in heaven, this may be so there, where married couples make one angel. Marriage in the church on earth is between two minds that are uniquely different, and I cannot think that one of these minds can fully represent the other. 2) Women cannot judge objectively, apart from their affections, as men can. (Whether men always do is not at issue here.) I must agree with this from my reading of doctrine; but I must also wonder whether, in some matters that come before the church for discussion, an affectional contribution is not essential. 3) Few women are skilled in forensic matters. True, I believe. And while a favorite answer today is that this is the result of tradition and environment that have prevented women from developing such skills, I think there is doctrinal basis for it in the well-known passage regarding duties proper to the sexes. 4) The presence of women would inhibit freedom of debate. I cannot see why this should be so.
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Experience in faculty discussions within the Academy refutes it, and I do not see why there should be an essential difference between the professional sphere of educational discussion and those within our societies or the church at large that involve the home as, a center of church uses. The presence of women might inhibit the tone and expression used, but this is not a bad idea in any serious discussion. This review suggests what will always be the case: that applications of doctrine to the uses and practices of life involve not only the understanding of doctrine, but also experience and reason. When experience has hardened into tradition, reason must be brought to bear so that doctrine may be understood afresh. It appears to me that the whole "woman question" within the church in the past few years has largely ignored one important doctrinal teaching, to be found in Conjugial Love 163-165. The last number is frequently cited by itself, to the effect that men have a wisdom that mounts to a light in which women cannot be. The passage is referring specifically to the rational wisdom of men, and the numbers immediately proceeding distinguish this from their moral wisdom. The apparently abstract point is there made that wives are conjoined with their husbands' rational wisdom from within, but with their moral wisdom from without. This difference would seem to have important practical consequences. Rational wisdom is of the understanding alone, in which is found the objective detachment from affections peculiar to the man. But moral wisdom is of the understanding and at the same time of life, and involves all the moral and spiritual virtues. In matters pertaining to these the masculine has no exclusive ability, and here the wife is conjoined from without. Does not this suggest a distinction, with regard to feminine participation, as to the nature of an organization and its uses? Specifically, I do not believe it suggests the exclusion of women from membership in a corporate body such as the General Church, either in Canada or the Pennsylvania Corporation. On the other hand, it does indicate that the board of directors, which conducts the forensic business of the corporation, including the making of fiscal decisions, should be masculine in composition. But what of those councils within the church that are concerned with the moral and spiritual issues of its life? As a layman, I am firmly convinced that women should be fully and actively present in the pastor's councils of our societies; and if there were a Bishop's Council for the church at large that included lay representation, it would be appropriate-I would say essential-to have women members.
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I could cite precedent in the President's Council of the Academy, but this would be arguing from tradition, and I think the doctrinal sanction for women on councils, as distinct from directorial boards, is sufficiently strong and clear. E. BRUCE GLENN Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
REVIEWS Various 1975
A Lexicon to the Latin Text of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) Part I: A-Byssys, edited by John Chadwick, published by The Swedenborg Society, London, 1975.
In his preface to this lexicon of Swedenborg's Latin* Dr. Chadwick, perhaps with tongue in cheek, calls our attention to the lowly use of those who make dictionaries. The Spiritual Diary points out that those who love only words, such as those who compile dictionaries, appear in the other world with, as it were, nothing living in them, "but it was as if there were words, and scarcely anything else but words. Yet for all that, they were of a ready mind, and could talk well; still the thought inhered in the single things said, and their speech was composed of such things."** Dr. Chadwick goes on to point out how men with linguistic skills, by such efforts as the preparation of this lexicon, though they may not "aspire to theology, may yet contribute at [their] level to the great task of disseminating the knowledge of the Writings."*** To my mind, after reading this first part of his lexicon, Dr. Chadwick has achieved his purpose. The work of making it possible for the Latin of Swedenborg to speak to the English reader and the student of other languages has taken a major step forward with this first comprehensive effort at a lexicon. Admittedly, as Dr. Chadwick himself points out, this publication is but a first readable draft. Others in the future will add from their particular studies both new words and new usages, nevertheless the tremendous effort demonstrated in this work clearly makes our task in the future much easier. * See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1975, July issue, page 312. ** SD 805. *** Op. Cit. page x. Perhaps we do not all realize the importance of such a lexicon. Why not use dictionaries already in circulation? Why bother with a dictionary of just Swedenborg's Latin? Didn't he use other dictionaries?
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Didn't he speak the Latin which those dictionaries describe? How else could he have learned to speak the language? In the first paragraph of his preface Dr. Chadwick answers such questions: "All who have ever set their hand to the task of translating Swedenborg's Latin, into whatever language, must have repeatedly regretted the absence of a guide to the vast vocabulary that he employs. It is not as if there were satisfactory dictionaries of the 17th or 18th century Latin to which we might add some notes on peculiar Swedenborgian uses of words. We have to use dictionaries devised for very different purposes and compiled from authors of other periods; for it goes without saying that no other Latin author deals in the same way with the same subject matter."* In other words until such a dictionary is with each translator, he will have to redo for himself the work done here in trying to discover what Swedenborg meant with each word he used. Such duplication of effort is not only a waste of time, but also has produced errors in translation, which with a proper lexicon could easily have been avoided. The lexicon, then, is fundamental to the work of translation and so it becomes fundamental to the understanding of the Writings-both with those who read only the English and are limited by the translation, and those who read the Latin but have not seen all possible usages of Swedenborg's vocabulary. The work deserves the praise of the entire church for its scholarship and significant contribution to our understanding of God's voice as proclaimed in the pages penned by Swedenborg. * Op. Cit. page v. Dr. Chadwick, as noted, says that this work is now before the church, not in final form, but so that those who are interested in the subject may contribute from their studies to perfecting it for final publication. With this in mind I would like to call attention to one word, which I believe, is used somewhat differently from the way it is defined. The word is adulescentia and its related forms for which the lexicon offers the English meaning adolescence. I believe that the Latin used by Swedenborg usually does not mean what our English word implies, namely a teenager. Although adulescentia is not a technical term employed by Swedenborg to mean a specific age or age range, it seems that the term is occasionally used to mean a teenager* while it more commonly describes a person in his twenties.** It would seem that the Latin word employed by Swedenborg uses the Latin context of ages 15-30 with more emphasis on the 20-30 period of life. To translate the word with the English sounding equivalent is misleading.
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I would suggest that the entry adulescentia include the meaning "age of a young adult" as a first meaning with "adolescence" as a second meaning.*** * cf. for example CL 446, Marr. 1797, et al. ** cf. AC 10225; HH 533; and the reference passage in the lexicon CL 185 which, together with AC 10225, lists adulescentia between pueritia and juventus. *** For a full discussion of this term with many references, consult Discipline in the New Church School, by Martin Pryke, General Church Publication Committee, Bryn Athyn, 1963, pages 94, 95. The church is indeed indebted to the work here presented by Dr. Chadwick. I look forward to future installments of his lexicon, and feel confident future generations will not believe that Dr. Chadwick himself has contributed "merely words" to the thought based on them. ALFRED ACTON
MISSIONARY MEMO from the editors of the General Church Extension Committee Newsletter/Cairncrest, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
This is a new General Church publication which first appeared in the fall of 1974, since when three more issues have been received. Its name Missionary Memo is printed boldly in the upper left corner of a 5 X 7 single yellow page. The first issue announced that the Memo is the Extension Committee's way of keeping in closer and more frequent touch with those interested in missionary work. Editors Rev. B. David Holm and Sanfrid E. Odhner plan no formal schedule. "Whenever we come on something you should see-news, practical missionary suggestions, reports on other's efforts, pertinent doctrinal studies-we'll reproduce it, clip a Memo to it so you'll know what it's about, and get it off to you while it's still fresh." Attached to the first Memo were reproductions of folders from the Gabriel Church in La Crescenta, California and the Carmel Church in Caryndale, each welcoming visitors and summarizing our beliefs. Also attached were copies of advertisements for Heaven and Hell placed in Denver and Detroit newspapers. The second Memo, dated December 1974, was attached to some missionary news notes from England, Toronto, Denver and Cleveland; a proposal for a personal approach from Kurt Simons; and more newspaper advertisement notes. A third Memo, dated April 1975, had six pages of news, comments and information, including a report on research into the feelings and attitudes of fifty of those who joined the church as adults, written in 1960 by the Rev. Douglas Taylor. The most recent issue, of September 197S, asks its readers to join in research on a pamphlet adapted from a radio talk by Mr. Taylor.
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It also states that it is "anxious to expand its mailing list to include all New Churchmen (General Church, Convention, Nova Hierosolyma, Conference) interested in evangelization and willing to help." Attached to the Memo are four pages of notes and comments, a copy of the pamphlet entitled "The Word is a Parable," a reprint of a 1952 Sons Bulletin article "You Can Convey Your Faith," and a reply card for the reader to return if he wishes to participate in the research program. The Missionary Memo is the first fruit of the work of the new General Church Extension Committee to be offered to the church, and its editors have wisely chosen to make it informal, easy to read, and quickly responsive to the reports and comments of its readers. It should be a valuable aid in the missionary work of the church, by communicating teachings, opinions, experiences and conclusions among all who take part in this vital use. The Missionary Newsletter itself, previously published by the forerunner of this committee, has not been forgotten. The present expectation is to make this an annual publication and "a substantial magazine of meaty content, including whatever merits a permanent record." EDWARD J. CRANCH
VISITORS TO BRYN ATHYN AND GLENVIEW 1975
Visitors to Bryn Athyn or Glenview who need assistance in finding accommodation please communicate with one of the following:
Mrs. A. Wynne Acton Mrs. George T. Tyler 3405 Buck Road Box 353 Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19006 Bryn Athyn, Pa. 19009 Phone: (215) 947-0242 Phone: (215) 947-1186
Mrs. Philip Horigan 50 Park Drive Glenview, Ill. 60025 Phone: (312) 729-5644
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CHURCH NEWS Various 1975
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Happiness is the word that best describes the state of our society, and impossible is the word that best describes trying to jam all that has happened in a column or two. The visit from Bishop King and his wife was both inspirational, and educational. Weekend events included two open houses, a Saturday supper (which the Convention Society attended), and a coffee for Mrs. King while the men met with the bishop at the church. The Academy was the subject, and as usual, Bishop King left everyone with a sweet taste in their mouth. On April 27th the Sons meeting at the Dale Genzlinger's home was the place for useful discussion following a paper on Dr. Wilson Van Dusen's The Presence of Other Worlds by Vance Genzlinger. May was activity month. The young people visited the Toronto Society, the Sons retreated to Linden Hills, Michigan with the Glenview Sons, and the society attended a very successful Memorial Day Picnic. On June the Nineteenth we had a special evening service conducted by the pastor, and a toast to the church afterwards. June 22 was the date for our New Church Day picnic, which brought that weekend to a very pleasant close. Bob Bradin was the speaker at the next Sons meeting, and new officers were then elected for the coming year. Our visiting preachers this summer included Rev. Patrick Rose, Rev. Walter E. Orthwein, and Candidates Brian Keith, and William Clifford. On August 3rd the women gave a shower for our girls who are going to school in Bryn Athyn for the first time, and the Sons presented the boys with gifts at the Monday night softball game. We held our Labor Day picnic at the church as usual, but this year it didn't rain! So much for tradition. One week later, Detroit had it's own wedding reception for Garry and Marcy Childs at the Ralph Curtis home in Romeo. The following day, our society holds a meeting to discuss the further investigation of a community for the Detroit Society. Distant members and friends attended the meeting-such as the Michael Klocs (Bluffton, Ohio), the George Doerings (northern Michigan), the Owen Birchmans (Lansing), and the Vance Birchmans (Lapeer). The society voted unanimously to continue further planning. It was a good meeting with resounding interest. Detroit is full of young and ambitious people whose interest in the society, and especially the Lord and the church, are factors in the success we have had, and our more enthusiastic plans for the future. Seeing is believing, but so is perception. For us in Detroit it is that perception which we hope will guide us in our work and lead us to the Lord. CRAIG MCCARDELL
GLENVIEW ILLINOIS
We have carried on the usual society uses this year, but during the summer a number of the men have been preparing the Mini-Manse for our third minister, the Rev. Patrick Rose, and his family. The women have been busy swinging the paintbrushes. Mr. Rose will help the Rev. Alfred Acton and the Rev. David Simons in caring for the society and school uses here. Of the many society uses organized and supported under the pastoral office, the largest is The Immanuel Church School, which includes from kindergarten through eighth grade.
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Two projects were the Science Fair and the weekly newspaper, "The School Tribune." The profits from the sale of the paper will go toward a school repository. Speakers have addressed us on various occasions, as the Rev. Jai K. Lee on death and grieving, the Rev. Robert Junge on Swedenborg's preparation, Miss Elaine Cooper on gemology, Mr. Stanley Ebert on sports, and the Rev. Douglas Taylor on radio broadcasting of New Church talks. A special event was the Golden Wedding of Bishop and Mrs. Elmo Acton. They were offered a toast and a gift by their former parishioners of twenty years. During an episcopal visit this spring, Bishop Pendleton addressed the society. Next morning, while he was occupied with more serious business, Mrs. Pendleton charmed the ladies with descriptions of visits to local assemblies and to isolated New Church groups, on which she had accompanied her husband. The dance that evening presented the insect world magnified, jogging our sense of proportion as well as our ears when the live orchestra began. Credit goes to the young people beyond school age for the dance. And now for a visit to the Midwestern Academy. At an early hour we walk toward Pendleton Hall to attend the eight o'clock class held before chapel. A dozen or so good looking boys and girls in casual colorful clothes settle into their places, smothering indignant whispers about a volley ball game lost the night before by two points-in overtime! Soon, however, the attention is focused on the assignment, "What is the volume of a drop of oil?" After giving a blackboard introduction of the factors involved, the teacher helps each of the teams into which the class is divided and when they are ready the teams go on to actual experiments with materials, measures and a calculator. When the desks are in order again the students quietly go on to assemble for chapel. The brief service for the small group of MANC teachers and students is held in the somewhat tent like atmosphere of the stage. After the prayer and reading of one of the Psalms the minister talks on patience and trust in providence; there is response in recitation and songs. The history for ninth grade is about the Ancient Church and the spread of Christianity is the subject for the tenth grade. The French class, all girls, is working faithfully to master the grammatical forms, following their teacher's encouraging example. The tenth grade religion class sits in a large circle, and answers questions which cover their study of Heaven and Hell. They are to write papers entitled "I Die," and describe the states one enters after death. There is opportunity for discussion, and the class seems ready for grasping some idea of internal states as different from external ones. Our delights tell us what we love, and when externals are laid to sleep we will remain in the state of our interiors to eternity. But it's time for English class and on we go to the last period of the morning. There were many classes I could not attend, such as Latin, music, art, dramatics, speech, and physical education, as well as the Students' Activity Council. But I did hear a typing class clicking rhythmically to music. MANC made use of its talents outside the classroom. The play, "Toad of Toad Hall," was enjoyed by the audiences as much as by the players. The art class helped the Immanuel Church School with the scenery for their play, "The Brave Little Tailor." The Oratorical Contest was centered about "Aspects of the Unknown" and the audience was to judge the oratory by content and its presentation-not an easy task, for all the talks were interesting. And last but not least, the MANC students put on two Friday suppers for the society! On the other hand, they still have mischief enough in them to devise intricate ways to test the presence of mind of their teachers. Let's hope their best sides win! Midwestern Academy Founders' Day, celebrated in October, has memories still echoing as we recall a program with appeal to many ages. We were favored by good weather and quite a number of visitors. Friday morning, the procession into the church was led by the priests and officers, who were followed by the schools.
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The Rev. David Simons, Principal of the Midwestern Academy, spoke of heavenly gyres, describing how many work together in the other world toward one end. The dance, with live music was held Friday evening. The soccer game on Saturday afternoon went to the alumni. At the banquet Saturday evening, at which Mr. Kenneth Holmes was toastmaster, Bishop Elmo Acton reviewed the steps of the development of the Midwestern Academy, which were taken when he was Pastor here. A telegram of greeting from Bishop and Mrs. Louis King was read. On Sunday, our pastor, the Rev. Alfred Acton, led the family service, while Bishop Acton was in the pulpit for the adult service. During the afternoon spectators found the tennis tournament in progress, enjoyed the relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and appreciated what so many had done to make the weekend a happy one. SUSAN S. HOLM
APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1975
ANNOUNCEMENTS
COLLEGE
All Students:
Requests for application forms for admission to The Academy College for the 1976-1977 school year should be made before January 15, 1976. Letters should be addressed to Dean E. Bruce Glenn, The Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania 19009, and should include the student's full name and address, the name and address of the school he or she is now attending, and whether the student will be a day or dormitory student. Please see the Academy catalog for information about dormitory requirements. Completed application forms and accompanying material should be received by Dean Glenn's office by March 15, 1976.
BOYS SCHOOL AND GIRLS SCHOOL
New Students:
Requests for application forms for admission to the Academy Secondary Schools should be made for new students before January 15, 1976. Letters should be addressed to Miss Sally Smith, Principal of the Girls School, or the Reverend Dandridge Pendleton, Principal of the Boys School, at The Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania 19009. Letters should include the student's name, parents' address, the class the student will be entering, the name and address of the school he or she is now attending, and whether the student will be day or dormitory. Please see the Academy catalog for dormitory requirements. Completed application forms and accompanying material must be received by the Academy by March 15, 1976.
Old Students:
Parents of students attending the Girls School or Boys School during the 1975-1976 school year should apply for their children's re-admission for the 1976-1977 school year before March 15, 1976. Letters should be addressed to the Principal of the school the student is now attending.