The Lord's New Church Which is Nova Hierosolyma had its origin in The Hague, Holland, in 1937. The first international governmental document, Principles and Plan of Order for the International Government of the Church, was drawn up in 1947 and approved by church members in both Holland and the United States.
Prior to this time, a new doctrinal position about the Divine nature of Swedenborg's Theological Writings was developing with priests and lay members in Holland, who were members of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Beginning in January of 1930, The Hague Society of the General Church published their doctrinal discussions in a monthly Dutch magazine, De Hemelsche Leer (The Heavenly Doctrine), which was "Devoted to the Doctrine of Genuine Truth out of the Latin Word Revealed by the Lord."
De Hemelsche Leer’s three leading theses in brief are (a.k.a. The Hague position):
Extracts from the 1930 editions of De Hemelsche Leer were translated into English (First Fascicle) and sent to all members of the General Church Council of Clergy before its annual meeting in February 1931. When presented with these new doctrinal ideas, priests in the General Church were not altogether in agreement. This led to many doctrinal discussions and papers over the course of the next six years with some priests coming to accept and others to oppose De Hemelsche Leer’s three leading theses. During this same time period, opposition to the "Hague position" among some of the highest priestly leaders in the General Church increased.
The year 1937 became a turning point for the Dutch Society after a bishop, who opposed The "Hague Position", was appointed as the new leader of the General Church. This newly appointed bishop decided the doctrine of The "Hague Position" was incompatible with General Church thought. He invited the Rev. Pfeiffer to present his ideas as to how the two differing doctrinal positions could co-exist in the same Church. This led to some discourse about the importance of freedom in the Church in regard to doctrinal thought.
Since The Hague Society members had always rejected the idea of separating from the General Church on the basis of doctrinal differences, efforts were made during the 1937 meetings with the General Church priestly leaders to keep the two differing doctrinal groups together in one church.
Unfortunately, separation occurred after the Rev. Pfeiffer was informed on April 7, 1937 that his name had been removed from the list of pastors and members of the General Church. This action caused a large number of the Dutch Society members to resign from the General Church, and led to the eventual formation of The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma (or, The Lord's New Church).
The law of 'Freedom in the Church' in the Lord’s New Church teaches that “human freedom is necessary if men are to be led in freedom” and that “within this freedom there must be unanimity of acknowledgment of the presence of an internal sense in the literal sense of the Word of the Third Testament ... that the Second Coming of the Lord may further be fulfilled and the Church may be ever new.... (Freedom in the Church, Handbook, pg. 38).
The governmental structure of the Lord's New Church was defined in 1947 and was based specifically upon the teachings in the Word of the Third Testament about the "Circle of Life", which describes and illustrates the process of man's regeneration (spiritual rebirth) and the glorification of the Lord's Human. In the Old Testament, the "Circle of Life" is illustrated by the ladder seen in Jacob's dream, upon which Jacob saw "the angels of God ascending and descending on it" (Genesis 28:12) & (Arcana Coelestia 3882).
Just as the "Circle of Life" (or "Circle of Regeneration") and the angels’ actions on the ladder seen in Jacob's dream contains two parts ('Ascending' and 'Descending' part), the Church's governmental structure consists of two governmental bodies representing each of these two parts:
Additionally, this twofold structure is also in representative agreement with the Third Testament's teaching about the existence of two governmental bodies in Heaven (New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 7).
The Word of the Third Testament teaches that the Lord enlightens the understanding of individuals so that each can see the truths of life out of the Word upon which they are to live according to... Thus the drawing of Doctrine out of the Word is seen to be a spiritual function of all people, not just the priesthood (Principles and Plan of Order for the International Government of the Church, Handbook, pg. 19). The Church's 1947 "Principles and Plan of Order..." created a governmental structure unlike any other found in the 250-year history of the New Church.
Prior to this time, a new doctrinal position about the Divine nature of Swedenborg's Theological Writings was developing with priests and lay members in Holland, who were members of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Beginning in January of 1930, The Hague Society of the General Church published their doctrinal discussions in a monthly Dutch magazine, De Hemelsche Leer (The Heavenly Doctrine), which was "Devoted to the Doctrine of Genuine Truth out of the Latin Word Revealed by the Lord."
De Hemelsche Leer’s three leading theses in brief are (a.k.a. The Hague position):
- The Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg are the Third Testament of the Word of the Lord...
- The Word without doctrine is as a candlestick without light...
- The genuine Doctrine of the Church is spiritual out of celestial origin, not out of rational origin...
Extracts from the 1930 editions of De Hemelsche Leer were translated into English (First Fascicle) and sent to all members of the General Church Council of Clergy before its annual meeting in February 1931. When presented with these new doctrinal ideas, priests in the General Church were not altogether in agreement. This led to many doctrinal discussions and papers over the course of the next six years with some priests coming to accept and others to oppose De Hemelsche Leer’s three leading theses. During this same time period, opposition to the "Hague position" among some of the highest priestly leaders in the General Church increased.
The year 1937 became a turning point for the Dutch Society after a bishop, who opposed The "Hague Position", was appointed as the new leader of the General Church. This newly appointed bishop decided the doctrine of The "Hague Position" was incompatible with General Church thought. He invited the Rev. Pfeiffer to present his ideas as to how the two differing doctrinal positions could co-exist in the same Church. This led to some discourse about the importance of freedom in the Church in regard to doctrinal thought.
Since The Hague Society members had always rejected the idea of separating from the General Church on the basis of doctrinal differences, efforts were made during the 1937 meetings with the General Church priestly leaders to keep the two differing doctrinal groups together in one church.
Unfortunately, separation occurred after the Rev. Pfeiffer was informed on April 7, 1937 that his name had been removed from the list of pastors and members of the General Church. This action caused a large number of the Dutch Society members to resign from the General Church, and led to the eventual formation of The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma (or, The Lord's New Church).
The law of 'Freedom in the Church' in the Lord’s New Church teaches that “human freedom is necessary if men are to be led in freedom” and that “within this freedom there must be unanimity of acknowledgment of the presence of an internal sense in the literal sense of the Word of the Third Testament ... that the Second Coming of the Lord may further be fulfilled and the Church may be ever new.... (Freedom in the Church, Handbook, pg. 38).
The governmental structure of the Lord's New Church was defined in 1947 and was based specifically upon the teachings in the Word of the Third Testament about the "Circle of Life", which describes and illustrates the process of man's regeneration (spiritual rebirth) and the glorification of the Lord's Human. In the Old Testament, the "Circle of Life" is illustrated by the ladder seen in Jacob's dream, upon which Jacob saw "the angels of God ascending and descending on it" (Genesis 28:12) & (Arcana Coelestia 3882).
Just as the "Circle of Life" (or "Circle of Regeneration") and the angels’ actions on the ladder seen in Jacob's dream contains two parts ('Ascending' and 'Descending' part), the Church's governmental structure consists of two governmental bodies representing each of these two parts:
- 'Descending Line' (Priestly Line) and
- 'Ascending Line' (Line of the Men [Mankind] of the Church)
Additionally, this twofold structure is also in representative agreement with the Third Testament's teaching about the existence of two governmental bodies in Heaven (New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 7).
- Ecclesiastical (Descending Line/Priestly Line/Celestial Kingdom) and
- Civil (Ascending Line/Line of the Men [Mankind] of the Church/Spiritual Kingdom)
The Word of the Third Testament teaches that the Lord enlightens the understanding of individuals so that each can see the truths of life out of the Word upon which they are to live according to... Thus the drawing of Doctrine out of the Word is seen to be a spiritual function of all people, not just the priesthood (Principles and Plan of Order for the International Government of the Church, Handbook, pg. 19). The Church's 1947 "Principles and Plan of Order..." created a governmental structure unlike any other found in the 250-year history of the New Church.
