Freedom in the Church-The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma

Freedom in the Church

Human freedom is necessary if people are to be led in freedom according to reason by the Lord into the life in the Lord, which is freedom itself.

It is therefore self-evident that no one in the Church can be compelled with regard to the acceptance of any doctrinal view and that the greatest freedom must be preserved in the Church with regard to the expression of the thoughts and feelings of all in the Church provided they are not in opposition to the Essentials and the Principles of Doctrine of the Church, as outlined in the adjoined paper. It is understood that a similar freedom exists in relation to each land and each Society.

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, and a striving for a further opening of it and for unity in its Spirit and Life, that the Second Coming of the Lord may further be fulfilled and the Church may be ever new and be one in the Lord.

While recognizing that the government of the visible Church is in the hands of the Priesthood, it is also self-evident that whenever possible in matters directly affecting the people the Priest shall seek their free consent and reciprocal co-operation.

(Handbook Of The Lord's New Church Which Is Nova Hierosolyma, Pages 38 - 39)

Teachings Out of The Third Testament

Arcana Coelestia 1834

1834. The fowls came down upon the bodies [Genesis 15:11]....

[2] When a church is raised up by the Lord, it is in the beginning blameless, and the one then loves the other as his brother, as is known from the case of the Primitive Church after the Lord's Coming.

All the Church's children then lived together as brethren, and likewise called one another brethren, and loved one another; but in process of time charity grew cold and vanished away and as it vanished, evils succeeded, and together with these falsities insinuated themselves.

Hence came schisms and heresies, which would never be the case if charity were regnant and alive, for then they would not even call schism schism, nor heresy heresy, but a doctrinal matter in accordance with each person's opinion; and this they would leave to each person's conscience, provided such doctrinal matter did not deny first principles, that is, [1] the Lord, [2] eternal life, and [3] the Word; and provided it was not contrary to the Divine order, that is, to the precepts of the Decalogue. ...
(Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 1834)

NOTE the quote below from Bishop Odhner about the origin of the Church's Law of Freedom in the Church (AC 1834):

"The Resolution on Freedom in the Church, and the addition to the Resolution on Maintenance of Order, have been drawn up in accord with the spirit of the teaching in the Arcana Coelestia Number 1834, namely, that the doctrinal opinion of each one is to be left to his own conscience, provided it is not against Divine Order, that is, against the Precepts of the Decalogue[, and do not deny first principles, that is, {1.} the Lord, {2.} eternal life, and {3.} the Word].

These Principles as they now are seen in the Church are expressed in "The Essentials of the Church" and in the "Principles of Doctrine." "

(Bishop Odhner's Letter to the Church members dated June 14, 1968, page 3, all emphasis added & MISSING Reference to part the Principles stated in Arcana Coelestia 1834 were added within the brackets " []" , which are referenced in the last sentence of this quote from Bishop Odhner's letter.)

Copy of full letter in PDF format

Teachings Out of The Third Testament about Freedom

THERE ARE LAWS OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE, AND
THESE ARE UNKNOWN TO MEN (H)

70. It is well known that there is a Divine Providence, but it is not known what its nature is.

This is not known because the Laws of the Divine Providence are interior-truths (arcanae), hitherto concealed within the Wisdom of the angels;

but they are now to be revealed in order that what belongs to the Lord may be ascribed to Him, and what does not belong to man (h) may not be ascribed to any man (h).

[3] Since it has been acknowledged in the Church that man (h) is unable from himself to do good that is in itself good, and is unable from himself to think truth that is in itself truth, and since these are one with the Divine Providence so that belief in one depends on belief in the other, therefore, lest one be affirmed and the other be denied and thus both perish, it must be explicitly revealed what Divine Providence is.

This, however, cannot be revealed unless the laws are disclosed by which the Lord provides and rules (providet et regit) the things of man's (h) will and understanding (voluntaria et intellectualia);

for these laws enable man (h) to know the nature of the Divine Providence; and only he who knows its nature can acknowledge it, for in this case he sees it.

For this reason the Laws of the Divine Providence, hitherto concealed within the wisdom of the angels, are now revealed.

(Divine Providence 70)

71. It Is A Law Of The Divine Providence that man (h) should act from freedom according to reason. (Quod Lex Divinae Providentiae sit, ut homo ex libero secundum rationem agat.)

It is well known that man (h) has the freedom of thinking and willing as he pleases, but not the freedom to say whatever he thinks and to do whatever he wills.

Therefore the Freedom that is here understood is spiritual freedom (liberum spirituale), and not natural [freedom], except when the two make one; for thinking and willing are spiritual but speaking and doing are natural.

Moreover, these are clearly distinguished in man (h); for a man (h) can think what he does not speak, and can will what he does not do. From this it is clear that thespiritual and the natural in man (h) are discriminated, so that he cannot pass from one to the other unless by an act of determination.

This determination may be compared to a door, which must first be unfastened and then opened, a door which stands open as it were in those who think and will from reason in accordance with the civil laws of the State and the moral [laws] of Society; for they say what they think and do what they will;

but a door which stands closed as it were in those who think and will in opposition to those laws.

He who pays attention to what he wills and to his consequent actions will observe that such determination takes place, sometimes frequently in a single conversation and in a single action.

These things have been stated at this point to make it clear that by acting from freedom according to reason (ex libero secundum rationem) is understood to think and will and thence to speak and do freely what is in accordance with reason (libere loqui et facere quod secundum rationem est).

( Divine Providence 71 )

72. But as few know that this can be a law of the Divine Providence, chiefly because man (h) has thus freedom (liberum) also to think evil and falsity, although the Divine Providence is continually leading man (h) to think and to will what is good and true, therefore, that this may be clearly perceived it will be set forth distinctly step by step in the following order:

I. Man (h) has Reason and Freedom (Ratio et Liberum), or Rationality and Liberty (Rationalitas et Libertas); and these two faculties are from the Lord in man (h).

II. Whatever a man (h) does from Freedom (Libero), whether it be of reason or not, provided it is according to his reason, appears to him to be his own.

III. Whatever a man (h) does from Freedom according to his thought, is appropriated to him as his own, and remains with him.

IV. It is by means of these two faculties [rationality and liberty] that man (h) is reformed and regenerated by the Lord; and without them he cannot be reformed and regenerated.

V. By means of these two faculties man (h) can be so far reformed and regenerated as he can be led by means of them to acknowledge that everything true and good that he thinks and does is from the Lord, and not from himself.

VI. The conjunction of the Lord with man (h), and the reciprocal conjunction of man (h) with the Lord, are effected by means of these two faculties.

VII. The Lord preserves these two faculties in man (h) unimpaired (illibatas) and as sacred (sanctas) in every step of His Divine Providence.

   ((vii.) Quod Dominus binas illas facultates apud hominem illibatas ac ut sanctas in omni Divinae suae Providentiae progressione custodiat.)

VIII. Therefore it is of the Divine Providence that man (h) should act from freedom according to reason.
(Divine Providence (Dick and Pulsford) n. 72)


97. VIII. That therefore it is of the Divine Providence that man (h) should act from freedom according to reason.

To act from freedom according to reason, and to act from Liberty and Rationality are the same thing; and so also is to act from the will and the understanding; but it is one thing to act from freedom according to reason, or to act from liberty and rationality, and another thing to act from freedom itself according to reason itself, or from liberty itself and rationality itself to act.

For a man (h) who does evil from the love of evil and who confirms that evil in himself acts indeed from freedom according to reason; nevertheless, hisfreedom is not freedom in itself or freedom itself, but it is infernal freedom, which in itself is slavery; and his reason is not reason in itself, but it is either a spurious or a false reason, or what by confirmation appears to be reason.

Still, however, they are both of the Divine Providence; for if freedom to will evil, and by confirmation to make it appear in harmony with reason, were taken away from the natural man (h) , there would perish liberty and rationality, and with them will and understanding; and it would not be possible for him to be withdrawn from evils and reformed, and consequently to be conjoined to the Lord and live to eternity.

Therefore the Lord guards Freedom in man (h) as man (h) guards the pupil of his eye. Still, however, the Lord continually withdraws man (h) from evils by means of his freedom; and as far as He can withdraw him by means of freedom He implants by means of freedom what is good.

Thus in the place of infernal freedom the Lord successively endows [man (h)] with heavenly Freedom (Liberum caeleste).

( Divine Providence 97 )

A MAN (H) OUGHT TO SHUN EVILS AS SINS AND FIGHT AGAINST THEM AS OF HIMSELF.

101. It is in accordance with Divine order (Ex Divino ordine est),

that man (h) should act in freedom according to reason
(ut homo ex libero secundum rationem agat;),

because to act in freedom according to reason is to act from himself
(quoniam ex libero secundum rationem agere, est ex se agere).

And yet these two faculties, FREEDOM and REASON, are not proper to man (h),but are the Lord's in him; and in so far as he is a man (h) they must not be taken away from him,

because without them he cannot be reformed,

for without them he cannot perform repentance,

he cannot fight against evils,

and afterwards bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.

Now as it is from the Lord that man (h) possesses Freedom and Reason, and as man (h) acts from them, it follows that he does not act from himself, but as from himself. (a)

(a) That man (h) has Freedom (Liberum) from the Lord, see above (n. 19, 20); and in the work on HEAVEN AND HELL (n. 589-596, and n. 597-603). What Freedom is, see the DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, published in London in 1758 (n. 141-149).

(Doctrine of Life For the New Jerusalem 101)

10777. The reason why the evil succeed in accordance with their skill, is that it is according to order that everyone should do what he does from reason and also from freedom;

and therefore unless it were left to a man (h) to act in freedom according to his reason (secundum ejus rationem ex libero), and thus also unless the consequent arts succeeded, the man (h) could not possibly be disposed to receive eternal life, because this is instilled when the man (h) is in freedom, and his reason is enlightened.

For no one can be compelled to good, because nothing compulsory cleaves to the man (h), for it is not his. That becomes the man's (h) own which is done fromfreedom, for that which is from the will is done from freedom, and the will is the man (h) himself;

and therefore unless a man (h) is kept in the freedom to do evil also, good from the Lord cannot be provided for him.

( Arcana Coelestia 10777 )

438. XIII. THAT MAN (H) IS ABLE TO TURN HIMSELF TO WHICHEVER SPHERE HE PLEASES, BUT SO FAR AS HE TURNS TO THE ONE, HE TURNS AWAY FROM THE OTHER.

Man (h) was created (Homo creatus est) to do what he does from freedom according to reason (ut ex libero secundum rationem) and altogether as of himself.

Without these two he would be, not a man (h) but a beast, for he would not receive and appropriate to himself as his own anything flowing to him out of heaven.

Then nothing of eternal life could be inscribed on him; for if this is to be his, it must be inscribed on him as his own.

And since there is no freedom of turning to the one side unless there is a like freedom of turning to the other, just as there can be no weighing unless the scales by virtue of equilibrium can incline to either side, so with man (h), unless from reason he has freedom (nisi liberum sit homini ex ratione) to approach evil also, thus to turn from right to left and from left to right -- alike to the infernal sphere, which is the sphere of adultery, as to the heavenly sphere, which is that of marriage.

(Conjugial Love 438)

143. That man (h) has the freedom (liberum) of thinking evil and falsity, and also of doing it, so far as the laws do not withhold him, is in order that he may be capable of being reformed;

for goods and truths are to be implanted in his love and will, so that they may become of his life, and this cannot be done unless he have the freedom of thinking evil and falsity as well as good and truth.

This freedom is given to every man (h) by the Lord, and so far as he does not love evil and falsity, so far, when he thinks what is good and true, the Lord implants them in his love and will, consequently in his life, and thus reforms him.

What is inseminated in freedom, this also remains, but what is inseminated in a state of compulsion, this does not remain, because what is from compulsion is not from the will of the man (h), but from the will of him who compels.

Hence also it is, that Worship from Freedom is pleasing to the Lord, but not Worship from compulsion; for Worship from Freedom is Worship from love, but Worship from compulsion is not so."

( The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 143 )

145. Because acting from Freedom appears to man (h) as if from his own Proprium, therefore heavenly Freedom may also be called the heavenly Proprium, andinfernal Freedom may be called the infernal Proprium.

The infernal Proprium is that into which man (h) is born, and this is evil;

but the heavenly Proprium is that into which man (h) is reformed, and this is good.

( The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 145 )

FROM THE ARCANA COELESTIA.

148. All Freedom is of love or affection, for what a man (h) loves, he does freely (n. 2870, 3158, 8987, 8990, 9585, 9591).

As Freedom is of love, it is the life of everyone (n. 2873).

There is heavenly Freedom and infernal Freedom (n. 2870, 2873, 2874, 9589, 9590).

Heavenly Freedom is of the love of good and truth (n. 1947, 2870, 2872).

And because the love of good and truth is from the Lord, that being led by the Lord is freedom itself (ipsum liberum) (n. 892, 905, 2872, 2886, 2890-2892, 9096, 9586, 9587-9591).
(Et quia amor boni et veri est a Domino, quod ipsum Liberum sit duci a Domino...)

Man (H) by regeneration is introduced into heavenly freedom by the Lord (n. 2874, 2875, 2882, 2892).

Man (H) ought to be in freedom, that he may be regenerated (n. 1937, 1947, 2876, 2881, 3145, 3158, 4031, 8700).

Otherwise the love of good and truth cannot be implanted in and appropriated to man (h), so as to appear his own (n. 2877, 2879, 2880, 2888).

Nothing is conjoined to man (h) which is done in compulsion (n. 2875, 8700).

If man (h) could be reformed by compulsion, all would be saved (n. 2881).

Compulsion is hurtful in reformation (n. 4031)

Worship from freedom is worship, but not worship from compulsion (n. 1947, 2880, 7349, 10097). Repentance should take place in a free state, and what is done in a forced state is of no avail (n. 8392). What forced states are (n. 8392).

Man (H) is allowed to act from the freedom of reason, in order that good may be provided for him, and therefore man (h) is in the freedom of thinking and willing, and even of doing evil, so far as the laws do not forbid (n. 10777).

Man (H) is kept by the Lord between heaven and hell, and thus in equilibrium, thathe may be in freedom for the sake of reformation (n. 5982, 6477, 8209, 8987).

What is inseminated in freedom remains, but not what is inseminated in compulsion (n. 9588, 10777). Therefore freedom is never taken away from anyone (n. 2876, 2881).

No one is compelled by the Lord (n. 1937, 1947).

How the Lord leads man (h) by means of freedom into good; by means of freedom he turns him from evil, and bends him to good, so gently and tacitly that the man (h) knows no other than that all proceeds from himself (n. 9587).

To compel himself is from liberty, but not to be compelled (n. 1937, 1947).
Man (H) ought to compel himself to resist evil (n. 1937, 1947, 7914).
And also to do good as from himself, but still to acknowledge that it is from the Lord (n. 2883, 2891, 2892, 7914).

Man (H) has a stronger freedom in the combats of temptations in which he conquers, since he then interiorly compels himself to resist evils, although it appears otherwise (n. 1937, 1947, 2881). There is freedom in every temptation, but thisfreedom is interiorly with man (h) from the Lord; and he therefore combats and wills to conquer, and not to be overcome, which he would not do without freedom(n. 1937, 1947, 2881).

The Lord does this by means of an affection of truth and good impressed on the internal man (h), the man (h) himself not knowing (n. 5044).

Infernal freedom consists in being led by the loves of self and of the world, and their lusts (n. 2870, 2873). They who are in hell do not know any other freedom (n. 2871).

Heavenly freedom is as far from infernal freedom as heaven is from hell (n. 2873, 2874).

Infernal freedom in itself regarded is slavery (n. 2884, 2890). Because it is slavery to be led by hell (n. 9586, 9589-9591).

All Freedom is as the proprium, and according to it (n. 2880).

Man (H) receives a heavenly Proprium from the Lord by regeneration (n. 1937, 1947, 2882, 2883, 2891).

The nature of the heavenly Proprium (n. 164, 5660, 8480).

This Proprium appears to man (h) as his own (proprium), but it is not his, but theLord's with him (n. 8497).

They who are in this Proprium are in Freedom itself (ipso libero), becausefreedom (liberum) consists in being led by the Lord and His Proprium (n. 892, 905, 2872, 2886, 2890-2892, 4096, 9586, 9587, 9589-9591).
(Quod illi qui in hoc Proprio sunt, in ipso Libero sint, quia liberum est duci a Domino, et ab Ipsius Proprio...)
( The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 148 )

149. Freedom originates (sit) from the equilibrium between Heaven and Hell, and man (h), without freedom, cannot be reformed, is shown in the Work on Heaven an Hell, in the articles concerning that Equilibrium (n. 589-596), and concerning Freedom (n. 597 to the end); but for the sake of instruction respecting what Freedom is, and to show that man (h) is reformed by means of it, I will here quote the following extracts from that work.

"It has been shown, that the Equilibrium between Heaven and Hell is an equilibrium between the Good which is from Heaven and the Evil which is from Hell; and thus it is a spiritual Equilibrium, which in its essence is Freedom. The reason that spiritual Equilibrium is, in its essence, Freedom, is, because it is an equilibrium between good and evil, and between truth and falsity, which are spiritual things; wherefore, the power of willing either good or evil, and of thinking either truth or falsity, and of choosing the one in preference to the other, isFreedom.

This Freedom is given to everyone by the Lord, nor is it ever taken away from him. In its origin, indeed, it does not belong to man (h), but to the Lord, because it is from the Lord; but, nevertheless, it is given to man (h), together with life, as his own: and it is given him to this end, that he may be reformed and saved; for without Freedom there can be no reformation and salvation.

Everyone who takes any rational view of things may see, that man (h) has Freedomto think either ill or well, sincerely or insincerely, justly or unjustly; and also, that he is at Liberty to speak and to act well, sincerely, and justly, but is withheld from speaking and acting ill, insincerely, and unjustly, by spiritual, moral, and civil laws, by which his External is kept in bonds.

From these things it is evident, that the Spirit of man (h), which is that which thinks and wills: is in freedom. Not so the External of man (h), which speaks and acts, except in conformity with the above-mentioned Laws.

The reason that man (h) cannot be reformed, unless he is in Freedom, is because he is born into evils of all kinds. These must be removed, in order that he may be saved; and they cannot be removed, unless he sees them in himself, and acknowledges them; and afterwards ceases to will them, and at lengthholds them in aversion. It is then that they are first removed.

This could not be done, unless man (h) possessed in him good as well as evil; for he is capable, from good, of seeing evils, but not, from evil, of seeing goods.

The spiritual goods which man (h) can think, he learns from infancy by reading the Word and hearing sermons; and he learns moral and civil goods from life in the world. This is the first reason why man (h) ought to be in freedom. Another is, that nothing is appropriated to man (h), but what he does from an affectionthat is of his love; other things may indeed enter his mind, but no further than into his thought; and not into his will; and what does not enter into the will does not become his own, for the thought draws its ideas from the memory, but the will from the life itself.

Nothing that man (h) ever does or thinks is free, but what proceeds from this will, or, what is the same thing, from an affection belonging to his love.

Whatever a man (h) wills or loves, he does freely; in consequence of which, a man's (h) freedom, and the affection which is that of his love or of his will, are one: on which account, therefore, man (h) must have freedom, in order that he may be affected by truth and good, or love them, and that they may become as it were his own. In a word, whatever does not enter man (h) in freedom, does not remain, because it is not of his love or will; and whatever is not of a man's (h) love or will is not of his spirit: for the esse of the Spirit of man (h) is his Love or will.

That man (h) may be in Freedom, as necessary to his being reformed, he is conjoined, as to his Spirit, with Heaven and with Hell; for Spirits from Hell, and Angels from Heaven, are with every man (h). By the Spirits from Hell, man (h) is held in his evil; but by the Angels from Heaven, he is held in good by the Lord. Thus he is in spiritual Equilibrium, that is, in Freedom. That angels from heaven, and spirits from hell, are adjoined to every man (h), may be seen in the Section on the Conjunction of Heaven with the Human Race" (n. 291-302)."
( The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 149 )

"Universal Law" Concerning Freedom...
That All The Good And True Is Inseminated In Freedom.
& How Freedom Itself if Formed in Man (H)...

1937. Humble thyself under her hands.

That this signifies that it ought to compel itself to be under its sovereign power, is evident without explication.

"To humble oneself" is expressed in the original tongue by a word which signifies "to afflict." That "to afflict oneself" is, in the internal sense, to compel oneself, may be seen from very many passages in the Word, and will be treated of in what follows.

That man (h) ought to compel himself to do what is good, to obey the things commanded by the Lord, and to speak truths, which is to "humble himself under" the Lord's hands, or to submit himself to the sovereign power of the Divine good and truth, involves more arcana than can be explained in a few words.

[2] There are certain Spirits who during their life in the world, because they had been told that all good is from the Lord, and that a man (h) can do nothing of himself, had held it as a principle not to compel themselves in anything, but to cease from all effort, thinking that as the case was so, all effort would be in vain; and therefore they had waited for immediate influx into the effort of their will, and did not compel themselves to do anything good, going so far that when anything evil crept in, as they felt no resistance from within, they resigned themselves to it also, supposing that it was permissible to do so.

But these spirits are as it were devoid of what is their proprium, so that they have no determination to anything, and are therefore among the more useless, for they suffer themselves to be led alike by the evil and by the good, and suffer much from the evil.

[3] But they who have compelled themselves to resist what is evil and false - although at first they supposed that this was from themselves or from their own (proprial) power, but were afterwards enlightened to see that their effort was from the Lord, even to the least of all the particulars of the effort - these in the other life cannot be led by evil spirits, but are among the happy. Thus we may see that a man (h) ought to compel himself to do what is good and to speak what is true.

The arcanum herein contained is that a man (h) is thus gifted by the Lord with a heavenly proprium, for this heavenly proprium of man (h) is formed in the effort of his thought; and if he does not maintain this effort by compelling himself (as the appearance is), he certainly does not maintain it by not compelling himself.

[4] That we may see how this is, let it be observed that in all self-compulsion to what is good there is a certain freedom, which is not discerned as such while the man (h) is engaged in this self-compulsion, but still it is within.

For instance, in one who is willing to undergo the risk of death for the sake of a certain end, or in one who is willing to suffer bodily pain for the sake of health, there is a willingness and thus a certain freedom from which the man (h) acts, although the dangers and the pains, while he is in them, take away his perception of this willingness or freedom; and such is the case also with those who compel themselves to do what is good: there is a willingness within, and thus a freedom,from which and for the sake of which they compel themselves, that is to say, they do so for the sake of obedience to what the Lord has commanded, and for the sake of the salvation of their souls after death, within which although the man (h) is not aware of it, there is still more interiorly a regard for the Lord's kingdom, and even for the Lord Himself.

[5] This is the case most of all during temptations, for in these - when the man (h) compels himself to resist the evil and falsity which are infused and suggested by evil spirits, there is more of freedom than is possible in any state out of temptations-although at the time the man (h) cannot comprehend this - for there is an interior freedom, from which he wills to subjugate evil, and which is so great as to equal the force and strength of the evil that is assailing him, for otherwise he could not possibly wage the combat.

This freedom is from the Lord, who insinuates it into the man's (h) conscience, and by means of it causes him to overcome the evil as from what is his proprium.Through this freedom man (h) acquires an proprium. in which the Lord can work what is good.

Without an proprium acquired, that is, given, through freedom, no man (h) can possibly be reformed, because he cannot receive the new will, which is conscience. The freedom thus given is the very plane into which there is an influx of good and truth from the Lord. Hence it is that they who in temptations do not resist from their own will, or in freedom, give way.

[6] In all freedom there is man's (h) life, because there is his love. Whatever a man (h) does from love appears to him free.

But in this freedom, when the man (h) is compelling himself to resist what is evil and false, and to do what is good, there is heavenly love, which the Lord then insinuates, and through which He creates the man's (h) proprium; and therefore the Lord wills that it should appear to the man (h) as his, although it is not his.

This proprium which man (h) during his bodily life thus receives through what is apparently compulsory, is filled by the Lord in the other life with illimitable delights and happinesses.

Such persons are also by degrees enlightened to see and even to be confirmed in the truth (veritate), that of themselves they have not compelled themselves one atom, but that all things of the effort of their will, even the smallest, had beenfrom the Lord; and that the reason why it had appeared as if it was of themselves was in order that a new will might be given them by the Lord as their proprium, and that in this way the life of heavenly love might be appropriated to them.

For the Lord wills to communicate to everyone what is His, and therefore He wills to communicate what is heavenly, so that it may appear as the man's (h), and in him, although it is not his.

The angels are in such an proprium; and in proportion as they are in the truth that all good and truth are from the Lord, they are in the delight and happiness of this proprium.

[7] But they who despise and reject all good and truth, and who are willing to believe nothing that is repugnant to their cupidities and reasonings, cannot compel themselves; and thus cannot receive this proprium of conscience (proprium hoc conscientiae), or new will (novum voluntarium).

From what has been said above it is also evident that to compel oneself is not to be compelled; for no good ever comes from compulsion, as when a man (h) is compelled by another man (h) to do what is good; but it is evident that in the case we are now considering the self-compulsion comes from a certain freedom that is unknown to the man (h), since from the Lord there is never any compulsion.

Hence it is a universal law (lex universalis) that all the good and true is inseminated in freedom, for otherwise the ground (humus) cannot possibly receive and cherish that which is good, and in fact there is not any ground(non aliqua humus) in which the seed (semen) can grow (crescere)."
( Arcana Coelestia 1937 )

"...Scientifics and knowledges (scientifica et cognitiones) with man (h) aresuccessively implanted in his loves, and dwell in them (n. 6325)...
( The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 51 )

"6325. It is an eternal truth (aeterna veritas) that the Lord rules heaven and earth, and also that no one besides the Lord lives of himself, consequently that everything of life flows in - the good of life from the Lord, and the evil of life from hell. This is the faith of the heavens.

When a man (h) is in this faith (and he can be in it when he is in good), then evil cannot be fastened and appropriated to him, because he knows that it is not from himself, but from hell.

When a man (h) is in this state, he can then be gifted with peace, for then he will trust solely in the Lord. Neither can peace be given to any others than those who are in this faith from charity; for others continually cast themselves into anxieties and cupidities, whence come disquietudes.

Spirits who desire to direct themselves, suppose that this would be to lose their-own will, thus their freedom, consequently all delight, thus all life and its sweetness.

This they say and suppose, because they do not know how the case really is; for the man (h), who is led by the Lord is in freedom itself (homo enim, qui ducitur a Domino, is in ipso libero est), and thus in delight and bliss itself; goods and truthsare appropriated to him; there is given him an affection and desire for doing what is good, and then nothing is more delightful to him than to perform uses. There is given him a perception of good, and also a sensation of it; and there is given him intelligence and wisdom; and all these as his own (sicut ejus propria); for he is then a recipient of the Lord's life.

It is known in the learned world that the principal cause and the instrumental cause act together as a one: man (h), being a form recipient of the Lord's life, is an instrumental cause, and the life from the Lord is the principal cause. This life is felt in the instrumental cause as of it, when yet it is not of it."
( Arcana Coelestia 6325 )

The Doctrine of Charity,
The Doctrine of Life, The Doctrine Itself

9. The Doctrine of Charity (Doctrina Charitatis), which is the Doctrine of life(Doctrina vitae), was the Doctrine itself in the Ancient Churches (Antiquis Ecclesiis).

Concerning these churches see in Arcana Coelestia (n. 1238, 2385).

And that Doctrine conjoined all churches, and thereby formed one church out of many (ac ita ex pluribus unam fecit). For they acknowledged all those as men (h)* of the church who lived in the good of charity, and called them brethren, however they might differ respecting truths, which at this day are called matters-of-faith(fidei).

In these they instructed one another, which was among their works of charity;nor were they indignant if one did not accede to the opinion of another, knowingthat everyone receives truth so far as he is in good.

Because the Ancient Churches were such, therefore they were interior men (h); and because they were interior [men (h)] they excelled in wisdom. For they who are in the good of love and charity, as to the internal man (h), are in heaven, and as to that are in an angelic society which is in similar good.

Hence they enjoy an elevation of mind towards interior things, and, consequently, they are in wisdom; for wisdom can come from no other source than from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and in heaven there is wisdom, because there they are in good.

Wisdom consists in seeing truth from the light of truth (sapientia est videre verum ex luce veri); and the light of truth is the light which is in heaven (et lux veri est lux quae in caelo est).

But in process of time that ancient wisdom decreased; for as mankind (genus humanum) removed themselves from the good of love to the Lord, and of love towards the neighbor, which love is called charity, they removed themselves in the same proportion from wisdom because, in the same proportion, they removed themselves from heaven (quia tantum se removit a caelo:).

Hence it was that man (h), from being Internal, became External, and this successively; and when he became External, he became also Worldly and Corporeal (Mundanus et Corporeus:).

When such is his quality, he cares but little for the things of heaven; for the delights of earthly loves, and the evils which, from those loves, are delightful to him, then possess him entirely. And then the things which he hears concerning the Life after death, concerning Heaven and Hell, in a word, concerning Spiritual-things, are as it were out of him (sunt quasi extra illum), and not within him (et non intra illum), as nevertheless they ought to be.

Hence also it is, that the Doctrine of charity (doctrina charitatis), which with the Ancients was held in such high estimation, is at this day among the things that are lost (hodie inter res deperditas sit).

For who, at this day, knows what Charity is, in the genuine sense of the term, and what, in the same sense, is meant by our Neighbor? whereas, that Doctrine not only teaches this, but innumerable-things besides, of which not a thousandth part is known at this day.

The whole Sacred Scripture (tota Scriptura Sacra) is nothing else than theDoctrine of Love and Charity (Doctrina Amoris et Charitatis), which the Lord also teaches, when He says:

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; the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-39).

"The Law and the Prophets (Lex et Prophetae)" in each and all things (in omnibus et singulis) are the Word.
( The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 9 )

*NOTE: The use of "(h)" in the text above after the word "man" indicates that the original Latin Text in the Third Testament uses a form of the Latin word "homo," which means "human being," both male and female, and NOT just to a male human being.

The Latin word "homo" (human being) should not be confused with the Greek word "homo," which means "same."

Top of page

Seek Truth