1. THE FAITH OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH

A statement of faith, set out in both universal and particular terms, is placed at the beginning to serve as a preface to the book which follows, to be like a doorway leading into a church, and a summary presenting in a short compass what follows at more length. It is called the faith of the new heaven and the new church, because heaven, where the angels are, and the church among men form a single unit, just as the internal and external sides of the personality make up a single individual. This is why a member of the church who possesses the good of love which arises from the truths of faith, and possesses the truths of faith which arise from the good of love, is, so far as the interiors of his mind are concerned, an angel of heaven. Therefore too after dying he comes into heaven, and there enjoys happiness depending upon how far the good and truth are linked. It should be known that in the new heaven, which is at the present time being established by the Lord, this statement of faith serves as its preface, doorway and summary.

349. IV. The mass of truths, which cohere as it were in a bundle, raises the level of faith and brings it to perfection.

Looking at present-day faith does not permit one to recognise that faith taken all around is a collection of truths. Still less does it suggest that a person can make some contribution to the acquisition of his faith. Yet faith is in essence truth, being truth in its own light, and so just as truth can be acquired, so can faith. Is there anyone who cannot approach the Lord, if he wishes? Or who cannot gather truths from the Word, if he wishes? Every truth in the Word and taken from the Word shines, and truth in light is faith. The Lord, who is light itself, flows into everyone; and if a person possesses truths from the Word, He makes them shine in them, so making them part of faith. This is what the Lord says in John, that they should remain in Him and His words would remain in them (John 15:7). The Lord's words are truths. But in order to allow the idea to be correctly grasped, that the mass of truths cohering, as it were in a bundle, raises the level of faith and brings it to perfection, the comments on this must be split into the following parts:

(i) The truths of faith are capable of being multiplied to infinity.

(ii) Their arrangement is into groupings, thus, so to speak, into bundles.

(iii) Faith is perfected in proportion to their volume and coherence.

(iv) However numerous the truths are and however varied they appear, they are made one by the Lord, who is the Word, the God of heaven and earth, the God of all flesh, the God of the vineyard or the church, the God of faith, and light itself, truth and everlasting life.

56. (iii) GOD'S OMNIPOTENCE PROCEEDS AND WORKS IN THE UNIVERSE AND ALL ITS PARTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF HIS ORDER.

God is omnipotent, because He can do everything of Himself, and all others derive their power to act from Him. Being able and willing are for Him one, and since He does not will anything but good, He cannot therefore do anything but good. In the spiritual world no one can act contrary to his own will; this restriction is due to God, for in Him the ability to act and the will to do so are one. Moreover, God is Good itself, so that when He does good He acts within Himself, and He cannot step out of Himself. From this it is plain that His omnipotence progresses and works within the sphere of action of good, and this is infinite. For this sphere proceeding from the inmost pervades the universe and everything it contains, and from the inmost it controls what is outside itself, in so far as this is linked to it by its inherent order. Even if not so linked, it none the less sustains it, and assists every effort made to bring it back into a state consonant with universal order, in which God Himself resides with His omnipotence, and in accordance with which He acts. Failing this, it is cast outside Him, yet none the less even there He sustains it from the inmost.

[2] From these facts it can be established that the Divine omnipotence can in no wise depart from itself so as to make contact with any evil, nor promote it from itself, for evil turns itself away. This is how it comes about that evil is totally separated from God and cast into hell; and between hell and heaven, where He is, yawns a gaping chasm. These few considerations can reveal the madness of those who think, even more believe, more still teach, that God can damn anyone, curse him, cast him into hell, predestine his soul to eternal death, avenge injuries, be angry or punish anyone. He is not even able to turn His face away from a person and frown upon him. These and any actions of this kind would be contrary to His essence, and what is contrary to that is contrary to Himself.