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.

443. XIV. When a moral life is at the same time spiritual, this is charity.

Everyone is taught by his parents and teachers to lead a moral life, that is, to be a good citizen, and act in an honest fashion. Honesty refers to various virtues which are its essentials; and he learns by means of these to give formal expression to honesty and this constitutes its graces. As he advances in age, he learns in addition rational arguments, and so to perfect the morality of his life. Moral life for boys up to the beginning of adolescence is natural, and from then on becomes more and more rational. Careful reflexion can show that a moral life is the same thing as a charitable one; it is dealing well with the neighbour, and controlling one's life so as to prevent it being contaminated with evils. This follows from the demonstration in 435-438 above. Still, in the first period of one's life, a moral life is only in its outermost form a charitable one; that is, it affects only its outward form and front, not the inward parts.

[2] From infancy to old age man passes through four stages of life. In the first he acts as he is taught by others. In the second he acts of his own accord, as governed by the understanding. In the third the will acts on the understanding and the understanding modifies the will. In the fourth he follows the course of action he has convinced himself is right and set before himself as his aim. These are stages in the life of a person's spirit and are not paralleled in his body. The body is capable of acting in moral fashion and talking rationally, while the spirit can will and think the opposite. It is obvious that the natural man is like this from looking at pretenders, toadies, liars and hypocrites, who as is well known have duplicitous minds, that is, their minds are split into two parts which disagree. The case is different with those who will good and think rationally, and as a result do good deeds and talk rationally; they are the people meant by 'the simple in spirit' in the Word, being called simple because they are not duplicitous.

[3] These remarks can show plainly the real meaning of the terms 'external' and 'internal man'. No one can draw any conclusions from the morality of the external about that of the internal, since he may be facing the opposite direction, and hiding as a tortoise does its head in its shell, or a snake its in its coils. The so-called moral man of this sort is like a highwayman in town and in the woods; in town he adopts the role of a moral citizen, but in the woods he preys on travellers. It is quite different in the case of those who are inwardly moral, that is, in spirit, the result of being regenerated by the Lord; these are the people meant by 'the spiritually moral.'

722. VI. The people who worthily approach the Holy Supper are those who have faith in the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, so those who have been regenerated.

God, charity and faith are the three universals of the church, because they are the universal means to salvation. This is known, acknowledged and grasped by any Christian who studies the Word. Reason itself, at least if it contains any spirituality, insists that God must be acknowledged, if a person is to have any religion and any part of the church in him. If therefore anyone approaches the Holy Supper without acknowledging God, he profanes it. His eye sees the bread and wine, he tastes them on his tongue; but his mind is thinking: 'This is surely a matter of indifference. How are the bread and wine any different from what I have on my table? However, I do this to avoid being blamed by the priesthood, and so by the common people, as being an atheist.'

[2] After the acknowledgment of God the second means which makes one worthy to approach is charity. This fact is established both from the Word and from the exhortations read before people approach throughout the Christian world. We learn from the Word that the leading injunction and commandment is to love God before all else and one's neighbour as oneself (Matthew 22:35-40; Luke 10:25-28). Also in the epistles of Paul, there are three things which contribute to salvation, and the greatest of these is charity (1 Corinthians 13:13). Also:

We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone worships God and does His will, He listens to him, John 9:31.

Everyone who ¹ does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire, Matthew 7:19-20; Luke 3:8-9.

[3] The exhortations read throughout the Christian world before people approach the Holy Supper show that everywhere they are sternly admonished to be in a state of charity by reconciliation and repentance. I will quote only the following passage from the prayer read to communicants in England:

The way and means to become worthy partakers of the Holy Supper is this. First, to examine one's life and conversations by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever one perceives oneself to have offended, either by will, word or deed, there to bewail one's own sinfulness, and to confess oneself to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if one perceives one's offences to be such as are not only against God, but also against the neighbour, then one shall reconcile oneself unto him, being ready to make restitution and satisfaction to the uttermost of one's powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by one to any other; and being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended one, as one would have forgiveness of one's offences at God's hand; for otherwise the receiving of the holy Communion doth nothing else but increase one's own damnation. Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, an hinderer or slanderer of His Word, [an adulterer,] or be in malice, or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else come not to that holy Supper; lest, after taking of that holy Supper, the devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and fill you full of all iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul. ²

[4] The third means to the worthy enjoyment of the Holy Supper is faith in the Lord. This is because charity and faith make one, as heat and light do in springtime, so that their combination makes every tree to be reborn. Likewise it is spiritual heat, which is charity, and spiritual light, which is the truth of faith, which make everyone alive. It is established from the following passages that faith in the Lord has this result:

He who believes in me will never die, but will live, John 11:25-26.

This is the will of the Father, that everyone who believes in the Son should have everlasting life, John 6:40.

God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should have everlasting life, John 3:15-16.

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life. But he who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him, John 3:36.

We are in the truth, in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and everlasting life. 1 John 5:20.

Footnotes: