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.

805. The towns where the Dutch live are protected in a peculiar manner. All their streets are roofed over, and there are doors to the streets, to prevent them being spied on from the surrounding rocks and hills. This is because of their inborn anxiety to conceal their designs and to keep their intentions to themselves. For in the spiritual world such things are brought to light by looking at them. If anyone comes to them with the idea of investigating their condition, when he wishes to leave, he is brought to closed street-doors and then brought back and taken to several more; and this continues until he is extremely annoyed, when he is finally let out. This is done to prevent him from coming back.

[2] Wives who aim to keep their husbands under their control live at one side of the town, and do not meet their husbands except when they are invited, which invitations are civilly given. Then these wives are taken to houses where married couples live without one dominating the other. They are shown how well furnished and smart their houses are, and how pleasant a life they lead, being told that this is the result of the mutual love of a married couple. The women who pay attention to this and are impressed stop trying to dominate, and they live together. Then they are given a dwelling nearer the centre, and are called angels. The reason is that the true love of married couples is a heavenly love, and it is untouched by a desire to dominate.