1. True Christianity

Containing a Comprehensive Theology of the New Heaven and the New Church

The Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church

THE faith of the new heaven and the new church is stated here in both universal and specific forms to serve as the face of the work that follows, the doorway that allows entry into the temple, and the summary that in one way or another contains all the details to follow. I say "the faith of the new heaven and the new church" because heaven, where there are angels, and the church, in which there are people, act together like the inner and the outer levels in a human being. People in the church who love what is good because they believe what is true and who believe what is true because they love what is good are angels of heaven with regard to the inner levels of their minds. After death they come into heaven, and enjoy happiness there according to the relationship between their love and their faith. It is important to know that the new heaven that the Lord is establishing today has this faith as its face, doorway, and summary.

325. The Ninth and Tenth Commandments

You Are Not to Covet Your Neighbor's Household;

You Are Not to Covet Your Neighbor's Wife

or His Servant or His Maid or His Ox or His Donkey

or Anything That Is Your Neighbor's

In the catechism that is circulated these days, these have been divided into two commandments. One of them is the ninth commandment: "You are not to covet your neighbor's household. " The other is the tenth: "You are not to covet your neighbor's wife or his servant or his maid or his ox or his donkey or anything that is your neighbor's. " Because these two commandments are united and form just a single verse in Exodus 20:17 and in Deuteronomy 5:21, I have taken them up together. It is not my intention, however, to connect them into one commandment. I want to keep them distinguished into two commandments as they have been, since all the commandments are referred to as the ten words (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4).