52. That the second state of this Church was Instruction, follows from order; for, when any one is called to the Church, he must be instructed in the precepts of the religion according to which he is going to live. That this took place with the sons of Israel after their calling, is plain from the promulgation on Mount Sinai of the law, in which are contained all the commandments of love and faith towards God, and all those of love and fidelity towards the neighbour. After instruction in the general precepts of life and faith, there followed the promulgation of various laws, called "judgments" and "statutes," respecting the hallowing of the Sabbath, stated feasts, sacrifices, the priesthood, the tabernacle, the holy observance in it and upon the altar outside it; also respecting the eating of the holy things, the ministry of Aaron and his sons, likewise their garments and the consecration thereof, and the sanctification of all things of the tabernacle by the oil of anointing; and further, concerning the Levitical order, marriages and divorces, cleansings, foods, places of Refuge, besides many other things, all of which were natural representations corresponding to spiritual things. In a word, the last four Books of Moses are nothing else but books of instruction for that Church. After these instructions, the sons of Israel were admitted into the land of Canaan, thus into the Church itself; for the land of Canaan represented, and thus signified, the Church. That land also was situated in the middle portion of our entire world: for on the front it looked towards Europe, on the left towards Africa, and on the hinder part and right-hand side towards Asia. But after they came into that land, the precepts given by Moses were enriched by the prophets, ¹ then by their King David, and at length by Solomon after the temple was built; as appears from the Books of Judges, Samuel and Kings. This, therefore, was the second state of this Church, which was its progression into light, or day.

Poznámky pod čarou: