Worlds in Space # 7
7. As regards the religious worship of the inhabitants of other worlds, it is generally true that those of them who are not idolaters all acknowledge the Lord as the sole God. They worship the Deity not as something invisible, but in visible form, because in fact when the Deity appears to them, He does so in human form, as He did once to Abraham and others in this world. 1 All who worship the Deity in human form are acceptable to the Lord. 2 They say too that no one can properly worship God, much less be linked to Him, without having some idea of Him which can be grasped; and this is only possible if He has human form. Without this the inner sight, which is the power of thinking about God, would be lost, just as is the sight of the eye when fixed upon the boundless expanse of space. Thought then could not help slipping into the idea of God as Nature, and then this would be worshipped as a god.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. [Swedenborg’s Footnote] The inhabitants of all worlds venerate the Deity in human form, that is, the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 8341-8347, 10159, 10736-10738). They are delighted to hear that the Lord really became man (Arcana Caelestia 9361). It is impossible to think of God except in human form (Arcana Caelestia 8705, 9359, 9972). A person can worship and love anyone of whom he has some concept, not anyone of whom he has none (Arcana Caelestia 4733, 5110, 5663 [5633 in original], Arcana Caelestia 7211, 9267, 10067 [perhaps read after 10067, Arcana Caelestia 10267]).
2. [Swedenborg’s Footnote] The Lord accepts all who are in a state of goodness and venerate the Deity in human form (Arcana Caelestia 7173, 9359 [9359, 7173 in original]).
