246. FROM THE ARCANA COELESTIA.

The church exists specifically where the Word is, and where the Lord is thereby known, and thus where Divine truths are revealed (n. 3857, 10761). Still they who are born where the Word is, and where the Lord is thereby known, are not of the church, but they who are regenerated by the Lord by the truths of the Word, that is, they who live the life of charity (n. 6637, 10143, 10153, 10578, 10645, 10829). They who are of the church, or in whom the church is, are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth, that is, they love truth because it is truth; and they examine from the Word whether the doctrinals of the church in which they were born are true (n. 5432, 6047). Otherwise the truth possessed by everyone would be derived from another, and from his native soil (n. 6047).

The church of the Lord is with all in the whole world who live in good according to their religious principles (n. 3263, 6637, 10765). All who live in good wherever they are, and acknowledge one God, are accepted by the Lord and come into heaven; since all who are in good acknowledge the Lord, because good is from the Lord, and the Lord is in good (n. 2589-2604, 2861, 2862, 3263, 4190, 4197, 6700, 9256). The universal church on earth before the Lord is as one man (n. 7396, 9276). As heaven is, because the church is heaven or the kingdom of the Lord on earth (n. 2853, 2996, 2998, 3624-3629, 3636-3643, 3741-3745, 4625). But the church, where the Lord is known and where the Word is, is like the heart and lungs in man in respect to the other parts of the body, which live from the heart and lungs as from the fountains of their life (n. 637, 931, 2054, 2853). Hence it is, that unless there were a church where the Word is, and where the Lord is thereby known, the human race could not be saved (n. 468, 637, 931, 4545, 10452). The church is the foundation of heaven (n. 4060).

The church is internal and external (n. 1242, 6587, 9375, 9680, 10762). The internal of the church is love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor. Thence they who are in the affection of good and truth from love to the Lord and from charity towards the neighbor, constitute the internal church; and they who are in external worship from obedience and faith, constitute the external church (n. 1083, 1098, 4288, 6380, 6587, 7840, 8762). To know truth and good, and to act from thence, is the external of the church, but to will and love truth and good, and to act from thence, is the internal of the church (n. 4899, 6775). The internal of the church is in the worship of those who are of the external church, although in obscurity (n. 6775). The internal and external church make one church (n. 409, 10762). Man has an internal and an external, an internal after the image of heaven, and an external after the image of the world; and therefore, in order that the man may be a church, his external must act in unity with his internal (n. 3628, 4523-4524, 6057, 6314, 9706, 10472). The church is in the internal of man and at the same time in the external, but not in the external without the internal (n. 1795[1-2], 6580, 10691). The internal of the church is according to truths and their quality, and according to their implantation in good by life (n. 1238).

The church like heaven is in man, and thus the church in general consists of the men in whom the church is (n. 3884). In order that a church may exist, there must be the doctrine of life, that is, the doctrine of charity (n. 3445, 10763-10764). Charity makes the church, and not faith separated from charity (n. 916). Consequently, not the doctrine of faith separated from charity, but the doctrine of faith conjoined therewith, and a life conformable to it (n. 809, 1798-1799, 1834, 1844, 4468, 4672, 4689, 4766, 5826, 6637). The church is not with man, unless the truths of doctrine are implanted in the good of charity with him, thus in the life (n. 3310, 3963, 5826). There is no church with man, if he is only in the truths, which are called the truths of faith (n. 5826). How much good would be in the church, if charity were in the first place and faith in the second (n. 6269). And how much evil, if faith is in the first place (n. 6272). In the ancient churches charity was the principal and essential of the church (n. 4680). The church would be like heaven, if all had charity (n. 2385, 2853). If good were the characteristic of the church, and not truth without good, thus if charity were its characteristic, and not faith separate, the church would be one, and differences with respect to the doctrinals of faith, and external worship, would be accounted as nothing (n. 1285, 1316, 2982, 3267, 3445, 3451).

Every church begins from charity, but declines therefrom in process of time (n. 494, 501, 1327, 3773, 4689). Thus to falsities from evil, and at length to evils (n. 1834-1835, 2910, 4683, 4689). A comparison of the church at its beginning and decline with the infancy and old age of man (n. 10134). And also with the rising and the setting of the sun (n. 1837). Concerning the successive states of the Christian Church even to its last state; wherein are explained the particulars which the Lord foretold concerning "the consummation of the age," and His "coming," in Matt. chap. 24 from the beginning to the end (n. 3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3751-3757, ¹ 3897-3901, 4057-4060, 4229-4231, 4332-4335, 4422-4424, 4635-4638, 4807-4810, 4954-4959, 5063-5071). The Christian church is at this day in its last states, there being no faith therein because there is no charity (n. 3489, 4689). The Last Judgment is the last time of the church (n. 2118, 3353, 4057, 4333, 4535). Of the vastation of the church (n. 407-411). The consummation of the age and the coming of the Lord is the last time of the old church and the beginning of the new (n. 2243, 4535, 10622). When the old church is vastated, interior truths are revealed for the service of the new church which is then established (n. 3398, 3786). Concerning the establishment of the church with the Gentiles (n. 1366, 2986, 4747, 9256).

Mga talababa:

10452. 'The tablets were written on across them both, from the edge of one and from the edge of the other they were written on' means through which the Lord was joined to the human race, or heaven to the world. This is clear from the meaning of 'the tablets on which the Law had been inscribed' as the Word in its entirety, dealt with immediately above in 10451. As regards the writing extending across both sides, from one edge and from the other, that this means the Lord's being joined to the human race, see the explanation in 9416, 10375. This also explains why those tablets were called the tablets of the covenant, for 'a covenant' means a joining together, 665, 666, 1023, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396.

[2] Since the Lord's being joined to the human race or heaven to the world through the Word is spoken of here, what this really is must be stated. Those who have no knowledge of the true nature of the Word cannot possibly believe that through it the Lord is joined to the human race, and heaven to the world; less still can those who spurn the Word or think it is worthless believe it. But let such people know that the heavens are kept in being through Divine Truth and that without that Truth they would not be heavens, and that the human race is kept in being through heaven. For unless heaven were flowing in to be present with a person no person could even begin to think or therefore desire anything in a rational manner. In order therefore that heaven may be kept in being, and the human race by being joined to it, the Lord has provided the Word, in which there is Divine Truth for angels in heaven and for people in the world. For the nature of the Word in its spiritual and celestial senses is such that they hold angelic wisdom itself within them, in a so highly exalted degree that a person can have scarcely any notion of its exalted nature, though in the letter it appears to be exceedingly simple and crude.

[3] From all this it is evident that when a person reads the Word heaven has the enjoyment of the wisdom it derives from the Word, and that at the same time the person is joined to heaven. This is the end for which such a Word has been given to mankind. From this it follows that if this means of joining together did not exist in the world the connection with heaven would perish, and with it all the good present in a person's will and all the truth in his understanding, and with these that essential human quality which enables one person to live in a community with another. Consequently evil and falsity would take possession of everything, as a result of which one community after another would be destroyed. For the situation would be like that when a person moves about in thick darkness and stumbles wherever he goes. It would be like that when the head is deranged and the body consequently behaves in a foolish and insane manner that leads to self-destruction. Or it would be like that when the heart is weak and internal organs and members consequently cease performing their functions until the whole is dead.

[4] This is what the condition of the human being would be if heaven were not joined to him; and heaven would not be joined to him if the Word did not exist, or else Divine Truth were not conveyed to him directly through angels, as it had been in ancient times. When the word 'heaven' is used that which is Divine should also be understood; for that which is Divine and the Lord's composes heaven. Thus being joined to heaven entails being joined to the Lord, and being separated from heaven entails being separated from the Lord; and being separated from the Lord entails destruction. For all ordering of things for good, which is called Providence, arises from there; and when Providence is taken away everything quickly deteriorates and goes to ruin. From all this it becomes clear what purpose the Word serves; but few will believe that the Word serves so great a purpose as that described above.