Canons of the New Church #45
45. CHAPTER VIII 1 . THE CONFIRMING OF A TRINITY OF PERSONS, EACH OF WHOM IS A GOD FROM ETERNITY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NICENE AND ATHANASIAN CREEDS, HAS FALSIFIED THE WHOLE WORD
1. Every heretic is able to confirm his heresy, and does confirm it, by the Word, this having been written by means of appearances and correspondences. On this account the Word is said by some to be "the book of all the heresies".
2. A man, after confirming his dogmas, sees no otherwise than that they are true, even when they are false.
3. It is possible to confirm a plurality of Gods by many things from the Word; also to confirm a faith that is imputative of Christ's merit, in which faith three Gods have each their separate part; and, further, that works of charity contribute nothing towards faith, and so nothing towards salvation.
4. A plurality of Gods can be confirmed from the following:
Trinity is mentioned by the Lord.
Trinity made its appearance when the Lord was baptized.
There are "three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit". [1 John 5:7.]
Jehovah God said, "Let us make man in our image and likeness". [Gen. 1:26.]
Before Abraham three angels, who are called Jehovah, made their appearance. [Gen. 17:2-3.]
In the New Word, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned many times by the Lord in the Gospels, and by the Apostles in the Epistles, and this without its being said that they are One.
Then, too, it can be confirmed that there is a faith by which there is imputation of Christ's merit, and that this faith is the only saving faith; also that the works of charity do not conduce to salvation. Let it be added that any reasoning mind can augment the above with contributions of its own, and strengthen them.
5. Not a single one of these can be seen to be false and so be dispelled, unless reason, enlightened by the Lord through the Word, confirm that God is One and that there is a conjunction of charity and faith.
6. When this is done, it is obvious that the theology based upon a Trinity of Persons, each one of whom is God, and upon a faith made applicable to each of them separately, and upon the worthlessness of charity for salvation, has falsified the whole Word; for the reason, chiefly, that these three, God, charity, and faith, are the universals of religion to which every single thing in the Word, and every single thing of heaven and the Church therefrom, has reference.
7. The result, with him who has confirmed this enormity, is that, wherever he reads of the Father, or of the Son, or of the Holy Spirit, indeed wherever he reads of Jehovah and God, he thinks of three Gods because he is thinking of one out of the three; further, wherever he reads of faith, he thinks of no other faith than of one by which there is imputation of Christ's merit; and wherever he reads of charity, he thinks of it as not contributing anything towards salvation, or else he thinks of that faith in its stead. Confirmation once impressed carries this with it.
Примітки:
1. In the Skara Manuscript, this chapter is numbered VI and the following chapters accordingly in sequence, no notice being taken of the missing pages.
1 Corinthians 11
1
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
3
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6
For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8
For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9
Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10
For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12
For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of god.
13
Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15
But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16
But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
17
Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
18
For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
19
For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
20
When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
21
For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
22
What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
23
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30
For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
33
Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
34
And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
