Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONCERNING
BETWEEN
,.
THE GENERAL CHURCH "
AND
BY
REV. F. W. ELPHICK.
MISSION SUPERINTENDENT.
Printed By
Alpha, Ladybrand, O. F. S.
NOTE
PAG~:
1.
II.
THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE.
THE FIRST THESIS OF DE HEMELSCH E LEER.
"This Ilas 110t beeu gl'anted " The New Ch urch th rough
to !l.ny one since the creation. the Divine Hu III ail of the Lord
as it has been to me," (Invi- is the crown of ail chnrches;
tation 52) and ail previolls C!l ure b es
frolll the begillinv have exist-
ed for the sake of this church
and have striven towal'd it,"
( lst Fascicle pp 50-~1. )
14
"The wonderful things seen These words" signify that
in the world of spirits and in each genuine rational state of
the heaven of angels are mat! or each state determined
prefixed and subjoined to each by the ra tiona 1from the celes
chapter," (From Title Page tial, is preceded by states of
to A.C. ) faith, and that it is followed
by states of faith from the
celestial. A .. chapter " in
the Latin cvput, that is, head
-signifies in the in ter na 1
sense a spi rit u a 1 st!!. te in
which the Lord makes and
de ter min e s everything;
for the Divine things of the
Lord make the spiritual he ad
of man " (Idem. p. 123.)
.. They are dressed aCCOJ ding " As has been shown above
La their diligence, especially, their diligence refers ta the
with flowers and garlands." acquiring of scientific~; they
who do this in humility and
innocence are gifted with gar
ments. The flowel's and gar
1a nds repl'esen t the th ing~ of
intelligence, with which the y
are endowed."
DE HEMEL8CH~ LEER.
IV.
l'HŒ l'HIRD l'HESIS OH
DE HEMELSCHE LEER.
tne.e V ,.., tl·y n<l men,,·", ney," j~ '71' ," [• . J ' . 't's e"l'J/
'. "'" . . 7 . . .... " . ...." li' (/ el! oy ,nen,.z Z op '~ "!J
111 the ChurL.h. \\ hM 1" BL,W revealed. The reVlewer IllIS
.in the present view is thélt in takes the litHal ~en!-'e of the
the 'Writings the Heavenly Doctrine for the proper Doc
Doctrine is covered with a trine itself, of which it. is said
veil ( 1/7) and so His not a.ppa.- "thar~lr is. ~pi,~itual ,out.9.f
. t" ( 1{73) h'l ' th celest1al orlgl!l ( A. C. 2946,
l'en. p. ,w 1 e!Il e 2510) "that the Lord is that
doctrme ofthe Cnurch drawn Doctrine it~elf" (A. C. 2859)
from those Writings and and "tbattheint.ernalseni'e
formulated by men, it is open- is the Doetrine uf the Church
ly revealed, In other words, itself" (N.J. H. D. 260: A. C.
thE' men of the Church will 9025. 9nO, 10400, and in many
be able to supply a vehicle of other places.) It.has b e e n
, clearly explallled JO De He·
words where-m the Heavenly melsc1;e Lee)" that this Doc.
Doctrine is clearly set forth trine is an internai vision of
to view, while Swedenborg (thetruth 'froin'tne Lord~-ffiat
was unable to do this, or un- it ex'ists onlYi~stcl.te of
willing. And the question will enlightenment in the living
naturally arise: if Sweoen- mind of a regenerll.ted man,
·
b y vutue that in the moment in which
borg was unable, .
't 18
1
. expresse d or w 'l' 1 t t e n
of what supenor adva.ntages \ down in natural words the
shall others be ahle? or if un- truth thetoof for those' who
willin~, on what grounds shall 1 are not likewise in tha t sta te,
others be willing? 1 is again veiled and sealed;
(De Hemelsche Leer Second yea, the veil of truth in the
Fascicle p. 22, The ?':ferences lit,aral sense of the Doctrine
.. of the Church has become
117, 1173, re/er to Fzrst Fascwle still thicker th an it was in
and respective partes.) the lett,er of t.he Third Testa.
ment. It is entirely in dis
agreement with the position
of De Hemelsche Lee?' to say'
that the trnth has been openly
reveaJed in the letter of the
Doctriue, for m u 1 cl. t e d by
men." (The criticslll >:hould
be read further, pages 183 on·
ward, Second Fascicle)
:Ll
'~S('!'
.:nd Fascic!e, Dr HCllI. Lcrr, pp. ,-J-D/), RI'iJiew by Dr rJelon.
Idem. pp. 109-197. Rev. I~r{'(lfrr's rCfiLy.
Sec {{Iso Ncu' C/lIIrcfJ L((r, May, ./.988, pr. ./ôÎ-ln. "Thr CrI/rial
Point in the Dl/tciJ Pllsilion." 13y Dr Aclon.
Idem. May, 1!J38, pp. [9[- -:06. "Thc Nature {/nd Deri
'ililtiou (If Doctrine>. " kt. Rr'l). Gr(l1~!!,'r dr Ch:lrms.
:\-1
v.
THE USE OF. THE TERi\l "DIVINE."
Interwoven with the consideration of the Three Leading
Theses of lhe "De Hemclsche Leer," is th? disCL1S' ;ion of
the nature of the reception of the Divine in <1ngels and
men.
The collateral literature on the subject is as under:
"A Correspondenoe on the Essence of the Latin \Y';r'd
and lhe Divinity of the Doctrine of the Chnrch."
"De HernelseIze Leer" <!th Fascicle. pp. 37-142.
(This is a record of leUers betwecn Revs Ernest
Pfeiffm', Albert Bjorck and Thcodore PitC<l.iril.)
"The Non Divinity of the Reg~nerale 7I'1;m," by the
Rev. J-lugoLj. Odhncl'. 'Wew ChumIz Li/-,,' ;'IIay: 1933
pp. 238-2.50.
"The Divine !within 'Men and Angels:" by Bishop N.D.
Penclieton. "New Chul10Iz Lite" iM·ay, 1934 pp. 163-173.
"Divine Creation and the Divine Proceeding" by
, Bishop George de Charms. "New CIzliraIz Lite June,
1937, pp. 250-263.
From a sludy of the above namccl contributions. the
difficully seems to be lhe interprclation and application
of the tenu 'Divine;' though, il appears, that both sides
agree that man cannàt become 'Divine.' The following
comparison would affirm lhis:
Divine and the other not Di orderly to spaak of" the Di
vine, but that the one is the vi ne t hi n g s of ma n." lt
Divine Itself and the other i~ ought. ta he plain that thereb.v
Divine from the Div i Il e ... the Lord is exalted. and n~t
"EI>;ewhere it is said, " Also mar' ...... When man' sees the
l'ecipients ( of the Divine, ) Divine things nfthe Ward
though fini te, must be purely within himself, which can
Divine." (see De Hemelsehe on1y be by virtue of the open
Leer 4/p. 82;è:\lld 67. ) irJg of the spiritua 1 ùegree
In defense of this usage of of the mind, he sees t,ruths
the tertn Divine to apply ta in light (cf D. L. W. 252. )
finite things, (like the new That man CHn see the Divine
proprium of man-De Hemel· things within himself, and
selle Leer, 4/p. 98), the writer that this seei ngis out of
disa vows any desire to create Heaven, is describecl in 10675
a new nom e n c 1 a t ure, of the .Ar~ana·' (De H. Leer.
but claims tbat "this is the 4/133. )
meaning wbich the Lat i n
Word always gives to the
term Divine when the subject
is not the DiviGe ltselfbut tbe
Divine from the Divine (D. P.
52." De H. Lee,., p. 133.)
If this were indeed true,
then the writer's disclosnre
would be of utmost impor
tance. We are convinced,
however, that the w rit e l'
merely reads an erraI' into the
Writin~s,-an error wh i ch
originates with the ancient
confusion between that finite
thing w hic h may represent
or signify the Divine and the
Divine whicn is repre5ented.
This error has been carried
up tbougb the ages by my
thology, ancient phihsophy,
mysticism, and poetry, and
has even come in ta cam ~on
speech. "
...... ln the Writings ...... the
term Divine is carefully de
fined to mean what is Inft'·
râte." (N. C. L., May, 1933
pp. 238, 239. Article should
he .read. )
:i!)
D.P. :'>7:
"But in as nllleh DS the finile Iws in ilse\f' nolhing
of the Divine, there isin man or angd lia sneh lhing
as his OWI!, not even the least, for a man or an
angel is finite. and Durely a rcceptnc;e, in Hself dead ;
and whatever is living in Ir/m is from the Divine going
torth conjoined witlz him by contiguilll, ancl ap l'eal'-
in.ry ta him -asi/ il were flis." (ItaliC's ours)
114
D.P. 58:
"Angels also recognize that this conjllnclion is 110
thing more than what may beC:llled an adjunclioll."
D.P. 66:
"Tbe afrection for truth that ,goes forlll frum the
Lord appears in angel and in man as a perceplion
and consequent thought of truth, for the reason thnt
attention is given to the perception and thought, and
little to the affection from wîlich Ihese spriilg, al.
though they go forth from the Lord as one \VI'lh 1he
affection for trUth." (A better translation woul cl be
"affection of truth.")
(See also D.L.W. 56, 60, 102, 114, 401, 410;
D.P. 285/2; A.R. 222; T.C.R. 718;
A.C. 2236, 10125. 10498, 10609.)
As a concluding note to this section, it should b~ rcalL:ed
that much depends on the way we understand the words
and phrases used by the Wrilings. That is why, in ollr
researches, we should l'ead many numbens in c:mr:cdio,l
with a given subject, and not confirm any idea we might
gel by short quolations from the WriLings. \V e wish ta
learn f~om the Wrltings, and this means, often, much
st:,udy in the tomparison of passages. And just as wc
have seen 'that the terms "Word" and "Doctrine" can
have several applications, so has the term "Divine." Yet
we must always make a carëful disLinclion, hasing this
on (he general l'ule, 'that whatever of the Divine pertuins
to man, lis AS AN IMAGE,or 'lS ADJOfNED to him.
But here we make a summary:
1. "The Divine as il is in itself" never applies to
man. Both schools of thought agree on th~s.
2. "The Divine from the Divine" affecls bo~h aqgds
and men.
3. But iin thus affecLing. observe the careflll distinclion
made 'in the Writings respc-cting 'conjllnclion,' 'ad
junetion,' and 'configLlily.'
4. That the relaUonship of Reg2neration to the Glori
fication is one of image oniy. The condilions of
the latter should not iÏll any way be applied to
the former.
,t:)
VI.
D.L. W. 2,10:
'"By virtue of these two capacilics man IS man,
anef is distinguished from Ole beasts. Man has these
two capacities from the Lord, and they are from Him
every moment; nor are they taken away, for if they
were, man's human ,would perish."
D.L.W. 202:
(Concerning the heavens and the degrees of height.)
"Such being the nature of these differences, they can
nat be expressed in natural 'language, therefore not
aescribed; for the thoughts of angels, being spiritual,
do not fall into natural ideas. They can be exprcssed
and described only hy angels themsel ves, in their own
languages, words and wrilings, and not in those that
are human. This is why it is "aid that in the heavens
unspeakable things are heard and sccn."
D.P. 30:
"The Lord's heaven i.n the natural worldis called
{he church; and an angel of that heaven is a man of
the church who is conjoined with the Lvr~, and who
becomes an angel of the spiritual heaven aIter he
leaves this world. From this it dear that what has
been said of the angelic heaven applies e,qually ta
the hllman heaven that is called the church."
D.P. 179:
"As a knowledge of future events takes away the
human itself, which is ta aet from freedom in accori
dance with reason a knowledge of the future is granted
to no one."
D.P. 293:
(Concerning the angelic view of will and ilItcHigence
in man) "If any one of these (Le. those in heaven and
in hell) had a grain .of will or intell igence of his o'wn,
thal oneness wouIr!. not be possible, but w:::mld he rent
asunder; and wilh. it woulel perish that Divine form,
which can have consistence and .permanence only
when the Lord is the AlI in ail things, and these are
utterly nothing. They say further, that this is sa be
cause the essential Divine is ta think and to will from
itself, while the essenlial hllm::m is to thin k ancl Lo
St
kE. 948/4:
(Concerning living according to Ihe Ten Command,
ments.) "But he who does nol Eve according to these
commandments as a spiritnal 'man is neilher a civil
man, nor a moral man, nOI' a natural man; fer he
is destitute of justice, of honesty,and even of manhoocl,
since Ihe Divine is not in these. FOI' there can be
nolhing good in and from jtself, but on)y from
Gad; so there c@.n be nothing just, nothing Iruly
honcsl or truly human in ilself and from itself. .but
only from God, and only when the Divine is in it.
Consider whethel' any one Ihal has hel! in him ... 01'
who is a devil, can do what is just from justice or
for Ihe sake of justice; in like mannt:r what is honest,
or what is truly human. The ITUly human is \Vhat
is from order and according to ordcl', and what is
from sound reason,; and God is orcier. and sound
reason is from God. In a word he wlw does not shun
J evils as sins is nol a man."
C.L. 52:
(Concerning marriages in heaven) "By con
jugial unition Ihey Ihel'efor-e fil! themselves \Vith t.he
human-which is the dcsire to bl~çome wise and 10
love what perlains ta wisdom."
(See also: D.P. 98, 210, 227/5, 273/2, 281.'3, 294,
321; A.E. 1013/2: C.L. 44, 203.)
.')2
VJT
CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS.
Here wc may enter a more persona1 nole.
1 1 have been addressing 'you as Minilli'·s. and Leaders
0l. the IMission, the majority having reocived two or three
years 'Conseèutive training ln the Theo10gy of the N'ew
ChUl'ch, in thcrecognized Theo!ogical Schoo1 of this Mission.
Moreover, those of yau who have becn elllrllslecl to me,
very weil know that your training 'consisted, for the most
'part, in the regular and intensive i'cnding of t~ New
Î Ghurch Doctrin.e.<; themselVC's. For it will he the' Scri~'-
'\.. tures(andJ those Heavcnly'-Doctrines wlIich are ta he the '
means Of establishing the NC\v Church in Native South
Artica. These are to be the everlasling gllid~ Lo Tour
people, who, in the goad lime rof Providence, may sec tlw
trulh, have affection for it, and evcnlually apply it to the
.amendment of life aœording '.to thcir own st~te and gcnus.
But for some reason of Providence, unsccn by men, and
evidently fOl' the good of the Chul'eh, a c::mtroversy bas
?'l arisen du ring the last ni ne years rcspeeting the llnder
standing of those Heavëllly DOCtrines. ln conSé'CIuepce
'you .are being faœd wilh lhe teachings of l\Va schcols of
tho~ght regarding that unclerstandi ng.
Now, it always has been true, and al ways will be
true that il is not Divine Rcvclalion,in wrilten form,
which makes the Church; but the und:~rslanding of thnt
Revelation in the minds of men wlOO1 makcs Ihe Church.
Aud yet, again, li is not the undel'slanding of Rf:'vdni ion
nin the minds of men w!üé:h makes 'the Chu l'ch, but /tOlU
that understanding is applied to the amcnclmenl. of lire.
These 'Lhree conditions are like threc links in a chain.
They ad together. 'So neither failli n<)l' liŒ is coin.piele
unless those lhree conditions be always present.
But, in aIl theological controversy, that which perl ~lins
to faith, undcrstanding, intellect. more especÜl.lly rebles
to the second link of the ('hain-the llndel's/anding of Reve
lation. That Divine Revelation is the til':;f link, ail can
l'ecognize. Ail, too, will admit that iLs use i:; for Lhe
a~endmcnt of me, whi'Ch is the third link. But, as ail
5?
" Come unto me, olt ye that labuur and Q1'e heavy laden
and [ will give you rest. Take mu yoke upon you, and
learn of me ; for l am meek and lowly in heart: and '!Je
shall find rest for yuur souls. For my yoke is ellsy and
my burden is light." (Matt. 11: 28~30.)
Ol", again,
~'~
C.: ~,.
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