True Christian Religion

...of those still living, their Spirit is in Societies—some in angelic societies, and some in infernal ones. It was even granted to me to speak with them for several days, and I wondered that the person themselves, still living in their body, knew absolutely nothing about this. From this it became clear that whoever denies God is already among the damned, and that after death they are gathered to their own kind.

15. VIII. THAT AMONG PEOPLE WHO DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ONE GOD, BUT SEVERAL, NO PART OF THE CHURCH HOLDS TOGETHER.

Anyone who acknowledges one God in faith and worships Him with the heart is in the communion of SaintsA traditional term for the spiritual union of all believers, both living and deceased. on earth, and in the communion of Angels in the heavens. These are called "communions," and they truly are, because they are in one God and one God is in them. These people are also in conjunction with the entire Angelic Heaven, and I would dare say, with each and every person there; for they are all like children and descendants from one Father, whose souls, characters, and faces are similar, by which they recognize each other. The Angelic Heaven is organized into Societies according to all the varieties of the love of good; these varieties aim toward one most universal Love, which is toward God. From this Love all have been propagated who acknowledge God as the one Creator of the universe, and at the same time Redeemer and Regenerator, in faith and heart.

But it is entirely different for those who approach and adore not one, but several Gods—whether this happens by saying "one" with the mouth and "three" in thought (as those in the church today do, who distinguish God into three Persons and declare each Person to be God by Himself, attributing to each separate qualities or properties that do not belong to the other). From this, it happens that not only is the unity of God actually divided, but even Theology itself, and also the human Mind in which it should reside, is similarly divided. What results from this but something tangled and incoherent in matters of the Church? (The state of the current Church will be demonstrated in the Appendix after this work). This is the truth: that the division of God, or of the Divine Essence, into three Persons, each of whom is God by Himself or individually, leads to the denial of God.

It is like someone entering a Temple to worship and seeing on a painting above the Altar one God depicted like the Ancient of Daysoriginal: "Antiquum dierum." A reference to God the Father as described in the Book of Daniel., another like a High Priest, and a third like a flying Aeolusoriginal: "Æolum." The Greek god of the winds, here likely referring to the Holy Spirit depicted as a rushing wind or winged figure., with the caption: These three are One God. Or perhaps like seeing Unity and Trinity painted there like a man with three Heads on one body, or with three bodies under one Head—which is a monstrous form. If anyone entered Heaven with such an idea, they would certainly be cast down headlong, even if they said that the Head or Heads signified the Essence, and the Body or Bodies signified distinct Properties.

A horizontal decorative divider made of seven ornate floral or star-shaped symbols.

16. To this I will add one MEMORABLE OCCURRENCEoriginal: "MEMORABILE." These are first-hand accounts Swedenborg included to illustrate spiritual truths through his experiences in the afterlife.: I saw some newcomers from the natural World in the Spiritual World talking among themselves about Three Divine Persons from eternity. They were Canons Clergy members belonging to a cathedral or collegiate church., and one of them was a Bishop. They approached me, and after some conversation about the Spiritual World (about which they had previously known nothing), I said: "I heard you talking about three Divine Persons from eternity; and I ask you to open up this great Mystery according to your ideas which you brought from the natural World, where you recently were."

Then the Primate A title for a high-ranking bishop., looking at me, said: "I see that you are a Layman, therefore I will open and teach the ideas of my thought regarding this great Mystery. My ideas were, and still are, that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit sit in the Midst of Heaven upon magnificent and high thrones. God the Father sits upon a throne of pure gold original: "obryzo auro," meaning gold that has been tested or refined. with a Scepter in hand; God the Son at His right hand upon a throne of purest silver with a Crown upon his head; and God the Holy Spirit near them upon a throne of shining Crystal, holding a Dove in his hand; and that all around them, hanging in a triple row, lamps..."