16. A SKETCH OF THE DOCTRINALS OF THE NEW CHURCH.
There now follows a brief Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church, which is meant by the New Jerusalem in Revelation (chaps. 21 and 22). This doctrine, which is not only a doctrine of faith, but also of life, will be divided in the work itself into three parts.
THE FIRST PART will treat:
I. Of the Lord God the Saviour, and of the Divine Trinity in Him.
II. Of the Sacred Scripture, and its Two Senses, the Natural and the Spiritual, and of its Holiness thence derived.
III. Of Love to God, and Love towards our Neighbor, and of their Agreement.
IV. Of Faith, and its Conjunction with those Two Loves.
V. The Doctrine of Life from the Commandments of the Decalogue.
VI. Of Reformation and Regeneration.
VII. Of Free-Will, and Man's Co-operation with the Lord thereby.
VIII. Of Baptism.
IX. Of the Holy Supper.
X. Of Heaven and Hell.
XI. Of Man's Conjunction therewith, and of the State of Man's Life after Death according to that Conjunction.
XII. Of Eternal Life.
THE SECOND PART will treat:
I. Of the Consummation of the Age, or End of the present Church.
II. Of the Coming of the Lord.
III. Of the Last Judgment.
IV. Of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem.
THE THIRD PART will point out the Disagreements between the dogmas of the present church, and those of the New Church. But we will dwell a little upon these now, because it is believed both by the clergy and laity, that the present church is in the light itself of the Gospel and in its truths, which cannot possibly be disproved, overturned, or controverted, not even by an angel if one should descend from heaven: neither does the present church see any otherwise, because it has withdrawn the understanding from faith, and yet has confirmed its dogmas by a kind of sight beneath the understanding, for falsities may there be confirmed even so as to appear like truths; and falsities there confirmed acquire a fallacious light, before which the light of truth appears as thick darkness. For this reason we shall here dwell a little upon this subject, mentioning the disagreements, and illustrating them by brief remarks, that such as have not their understanding closed by a blind faith, may see them as at first in twilight, and afterwards as in morning light, and at length, in the work itself, as in the light of day. The disagreements in general are as follows.