Life of Emanuel Swedenborg: Together with a brief synopsis of his writings, both philosophical and theologicalWhite, William
Religion
Life of Emanuel Swedenborg: Together with a brief synopsis of his writings, both philosophical and theological
White, William
Mystics -- Sweden -- Biography; Swedenborg, Emanuel, 1688-1772
Chapter X. describes the nature of Reformation and Regeneration. Unless a
man be born again, and, as it were, created anew, he can not enter into
the kingdom of God. This new birth, or creation, is effected by the Lord
alone, through the medium of charity and faith, during man’s coöperation.
Since all are redeemed, all have a capacity to be regenerated, every one
according to his state. The several stages of man’s regeneration answer
to his natural conception, gestation in the womb, birth, and education.
The first act of the new birth, which is an act of the understanding,
is called reformation; and the second, which is an act of the will, and
thence of the understanding, is called regeneration. The internal man
is first to be reformed, and by it the external, and thus the man is
regenerated. When this takes place, there arises a combat between the
internal and external man, and then whichever conquers has dominion
over the other. The regenerate man has a new will and understanding.
A regenerate man is in communion with the angels of heaven, and an
unregenerate man is in communion with the spirits of hell. In proportion
as a man is regenerated, his sins are removed; and this removal is what
is meant by remission of sins. Regeneration, can not be effected without
free-will in spiritual things. Regeneration is not attainable without
truths by which faith is formed, and with which charity conjoins itself.
Chapter XI. is devoted to a description of what imputation is, and what
it is not. It is shown that imputation, and the faith of the present
church, which alone is said to justify, are a one. The imputation which
belongs to the faith of the present time is two fold, the one part
relating to the merit of Christ, and the other to salvation as its
consequence. The faith which is imputative of the merit and righteousness
of Christ the Redeemer, first took its rise from the decrees of the
Council of Nice, concerning three divine persons from eternity; and,
from that time to the present, has been received by the whole Christian
world. Faith imputative of the merit of Christ, was not known in the
Apostolic Church, which preceded the Council of Nice, and is neither
declared nor signified in any part of the Word. An imputation of the
merits and righteousness of Christ is impossible. There is such a thing
as imputation, but then it is an imputation of good and evil, and at the
same time of faith. The faith and imputation of the New Church can not
be together with the faith and imputation of the former Church; and, in
case they were together, such a collision and conflict would ensue, that
every principle of the Church in man would perish. The Lord imputes good
to every man, and hell imputes evil to every man. Faith, with whatever
principle it conjoins itself, passes sentence accordingly; if a true
faith conjoins itself with goodness, the sentence is for eternal life,
but if faith conjoins itself with evil, the sentence is for eternal
death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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