6098. About an English Bishop
A Bishop wanted to see me with the intention of refuting the things that were written about faith separated [from charity], and he saw me and said that in England they certainly would receive the first work about the Lord, and as well that by the new Jerusalem is understood a new Church, and the second work about the holiness of the Word, and also the Third about the doctrine of life, but they would entirely reject the fourth about faith 1. And then I began to reason with him about justification by that faith; and finally he admitted he that was convinced, and that unless the fourth work about faith were accepted, the three prior would fall too, besides much else.
[2] But that Bishop, who died three years ago, disclosed what method he used to nullify those things written prior to this about Heaven and Hell 2and other matters, [which he had done] both among the Nobility and through the priests at Oxford, and that he had accomplished this, so that now there is silence about them.
[3] In addition this Bishop, because he had confirmed himself in faith alone and consequently had no spiritual faith because he had no charity, was joined to societies in hell, on which account he also became a magician and misused correspondences there, through the use of which they are able to appear as if spiritual. I saw him ascending toward heaven with a bundle of wood on his back and after this with a little child in his arms, which he had adorned with many lovely symbols of good and truth. He had changed the bundle of wood into the infant and, using fantasies, made it shine, and so it did not seem other than as it appeared. But in going into heaven he was recognized and sent back to his companions, who were all priests and had confirmed themselves similarly, wood corresponds to good, but they were all soon separated according to their way of life and according to the confirmation of faith separated from charity.
[4] I asked them whether they would allow me say to them the words that are read in the prayer before Communion: that if they did not abstain from sins and repent of the sins named there, the devil would enter into them as into Judas. But they begged me not to say those words to them; it is enough that they themselves say them in the churches, and believe them at that time.
[5] This bishop said that there is no sin. He said that adultery is not a sin; that he even persuaded a wife [that this was so]. Many others said the same thing: that there are no sins, because the Lord has taken them away, and because those are not condemned who are justified by this faith.
He appeared afterwards like a viper and was cast into hell.
They were in the eastern quarter of London, and many were sent out.
Footnotes:
1. The titles of the works are: Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Domino (Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord), Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Scriptura Sacra (Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture), Doctrina Vitae pro Novae Hierosolymae (Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem), Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Fide (Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning Faith), all published in Amsterdam: 1763.
2. I.e. in the work De Coelo et ejius mirabilibis, et de inferno, (London: 1768).
6098. AN ENGLISH BISHOP.
A Bishop wished to see me for the purpose of refuting those things which have been written concerning faith separated; and he saw me. He said, that, in England, they would, indeed, receive the first work, 1concerning the Lord, and also the position that a New Church is meant by the New Jerusalem; the second 1work, too, concerning the Sanctity of the Word, and likewise the third, 1concerning the Doctrine of Life; but that they would utterly reject the fourth, 1concerning Faith. And then I began to reason with him about justification by that faith; and at length, being convinced he acknowledged that unless the fourth work, concerning Faith, were received, the three former would come to naught, besides many other things.
But that Bishop, who died three years before, disclosed what art he employed to nullify those things which were written previously concerning Heaven and Hell, 2and the rest, both in the House of Lords [apud Mylords] and by the priests at Oxford; also, that he accomplished this, so that nothing is now heard of them.
Moreover, that Bishop, inasmuch as he had confirmed himself in faith alone, and, consequently, possessed nothing of spiritual faith, because nothing of charity, was conjoined with societies of hell; wherefore, also, he became a magician, and abused correspondences there, - by which means, such ones are able to appear as if spiritual. I saw him ascending towards heaven with a bundle of wood on his back, and, afterwards, with an infant in his arms which he adorned with many beautiful representatives of good and truth. He changed the bundle of wood into the infant, and, by means of phantasies, caused it to shine; and thus it seemed no otherwise than that it was that. But at the entrance to heaven he was recognized, and sent back to his own; who were all priests, and had confirmed themselves in the same thing. Wood corresponds to good. - But they were all immediately separated, according to life, and according to confirmation of faith separate.
I asked them whether they would permit me to recite to them the words which are read in the exhortation before the Communion, that if they do not abstain from sin and repent of the sins there mentioned, the devil would enter into them as into Judas; but they besought me not to recite those words to them: it is enough that they repeat them in church, and believe them at the time.
That bishop said that there is no sin. He said that not even adultery was sin, - which, also, he persuaded a wife. Many others said the like, [namely,] that sins did not exist, because the Lord had taken them away, and because there is not any condemnation to those who are justified by that faith.
He afterwards appeared like a viper, and was cast into hell.
They were in the west quarter of London; and many were sent forth.
Footnotes:
1. The full titles of these works, all of which were published in the same year - 1763 - are
1. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord;
2. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture;
3. The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem, from the Precepts of the Decalog; and
4. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning Faith. T
hese works are sometimes published, in English, in a collected form, under the general title, The Four Leading Doctrines of the New Church in which form the "Doctrine of Faith" is given the third place, and the "Doctrine of Life" the fourth. The text, here, shows that this is a wrong arrangement. Properly, the "Doctrine of Life" is the third, and that of "Faith" the fourth. The reader should understand that Swedenborg himself did not publish these treatises collectively, but as four separate works. -TR.
2. The contents, that is, of the work entitled Heaven and Hell and "The Four Doctrines" mentioned in the text; copies of all of which were presented by Swedenborg to the Bench of Bishops of the Church of England and the Protestant peers in the House of Lords (see n. 6101:2 below), and to the clergy at the University of Oxford. -TR
6098[.] De Episcopo Angliae
Unus Episcopus voluit me videre, in intentione ut refelleret illa quae de fide separata scripta sunt, et vidit, et dixit quod quidem recepturi sint in Anglia primum opus de Domino, et quoque quod per novam Hierosolymam intelligatur nova Ecclesia, tum secundum opus de sanctitate Verbi, et quoque Tertium de doctrina vitae, sed quod prorsus rejecturi quartum de fide 1
; et tunc ratiocinari incepi cum illo de justificatione per illam fidem, et tandem convictus fassus est, quod nisi acceptaretur quartum opus de fide, caderent etiam tria priora, praeter multa alia.
[2] Sed Episcopus ille, qui ante tres annos mortuus est, detexit qua arte usus est, ad annullandum illa quae scripta sunt prius de Coelo et Inferno 2
et reliqua, tam apud Milords, quam per sacerdotes in Oxford, et quod hoc effecerit, ut nunc de illis silentium sit.
[3] Praeterea Episcopus ille, quia confirmaverat se in sola fide, et inde nihil fidei spiritualis, quia nihil charitatis habuerat, conjunctus erat societatibus inferni, quare etiam magus factus, et abusus est correspondentiis ibi, per quas possunt apparere sicut spirituales, vidi illum ascendentem versus coelum cum fasciculo ligneo a tergo, et postea cum infante super brachiis, quem ornavit pluribus decoris repraesentativis boni et veri, mutavit ligneum fasciculum in infantem, et per phantasias fecit ut luceret, et sic non videretur aliter quam quod esset: sed in introitu ad coelum cognitus est, et remissus ad socios, qui omnes erant sacerdotes, et similiter se confirmaverant; lignum correspondet bono, - sed mox separati sunt omnes secundum vitam et secundum confirmationem fidei separatae.
[4] Quaesivi illos num permitterent ut dicerem illis verba quae in oratione ante communionem leguntur, quod si non abstineant a peccatis et poenitentiam agant a nominatis ibi peccatis diabolus intraturus sicut in Judam, sed deprecati sunt ne illis verba illa dicerem, satis est quod ipsi dicant illa in templis, et tunc credant.
[5] Ille episcopus dixit, quod non sit peccatum, dixit quod nec adulterium esset peccatm, quod etiam persuasit uxori, simile dixerunt plures alii, quod non darentur peccata, quia Dominus sustulit illa, et quia nulla damnatio est illis qui justificati per illam fidem.
Apparuit postea sicut vipera, et conjectus est in infernum.
Fuerunt in occidentali plaga Londini, et emissi sunt plures.
Footnotes:
1. operum tituli sunt Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Domino, Doctrina Novae Hiersoloymae de Scripture Sacra, Doctrina Vitae pro Nova Hiersolymae et Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Fide (omnia Amstelodami 1763 edita)
2. h.e. in opere De Coelo et ejus mirabilibus, et de Inferno (Londini 1758 edito)