scended into hell, and rose again the third day from the dead; and He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father Almighty; whence He is to come to judge the living and the dead; at whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; and those who have done good, will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil, into eternal fire."

57. That all of this doctrine, as to every word of it, is true, provided that for the trinity of persons be understood the trinity of a person, may be seen from the same writ

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over anew, where this trinity is substituted. trinity of a person is this; That THE DIVINE OF THE LORD IS THE FATHER, THE DIVINE HUMAN THE SON, AND THE DIVINE PROCEEDING THE HOLY SPIRIT. When this trinity is understood, then a man can think of one God, and can also say one God. That otherwise He cannot but think of three Gods, any one may see, as Athanasius also saw; wherefore in his doctrine these words also are inserted; "Although by the Christian truth we are obliged to acknowledge each person by himself to be God and Lord, yet still we cannot, according to the Catholic religion, or according to the Christian faith, say or name three Gods or three Lords," which amounts to this; although, according to the Christian truth, it is lawful to acknowledge or think of three Gods and Lords, yet still it is not lawful, according to the Christian faith, to say or name but one God and one •Lord; when yet acknowledgment and thought conjoins man with the Lord and with heaven, but not speech alone. Besides, no one comprehends how the Divine, which is one, can be divided into three persons, of whom each one is God, for the Divine is not divisible; and to make three one by essence or substance, does not take away the idea of three Gods, but only gives an idea of their unanimity.

58. That all of that doctrine, as to every word of it, is true, provided that for the trinity of persons be understood the trinity of a person, may appear from the same written over anew, which now follows; "Whoever wishes to be saved, it is necessary for him to keep the Christian faith. This Christian faith is, that we worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, not confounding the trine [or three constituents] of a person, nor separating the essence. The trine of one person is what is called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The divinity of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is one and the same, the glory

and majesty equal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated; the Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, and the Holy Spirit is infinite; and yet there are not three Infinites, nor three Uncreated, but one Uncreated, and one Infinite. Likewise, as the Father is almighty, so the Son is almighty, and the Holy Spirit is almighty; and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. As the Father is God, so the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God. Although the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord; yet still there are not three Lords, but one Lord. Now, as according to the Christian truth, we acknowledge a trine in one person, who is God and Lord, so, according to the Christian faith, we can say one God and one Lord. The Father is made of none, neither created nor born; the Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but born; the Holy Spirit is from the Father and from the Son, neither made, nor created, nor born, but proceeding. Thus there is one Father, not three Fathers, one Son, not three Sons, one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits; and in this trinity there is no greatest and least, but they are altogether equal. So that it is, just as it was said above, that the Unity in trinity, and the Trinity in unity is to be worshipped."

59. This is in the doctrine concerning the Trinity and Unity of God; afterwards there follows what relates to the assumption of the Human by the Lord in the world, which is called the Incarnation. Every thing in the doctrine concerning this subject also is true, provided that the Human from the mother, in which the Lord was, when in the state of humiliation or exinanition, and suffered temptations and the cross, be distinctly understood; and the Human from the Father, in which He was in the state of glorification or union; for the Lord assumed a Human in the world, conceived of Jehovah, who is the Lord from eternity, and born of the virgin Mary; thence He had a Divine and a Human, the Divine from his Divine from eternity, and the Human from the mother Mary in time; but this Human He put off, and put on a Divine Human. This Human, which is called the Divine Human, is what is meant in the Word by the Son of God. When, therefore, the things which precede in the doctrine concerning the Incarnation, are understood as relating to the maternal Human, in which He was when

in the state of humiliation, and those which follow there, as relating to the Divine Human, in which He was when in the state of glorification, then also all things there coincide. With the maternal Human, in which He was in the state of humiliation, these things which precede in the doctrine coincide. "That Jesus Christ was God and Man; God of the substance of the Father, and Man of the substance of the mother, born in the world; perfect God, and perfect Man, consisting of a rational soul and a human body; equal to the Father as to the Divine, less than the Father as to the Human." And also, "That that Human was not converted into the Divine, nor mixed together with it, but put off, and the Divine Human assumed in its stead." With the Divine Human, in which He was in the state of glorification, and is now to eternity, these things which follow in the doctrine coincide. "Although our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man, still He is not two, but is one Christ; yea, He is altogether one, for He is one person; since, as the soul and body make one man, so God and Man is one Christ."

60. That God and Man in the Lord, according to the doctrine, are not two, but one person, and altogether one, as the soul and body are one, appears clearly from many things which He said; as, That the Father and He are one; that all things of the Father are his, and all his the Father's; that He is in the Father, and the Father in Him; that all things are given into his hand; that He has all power; that He is the God of heaven and earth; that whosoever believes in Him has eternal life; and further, that the Divine and Human ascended into heaven, and that, as to both, He sits at the right hand of God, that is, that He is Almighty; and many more things which were adduced above from the Word, concerning his Divine Human, which all testify, that GOD IS ONE AS WELL IN PERSON AS IN ESSENCE, IN WHOM IS A TRINITY, AND THAT THAT GOD IS THE LORD.

61. The reason why these things concerning the Lord are now for the first time made publicly known, is, because it is foretold in the Revelation, xxi. and xxii., that a new church should be instituted by the Lord, at the end of the former, in which this should be the primary thing. This church is what is there meant by the New Jerusalem, into which none can enter, but those who acknowledge the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth. And this I can aver, that the universal heaven acknowledges the Lord alone; and that whosoever does not acknowledge Him, is

not admitted into heaven; for heaven is heaven from the Lord. This acknowledgment itself from love and faith, causes all there to be in the Lord, and the Lord in them, as the Lord himself teaches in John; "In that day ye shall know, that I am in my Father, and ye in Me, and I in you." xiv. 20. And again; “Abide in Me, and I in you. I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye cannot do any thing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast out." xv. 4-6. xvii. 22, 23. That this was not seen from the Word before, is, because, if it had been seen, still it would not have been received; for the last judgment had not yet been accomplished; and before that, the power of hell prevailed over the power of heaven; and man is in the midst between heaven and hell; wherefore had this doctrine been seen before, the devil, that is, hell, would have taken it out of the hearts of men, and would moreover have profaned it. This state of the power of hell was altogether broken by the last judgment, which is now accomplished; since that, thus now, every one who desires it, may become enlightened and wise. See the work concerning HEAVEN AND HELL, n. 589-596, and n. 597-603; also the small treatise concerning the LAST JUDGMENT, n. 65-72, and n. 73,74.

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THAT A NEW CHURCH IS MEANT BY THE NEW JERUSALEM IN THE REVELATION.

62. After the state of the Christian church is described IN THE REVELATION, such as it would be at its end, and as it now is; and after those of that church, who are signified by the false prophet, the dragon, the whore, and the beasts, were cast into hell; thus after the last judgment was accomplished, it is said there, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away. Then I John saw THE HOLY CITY, NEW Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them, their God. He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, because these words are true and faithful." Rev. xxi. 1-3. 5. By the new heaven and by the new earth, which he saw, after the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, is not meant a new starry and atmospherical heaven, which appears before the eyes of men, nor a new earth on which men dwell; but a renovation of the church in the spiritual world is meant, and a renovation of the church in the natural world. Since a renovation of the church in both worlds, the spiritual as well as the natural, was made by the Lord, when He was in the world, therefore the like is foretold in the Prophets, viz: that a new heaven and a new earth would then exist, as Isaiah lxv. 17. lxvi. 22, and elsewhere; by which, therefore, cannot be meant a heaven visible before the eyes, and an earth habitable by men. By the spiritual world is meant the world where angels and spirits dwell, and by the natural world is meant the world where men dwell. That a renovation of the church in the spiritual world has lately been made, and that a renovation of the church in the natural world will be made, is shown in the little work concerning THE LAST JUDGMENT; and more fully in THE CONTINUA

TION OF IT.

63. By the holy city, New Jerusalem, is meant this new church as to doctrine, wherefore it was seen descending from God out of heaven; for the doctrine of genuine truth comes from no other source, than from the Lord, through