TCR 647 - The Former Church and the New Church

TCR 647

[1] The faith and imputation of the New Church
cannot be held along with those
of the former Church which still persists,
because they do not agree
in a third or even in a tenth of their doctrine.
For the faith of the former Church teaches
that three Divine Persons have existed from eternity,
each of whom singly, or by Himself, was God,
and also as so many Creators.
But the faith of the New Church is
that there was from eternity only one Divine Person,
and thus one God,
and that beside Him there is no other God.
The faith of the former Church has, therefore,
taught a Divine Trinity divided into three Persons;
but the faith of the New Church
teaches the Divine Trinity united in one Person.

[2] The faith of the former Church
was in a God invisible and inaccessible,
with whom there could be no conjunction;
and they thought of Him as a spirit,
of the same nature as ether or wind.
But the faith of the New Church is in a God
who is visible and accessible,
and with whom there can be conjunction,
in whom, as the soul in the body,
is God the invisible and inaccessible,
and with whom there can be no conjunction;
and they think of Him as a Man,
because the one God who was from eternity,
became Man in time.

[3] The faith of the former Church
attributes all power to the invisible God,
and denies it to the visible.
For it teaches that God the Father imputes faith,
and thereby bestows eternal life;
and that the visible God only intercedes;
and that they both give,
or according to the Greek Church,
God the Father gives, to the Holy Spirit,
who is the third in order God by Himself,
all power to work out the effects of that faith.
But the New Church attributes to the visible God,
in whom is the invisible, all power to impute,
and also to work out the effects of salvation.

[4] The faith of the former Church
is Primarily in God the Creator,
and not at the same time
in Him as Redeemer and Savior;
but the faith of the New Church is in one God,
who is at the same time
the Creator, Redeemer and Savior.

 [5] The faith of the former Church
is that repentance, remission of sins, renewal,
regeneration, sanctification and salvation
follow of themselves
the faith that is given and imputed,
without anything of a person being mingled
or conjoined with them.
But the faith of the New Church teaches
repentance, reformation, regeneration,
and thus the remission of sins,
with a person's co-operation.

[6] The former Church teaches
the imputation of Christ's merit,
and that it is included in the faith bestowed on a person.
But the New Church teaches
the imputation of good and of evil,
and at the same time of faith;
and that this imputation is
in accordance with the Sacred Scripture,
while the other is contrary to it.

[7] The former Church teaches
the gift of faith in which is included the merit of Christ,
the person being as a stock or a stone;
and it also asserts
a person's utter impotence in spiritual things.
But the New Church teaches a faith wholly different,
not a faith in the merit of Christ
but in Jesus Christ Himself as God,
the Redeemer and Savior,
and in free will both to apply oneself to reception
and to co-operate with Him.

[8] The former Church
adjoins charity to its faith as an appendage,
but not as saving,
and on this relationship it forms its religion;
but the New Church unites
faith in the Lord and charity towards the neighbor
as two inseparable things,
and on this relationship forms its religion.
The two Churches have many other points of difference.