A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion/Chapter 19
XIX. Faith.
FAITH in general may be defined a belief in the truths of divine revelation, and that whosoever liveth well, and believeth aright, will be saved by the Lord. It therefore implies a knowledge concerning the Lord, his descent from heaven, his birth in the world, his miraculous works, his temptations, trials, and sufferings, even to the passion of the cross, together with his successive victories over the powers of darkness, and finally his resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Yet the mere knowledge of these things, with many others relating to the Lord, to the church, to heaven, and to eternal life, does not of itself constitute a saving faith: for so long as truths remain only in the understanding, as subjects of thought and science, they do not carry with them the power of salvation; but when they are embraced by the affections of the heart, and enter into the actions of the life, they then constitute a true and saving faith, being at the same time accompanied with a firm trust and confidence in the divine mercy and protection of the Lord. Hence the Lord says, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them," John xiii. 17.
As faith, to be truly such, must be in agreement with the genuine sense of the Sacred Scriptures, and not founded on an erroneous interpretation of them, it is of the first importance, that a just and correct view be formed of the person and character of Him, who is it's proper object. It was before observed, under the article of Redemption, that Jehovah God himself came down from heaven into the world, for this purpose, among others, namely, of rendering himself visible, and accessible to the human mind: which interposition of mercy arose from the necessity of the case, inasmuch as otherwise man would have perished eternally, in consequence of his entire removal from God. Hence it follows, that a true saving faith, on the part of man, must be directed to the Lord God the Saviour Jesus Christ, because under this name and character the great Jehovah appeared among men, and because in and by no other form can he be approached, worshipped, and adored.
It is therefore of all things necessary, that a true faith be established in the mind, of which the first essential is an acknowledgment, that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the Son of God; by which we are to understand, that the Humanity, in which he appeared, was conceived of and from the Divinity, by a virtue or power proceeding from Jehovah himself; on which account the essential Divinity is in the Sacred Scripture constantly called the Father, while the Divine Humanity is called the Son. This first essential of a true faith is confirmed by the following passages: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life," John iii. 16. "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him," John iii. 36.
The next essential characteristic of a true faith, which springs out of the former, when exalted and perfected by the truths of the Word, is the further acknowledgmment, that the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the Only God of heaven and earth, as being One with the Father, that is to say, being really and truly the Father Himself in the Humanity. This acknowledgment arises in the mind in consequence of a more interior discernment of divine revelation, and may be considered as the crown of all faith, which distinguishes and enriches the New Jerusalem beyond every preceding church. It is the goodly pearl of inestimable value, to obtain which every thing else ought to be sold, every spurious idea of the Lord for ever abolished from the mind. It is a treasure in the heart, and a jewel in the mouth. It is also the new wedding-garment, without which no guest can hereafter be admitted to the marriage-supper of the Lamb, but clothed in which every believer will meet with a welcome reception.
In confirmation of this highest character of faith in the Lord, as the Only God of heaven and earth, and one and the same with the Father, we read as follows: "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace," Isa. ix. 6. "Philip saith unto Jesus, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father," John xiv. 8, 9. "I and my Father are one," John x. 30.
But faith further implies a firm belief in, and a rational comprehension of, the other great truths of divine revelation, united with an affection for them purely on their own account, because they teach us how to love and serve the Lord, and how to be useful to mankind. Such is the character and quality of the faith professed by the new and true christian church, called the New Jerusalem, which being derived from the Word, and consequently from the Lord, becomes an essential medium of conjunction with him, that is, of salvation and eternal life.
From this view of the faith of the New Church, it may appear how widely it differs from that which has been commonly received hitherto. For while the faith of the former church teaches, that Three Divine Persons have existed from eternity, each of whom singly or by himself is God and Lord, the faith of the New Church teaches, that only One Divine Person, consequently only One God, hath existed from eternity. Again, the faith of the former church is directed towards a God invisible and unapproachable, with whom therefore there can be no conjunction, the idea formed of him being like that of shapeless spirit, which differs but little, if at all, from that of ether or wind: whereas the faith of the New Church is directed towards a God visible to the mental eye, and capable of approach, with whom therefore there may be conjunction, the idea formed of him being that of a Divine Man, in whom is the divine essence, as the soul is in the body; for the One God, who existed from eternity, was actually made Man in time. The faith of the former church further supposes, that God the Son came into the world, in order to appease the wrath of the Father, and make satisfaction for the sins of the human race, by suffering and dying in their stead: whereas the faith of the New Church teaches, that the One Jehovah himself, out of pure love and mercy to mankind, descended as the Word or divine truth, and became incarnate; that the Humanity, in which he appeared, is called the Son of God, while the Divinity within it is called the Father; and that, on the accomplishment of the end for which he came into the world, viz. the subjugation of the power of hell, or evil, he laid down the mere humanity by the passion of the cross, and rose again in his Glorified Humanity, with which he returned by ascension into his former state of pure Divinity. The faith of the former church also teaches, that God the Father was and still is induced to become merciful, by a view of his Son's sufferings, agonies, and death, thus for the sake of his Son, and not from any inherent essential quality of love and mercy in himself: but the faith of the New Church, on the contrary, teaches, that the one merciful Parent of his creatures needed not to have any sufferings, agonies, or death, still less those of an innocent person, his own Son, presented before him, and pleaded, in order to excite and awaken his compassion, because he is in his own nature, and ever was, an overflowing fountain of divine love, and delights to promote the happiness of all his children without exception.
Numerous other instances of disagreement between the faith of the former church, and the faith of the New, might be mentioned but these are amply sufficient to shew the great necessity of discriminating truth from error, a just interpretation of the Sacred Writings from one that degrades the Divine Majesty, and throws an odium on his dealings with mankind. A true faith must be founded on the genuine, not the apparent, truths of the Word: and such genuine truths constantly display the divine attributes and perfections in a glory worthy of him, from whom they proceed. A true faith must also, in consequence of it's high origin, and near affinity with the light of heaven itself, be possessed of a superior capacity to unite with charity, than a faith less pure; and for the same reason it must have a still greater tendency to elevate man from the love of evil, and thereby to introduce him into the happiness of eternal life.
