36. CHAPTER IV
THENCE IT PASSES THROUGH MEN TO MEN, AND, IN THE CHURCH, CHIEFLY THROUGH THE CLERGY TO THE LAITY 1. No one can receive the Holy Spirit except from the Lord Jesus Christ, because It proceeds from God the Father through Him, and by the Holy Spirit is meant the Divine proceeding. 2. No one can receive the Holy Spirit, that is, the Divine truth and good, unless he approaches the Lord directly and is at the same time in charity (dilectione).* 3. The Holy Spirit, that is, the Divine proceeding, never becomes man's but is constantly the Lord's with him. 4. The Holy, meant by the Holy Spirit, therefore, does not become inherent in man, and it only remains with the man receiving it for so long as he believes in the Lord and is at the same time in the doctrine of truth from the Word and a life in accordance with it. 5. The Holy meant by the Holy Spirit is not transferred from one man to another, but from the Lord, through one man to another. 6. God the Father does not send the Holy Spirit, that is, His Divine, through the Lord into man; the Lord sends it from God the Father. 7. A clergyman, because it is from the Word he has to teach doctrine concerning the Lord, and concerning redemption and salvation by Him, should be inaugurated by the solemn promise (sponsionem) of the Holy Spirit and by a representation of its transfer; but it is received from** the clergyman according to the faith of his [the recipient's] life. 8. The Divine, meant by the Holy Spirit, proceeds to the layman from the Lord by means of the clergyman, through the things preached, in accordance with [the layman's] reception therefrom of the teaching of the truth. 9. Also by means of the sacrament of the Holy Supper in accordance with his repentance beforehand. * Dilectio is used in the Vulgate for love or charity. In T.C.R. 409 it is stated, "This is why He so frequently taught loving-kindness (dilectio), and this is charity." ** The Latin reads "sed quod e clerico recipiatur secundum fidem vitae ejus", which is susceptible of several interpretations. Worcester assumes the "e" to be a copyist's error for "a", and renders "but it Is received by the clergyman according to the faith of his life". But the two MSS, have "e", and it is unlikely that both should have made the mistake. Retaining the "e", there are two explanations: (A) that "clerico" refers to the officiating clergyman and the "ejus" to the one to be inaugurated, which is the one here adopted; (B) that the "ejus" refers to the Church, thus "but it is received from the clergyman according to the faith of its [the Church's] life". For both (A) and (B) the Latin is imperfect, though of course sufficient as a note for Swedenborg himself.