1. The Consummation of the Age, foretold by the Lord in Daniel, chapter v, and in Matthew, chapter [xxiv] -by means of articles. The Second Coming of the Lord, foretold by the Lord in the Prophets, the Evangelists, and by the Apostles-by means of articles. The Lord's New Church, announced by the New Jerusalem in the Word of both Testaments, and described in the Apocalypse-by means of articles. Invitation to the whole Christian world to that Church, and exhortation to receive the Lord worthily. One memorable matter: that all things of the New Church appear before every enlightened man, in the light of truth; but, as soon as subjected to the present-day orthodoxy of the Church, the light of truth becomes shade. The particulars of the doctrine of the New Church are to be set forth in order; likewise, those which are of the orthodoxy of the old.
II
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE, AND THE FULNESS OF TIME
1. Concerning the Consummation of the Age, and the Abomination of Desolation at the time.
2. There is no cognition* of God, but such as is erroneous, false, and entirely worthless; no cognition whatever of Omnipotence.
3. No cognition of the Lord.
4. No cognition of the Divine Human, but such as is historical.
5. No cognition of the Holy Spirit.
6. Hence, no cognition of the Divine Trinity.
7. No cognition of the holiness of the Word.
8. No cognition of Redemption, but such as is false.
9. No cognition of Faith, but such as is perceived by a blind man, which is none. It is similar with all things which depend upon that faith, and which from "God" are called Theological, from the "Church" Ecclesiastical, and from the "Spirit of God," by which they are inspired, Spiritual.
10. No cognition of Charity.
11. No cognition of Free-determination; and hence no human will; and therefore man is not man.
12. No cognition of Repentance, except oral; which is not Repentance.
13. No cognition of the Remission of Sins, and hence no cognition of Conversion.
14. No cognition of Reformation and Regeneration.
15. No cognition of the Imputation of good and evil; thus, no Judgment.
16. No cognition of Heaven and of Hell.
17. No cognition of Man's state after death; and hence no cognition of salvation and eternal life.
18. No cognition of Baptism and the Holy Supper, which are scarcely anything but ceremonies.
19. No cognition of the Law but such as is erroneous.
20. No cognition of the Gospel-which is, that man can be regenerated, and thus saved-except such as is erroneous.
21. There is no doctrine of Theology; thus consummation is so complete that not any truth whatever remains; which is why the Christian Religion is rent into so many heresies.
22. The Catechism is not anything.
23. The whole Word is not anything.
24. It follows hence that there is no Religion, Church, Worship, Ministry;
25. Because from all that precedes, it follows that there is mere Predestination.
26. It hence follows that in the above Church there remains not a grain of truth; thus, that it is the Abomination of Desolation.
27. The sayings of the Word burst with the sound of a loud report, when they are sent towards heaven by those who have studied modern orthodoxy-from experience.
28. Falsities must be eradicated before truths are implanted.
29. The "fulness of time" is the consummation, because time signifies the state of the Church; wherefore we read in Revelation, "time shall be no longer," neither morning nor day, but night; neither spring nor summer, but winter. The like is signified by "for a time, times, and half a time."
30. This state of the Church was foretold by the Lord through Daniel, and in Matthew, and in seven chapters in the Apocalypse, which are to be quoted.
31. The religion of this Church is not to be implanted by means of miracles, but by the Word, and by means of light therein from the Lord. This light enters and remains to eternity; but religion by means of miracles extinguishes this light, and, because it places the miracles before itself, therefore it perishes with a loud report (compare Matt. xxiv 24, 25).
[32.] I have spoken with Paris,** whose miracles occupy two volumes, as to how he wrought his miracles-that it was done through spirits who entered into man's memory. * The term cognitiones, here used in the Latin, is translated "cognitions" to distinguish these knowledges from those that are meant by the Latin scientilica also used in the Writings of Swedenborg. Two of the meanings most commonly associated with cognitiones are (i) a particular species of knowledge, as knowledges of the Word, of good and truth, or of spiritual things (AC. 24, 3665, 9945; N.J.H.D. 51; H.H. 111, 351, 469, 474, 517, 518); and (ii) a higher type of knowledge which is from understanding and perception (AC 1486-1487; H.H. 110, 353). ** Francois de Paris, who is referred to here and in "Invitation to the New Church," no. 29 and 55, and in Swedenborg's letter to Venator, was a Jansenist. The miracles at his tomb in the cemetery of St Medard, Paris, led to petitions for his canonization. See the volume entitled Recueil des Miracles Operes au Tombeau de M. de Paris, . . . Diacre, MDCCXXXII. The petitions were ignored. The first of the two volumes referred to by Swedenborg was published in 1737, and bears the title, La Verite des Miracles Operes par l'Intercession de M. de Paris. Demontree contre M. l'Archeveque de Sens. Ouvrage dedie au Roy par M. de Montgeron Conseiller au Parlement. A Utrecht chez les Librairies de la Compagnie, MDCCXXXVII. The second volume, without the dedication to the King, and referring also to the Convulsionnaires, was published in 1741. A third volume followed in 1747. See article by the Rev. E. J. E. Schreck, in The New-Church Review of Boston, Mass., U.S.A., for October 1906.
III
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
1. The Consummation of the Age, and the Abomination of Desolation at the time.
2. No cognition of God except what is erroneous; therefore, also, no cognition whatever concerning Omnipotence.
3. No cognition of the Lord.
4. No cognition of the Holy Spirit.
5. Hence, no cognition of the Divine Trinity.
6. No cognition of the holiness of the Word.
7. No cognition of Redemption.
8. No cognition of Faith.
9. No cognition of Charity.
10. No cognition of Free-determination.
11. No cognition of Repentance.
12. No cognition of the Remission of Sins, and hence no cognition of Conversion.
13. No cognition of Regeneration.
14. No cognition of Imputation.
15. No cognition of Heaven and Hell.
16. No cognition of the state of Man after death; and hence no cognition of salvation and eternal life.
17. No cognition of Baptism.
18. No cognition of the Holy Supper.
19. No cognition of the Law except what is erroneous.
20. No cognition of the Gospel-which is, that man can be regenerated, and thus saved-except what is erroneous.
[21.] There is no doctrine of Theology; thus the consummation is so complete that not any truth remains; which is why the Christian Religion is rent into so many heresies, concerning which . . .
IV
WHAT THE "CONSUMMATION" AND "DESOLATION" IS, AND THE "FULNESS OF TIME"
1. There is no cognition of God except what is false, and entirely worthless.
2. No cognition of the Divine Human of the Lord except what is historical.
3. No recognition of Redemption except what is false.
4. No cognition of Faith, except such as is seen by a blind man, which is none: it is similar with all things that depend on this faith, and are called Theological from "God," and Ecclesiastical from the "Church," and Spiritual from the "Spirit" of God, by whom they are inspired.
5. There is no Charity.
6. No Free-determination, thus no human will, and thus man is not man.
7. No Repentance, except oral; which is not Repentance.
-. No cognition of the Remission of Sins.
8. No Reformation and Regeneration.
9. No Imputation of good and evil, thus no Judgment.
10. Baptism and the Holy Supper scarcely anything but ceremonies.
11. The Catechism not anything.
12. The whole Word not anything.
13. Hence it follows that there is not any Religion, Church, Worship, Ministry.
14. Since from all these it follows that there is mere Predestination,
15. it follows, that in that Church there remains not a grain of truth; thus, that it is the Abomination of Desolation.
16. Hence are so many heresies.
17. The things said in the Word, when sent towards heaven by those who have studied present-day orthodoxy, burst with a loud report-from experience.
18. Falsities must be eradicated before truths are implanted.
[19.] The "fulness of time" is Consummation, because "time" signifies the state of the Church; wherefore we read in the Apocalypse: "There shall be time no longer," neither morning nor day, but night; neither spring nor summer, but winter. The like is signified by, "for a time, times, and half a time."
[20.] This state of the Church was foretold by the Lord through Daniel, and in Matthew, and in seven chapters in the Apocalypse-which are to be quoted.
[21.] The religion of this [i.e., the New] Church is not to be implanted by miracles, but by the Word, and by light from the Lord therein. This light enters and remains to eternity; but religion through miracles extinguishes this light; and because it places the miracles before itself (compare Matt. xxiv 24, 25), it therefore perishes with a loud report.
[22.] I spoke with Paris,* of whose miracles there are two volumes, concerning how he wrought his miracles: that it was done through spirits who entered into the memory of the man, and [persuaded] him; very many things concerning them. Still, however, Paris did not apply himself to any religion, and hence did not know anything of the truth of the Church; wherefore he is at the present day with those who are in hell.
* Francois de Paris, who is referred to here and in "Invitation to the New Church," no. 29 and 55, and in Swedenborg's letter to Venator, was a Jansenist. The miracles at his tomb in the cemetery of St Medard, Paris, led to petitions for his canonization. See the volume entitled Recueil des Miracles Operes au Tombeau de M. de Paris, . . . Diacre, MDCCXXXII. The petitions were ignored. The first of the two volumes referred to by Swedenborg was published in 1737, and bears the title, La Verite des Miracles Operes par l'Intercession de M. de Paris. Demontree contre M. l'Archeveque de Sens. Ouvrage dedie au Roy par M. de Montgeron Conseiller au Parlement. A Utrecht chez les Librairies de la Compagnie, MDCCXXXVII. The second volume, without the dedication to the King, and referring also to the Convulsionnaires, was published in 1741. A third volume followed in 1747. See article by the Rev. E. J. E. Schreck, in The New-Church Review of Boston, Mass., U.S.A., for October 1906.
V
CONCERNING THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE, AND CONCERNING THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
No cognition of God. No cognition of the Lord. No cognition of the Holy Spirit. No cognition of the holiness of the Word. No cognition of Redemption. No cognition of Faith. No cognition of Charity. No cognition of Free-determination. No cognition of Repentance. No cognition of the Remission of Sins and Conversion. No cognition of Regeneration. No cognition of Imputation. No cognition of Heaven and Hell. No cognition of Man's State after death, and hence of Salvation. No cognition of Baptism. No cognition of the Holy Supper. It hence follows that there is no Religion, and hence no Church. Concerning the Lord's Advent. Concerning Miracles. Invitation to the whole world to the New Church. -That there is one Shepherd and one flock; that Jehovah is one.