DE HEMELSE LEER An Independant Swedenborgian Journal NEW SERIES N°1 The Hague January 2001

DE HEMELSE LEER
MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO
AN INTERIOR EXAMINATION OF THE
LAST TESTAMENT
quod scrutandum Verbum
cum devota prece ad Dominum, ut illustratio
Emanuel Swedenborg, Arcana Coelestia 5432
In this tryout issue, January 2001:
-scrutari Verbum
-in 1920's Ernst Pfeiffer promoted the independent study of the Last Testament
-chronological list of Harrie Groeneveld's addresses
-Thorsten Sigstedt's encounter with the Hague Position
-Ernst Pfeiffer's commentary on the separation from the General Church in 1937
-Nova Hierosolyma's struggle for an appropriate external 1,2,3
-Nova Hierosolyma's failure as a Hague Position church
-minimal response upon Rutger Perizonius' request for doctrinal output
-Peter Schnarr's 19th of June 2000 address
INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR LAST TESTAMENT SCRUTATORS
The Hague
Arcana Coelestia 5432
that the Word ought to be searched, with devout
prayer to the Lord for illustration
DE HEMELSE LEER
Vol. XIII No. 1 January 2001
DE HEMELSE LEER
MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO AN INTERIOR EXAMINATION
OF THE LAST TESTAMENT
On the occasion of the restart of De Heme/se Leer 3
Accepted Theses 5
Accepted doctrinal view concerning the theological
writings of Emanuel Swedenborg 6
Scrutari Verbum 9
Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer c.\:ating the required breeding ground for
Last Testament scutators
The formation of a "Swedenborg Gezelschap" in 1928 ............................... 11
"Hague Position" named after "The Hague" because of the
Copernicus in New Church thought: Harrie D.G. Groeneveld
A chronological list of Grocneveld's 37 addresses and papers 15
The impact of an encounter with the new doctrines proclaimed
from tbe Hague, Thorsten Sigstedt's example 20
The separation from the General Church in 1937
A commentary by Ernst Pfeiffer 23
Nova Hierosolyma's struggle for an appropriate external
I. The 1947 Principles and Plan of Order, a hopeful attempt to set up a church based
on the principle that the development of doctrine is the function of all men 25
2. In the recognition that the development of doctrine is the common function of
all men, priests at the time, 1948. saw "a whole new life for their existence" 32
3. The way in which the Church must go for its development, as seen in 1949 37
Nova Hierosolyma's failure as a Hague Position church
I. By repudiating the function of all men to enter upon the development of doctrine
1.1 Burning desire for the church not allowed to express itself.
Thorsten Sigstedt 1939 4 I
1.2 What to do when those in power do not want our knowledges')
I sandrs Logill, 1995 ...... ........ ..... 43
An inventory of doctrinal output 46
1 The two lines, and are the two
2 essentials of the church
by Peter Schnarr. June 19th 2000 .... 54
Key to the abbreviations used .. 56
How to obtain the next issue of De Heme/se Leer ? ............................. 58
PUBUSHEDBY
RUTGER PERIZONlUS
van der Heimslraal 5, 2582 RX THE HAGUE
ISSN 1568-2269
for the moment issues are not for sail and only obtainable on request as long as supplies last (see also p. .58)
-- -
Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture 76
there are those who believe that they are of the Church because
they have the Word, and read it ... Yet how various things in the
Word are to be understood, they do not know; and some think this
of little importance. It shall therefore be confinned, that it is not
the Word which makes the Church, but the understanding of it;
True Christian Religion 814
Influx always adapts itself to efflux, and tn like manner
~
understanding from above adapts itself to its measure offreedom
to utter and give vent to the thoughts.
2
EDITORIAL
ON THE OCCASION OF THE RESTART OF
DE HEMELSE LEER
it has remained undiscovered to this day that the Word in the sense ofthe
-J letter is meant by the clouds oJ.heaven. and the spiritual sense of the Word
2 - by the powE:End lory in which alsothe LOrd is toc:QmZ--
True Christian Religion 776
Since the Last Judgment it is the Son of Man, appearing in the clouds of
heaven with great glory, who has the power (Matthew XXIV:30). The letter
.- of the Last Testament teaches that here by" wer" tin: virtus) is meant the
J
( ect at'o eration of the Lord bv the Word True Christian Religion 776).
Some idea 0 t e strength of this power can be gathered from the fact that the
of the Son is called(17ie.'ign of and of t!le end
ofthe worla (Matthew XXIV:3). On the.eve of the individual this means that A
since the Last Judgment it is the internal seen in the sense of the letter ?
of the Last Testament and reveale 0 Im or h6{ by enlightenment from the -
Lord, which comes with ower and areat Therefore, Swedenborg,
upon the questIOn by IS op . . to show that
been sent by the Lord to do what you are GOIng?" answered that:
at this day, will be enlightenment (Docu n, doc 232). The
only sigp!Of His coming to man, given at thiSaay, is the internal sense re-
ve e(f6y enlightenment. That this "illiXrua'cfrse revealed by'en Ig enment" <J
indeed is the same as the h avenl doctrineutch: hemelse leer) IS clear from '
;[ Spiritual Diary 5542a: the heaven y dQJJ;,jJ;Je does not appear in the
Z the letter, except to those who are enligniened. And that this int a e se iS
identicaL so with "the and genuine doctrine of the Church ,can be seen
J
in White well as in A;r;;na Coelestia 9025, 9430, 10401.
This internal se se of the Last Testament revealed by enlightenment is the
" e v t ne" to which the Dutch monthly De Hemelsche Leer at the
time (Vol. I-X I 1930-1941, special issues Juni 1947 and October 1949;
English translation of extracts in Hemelsche Leer Fascicles I-VII, 1930-1939)
had been devoted.
And now again this . al se se of the Last Testament revealed by en-
lightenment is understood by the" venl oct 'ne" to which, after a long
silence of more than fifty years, also the present restarted Hemelse Leer
- modern Dutch spelling in the mean time having changed "Hemelsche" into
"Hemelse" is devoted. The aim is to offer an forurp for exchanging the
signs of His coming, that is, for communicating the new
come to our consiousness as a result of our interior examinations of the """ t' .....
Testament and at the same time of reve tion. So far nothing has changed.
What has changed is that this restart is no longer Dutch but international,;;I. /'
':YJth (imperfect) as official language, and that it is published not by ) Jo-y-
some New Church-body but by an inde lldent But let J.t.:. "'""'
the contents speak for itself. - - t7
The Hague, January 2001
Rutger Perizoni us
3
ACCEPTED THESES
In this magazinc thc following principles arc acccptcd as Icading thescs. Thcy wcrc
originally propounded in thc earliest volumes of this ,"cry journal,. at the timc, 1930, the
official periodical of the First DU/ch Society of The General Chl/reh a/The New Jerusalem.
The tcxt of thesc thcscs can be found on pagc 2 of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Fascicle of the
English Edition. The quotcs are verbatim. Both the tcrms Third Testament and LaTin Word
are are synonymous with Last Testament.

\" 1. The Writings of Emanuel Swedenhorg are
--;:::::p, o.ff!.he of the Lord. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem
i / the Sacred Scripture mU.1! he applied to the three
Qo"t;'.......... Testaments alike, .<\ 4- r l: :;.. _j cA,.;..-,-L-.-
"'- J -
___-r f\' - - -
2. Latin W:!!!!)without is as.a candlestick without ,'
light, and those who read Doctrine, or who
do not acquire for themselves a Docfrille from Ih Latin are
in darkness as to all truth (cf. S 50-6 J).
3. The genuine Doctrine of the Church il Ipirilllal out of celestial
origin, but not out of rational origin. 1'1 (' l.ord is that Doctrine
. ..
itself (cf. A 2496,2497,2510,2516.2533. 2H:'9: E 19).
-
4
ACCEPTED DOCTRINAL VIEW
CONCERNING THE THEOLOGICAL WRITINGS
OF EMANUELSWEDENBORG
.)
"The Third Testament is not the Doctrine of the Church drawn out of the Old and New >
Testaments by Swedenborg under illustration from the Lord. Neither is it the internal sense
of the Old an New Testaments laid bare for the Church. [t is a complete in itself
of the Divine Truth of the Divine Human laid down in a letter 0 its ownAt is the Word of
the Lord in its fullness in the fullest possible sense. In it the Lord is present with the
Church and wills to be received by His Church. And He is received by the
Church more and more interiorly as the Church, under illustration from the Lord, draws
forth the spiritual and celestial truths contained in Ihis Testament in its Doctrine."
RI. Rc,'. Philip N. Odhner 1977, see text below
Th),iQ this magaziJ}e acceptcd doctrinal view concerning the theological writings of
EmanuelS\\;edenborg is the view which originally characterised The Lord's New Church
which is Nova Hierosolyma, a New Church body established in 1937. Since this view had
been developed within the The Hague society of The General Church of the New Jerusalem
it is often called The Hague Position. Also the term The Dutch Position does occur.
ThC following is part of a General Doctrinal Class by RI. Rev. Philip N. Odhner, OCtober
12, 1977, entitled: The doctrinal views of the various bodies of the New Church conce!!2ing
J
the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. A Dutch translation of this General
Doctrinal Class has been published in De Goddelijke Rede, June 1993 (GR 1993: 12-18).
The two quoted sections, The Distinction belween the Sense of the Leller of the Word and
the of the Church and View of The Lord's New Church which is Nova
Hierosolyma, are verbatim, emphasis is added:
The Distinction between the Sense of the Letter of the Word and
the Doc "ne of the Church
"In order that the different views held in the New Church about the Writings
of Swedenborg may be more fully understood, it is necessary to preface the
treatment of those views with the distinction made in those Writings between
the sense of the letter of the Word and the doctrine of the Church.
The W 0 r d 0 f the L 0 r d is the Divine Truth itself accommodated to
angels and to men. The sense of the letter of the Word is the Word
accommodated to men in the world. This contains within it the Spiritual and
Celestial senses of the Word, and within these, the degrees of the Divine
Truth which are above the Heavens. In this way, the sense of the letter of the
Word contains all the Divine Truth. (See A 1870,4642; HD 252-255; S 1)
The Do c t r i n e 0 f the C h u r c h, on the other hand, is that Truth
which the Church has received out of the Word under illustration from the
Lord. It is that Divine Truth which those who are enlightened by the Lord
receive in their understanding through the sense of the letter of the Word.
More particularly, the genuine Doctrine of the Church is the truth of the
internal sense of the Word which is drawn out of the sense of the letter of the
Word by those who are in illustration from the Lord. The Doctrine of the
Church is not all the Divine Truth that is in the Word. It is that of the Divine
Truth which the Church has received out of the Word." (See: S SO-56; S 57;
A 2762, 9424, 9222) ......
5

cs>r--r //
L>-

0.... I J-..,...
p. <- f.
f t'Y'-- .....f" ......... r-.
View of The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma
"The teaching of The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma
concerning the Writings of Swedenborg is that they are a revelation of the
Truth of the Divine Human of the Lord. This revelation proceeded from the
Lord Himself down to its own ultimate in the world, and contains within it all
the degrees of the Divine Truth. Thus it contains within it the celestial and
spiritual senses which can be communicated to the angels and to the men of
the Church through the sense of its letter as the minds of men are opened to
the Light of Heaven. Thus the spiritual and celestial things of this Word can
be drawn out of the sense of the letter of it by those who are in illustration
from the Lord, and may be given a form in the Doctrine of the Church. The
end of the Church and of the man of the Church is to enter into the life and
faith of the internal sense of this Word. From this comes all the spiritual and
celestial life of the man of the Church. The Writings are thus the Third
Testament of the Word of the Lord.
Some have supposed that the teaching of The Lord's New Church which is
Nova Hierosolyma about the Third Testament is merely a logical upbuilding
upon the teachings of the General Church. They suppose that the teachings of
this Church have 'been drawn in this fashion: The Writings are the Word;
because the Writings are the Word, they have a sense of the letter and an
internal sense in the same way as do the Old and New Testaments; therefore
they are the Third Testament. Such logic may indeed be used to support the
teachings of The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma, but it is
not the origin of it.
The Doctrine of this Church about the Third Testament came into existence
through a perception of the nature of the Writings given by means of a diligent
study of what is taught in the Third Testament about the successive states of
the conjunction of the Lord with the human race (H.D.G. Groeneveld's
addresses no. 9 and 14, see page 17 and 18; ed.]. The study concerned the
states of the conjunction of the Lord with men before His Advent into the
world, concerning the states which existed during and after His Advent, after
the glorification of the Lord's Human, and of the states of conjunction which
can exist now in His Second Advent.
Out of this study it was seen that the Old Testament is a revelation of the
Truth of the Human Divine of the Lord, laid down in ultimates in the world.
The Human Divine was that Human which the Lord then had by transflux
through the Heavens. (See A 6371-6373) The Old Testament contained within
it all the Truth of the Human Divine.
r
When the Lord was in the world He fully glorified or made His
Human. At that time, however, the Lord could not reveal to men the Divine
Truth of His Divine Human, because of the state of the Church and of the
human race then prevailing. It was necessary first that the Lord should give a
(\.....V"- [ revelation of the Truth separated from Human as the Son from the
--- -:> Father. This is why the New Testament presents the Lord as the Son of God.
Through the reception of that truth, through a life devoted to the Lord as the.
<r' Son of God and His Commandments, those of the Christian Church could
) Sf/- <- receive Good from the Lord. This Good was that which enabled every
, Christian who followed the Lord to enter into the New Heaven when that
F J- I Heaven was formed at the time of the Second Coming. The New Testament
was the True proceeding from the Divine Human in the form of that true
which the Lord taught while He was in the world, when as yet with Him the
Di..,ine True had not yet been united to the Divine Good in Him.
1i1HlSSecond Coming the Lord revealed the Divine Truth of His IVllle
Human. This is the Truth of the Divine Rational of the Lord. It has been laid
6
down in ultimates in the Writings of he New Church, which are therefore the
Third Testament of the Word of the Lord. From this idea of the Third
Testament, that it is the Divine Truth of the Divine Human of the Lord, and
that in it the Divine Truth has been accommodated to angels and men, it was
possible to see that the Third Testament in the sense of its letter contains all
the Truth of the Divine Human from firsts to lasts within it, and that it is
Di vine even into its letter. It was also possible to see that therefore the sense
of the letter of the Word of the Third Testament is representative and
significative, and that it must be opend up according to the Divine Order
revealed in it, if the Truths of the Divine Human of the Lord are to become the
Truths of the Church.
From this it is clear that the Third Testament is not the Doctrine of the
Church drawn out of the Old and New Testaments by Swedenborg under
illustration from the Lord. Neither is it the internal sense of the Old and New
Testaments laid bare for the Church. It is a complete revelation in itself of the
Divine Truth of the Divine Human laid down in a letter of its own. It is the
in its fullness in the fullest possible sense. ]n it the Lordls
present with the Church and wills to be received by His Church. And He is
received by the Church more and more interiorly as the Church, under
illustration from the Lord, draws forth the s iritu-ilLand celestial truths
contained in this Testament in its Doctrine. The Order for the opening-011he
_ Third Testament' to its internal sense is set forth in the Arcana Coelestia and in
"the Doctnne concerning the Sacred Scripture. Through this opening of the
Third Testament to its internal sense. the Church will be able to see also the
(
genuine truths of die ola and New Testaments, which had been closed to men
in the fall of the former Churches.
1- thus from a different internal in the Lord than were
the Old and New Testaments. The difference between them is not just an
external difference in the sense of the letter; there is an internal difference, in
that the Old Testament had as its internal the Truth of the Human Divine of the
Lord, the New intemal the
(
Divine Human of the Lord, and the Third Testament has as its internal the
Truth of the Divine Human of the Lord. Each is a complete Divine
Revelation, having all degrees of the Truth within is in its
own series, externally and internally. The relation between them is not that in
the New Testament the Lord merely explained the interior things of the Old
Testament, nor that He, in the Third Testament, only explained some internal
things of the Old and New Testaments. There are many appearances that this
is the case. The relation between them is in the Lord. T ord came into the
.world_and took to Himself the Truth of Human Divine and glorifie(f;"t.
Thus He fulfilled all thmgs of the Word of the Old Testament, and brought all
things of that Testament into the Divine Human form. ]n the New Test'l-ment,
(
He gaye a of in
from_the Dlvme Human. In His Secona Coming, He gave a revelatIOn of the
Divine True of His Divine Human. Each Testament was thus a complete and
distinct revelation proceeding from the Lord.
The Lord came into the world, assumed the Human and made it Divine.
There is thus a great difference in the Human of the Lord, from which is His
Word, before and after His Advent. From this, the relationship of the
three Testaments, one to another, can be understood. And when this is seen,
lTCan beseenthat the Writings are indeed the ThirtTestamenCiaid down in
the world according to all the laws of theaescent of the Word to men, and that
they are to be opened according to the laws of the opening of the Word to its
internal sense."
7
I """"
T 177
But what confidence can be placed in Councils which do n o L ~ r
by the door into the sheepfold, but climh up some other way,
according to the words of the Lord in John (X. I, 9)? Their
deliberations may be compared to the steps of a blind man walking
in the day, or to one who has the use of his eyes in the night, neither
of whom sees the ditch before he falls into it.... But my friend, go to
the God of the Word, and thus to the Word irself, and enter by the
- -- _..
d o ~ . ' into the sheepfold, that is, into rhe church, and you will be
enlightened; and then you will see, as frOf1l 1I mountain, not only the
errors of many others, but also your own former wanderings in the
dark forest at the foot of the mountain.
8
SCRUTARI VERBUM
PASSAGES FROM THE LETTER OF THE WORD
TEACHING THAT HE WHO LOVES TO KNOW
WHAT IS TRUE OUGHT TO "SEARCH THE WORD"
-
(the order of the following passages is simply that of the Arcana Coelcstia numbers)
who could know the quality of the i se,
except from an in$rior examina!ion of the Word, and at the
same time from revelation
From these and the rest of the things here treated oj. it may be evident what is
the quality of the internal sense, and what arcana are contained therein; who
could know, except from an interior examination of the Word lnisi ex
interiore scrutatione Verbi], and at the same time from revelation, that these
words, namely, "Laban ran unto the man outside, unto the fountain" [Genesis
XXIV:29], signify the inclination of the affection of good towards truth
which was to be initiated into Truth Divine? (A 3131)
there are but few who have as their end a desire
of being instructed concerning truth
It is well known that there are many within the church who are affected by the
Word of the Lord, and apply themselves closely to reading it; but still there
are but few who have as their end a desire of being instructed concerning
truth; for they mostly remain in their own particular dogmas, which alone they
endeavor to comfirmfrom the Word. These persons appear as ifthey were in
the affection of truth, but they are not; those only are in the affection of truth
who love to be instructed concerning truths, that is, to know what is true, and
for this end the Scriptures [et ob illam finem scrutari scripturasl. No
one is in this affection unless he is in good, that is, in charity towards the
neighbor, and more so he is who is in love to the Lord; with such persons
good itselfflows in into truth, and constitutes the affection, for the Lord is
present in that good. (A 4368)
don't abide in the doctrinals of the church in which you
are born, but h the Word
Those, however, who are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth and of
life, consequently for the sake of the Lord's kingdom, have indeedfaith in the
doctrinals of the church but the Word [sed usque
Verbum] for no other end than for the sake of truth, and hence they derive
their faith and their conscience. If they are told by anyone that they must
abide in the doctrinals ofthe church in which they were born, they think with
themselves that, if they were born in Judaism, Socinianism, Quakerism,
Christian Gentilism, or even out of the church, the same thing would have
been told them by those among whom they were born, it being the g. e/7eral
cry, "Here is the church; here is the church; here are truths aiidnowhere else;"
(
and7his being (he case, [Fie)' are of opinion that -the-Wora oughtto be
searched, with devout prayer to the Lord for illustration [quod scrutand..1!m
9
Verbum cum devota prece ad Dominum, ut illustratio]. Such do not disturb
anyone within the church, neither do they at any time condemn others,
knowing that everyone, who is a church, lives from his faith. (A 5432)
unless is made from the Word whether the doctrinals of
the church are true, one cannot in any wise be enligthened,
but very few at this day proceed in this way
The doctrinals of the church are first to be learnt, and next sfi1!!.ch is to}!
made from the Word whether they be true [et dein ex Verbo explorandum
"i!uiTI ilia sint vera],. for they are not true because the heads ofthe church have
said so, and their adherents affirm the same; ... From theseconslrerations it is
manifest, that the Word ought to he searcl:JJ!d [quod sit Verbum],
and it ought to be seen there whether doctrinals be true; ... Afterwards when
he has been confirmed, and is thus in the affirmative from the Word that these
things are truths offaith, then it is allowable for him to confirm them by all
the scientifics that are with him, ... By means of scientifics faith is
strengthened: wherefore no one is forbidden {Q search the Scriptures
[quapropter nulli negandum est srutqri scripturas] from the affection of
knowing whether the doctrinals ofthe church, within which he was born, are
true; for unless he does this, he cannot in any wise be enlightened; neither is
he forbidden afterwards to strengthen himself by means of sCientifics; but it is
not allowable for him before. ... Nevertheless, very few at this day proceed in
this way; for the generality, who read the Word, do not read from the
affection of truth, but from the affection of co[lfjrmi'!.K.!!:!e:ejjom the
the church within which the' were born, whatsoever e tneir
quality (A 6047).
he who the Scriptures for the sake of the good of life
is enlightened from the Lord
These things (that the Lord does evil, punishes, and casts into hell) are
predicated of the Lord, because it so appears, whereas every evil, which is
done to a man, is done by the man. There are very many such cases in the
Word, which are evident to anyone that searches the Scriptures from an
affection of truth, and for the sake of the good of life [quae tamen scrutanti
scripturas ... patent], because he is enLightened from the Lord (A 8648).
without searching the Scriptures one cannot know
whether the doctrinals of the church in which one was born
are true or are heresies
But those who are in the genuine affection of truth, that is, who desire to
know truths for the sake of a good use, andfor the sake of life, remain also in
the doctrinals of their Church until they are old enough to begin to think for
themselves; they then search the Scriptures, and supplicate the Lord for
enlightenment [tunc scrutantur scripturas, et supplicant ad Dominum de
illustratione], and when they are enlightened they rejoice from the heart; for
they know that had they been born where another doctrine ofthe Church, yea
where the greatest heresy, prevails, without searching the Scriptures [absque
scrutatione scripturae] from the genuine affection oftruth, they would have
remained in that; (A 8993).
10
REV. ERNST PFEIFFER
CREATING THE
REQUIRED BREEDING GROUND
FOR LAST TESTAMENT SCRUTATORS
THE FORMATION OF
A "SWEDENBORG GEZELSCHAP" IN 1928
"the independent participation of all members of the Church in reading and studying the
Writings will be promoted. We shall consider the possibility of giVIng an opportunity from
time to time to those members who feel able to do so, in the doctrinal class to give an
address in connection with the subject that has been treated or."
Emst Pfeiffer, see text below
On June 19th 1921 Emst Pfeiffer had started in 's-Gravenhage or Den Haag (English: The
Hague) as the first pastor of the First Du/ch Society of the General Church oJ the New
Jerusalem. Within two years, in January 1923, he enriched the young General Church
Society with a within It is in fact
this monthly entitled De Ware Chris/elijke GOilSdiens/ (English: The True Christian
[
Religion) that in January 1930 was renamed De Hemelsche Leer. In addition laY'!1en were
stjmulated to not only at the doctrinal classes, and at the celebrations of the
19th of June and of the New Year, but also at the which were held every last
sunday of the month from 1926 till 1940. Ultimately, in 1928, this to romote the
inde ndent RarticipatiQILof in studying the Writings resulted in
the formation of the SWEDENBORG GEZELSCHAP, in fact the first example of a typical
Hague Position Men's Meeting.
The following text is an extract from a short account of the constituent meeting of this
S\\.'EDENBORG G EZELSCHAP on December 1st 1928, as well as of the two preparatory
meetings on July 30th and October 1st, 1928. The account can be found in the monthly De
Ware Chrislelijke Godsdiens/, January 1929 (MW 1929:2-8). Extracts were published in
English in the FirSl Fascicle of De Hemelsche Leer, The Hague, 1930 (Fasc HL I: 132-136).
The text is verbatim and emphasis is as in the original:
The Council of THE FIRST DUTCH SOCIETY, at the proposal of its president,
had invited to its meeting of Monday, July 30th, 1928, all the male members
of the Church, residing at The Hague. Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer stated that all male
members had been invited to this meeting of the Council in order to consider
the possibilities of promoting the internal and external upbuilding of the
Church. According as a man realizes the nature of the Church and
acknowledges the Divine origin of the Writings, he will be anxious to
cooperate in everything that is suitable as a means of promoting the growth
and the development of the Church.... One would think it was self-evident
that a member of the Church from the beginning should devote himself and all
his life to the service of the Church. But in reality the love of self and the love
of the world over and over again in many respects take the upperhand.
Therefore it is necessary for the Church to be continually on the watch as to
its own state, to carefully guard against standing still and retrogression, and to
seek and make use of all means for an internal deepening and an external
extension.
11
CL 132
(emphasis as in the original)
I was once speaking with two angels: one was from the eastern
heaven, and the other from the southern heaven; who when they
perceived that I was meditating on the arcana of wisdom relating to
conjugial love, said, "Dost thou know anything about the
SCHOOLS OF WISDOM in our world?" I replied, "Not as yet. "And
they said, "There are many; and those who love truths from
spiritual affection, or because they are truths, and because they are
the means of attaining wisdom, meet to ether on a .given signal,
and discuss and draw conclusions about such things as are matters
of deeper understanding."
The first page of the handwriuen Transactions of the Swedenborg Gezelschap has the above
quote on the "Schools of Wisdom" from Conjugial Love 132.
The photocopy below shows the second page with the handwnuen declaration of
principle and the signatures of the ten members who signed it on the constituent meeting
December 1st, 1928. Five members s i ~ l a t e r dates.
12
Our society has now been in existence for seven years, and the documents
on which it and the GENERAL CHURCH have been founded, have recently
been published in the HANDBOEK VOOR DE ALGEMEENE KERK VAN HET
NIEUWE JERUZALEM IN NEDERLAND (Handbook for the General Church of
the New Jerusalem in Holland). The HANDBOOK itself has already directed
our attention to various principles of great practical importance and we
thought it would be of great use if the male members of the Church from time
to time would meet to consider those principles of the HANDBOOK....
A further use that may be expected is that the independent participation of
all members of the Church in reading and studying the Writings will be
promoted. We shall consider the possibility of giving an opportunity from
time to time to those members who feel able to do so, in the doctrinal class to
give an address in connection with the subject that has been treated of. ...
These proposals met with the approval of the gentlemen present. The plan
of giving to those members who considered themselves able to do so an
opportunity from time to time of addressing the doctrinal class, was soon
afterwards carried out with results that surpassed all expectations. We have
had the privilege in the doctrinal class of listening to a series of valuable
papers by Prof. Dr. Ch.H. van Os, Messrs. H.D.G. Groeneveld, NJ.
Vellenga, and J.P. Verstraate on the 29th chapter of Exodus, all of which
gave evidence of a very original, and loyal exegesis. These papers have been
embodied in the TRANSACTIONS OF THE S WEDENBORG GEZELSCHAP and
may there be consulted; Mr. Groeneveld's paper has been published in our
Monthly for December 1928.
In this first preparatory meeting the plans described above were put before
all present and recommended to their consideration. Meanwhile these plans
soon took on a more concrete form. The Council invited all the male members
of the Church residing in The Hague to a meeting at Hotel Duinoord, on
Monday evening, October 1st, 1928, when a preparatory discussion was held
for constituting a SWEDENBORG GEZELSCHAP.... As the purpose of the
Society to be constituted, the programme detailed by Rev. Pfeiffer in the
meeting of the Council of July 30th was accepted.... It was reolved to meet
on Saturday, December 1st, for the purpose of constituting the SWEDENBORG
GEZELSCHAP.
On Saturday, December 1st, 1928, the SWEDENBORG GEZELSCHAP was
constituted. Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer proposed the following declaration of
principle:
"We the undersigned have united into a SWEDENBORG GEZELSCHAP for
the purpose of cooperating towards the internal and external upbuilding ,QLthe
Church, by the expounding of the WoraJil the light of the Doctrine of the
Church, and by our devotion to the principles of that Doctrine".
In his elucidation of this declaration of principle Rev. Pfeiffer referred to
the teaching of the Writings, that the Word without Doctripe cannot be
understood. It is even said: 'The Word without Doctrine is as a candlestick
without light". This truth is taught and explaineo'inmany passages in the
Writings. A few of the most important are S .50-61; A 2496-5288, also 2761
and 2855-2859; P 154-174; and in general all the passages treating of
\, "Abimelech", "Beershebah", and the "White Horse".
By the doctrine here is not meant the HEAVENLY DOCTRINE itself, for this
is the Word itself [note that here it still is the Third that is called the
Heavenly Doctrine; ed.J; but it is the doctrine which the Church and every
member of the Church more and more develops for himself.
here meant is therefore ever again and ever more by...thQe
I
13
w,Di> are progressingjn regeneration; and in the same way the doctrine of the
Church as a whole and of every society of the Church.... Clear examples of
the doctrine of the Church are the documents that have been published in the
HANDBOOK.
This "Doctrine of the Church", however, is the true doctrine onl when i.t
has been drawn froID the literal sense of the Word in a state 0 illustration and
iT it iscoIifirmed by"th-<idheraTSen-se.Tf this is the case, then "the Doctrine
also is the Lord" (cf. A chapter XX, and n. 2859). This however in no way
means that the doctrine of the Church, like the Word itself, is infallible. For
teachings may creep into the doctrine originating not from a state of
illustration, but from the man himself. But it does mean that if the doctrine
originates from a state of illustration, thus from the affection of truth, that
doctrine is the Lord Himself.
For this reason "the expounding WgrcLin the light of the of
the Church" has been chosen for the guiding thought of the declaration of
principle; and it was added: "the devotion to the principles of that Doctrine",
as from the beginning the strengthening of the church-life has been one of the
most important ends in view.
The following gentlemen were present, who all signed the declaration of
principle: Messrs. l.A. Scholtes, Dr. F. van der Feen. Rev. E. Pfeiffer, J.L.
Teerlink, J.P. Verstraate, D. van der Loos. E. hancis, P. Geluk, H.D.G.
Groeneveld, and NJ. Vellenga. The GEZELSCHAP was
hereby constituted. Prof. Dr. Ch.H. van Os and Mr. W. Schoonboom on
account of ill health, and Mr. FA. Lans for another reason, excused
themselves from attending the meeting.
Address by Harrie Groeneveld. January 1st 1930;
HL 1930:32, Fasc HI. I: 18
'The seed that has now been given to the Church contains within it
the Doctrine of the Church, within \\ hich i .. present the
Doctrine. What has been revealed in the :!:!nd \'erse of the 21st
---'
I chapter of the Revelation of John will tx: true: "And I saw no
I temple therein, for the Lord God A/mu:"f' (/flJ fhe Lamb are the
temple of it". For no longer will the truth, ,u,:h a, they appear in the
literal sense of the Word be the basis for th," Church. but the s iritual
things that are enclosed therein. It is the celestial Doctrine therefore
the Lord Himself, who will guide the Church.
All the rest depends on the development of the Doctrine of the
Church."
14
"HAGUE POSITION" NAMED
AFTER "THE HAGUE" BECAUSE OF THE
COPERNICUS IN NEW CHURCH THOUGHT:
HARRIE D. G. GROENEVELD
A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST
OF GROENEVELD'S 37 ADDRESSES AND PAPERS
"At the time that the Doctrine was first given he lived on Copemicus Street in the Hague.
This appears in a way symbolic, for as Copemicus was the one who changed the whole
view of the physical universe, it was through Mr. Groeneveld from the Lord that
the whole viewing of the Word was revolutionized."
Theodore Pi tcairn, Address at the
Memorial Meeting for Mr. Groeneveld, Bryn Athyn, December 4, 1969
CoperniCDS
As the "Copemicus in New Church thought" Harrie Groeneveld (1893-1 %9)
not only revolutionized the whole viewing ont e Word/but simultaneously
also the whole viewing of what is Doctrine.
Harrie Groeneveld had come into contact with Swedenborg's writings
givep.-6y January
and February f924. Together with his wife, arie, 1. Groeneveld-Leder, e
haa een baptized as member of the irst DutchSociety of t.heGeneral
Church of the New Jerusalem on June 27th, 1926. These are the years that
Ernst Pfeiffer was promoting-lhe independent participati_o!1 of all members in
stuayiQ-g f[Uhird-Testame_nt.-Tlie-tradilion to hold sogal suppe s dunng
which laymen could give addresses started in October 1926. The formationof
the Swedenborg Gezelschap followed on December 1st 1928. It is around that
time that, by means of a diligent study of the successive churches and the
successive revelations (December 30th, 1928, The Coming of the Lord for
Conjunction with the Church, no. 9 in the list below), the 35-years-old Harrie
Groeneveld was given to perceive that the Third Testament is the only
revelation of the Truth of the glorified Divine Human (see P.N. Odhner's
Doctrinal Views, above p. 6). This Truth, laid down in the letter
of the Last Testament, is the Divine Rational which like the Divine Human did
not exist before His glorification. As a consequence the Third or Last
Testament became not only a complete and independent revelation in itself,
but even the crown of all the revelations since the creation of the world. This
is why the later Nova Hierosolyma Church (since 1937) always has one of
the books of the Last Testament oiltIle' altar.
Shortly after, by means of another diligent study, this time of the 12th,
20th and 26th chapter of Genesis in the Arcana Coelestia (their first Dutch
by A. had just been published), Harrie Groeneve awas
given to see that here was described how the rational of man must be develop-
ed or opened in order to an perception of of the
Divine Rational (February 2nd, 1929, The Doctrriie OTrhe Church, no. 10 in
the list). It is only by this influx from the Lord in the up to the ce!estia!..9Rened
rational of man that the genuine Doctrine of the Ch!!LCh comes into existence.
As a consequence the Last Testament, that is the Divine Rational in ultima-
and the Doctrine, that is the Divme Rational.received by interna percep-
were now seen as most distinct discrete deorees, the oneoecoming "the
15
clouds" or the outside Letter from which all possible heresies may be derived,
the other becoming "tile 010 -=-.or.J.he inside Divine i x in man's rational
without which the Let er of he Wordlremains as a candlestick without light.
Thus Groeneveld's Copel1!!.can revolution implied that he showed us that
the letter of the ThirdtrestaI.!!.ell also, notwithstanding its intellectual logic, is
written in appearances of truth and cannot be understood without the
enlightenment f the Lord that gQeUJarallel with the tion rocess.
At the time the realization that with "the literal sense, even of the ritings,
EVERYTHING, but also NOTHING, has been given to man" (HI 1930:90 ;
Fasc HI 1:28) made a tremendous impact. Suddenly the ThirdJestament; in
stead of an open book, became as a mine whose deep depths, fuTIOCgoloand
silver, are opened only according to man's understanding of it (after T 244).
The realization of the other far-reaching consequence, namely the removal of
thedistiIlc.fum between priests and laymen'with regard to the deve opment of
doctrine, went more-smootli y.
justification list of papers
Harrie Groeneveld used to say that it would be wrong to publish his papers
separately because they cannot be detached from the context within which
they came into being. Notwithstanding that opinion he certainly has had no
objections against the publication in the January 1938 issue of De Hemelsche
Leer of a list of his papers (HL 1938:3 i -32; not published in the English
Fascicles). In that publication the readers, shortly after the far-reaching events
of 1937 (see below p. 23), were asked to "again pay attention to these
addresses" with which everything had started. The major part of the list below
is based upon this list. It had 32 unnumbered items and covered the period
1927-1937. Although Groeneveld's name was not mentioned in the
publication itself, in the index of the 1938 volume the list was placed under
his name. This certainly does suggest that Groeneveld is the author of the
"Letter of resignation of the members of the Hague Society from the General
Church of the New Jerusalem" (list no. 32) also. The fact that editor Rev.
Emst Pfeiffer's did not place any of his own addresses on the list, can be seen
as a sign that he thought Harrie Groeneveld's papers to be of special
significance. But he did mention his extensive elucidations of some of
Groeneveld's addresses (nos. 9,10, 14, and 18), although not as individual
items. In the list below we have done the same.
For nos. 33-37 covering the period 1938-1949 the
is based on a handwritten list made by Wil Perizonius (Mr.
W.H.Th.-E-erizonius LL.M.) shortly after 1949. Being a close riend of
Harrie Groeneveld, there is I1()dou t that Perizonius had consulted
Groeneveld in compiling his list. Therefore we have followed Wil Perizonius
in presenting the Principles and Plan of Order as well as Groeneveld's
address to the members of the Church in America who just had accepted those
principles under no. 36, and in presenting the Summary of the Development
of the Principles of the Church under no. 37. From the
{ period after 1949 no public doctrinal addresses or papers by Groeneveld are
\ known to exist.
discussion list of papers
This list clearly shows how the chronology of the presentations
differs from the chronology of the publications. The first four addresses, for
example, were published only after the publication of the important address
no. 9. The list also shows which fifteen addresses had been read at the time
when it was decided t. change the of monthly De Ware Christeli.i.!!!!
16
Godsdienst into De Hemelsche Leer. To the English readers the list indicates
that for instance first eignraDd the TaStfour adaresses never appeared in
f However, some of-Olesenave been published in English
elsewhere and many others have at least been translated (tr. av. =translation
available). Only four papers may never have been translated into English.
"WE REQUEST OUR READERS TO AGAIN PAY ATTENTION
TO THE FOLLOWING CHRONOLOGICALLY LISTED
ADDRESSES AND PAPERS WHICH HAVE BEEN
PUBLISHED IN THE MONTHLIES DE WARE CHRISTELI]KE
GODSDIENST AND DE HEMELSCHE LEER" (HL 1938:31)
no. title published
date in Dutch in English
1 Matthew XXI:28-32
24th April 1927 MW 1929:67-71 - (tr. av.)
2 Luke VIII:16-18
29th May 1927 MW 1929:225-229 - (tr. av.)
3 Matthew V:38-42
28th August 1927 MW 1929:45-48 - (tr. av.)
4 The Value and Functiou of the Natural
27th Nov. 1927 MW 1929:91-95 - (tr. av.)
5 The Nineteenth of June 1928
19th of June 1928 MW 1928:75-78 - (tr. av.)
6 On the Appearing of the Handbook
August 1928 MW 1928:81-84 - (tr. av.)
7 Impressions of the Assembly
30th Sept. 1928 MW 1928: 116-119
8 The Lord's Omnipotence through Movement and Uplifting
15th Nov. 1928 MW 1928:121-132 - (tr. av.)
9 The Coming of the Lord for Conjunction with the Church
30th Dec. 1928 MW 1929:38-45 Fasc HL IlI:86-9O
_Elucidation by Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer
6th Dec. 1930 HL 1931 :346-365 Fasc HL III :90-108
10The Doctrine of the Church
2nd Febr. 1929 HL 1930:20-23 Fasc HL 1:14-17
by Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer
1st Febr. 1930 HL 1930:140-150 Fasc HL 1:56-65
110ur Methods of External Evangelization
6th April 1929 HL 1930:40-44
12The Nineteenth of June 1929
19th June 1929 MW 1929:113-118 - (tr. av.)
17
I
I
no. title published
13Discussion Addresses by Prof. van Os and J.P. Verstraate
27th July 1929 HL 1930:69-70
14The Coming of the Lord in the Doctrine of the Church
29thSept.1929 HL 1930:109-115 FascHLI:38-43
by Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer
3rd May 1930 HL 1930:177-192 Fasc HL 1:82-95
HL 1930:225-230 Fasc HL 1:127-131
15Discussion Addresses by N.J. Vellenga LL.M. and E. Francis
5th Oct. 1929 HL 1930:82-83
16At the first Appearing of the "Hemelsche Leer"
January 1930 HL 1930:9-10 Fasc HLI:II-D
17The New Year
IstJanuary 1930 HL 1930:31-32 Fasc HL I: 17-18
19th June 1930 HL 1930:241-246 Fasc HL 111:3-8
Elucidation by Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer
11 April 1931 . HL 1932:153-175 Fasc HL IV:3-23
19The Regeneration of the Natural
26th Oct. 1930 HL 1930:322-325 Fasc HL III:9-12
20Life according to the Doctrine of the Church
30th Nov. 1930 HLI931:57-60 fascHLIII:33-36
21 Matthew VII:24-27
Ist January 1931 HL 1931:7-9 fasc HL 1ll:13-15
22The Review of De Hemelsche Leer in "eM Church Life by
Rev. H.Lj. Odhner
7th February 1931 HL 1932:34-U Fasc HL Ill: 136-144
23Mark XI:27-33
29th March 1931 HL 1931:329-3.\4 bs, HL III:73-78
19th June 1931 HL 1931 hi St HL IlI:44-48
25The New Year
1st January 1932 HL 1932:6-8 hiS, HL 1ll:109-112
26Discussion Address by Bishop de Charms, The Inte
rior Understanding of the .. Nov. 1931
7th May 1932 HL 1933:245-249 rase HL V:76-80
19th June 1932 HL 1932:198-202 Fasc HL IV:31-35
18
no. title published
28Matthew XXIII:37-39
29th October 1933 HL 1933:331-338 Fasc HL III:I09-116
290n the occasion of the Dedication of the new church-building
28th October 1934 HL 1934:312-315 Fasc HL Vl:3-5
19th June 1935 HL 1935:195-199 Fasc HL Vl:33-36
31 Account of what had taken place in Bryn Athyn
21st April 1937 HL 1937:211-212 Fasc HL Vl1:123,124
32Letter of resignation of the members of the Hague Society
from the General Church of the New Jerusalem
29th August 1937 HL 1937:253-256 Fasc HL Vl1:126-129
19th June 1938 HL 1938: 193-197 Fasc HL Vl1:292-295
~ - _ .
19th June 1939 HL 1939:165-168 ~ ! J I : 10-13, June 1940
19th June 1941 HL 1941:109-112 Th. Pitcairn, doct. class,
April 11, 1958
HB 1985:14-30
HL 2001:25-31
- (tr. av.)
37Summary of the Development of the Principles of the Church
August 1949 HL 1949:1-5 HB 1985:3-8
HB 1987: 1.3-10 HL 2001:37-40
Th. Pitcairn, The Beginning and Development
of Doctrine in the New Church, Bryn Athyn 1968, p. 41
"It was seen in Holland! that the Doctrine of the ChJl!ch is described
as to its essence and origin in the twentieth chapter of Genesis as
explained in the Arcana Coelestia; and the states of the Church and
of the man of the Church leading up to the formation of Doctrine, and
the states following the giving of Doctrine, have been considered in
articles and sermons."
19
A 6047
no one is forbidden {o searc}t negandum est
scrutari scripturas1from the a ection 0 knowing whether the
doctrinals of the church, within which he was born, are true; for
unless he does this, he cannot in any wise be enlightened; neither is
he forbidden afterwards to strengthen himself by means of
scientifics; but it is not allowable for him before.
THE IMPACT OF AN
ENCOUNTER WITH THE NEW DOCTRINES
PROCLAIMED FROM THE HAGUE
THORSTEN SIGSTEOT'S EXAMPLE
"I was ready for an independent truth for its own sake, and ...
prayed to the Lord for enlighlenmentto let me see the truth whatever it
Thorsten Sigstedl, see text below
The letter by which Thorsten Sigstedt asked RI. Rev. George de Charms for his resignation
a member of the General Church not only gives us a good idea of the impact that the new
views from The Hague caused at the time, but also offers a shining example of some one
who thoroug.!!ly made sea!:ch from Ifie _Last the doctrinals of the church
be true. The letter, dated April 24, 1937, has been published earlier in the pamphlet: "The
Crisis in the General Church" (Th. Piteairn, H. Boef, M. Leonard, L.D. Odhner, E.O.
Ridgway, Th. I. Sigstedt eds., issue June 1937, pp. 13-16). A Dutch translation can be
found in De Hemelsehe Leer 1937 (HL 1937:235-239). The text is verbatim and emphasis
is as in the original:
Rt. Rev. George de Channs,
Acting Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.
Dear Bishop de Channs:
Eighteen years ago I entered the New Church from the Old Church. After
only one hour's reading of Giles' "S_wedenborg, the SQiritual Coltlmbus," I
had a clear perception that tl1eWritings of Emanuel Swedenborg were Divine
Truth. After reading in rapid succession one of these Sacred Scriptures after
20
\,.' /,
J e.) ---;;., "" ....J.J
L I ...
iJ, t-
the other, I became more and more convinced that they were a Divine
Revelation, the Lord in His Second Coming.
When later told that they were to be calledfI'he Word j I saw that
statement as a truth immediately, because what IS the Lord is also "The
;Word." My understanding then about that doctrine, was that the Old
Testament'and the New lestamentlwere;the WordJas to its literal sense, the
-Writings of Swedenborg beTng its' tema---se and, as such, a part of that
WOdJ
I
After nine years of intense reading of these Heavenly Doctrines with deep
affection, I came to America from Sweden. From tbat time began a decline in
my affection for the Writings. (I want it to be understood that I do not
attribute or connect that state in any way with the Church here.) 1
felt troubled over that state, and so..Qid IllY wife. I lost interest in reading the
everything pertaining to the Church became more or less a
matter orduty. Of course, I had delight in it, but I diq not hQ!y fire in
i! anY_IDQre. I in a state of slee . My excuse, or thought, was
11
tbat I had read so much from t e had not been in my life
that I had to stop for a while and digest it.
When I first heard about the "new position" I did not want to judge it
before seeing what it was all about, but my external life, my work at that time,
absorbed too much of my interest. I did not take the time to investigate the
matter, so that when the Rev. E. Pfeiffer and the Rev. Theodore Pitcaim came
to Bryn Athyn in 1933 to explain "the new doctrine," I was bitterly opposed
to them, from the fact that my whole doctrinal belief was chaIJenged. My
opposition was strengthened by that, that dOl .ne was branded by the leaders
of the Church as a subtle and_deadly falsity. When Mr. Pfeiffer left the
battleground, tIL:Y.. ...!J1jnd aoain, or lapsed into its former
(
state of indifference.
A year passed.
Then something happened. Some of the believers in "the new position,"
more for fun or to get some excitement, tried to start a discussion, but to their
and even my own surprise, I did not feel hostile against that movement any
Ilonger. 1was for an independent searcl:L.furJmtb for its own sake, and
l when told by them not to read the magazine "De Hemelsche Lee" t..!..o read
the "New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrines" see
find anything there contrary to the doctrine that the Writings were
I the WQ!41in fullness, having both an external and . le at sense, I
I
considered that a fair thing to do. I prayed to the Lord for enlightenment to let
me see the truth whatever it was.
I read the treatise through, including all the passages in Arcana Coelestia. I
contemplated and pondered and gave myself time to see the truth. It took me
half a year, and I saw very few things that could be taken to be contrary to the
idea that iheWor!Jofthe New Church Worcflinfullness. Instead, I
oJJnd '!!1 of confirmation for the same. When reading passages in
the WOf.<JJin that light, they opened up new truths I had not seen before. I felt
a great which to me was a confirmation of the truth which
I saw the word.
First a year ater did I talk to one of the men that started me on that new
excursion in the Heavenly realm of Doctrines, surprising him again by being
affirmative. I asked for some explanations and got some articles, written by
ministers believing in the New Doctrine. I saw that their presentation of the
Doctrines of the Church were true. I saw that the key or door for interior
understanding of the Ne\y proclaimed from the Hague, was the ..(
above-mentioned new understanding ofthe the Wo.!d ./ ).
21
1

given to His New Church. If' hat doorIS not entered, the doctrines we claim
to be Divine Truths, are seen onry from without. When entered, or believed,
they are seen from within.
In writing this extensive description, or rather confession, dear Bishop, of
the development of the Church within myself, I want to convey to you that
my acceptance of this new is not caused by persuasion, nor is it
influenced by spheres, but iCiscaused by an interior change of affection fex
truth, and I hope also, this account will, in its small measure, help to pave a
way to a real understanding of our positjon. It is my deepest conviction, from
calm deliberation, that it is an develpment of the New Church, and
not, as the leaders in the General Church nowseem to see it, a falsity caused
( by persuasion.
This least of all, would want to injure, and much less to
destroy, anything of good and truth in the Lord's New Church on earth. On
the contrary, our whole-hearted effort is to further the growth of that Church.
I. think that this is our common purpose, and that it will be best achieved -iT we
(
on account of our doctrinal differences. On that ground I
sincerely wish that a spirit of charity will prevail between.us.
The General Church is, to all of us, as a mother, especially as it was in its
early state, as expressed in the doctrines of the If you love that
Academy SO DO WE. As to the separation, I am sorry that you felt it
) impossible to meet Mr. Pitcairn's and Mr. Pfeiffer's proposaUor an
inde within the extensive arms of a Genera Church. It
would have been possl-ble. I think, if you had considered that they have not
given up, or refuted, the doctrines of the Academy. Having your mind fixed
on, and bound by an external organization, you could not see and meet that
proposition in the spirit in which it was made. You misundertood it so
completely that you made it out to be the main offense against the
Church. To my judgment a most fatal mistake, as I fear it makes a complete
f
separation going through the whole General Church, inevitable.
Before bringing this to a close I would like to state something of my
present doctrinal belief.
1. I believe th,at the "V(Jitipgs of Emanuel Swedenborg," being a "Divine
Revelation" are I'The Word,jand that of the Church, or
Genuine aI-awn from the Wordjand confirmed by the letter
of The Word, especially by the letter oftlieword of the Lord's Second
Coming. I believe given to man on earth, is written on the
natural plane and is knowledges, primarily about how to live a good life,
knowledges about the internal, spiritual and celestial senses, thus also part of
that sense. Through this men can, when enlightened by the Lord, see
something of the r!<aLspirimat "For the Lord does not openly teach anyl
one truths, but through good leads to the thinking of what is true." A 5952. J
2. I believe that the Holy Spirit operates in man, conscious to man.
3. I believe that Goods and Truths, in heaven, are Divine, accommodated
to the understanding of angels and men, as if they were in which
Divine Goods and Truths the Lord can dwell with man In what is His Own.
On account of these my beliefs and for reasons stated above, on account of
of leaders of Gen.eral against
'as expressed dunng recent MIllister's MeetIngs, I hereWIth ask for my
resignation as a member 0 t e Genera Cllurch of the New Jerusalem.
With reverence and sincere affection, I remain,
Yours truly.
THORSTEN SIGSTEDT. Bryn Athyn, April 24, 1937.
22
THE SEPARATION
FROM THE GENERAL CHURCH IN 1937
A COMMENTARY BY ERNST PFEIFFER
The following is a section taken from Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer's A commenzary on the report of
the annual council meetings of the GeneraL Church oJ the New JerusaLem, April 1937 (Fasc
HL VII: 151, 152). The Dutch original can be found in the 1937 September-October issue of
De Hemelsche Leer (HL 1937:333,334). The newly separated church first called itself The
Lord's New Church One year later this was changed into the familiar
The Lord's New Church w/liel i ..2EL.Hi.!rosolyma. The text is verbatim:
We read in th[Arcana Coelestia n. 18340 that the state of the Church is
treated of there: When the Church-trnrised up by the Lord it is in the
beginning blameless and the one then loves the other as his brother ... but in
process of time charity grew cold and vanished away; and as it is vanished,
evil succeeded, and together with these falsities insinuated themselves. Hence
came schisms and heresies, which would never be the case if Charity were
regnant and alive, for!hen they would not even Cflll schism schism, or heresy
[
heresy, but q.f!.o<;JrinaiJiiiilZe-ill.flCcor..dtmce with 's2Qinign; and
this they would leave to each person's conscience, provided such doctrinal
matter did not deny .....
I
The external motive of the controversy between the leaders of the General
Church and those who accept the new position was of a doctrinal nature.
From the number quoted it is clear that this in itself - if there had not come to
it an element of difference of quite another kind - could never have led to a
real estrangement and still less to If in the Church charity reigns then
doctrinal differences do not lead to an on the contrary in the end
they contribute to the deepening_qf !he
Church. If however a doctrinal difference leads to and schism it
is a proof that chanty has grown cold; and as charity vanishes evils succeed,
and with the evil things false things insinuate themselves, thence schisms and
r
heresies. This is the teaching of the Word about the origin and essence of
schisms, and only in the light of this teaching will it be possible to understand
in its essence the separation from the General Church, which has now taken
place.
Seven years ago the Society in The Hague brought before the attention of
the General Church a series of principles of a quite new insight into
Wrilings-cl.-S\Vedenborg. In a brief sU/imaJ:y_these new
principles are as follows: The Writings of Swedenborg are for
Church; the Church can only receive the spirit or essential things I
of Word by the Doctrine of the GellUin.e e out of(fhis Word It is by '2
this DOctnne that the <2f!J ecomes more and morefthe Word for the Church.
And it is only by lliis Doctrine that the church becomes more and more the
Church, and in an into genuine internaU.!lLngs, for the at!
of the Church is out of7the Wordjand it is they who are in the true things out ]
ofgood or in faith out o/charity who make the Church, and it iSJ..he Doctrine
that teaches those things; thence it is that the Lord, as He is Wora.\is also
the Doctrine of the Church,for all DoctrLIle...LLQut of the These
new principles have been drawn out of the and t ey af'e confirmed
by the plain teachings of the \\>'9rd!itself. --
These principles, which we saw as the genuine fruits of a sincere searching
23
- -- - --
--
after the inte!i2!Jrye, and which we saw were to bring an essential renewal of
the Church, were not accepted by the leaders of the General Church according
to the intention with which we had made them known. The essence and the
hi oh im orta.!lce new lies herein, that by the of the
Gen . ue, such as It can only be received in a regenerate rationa and
only in illustration, the proprium of man in a more interior, and on that
account more essential, way can be seen, attacked, and subjected, and that by
A. this for the first time the be_opened for a real ruli of the Lord 0
'\., imself in the human mind and in the Church. This is tlie true slgm lCance of
tense of the new principles; but they were taken as an attack on the existing
organization of the Church.
E2424
(emphasis added)
This may be illustrated by a comparison with those stomachs of
birds and terrestrial animals, which are called ruminant stomachs;
into these they first collect their food, and afterwards J! ' rf:..egrep
take_it and eaUt, and so nourish the blood, whence it
becomes incorporated into their /ife\ To those stomachs man's
memory corresponds, which he enjoys in the place of them, because
he is spiritual. Into this he first collects spiritual foodI, which
c0TlJ.i$.LQtknowledges, and afterwards O/,ft, as it were, by
2... ruminating, that is, by thinking and willing, and appropriates them
to himself, and thus makes them part of his life.\ From this
comparison, trifling as if may appear, it is obvious that, unless
knowledges are implanted in the life, bY-fhinking and willi'2g them,
and thence by doing them, they are like foods which remain
unmasticated in the ruminant stomachs, where they either become
putrid, or are vomited out. MOREOVER, THE CIRCLE OF MAN'S
LIFE IS TO KNOW, TO UNDERSTAND, TO WIll, AND TO DO; FOR
THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF MAN COMMENCES FROM A
THENCE IT IS CONTINUED INTO UNDERSTANDING, AFTER
WARDS INTO WILLING, AND LASTLY INTO DOING. From this it is
'r
also evident, that knowledges in the memory are only in the
entrance to the life, and that they are not fully in the man until they
are in his deeps; also, that they are more fully in his deeds the more
fully they are in his understanding and will.
24
NOVA HIEROSOLYMA'S STRUGGLE FOR AN
APPROPRIATE EXTERNAL
in this Church there wiLL be not any external separated from the internal, R 918
-
1
The 1947 Principles and Plan of Order,
a to-setup a cl1urc.!bbased
on the principle that the developme!!t_of is
the function of all men
Moreover, the circle ofman's life is 10 know, 10 understand, 10 will, and 10 do;jor the
spiriluallife of man commences from knowing, thence it is colllinued into understanding.
afterwards into willing, and lastly inlO doing.
E 242
4
, see opposite page
In the Principles and Plan of Order (not a treatise composed by Harrie Groeneveld alone, but
mentioned under no. 36 on the list of his addresses; see p. 19) the principles of order which
must govern the formation of the visible church are set forth. The document was approved
by the American and Dutch members of The Lord's New Church which is Nova
Hierosolyma on April 6th and June 15th, 1947.
In the reproduction below the section entitled Principles of Doctrine and of Order is
unabridged, but the section Plan of Order has been limited to the passage dealing with The
order of the line of the men of the church. For the full text see the Handbook J
New Church Which Is Nova Hierosolyma, Sryn Athyn 1985, pp, !4-30. A Dutch
translation had already been published at the time of their acceptance in De Hemelse Leer,
special issue, June 1947, pp. I-B. A second Dutch translation is given in Handbo!!.k_.!:!!n J
des Heren Nieuwe Kerk zijnde Nova Hierosolyma, pp. 2.2-17..
The quoted text is verbatim, only the capitalization is different and the headings In iiaIics arc
orl.ht
NOVA DOMINI ECCLESIA QUAE EST NOVA HIEROSOLYMA
PRINCIPLES AND PLAN OF ORDER
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL GQVERMENT OF THE CHURCH
Recommended by the Provisionallnlernational Council for acceptance by aLL Bodies of the
Church. March 27th, 1947
On February 5th of this year [1947; ed.] the International Council of Priests
appointed a Provisional International Council to condsider and set forth the
r.rinciples of order which must govern the formation of the visible church,
and to recommend to the church a lan of Order [or the governmen 0 e
clwr..h as a whole, among all lands. Messrs. H.D.G. Groeneveld and Anton
telling, and the Revs. Ernst Pfeiffer, Theodore Pitcairo and Philip Odhner,
were appointed to this Council. This council appointed Mr. Pfeiffer as its
chairman and Mr. Odhner as its secretary....
The proposed plan is still of a provisional nature both by reason of the fact
J1- 5"
I
25
that many things of the order seep have yet to be infilled ... and because there
is as yet lacking a grouna Ofexperience in this field....
Principles of Doctrine and of Order
internal sense the erui ofthe church, sense 0 the letter the basis ofthe church
The-point-io which the attention of the counciTwas directed is this, that
whereas the end of the church is to enter and receive in mind and heart the
spiritual and celestial things of the internal sense of the Word, the basis of the
church, the basis for its entry into those things, is ever in the sense of the
letter of the Word. The internal sense of the Word cannot be entered by man
genuinely except on the basis of a life changed and purified by the true things
of life seen in the sense of the letter of the Word. And if on such a basis of the
natural life there has been an entrance into some things of the internal sense,
yet these interior true things cannot remain genuine in the church, nor can the
church be given anything further of the internal sense, except insofar as those
interior true things already seen again descend and are as it were given flesh
by being given a natural quality through the calling forth of new truths of life
in the sense of the letter of the Word which lead to further repentence of life
on the part of the men of the church, to further change and purification of the
natural mind of man. In this way the things of the internal sense of the Word
gradually attain their own plane in the natural mind of man, and that mind is
also further prepared for entrance into the internal sense of the Word.
circle ofspirit arui life
I
In this it is seen that in that internal church which is to come into existence for
the sake of the salvation of the human race, there is a circle of life and light
from the Lord, a circle of spirit and of life which the Word in itself is, and
into which the church must come. This circle begins in its visible form with
the true which calls men to to purification of the
naturalJife. It then leads through the opening_oLthe.iuternaLI!!an to
of in the reception of the internal true and good things
of doctrine, and from thence it proceeds again downward or outward to the
3
takijlKQll of new and more interior truths ofjjfe in the sense of the letter of the
Word for the further change of the natural mind. Within this circle is the
proper life of the church. In the filling of it lies the regeneration of mankind.
In it the Lord Himself is the wa th t th and the life, and He in His Divine
Human lives in man and man in im. In this circrei's the daily giving of His
body and blood, the daily feeding on the bread and wine of His holy
communion.
the desce1J!iing li!!! and the ascending live
In this circle, in relation to the common body of the church, two lines are
visible. One is the descending line, the line wherein the truths for the natural
mind from the sense of the letter of the Word provide a natural quality for the
true things of doctrine and thus prepare man for a further opening of the
internal. The other line is the line of ascent into the interior understanding of
the Word wherein the doctrine of the church is brought into existence. It can
be seen that the descending line, looking downwards and outwards to men's
repentance, to the changing of his natural life, involves all the things of the
priestly function, which is to teach truths out of the Word according to the
doctrine of the church and thereby lead to the good of life. In this line also lie
all things of the external government of the church, that is, the government of
the appearing or visible church, for this government is the giving and
maintaining of external form and order to internal principles, that the life of
26
the church may ever be in a receptive state in its looking inward to the Lord in
His Word. All things of this line have as their object the protection and
support of that which is genuine in the natural life and the changing to a new
and more interior life. On the other hand the ascending line has as its object
the opening of the understanding of the Word, the doctrine of the church, in
which the internal of life is given. The descending line gives natural form or
body to the things of the ascending line, and for this reason wherever there is
question of giving natural or appearing form to any development in the visible
church, the function of the priesthood is involved.
government church lies with [2.riesth!!!Jd and has as its ultimate end entrance
by all into ascending line
From these considerations it was seen that the government of the church as a
visible or natural body lies in the function of the priesthood, even as is taught
in the literal sense of the Third Testament, "Prefects over those things with
men which are of heaven, or over ecclesiastical things, are called priests, and
their office, the priesthood." (BD 314) (In thus returning to this first principle
of order for the government of the church stated in the letter of the Word, it is
here perhaps in order to say on behalf of the existing priests of the church that
in the definition of the priestly line outlined above they see a whole new life
for their existence; and that consequently there can be no claiming of the
government of the church to themselves by virtue of the mere fact that they
have been priests in the past; rather there can only be the living prayer that
they might now enter and worthily perform that funcion as it is now seen and
understood.) In stating that the government of the church as a visible or
natural body lies with the priesthood, it must also be stated that such
government has as its ultimate end the entrance by all in the church into that
other most essential line, which by way of differentiation we may call the line
of the men of the church, through which there is advance on the part of the
church into the understanding of the Word, and from which there arises those
internal principles of doctrine which internally govern all things of the church.
principle that government church lies with is not new, but is now
seen in an entirely new way
This first principle of order for the government of the church, namely, that the
goverment of the visible or appearing church lies with the is not
new as to its external form. It has already been seen in the Word and put into
practice by the General Church. It has thus been said that already in the
General Church the line of the priesthood had received the freedom of its
function. Yet it will appear directlyfrom the consideration concerning the
principle of the line of the men of the church that this first principle is now
seen in an entirely new way.
the church now recognizes function andfreedom Q! all men to enter upon the
develol2
men
U!L4rx:trlrz
e
principle that there is nQJ!jEin(Jjon.betw...een priests cmd)aymen in ascending
line is distinctive new thing that qualifies this church
The second principle of order arising out of the general principle of doctrine
stated above is, that with regard to the ascending line, or the line of the men of
( the church, there is no distintion since the
\ entrance into the Word and thus the drawing of doctrine
of the church out of the Word,Jis of the spiritual function of all men. In
further acknowledgment of the great and essential importance of this line in
the circle of the church, it is needed to state that the ..!.ecognizes the
27
f!mstion and freedom of all men in the church to enter upon the development
r
of its doctrine, and also recognizes me need for the organic formation and
, development of this line within the church, In the recognition, formation and
ordering of the organic forms or bodies for this line there lies that distinctive
new thing that qualifies the whole order of this church, and which
I
[
distinguishes it even externally from all preceding bodies of the church. IUs
for chuJJ;:h to see that their_trueJreedom lies in .!his
and not in the partaking in the ex.ternal goverment of the church.
(junction,women'is to put to life all things ofdescending line with aim to create
optimal natural life necessary for junction ofascending line
In that circle of life seen as the life of the church as a whole, it can be seen that
the WomanoI the church also has her complete and most essential part. The
quality and strength of a woman from creation, into which she must enter
more and more in regenenitiOii, is that she perceives and receives rational
truths in natural forms, and nourishes and carcs for them in sucnforms. In
the use of this faculty of the woman the spirit of the church enters into the
most ultimate things of its body, into the domestic affairs, and into the social
life, into all that border of the church which makes the living in the house. In
the function of the woman lies the conj-'!f!...ction of the
descending lines of the If the woman with her whole mind and heart
does not see and love the rational truths brought forth in the church in natural
forms lying within the domestic and social life. the truths, such as might be
presented through her husband out of the ascending line, or such as presented
through the priesthood in the descending line. can never have the fullnesss of
their power for the change and purification of the natural life, and the circle
remains only weak, and in the end is destroyed. If the woman of the church
feels the tf!le as substance for her life, that she might be
truly human, she will look to the provision externally of the of the
[
function men in the c.Dprch, and in so doing she will internally receive
and put to life all hings of the descending line of thc church. Insofar as the
woman of the church does not feel this need and fill that function, natural life
is withheld from all things in the church.
he who is capable of leading the line "'ould also be capable of
l
/
leading the line rieSlhood '
thIS capability to lead both lines consTitute.\ rrinthond in a distinctly new
order: the episcopal degree
In relation to the development of the line of the men of the church, it is seen
that this line also must have a visible head. one who capable of leading the
men of the church in their thinking, of leading them in their entrance into the
understanding of the Word, of ordering the \ anous bodies as they are
formed, and of unifying their efforts, drawing theIr conclusions together. And
inasmuch as such a one would thus a \ Isihl(' function in the church, a
function in which there is a certain giving of naturdl form. and in which there
is an ex.ternal governing or leading also inmh (d. Il Il> seen that this office of
the head of the line of the men of the church alS() of the priesthood, but of
the priesthood in a distinctly new order or 11 is seen in relation to this
office that it would make one with the highest degree of the priesthood also,
inasmuch as those who were in such universal things as to be capable of
leading this line of the men of the church would also be in those things which
would enable them to lead the line of the priesthood as to those interior
principles which must guide that line in its work. It appears therefore that the
head of the line of the men of the church is one and the same with the head of
28
the line of the priestly, and that this function therefore constitutes the third or
episcopal degree of the priesthood.
other degrees priesthood also based upon capacity in ascending line:
- first degree priesthood constituted of such who have not yet any independent
part in the understanding ofthe Word
- second degree constituted of such who do take independent part in the
internal development ofdoctrine
In connection with this office consideration was made of the degrees of the
priesthood. Although the establishment of the priesthood in its various
degrees is not immediately before us in connection with the Plan of Order
now proposed, the principle of order concerning these degrees is throughout
involved in the infilling of the proposed plan in the future, and therefore
mention should here be made of those degrees as they are now seen by this
Council. The first or lowest degree of the priesthood is seen to be constituted
of such who have the love of the priestly office, and who have been
instructed, prepared and ordained, but who have not yet any independent part
in the ascending line, or in the understanding of the Word. Such a state is
seen as possible owing to the fact that the love of the priesthood is in the
beginning a natural love, a natural quality which a man may have as it were
from birth, whereas an independence in the understanding of the Word can
only genuinely be given in the course of a man's regeneration. Such priests of
the first degree should when possible be placed under the supervision of
priests of a higher degree. The second degree of the priesthood is seen to be
constituted of such who are capable of taking an independent part in the
internal development of doctrine, and of giving it its proper natural quality
through new truths seen in the literal sense of the Word. The third or
episcopal degree is seen to be constituted of such who are in universal things
such as lead both the thinking of the men of the church in their line and also
the governing of the priests of the church in the internal of their function. In a
bishop therefore the two lines of the priesthood and of the men of the church
find organic conjunction, and in the filling of this degree of the priesthood the
whole plan of order for the church finds its real form. Then only does the plan
begin to drop away its provisional features and become an established form.
not one bishop for the whole church
In relation to the third or episcopal degree of the priesthood a further principle
was discussed and agreed upon, namely, that the church in each country or in
each district or diocese, should have its own bishop. This means that there
should not be one bishop for the whole church in all lands, no one bishop
who presides over the church throughout the world. It is seen that no one man
can have sufficient roots in the church in all lands, and thus not sufficient
contact, to be able to lead both lines in all places. Nor is there any principle
seen which would make the setting up of one bishop over the whole church
either necessary or desirable. Therefore the future government of the church
as a whole is seen to lie in a house or council of bishops, having a chairman
with no extraordinary powers.
determination how to use finances lies within function priesthood
In relation to the government of the church it is seen that the internal of the
finances of the church, that is, the determination of the uses for which funds
are to be expended, lies within the function of the priesthood. There can be no
external government without a certain control of exm,.mll!!!!:.es. For this reason
it is seen that the priesthood at all times should have a real grasp of the
29
financial standing of the church, in order that it may know what is possible
and what is not possible financially before determining upon the elll;lctment of
ultimate uses. The external of the finances, that is, the receiving and
investm:eiifOf money, and the execution of expenditures, is seen to lie in the
hands of the laymen, because this function calls for contact with the civil law
and order of the world, and also requires specific qualities and abilities lying
outside the priestly function. The external of the finances belongs to the civil
things of the church. So it is that the two lines of the church meet in
the things, even as they meet in the inmost things.
necessary temporary cross-breedings must not be allowed to dim the
distinction between the ascending and descending lines
Because at this time, in these early beginnings, the existing priesthood cannot
fill its function alone, it is seen to be necessary that laymen be called upon to
aid provisionally in the filling of it. There must however be no confusion in
the minds of anyone from this temporary necessity. It must not be allowed to
dim the distinction between the essential orders or lines in the church, nor to
obscure or undermine the principles which must govern those orders.
Whenever therefore laymen are called to take part in the governing councils of
the church, it must be understood that in so taking part and while so sitting on
those councils, they sit as priests and enter upon the priestly function. It must
not be thought that because they are laymen the function they then perform is
rightfully of the laity. And it must be recognized that their place there is
provisional, waiting upon the infilling and strengthening of the priesthood.
Plan of Order
The immediate need which was before the council was that of a government
for the entire or international Church. This arises out of the general need to
see the Church as one visible booy in all lands.... To fill this need the
folowing plan is submitted in the light of the above outlined principles.
International Council of the Priesthood
Finances
The order of the Line of the Men of the Church
ascending line bodies may have been instituted under the leading of the
priesthood, still priests take part in them as men
l. The beginning of the order of the line of the men of the church must be
seen in the meeting of all the men of the various societies, in tIleirSocieties or
for the study and understanding of the Word. Such bodies as the
Swedenborg Gezelschap, at the Hague, and the Acting National Council, in
America, regarded as to its function in considering doctrinal matters, are
examples of the beginning of this order. While such bodies may have been
instituted under the leading of still it is to be seen that the
priests take part in them as men of the church.
out of larger bodies should arise interior bodies
2. Out of such bodies of all the men of the church there should next arise
interior bodies, elected by those larger bodies, composed of those men who
are capable of entering more interiorly and independently into the
30
understanding of the Word. Through this more interior formation the
development of the understanding of the Word in the whole church would be
greatly facilitated, even as, to use an external comparison, the advance of
students in a school is facilitated by their being distinguished into grades or
classes.
without a priesthood which can receive them, things brought forth by the line
ofthe men remain in the air
3. The development of the organic forms of the line of the men of the church
must be seen in connection with the needs and abilities of the priesthood of
the church in that particular place. If there is no priesthood which can receive
the substance to be provided by such bodies of the line of the men, there can
be no real order in that development, no completing of the circle; for the
things brought forth would then remain as it were in the air without any
corresponding ground. But where the priesthood looks to that substance and
feels the great need for it, the development can take place in order.
order should be democratic, the interior bodies being elected by the larger
bodies
4. In general it may be said that the form of order in such bodies should be
democratic, the interior bodies being elected by the larger bodies. This can be
seen in general from the fact that this is an ascending line, in which there is
ascent from the more general to the particular, from the more outward to the
inward.
council electedfrom the laymen should determine the civil matters
5. In relation to the principles that the civil things of the church are to be in the
hands of the laity, it is seen that in such places as where there is but one
priest, there must be a council for the pastor, elected from the laymen by the
society, to determine the financial and civil matters of that society.
future developments ofascending line can hardly be estimated
As to what further developments this line may undergo in the future we can
hardly estimate at this time. As to whether there will be in the future a still
higher or more interior degree of this line, developing in connection with the
third degree of the priesthood, as to what form this whole line may take
within the church in any country when it has received its own head in tQe
episcopal degree of theJ>riesh-29d, is not now our place to say.
;f
but in the develop-ment QIJ!t 10.e()lthe !fIen, and in the corresponding
'l development of thf2.Jlriestl.J!..Ene, the whole church moves forward towards
being a genuine spiritual church-
We can see however that in the development of .the of tI:1e
church the international church comes into flower and fruit. In the
development of this line, and in the corresponding development of
line, the whole church moves forward in its progression towards being a
genuine spiritual church. Through the ordering of the line of the men of the
church the opening of the min_ds of all in the church to the reception of the in
ternal things of the Word is directed to the f9imiJ!KQf the_c!gctrine of the
church, and thus to the increase and deepening of the spirit and life of the
church out of(the Word of the - -
31
NOVA HIEROSOLYMA'S STRUGGLE FOR AN
in this Church there will be not any external separated from the internal, R 918
2
In the recognition that the of
is the all -IJlen, priests at the time,
1948, saw "a whole new life for their existence"
''The recognition by the Church that the development of its Doctrine is the common
function of all men of the Church, and that the function of the priesthood lay in the
L. seeing of truths for the natural life in the literal sense of the Word out of the light of that
.'"\ trine, had i m m e d i ate e f I' e c ton the 0 r d e r 0 I' a s e r m 0 n."
Rev. Philip N. Odhner, May 27, 1948, emphasis added; see text below
The following is the text of a paper by Rev. Philip N. Odhner May 27, 1948, entitled: The
Sermon and the Doctrinal Class; direction and quality that must be presenl in the sermons
and classes if the order of the Church is 10 be observed in them. alld fullfilled ill them. More
recently this text has been used as preface in: SermollS, Doctrinal Classes. Talks 10 Children
and Young People. Indexed by Text. Date, Author and Subject. 1'137-1993, The Lord's New
Church which is Nova Hierosolyma, Philadelphia Society, June 1994.
THE SERMON AND THE DOCTRINAL CLASS
direction and quality that must be. present in the sermons and
classes if the order of the Church is to be observed
in them, and fuUfilled in them
In the Assembly of April, 1947, the fundamentals of order for the Church,
seen out of the light of its Doctrine, were defined and laid down and given
organic fonn. In that order the development of the Doctrine of the Church was
seen to be the function and responsibility of all the men of the Church, and
organs were outlined which should be charged with that function. It was also
seen that the function of the priesthood was not the development of the
Doctrine of the Church, which is the joint responsibility of all the men, but
that its function lay in the seeing and bringing forth of true things of life out of
the sense of the Letter of the Word, in the light of the Doctrine received in the
Church. By such true things the natural mind of the members of the Church
can be turned to the Word to receive a further opening of it, and the life of the
Church through such true things can become a life according to the Doctrine
of the Church.
Last fall, at the beginning of the season of Doctrinal Classes, we presented
to the Society a definition of the D.IDV direction and quality that must be
in the ser.IDQJls and in the classes if the order of the Church was to be
observedin them, and fulfilled in them. Recently the request was made by
some that this definition be presented again, in order that there might be a
commonj:lilsis with all for the judgment and reception of the sermons, and in
order that there may be a common understanding with all as to
doctrinal class should be and how the members of the society should
participate therein. It is the responsibility of the priesthood to order the work
of the priesthood, but the principles underlying that ordering should be
32
known to the people of the Church so that they know what is to be expected
of the priests in the sennons, and also know what is to be expected of both
the priests and the laity in the work of the doctrinal classes. In this way the
uses of these important functions can be perfected and received on the basis of
a common understanding and love.
The Sermon
For some years before the appearing of the Order of the Church there was
confusion as to what a sennon should be. Although it was believed that every
man should come to the state in which he cou1d d1!!"!.-genuine D !Ctrine o!!LQ,f
the the work of the priesthood was not distinguished therefrom in ,!ny
clear_way. In this country at least it began to be taken for granted thata priest
should try to develop the Doctrine of the Church in his sennon, and that a
sermon which did not present some new doctrinal development was not an
essential sennon. For this there were two causes. One was the inheritance of
such a direction in the sermon from the General Church. In that Church,
according to its understanding of the Word, the openingof the Word and the
development of doctrine therefrom was the responsibility of the priesthood,
and all the laws of sennon writing had this in view. This can be seen from the
work on the Science of Exposition by Bishop W.F. PendleJgn, wherein all
the laws for the drawing of the Doctrine of the Church given in the Word are
collatedand ordered for the productiOn of the sennons by the priesthood. This
I work, the Science of Exposition, has also been used by our Church in
teaching sennon.-Wri1ing, the main addition thereto consisting in such things
I as arise from the thesis that the Docirine concerning the Sacred Scripture
applies without reserve or difference to the Third Testament.
The second cause for the belief in former years that the sermon was the
place for the development of the Doctrine lay in the decline of the state of the
Church, in that the binding and changing of the natural mind and life was
1\ dropped out of sight, and therefore no functiQD for __ really distin
.t guishable from the function of the Church could be seen.
The recognition by the Church that the development of its Doctrine is the
common function of all men of the Church, and that the-function of the
{ priesthood lay iiltfie seeing of truths for the natural life in the literal sense of
\ the Word out of the light of that Doctrine, had immediate effect on the order of
a sennon. The expression was used that due to the appearing of the true
things of the Order of the Church the priesthood had to see a new life for its
existence. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the priesthood's regard of
the sermon. New laws governing the sermon had to arise out of the wholly
different view of the work of the priest.
The first and obvious law regarding the sennon which came to notice was
therefore this: that the sermon is not at all the place for the introduction or
development of doctrinal things. It is clear from the definitions of the
functions of the men and the priesthood that a sennon in which there is an
attempt to introduce doctrinal things which are new, and which have not
undergone the order of introduction and acceptance by_tile bodies of the men,
r
involves alLappropriation of the function of the men to and is
therefore a disorderly sermon, no matter whetheTffiedoctrinal things set forth
{
I
therein are true or false in themselves, and no matter how true they may be
considered by the preacher or by the congregation. Such a sennon is an abuse
(
9f In it the priest takes advantage of his position to
introduce his individual ideas in relation to the Doctrine to the people
when trnstingJ:!i!n to bring to them things born out of the Word under
the protection of Doctrinal things already received in the Church. Also,
33
serm_ol} have t@ effect of the sRheLl<. of in the
service. For the doctrinal thing thus brought forth immediately plunges the
congregation into the exercise of their intellectual and reasoning faculties, to
judge concerning the truth or falsity of the new things, and the service
becomes a men's meeting without the men being able to say a word.
For these reasons it is one of the cardinal laws of the priesthood concerning
sermons not to bring into the sermon doctrinal things which have not received
hearing and affirmation in the men's meetings. This law has received the
attention of the priesthood here during the past year. I believe that progress
has been made towards establishing it in the conscience of the priests.
Nevertheless, the habits of the past still have their influence with us, and the
desire to lead the Doctrine is still with us. Therefore continued struggle in this
reformation will be required.
This first law regarding the sermon might be called a negative one, a
general binding on the work of the priesthood arising out of the appearing of
the function of the men - defining what a sermon should not be. Still another
law of this nature has appeared. A priest might not introduce into his sermons
anything of a new doctrinal nature and he might endeavor to bring things forth
out of the Word for the life. And yet in so doing he might work in the light of
his own individual concept of doctrine which has not been heard or given
affirmation in the line of the men, rather than out of such concepts as have
been heard and affirmed threrein. In so doing he would be leading to a life
according to an invisible Doctrine which was not the Doctrine of the Church.
Because this might not appear to the congregation and would nevertheless
constitute a misleading of them, would constitue an abuse, if anything,
worse than the one mentioned in the first la". The priesthood must be on
guard continually against this form of appropriating to themselves the
Doctrine of the Church. In a sermon therefore it shoul be evident out of what
Doctrinal things the things for the life have been seen.
The priestly function, indstead of being an ascending line from the sense of
the Letter to the Doctrine of the Church, is a descending line from the Doctrine
to the sense of the Lettter for the sake of the life . From the light and spirit of
the Doctrine of the Church the priest looks to the sense of the Letter of the
Word to see therein the natural truths which can lead to repentance and change
of the natural life so that that life can be a substancial ground in man for the
reception of internal things. For this reason all things of the priestly function
must involve the production of natural truths" hich can be as forms or
c10things for interior things of Doctrine. a j!round in which the seeds of the
internal true can be planted and find nourishment and grow. His love must be
for the conversion of the natural mind of man b' Int'ans of which is salvation.
His love must be not only to see the truc of Ooclrine, but to present
them in a form that shows what they dcmand 01 lhl." life. He must love to
show that if the rational order is such and sUl:h Ihcn lht' natural order must be
such and such, and that if it is not, therc a rt'Jl."ctlon of both in the will of
man and no means for the deepening of eitht'r.
A sermon, to be a work of the priesthood. mu" hil\ e in it the turning of the
Doctrine toward the life, and the presentation (,f truths of life which can be
clearly seen to be led from that Doctrine. The t>"l(:tnnc: of the Church must be
confirmed by the text, that is, it must 'be sho" n thal the text teaches the
Doctrine, but the presentation of the Doctrine in the sermon must not be
directed to the understanding alone, it must lead 10 the stirring of the will to
follow the Doctrine in life. The presentation of the Doctrine in a sermon must
never therefore be an argumentative presentation. seeking intellectual con
viction, but should be authoritative and dogmatic. looking to following rather
34
than to intellectual acceptance. If it has to look to acceptance, it is a sign that it
belongs to the men's meetings, and not in the service.
A sermon could on occasion be only a teaching of the Doctrine, if this were
done in such a manner that the presentation filled the natural mind of the
congregation with the sense of the Lord's love and leading in the Doctrine,
and thus inspired the will to follow, and to accept with affection. This also is
in line with the fact that the sermon is part of the service of worship. A
sermon is instruction in the sphere of worship. It is instruction received
therefore in a sphere of affirmation, and not in a sphere of debate or of doubt.
A sermon therefore should contain within it only such things as can rightfully
be expected to be received with affirmation as a result of the acceptance of the
Doctrine of the Church. In everything of the Doctrine of the Church there is
present the wonder of the Lord's Love and Order, and also the
acknowledgment of man's self as being nothing but evil and false. The
sermon should bring these things out in its teachings of the Docctrine, and
thereby touch man's external will or love of the true, to strengthen it.
But there is also place in the sermon for the drawing of a general principle
for the life out of the things said in the literal sense of the Word, principles or
laws brought forth out of the literal sense through the priestly love filled with
the spirit and li ght of the Doctrine of.the Church. In this there may be the
feeding with what is new for the understanding to bring to the life of the con
gregation. Such principles are of the utmost importance for the Church. They
are precious things. If genuine, they are priceless. One such principle or law
for the life, if clearly presented, clearly seen to be involved and demanded in a
life according to Doctrine, is a whole feast by itself if it is firmly brought out.
In this connection it must be seen that a principle for the life of the Church
involves a judgment on the life of the Church. It calls for a change, for a new
order in the life. Moreover, if it is really seen, it will raise many difficulties in
the minds of the hearers when they come to consider its particulars with
regard to their own lives. In a sermon such a principle should be presented
therefore in a general form, and care should be taken not to draw in the
sermon particular judgments about the life therefrom, which would go beyond
what the members of the congregation could be expected to receive with
affirmation. Particular judgments can be left to the Doctrinal Classes, in which
problems can be presented, and in which common consideration can be made
of all sides of the principle.
A priest is a priest by virtue of his having a natural love to lead by truths to
the good of life. His love is thus for the changing of the life in accordance
with the true. Through the immediate influx of the Lord into that love, he
receives illustration to see truths in a natural form which can touch and change
the natural life. Through that influx he does not receive illustration above
others to see the interior things of the Doctrine, or the things of rational light.
This he can only gain in the course of his regeneration, of his growth in the
Church. As he so grows, the quality of what he is able to see by virtue of his
priestly influx changes and deepens. From preaching out of the sense of the
Letter of the Word he comes to preach out of the spiritual sense of the Word
made v i s i b ~ e in the sense of the Letter. Then, his sermon - his teaching and
his leading - is the teaching of and leading to the good of life of the internal or
spiritual Church.
The Doctrinal Class
There are at least two general purposes to be served by those meetings of the
whole society which are commonly called Doctrinal Classes. If there has been
a general development with regard to the Doctrine of the Church in the work
35
2
of the men'smeetings, there is need for a common consideration of that
development on the part of the whole society, a bending of the mind in the
direction of that development. There is need also for the review of the general
teachings of the Word in the light of such doctrinal developments. Classes in
which this is done might properly be called Doctrinal Classes, in which there
is a lecture on such a subject by the priest for the general instruction of the
members of the society.
There is, however, a need for general meetings of the society with the
priest of quite a different character and which must serve a more interior use.
In the men's meetings lies the work of the development of the Doctrine of the
Church. In the sermon there is a presentation of that Doctrine directed to the
touching of the will of the members of the Church and also the development
of general principles for the life of the Church. Out of all these there is to
come the common conscience of the Church, the judging of its life, the
forming and establishing of its truths in a common law that governs the whole
life. There is need in this work for the meetings of the society in which the
general principles for the life can be considered in particulars, in which there
can be consideration of the problems which the members of the Church have
to come to see in their own lives in their reflections upon those general
principles and in their efforts to live by them. Questionings, doubts,
difficulties in seeing and living the gener1i1 principles, must there come forth
and be judged, until the principle is indeed a living law of the conscience with
the members of the Church. Such meetings might indeed be called the
crucibles of the common conscience of the Church, and as such their
importance at this time might be said to outweigh all other priestly functions.
They are not "doctrinal" classes but rather "life" classes. In them the priest
might present in short form some truth of life already presented in general
form in a sermon, but now pointing more particularly to the things in the life
of the Church which must be changed thereby. The members of the society
should then present any questions or doubts or difficulties they have
encountered in their consideration of that truth, or present such aspects of it as
they have seen in their own reflections which have been overlooked and
which support and perfect the understanding of it. Here lies the place for the
judgment of the truth on the life of the society, and every consideration arising
out of such judgment. Such an organ, such an instrument, is very greatly
needed in every society of the Church.
Principles and Plan of Order, see below p. 31
"The development of the organic forms of t ~ l i n e of the men of the
Church must be seen in connection with the needs and abilities of the
priesthood of the Church in that particular place. If there is no
priesthood which can receive the substance to be provided by such
bodies of the line of the men, there can be no real order in that
development, no completing of the circle; for the things brought forth
would then remain as it were in the air without any corresponding
ground. But where the priesthood looks to that substance and feels
the great need for it, the development can take place in order."
36
NOVA IDEROSOLYMA'S STRUGGLE FOR AN
in this Church there will be not any external separated from the internal, R 918
3
The way in which the Church must go for
its development, as seen in 1949
"... there is no reception in the inmost and therefore also not in the outmost except on the
basis of change and repentance in the ultimate natural mind."
Summary of the Developmell/ of the Principles of the Church; see text below
The following document from 1949 entitled Summary of the Development of the Principles
of the Church (not a paper composed by Ijarrie Groeneveld alone, but mentioned under no.
37 on the list of his addresses; see p. 19) <;enters its attention upon the necessity of a new
natural.
Already in 1949 a Dutch translation was published in De Hemelse Leer, special issue,
Oct 1949, pp. 1-5. A second Dutch translation is given in Handboek van des Heren
Nieuwe Kerk zijnde Nova Hierosolyma, 's-Gravenhage 1987, pp. 1.3-10. For the) 2. (/
- <, J 6
( English original see Handbook of The Lord's New Church Which Is Nova Hierosolyma,
l Bryn Athyn 1985, pp. 3-8. The reproduction below is unabridged and verbatim, only the
headings in italics are added:
SUMMARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRINCIPLES
OF THE CHURCH IN THE MEETINGS OF THE
PROVISIONAL INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF PRIESTS,
JULY 25TH TO AUGUST 2ND 1949
the way the Church must go
1. The question on which the deliberations of the Council were centered was
the way in which the Church must go for its development.
-1 , 'Z. ______
two essentials: acknowledgment of Divir!:!_Human and. shu'!-!.!ing of evils
2. By virtue of His Second Coming in the Third Testamentphe Lord in His
Divine Human is present inmostly in themin1fofevery man, and in the Third
I Testament His Divine Human is present outwardly. Between the DiviJle
1. and the Qivine Human outside of man all development of
the Church takes place. For the Christian Church the Two Commandments
were given in the New Testament, on which all things depended for them.
For the New Church there are two corresponding essentials on which all
development of the Church depends. The first is the of the ;1
Htl..man pf the Lord. The second is the shunning of evils as sins "2-
against Him. In these two essentials of the Church are seen the two uni versals
for the development of the Church. In the first lie all things of the interior ..(
development, in the second all things of the exterior develo ment of the z.
Church. In the first there is the ever more interior advance in the Doctrine of
J(
the Church, for the inmost of every development iseve a more /)
of the Divine Human of the Lord in the internal sense of the Word. In the
second there is the ever more Interior removal of the proprial will of man L
37
which opens the way for an ever more interior seeing of the Divine Human.
These are the two universals by which the Church will come always into a
more interior conjunction with the Lord.
/
development inmost idea Divine Human is development Church in man
rThe Lord has glorilieaHlsHUman and has come again in His Divine
Human to the end that man may come into the image and likeness of Him.
When man acknowledges that the Lord Jesus Christ is the God of heaven and
earth, and that He has come again in His 'Third Testarnent,)he receives an
inmost feeling and idea of the Divine Human. his I most feeling and idea
becomes substancial and real only in the measure that in it there is the
acknowledgment of the emptiness and voidness of the human of man and
1011ging that the man may become the image and likeness of the Lord. This
inmost feeling and idea of the Divine Human is the very seed of the Lord in
man which is to be formed in him. The forming and developing of this seed is
the development of the Church in man.
development inmost idea Divine Human depends upon the removing of the
evils in the natural mind
4. The forming of the seed of the Lord present in the inmost of the mind
depends wholly upon the seeing and removing of the evils and falsities in the
natural mind itself. Everyone has a mind from heredity and environment, the
mind of the daily life. In this mind lie all the evils and falsities that prevent the
forming of the seed of the Lord in man. This is the old human, the void and
empty earth on which we stand. The Lord operates from inmosts through
ultimates. When the ultimate is wholly in disorder the Lord cannot operate to
the formation of the interiors. Even as it is said that no angel was created from
the beginning, but that all angels are from the human race, formed as such by
life in this world, so also with the seed of the Lord in man, there can be no
formation of it whatsoever except in the measure that the ultimate mind is
formed in him as a world in which the seed can have its ground. There must
be a new external mind to act as the matrix for all development of the seed.
no development except on basis ofchange in fWlllhll mind
5. This is a principle of all formation: that then' IS no reception in the inmost
and therefore also not in the outmost exccpt on the basis of change and
repentance in the ultimate natural mind.
importance natural mindfor development Chllr, h \, <lr, dr seen
6. Of the natural mind, of its nature and thc' Church is still ignorant,
since the importance of this mind has not lX'l'n rraliled. Although we live
in it continuously, we have scarcely seen Importancl' with reference to the
development of the Church. If this mind is m" '>t'en and if the real order into
which it must come is not seen, the Church" ill lack the ground for its
development.
seeing spiritual things man imagines that the ('urth .. "I lake care of itself
7. Man thinks that because he sees spiritual anJ l'clestial things in the Word
and in the Doctrine of the Church, these thing, arc' in him and that he is in
those things. He looks to heaven and imagines'that the earth will take care of
itself and is unaware of its importance in relation to heaven. To look to the
Lord and to heaven in such a way, while at the same time skipping over and
ignoring the natural mind in which a real human is to be formed, is to look to
the Lord above the heavens only. It is to place the Divine Human above the
38
heavens only, and not to direct the mind to the Divine Human in the heavens
and in the Church. This, in the New Church, involves a similar separation of
the Divine and the Human of the Lord as in the Protestant and Catholic
Churches. Such an idea of the Lord lacks all real substance. With this idea the
two universals of the Church are deprived of their essence in thought and in
life.
if the evils andfalsities which will arise from the old human are not shunned,
the Church will not come into the new plane for its development
8. Of the two universals for its development the Church has centered its
attention on the first and not on the second. And yet we know that it was on
the the book "Summary Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church which
is Meant by Nova Hierosolyma in the Apocalypse," in which the evils and
falsities of the former Churches are described, that Swedenborg was
commanded to write the words, "Hic Liber est Adventus Domini." This book,
seen from within, reveals the nature of the evils and falsities which will arise
from the old human every time the New Church comes into a new state for its
development. If these evils and falsities are not shunned, the Church will not
come into the new plane for its development.
If man shuns evils not for the sake of the Coming ofthe Lord in him, but for
the sake of the appearing life only, he will outwardly have heaven, but
inwardly there remains hell
9. When the Church does not acknowledge that the Divine Human is to be in
the human of man, there can be no operation of the Divine Human in the
Church. If man then shuns evils, he will shun them not out of himself from
the Lord, that is, for the sake of the formation of the seed, for the Coming of
the Lord in him, but for the sake of the appearing life only, which is from his
old human, his proprium. As a consequence he will take the things of the
Word and will put them directly outermost in his appearing life, and thus in
the external man; and thus he will leave intact the essence of the old human,
his proprium, which is his internal man. Outwardly he will have heaven, but
inwardly there will be hell, even as is described of the insincere and unjust
man in the Arcana Coelestia no. 9283, that with him the external is an image
of heaven and the internal an image of hell. Such a heaven is an imaginary
heaven. The devil itself wants nothing more than to have such a heaven in
which he can rule, posing therein as an angel of light.
the doctrinals want to order the natural, but the struggle is to see that they can
only be in their own in the natural
10. The Church must center its attention also on the second universal because
otherwise the natural will be overlooked and the Church will remain ignorant
of what the natural mind must be. In the Word itself, in the Third Testament,
are described the truths of the natural mind. But how are these truths to be
born in the Church? They are not seen by the activity of the reasoning in
doctrinal things. Such activity skips over every essential natural thing. Nor
are they seen by a mere taking up of the Sense of the Letter of the Word. In
the inmost of the new substance of the Divine Human of the Lord, which
substance the Church has received by the Doctrine of the Church as being
spiritual out of celestial origin, there is a love, as a new end, which longs to
have its conjunction with the natural. Therefore the doctrinals want to order
the natural. But the Church in its s t r u g g ~ for that ordering will be led by the
Lord to see that the new end can only be in its own in the natural. Then the
Word again will be the only basis for the development of the Church, which
39
-------
--
------ - --
basis by means of the doctrinals of the Church has become of an interior
natural quality. As the Lord works from firsts through lasts in man, the
genuine truths of the natural mind will become visible in the measure that the
evils and falsities are shunned in the external man and the internal man is
formed and opened by the Lord. Man works ,;siffrom himself by his external
obedience to the internal influx out of the soul and by means of his internal
obedience to the external objective Esse and Existere of the Word.
Harrie GroeneVeldG;ne 19th-l93;\)
Last Fasc HL VII:Z9Z=295
"We read in the Apocalypse, Chapter XXI, Verse 22: And I saw no
temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and te Lamb are the
temple of it, which signifies that in this Church there will be no
11 external separate from the internal, because the Lord Himself in His
( Divine Humg.n, from which is everything of the Church, is alone
I (Jp roached, worshipped, and adored, R 918. In the internal of the
Church the appearance of priests and laymen disappears, for there the
only Lord is Priest and King. In the internal of the Church there is
conjunction of the external with the internal and of the internal with
the external; there is it where conjugial love is the soul of all things.
This internal is of the of and it is in the
inmost hereof that the Doctrine of Church, \!:hich is spirirual out
(
of celestial origin, has its awakening. It is in this internal of he Church

that the Angels are present and that the Lord dwells in what is His....
If, however, the priesthood does not have its essence in the internal of
the Church, if, therefore, the realm of the kingly of the spirit is not
accepted as the life of the Church,
Awm come into existence, which will lose its function for the salvation
of the human race."
40
/l
/
NOVA HIEROSOLYMA'S FAILURE AS
A HAGUE POSITION CHURCH
"If, however, the priesthood does not have its essence in the internal of the Church,
if, realm of the spiiIbis not accepted
as the life of Ihe Church, a selfish and ambitious priesthood will come into existence"
/ H. D.G. 1938; page
1
BY REPUDIATING THE FUNCTION OF ALL MEN
TO ENTER UPON
THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE
Wilhin Ihe New Church hislorical awareness is low. Sludies on Ihe hislory of Ihe New
Church are rare, especially when il comes 10 sevenly Also the hislory of..J]Je
[/
Hague Position and of The Lord's New Church which is Nova HierosolJ!!!!! slill I2-be
writlen. So please be aware that this serics of articles entitled Nova Hierosolyma'sfailure as
a&gue Position Church is based to a large c:-.;tent on scattered records only. At this
moment it is oflen impossiblc 10 place such records in Iheir proper conlext. As a
consequence we should nOI jump 10 conclusions. However, as we shall see when reading
Thorslen Sigstedt's letter dated 1939 or Aleksandrs Logins' letter dated 1995, verbatim
quoted can speak for themselves.
1.1 Burning desire for the church not allowed to
express itself. Thorsten Sigstedt 1939
"To wait to be perfected until we can aCI, until we are allowed 10 express
ourselves, is against all thc laws of life, as it is against the order of progression"
Thorsten Sigstedt to Theo Pilcairn, see text below
Above, see page 20, we have already met Thorsten as someone who in order to find
Ihe trulh in doctrinal matters thoroughly examinedL!Fe Lasl following letter
dates from less Ihan two years laler. Anolher five years laler, on October 12 1943, bolh
Thorsten and wife eyrie! OdJ!ner - she is thc author the The
{
Swedenborg Epic. - shall resign from thc Philadelphia Sociely of The Lord's New Church
which is Nova Hierosolyma. 11 seems quite likely that the disappointme.nt here
runs ahead of that decision. The text of the document (one of the many documents in J.D.
Odhner's rivatc archi.x,e in.Huntingdon Valley PA which were copied by the editor in Junc
1997) is verbatim and emphasis is as in the original:
Rose Lane, Bryn Athyn Pa
February 26, 1939
Dear Theo,
For the present I am in a depressed state, and worried as to the progress of
the Church both in myself and inthe organization. 1feeLa..stagnation, '!.,lack
of response, .2LoutflQ.w. As the Church is in the form of man, so the
individuals are in the form of man. When the Church does not do anything as
41
an organization, the man of the Chu!Sh is slain To wait to be
peIfected until we can act, until we are allowed to express ourselves, is
against all the laws of life, as it is against the order of progression.
Quite some long time ago I proposed that we should have small kind of
' pamphlet to circulate among ourselves in WIDC eXPless2.-1!rse_ves
\Ifreely aoou(matters ortIle CIitirdi, even if only run ofnn mimeog@ph. As I
understood then, PE.!iaTIy al of us were in favor of havingthat]<.ind of
f outlet and response one to another. But nothing was done. Some minority
seems to find it in the best interests of the Church that we should not do
(
anything, and as I understand, the reason is that we do not know our place in
the Church -- whatever that phrase means -- that we are not in clearness on
I
what to express, and we are in fear that we might something which, if
falling into the hand of our adversaries would be misunderstoo and usea
against us.
That fear for what our adversaries might do is, I think, more destructive to
our own evelopment than what anyone else might say or think or do to us. It
is not fear but LOVE that ought to prompt us -love for each others affection
11 for the true things and for each others' attelPpt -- even if poorly
worded -- wh<l! we see or are groping after. Love is not an empty word,
I1 is nohing else than doing. How then, can we love if the doing is hampered, if
the domg-1S iiOfIove ? Anything but standing still, even mistakes, will lead us
on. And why fear for mistakes, if we have a burnin.g ...t\1e Church,
for the Lord's Kingdom, the mistakes will not be ours but our adversanes'.
To suspect each motives is to suspect that they seek their own glory
I1
instead of the glory of Him who sent them. And suspicion is deadly to love.
I feel sometimes as if I was dead, or wish I was dead, a so etimes as if
I would ex lode. Nothmg to o. othmg to say. It is as if it were a sin to 0
(
something, an if saying something there is no res nse. What is the matter,
dear Mr. Pitcairn? You are our pastor, you ave one so much for us. You
may know the answer.
Cordially,
T814
As the Germans in each particular dukedom live under a despotic
government, they do not enjoy freedom of speech and writing like
the Dutch and English; and where this freedom is restrained,
freedom of thought, that is to say, the freedom of investigating
matters to their full extent, is under restraint at the same time. It is
as if high walls were built round the basin of a fountain. so high,
that the water within the basin rises to the level of an outpouring
stream, so that it no longer forms a jet. Thought is like the stream,
and speech therefrom is like the basin. In a word,.J.nflux always
adapts itself to _efflux. and in like manner understanding from
above adapts itself to its measure 0 fre,g.!f:!!-m J.p utter and give vent
to thf!.. thougt!!.s.
42
1.2 What to do when those in power do not want our
knowledges? Aleksandrs Logins 1995
"I believe in Bryn Athyn they had no idea why I was sending to them so many papers
concerning doctrinal things. They misunderstood me. Definitely not for personal reasons.
I did it simply because the Lord endowed me with very strong love, affection of the spiritual
truth for the sake of regeneration. That it is so, they will find it out sometimes when we
shall meet in the other life. And what else, I did it by following direction printed in the
Third Testament: What is tire use 0/ knowing unless what is known 10 one be also known
to alhers? (I 18). Indeed it is so! But what we must do in a case others who
are in power do not want our knowledges?"
Aleksandrs Logins to Rutger Perizonius, see text below.
Aleksandrs Logins was a Latvian living in Australia. He died about two years ago. In 1995
he had been one of those who directly supported Rutger Perizonius' proposal (March 14,
1995) that, in case of an international assembly, also the re-establishment of the ascending
line should be an agenda item. The following letter accompanied Aleksandrs Logins'
positive response upon that proposal. It gives a good illustration of the fact that "isolated
receivers" have the advantage that they cannot leave the understanding of the Word to a
priest, but do have to search the Word themselves. We will see that Aleksandrs Logins,
although baptised by Rt. Rev. Philip Odhner, was totally unfamiliar with the term
"ascending line". But in spite of that he had a clear idea of the principles behind that term as
a result of his own indpendent examinations of the Last Testament. His letter shows that
the priesthood of The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosalyma at the time did not
feel the great need for the substance to be provided by the line of the men (see text
PrinCiples and Plan 0/Order quoted on p. 36). The text is vebatim and almost uncorrected,
emphasis is as in the original:
30th March 1995
Dear Dr. Perizonius,
I thank you very much for informative material which you sent to me. I
received your letter a few days ago ... I did not write instantly. Besides, my
English does not flow from my pen smoothly. I am not academically
educated. I learned to write in English mostly while I read the Third
Testament ... To write a somewhat properly stated letter is not easy for me. It
takes some time.
I have been with the Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma for
many years ... I cannot remember the right date, but a good while ago when
Rt. Rev. Ph. Odhner and his wife Beryl paid us a visit, bishop baptised us.
'" my life has been different, abnormal. Practically I am a stateless alien. But
that does not worry me. Anyhow if you wish to know something definite,
please ask ... Mrs. R.J,ongstaff in Bryn Athyn ...
In forty years time I wrote many articles for the Lord's New Church. I
started to write in Latvian and sent them to U.S.A., later to Canada where
they were printed in a Latvian New Church f\,iagazine JaunailLaikmels (the
New Age). Unfortunately Editor Mr. Grava died of 01 age without
successor. Then I started ... to write in English and sent to some members
(ministers) to the local New Church but there was no encouraging response.
One day I ~ e n t one of.1ill'_P1!pers to_Bryn Alhyn. I am not sure, possibly the
first one was "AND THE SERPENT SAID .... YE SHALL BE AS GODS".
But I know well that Mrs. Rachel 69ngstaff made proof reading of these
three: "BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW!" (1989); "INVITATION
TO THE LORD'S NEW CHURCH" (1990); and "ALPHA & OMEGA"
43
(1992). What she did with them I have no idea. Anyhow, so far was alright!
But in the year 1993 when I sent to her my paper "QIJ'iAJ:I - the
of the sJi 'tual truth" my communication line with Bryn Athyn suddenly
ecame silent. (Thanks to you! Now I have a notion what happened. It was
not her fault.) ...
In response to demand of Rev. E. Pfeiffer and Rev. Th. Pitcairn on 46
large pages I wLote bout the three volumes [the seven Fascicles
- bound in three covers; ed.) of "DE HEMELSCHE LEER - As] see it"
(1993). I responded to the following statements, there printed:
"As it is the genuineness of the truths drawn from the Writings which alone causes it to
be a noble Church, it is of the utmost importance to see from the Lord as to whether the
Doctrine drawn from the Writings is genuine Doctrine or not. This is responsibilitv
placed on evervone". Rev. Th. Pitcairn, Based on S. 59 (Fasc HL III:68)
"We have always maintained that even; member or the Church must go to the Word to
see whether the Doctrine of the Church is true." Rev. E. Pfeiffer (Fasc HL V: 162)
I have no idea what happened to this paper. Altogether I wrote 15 articles
(
English. Twelve_ of them I sent to Bryn Atl!yn.... I do not know what
happened to these paperswirtten by me, but I am not worried about that.
In my thoughts I excuse them because on natural plane there is a vast
difference between me and them as to erudition and otherwise. I cannot ask
from them [the) impossible - to see what they cannot see and to feel what they
do not feel. Being of high status and high learning they are not interested to
share spiritual knowledges with a man of such a low standing no matter how
internal are truths revealed by the Lord through me. Moreover my English is
very crude and faulthy ... They are not concerned truths dressed up
in rags. This is how I thought until I learned from copies of your
correspondence letters that things in NOVA HIEROSOLYMA possibly are
much worse.
Before I say a word I must admit that some expressions written in your
letters are strange to me. For example, I do not know what means "the
ascending line of the and "the descending line of the_ riesthood".
But let us proceed. In your last letter (page 12) addressed to the members of
the Church you write:
"The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma was the first New Church body
that, together with a govemment of the visible Church by (descending 2.
line), formally recognized the freedom of all laymen to enter upon the r1
development of doctrine (ascending line) ... "
I believe this is the central point of polirnic in your letters. If I understand
correctly, in Nova Hierosolyma there is no such freedom anymore. If so than
it is very wrong, and contrary to the teachings of the Lord in the Third I
Testament. Does it mean that now it is enough merely to read sermons _ fr>-t.'l..
(believe or do not believe), and praise their authors? If it is so {!1ari':N6va
Hierosolyma to day is with the Roman Catholic Church which I left.
Concerning Babylonians in A 1033
2
we read:
they persuade the people that the Word is understood by them alone and not by any who
have not been inaugurated in/o the ministry ...
The Third Testament teaches that they who are in the affection of truth for the
sake of truth when spiritually they become adults they should not rely on
others, but examine from the Word whether doctrinals of their Church are true
or not. No man can be regenerated otherwise but by the genuine tru fI.Q!1J
1
the In the degree that a man takes upon himself the lvme t ngs from
'2...
44
the Word in that degree he puts off the old man from himself and is conjoined
to the Lord. Priests also must be regenerated. If they do not care about that,
their teaching in most cases is false. Inauguration by itself does not open
internal sense of the Word to anyone whether he is a priest of the first, second
or third degree. In A 5432 we read that many of the Church dignitaries do not
believe the doctrinal things of their Church from any affection of truth, but
from some personal reason. It was so in the Old Christian Church, it is so in
Convention, it is so in Conference and in General Church; and now
priesthood of the same quality is also in Nova Hierosolyma. Is it?
On 15th May 1994 I sent a private letter to Rt. Rev. Ph. Odhner. In this let
I ter I pointed out several very crude falsities in three sermons written by Rev.
"l Paul Booth. Since then I received not a single sermon written by this p-nesi. I
have a good reason to think, that they already decided to say me - goodbye!
I May be it is unnecessary to tell you, but no one can separate me from Nova
, Hierosolyma. It is much too late for that. Neither I can do it myself. 0-DlY tlte
me but He will never do that.
'
I believe in Bryn Athyn they had no idea why I was sending to them so
many papers concerning doctrinal things. They misunderstood me. Definetely
not for personal reasons. I did it simply because the Lord endowed me with
very strong love, affection of the spiritual truth for the sake of regeneration.
That it is so, they will find it out sometimes when we shall meet in the other
life. And what else, I did it by following direction printed in the Third
Testament (Miscellaneous Th. Works): What is the use of knowing unless what is
known 10 one be also know/l1O others? (I 18). Indeed it is so! But what we must do
in a case others do not want our knowledges?
Affectionately yours,
A. Logins
T 5084.5
Now, as dogmas of the Christian churches at the present day are
not based on the Word, but are from man's own intelligence, and
thus are falsities, and also have been confirmed by some things
from the Word; therefore, among the Roman Catholics, of the
Divine Providence of the Lord,!Jf, Word:has been taken out of the
hands of the laity; and it has been opened among the Protestants,
but-still Gt IlL clos;;;-;; their common that the
understanding is to be kept in obedience to faith. But in the New
Church the case is the reverse; in this it is allowable to enter with
the understanding, and penetrate into aU)iii secrets, and also to
confirm them byC!he Wo;dl The reason is, that
,r
continuous truths from the Lord laid open by
and confirmation of these by rational considerations
understanding 12.-.be opened morf! and more upwards, and thus to
be raised up into the light which the angels of heaven enjoy.
45
AN INVENTORY OF DOCTRINAL OUTPUT
the sign, given at this day, will be enlightenment
Swedenborg to Oetinger, 11 novo 1766
1. Rutger Perizonius' request for doctrinal output
On September 25th 2000, Rutger Perizonius, has sent lhe following requesl la almosl 160
members and friends of The Lord's New Church Which is Nova Hierosolyma. In facl il is
Ihe here promised informalion aboul the first results of Ihe inventory Ihat unexpecledly
expanded to the presenl restart of De He,nelse Leer.
INVENTORY OF DOCfRINAL OUTPUT
To all those who may know from experience that the Last Testament has an
internal sense,
Whereas the idea of episcopal authority and also the idea of assembly
authority is wholly alien to the Lord's New Church Which is Nova
Hierosolyma, both ideas being in fact directly or indirectly copied from the
old Christian church, and
whereas the main principle of the Lord's New Church Which is Nova
Hierosolyma is that the order of the government of the church should descend
purely from the doctrine which the church has received, and
whereas within the Lord's New Church Which is Nova Hierosolyma this
doctrine is defined as the internal sense of the Last Testament revealed by
enlightenment from the Lord, and further
whereas the ability to receive such enlightenment from the Lord runs
parallel with the successive stages of the regeneration process, and
whereas because of this parallelism it had been realized within the Lord's
New Church Which is Nova Hierosolyma that every individual, priests and
lay persons alike, ought to be longing to independently search the Last
Testament, and finally
whereas unfortunately this need to ascend into the interior understanding of
the Last Testament is no longer seen as the ultimate end of the Lord's New
Church Which is Nova Hierosolyma, doctrinal authority at this day having
been replaced by either episcopal authority or assembly authority,
therefore I hereby have resolved to try to collect
the prime quality of everything that has been
re c e i v e d bye n I i g h ten men t s 0 far.
THREE REQUESTS
In order to be able to make a survey of the doctrinal output since 1937 I
hereby kindly ask you to comply with the following three requests:
prime quality of your personal doctrinal output
Doclrine here is defined as tbe inlernal sense of the Lasl Testament revealed by enlightenmenl
from the Lord. As criterium for "prime quality" I ask you 10 use Ibe fact tbat the belter your
doctrinal output the more distinctly il will seem 10 yourself as if your own, and the more
clearly you will perceive that il is from Ihe Lord (confer Divine Providence 42-45)
1) Please send me by mail copies (if possible in English) of the three best
doctrinal articles or adresses that you have ever written or delivered. Perhaps
46
you also have had important new doctrinal ideas which were never worked up
into an article or into an address? If so, please mail me these ideas as well.
your personal doctrinal output in the last five years
2) Please send me by mail copies (if possible in English) of all your doctrinal
output (articles, addresses, ideas) since january 1996.
prime quality of your personal doctrine as far as this is based
on the doctrinal output by others
lhose who do nol procure doclrine for lhemselves, firsl inquire wether lhe doclrine given by
ochers, and received by lhe common mullilude, agrees wilh lhe Word; and 10 lhose chings
which agree lhey assem, and from lhose which do nol agree lhey dissem. In lhis way cheir
doctrine is Jormed Jor them. and. by means of lhe doclrine, lheir Jailh. BUl lhis rakes place
only with those who, nol being distraCled by lhe affairs oJ the world, are able 10 see.
Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture 59
3) Please mention me by mail which doctrinal articles, written by others since
the start of the Lord's New Church Which is Nova Hierosolyma in 1937, to
your opinion are the three best. In case of unpublished articles please add a
copy.
PLEASE SUPPORT DISTRIBUTION
This letter is directed at all those who may know from experience that the Last Testamenl
has an internal sense (see page 1) and as a consequence I have tried to send it out
internationally to as much members and friends of the Lord's New Church Which Is Nova
Hierosolyma as possible. But of course there are members and friends whose addresses I do
not have. Therefore, if you know somebody who may know from experience that the Last
Testament has an internal sense, please check whether he or she got this request for doctrinal
output, and if not, be so kind to send him or her a copy.
FIRST RESULTS WITHIN TWO MONTHS
Everybody who has sent me by mail his or her doctrinal output will automatically be
informed about the first results of this inventory within two months. Others, who would
also like to know the results of this inventory, only have to let me know this by mail. The
information about the first results of the inventory will be accompanied by a mailing list of
all those who responded to this letter.
INDEPENDENCE
Since it seems to be not uncommon that Last Testament activities by individuals are more
or less secretly supported financially by one or other New Church organisation, I hereby
like to stress the fact that in this case there has been no financial support from whatever
religious or non-religious organisation, and that this whole "Inventory of doctrinal output"
project is nothing else than the personal initiative of an independent Last Testament
searcher.
Sincerely,
Rutger Perizonius
Harrie Groeneveld, 19 june 1935; Fasc HL VI:35.
"let us communicate one to the other the things of the Lord that from
the internal mind have come to our consiousness."
47
2. The results so far
Up til December 1st 2000 no more than ten persons have responded upon this
request for doctrinal output. Copies of some output were enclosed in only
three of them. The following list gi ves the names in the order of the receipt of
their responses:
act. 7 Wilson Van Dusen, Ph.D. Ukiah, CA USA
act. 9 Leendert van Herk Bergen op Zoom Holland
act. 10 Peter Schnarr Wynnewood, PA USA
act. 12 Francis Batt Paris France
Oct. 18 Per Kelfve Vastems Sweden
act. 26 Ed Verschoor Harderwijk Holland
act. 30 Jnga R. Synnestvedt Framingham, MA USA
Nov. 20 Katarina Lindstrom Lidingo Sweden
Nov. 21 Jan Evans Chehalis. WA USA
Nov. 30 Risto Rundo Gulfport, FL USA
As promised they all will receive the first results of the inventory, that is, this
first restart issue of De Hemelse Leer.
The positive side effect of no more than ten responses is that it is still
possible to give an impression of the contents of each of them. in order to do
so the following passages have been selected:
I
Wilson Van Dusen, Ph.D., act. 4, 2000:
Dr. Rutger Perizonius,
Your letter of Sept. 25,2000 was a great surprise to me. Perhaps you dont
. know what happened to the Lord's New Church.... To ask for everyone's
doctrine at this time seems odd. Dont you care the Lord's New Church is
dying?
It happens I've set down my doctrine. The Pre.-.ence of other Worlds - all
on Swedenborg. Sold SO.OOO copies. Swed. Founation.
Returning to the Source SF, Beauty. Wonder A:. The Mystical Mind SF,
and about 80 articles on technical aspects of the Writings. See my latest very
significant one in Studia
ps. M oetDacK e churche's ro n\ & help this Church to live.
[In a second letter dr. Wilson Van Dusen wrote t at he is a member of all 3
US Swedenborgian churches (Nova Hiero.\O/wkJ. (it'flt'Tl1/ Church, and
r
. Convention); ed.]
Leendert van Herk, Oct. 6, 2000 (translation the editor):
Beste Rutger,
Thanks for your letter of September 25....
Through the years J indeed have written a fe" tlut most of it is
deposited with the International InteriQr.Coullcil I leave it to
them whether they will do something with it. Il IS planned that in due time
some of my thoughts will be published in the .\ It'll" \/>,-it:(....
Met vriendelijke groet,
[Nieuwsbriej (English: Newsletter) is the organ of [)t'\ Heren Nieuwe Kerk
zijnde Nova Hierosolyma and of the SweJt'llhlJrg Genootschap in The
Hague. According to the above letter shortly after an article by Leendert van
Herk entitled "De Leer cler Kerk" (English: The Doctrine of the Church) ap
peared in Nieuwsbriej No. 30 - November 2000 p. 7-9. The paper, referring
48
to Apocalypse Explained 190 1,2 and warning to place confidence in councils,
stressed the fact that it is everybody's own responsibility to personally search
the truth of newly developed doctrine of the church; ed.]!
Peter Schnarr, Oct. 6, 2000:
Dear Rutger,
Thank you for your invitation. Here are a few things 1 have written over the
years in my study of the Word. '"
May the Lord bless you each day,
[Enclosed were a seven dating from 1986-2000. The
most recent one has been incruaecr in thIs first restart issue of De Hemelse
Leer, see p. 54; ed.]
Q Frands BaU, Oct. 9, 2000:
Draft, forwarded by Francis Batt (please forward this draft to whom you
please, by Internet or otherwise)
[Enclosed was a handwritten draft - later a second letter contained a more
elaborated handwritten "outline"- in which among others the Writings of
Swedenborg were placed in a system together with the Writings of Hegel and
of Marx; copies can be obtained from the editor HL; ed]
Per KeIfve, Oct. 15,2000:
... I will be in Spain ... for the yearly choral competition in Tolosa....
I didn't have time to think so much about your request to collect doctrinal
statements from my pen or other's pens. Most impressive on me were some
of the Hemelsche Leer texts and, of course, the theological seminars I
attended in 1970 with Theodore Pitcairn....
Best regards,
Ed Verschoor, Oct. 23, 2000:
Indirectly of Sept. 25 2000 reached me this week.
-Beiii'g a memoeT' of the General Church, you probably did not send me
your invitation to supply my "output"....
You mention that your request was directed to members and friends of the
Lord's New Church Which Is Nova Hierosolyma, and indicate more or less
(
that only such persons "may know from experience that the Last Testament
has an internal sense"....
An inventory of "doctrinal output" should - in my humble opinion - be
made on an independent platform like Swedenborg Society. The way your
inventory is made, implies a selection amongst those enlightened members
and friends who belong to the Lord's New Church Which Is Nova
Hierosolyma. Therefore your efforts, seen on a wider scale, have their
limitations.
This letter is sent on a purely personal title and does not necessarily reflect
the attitude from the organisation I belong to.
[Of treasures dug up from the depths of the mine called
Last Testament!are welcome. In an answer dated Oct. 27 Mr. Ed Verschoor
'--was informed that if he would mail his doctrinal output before Nov. 20 it
could still be included in the "first results"; ed.]
Inga R. Synnestvedt, Oct. 26, 2000:
Dear Mr. Perizonius,
Thank you for your communication of Sepember 25th. I understand your
concerns and would like to address some of them.
49
You state that the e iscopal and assemblyy.uth<?rity are alien to the Lord's
New Church. I do not unoerSfund why you feerthis way. We are not in a
Heavenly Society as yet and we must have a form of government in which
everyone is free to pursue an interior understanding ofilierfilrd Testament.
Currently there is noticeably the government of our church. Under
these circumstances it is very difficult for doctrinal studYio take place.
. has always had as its paramount use the study of
\ the ThinJ Testament. I do not understand why you feel this use
IS no longer the ultimate end of the church. Perhaps it is because of the
disorder in the external workings of This disorder must be
addressed.
Since you don't know who I am,l will let you know a little about my
background. I was the first child baptized into the Lord's New Church. This
(
was in 1937.... However because of geographical considerations I have
attended General Church Services and functions for over thirty years.
Throughout this time I have seen the espousal of some of the teachings of the
CQ.l![ch by General Church ministers. For examp e; most
\ General Church ministers I have dealt with accept the Writings
: SwederLborg as the. W..Q!:!!'oLGod. From this it follows that tnere is an internal
I sense that progresses to infinity.
You ask for "everything that has been received by enlightenment so far."
Who makes this determination? I do know however that there are clear
of in many sermons and papers that I hear. These are
moments that speak to me and not necessarily to the person who sits next to
me.... Indeed I do agree with you that sometimes a Doctrine is drawn that is
so clearly evident that it can be accepted by most people. However, I feel that
this is rare and that the Lord speaks to us many times in a very personal way,
and that this is not applicable to everyone.
I would suggest that you peruse the Swed bsrrgian Web Sites. Read some
of the Sermons that are made available to you. In additIOn to t s, my brother
gave a talk at the recent General Church AsseJl11>Jy. These is c9llected in this
(
talk a layman's obvious lifelong study ot[tireThird Testament Should you
want a copy lWill get -
' My hope is that the Lord's New Church Which is Nova Hierosolyma and
the General Church can co-exist and complement each other with their specific
uses. Most of us are working toward this end. I hope you can join us in this
i
endeavor.
Sincerely,
Katarina Lindstom, Nov. 15,2000:
Dear friend of The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma,
... I have received your "Inventory of Doctrinal Output" with its three
requr..Sl'2f 25th, and I assure you that I indeed know from experience
thatlthe Last an internal sense.
For almost twenty years ago I got my eys opened for the writings of
Emanuel Swedenborg, and I got baptised into the New Church a few years
later, by a priest from the General Church of the New Jerusalem, because he
was the priest at hand, although I never have belonged to that church
organization. I never felt as ease wiHQheiJ:: - as I found it - literal
understanding ... Then I got from R_ev of the Lord's New Church
whichjs Nova the seven volumes of excerpts
from "De Hemelsche Leer" in English translation, and felt an understanding
acquainted with mine, especially by the axticles by Mr. Groeneveld, and I
decided to become a member of his church, and for a couple of years now I
50
I
have also been a member of its International Corporation.
The last years I have kept a Swedenborgian bookstore in Gothenburg,
Sweden, gradually supported by both The General Church of the New
Jerusalem and The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma, where I
have invited both priests from the two church organisations and other scholars
for lectures to the public. I am leaving this activity now, as I have moved to
Stockholm. As to my profession I nurse and teacher in
nursiI\g, and along with that I have studied theology and have The degree 0 ' ,-
I
Bachelor of Theology. ... t' '1-':,
The only prime quality of enlightenment I have experienced . In these
two Church organisations so far, is from the Rev. Paul Boo , who by my
invitation has had a series of lectures in Gothenburg on the development of
the Spirit}llllJlUrcl1 he has shown a true understanding of the
sense oqhe Last Testament.l ...
Concerning myself, as to your three requests, I have written a paper
r"Divinum Humanum", as an analysis of the theology of Emanuel
l Swedenborg, of 160 pages, at the University of Gothenburg, Department of
Religious Studies, examined "cum laude", in January 2000. It is in Swedish.
... recently in October I had a lecture, again in Gothenburg, about the true
understanding of the Science of which I called "To see to
the heart and the kidneys" ... of course in Swedish ...
As to the third request I again wish to point out the four doctrinal papers of
-.....--.. Rev. from the last two years. A fifth lecture will follow. They are
iilEnglish, and can be ordered, I am sure, directly from Rev. Booth.
Finally, I would like to give my agreement to all your six points of your
"Inventory of Doctrinal Output", as stated on the first page of your letter, but
also to warn against too much stress on the interior understanding as the basis
gf a Church of people in the woricCT e true Clturch wh,erethe )j
e IgIghtly understood, but only the Lord kn.Qws.\yhe\:e that is. We .
will have to do our best to find forms fm:1>eing together).p..worship, and for
the Baptism, and the Holy Supper, and for handing Last TestameJl!j
of the Divine Human to I surely agree, that interior-
of[the LaStTestamentlis no longer seen as the ultimate end of
the Lord's New CliurcnwlllCiils Nova Hierosolyma[When members of the
Church turn from c!tcurch organisation of another doctrinal
understanding ... and with hiShe!f R-eople bck as riests wh have .!J
pr oved themselves to be not su'ted. -! -:: T / 1""" t4..-..v<
A- Wit att'gootrwlsfies or your work, Yours Sincerely, r - ?'"
Jan Evans, Nov. 16,2000:
Rutger,
What a wonderfull idea you have about collecting presentations, papers. The
knowledge that would come from this would be helpful, it would add to the
learning, the sharing of ideas and understanding and it would give voice to so
'E,any It would be like a world assembly and a collection of heart
felt feelings ana opening channels of love that need
I am so sorry I am so slow replyingto your wonderful letter and I would
be very much interested in the results of your survey. Very much indeed! ...
I would like to help financially with your project, so naught being sure how
to proceed, can I send you an American check and will you be able to
cash it? ... I wish I could contribute a paper, but L\\'Q.!Jld enjoy keeping in
touch thoughts and feeljng_wi!l} y"ou. Please let me
know how to help.
With love and caring,
51
Risto Rundo, Nov. 20, 2000:
Dear Rutger,
lam glad that I lived long enough to see someone like yourself undertaking
this very important work on which our Church rests for inner progress. We
(
New Church and especially HierosolYID embers live most isolated,
and without "coming)oget!!er" in the_ by a'.!d
exchanging insights and ideas, the Nova Hierosol ma, as it has been
envisioned by its initiatorsana would certain!y toan end....
Here is first what I believe is the essential doctrine of our Church, and my
opinion in which respect we as a Church have failed: The essential is that we
believe that of the Word, and of the Third Testament in
particular, is the task and d!!!y .of all members, male and female, young and
old, clergy and laymen-:-Out of these mdiviaual and common intellectual
endeavors comes out a common understanding of the passages which we
chose to study. These new ideas become eventuaLly a more interior
understanding of the Word, but only on one condition:- that is, that we have
(
excercised charity one to another according to the Precepts in the Word. While
we succeeded to some extent in the former, we failed in the latter:
I no c rit between us, bu c 'fon and enmity. t . 0 to find Cault, thus
I
ju co.ndemnigg one another mstead of what is from the LOrd
wit us and exploring and strenghtening those things in our relation one to
another. That is the main reason and cause of our2.!.agnation....
I am sending ... my sermon on "How readest thouT [Luke X:26] dealing
with the understanding of the Word ilL-the and in our Church.
As for the articles in the FASCICLES, 1 went through them this morning.
Here is my choise:
H.D.G. Groeneveld The Doctrine of the Church Fasc HL I: ]4--17
H.D.G. Groeneveld New Year 1930 Fasc HL 1:17-18
Reception Fasc HL VII:131-139
Yours truly,
Collector of doctrinal output awaits responses
Overlooking these first results I (the collector of doctrinal output / editor)
think that it is much too early for an evaluation.
I hope that more responses will follow. The present restart issue of De
Hemelse Leer will certainl)'-gi.Y.e--<!. better of \\ hat must be understood
\ under the "internal sense of/the Last Testament"t or "doctrine" which 1like to
collect and to communicate. 1 supposetlliiT\ili.... De Hemelse Leer
can function as a touchstone, on the one hand those at a distance who
do not think the understaJlding to be a matter of much
importance, and on the other hand those. who indeed have
excavated from the depths of the Last Te"tam('nt some new treasures of
wisdom, to present these treasures to the puhllc
3. doctrinal output from the collector of doctrinal
output, Rutger Perizonius, himsdf
Looking back it seems to me that almost all output, either as
forerunner or as follow-up, is directly or connected with my paper
on The Regeneration of the Grand Man in 1980.
In the 1970's I had made a thorough study of FAlrrh in {he Universe, of Last
Judgment, of Continuation of Last Judgmenr. of all the passages in the Last
Testament concerning the Grand Man, of Harrie The Coming of
52
the Lordfor Conjunction with the Church (from 1976 -1978 this had been the
subject of the Swedenborg Gezelschap at the Hague), and of Philip N.
Odhner's doctrinal class Oct. 1st 1970 Reflections arising from the study of
the states in mgn. Sometimes these studies had
resulted in an address. Finally almost all t ese studies came together in my
address The Regeneration of the Grand Man, which was presented on
January 6th 1980 at a bread-table of the Haoue Societ of The Lord's
New Church which i5"NoWiHierosolyf1JP. M:un idea was that wit test
Judgment t e or as comp eted t e regeneration of the Grand Man, that is,
the and the chu[ch. For the first time He has been
able to set up a kingdom, which shall not be destroyed to the ages. It means
that already more than two hundred years ago the Lord has accomplished His
end: the salvation of both the human race and the angels in heaven.
Also my doctrinal ouput since 1980 can be linked to The Regeneration of
the Grand Man. Two further doctrinal developments were:
1. the idea that this Reoenerated or New Church is in man and does not
appear to any bodily sense. Like the so also genuine church
is invisible, at least to the natural.
2. the idea that this or New Church, being everlasting, does not
have a night no morning eltll-er. It is a mistake to think that
the stages of the sabbatical peace follow the order of the six days of combat.
As far as the first mentioned idea concerns, I refer to my booklet The
visibility and invisibility of since the Apocalypse. A cosmology
qf the !i!J;.iJ1e order made up of literal quotations from the Last Testament,
19991up till now not for sale - only a limited pseudonymous pre-edition has
been published and distributed - but copies can be borrowed
)f
Swedenborg libraries world-wide; for a review see: Things Heard and Seen,
Newsletter ofthe Swedenborg Society No. 2, Summer 2000, p. 23).
The second idea can be found in the 19th of June message which I have
sent last year (2000) to The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma
in Bryn Athyn.
T 245
The Word is like a mine, whose depths contain an abundance of
gold and silver; or like a mine which, at greater and greater depths,
conceal stones more and more precious; these mines are opened
according to man's understanding ofJ!Je Word: without this
understanding o/the Wori as it is in itself in its interior contents
and its depths, it could no more constitute the church among men
than the mines of Asia could make a European rich, unless he had
some share in their possession. ... those who only have'the .Word 'in
I
-
their possession, and read it, without seeking for genuine truths for
their faith, and genuine oogs for their life, are like those who only
know by hearsay that such great wealth exists, but never receive a
single penny of it.
53
THE TWO LINES, THE ASCENDING AND
THE DESCENDING, ARE THE
TWO ESSENTIALS OF THE CHURCH
by Peter Schnarr, June 19th 2000
"For the New Church there are two corresponding essentials on which all development of
/1 the Church depends. The first is the acknowledgmcnt of the Divine Human of the lprd. The
2 second is the shunnin
o
of evils as2.ins against Him. In the-firSlle of the
interior development, in the second all things of the exterior development of the Church."
Summary Development Principles 1949, HB 1985, p. 3; see abovc p. 37
This 19th of June address by Petcr Schnarr, presented to the Philadelphia Society of The
Lord's New Church which is Nova Hieroso[yma, clearly shows that even in the year 2000
there are still some who nOI only know the principles which originally characterized [his
church, but also like to bring them to the noticc of lheir fellow churchmembers. The paper
is one of the few results of the "Inventory of Doctrinal Output" (see p. 46) and functions
here as the closing article of this first restart issue of De Hemelse Leer. The text is
verbatim, only the title was added by the editor:
Members, friends and family of the Lord's New Church:
In our beginning the men of the church were led to see that there is an
Ascending in which a man looks to an acknowledgement of the Lord in
His Divine Human and secondly that there is a Descending line in which a
man shuns what he sees to be evil in himself and opposed to his ever
deepening understanding of the Lord in His Word. (Summary Development
Principles 1949, HB 1985, p. 3; see above p. 37)
These two lines, the Ascending and Descending, are the two essentials of
the church, as much as the two Great Commandments are the essentials of the
Christian Church. (Summary Development Principles 1949, HB 1985, p. 3;
see above p. 37)
Let me reiterate what is said in the Apocalypse Explained:
It is to be observed that there are two principle things belonging to the
1 church; namely, to acknowledge the the Lord in His_l-lJ!.!JJa.n, and
2... tcz. makt:, truths from the Word to be ofone '0:i[e: and no one can be in one
of these without being at the same time in the other for, all truths which
become ofthe life are from the Lord and this with those who acknowledge
the Divine in His Human. (E 209
2
)
In the 1940's it was seen that the truths and goods of the Internal Sense of the
Word come into being in their own plane in the natural mind. As the two
essentials of the church are actualized the church comes into a "circle of life
and light" from the Lord in which the Spirit of The Word is. We read: "In this
circle is the daily giving of His Body and Blood, the daily feeding on the
Bread and Wine of His Holy Communion." (Principles and Plan of Order
1947, HB 1985, p. 19; see above p.26)
We read from the Nova and its Heavenly Doctrine:
There are two things which constitutes the life ofman's 5pirit, namely, love
54
and faith, love constitutes the life of his will, and faith the life of his
understanding. The love ofgood, and the faith of truth from it constitutes
the life of heaven. (HD 230)
What constitutes heaven with a man also constitutes the Church. (HD 241)
That the Church may exist there must be doctrine from the Word, because
without doctrine the Word cannot be understood. (HD 243)
In the 1940's the men of the church said: "Between the Divine Human within
man and the Divine Human outside of man all development of the church
takes place." (Summary Development Principles 1949, HB 1985, p. 3; see
above p. 37)
,/1 We see that a man and woman should look to the organic conjunction of the
'1 and Descendin
o
lines within their minds and in their one life
together. It will be out of this [MARRIAGE] that there is the church with a
man and heaven with him. (R 97)
Emanuel Swedenborg says in the Apocalypse Revealed:
truth of doctrine is concieved in the internal man and is born in the
external (R 17)
A church is not a church without a doctrine, and the doctrine will teach a
man how to think about God (R 97)
In theArcana Coelestia we read:
When the intellectual part has been instructed in knowledges and cognitions
especially in the cognitions of truth and good, then first can the man be
regenerated and when he is being regenerated truths and goods are
implanted by the Lord by means 21 the qestiEiJ!}!:.ngs with
which he had been endowed by the Lord JTom infancy, so that his
intellectual things make one with his celestial things; and after the Lord has
thus conjoined these the man is endowed with charity from which he
begins to act the charity being of conscience, in this way he for the first
time receives new life and this by degrees. (A 1555)
And further from the Arcana Coelestia:.
to him who is in love and charity, nothing is sweeter than to worship the
Lord (A 17982)
-
---Le US ascend into the mountains of Jehovah and let the descent of the
heavenly perceptions from His Divine Human, bring light and peace into our
families and conjugiallove into our lives. We need that love to survive.
Rl7
all truth is sown in the internal man and rooted in the external ...
This root the man who has practised the truth takes with him after
death; but not the man who only in faith had known and
acknowledged it for there is no church !..'!.. hJ!n, until the !!!!:,th
of doctrine, conceived in the internal man, is born in the external.
-
55
KEY TO THE ABBREVIATIONS USED
books of the Word
A -Arcana Coelestia P -Divine Providence
CL -Conjugial Love R -Apocalypse Revealed
E -Apocalypse Explained S -Doctrine of Sacred Scripture
HD -Heavenly Doctrine T -True Christian Religion
I -Intercourse Soul and Body WH -White Horse
other books
Docu -R.L. Tafel, Documents concerning the Life and Character of
Emanuel Swedenborg, London, Swedenborg Soc., 1875, 1877
:L 11 [ HB 1985 -Handbook of The Lord's New Church which is Nova
Hierosolyma, Bryn Athyn, 1985
HB 1987 -Handboek van Des Heren Nieuwe Kerk zijnde Nova
Hierosolyma, 's-Gravenhage, 1987
periodicals
DL -Doctrine and Life, January 1940 - Easter 1943, A quarterly magazine
devoted to the doctrine and life out of the Word,Offical organ of ... The
Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma in America, Los Angeles,
California, Rev. Hendrik W. Boef editor
GR -D..f.!jQddelijke Rede (The Divine Ration'.ll), only two issues: Juni
1993, Maart 1995, RaluivoOlwaarden voor verlichting uit de G2@ijke
ISSN 0929-2616, Den Haag, dr. W.R.K. Perizonius editor
/1 " HQ) -The Heavenly Doctrine, only one issue: July 1940, A monthly
r ' magazine devoted to the doctrine of the New Church out of the sense of the
letter of the Word, Organ of ... The Lord's New Church which is Nova
Hierosolyma at Los Angeles, California, The Swedenborg Association,
W. Bo.!?f editor
HL -De Hemels(ch)e Le
Jan. 30-:Ntei gewijd aan de Leer van het Echte Ware
vanuit het uit den Heer geopenbaarde Latijnsche Woord, Orgaan van de Eerste
Nederlandsche Gemeente der Algemene Kerk van het N.Jguwe Jeruzalem,
,s-Gravenhage
Juni 1937 - Dec. 1941, Juni 1947, October 1949, Maandblad gewijd
aan de Leer van het Echte Ware vanuit het Latijnsche Woord, Orgaan van ...
Des Heren Nieuwe Kerk zijnde Nova Hierosolyma, 's-Gravenhage
an. 2001 - .. , Magazine devoted to an interior examination of the Last
Testament, Independent international journal for Last Testament scrutators,
[
The Hague, R..!!!g e 'zonius editor
56
I
I
/
)
I
/
Fasc HL I-VI-DeHemelsche Leer, A monthly magazine devoted to
( the doctrine of genuine truth out of the Latin Word revealed from the Lord,
Organ of the First Dutch Society of The General Church ofthe New
Jerusalem, English translation, Fascicles I-VI, 's-Gravenhage:
1930 Fascicle I, Extracts from the issues January to August 1930
\
]931 Fascicle 11, Extracts from the issues February to July 1931
1932 Fascicle Ill, Extracts from the issues August 1930 to February 1932
1932 Fascicle IV, Extracts from the issues June to December 1932
1934 Fascicle V, Extracts from the issues August] 932 to March] 934
]937 Fascicle from the issues November 1934 to August 1936
)
Fasc HL VII -De Hemelsche Leer, A monthly magazine devoted to
the doctrine of genuine truth out of the Latin Word, Organ of The Lord's
New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma, English translation,
(
,s-Gravenhage:
1939 Fascicle Extracts from the issues September 1936 to July 1938
NCL -New Church Life, A monthly magazine devoted to he teachings
revealed through Emanuel Swedenborg, Published by The General Church of
the New Jerusalen, since ]880.
_ .r-
;> MW -Maandbla(pe Ware Christelijke Godsdienst\(The True Christian
Religion), Maandbladgewijd aan erte-rrrelsche-J:.-ee geopenbaard in the Ib- q.
theologische geschriften van EmanueJ. Sweoenoorg, Orgaan der
Kerk van het Nieuwe Jeruzalem, ]923-1929
-
I 18
Now. since it has been granted me to be in the spiritual world and
in the natural world at the same time, and thus to see each world
and each sun, I am obliged by my conscience to communicate these
things. For of what use is knowledge unless it he communicated?
What is it, hut like collecting and storing up riches in a
casket, and only looking at them occasionally and counting them
over, without any intention of a lying them to use? Spiritual
avarice is nothing else.
57
HOW TO OBTAIN THE NEXT ISSUE OF
DE HEMELSE LEER?
SEND A REQUEST TO THE EDITOR
For the moment during the try-out period issues of De Hemelse Leer are not
for sale but are distributed free of charge only. In order to obtain the next
issue, Vol. XIII No. 2, please make a photo or handwritten copy of the form
below, complete it, and send it by mail to the editor.
To Rutger Perizonius, editor HL
van der Heimstraat 5
2582 RX The Hague
HOLLAND
Hereby the undersigned
name:
street:
town: ....................................... state: .
country: "
would like to receive:
the next issue of De Hemel.\"t' Let" . Vol. XIII No. 2
(to be published between March anJ June 2001)
signature: date:
58
1111111111\1111111111111111111\111111111111111111111111111il\111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111\111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111II
I1
o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
T 187
And they were permitted to open the heaven, which is t!!!... abode of
who excel in wisdom; and then, owing to the
light inflowing from that heaven, the tabernacle [which had been
seen earlierJappeared like a temple resembling that at Jerusalem ...
While I was wondering at these things, the angels said, "You shall
'Vd
3 -
-
see something still more wonderful." Then permitted :0
open the third heaven, ...r!:bode of tbf! celestial angels,
who excel in love; and suddenly, as a result of the influx offlaming
- - -- --.
light from that heaven, the whole temple vanished, and in its stead
was seen the Lord alone, on t_he f0f:lnj!!:..tion stone, which
was the Word, with an appearance like that in which He appeared
to John (Rev. I.) . ... By this the meaning of these words in the
Revelation was illustrated ... HI saw no lemple in the New Jerusalem;
for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is the temple of it" (XXI:
22).
A 4368
but still there are but few who have as their end a desire of being
instructed concerning truth;
A 6047
for the generality, who read the Word, do no.!- read from the
affection o[ truth, but from the affection of confirming therefrom
the doctrinals of the church within which they were born,
whatsoever be their quality.
BY SEARCHING THE LAST TESTAMENT
AND OPENING ITS DISCRETE DEGREES
THE TEMPLE WILL DISAPPEAR
AND THE LORD ALONE WILL BE SEEN
Instead of leaving the study of the Word to priests or ministers, every
individual has to search (Latin: scrutari) the Word of the Lord by himself.
This is not only true for the Old and New Testament, but even more so for
the Last Testament, which was given at the time of the Last Judgment when it
was written by the Lord through the eighteenth-century Swedish scientist
Emanuel Swedenborg.
The reason that one has to search particularly this Last Testament by
oneself, is that today it is this Last Testament alone that gives keys not only to
open the spiritual and celestial senses hidden within the letter of that very
Word, but also to open the spiritual and celestial degrees of life hidden within
the reader himself.
To him or her who searches the Last Testament from a desire of being
instructed concerning truth, enlightenment from the Lord will show the way
towards the higher spiritual and celestial truths which lie concealed in the deep
depths of the sense of its letter. These interior truths are identical with "the
doctrine" (Dutch: De Hemelse Leer) which "does not appe!!-! in
the sense of the letter, exc;ept tOJhose (Spiritual Diary
5542a) and to which this magazine is devoted. In fact such enlightenment
from the Lord is not much different from the sign_<E the Son of m.an in the
clouds of heaven:
what shall be the sign of Thy coming and ofthe end of
the world?
Matthew XXIV: 3
then shall appear the sign ofthe Son of man in heaven:
... they shall see thi} Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory
Matthew XXIV: 30
the sign, given at this day, will be enlightenment
Emanuel Swedenborg to Bishop F.e. Oetinger, II Nov. 1766

DE HEMELSE LEER An Independant Swedenborgian Journal NEW SERIES N°1 The Hague January 2001

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