a new dispensation, founded upon divine truth newly revealed from the Lord out of heaven.
Though the New Church is distinct from any former Church, there is a certain relation; for each Church comes as a part of the Divine plan of human development. The successive Churches are related as infancy, childhood, youth, and manhood, or as the roots, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits of a tree. The New Church is the end for which all former Churches existed, just as manhood is the end of infancy, childhood, and youth. It is the fruit on the end of the branch.
In the Israelitish and Ancient Churches God was worshiped as an invisible God. In the Apostolic Church He was worshiped under the idea of three persons. The New Church is to be the crown of all the churches that have been, because in it God will not be worshiped as an invisible God, nor under the idea of three persons, but by means of newly revealed truth, the Lord
