should differ not less widely than their faces; and that this very diversity, giving rise to different denominations or churches, will add to the beauty, strength and perfection of the whole, when all shall become animated by the Divine Master's spirit.
The catholic spirit of the New Theology, by which as well as by its doctrines it is so broadly distinguished from the Old, and which is well illustrated by the diversity in the heavenly societies, may be further seen from passages like the following, in which the writings of Swedenborg abound.
"When love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor, that is, the good of life, are made the essentials with all and with each individual, then churches, how many soever they may be, make one; and each is then one in the kingdom of the Lord. This is also the case in respect to heaven where there are innumerable societies, all different from each other; but still they constitute one heaven, because all are principled in love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor [though in different degrees ]."—A. C. n. 2982.
"The varieties and differences of doctrinals [in the various churches] are innumerable. . . But notwithstanding there are so many varieties and differences, still they together form one church when all acknowledge charity as the essential of the church; or, what is the same, when they have respect to life as the end of doctrine; that is, when they inquire how a man of the church lives, and not so much what are his sentiments; for every one in the other life is gifted with a lot from the Lord according to the good of his life, not according to the truth of doctrine separate from this good."— Ibid. n. 3241.
