great the need of a new and divinely-authorized revelation to disperse that darkness!
Turn, now, to Swedenborg's disclosure on this subject, and see how it squares with the teachings of enlightened reason and Holy Scripture. He says:
"Some believe that only the infants who are born within the church go to heaven, but not those born out of the church; and the reason they assign is, that infants within the church are baptized, and are thus initiated into the faith of the church. But they are not aware that no one receives heaven or faith by baptism, for baptism is only for a sign and memorial that man is to be regenerated. . . . Be it known, therefore, that every infant, wheresoever born—whether within the church or out of it, whether of pious or impious parents—when he dies, is received by the Lord, and is educated in heaven. He is there instructed according to divine order, and is imbued with affections of good, and by them with the knowledges of truth; and afterwards as he is perfected in intelligence and wisdom, he is introduced into heaven and becomes an angel."—H. H. n. 329.
We learn from this that all who die in infancy and childhood, go directly to heaven. They are not angels, however, immediately after their decease, for they lack the intelligence and wisdom necessary to constitute an angel. They have the same infantile mind which they had while yet in the flesh; for the death of the body works no change in the spiritual organism. So long, therefore, as they are without heavenly intelligence and wisdom, they are not angels, although in the society of angels.
"When infants die, they are still infants in the other
