The Central Doctrine.
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Christian church, it is not to be wondered at that all the other doctrines of Christianity should have been perverted and falsified, and a new revelation have been required to disperse the darkness. It would, indeed, have been a wonder, had this not happened. And Swedenborg, in perfect agreement on this subject with the authors just quoted, declares the prevailing belief of the church in his day to be a belief in three Gods; and he traced the numerous errors and corruptions of Christian theology to this fundamental falsity. Quoting the words of the Athanasian creed, and showing that "there arises thence no other idea than that there are three Gods unanimous and agreeing together," he proceeds:
That the whole system of Christian theology at this day is founded on an idea of three Gods, is evident from the doctrine of justification which is the principal of the doctrinals of the Christian church, both among Roman Catholics and Protestants. That doctrine sets forth that God the Father sent his Son to redeem and save mankind, and gives the Holy Spirit to operate the same. Every man who hears, reads or repeats this, cannot but in thought or idea divide God into three, and suppose that one God sent another and operates by a third. That the same thought of a Divine Trinity distinguished into three Persons, each of whom is God, is continued throughout the rest of the doctrinals of the present church, as from a head into its body, will be demonstrated in its proper place." (B. E., n. 35.)
