Swedenborg's Maximus Homo/Swedenborg's Maximus Homo/Chapter 2
II.
PRACTICAL TENDENCY OF ITS TEACHING.
In the foregoing chapter we attempted little more than an explanation of the meaning of Maximus Homo, as the term is used by Swedenborg. And we concluded with the remark, that it is not, what the reader might at first imagine, a purely speculative doctrine, but that, like all of the great seer's disclosures concerning the world beyond the grave, it has important practical bearings. It is desirable that the church on earth become as nearly as possible like the church in heaven. This is involved in the petition which all Christians offer devoutly, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven."
The great truth revealed in the doctrine of the Grand Man, as already explained, is, that the order, connection, mutual dependence, unity, harmony, and diversity existing among the heavenly societies, are similar to what we find among the various members and organs of the human body; these bodily organs being, in their connection, nature, and functions, symbols or representative images of the societies of heaven with which they are in complete correspondence.
What, now, is the practical bearing of this teaching? What is its obvious and legitimate tendency? Plainly to enlarge and liberalize the mind that accepts it, and to impart to the affections something of that beautiful expansiveness which characterizes the Lord's all-encircling love. It shows us that there are innumerable kinds and degrees of good and truth in heaven, all derived from the infinity of the Divine Goodness; endless diversity of character and state even among the angels, and consequently a place somewhere in the abodes of the blessed for every one who has within him anything of the life of heaven, however humble in quality or limited in degree. It is opposed, therefore, to everything like narrowness, bigotry, sectarianism, or exclusiveness. It encourages us to look chiefly at the essential things of religion,—the spirit and life of heaven,—and to regard as of comparatively small consequence whatever does not lead to or in some way promote these. It rebukes the natural disposition, so common even among professing Christians, to make ourselves the standards of all excellence, and to judge the character of others by our own peculiar views and feelings; and does not allow us to depreciate another's good because it happens to differ from our own in kind or in degree. It teaches us that good people are not all alike; that, although so different sometimes as to be quite uncongenial to each other, they may, nevertheless, belong to the great body of Christ,—may dwell, as to their spirits, in the same Heavenly Father's house, although in different apartments.
The doctrine further teaches that the most perfect union, harmony, peace, and good-fellowship are compatible with great diversity of character, rank, occupation, and office; that this diversity, indeed, renders the union and harmony all the more perfect when the different parts in the social body are duly adjusted, and one life pervades them all. It shows us that gradations of rank and character may exist without pride, disdain, or tyranny on the one hand, or envy, jealousy, or humiliation on the other; and that these very gradations furnish wider scope for the infinitely diversified powers of man, and multiply and strengthen the ties that bind the human race together. Its tendency is to make us regard as honorable every position and occupation in life which is useful; to lead every one to desire and seek just that sphere of usefulness which his gifts of body and mind best qualify him to fill; and whether that sphere be high or low—in the head or foot, the eye or hand of the social body—to work there contentedly and faithfully, devoutly thankful that he is a man.
It is plain to be seen, therefore, that this doctrine is alike opposed to that insane lust of dominion which seeks to enslave and impoverish the masses, and to that equally mad spirit of agrarianism which would level all distinctions and make the world a swamp or a desert for the sake of having it flat; alike opposed to that proud aristocracy which seeks to erect insuperable barriers, and to that wild democracy which would tear down all the fences and remove all the landmarks. It shows us how it is possible for people of every variety of culture, rank, profession, occupation, tastes, and habits that are not disorderly, to dwell together like brethren in unity.
Let this doctrine be generally accepted and devoutly believed, and what a change would speedily be wrought by it in nearly all existing churches! How quickly would bigotry, intolerance, and belittling sectarianism—all doleful creatures of the night—take their departure, as owls and bats retire at the approach of dawn! For all agree that the Church on earth ought to be, in a state of true order will be, somewhat like the Church in heaven. All Christians, indeed, pray for this. Accepting, therefore, the new doctrine of the human form of heaven—the doctrine of endless diversity coupled with complete harmony and unity—they would no longer aim at perfect uniformity in things pertaining to the Church, for they would see that no such uniformity exists in heaven. They would see that perfect agreement in doctrine or ritual (save in two or three fundamentals) is neither to be expected nor desired; that variety everywhere—in the spiritual no less than in the natural realm—is the truly Divine order. And seeing this, they would allow and encourage the utmost freedom of thought and inquiry on religious or doctrinal questions, not deprecating but cordially welcoming whatever diversity might result from such freedom. Prejudice against new ideas, or against writings said to contain them, would everywhere be condemned and frowned upon as a hindrance to religious progress. Thus would bigotry and intolerance be banished from the churches, and in their place would come a grand catholicity, broad and beautiful as that in heaven. Instead of antagonistic sects, warring against, fretting, and weakening each other, we should have, out of many and diverse communions, one harmonious and united Church; not one in doctrine, discipline, and form of external worship, but one in spirit,—one in the real and practical acknowledgment of the Lord and his Word,—a Church all the more beautiful and perfect because of the endless diversity among its component parts.
It cannot be denied, therefore, that this doctrine of the human form of heaven is good and wholesome in its practical tendency. And what stronger evidence of its truth could any one have or desire than this? No such beneficent results could flow legitimately from a doctrine which is itself false. "Of a bramble-bush men do not gather grapes" "neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."
And if this doctrine be, indeed, true and from heaven, as we believe and claim, and if the New Church foreshadowed and signified by the Apocalyptic New Jerusalem is, or is to be, "the crown of all the churches that have hitherto been in the world"—the glorious and consummate flower toward the expansion of which all the previous churches have looked, and each in a measure contributed,—then we should expect this Church would furnish an illustration of the heavenly doctrine we have been considering. We should expect to find in it great freedom of thought, and consequently great diversity in doctrinal beliefs as well as in states of life; and should look for perfect agreement only in two or three fundamentals (see A. C., n. 1834), and this in substance rather than in form or phraseology. We should expect in the authorized teachings of this Church a distinct recognition of this wide diversity, and of the large toleration and complete union and harmony thence resulting.
And turning to the revelations made for the use of the New Church (where only may be found the authorized teachings of this Church), we find such expectation completely justified. First, we are told that the Church on earth is or should be like the Church in heaven in respect to variety, or the diversity of its several parts.
"Heaven is a whole, composed of various parts arranged in the most perfect form; for the heavenly form is the most perfect of all forms, All perfection results from the harmonious arrangement of parts that are different. . . .
"The same may be said of the Church as of heaven, for the Church is the Lord's heaven upon earth. There are also many Churches [or ecclesiastical organizations]; and yet each one is called a Church, and likewise is a Church so far as the good of love and faith rules therein. There also the Lord makes a whole from parts that are different; that is, from several Churches He makes one Church." (H. H., nos. 56, 57.)
It is plain that the Church here spoken of, and which is perfected by variety, is the Lord's true Church, such as the New Jerusalem is declared to be; for it is said to be the same as the heaven of angels in respect to the diversity of its component parts; and this could be affirmed of none other than a true Church. But the endless variety in the New Christian Church, signiied by the New Jerusalem, is distinctly declared in other parts of the Writings. Thus in his explanation of the meaning of "the seven candlesticks" mentioned in the first chapter of the "Apocalypse". Swedenborg first says that they "signify the New Church upon earth, which is the New Jerusalem descending from the Lord out of the new heaven." Then, after referring to previous numbers wherein he had explained the meaning of "candlesticks" and the number "seven," he procceds:—
We learn from this that there will be great variety in the Church signified by the New Jerusalem, and that this variety will not detract from, but rather add to, its perfection. It will be a truer, grander, and more excellent Church because more like the angelic heaven from which it descends, on account of such variety. We further learn that the New Church in its entireness—"in the aggregate"—is described as to its various particulars in what is said of "the seven churches in Asia."
Looking, now, at the faith of these "seven churches," as revealed in the spiritual sense of what is addressed to them, we find there all the dominant forms of religious error current in the creeds of Christendom at the time Swedenborg wrote. We find some among them "who primarily respect truths of doctrine and not the good of life;" some "who are in good as to life, but in falsities as to doctrine;" some "who place the whole of the Church in good works, and nothing of it in truths of doctrine;" some "who have suffered themselves to be seduced by others"—who "have not themselves falsified truths," but have given credit to others "who have done so;" some "who are in dead worship;" and some "who are in faith separate from charity." (A. E., nos. 112, 163, 195, 227.) But notwithstanding the errors incorporated into their creeds, and professed by the people, many in these same churches are said to live the life of charity, and are therefore really members of the Lord's true Church—the New Jerusalem. Thus it is said of those professing the doctrine of "salvation by faith alone," that "the greater part of those born within the churches where this doctrine is received . . . believe no otherwise than that 'faith alone' is to think about God and salvation, and how they ought to live;" and that "there are very few who thus live from doctrine"—that is, in accordance with the doctrine of faith alone as set down in the creeds.
Then in that chapter of the Apocalypse (xxi) which contains the fullest account of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, recording its descent from God out of heaven, and describing its form and dimensions, the nature of its foundations, walls, gates, temple, etc., we are told in the last verse who are excluded from its sacred enclosure, and who are admitted or acknowledged as entitled to the rights and privileges of citizenship. The former are all who have, by disorderly and wicked lives, "adulterated the goods and falsified the truths of the Word," and thus rendered their souls impure and filthy, and unfit for the companionship of angels. The latter are "they who are written in the Lamb's book of life;" which words, as explained by Swedenborg, mean "they who believe in the Lord and live according to His commandments in the Word." And every one can see that among these there exists an endless diversity; for there are innumerable states or degrees of acknowledgment of the Lord and fidelity to the laws of life that He has revealed. And it is hardly to be expected that the people who are in these different states as to good and truth will ever be formed into any one religious organization. On the contrary, we should expect them to be distributed throughout the different organizations, and some, doubtless, outside of them all. And this reasonable expectation is in perfect agreement with the explicit teaching of the Writings. For the New Jerusalem, we are told, is "the Lord's kingdom in general" (A. C., n. 402), and "His kingdom consists of all who are influenced by good." (N. J. D., n. 95.) It is "the communion of saints"—all God's children of whatever name—"scattered throughout the whole world, and consisting of those who are in love to Him and in charity toward the neighbor,"—"not only within the Church, but outside of it also." (A. C., n. 7396; T. C. R., nos. 307, 416.) From all of which the endless diversity of the New Jerusalem may be clearly seen or readily inferred.
Turning again to Swedenborg's exposition of the seventh chapter of the Apocalypse, we find further and still stronger confirmation of the truth we are endeavoring to inculcate. The first part of this chapter gives the number who were "sealed" out of each of the twelve tribes. And these "tribes," we are told, "signify those who are in genuine goods and truths" (A. E., n. 552), and therefore constitute "the Lord's internal Church." (A. R., 363.) In other words, they are "all of the New Christian heaven and the New Church, who will be in truths of doctrine derived from the good of love through the Word from the Lord." (A. R., n. 348.) These constitute the internal of the New Church. But this Church, as well as every other, must have an external as well as an internal. It cannot exist without it. And the external is as truly a part of the Church, and just as essential to its completeness, as the skin is a part of the body, and necessary to its completeness. "Where the internal Church is the external must be also, for the internal of the Church cannot be separated from its external." (A. C., n. 6587.) And those who constitute the external Church are by far the most numerous. (Ibid.)
Who, then, constitute the external, and who the internal of the New Christian Church? Swedenborg answers:—
Again, and equally explicit, in his explanation of the meaning of that "great multitude" (Rev. vii, 9) which the seer of Patmos beheld in vision after he had heard of the number sealed from each of the twelve tribes,—that great multitude, he says, "signifies all the rest who are not among the above recited [that is, not among the one hundred and forty-four thousand], and yet are in the Lord's new heaven and New Church, being those who compose the lowest heaven and the external Church." (A. R., n. 363.) And in their number are included "all who are in the good of life according to the doctrinal tenets of their religion," which "they believe to be truths and goods," although they are not such; and all "who are in falsities from ignorance and from various religions," but who, nevertheless, "live well according to their religious dogmas;" for "what is false is not imputed to any one who lives well according to the dogmas of his religion." (A. E., nos 454, 455.)
From this we learn that people may be in falsities from ignorance, or from instruction received from those whose opinions they revere, and yet be "in the good of life." And we learn, further, that all of this class are "in the Lord's New Church," and are "numerous"—"a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues."
It is plain from the passages above cited (and many more of a kindred nature might be added), that there is, or is to be, the same endless diversity in the Church signified by the New Jerusalem that there is in the heaven of angels. Its teachings clearly point to this. Its foundation being broad as that of the angelic heavens, it should and will be as large, catholic, and inclusive in its nature and spirit. Its component parts will differ as widely as do the different organs in the human body; and there will be among them the same friendly recognition of each other, the same mutual regard and respect, the same harmonious cooperation, the same vital and fraternal union. And thus will this new doctrine of the human form of heaven, as explained in a previous chapter, be exemplified in the New Church as it has never been before since the days of "the most ancient.