charity which is alive does not exist unless it makes one with faith and unless both
conjointly look to the Lord, for these three, the Lord, charity and faith, are the
three essentials of salvation, and when they make one, charity is charity, faith is
faith, and the Lord is in them and they are in the Lord. But when these three are
not conjoined together, charity is either spurious, or hypocritical or dead . . . As
concerns charity in particular, it can be conjoined to any heretical faith; as to the
faith of the Socinians, to the faith of enthusiasts, to the faith of Jews, yea, to the
faith of idolaters, and by all of them it may be believed to be charity, because in its
outward form it appears like it, but still, it changes its quality according to the faith
to which it is adjoined.” (True Christian Religion 450) (This is a clear warning that
what may appear to be charity is not, and we should clearly not be trying to include
such in our beliefs.)
“All charity which is not conjoined with faith in one God in whom is the divine
trinity, is spurious, as is the charity of the present church, whose faith is in three
persons of the same divinity in successive order . . . thus in three gods, to which
faith charity can be adjoined, but never conjoined, and charity merely adjusted to
faith is merely natural and not spiritual, wherefore it is spurious charity. It is the
same with the charity of many other heresies, as that of those who deny the Divine
trinity, and therefore only approach God the Father . . . It is called spurious because
it is like offspring from an unlawful bed.” (Ibid. 451) (No. 452 defines hypocritical
charity and No. 453 defines dead charity.)
“The former church adjoins charity to faith as an appendix, but not as saving, and
thus makes religion; but the New Church conjoins faith in the Lord and charity
toward the neighbor as two inseparable things and thus makes religion.” (Ibid. 647)
Barrie Ridgway
Canberra, Australia
O U R N E W C H U RC H V O C A B U L A R Y
Part of a continuing series developed by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, 1961-1966.
AS OF SELF
This is one of the most distinctive terms in our New Church vocabulary. It refers to a
faculty of willing and acting, not implanted in man but continually adjoining with him, which
is Divine in origin, inspiration and power, but human in use. The exercise of this faculty
consists in acting entirely as of one’s self, but acknowledging that any good and truth resulting
are from the Lord. The faculty is given in order that man may not be an automaton, but may
have freedom and thus love God; and the disclosure of its existence shows how man can
be responsible for his regeneration alth