True Christian Religion (Chadwick) n. 5

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

5. THE ONENESS OF GOD

Since the acknowledgment of God which comes from knowing Him is the very essence and soul of every dogma in all theology, I must begin by speaking of the oneness of God. This will be demonstrated in the following series of propositions.

(i) The whole of the Sacred Scripture and all doctrines extracted from it by churches throughout Christendom teach that there is one God. (ii) There is a general feeling [emanating from God and]* flowing into men's souls that there is a God, and that He is one. (iii) That is why there is no nation throughout the World possessed of religion and sound reason which does not acknowledge God and the fact that He is one. (iv) There are many reasons why nations and peoples have formed varying ideas of the nature of that one God, and continue to do so. (v) There are many things in the world which can lead the human reason, if it wishes, to grasp and deduce that there is a God and that He is one. (vi) If there had not been one God, the universe could not have been created and kept in existence. (vii) Any person who does not acknowledge God is excommunicated from the church and damned. (viii) The church cannot hold together at all in the case of a person who acknowledges not one God, but several. These propositions will be expounded one by one.

*The words in brackets are supplied from the repetition of this proposition in 8.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church