Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 3.djvu/203

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THE CHURCH PREDICATED OF THE WILL.
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be a church, because it is not conjoined with heaven; for the church is the Lord's kingdom on earth.

Every one who lives in the good of charity and faith, is a church and kingdom of the Lord; and hence also he is called the temple and likewise the house of God. The church in general is constituted of those who are churches in particular, however remote they are from each other as to their place of abode. (A. C. 6637.)

They alone are of the church, in whom the church is: and the church is in those who are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth, and in the affection of good for the sake of good; who are, therefore, in love toward the neighbor and in love to God; for the neighbor is good and truth, and also is God, since good and truth are of God, thus are God with them. — They who are not such are not of the church, notwithstanding they may be in the church [that is, in the visible body so denominated]. (A. C. 10,310.)

The church is never predicated of the intellect, but invariably of the will; for the scientific or rational principle of faith by no means constitutes the church or the man of the church, these being formed by charity which belongs to the will, from which is derived all that is essential. (A. C. 809.)

They who know truths which are called articles of belief, and do not live in charity, or in good, although they are in the church, as being born there, still are

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