THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH—ITS RISE AND FALL.
By Swedenborg
When a church is first raised up and established by the Lord, it exists in the beginning in a state of purity, and the members then love each other as brethren; as is known from what is recorded of the primitive Christian Church after the Lord's coming. All the members of the Church at that time lived one amongst another as brethren, and also called each other brethren, and mutually loved each other; but in progress of time charity diminished, and at length vanished away; and as charity vanished, evils succeeded, and with evils falses also insinuated themselves, whence arose schisms and heresies. These would never have existed if charity had continued to live and rule; for in such case they would not have called schism by the name of schism, nor heresy by the name of heresy, but they would have called them doctrinals agreeable to each person's particular opinion, or way of thinking, which they would have left to every one's conscience, not judging or condemning any for their opinions, provided8they maintained nothing contrary to the Divine order, that is contrary to the commandments of the Decalogue.—Swedenborg.