Coronis, or Appendix,
to True Christian Religion

Emanuel Swedenborg

THIRD PROPOSITION (39 - 40)

The Noachian, or Ancient Church of the earth.

39. Since every church is three-fold, inmost or celestial, middle or spiritual, and external or natural, therefore Noah had three sons; and by "Shem" is signified the inmost or celestial church, by "Japheth" the middle or spiritual church, and by "Ham" the external or natural church. But there is not room to describe here in whom the first church is, and in whom the second and third, as also what their quality is in themselves, or in relation to one another: for there are highest, middle, and lowest heavens, to which those three degrees of the church correspond. Moreover, this Noachian, or Ancient Church, was diffused throughout Asia, especially into Syria, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Chaldea, the land of Canaan and the parts adjacent, Philistia, Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, Nineveh, and also into Arabia and Ethiopia, and in course of time into Great Tartary, and thence downward as far as to the Black Sea, and thence again into all the countries of Africa. That the nations in every part of the earth have been in worship from some religion is known; and religion cannot exist except by some revelation, and by the propagation thereof from nation to nation; as may be seen in the preceding work, The True Christian Religion (n. 273-276); where, also, it was shown, that, prior to the Israelitish Word, there was a Word, which in process of time was lost, but from the Divine Providence of the Lord is still preserved in Great Tartary, from which is their Divine worship, even to the present day (see also n. 264-266, and n. 279, of the said work).

40. Who can deny that the universe was created for the sake of the human race, in order that from it an angelic heaven might be formed, wherein God might dwell in the dominion of His glory? To promote and accomplish this end, what mediate cause is there but religion? And what else is religion than walking with God? Religion also is like a seed producing just and true desires, and judgments and acts therefrom, in spiritual things, and by means of these in moral things, and by means of both the latter and the former in civil things. In order, therefore, that it may be known what is the quality of the man who has religion, and what of him who has not religion, it shall be stated. The man who has religion, in spiritual things, is like a pelican nourishing its young with its own blood; but the man who has not religion, in those things is like a vulture in a state of starvation devouring its own offspring. The man who has religion, in moral things, is like a turtledove in the nest with its mate, sitting on its eggs or young; but the man who has not religion, in these things is like a rapacious hawk in the coop of a dove-cot. The man who has religion, in political things, is like a swan flying with a bunch of grapes in its mouth; but he who has not religion, in these matters is like a basilisk with a poisonous herb in its mouth. The man who has religion, in judiciary matters is like a tribune riding on a spirited horse; but the man who has not religion, in those things is like a serpent in the desert of Arabia biting its tail in its mouth, and hurling itself, in that hoop, upon a horse to coil itself about the rider. The man who has religion, in all other civil affairs, is like a prince, the son of a king, who exhibits the marks of charity and the graces of truth; but the man who has not religion, is like the three-headed dog Cerberus at the entrance of the court of Pluto, foaming forth aconite from its triple mouth.