The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem, Founded on the Precepts of the Decalogue. ¹

by Emanuel Swedenborg

(First published 1763)

Translator’s Table of Contents:

- Every Religion Is a Way of Life, and Its Life Is the Doing of Good, 1

- No One Can of Himself Do Good That Is Good, 9

- Insofar as a Person Refrains from Evils as Being Sins, So Far He Does Good, Not of Himself, but from the Lord, 18

1. If a person wills and does good before he refrains from evils as being sins, the good that he does is not good. 24

2. If a person thinks and speaks piously, and does not refrain from evils as being sins, his pious thoughts and words are not pious. 25

3. If a person gains much knowledge and wisdom, and does not refrain from evils as being sins, he is still not wise. 27

- Insofar as Someone Refrains from Evils as Being Sins, So Far He Loves Truths, 32

- Insofar as Someone Refrains from Evils as Being Sins, So Far He Has Faith and Is Spiritual, 42

- The Ten Commandments Tell Us What Evils Are Sins, 53

- Every Form of Murder, Adultery, Theft, or False Witness, Including Every Urge to Commit Them, Is an Evil Which Must Be Refrained from as Being a Sin, 62

- Insofar as Someone Refrains from Every Form of Murder as a Sin, So Far He Has Love for the Neighbor, 67

- Insofar as Someone Refrains from Every Form of Adultery as Being a Sin, So Far He Loves Chastity, 74

- Insofar as Someone Refrains from Every Form of Stealing as Being a Sin, So Far He Loves Honesty, 80

- Insofar as Someone Refrains from Every Form of False Witness as Being a Sin, So Far He Loves Truth, 87

- No One Can Refrain from Evils as Being Sins So as to Turn Away from Them Inwardly Except by Battles Against Them, 92

- A Person Must Refrain from Evils as Being Sins and Fight Against Them as Though of Himself, 101

- If Someone Refrains from Evils for Any Other Reason Than That They Are Sins, He Does Not Really Refrain from Them, but Only Keeps Them from Being Seen by the World, 108

Бележки под линия:

53. The Ten Commandments Tell Us What Evils Are Sins

What nation, in the whole world, does not know that it is evil to steal, to commit adultery, to kill and to bear false witness? If they did not know this, and if they did not pass laws to guard against anyone’s doing these things, it would be the end of them, for any society, republic or kingdom would collapse without these laws.

Who can suppose that the Israelite nation was, more than any other nation, so stupid as not to know that these acts are evil? One may wonder, therefore, why these laws, universally known the world over, were promulgated from Mount Sinai by Jehovah Himself, accompanied by so great a miracle.

But listen, they were promulgated with so great a miracle in order for people to know that these laws were not only civil and moral laws, but also spiritual laws, and that to disobey them was not only to do evil to one’s fellow citizen and community, but was also to sin against God. By being promulgated by Jehovah from Mount Sinai, therefore, these laws became laws of religion. For it is plain that whatever Jehovah God commands, He intends to be a commandment of religion, and that it must be obeyed for His sake, and for the sake of people’s salvation.