1. THE FAITH OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH

A statement of faith, set out in both universal and particular terms, is placed at the beginning to serve as a preface to the book which follows, to be like a doorway leading into a church, and a summary presenting in a short compass what follows at more length. It is called the faith of the new heaven and the new church, because heaven, where the angels are, and the church among men form a single unit, just as the internal and external sides of the personality make up a single individual. This is why a member of the church who possesses the good of love which arises from the truths of faith, and possesses the truths of faith which arise from the good of love, is, so far as the interiors of his mind are concerned, an angel of heaven. Therefore too after dying he comes into heaven, and there enjoys happiness depending upon how far the good and truth are linked. It should be known that in the new heaven, which is at the present time being established by the Lord, this statement of faith serves as its preface, doorway and summary.

429. X. Some charitable duties are public, some domestic and some private.

There is a difference between charitable kindnesses and charitable duties, like that between acts undertaken by free choice and those done of necessity. Still, by charitable duties we do not here mean the duties attached to office in a kingdom or republic, such as that of ministers to administer, of judges to judge, and so on, but the duties of every individual whatever his occupation. They come therefore from a different origin and are the result of a different act of will, so that those who are charitable do them out of charity, and in the opposite case the uncharitable do them out of lack of charity.