Читать книгу Swedenborg: Harbinger of the New Age of the Christian Church онлайн | страница 8

"In Germany," says Schlegel, "during the atheistic and revolutionary period of the French philosophy, immediately prior to the French Revolution, as well as at its commencement, Christianity and in fact all religion was regarded as a mere prejudice of the infancy of the human mind, totally destitute of foundation in truth, and no longer adapted to the spirit of the age; monarchy and the whole civilization of modern Europe as abuses no longer to be tolerated. It was only when men had reached this extreme term of their ​boasted enlightenment, that a reaction took place. But prior to this, toward the middle of the eighteenth century, and in the ten years immediately subsequent, the spirit of the age bore all before it in its irresistible progress."^[9]

This condition of the Christian Church in the eighteenth century was plainly the abomination of desolation foretold by the Lord as to come at the consummation of the age [commonly but erroneously rendered "the end of the world"], when the Sun—the face of the Lord of heaven—should be darkened, and the Moon—faith in Him—should not give her light, and the stars of heaven—all knowledge of Him and His will—should fall from their places. Such it was recognized to be by devout, distressed students of the time, and the judgment foretold by our Lord and foreseen in vision by John was perceived to be at hand. By concurrent testimony it would seem that the time was ripe for this judgment in the middle of the eighteenth century. The judgment was not seen to come. But notably from about that time a change came over the Christian Church, and students of history ever since are ​marvelling, searching for the cause of the revivification of the churches. A downward course does not of itself turn into an upward course. Satan does not let go his hold of man or race of his own will. As in the first century, so in the eighteenth, he could be cast down from his encroachment on heaven by no less power than that of the Son of God, the Word made flesh and dwelling among us.