Each time a new Church arose after the former had ended, we see that the Lord came to it establishing it, raising it up. We saw this in the last Church as He appeared to Abraham, Moses, and even to the people. In the Israelitish and Jewish Church, He appeared to man as a man. These were spiritual manifestations of angels. As they did, the living voice of God spoke to them and to the Prophets the truth, which was written down and became the Word of God, the Old Testament. These truths could enter man through his natural senses as we have already been shown in the Ancient and, now, in Israelitish and Jewish Churches. However, in the Christian Church we see that the Lord Himself came to earth as a man and taught the disciples and some few others and so was the beginning of a new Church - the Primitive Church. As we see, the New Testament became written soon after. In this new Church, at its beginning, its state was of innocence and there was love and truth from that love, as of two brothers, just as in Cain and Able, which signified the doctrines of faith and charity that came out of the Most Ancient Church. I think one can see both charity and faith dwelling together one with another, as two brothers in that new Church being established.
This was what the early Christian Church was like from the time the Lord taught the disciple and others who followed Him up through the first few centuries. In this you can see the strengthening of charity and faith of the Primitive and Apostolic Churches. You can see this in their history. In order to get a glimpse of that Church, we see that it was like the Spiritual Church in that they could come into a fuller light to understand the truths and the doctrine that is derived from them. The Apostolic Church could see Divine Truths in that light, not that they did. They had the truths of faith, that is, they have the Lord Himself. This was possible, if they acknowledged internal things or had believed Him and follow Him and the truths and the goods that the Lord had taught them. Though its external was not the same as the Spiritual Church's external. However, internally there was love to the Lord and charity to one another as there was in the internal of the Spiritual Church. In place of the sacrifices that the Ancient or Spiritual Church had come into, the Lord has established sacraments - the Holy Supper of the Lord and Baptism, which signified and represented one's introduction into the Church on earth and in Heaven. In this early state, the Holy Supper's were feasts and were not just bread and wine as it is today. They looked upon these 'as if' the Lord was together with them, dwelling with them. He was 'as if' there as He was with the disciples at the Last Supper. In the Primitive and Apostolic era they worship the Lord's Divine Human in their Holy Suppers. This was something that later was not believed in that first Christian Church. Thus, in the dinners and suppers there are some of the externals of that Church and, as we earlier said they were called feasts and in them they could be together in cordial enjoyment. Suppers were symbolic of the association of union for that Church's establishment.
So, like the Ancient Church, the doctrinal of this Church was love and charity - the very things the Lord had taught the disciples. Early on they were called brothers, though later only within individual societies; they were all of one doctrine. They acknowledged the truth concerning the Lord's Human.
It is in this Primitive and Apostolic Christian Church there was understood the truths concerning the Lord's Divine Human and they claimed that it is so. You can confirm this in the Apostolic creed. The good and the truth of the Primitive Church - the beginning of the Christian Church - could be compared to the beginning of the Ancient. Both are spiritual. It was through the Word that influx and enlightenment came to the Ancient Church because that Word was written by pure correspondences, but understood only with those who are in the good of love and of charity. Likewise, those who are in the good of love and charity in the early Christian Church understand and are enlightened only in regard to certain truths by the Divine Human. In the Ancient Church, we saw that external things represented the Lord - the celestial and spiritual things of His Kingdom - which, of course, we now know is love and charity and faith from these. These were the things that pertained to the Apostolic Church.
How can this be understood and explained? It was the Ancient Church that had been given the Word by which they were taught correspondences between Heavenly things and earthly things. In the Primitive and Apostolic Church a written Word was also given, though that Word had not been written for them - the New Testament. Yet, neither does it or the Old Testament teach the correspondences taught in the Ancient Church that were lost. Nonetheless, the New Testament was from the Lord and spiritual truths were written down. The Spirit of Truth - the Holy Spirit - can teach correspondences and can enlighten one as was Moses and the Prophets. However, the Lord did speak directly to His disciples and others and sometimes clearly explained the meaning of His words at that time, which were spoken to the Third Church - the Israelitish and Jewish - in parables. And, we see that the Christian Church at that time did begin to understand the Lord, for they accepted Him as the Divine Human - the Lord united with and in the Father. (Though later their posterity fell away from that truth.) And, today very few accept this truth. Though they could not express it clearly, they did believe the Lord united His Human with the Divine and became the Divine Human. I point out that all those who rejected the Lord could not understand the truths that He taught as is evidenced in the New Testament.
This early Christian Church did not know, neither did it believe, as those who grew out from them did. They did not know the faith that later became known as the doctrine of imputation that was taught concerning the Lord and salvation. They - the Apostolic Church - worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father at the same time in Him, something that later was not the case. As this new Church proceeded, it came into the Light of day, and was called the 'Apostolic' Church and lasted through the third century. Their doctrines can be seen written in the Apostolic Creed. Here, you can see the light in which they could see the Lord and have true faith. Since the Lord's Advent, He is not only present; He is with those who follow or live as He taught, for He was present with them in His Natural Human. One of the truths of doctrine that they came to believe was a Trinity in only one person who was that Divine Human - the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. At that state or time they knew nothing of a Trinity of persons. Then something happened to change that faith.
This was what the early Christian Church was like from the time the Lord taught the disciple and others who followed Him up through the first few centuries. In this you can see the strengthening of charity and faith of the Primitive and Apostolic Churches. You can see this in their history. In order to get a glimpse of that Church, we see that it was like the Spiritual Church in that they could come into a fuller light to understand the truths and the doctrine that is derived from them. The Apostolic Church could see Divine Truths in that light, not that they did. They had the truths of faith, that is, they have the Lord Himself. This was possible, if they acknowledged internal things or had believed Him and follow Him and the truths and the goods that the Lord had taught them. Though its external was not the same as the Spiritual Church's external. However, internally there was love to the Lord and charity to one another as there was in the internal of the Spiritual Church. In place of the sacrifices that the Ancient or Spiritual Church had come into, the Lord has established sacraments - the Holy Supper of the Lord and Baptism, which signified and represented one's introduction into the Church on earth and in Heaven. In this early state, the Holy Supper's were feasts and were not just bread and wine as it is today. They looked upon these 'as if' the Lord was together with them, dwelling with them. He was 'as if' there as He was with the disciples at the Last Supper. In the Primitive and Apostolic era they worship the Lord's Divine Human in their Holy Suppers. This was something that later was not believed in that first Christian Church. Thus, in the dinners and suppers there are some of the externals of that Church and, as we earlier said they were called feasts and in them they could be together in cordial enjoyment. Suppers were symbolic of the association of union for that Church's establishment.
So, like the Ancient Church, the doctrinal of this Church was love and charity - the very things the Lord had taught the disciples. Early on they were called brothers, though later only within individual societies; they were all of one doctrine. They acknowledged the truth concerning the Lord's Human.
It is in this Primitive and Apostolic Christian Church there was understood the truths concerning the Lord's Divine Human and they claimed that it is so. You can confirm this in the Apostolic creed. The good and the truth of the Primitive Church - the beginning of the Christian Church - could be compared to the beginning of the Ancient. Both are spiritual. It was through the Word that influx and enlightenment came to the Ancient Church because that Word was written by pure correspondences, but understood only with those who are in the good of love and of charity. Likewise, those who are in the good of love and charity in the early Christian Church understand and are enlightened only in regard to certain truths by the Divine Human. In the Ancient Church, we saw that external things represented the Lord - the celestial and spiritual things of His Kingdom - which, of course, we now know is love and charity and faith from these. These were the things that pertained to the Apostolic Church.
How can this be understood and explained? It was the Ancient Church that had been given the Word by which they were taught correspondences between Heavenly things and earthly things. In the Primitive and Apostolic Church a written Word was also given, though that Word had not been written for them - the New Testament. Yet, neither does it or the Old Testament teach the correspondences taught in the Ancient Church that were lost. Nonetheless, the New Testament was from the Lord and spiritual truths were written down. The Spirit of Truth - the Holy Spirit - can teach correspondences and can enlighten one as was Moses and the Prophets. However, the Lord did speak directly to His disciples and others and sometimes clearly explained the meaning of His words at that time, which were spoken to the Third Church - the Israelitish and Jewish - in parables. And, we see that the Christian Church at that time did begin to understand the Lord, for they accepted Him as the Divine Human - the Lord united with and in the Father. (Though later their posterity fell away from that truth.) And, today very few accept this truth. Though they could not express it clearly, they did believe the Lord united His Human with the Divine and became the Divine Human. I point out that all those who rejected the Lord could not understand the truths that He taught as is evidenced in the New Testament.
This early Christian Church did not know, neither did it believe, as those who grew out from them did. They did not know the faith that later became known as the doctrine of imputation that was taught concerning the Lord and salvation. They - the Apostolic Church - worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father at the same time in Him, something that later was not the case. As this new Church proceeded, it came into the Light of day, and was called the 'Apostolic' Church and lasted through the third century. Their doctrines can be seen written in the Apostolic Creed. Here, you can see the light in which they could see the Lord and have true faith. Since the Lord's Advent, He is not only present; He is with those who follow or live as He taught, for He was present with them in His Natural Human. One of the truths of doctrine that they came to believe was a Trinity in only one person who was that Divine Human - the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. At that state or time they knew nothing of a Trinity of persons. Then something happened to change that faith.