From this it may appear evident, what the Word is in it's bofom; the natural Word, fuch as it is in the world with Chriftians, inwardly in itself contains both the fpiritual Word and the celeftial Word: for the fpiritual fenfe of our Word is the Word in the heavens, which conftitute the fpiritual kingdom of the Lord; and the celeftial fenfe of our Word, which is its inmoft fenfe, is the Word in the hea veans, which conftitute the celeftial kingdom of the Lord; wherefore in our natural Word is contained both the fpiritual and the celeftial Word; but in the spiritual and the celeftial Word the natural Word is not contained, for which reason the Word of our world is moft replete with divine wisdom, and confequently is more holy than the words of the heavens.

Concerning the nations and people without the church, among whom there is not the Word, and who thence know nothing concerning the Lord and concerning redemption.

They who have the Word are respectively few to those who have not the Word. The Word is only among those Chriftians in Europe who are called the reformed; among the Roman Catholics there is indeed the Word, but it is not read, and the kingdoms profeffing that religion, are France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, more than half of Germany and allo Hungary, as well as Poland. The Word is but little read in Ruffia, but nevertheless it is esteemed there as holy. It is only in England, Holland, and in certain dutchies in Germany, and in Sweden and Denmark, that the Word is taught and preached. But in Afia, Africa, and the Indies, the Word is unknown among the Gentiles, who are more numerous than the reformed Chriftians. But left the Word fhould be loft, it is provided by the Lord, that the Jewish nation, among whom is the Word of the Old Testament in its original language, fhould be ftill preferved, and dwell difperfed over a great part of the earth, which nation, notwithstanding it denies the Lord to be the Meffiah or Chrift, foretold by the prophets, and although it is of an evil heart, nevertheless the reading of the Word by them hath a com• munication with certain heavens, for correfpondences communicate, of whatever nature the perfon is who reads it, provided only he acknowledges it to be divine: thus at this day it is with them as of old: for while they worship Mofes, Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, David, Elias, and many others mentioned

mentioned in the Word, as deities, then the heavens instead of those perfons perceive the Lord, knowing nothing about. the perfon in the world from whom that holy principle of worship proceeds: Such is the conjuction of heaven with man by means of the Word.

Concerning the ancient Word which is loft.*

The religious fyftems of many nations are derived from that Word, and were conveyed from the land of Canaan, and from many parts of Afia into Greece, and thence into Italy, and through Ethiopia and Egypt into certain kingdoms of Africa: but in Greece they converted the correspondences into fables, and the divine attributes into fo many gods, the chief of which they called Jove, from Jehovah.

That truths, which are called truths of faith, and goods, which are called goods of love, are ineffably increased in the internal fenfes, confequently in the heavens.

Such is the cafe with the natural fenfe without the spiritual and the celeftial, and vice verfa. The reafon is because the natural fenfe is an effect from fpiritual things, and spiritual things are an effect from celestial things; and the effect confifts of fo many things, which do not appear to the fight, which are causes, that it may be faid to be in things finite the effect is grofs, and the caufe entereth into the all of effect, and compofeth it, as its general principle, in which general principle all the component particulars and fingularities are in a fphere interior to that of ocular fight

It is comparatively like a tree, which appears to the eye luxuriant in branches, leaves and fruit, all these are effects, but if you could behold a branch inwardly as to its filaments, or a leaf as to its fibres, or a fruit as to all and fingular things thereof, which are inconfpicuous, also the seed as to

* Concerning this ancient Word the author fpeaks more particularly in other parts of his writings, and defcribes it as a revelation that exifted in the ancient church, prior to the Mofaic Word. This Word is menti ned by Mofes in Numbers xxi. 14. 15 and 27 to 30; its hiftorical parts are called the Wars of Jehovah, and its prophetical, Enunciations. There is also another prophetical book of that ancient Word called the Book of Jafher, mentioned in II Sam. I. 17. 18, alfo in Joshua, x. 12 This Word the author afferts is ftill preserved in Great Tartary. See the True Chriftian Religion, n. 264. 265 and 279, aliq the Apocalypfe Revealed, n. 11.

I i

its

its inconspicuous parts, which the tree with all its parts confifts, you would fee in this cafe how many innumerable and alfo ineffable things lie concealed from the eye: on, a certain time a flower was opened as to its interior parts, which are called fpiritual, before the angels, and when they beheld them they faid, that within it there was as it were an intire Paradife, formed of things ineffable. It is alfo comparatively like the human body with all its members and organs, which appear before the eye, in respect to its interior parts, where are fo many organical forms, if you were to diftinguish by means of mere Arcana the whole fcience, and all these parts forming but one, you would affirm, that in it are collected together the Arcana of all fciences, as phyfics, chymistry, mechanics, geometry, acoufics, optics, which Arcana of fciences can never be explored, because they can never be apprehended. Such is the internal with refpect to the natural, and the celestial with respect. to the spiritual. The natural confidered in itself is nothing but the external form, which is called the effect of spiritual things, and the fpiritual is the external form which is called the effect of celeftial things, wherefore every fpiritual thing is derived from the celestial, and every natural thing from the fpiritual. Hence it appears in what manner it is to be understood, that truth is the form of good, and that good hath its quality in truths, because the form is from truths, without a form the quality is unknown, and that truth exifts from good, as from its living caufe, and that if you were to remove good from truths, it would be as if you were to take the kernel from the almond, and truth is as it were its fhell, or as if you were to take away the pulp from the fruit, and there remains only the rind. For which reason truth without good is changed into fomething which is phantaf tical, which outwardly appears like truth, but inwardly it is a vacuum. It is the fame with the natural without the fpiritual, and alfo with the spiritual without the celestial.

Hence it is evident what ineffable things are in the fpiritual, which do not appear in the natural, and what innumerable things in the celeftial; and hence it appears what is the nature of the natural fenfe, of the fpiritual and of the ce leftial, that they are ineffable with refpect to each other, hence they fucceed as fcience, intelligence and wifdom: wherefore alfo men on earth, because they are in natural light, are faid to be knowing by the angels, but the angels,

of

of the Lord's fpiritual kingdom are called intelligent, and the angels of the Lord's celeftial kingdom are called wise.

The Word in the literal fenfe may be compared with a tree furrounded by the bark or rind, whole, and in a state of vegetation, and the fpiritual fenfe may be compared with its nutrition, confifting of various juices and effences, afcending partly from the ground, and partly imbibed from the air and from the ether in the heat and light of the fun; if the literal fense were alone, and not at the fame time the fpiritual and the celeftial fenfes, it would be like a tree without Lap, yea like the bark alone without the wood; but together with thofe fenfes it is like a tree in its perfect state; in this perfect ftate also all the fap paffes from the root through the rind or bark; wherefore when this is taken away the tree. drieth up: confequently fuch would be the cafe with the fpiritual fenfe of the Word without its natural sense.

Letters written by EMANUEL SWEDENBORG, continued.

Received

LETTER XIII.

To Dr. Beyer.

I your letter dated the 18th March, together with

a copy

of that which you delivered to his Majefty. You mention also that a report has arrived at Gottenborg concerning a refolution which was to have been propofed in the senate; but that fince the copy of that letter which I wrote you has been communicated to fenator Count Ekeblad, and to the great chancellor of justice, this matter has been brought forward again and terminated agreeable to the letter from the great chancellor of juftice to the confiftory at Gottenborg, of which letter I requeft you to fend me a copy. Had the first propofal been established, that Swedenborgianifm fhould not be fpoken of, and this notwithstanding fignifies the worship of the Lord, what would have been the refult, but a fear in the clergy to speak about Chrift and his protection of the human race; for in fuch cafe they would have run the risk of being infulted as fupporters of Swedenborgianism, and in confequence thereof Chriftianity in Sweden would decreafe and become Socinianifm and finally Heathenifm, which

may be confirmed from Matthew xii. 30, and Mark ix. 48. Such would have been the offspring born from that first pro pofal. This is the reason, that when certain zealous clergymen in this city first heard the rumour thereof, that they became aftonished, imagining juftly that, by fuch way of proceeding, Chriftianity in this country would totally vanish. I am informed that the bishops and many of the clerical order of the ftates at the diet expreffed themfelves with great propriety concerning those dogmatical principles which were then difcuffed.

What has been prefented to the confiftories against my writings not having been communicated to me, I am totally ignorant of what paffed in the fenate on that subject.

I go next June to Amfterdam, where I intend to publish the Univerfal Theology of the New Church; the worship of the Lord is the foundation therein, and if upon that foundation the true houfe or temple fhall not be built, others will erect upon it Lupanaria or brothels.

As to what regards the draconical spirits, they are all removed far towards the fouth, where the learned obtain a certain place, and every one there his cellulam or little chamber, wherein he confirms himself in juftfication by faith alone; and they who have confirmed this from the Word of God, depart thence into a defert and fo on further. The reft when they come out obtain no dwellings. To what place they afterwards go I do not yet know: In heaven there is no place for them. It befalls them according to the description in the Apocalypfe Revealed, n. 421. But that abyfs which is there defcribed is now removed farther in the fouth as obferved before. I remain with all friendship and confidence, &c. Stockholm, 30th April, 1770.

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.

A

LETTER XIV.

To the fame.

S I am going in a few days to Amfterdam, I shall take my leave of you in this letter, hoping that our Saviour will fupport you in good health, preferve you from farther violence and blefs your thoughts. I convey you herewith

the