ABBREVIATIONS. The following are the abbreviated titles of the works of Swedenborg quoted or referred to in this work. THE SCIENCE OF CORRESPONDENCES. CHAPTER I. IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT.-INSPIRATION DEFINED, AND THE TRUF CANON OF THE WORD OF GOD DECIDED. THE HE subject of this treatise is one of momentous interest to every well-disposed and reflective mind. Accustomed to reverence the Bible' as a book containing the revealed will and wisdom of the Supreme Being, written under immediate inspiration, and professing to regard it as the fountain of all spiritual light, and the source of all religious knowledge, we must, if indeed we are humble and teachable, feel greatly rejoiced when we learn that there exists a certain and universal rule of interpretation, by which its glorious truths can be disclosed, its heavenly wonders unfolded, its consolatory doctrines displayed, and its sacred precepts made plain. In this state of mind we are prepared rationally to perceive the true nature and character of the Holy Word as "the power and wisdom of God," the only authentic source of religious knowledge and spiritual wisdom (John i. 1, 2; Rom. i. 16; 1 Cor. i. 24). We shall be disposed to regard it as a spiritual meat and drink,—" the green pastures and still waters" for the repose and refreshment of the Lord's flock (Ps. xxiii. 2); and as we receive the heavenly nourishment by which our souls live, we shall exclaim, with the prophet Jeremiah, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and they were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart" (xv. 16). Book," and which has been adopted into all languages as the designation of the Sacred Scriptures in a collected form. 1 Bible is a word derived from "biblos," the | lation of the Hebrew Scriptures as "the Greek name for papyrus, the most ancient material out of which its derivative, paper, was made. Biblus, the Egyptian plant, gave to the Greeks their name for paper, and this again gave their name to the earliest trans The Jews call their Hebrew Bible, "The Book of Holiness," or "The Holy Book." Incontrovertible reasons might be adduced for the absolute necessity of a direct revelation, and also what are commonly called the presumptive and positive but irresistible evidences, both internal and external, satisfactory as they are, in proof of the genuineness, authenticity, and integrity of those books which form the Word, together with the overwhelming testimonies in favor of their verity derived from the wonderful literal fulfillment of many of the inspired predictions, and from their marvellous effects in advancing human civilization wherever they have been freely circulated; likewise the invincible proofs of the divinity of the Holy Word, as exemplified in the perfect harmony, simplicity, and practical tendency of its doctrines, and their universal adaptation to the exalted purposes proposed; the further corroborative testimony which might be adduced from important philosophical investigations, philological inquiries and responses, scientific scrutiny, and archæological discoveries, together with its miraculous preservation from age to age, amid the fiercest commotions and devastations, and the dismemberment of all the nations that have ever existed on the face of the earth; and the wonderful unity of the whole, though written by the instrumentality of various men, at distant periods, all of which facts and circumstances strongly argue a divine inspiration and prescience. I pass over these multiplied arguments, satisfactory as they are, and take far higher grounds. than these in behalf of the inspiration of the Word, and appeal to the inward consciousness, experience, and reason of all. To admit that a book is the pure dictate and voice of God, demands that we should require it to be authenticated, as well as discriminated from other productions, not merely by verbal exegesis, critical analysis, and historical researches (however valuable they "A prophecy, literally fulfilled, is a real | an asylum from the fury of its enemies. miracle: one such, fairly produced, must go a great way in convincing all reasonable men."-COLLINS. Though it has been ridiculed more bitterly, misrepresented more grossly, opposed more rancorously, and burnt more frequently than any other book, and perhaps than all other books united, it is so far from sinking under the efforts of its enemies, that the probability of its surviving is now much greater than ever. The rain has descended, the floods have come, the storm has arisen and beat upon it; but it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. Like the burning bush, it has been in flames, yet it is still unconsumed,a sufficient proof that there is no other revelation from God,-that He who spake from the bush, is the author of the Bible."-PAY 3" Four thousand years this great volume has withstood not only the iron tooth of time, but all the physical and intellectual strength of man. Pretended friends have corrupted and betrayed it; kings and princes have perseveringly sought to banish it from the world; the civil and military powers of the great empires of the world have been leagued for its destruction; the fires of persecution have been lighted to consume both it and its friends together; and at many seasons, death, in its most horrid forms, has been the almost certain consequence of affording it | SON. may be in furnishing expositions and confirmations of the letter), but by the highest and most cogent evidence. "I speak as to wise men, judge ye what I say " (1 Cor. x. 15). "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good" (1 Thess. v. 21). Far be it from me, however, to decry or undervalue the use and application of profound philosophical, archæological, and scientific researches, applied to the enodation and illustration of the letter of the Word of God, from which, when directed by sound piety and judgment, there is nothing to fear. On the contrary, honor and gratitude are due to all who, in a right spirit, engage in Biblical criticism. For it is of the utmost consequence that the literal sense of the Word should be as critically correct, and as absolutely definite as possible; because this sense, adapted to all readers, is the only just source and faithful standard of all true doctrine and genuine morality. A careful examination of the Bible may lead an impartial and reflective mind to see that it consists of two kinds of writings, distinguished by two very different degrees of inspiration:-one primary, plenary, and infallible-the other secondary and partial, which might appropriately be considered as the result of the spiritual illumination of the writer's rational mind. The first, or superior degree of inspiration, is that in which the speakers and writers were inspired as to the very words they uttered and recorded. For the time their individuality was suspended. Their mind, reason, and memory were altogether subservient to the prevalent influence of the Spirit of Jehovah, who "spake by them, and his word was in their tongues," which were as "the pen of a ready writer" (2 Sam. xxiii. 2; Ps. xiv. i.). The writers were only seen in their representative characters. Their states were intermittent; at times they were in the Spirit, and had direct intercourse with the spiritual world, and conscious communion with God, while at others they were in their ordinary state of mind. 4" One is tempted to remark how much we may lose by the cold, dry way in which we are apt to read the sacred history, as mere matter of criticism, historical or moral, contrasted with the high and thrilling views wherewith the ecclesiastical rules of interpretation warrant those who adopt them." -Tracts of the Times, lxxxix., p. 101. thors' means of information, religious sentiments, and predilections, these works will satisfy every inquiry of the student on the historical, chronological, and philological evidences, both internal and external, or on' the unquestionable genuineness and authenticity of the sacred books which compose the Word of God. (See Appendix, on the Integrity of the Word of God in the Letter.) "On the above important topics much has been ably written by a host of learned, in- 6" During the prophetical ecstasy the very defatigable, and skilful men-of all ages and actions and words of a prophet are symbolicountries, whose names and works it is un-cal, as is rightly observed by Irenæus."necessary to enumerate. Judiciously read, LANCASTER, Perp. Com., p. 16. (See Isa. XX. with every allowance for the respective au- | 3; Ez. iv. i; xxxiv. 33.) Thus every term, yea, every "jot and tittle" (Matt. v. 18) of such books was dictated or spoken by the Lord himself,-necessarily contains a heavenly, spiritual sense, distinct from but within the literal sense, and consequently both senses are most holy and divine. Now the books of the Bible written according to this peculiar style are the pure and plenary WORD OF GOD. For "inspiration," Swedenborg says, "implies that in all parts of the Word, even the most minute, as well the historical as other parts,-are contained celestial things, which refer to love or goodness, and spiritual things, which refer to faith or truth, consequently things divine. For what is inspired by the Lord, descends from Him through the angelic heavens, and so through the world of spirits, till it reaches man, before whom it presents itself as the Word in the letter." (A. C. 1837.) The second or lower degree of inspiration is that which is generally supposed to belong to the entire Bible, in which the writers, for the edification of the Church, were led by the illumination and direction of the Holy Spirit as far as THE SENSE is concerned, without being inspired as to the words they used, or in the descriptions of the events and facts they related. The views of the New Church, therefore, do not differ from those of other Christian expositors and commentators in regard to the authority which belongs to the latter class of writings, the subsidiary objects for which they were composed, or the mode of interpretation usually adopted (see Appendix, p. 651); but we widely differ from all others as to the character of those books which are affirmed to be plenarily inspired. And the distinction is, that these are maintained to be of immediate divine authority, and thus more sacred-more practical than modern theologians admit. We believe them to be the divine truth itself,-an emanation from the divine goodness itself, -and holy even to the very letter. And further confirmed as it is to us by the most convincing evidence that this very Word of God, thus plenarily inspired, is written according to peculiar laws, which are applicable to no other compositions whatsoever. And moreover, that the books so written are, in the Old Testament-those enumerated by our blessed Lord, in Luke xxiv. 44, with reference to Himself, namely, "THE LAW" (the Pentateuch, or five books) "OF MOSES, "Inspired persons remain merely human beings in respect of purposes not immediately connected with their special missions and endowments."-Kentish's Notes and Comments, 2d Ed., p. 131. In the celebrated catechism of Rabbi Abraham Jagel, originally extracted from Maimonides, it is asserted that "Moses acted as the mere amanuensis of God in writing |