THE Science of Correspo ELUCIDATED. KEY TO THE HEAVENLY AND TRUE MEANING OF THE SACRED SCRIPTURES. BY / Rev. EDWARD MADELEY, EDITED BY HIS SON: BEVISED AND GREATLY ENLARGED BY B. F. BAREETT. " For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my wars higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." — Isa. Iv. 9. "For the Invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made."— iJom. i. 20. FIBST A3IERICAN EDITION. PHILADELPHIA: E. CLAXTON & COMPANY, 930 Maeket Street. 18 84. Copyright. THE SWEDENBORG PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION. 1883. EDITOE^S PEEFACE. OINCE the removfil from this world of my dear father, it lias been a labor of love for me to finish the work on which he was engaged for many years, but Avhich the state of his health pre- vented him from carrying to completion. The intricate nature of the corrections he introduced, often with years of intervals, and the voluminous notes he collected from his extensive reading, has kept the work longer in my hands than I desired or expected. I have at last found time to complete it, and, through the kindness and liberality of an American friend, to whom my best thanks are due, I am now enabled to offer a worthy and affectionate memorial to my father's memory, and also to present to the Church a new edi- tion of a work which stands alone in her literature, and which I trust and believe will be useful in extending a knowledge and love of God's most Holy Word. ■p TV]" BoxLEY, Maidstone, England. Sept. 21st, 1883. iii AUTHOE'S PEEEACE. rriHE following work [Part I.] originated in a lecture delivered at the opening of Albion Chapel, Albion Street, Leeds, in 1847. I reluctantly consented to the earnest request of many who heard it for its publication, as an epitome of the great subject on which it professed to treat. On reflection, I thought it would be but a brief and imperfect sketch — little more than a tract, of which sev- eral admirable ones on the same topic are widely circulated by the Manchester Tract Society, and the London Missionary and Tract Society of the New Church — and I determined to give it a more permanent value ; and in this edition have altered its arrangement, and, indeed, rewritten no inconsiderable portion of the work. I have added a series of notes, not only such as are explanatory, illustrative or confirmatory of the subjects and reasonings of the text, but many drawn from various sources designed to show the remarkable coincidences of thought which have obtained among pious and learned men, of all periods and classes ; and which indi- cate most distinctly that an idea, in some shape or other, has been and still is prevalent, that an inward spiritual sense or meaning exists within the letter of the Word of God. Much which has been Avritten on this subject, especially by the early Christian Fathers, affords only fonciful and arbitrary expla- nations of the Holy Word ; yet they seem eagerly to have sought a more certain rule of exposition, which, in the Avisdom of Provi- dence, was reserved for a distant and more prepared age. Even the Apostles only " knew in part, and prophesied (or taught) in part" (1 Cor. xiii. 9). The declaration of our Lord to his dis- ciples, "For many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear iv A UTIIOR'S PREFA CE. V those things which ye hear, and have not heard them" (Matt. xiii. 17), is equally applicable to the New Disj^ensation under which we are now living. The illustrious Swedenborg has been the appointed instrument, in the order of Divine Pi'ovidence, for restoring the long-lost Science of Correspondences to the world, — that " chain of golden links by which heaven and earth are bound in harmonious unison ; " and this work is designed to answer, without any pretension to critical exactness, and in as plain and familiar a manner as possible, the inquiries which are continually and naturally urged, as to what is meant by this science, — how a knowledge of it may be acquired, — how its truth may be demonstrated, — and in what way it is to be applied in expounding the Holy Word : and also to remove some of the difficulties which, from want of a knowledge of this science, every one will encounter in first taking up a volume of Sweden- borg's expositions, and which have induced some earnest minds to relinquish the study of his writings, and regard his interpretations as clever, but chimerical and capricious. I can exhibit only the rudiments of this momentous subject, and for its complete devel- opment must refer the reader to the works of Swedenborg himself. No satisfactory reasoning can be substituted for the confirmations which so vividly and so constantly present themselves in his pages, especially such as are founded upon his extensive and profound metaphysical and physiological investigations, and his luminous ex- positions of mental phenomena, or deduced from his own marvelous psychological experience. I have endeavored, therefore, by the numerous quotations made from this enlightened author, to keep the necessity of attentively reading and studying his works con- stantly before the reader's mind, in the hope of awakening an interest in them as treating of the things which preeminently belong to our spiritual and eternal well-being. For the notes to 'which no writer's name is annexed, the author is responsible, with the exception, however, of a few to be found in Lexicons. Several of the papers in the Appendix are inserted by *1 yi A UTHOE S PREFA CE. special desire, with a view to obviate difficulties which might otherwise joerplex the reader. The former edition having been exhausted in a few months from the time of its publication, this enlarged, and the author hopes greatly improved, edition is, at the eai-nest solicitation of numerous and valued friends, submitted to the public, with de- vout prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ (without whose blessing our best efforts are vain), that it may prove conducive to the advance- nent of true religion, and be instrumental in removing from manj minds those objections which hinder their belief in the truth of Rev- elation, because based on what appears to derogate from the purity, sanctity, authority and divinity of the ORACLES OF TRUTH. E. M., Sr. BlRJlIKGHAM. CONTENTS. PART I. The Science of Correspondences Elucidated. CHAPTER I. PAGE Importance of the Subject.— Inspiration Defined, and the True Canon of the Word of God Decided 13 CHAPTER II. Difficulties of the Mere Literal Sense of the Word Stated.— The Literal Sense Proved to be Indefensible and Inexplicable if an Internal Sense be Denied .... 24 CHAPTER III. That the Divinity and Sanctity of the Word of God is the Consequence of its Contain- ing an Internal or Spiritual Sense 32 CHAPTER IV. The Laws of the Science of Correspondences Stated and Confirmed.— The Doctrine of Correspondences well known to the Ancients, and its Corruption the Origin of all Idolatry and Superstition 38 CHAPTER V. ' That the Sacred Writers bear the most Ample and Cogent Testimony to the Existence of a Spiritual Sense in the Word of God 54 CHAPTER YI. Tht, Difference between Correspondence and Metaphor, Fable, etc., stated. — Corre- spondence defined, with Examples of its Application in expounding the Holy Word 71 CHAPTER VII. The Science of Correspondences not a Speculative and Visionary Theory, but an Absolute Reality.— Illustrations from Opposites, and various other Subjects. — The Objects for which the Word of God was Revealed only Answered by the Admis- sion of its Internal Sense, which alone Distinguishes it from all other Compo- sitions, and Reconciles its Apparent Contradictions.— Universality of this Divine Science, and the Necessity that Exists for the Word being Written according to it. 85 CHAPTER VIII. The Difference between the Apparent and Genuine Truths of the Literal Sense of the Holy Word Explained and Illustrated 112 CHAPTER IX. The Correspondence of War and Implements of War in the Holy Word . . .124 CHAPTER X. On the Will and Understanding, as Comprising both the Divine and the Human Mind ; on the Marriage of Divine Goodness and Truth therein, and on the Union of Love and Wisdom in the Holy Word, with Illustrations 131 CHAPTER XI. The Three Degrees of Life, the Trinal Distinction in God, and the Threefold Consti- tution of the Human Mind and the Holy Word Explained, and their Mutual Correspondence Illustrated 141 vii VIU CONTENTS. CHAPTER XII. PAGE Colors, Numbers, Weights, Measures, Musical Instruments, etc 170 CHAPTER XIII. The Correspondence of Animals, Parts of Animals, and Compound and Monstrous Animals, with Illustrations 190 CHAPTER XIV. Correspondence of the Vegetable World, with Illustrations 206 CHAPTER XV. Correspondence of Earths, Minerals, etc., with Illustrations 233 CHAPTER XVI. Correspondence of the Sun, Moon, and Stars ; the Idolatrous Worship of them, and its extensive Prevalence and Influence 239 CHAPTER XVII. The First Chapters of Genesis, to the 27th Verse of Chapter XI., A Grand Series of Divine Allegories, which can only be Interpreted by the Science of Corre- spondences 242 CHAPTER XVIII. History of the Flood, the Ark, and of Noah and his Posterity, an Allegory ; or, rather, a Spiritual History clothed in the Divine Language of Correspondences . . 255 CHAPTER XIX. Sacrificial Worship 266 CHAPTER XX. The Entire History of the Four Gospels Literally True, but Significative and Repre- sentative in every Particular Recorded. — Illustrations from the Lord's Parables and Miracles, His Transfiguration, Life, Ministry, and Crucifixion .... 279 CHAPTER XXI. The Book of Revelation Wholly Composed of Divine Symbols or Correspondences . 292 Conclusion 295 PART 11. Additional llhtstrations and Conjirmations of the Doctrine. CHAPTER I. The Key of Knowledge. — Introduction, 303.— Creation of the World, ."05.— Contra- dictory Views of Chronologcrs Concerning the Age of the World, 307.— Geology in Harmony with Scripture, 308. — The Sun the Instrumental Cause of Creation, 311. — Sir Humphry Davy's View, 313.— Connection between the Creator and His \\'orks, • 314.— Plenary Inspiration of the Word of God, 317.— Correspondence, the Sure Rule of Scripture Interpretation 321 CHAPTER II. The Origin of Correspondence, and why the Scripture is AVritten in Agreement with it, 325.— Some Proofs Given, 325.— Revelation the Voice of God Speaking to Man's Will and Intellect; therefore of Plenary Inspiration. 332.— Opinions of Ancient and Modern Authors Respecting Correspondence, 337.— The Prayer of Moses, " Lord, I Beseech Thee, Show me thy Glory," Explained, 345.— The Tri-Unity of God, as Consisting of Love, Wisdom, Power, Exhibited in all Creation, 347.— Cor- respondence of the Three Kingdoms of Nature with the Three Degrees of Life In Man 34S CHAPTER III. The Lord's Word Magnified above all His Name, 352.— Comparisons Between the Lit- eral and Spiritual Senses of the Word of God ; Illustrations of, 353.— The Use of CONTENTS. IX Correspondence in Explaining Difficult Passages of Scripture, 355.— Its Use in Explaining the Miracles anrl Parables, 357. — Correspondence of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, 360.— The Israelitish Journey from Egypt to Canaan, 3CG.— Explanation of Various Scripture Phrases, 307.— Ezekiel's Vision of Holy Waters, 369.— Two Miracles Illustrated by the Law of Correspondence, viz., "Deatli in the Pot," and the Restoration of Sight to the Man Born Blind, by Washing in the Pool of Siloam, 377.— The Tribute-JIoney found in the Fish's Mouth, 3S7.— Religion and Science Connected, 391.— Conclusion 396 CHAPTER IV. A Key to the Spiritual Signific.\tion of Nu.mbers.— Introduction, 398.— Numbers 1 to 12, Inclusive— One, 403.— Two, 411.— Three, 419.— Four, 426.— Five, 434.— Six, 445. —Seven, 451.— Eight, 460.— Nine, 460.— Ten, 469.— Eleven, 475.— Twelve. 478.— A Rule for Discovering the Signification of other Numbers 487 CHAPTER V. A Key to the Spiritual Signification of Weights and Measures . . . .490 CHAPTER VI. Precious and Common Stones, their Meaning in Scripture.— A General Account of the Stones mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, the Purposes to which they were applied, and their various Significations 503 CHAPTER VII. Stones used for Altars, Pillars, Witnesses, and Memorials 509 CHAPTER VIII. Tables of Stones for the Ten Commandments 515 CHAPTER IX. The Bible is a word derived from " biblos," the Greek name for papyncs, tlie most ancient material out of which its derivative, paper, was made. Blblus, the Egyptian plant, gave to the Greeks their name for paper, and this agaui gave their name to the earliest trans- 2 lation of the Hebrew Scriptures as " tlie Book,'' and which has been adopted into all languages as the designation of the Sa- cred Scriptures in a collected form. The Jews call their Hebrew Bible, " The Book of Holiness," or "The Holy Book." 13 14 THE SCIEXCE OF CORRESPOXDENCES. ■ Incontrovertible reasons migl:'^ \:o adduced for the absolute necessity of a direct revelation, and also what are commonly called the pre- sumptive and positive but irresistible evidences, both internal and external, satisfactory as they are, in proof of the genuineness, authen- ticity, 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 pre- dictions,' and from their marvellous effects in advancing human civilization wherever they have been freely circulated ; likewise the in- vincible 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 projiosed ; the fur- ther corroborative testimony which might be adduced from important philosophical investigations, philological inquiries and responses, scien- tific scrutiny, and archaeological discoveries, together with its miracu- lous 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 multi- plied arguments, satisfactory as they ai-e, 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, de- mands that we should require it to be authenticated, as well as dis- criminated from other productions, not merely by verbal exegesis, critical analysis, and historical researches (however valuable they s" A prophecy, literally fulfilled, is a real miracle: one such, fairly produced, must go a great way in convincing all reasonable men."— Collins. ' " Four thousand years this great volume has withstood not only the iron tootli of time, but all the physical and intellectual strength of man. Pretended friends have corrupted and betrayed it : kings and princes have ]>erseveringly 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 perse- cution have been lighted to consume both it and its friends together; and at raanyseasons. | death, in its most horrid forms, has been the almost certain consequence of atfording it | an asylum from the fury of its enemies. Though it has been ridiculed more bitterly, misrepresented more grossly, opposed more rancorously, and burnt more fre(|ueutly than any otlier book, and perhaps than all other books united, it is so far from sinking undir the etTorts of its enemies, that the probabil- ity of its surviving is now much greater than ever. The rain has descended, the Hoods 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 sulhcient proof that there is no oiher reve- I Inlion from God.— that He who spake from the bush, is the author of the Bible."— Pay- I SON. THE KEY TO THE HEAVENLY MYSTERIES. 15 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, how- ever, to decry or undervalue the use and application of profound philosophical, archisological, 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 a^ 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 re- flective mind to see that it consists of tAVO kinds of writings, distin- guished by two very different degrees of insjiiration : — one primary, plenary, and infallible — the other secondary and partial, which might aj^propriately be considered as the result of the spiritual illumination of the writer's rational mind. The first, or superior degree of inspira- tion, is that in which the speakers and writers were inspired as to the very words they uttered and recorded. For the time their individu- ality was suspended. Their mind, reason, and memory were alto- gether subservient to the prevalent influence of the Spirit of Jeho- vah, who " spake by them, and his Avord 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 di- rect intercourse with the spiritual Avorld, and conscious comruunion with God, while at others they were in their ordinary state of mind.* * " One is tempted to remark how much we may lose bj' the cold, dry way in which we are apt to read the sacred history, as mere matter of criticism, historical or moral, con- trasted with the high and thrilling views wherewith the ecclesiastical rules of inter- pretation warrant those who adopt them." — Tracts oj the Times, Ixxxix., p. 101. ' On the above important topics much has been ably written by a host of learned, in- defatigable, and skilful men— of all ages and countries, whose names and works it is un- necessary to enumerate. Judiciously read, with every allowance for the respective au- 1 thors' means of information, religious senti- ments, and predilections, these works will satisfy every inquiry of the student on the historical, chronological, and philological evidences, both internal and extenial, or on the unquestionable genuineness and au- thenticity of the sacred books which com- pose the Word of God. {See Appendix, on the Integrity of the Word of God in the Letter.) « " During the prophetical ecstasy the very actions and words of a prophet are symboli- cal, as is rightly observed by Irenteus." — Lancaster, Perp. Com., p. 16. (See Isa. xx. 13; Ez. iv. i; xxxiv. 33.) 16 TEE SCIENCE OF CORRESPONDENCES. Thus every term, yea, every "jot and tittle" (Matt. v. 18) of such books was dictated or spoken by the Lord himself, — necessarily con- tains a heavenly, spiritual sense, distinct from but within the lit- eral 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," Swe- denborg says, " implies that in all parts of the Word, even the most minute, — as well the historical as other parts, — are contained celestial things, w'tich i-efer to love or goodness, and spiritual things, which refer to faith or truth, consequently things divine. For what is in- spired 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 gener- ally supposed to belong to the entii'e Bible, in which the writei's, for the edification of the Church, were led by the illumination and di- rection 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 au- thority Avhich 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 diifer from all others as to the character of those books which are affirmed to be plenarily insjiired. 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 enumer- ated by our blessed Lord, in Luke xxiv. 44, with reference to Him- self, namely, "the law" (the Pentateuch, or five books) "of Moses,* " Inspired persons remain merely human beings in respect of purposes not immedi- ately connected with their special missions and endowments." — Kenlislt's Xotes and Com- mtnts, 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 THE KEY THAT OPEXS THE SCRIPTURES. 17 THE PROPHETS AND THE PsALMs,"' and ill the New Testament, the Four Gospels,* which relate to the history of our Lord's incarna- tion, ministry, and glorification, and record his very Avords ; together with the book of Revelation, which the Apostle John calls " the revelation and testimony of Jesus Christ," and which he says was "signified" to him, or as the original word {arjuaviv means, symboli- calhj shotvn to him. These Scriptures, then, are contradistinguished from all human compositions whatsoever ; and while the histories re- corded are all, in the general sense, literally true,'" yet the whole is capable of being interpreted by the knoAvn, determinable, harmonious, universal, and unerring law on which they rest, and according to M-hich they were written. That the terra Gospel (or " glad tidings," or " news that is well ") " is taken to mean the Four Gospels, and that these were always re- garded as, in some sense, more holy than the Epistles, is evident — both the historical and ceremonial parts of his five books." — Paria Mosis, p. 164. "The entire Old Testament is a connected series of mysteries, relating to Christ, who, though one, is represented by various types and emblems."— De amor et Cult, in Spir. el Ver., p. 31. 'The Son of Sirach seems to allude to this threefold division of the Scriptures, in the preface to the book of Ecclcsiasticus, written about 130 years before the Christian era, wliere he mentions •' The Law, the prophets, and the otlier books of our Fa- thers."— Wolf, Bib. Heb ., vol. i., p. 255. '"Tatian, a little after the middle of the second century, composed a Harmony of the Gospels; the first of the kind which had been attempted, which he called Diatesseron [of the four], which demonstrates that at that time there were four gospels, and no more, of established authority in the Church. Iren;eus, not long after, mentions all the Evangelists by name, arranging them ac- cording to the order wherein they wrote, which is the same as that universally given them throughout the Christian world to this day, assigning reasons why the gospels can be neither fewer nor more. Early in the third century, Ammonius also wrote a harmony of the four gospels." — Campbell's Prelim. Diss, to the Four Gospels, vol. i., p. 131. See also Westcott's Canon of the New Test., p. 355. " The gospel WTiters were four— but the gospel is one " (Origen, Cont. Marcion, sec. i., p. 9). " Like that river which went out of Eden to water the garden, it was by the 2* B Holy Ghost ' parted, and became into four heads.' "—Burtjon's Sennons, p. 62. [Cyprian uses the same figure.] Origen, as quoted by Eusebius, presbyter of Alexandria, also says " The four evan- gelists alone are received without dispute by the whole Church of GoO."— Hist. EccL, lib. vi., cat. 25. Augustine, who flourished a. d. 398, writes that " The four gospels have the highest authority." — Lardner's Gospel Hist., vol. xii., p. 302. "•By finding a spiritual sense In the Word of God, Hilary will not allow that historical truth is weakened or betrayed. — "In the be- ginning of our treatise we warned others against supposing that we detracted from the belief in transactions by teaching that the things themselves contained within them the outgoings of subsequent realities." — Comm. in Malt, vii., i., p. 640. Cyril of Alexandria also says, " Although the spiritual sense be good and fruitful, yet what is historical should be taken as [true] history." — Comm. in Isa., lib. i., Orat. 4, vol. ii., pp. 113, 114. "Remember," Tertullian remarks, "that when we admit of spiritual allegories, the true literal sense of the Scripture is not altered." " " The Greek word for Gospel means glad tidings, good or joyful news. Our Englisli word ' Gospel,' which is compounded of the Saxon word God — good, and spell — a history, narrative, or message, very accurately ex- presses the sense of the original Greek." — (See Junii Etym. Ang. and Parkhurst.) 18 THE SCIENCE OF CORRESPONDENCES. first, from the circumstance that oaths from a period antecedent, at least, to the time of Justinian (a. d. 527), have been administered in the four Gospels ; secondly, from the ancient form universally prevailing in the Christian Church so early as the third century, of ordaining Bishops to their sacred functions in Avhich the book of the Four Evangelists Avas held open over the candidate's head ; and, lastly, from the practice of the Church, in which a custom has long existed, and is even now retained, which, if it has any meaning, was designed to mark a greater degree of reverence for the Gospels in comparison with the Apostolic Epistles ; for, the congregation is directed, in the rubric of the Church of England communion service, to stand Avhile the holy Gospel is read, but to sit durmg the reading of the Epistles." Bishop Tomline thus writes on the inspiration of the entire Bible, in his Elements of Christian Theology: — "When it is said that the Sacred Scriptures are divinely inspired, we are not to understand that God suggested every word, or dictated every expression, nor is it to be sui)posed that they were inspired in every fact which they related, or in every precept which they delivered." " It is sufficient to believe that by the general superintendence of the Holy Spirit, they were directed in the choice of their materials, and prevented from recording any material error."" In what, then, does the difference consist between the view now propounded, and that which was held by this orthodox prelate of the Establishment, whose opinion on this topic has been echoed on all sides, and would, it is presumed, be admitted as a precise exposition of what is generally believed on the subject of inspiration throughout the Christian world ? It consists in this : the Bishop's mode of inter- pretation, like ours, is strictly applicable to the Epistles, and such portions of the Word as are not included by the Lord in the text just noticed ; but we believe, from evidence apparently irresistible, 12 Cyril, in his apologetical discourse to Theodosius, describing the Council of Ephe- sus, says : " The sacred synod being assem- bled in Mary's Church, had Christ himself for their head ; for the Holy Gospel was as a solemn throne, preaching, ns it were, to the venerable prelates, 'Judge ye righteous judg- ment! '"—/-ohbe, Concil. iii., p. 1044. Cited III/ Dr. Wordsworth. " In the Eastern churches, lights were car- ried before them when they were going to )'C read. '* " Mow do we get from under that dilfi- culty [viz., that of reconciling purely physi- cal truths and scientific fact.s with the Bible]? I believe, by simply adopting a doctrine which is laid down in a pa.ssage from Kcason and Knowledge, a book recently issued by Dr. Candlish : 'AH that is in Scripture is not rev- elation. To a large extent the Bible is a record of human affairs— the sayings and doings of men ; not a record of divine doc- trine or of communications from God.'" — Speech of Duke of Argyle. delivered at a meeting of the National Bilile Society of Sv-otlaiid, held at (ilosgow, 1864. TUE KEY THAT OPENS THE SCRIPTURES. 19 that by far the greater part is of an incomparably more exalted character than such a standard of interpretation is calculated to establish, — for we believe that these latter books contain, in the origi- nal at least, truth without the admixture of error, and that they were inspired both as to materials and sense, as to phraseology and words, as to precepts and facts, — every particular expression therein being holy and divine. And that, thus, the oracles of God (Rom. iii. 2 ; Heb. V. 12 ; 1 Pet. iv. 11 ; lively oracles, Acts i. 35), like a casket en- closing brilliant pearls and gems, contain a lucid heavenly meaning, distinct from, but within, the letter. Indeed, to the pious mind, it is a truly lamentable reflection that the inspiration of the Word of God has been reduced to so low a test by modern expositors. Nothing, certainly, can tend more to the sup- port and encouragement of the most rank infidelity. Dr. Palfrey, for instance, late Professor of Biblical Literature in the University of Cambridge, Mass., speaking of the Pentateuch, says that " We are not debarred fi-om supposing that it had its origin in the imperfect wisdom of Moses." — {^Aead. Led. on the Jewish Scrip, and Antiq., vol. i., lect. iv., pp. 85, 86.) Professor McLellan, in his Manual of Sacred Interpretation, designed to aid theological students in Biblical exegesis, among others lays these maxims down as a canon of direction for the expositor : " The object of Interpretation is to give the precise thoughts which the sacred writer intended to express. No other meaning is to be sought but that which lies in the words themselves. Scripture is to be interpreted by the same method Avhich we employ in discovering the meaning of any other book ; " and Dr. Davidson, in his Sacred Hermeneutics, speak- ing of the true principles of interpretation, says that " The gram- matical meaning [of the Scriptures] is the same with the historical ; and both constitute all the meaning intended by the Holy Spirit. AVhen the grammatical or historical meaning of a passage is ascer- tained, all the theology of the passage is also known " (p. 227). To the same purport, Dr. Thirlwall, the Bishop of St. David's, in his charge, 1863, affirms that "a great part of the events re- lated in the Old Testament have no more apparent connection with our religion than thoseof Greece and Rome. . . . The history, so far as it is a narrative of civil and politi- cal transactions, has no essential connection with any religious truth, and, if it had been lost, though we should have been left in ig- norance of much which we should have de- sired to know, our treasures of Christian doctrine would have remained whole and unimpaired. The numbers, migrations, wars, battles, conquests, and reverses of Israel have nothing in common with the teachings of Christ, with the way of salva- tion, with the fruits of the Spirit. They be- long to a totally different order of subjects." — P. 123. " Our Church has never attempted to determine tlic nature of the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures." — lb., p. 107. , 20 THE SCIENCE OF CORRESPOXDENCES. Dr. Orville Dewey, one of the most distinguished theologians of the Unitarian school, writes on this subject as follows : " If any one thinks it necessary to a reception of the Bible as a revelation from God, that the inspired penmen should have written by immediate dictation ; if he thinks that the writers were mere amanuenses, and that word after word was put down by instant sug- gestion from above ; that the very style is divine and not human ; that the style, we say, and the matters of style — the figures, the metaphors, the illustrations, came from the Divine mind, and not from human minds ; we say, at once and plainly, that we do not regard the Scriptures as setting forth any claims to such supernatural perfection, or accuracy of style. It is not a kind of distinction that would add anything to the authority, much less to the dignity, of a communication from heaven. Nay, it would detract from its power, to deprive it, by any hypothesis, of those touches of nature, of that natural pathos, simplicity, and imagination, and of that solemn grandeur of thought, disregarding style, of which the Bible is full. Enough is it for us, that the matter is divine, the doctrines true, the history authentic, the miracles real, the promises glorious, the threat- enings fearful. Enough, that all is gloriously and fearfully true, — true to the Divine will, true to human nature, true to its wants, anxieties, sorro^ts, sins, and solemn destinies. Enough, that the seal of a Divine and miraculous communication is set upon that Holy Book."— ( Works, English Ed., p. 460.) And in a Tract {Belief and Unbelief), published in 1839, with the avowed purpose of defending the Bible from the objections of infidel- ity, he says, " The Scriptures are not the actual communication made to the minds inspired from above. They are not the actual "Word of God, but they are the record of the Word of God." " If there ever were productions which show the free and fervent workings of human thought and feeling, they are our sacred records. But the things [in them] which we have to deal with are Avords ; they are not divine symbols of thought." Again, he says, " If we open almost any book, especially any book written in a fervent and popular style, we can per- ceive, on accurate analysis, that son>e things were hastily written, some things negligently, some things not in the exact logical order of thought; that some things are beautiful in style, and others inele- gant ; that some things are clear, and others obscure and hard to be understood." " And do we not," adds the same writer, " find all these things in the Scriptures ? " THE KEr THAT OPENS THE SCRIPTURES. 21 Speaking of the twenty-fifth and following chapters of Exodus, Andrews Norton, Professor of Sacred History in Harvard University, Mass., says : " Seven chapters are filled with trivial directions [re- specting the ark, the tabernacle, and its utensils]. So wholly uncon- nected are they with any moral or religious sentiment, or any truth, important or unimportant, except the melancholy fact of their having been regarded as a divine communication, — that it requires a strong effort to read through with attention these pretended words of the Infinite Being. The natural tendency of a belief that such words proceeded from Him, whenever such belief prevailed, must have been to draw away the regard of the Jews from all that is worthy of man, and to fix it upon the humblest object of superstition." — Evidences of the Genuineness of the Gospels, add. notes, cxxvii. In these divinely inspired chapters, Swedenborg in his Arcana Ce- lestia shows the importance and explains the spiritual meaning of every sentence and every word, as teaching countless lessons of in- struction, and as having in each particular an important representa- tive meaning, and a practical application, in which the celestial and spiritual order and realities of heaven and the divine presence and blessing in sacred worship are presented to the contemplation and acceptance of the prepared mind. They describe the very sanctuary in which the Lord can dwell with man, and of which he says: "For the Lord hath chosen Zion ; He hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever : here will I dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall sing aloud for joy" (Ps. cxxxii. 13-16). And again, "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God " (Rev. xxi. 3). And it was with precisely such a pre- cept on the interpretation of these very chapters, that the Apostle Paul thus addresses the Christian Church at Corinth : " Ye are the people of the living God ; as God hath said [Ex. xxix. 45 ; Lev. xxvi. 12], I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people " (2 Cor. vi. 16). Surely, less reverent ideas of inspiration than these quoted above cannot possibly be held by such as profess to believe in its existence at all. They must appear to every devout mind as little less than a disavowal of inspiration altogether, and instead of a defence, to be a 22 THE SCIENCE OF CORRESPONDENCES. total abandonment of the truth, and a virtual denial of the sanctity and authority of the Word of God. If Ave look into the Christian world, we shall find men, distinguished for their learning and piety, as widely at variance in their sentiments and interpretations of the inspired Volume as noonday differs from midnight darkness ; supporting tenets of religion irrational in them- selves, and diametrically opposed to each other, by the most confident appeals to its sacred pages; disputing with the bitterest acrimony about doctriues that are admitted to be mere implications, and not unfrequently distorting the plainest facts of science, and even accred- ited events of history, in support of favorite theological opinions. We find men, gifted with most profound 2)owers of investigating the secret laws of nature, who can unfold, amid a blaze of demonstration, the most wonderful phenomena of physical existence, and unravel the peri^Iexing mysteries of creation and mathematical science, but who either profess themselves embarrassed with the conflicting difiiculties and obscurities of revelation, or openly avow their conviction that the Bible and nature are at variance with each other. And as facts in nature are constant and undeniable, and as it would be most ab- surd to suppose that the Divine Being would speak and act inconsis- tently, so, therefore, they at once conclude that the Bible cannot be divine — cannot have God for its author.'^ 15 Newman lays down the following axiom and conclusions with reference to the Word of God :— '• 1. The moral and intellectual powers of man must be acknowledged as having a right and duty to criticise the contents of the Scripture ; "2. When so exerted, they condemn por- tions of the Scripture as erroneous and im- moral ; " 3. The assumed infallibility of the entire Scripture is a proved falsity, not merely as to physiology and other scientific matters, but also as to morals."— PAoecs of Fiiilh. p. 115. The notorious Kev. Chas. Voysey, in his lecture on the Bible, delivered at St. George's Hall, London, 1871, is reported to have said, that "though it contained much that is beautiful and true, yet it makes no claim to a divine origin and authority. In it there are absolute and irreconcilable contradic- tions and downright falsehoods. Even the religious and moral teaching is not uniform or coherent, but in some places contradic- tory of it«elf and some of it degrading to God. There were moral blemishes iu the life and character of Jesus, as reported in the gospels themselves, that He used uncharita- ble language, gave way to bad temper, and was destitute of natural affection." " I know of no work on the subject [the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures) that I dare place in the hands of a student of the- ology. I know of none which, even to a young man of ordinary acuteness, does not suggest greater difiiculties than it removes." — Su ainson's Lectures on the Authority of the Xew Testament, p. 150. '• The Scriptures are fast becoming, to a great degree, a defid and obsolete letter : and I the editors of our religious journals publicly I acknowledge the mournful fact. On this subject the Christian Examiner, one of the most ably conducted and well-known of re- ligious periodicals, has the following re- marks:— 'No one who is accustomed to re- gard with much attention the history and tendency of religious opinions can fail of being convinced that the question concern- ing the inspiration of the Scriptures is soon to become the most absorbing question of Christiau theology. The miuds of men are THE KEY THAT Ol'ENS THE SCRIPTURES. 23 Bishop Coleuso, insisting vehemently on the Bible possessing a hu- man element, and being merely " a human book," containing not only a literal sense, but one that bears no other meaning whatever, excejjt that which lies upon the surface, says : " In this way, I repeat, the Bible becomes to us a human book, in which the thoughts of other hearts are opened to us, of men who lived in the ages long ago, and in circumstances so different from ours." " We must not blindly shut our eyes to the real history of the composition of this book, to the legendary character of its earlier portions, to the manifest conti-a- dictions and impossibilities, which rise up at once in every part of the story of the Exodus, if we persist in maintaining that it is a sim- ple record of historical facts. AVe must regard it, then, as the work of men, of fellow-men like ourselves." — {Pent, and Book of Joshua, p. ii., p. 382, §§ 511, 512.) iu that position in reference to this subject which cannot long be maintained. They must move one way or the other. They must attain to some sort of consistency, either by believing less or by believing more. The au- thority of the Scriptures, and especially those of the Old Testament, must either become higher and stronger, or be reduced almost to nothing. It is vain to imagine that, with the present secret or open scepticism, or at least vague and unsettled notions.with which they are regarded, even by many who are defend- ers of a special revelation, they can be read and taught in our churches, schools, and families, as books, sui generis, so as to com- mand much of real reverence for them- selves.'"— The Nineteenth Century, p. 47. "The general remarks respecting the in- spiration of the Old Testament apply also to the New. . . . All the writings in the New Testament as well as the Old contain marks of human origin, of human weakness and imperfection." — Tracts for the Times, pp. 4-10. Sentiments so utterly degrading to Divine Revelation are endorsed by numbers who profess to be the moral and religious teach- ers of the day. They are views which seem naturally to arise out of a denial of the plen- ary inspiration of the Word of God. To such conclusions the reasoning of the late Rev. Baden Powell, in hiswork on inspiration, and of the learned clergymen who were the au- thors of the Essays and Reviews most certainly lead. So again Miss H. Martineau can thus speak of the Holy Gospels : " In general, it is no light work for the sincere and reverent mind to read the Gospel history, so as to come within reach of the actual voice of Jesus, and listen to it among the perplexing echoesof his place and time ; to separate it from the Jew- I ish construction of Matthew, the traditional ' accretions of Mark and Luke, and the Pla- tonising medium of John ;— a care and labor which it is profane and presumptuous to omit or make light of." — Eastern Travels, vol. iii., p. 175. To the above, which could be extended almost indefinitely, often written in terms we should be sorry to transfer to our pages, we will add but the following conclusive answer by Swedenborg : — " The natural man, however, cannot still be persuaded to believe that the Word is Di- vine Truth itself, in which is Divine Wis- dom and Divine Life, inasmuch as he judges of it by its style, in which no such things ap- pear. Nevertheless, the style in which the Word is written, is a truly Divine style, with which no other style, however sublime and excellent it may seem, is at all comparable, for it is as darkness compared to light. The style of the Word is of such a nature as to contain what is holy in every verse, in every word, and in some cases in every letter ; and hence the Word conjoins man with the Lord, and opens heaven." "Hence man has life by and through the Word." '• Lest therefore mankind should remain any longer in doubt concerning the divinity of the Word, it has pleased the Lord to reveal to me its internal sense, which in its essence is spiritual, and which is to the external sense, which is natural, what the soul is to the body. This internal sense is the spirit which gives life to the letter: wherefore this sense will evince the divinity and sanctity of the Word, and may convince even the natural man, if he is of a disposition to be con- vinced."—(,S. S., 1^.) CHAPTER 11. Difficulties of the Mere Literal Sense of the Word Stated. — The Literal Sense Proved to be Lsdefensible and Inexplicable if AN Internal Sense be Denied. rilO multitudes of readers the mere letter of the sacred Scriptures J- often appears vague and unconnected (Isa. Ix. 7-9 ; Jer. xix. 5 ; Matt. xxiv. 27-29) ; hard and unmeaning (Ps. cix. 13 ; Jer. xlviii. 11-15; Hos. xiii. 6; Mic. i. 16-21; John xxi. 2); to abound with gross absurdities and unintelligible mysteries (Gen. iv. 15 ; Judg. v. 20 ; Isa. vii. 20 ; Ix. 16 ; Ez. xxviii. 13) ; to contain numerous statements which seem irrational, self-contradictory, or inconsistent with others (Ex. XX. 5, 6 ; xxiv. 10 ; Ez. xviii. 20 ; Isa. xliii. 3 ; Luke xxii. 43 ; John i. 18-20) ; to comprise many which are antagonistic to the modern discoveries in chronology, opposed to the well-known princi- ples of the physical sciences, and discordant with the ascertained facts of profane history (Gen. i., ii. ; Joshua x. ; Isa. xlv. 7 ; Matt, xxvii. 9 ; Rev. xi. 8) ; to include narratives of violence, treachery, cruelty, uncleanness, and injustice seemingly approved by God, yet diametrically opposed to his infinite and unchangeable attributes and qualities of mercy, purity, faithfulness, and justice (Gen. xxxiv. 15; 1 Sam. XV. 33 ; Gen. xxvii.; Judges iv., v.) ; to give commands of an immoral tendency, irreconcilable with si»tless perfection (Ex. xxxii. 27 ; Josh. viii. 21-25 ; Ps. cxxxvii. 9 ; Hos. iii. 1-3) ; and to be occupied with trivial circumstances and with affairs which appear too insignificant, and even revolting, to have ever claimed so much at- tention from the Lord of the universe (Ez. v. 12 ; Zech. viii. 5). How many honest people, " for lack of true knowledge," have in consequence treated the holy verities of divine revelation with the utmost derision, either as myths of barbarous ages, or fragments of falsehoods strangely blended wi;h truth, or as a contemptible tissue of ignorance and imposture ; and have not hesitated to revile all re- ligions as systems alike of despotism, superstition, and credulity, — the dchisions of priestcraft and the oflTspriug of fanaticism and fervid im- 24 THE MERE LITERAL SENSE INDEFENSIBLE. 25 aginations. How many virtuous, intelligent, and candid minds are there who are perplexed, and distressed, and alarmed, even at their own thoughts while reading their Bibles ! It is surely time, then, for Christians to inquire what is the real nature of God's Word, — to examine into the origin, sanctity, and authority of that blessed Book on which, as upon an adamantine foundation, all virtue and intelligence infallibly rest, and whence all true religion and spiritual knowledge are derived; — to investigate, earnestly and narrowly, its claims to universal reverence and obedi- ence ; — and to vindicate its hallowed doctrines and its divine precepts from all contumely by a rational demonstration of its being what it professes to be, — the very Word of God. And unless this be done, it needs no prophetic eye to see, no prophetic tongue to foretell, that infidelity and scepticism will soon reign triumphant, that darkness and blindness as to all spiritual knowledge, will soon cover every mind, as is described by the holy prophet Isaiah, where he says, " The Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes ; the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath He covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee : and he saith, I cannot ; for it is sealed and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying. Read this, I pray thee : and he saith, I am not learned," (xxix. 10-12.) The utter destitu- tion of all true doctrine, and a right interpretation of the Scriptures, is predicted as a consequence of the prevalence of iniquity, in these words, " Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord : and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that 16 " The Hebrew word for search, signifies to dive into the sublime, profound, mystical, allegorical, and prophetical senses of Holy Scripture. 1 Cor. i. 20 — where is the profound searcher."— Motives to the Study of Bib. Lit., p. 18. " The hidden wisdom of the Scripture is to be considered as treasure hid in the earth, for which men must search with that same zeal and labor with which they penetrate into a mine of gold ; for when our Saviour commands us to search the Scriptures for their testimony of himself, the language of the precept impUes that kind of searching by 8 which gold and silver are discovered under ground. He who doth not search the Word of God in that manner, and with that spirit, for what is to be found underneath it, will never discover its true value." — W. Jones's Led. on the Fig. Lang, of Holy Scrip., new ed., pp. 20-21. St. Jerome, Ep. 13, to Paulinus, says, "All that we read in the sacred books is pure and bright, even in the bark ; but it is sweeter in the pith. And he that would come at the kernel, must first break the shell. 'Open mine eyes, that I may see -wondrous things out of thy law.' " 26 THE SCIENCE OF CORRESPONDENCES. day shall the fau- virgins and young men faint for thii'st." (Amos viu. 11-13.) In order to understand the true nature and character of divine revelation, it is essentially requisite that our reasoning faculties should be employed, that our understanding should be elevated, that our hearts should be humbled and that our lives should be purified, for not to the self-conceited, to the worldly " wise and prudent," but unto " babes " only, can genuine wisdom be " revealed." (Matt. xi. 25 ; Luke X. 21.) We should approach the Word with reverence and with faith. We should " put our shoes from off our feet [that is, cast aside all sensual reasonings and all carnal suggestions], because the place whereon we stand is holy ground." (Ex. iii. 5.)" This surely expresses the state of mind which we ought to cherisla when we ap- proach the Holy Word in order to profit by its sacred contents, and be prepared to meet its Divine Author there as in the temple of his presence, — a state of profound humility and fervent piety, — accom- panied with a desire to learn his will, that we may do his command- ments. Without an humble and willing disposition of the soul, and a removal of the veil of unbelief from the mind, the glories of the inner sense cannot be made manifest unto us : " Do not my words," saith the Lord ; " do good to him that walketh uprightly ? " (Mic. ii. 7) ; and the apostle Paul testifies that " The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned " (1 Cor. ii. 14). Thus the Psalmist prays, " Lord, open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law " (Ps. cxix. 18). While the Lord Jesus says, " Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me " (John V. 39) ; and after his glorious resurrection we read in Luke xxiv. 45, that " then opened He the understandings of his disciples, that they might understand the Scriptures." For, as the illustrious Swedeuborg observes, " It is universally confessed that the Word is from God, is divinely inspired, and of consequence is holy ; but still it has remained a secret to this day in what part of the Word its divinity resides, inasmuch as in the letter it appears like a common writing, composed in a strange style, neither so sublime nor so eloijuent as that which distinguishes the best secular compositions. Hence it is that whosoever "To loose the sandals, slippers, or slioes i East. This is done on entering a mosque, from ofy the feet, as a mark of deference or pagoda, or the presence of any person of and respect, has prevailed from tlie earliest distinction.— See Peacock's Summary View, p. ages, as a representative custfom, over the I 81. TUE MERE LITERAL SENSE INDEFENSIBLE. 27 worships nature instead of God, and in consequence of such worship makes himself and his own jrroprium [or self-hood] the centre and fountaui of his thoughts, instead of deriving them out of heaven from the Lord, may easily fall into error concerning the Word, and into contempt for it, and say within himself while he reads it, ' What is the meaning of this passage ? What is the meaning of that ? Is it possible this should be divine? Is it possible that God, whose wis- dom is infinite, should speak in this manner ? Where is its sanctity, or whence can it be derived, but from superstition and credulity ? ' " But he who reasons thus, does not reflect that Jehovah the Lord, who is God of heaven and earth, spake the Word by Moses and the prophets, and that, consequently, it must be divine truth, inasmuch as what Jehovah the Lord himself speaks can be nothing else ; nor does such a one consider that the Lord, who is the same with Jehovah, spake the Word written by the Evangelists, many parts from his own mouth, and the rest from the spirit of his mouth, which is the Holy Sjiirit. Hence it is, as He himself declares, that in his words there is life, and that He is the light which enlightens, and that He is the truth. (John vi. 63 ; iv. 10-14 ; Mark xiii. 31 ; Jer. ii. 13 ; Zech. xiii. 1 ; Rev. vii. 17.) " The divine and blessed Word of the ever-living God was written for the sake of spiritual usefulness — " to jDerfect the man of God, that he may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works " (2 Tim. iii. 17) ; that it may fertilize the human mind, dropping upon it like the gentle " dew " (Deut. xxxii. 2) ; and descending like refreshing "showers" (Isa. iv. 11), that by its means we may possess "eternal life ; " for " by every word proceeding out of the mouth of God doth man live " (Deut. viii. 3 ; Matt. iv. 5). It was given " for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruction in righteousness " (2 Tim. iii. 16) ; " to convert the soul, to make wise the simple ; to rejoice the heart, to enlighten the eyes" (Ps. xix. 7, 8). For a "defence" against our spiritual enemies (Eph. vi. 17) ; for our " sanctificatiou " (John xvii. 17) ; for our " regeneration" (1 Pet. i. 23) ; and, to com- prise all in one word, for our "salvation" (2 Tim. iii. 15). "The words of the Lord are pure words : as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times " (Ps. xii. 6).^* 1* " The whole holy Scripture, with Christ everywliere understood therein, consists of two i)arts, letter and spirit ; even as man, for whose instruction the same was given, is con- structed of two parts, body and soul; the let- ter, 01 written contents thereof, being as the body, and the spirit, or Christ himself, witli the knowledge or truth of Him contained therein, being as the soul of these divine books. The latter of which is likewise to be 28 THE SCIENCE OF CORRESPONDENCES. Now, unless there be a spiritual and heavenly meaning in the di- vine Word, distinct from, though one with, the letter, how is this spiritual usefulness, so essential to the welfare of the soul, to be pro- moted in an immense number of passages, such as the following : — where the prophet is almost univei-sally allowed to be speaking of the Lord's advent, and giving the indubitable sign of it, that " a virgin should conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us, see Matt. i. 23]," it is added (Isa. vii. 18) :— " And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria." And in the 20th ver., " In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet ; and it shall also consume the beard." "And it shall come to pass in that day that a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep." Also in ver. 23, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall be for briers and thorns." Or this: " In Judah is God known ; his name is great in Israel. In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Zion. There brake He the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. The stout-hearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of tlie men of might have found their hands. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep" (Ps. Ixxvi. 1-6). Or this: "God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light ; He had horns coming out of his hand : and there was the hiding of his power. Before Him went the pesti- lence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. He stood and meas- ured the earth : He beheld, and drove asunder the nations ; and the esteemed so necessary to be understood with the former, that, as the human body without the soul is dead, so the letter of Scripture, with- out tlie spirit, is dead also. Nay, it is a hilling and condemning word only to tliem that have it. As St. Paul expressly says, ' The letter kill- eth. but the spirit giveth life' (2 Cor. iii. 16)." —HoHoway's Letter and Spirit, vol. i., int. pp. v., vi. " The twofold sense of the Word bears a resemblance to body and soul, the literal sense being like the body and the inter- nal .sense like the soul; and as the body lives by the soul, so the literal sense lives by the internal; the life of the Lord flowing through the latter into the former, accord- ing to the affection of the person who reads it."— (A. C. 2311.) " According to the opinion of the E^sscnes, the sacred Scriptures, like man, are composed of body and soul ; of the outward letter and the inward spirit"— (Qeschicte, Ixhrcn, and Meinangcn alter religiosen Secten der Jaden, by P. Beer Bninn, 1822, vol. i., p. 68.^ THE MERE LITERAL SENSE INDEFENSIBLE. 29 everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow : his ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction : and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chari- ots of salvation ? Thy bow was quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. The mountains saw thee, and they trembled : the overflowing of the water passed by : the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation : at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear" (Hab. iii. 3-11). Or where the prophet says, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear nor dark : but it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night : but it shall come to pass that at evening-time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jeru- salem ; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hmder sea : in summer and in Avinter shall it be. And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem ; theii- flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses. Holiness unto the Lord ; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the boAvls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of Hosts" (Zech. xiv. 6, 7, 8, 12, 20, 21). " Without the spiritual (or internal) sense," says Swedenborg, " it is impossible for any one to know why the prophet Jeremiah was commanded to buy himself a girdle, and not to draw it through the waters, but to go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock (Jer. xiii. 1-7) ; or why Ezekiel the prophet was commanded to make a razor pass upon his head and upon his beard, and afterwards to di- vide them, and to burn a third part in the midst of the city, and to smite a third part with the sword, and to scatter a third part in the wind, and to bind a little of them in his skirts, and at last to cast them into the midst of the fire (Ezek. v. 1-4) ; or Avhy Hosea was twice commanded to take to himself a harlot to wife (Hos. i. 2-9 ; iii. 2, 3) ; or what is signified by all things appertaining to the tabernacle : as by the ark, the mercy-seat, the cherubim, the candlestick, the altar of incense, the shew-bread on the table, and veils and curtains. Who 3* 30 THE SCIENCE OF CORRESPONDENCES. would know, without the spiritual sense, what is signified by Aaron's holy garments ; as by his coat, his cloak, the ephod, the urim and thummim, the mitre, and several things besides? Or, without the spiritual sense, who would know what is signified by all those partic- ulars which were enjoined concerning burnt-offerings, sacrifices, meat- offerings ; and also concerning Sabbaths and feasts ? The truth is, that nothing was enjoined, be it ever so minute, but what was signifi- cative of something appertaining to the Lord, to heaven, and to the Church. From these few instances, then, it may be jilainly seen that there is a spiritual sense'* in all and every part of the Word." (S. S. 16.) If we turn our attention to the precejitive portions of the Gospels, usually regarded as so plain and practical, we shall be surprised to find how much there is which could not be literally observed without breaking up all kinds of human association, and destroying all capacity for usefulness, affording indisputable evidence that they were only de- signed to be spiritually understood and obeyed, in which case each expression teems with " life." To instance only two or three passages from the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, as where he says, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." " But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil : but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and ""The Scriptures resemble man. As a man consi.-ts of throe parus—n rutional mind, a sensitive soul, and a visible body, — so the Scriptures have a threefold sense, a literal sense, corresponding with the body ; a moral sense, analogous to the soul ; and a mystical or spiritual sense, analogous to the rational mind." " The literal sense is perceived by every attentive reader. The moral sense is some- wliat more difficult to be discovered. But tlie mystic [or inmost] sense none can dis- cover with certainty, unless they are wise men, and also taught of God."— (Ori.<7n!, Dc Princijuis, lib. iv., Rom. t'., a Levil opp.tom. ii., p. 209.) " The literal meaning," says Mr. Isaac Wil- liams, " for the most part, is as the body, the spiritual moaning as the soul : as the soul is united with the body, so must the literal and spiritual moaning be hold together; both arc necessary for the life of the written Word. And though the latter be considered usually as the latent and interior sense, yet it is often so obvious and Scriptural, that it speaks, as it were, visibly through the letter, illtminalcs it, and gives it its character." — Williams' Beginning of the Book of Genesis, pp. 32, 75. It might be objected against the truth of the science of correspondences that, from the apostolic times to the present, those who have held that there is a spiritual souse in the Word of God have not understood it. But it may be answered, that most of the prophecies were hidden from the prophets (Matt. xiii. 16, 17, 35); and that the disciples did not understand the nature of the Lord's " Kingdom" even while they proclaimed that it was " nigh al hand." (Luke x.\iv. 21.) THE MERE LITERAL SENSE INDEFENSIBLE. 31 take away thy coat, let him liavc thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away" (Matt. v. 29, 30, 39, 40, 41, 42). Even the preceptive portions of the Holy Word, such as the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, cannot be understood when viewed in their merely literal sense. When viewed, however, as to their spiritual import, they are seen to overflow in eveiy sentence with infinite wis- dom, and to teem with divine life.^" But these are the solemn declarations of the inspired Word, taken promiscuously from the sacred pages. Who, I ask, can comprehend them? Who can explain their import? Who can see their reference to righteousness, conversion, regeneration, sanctification, and salva- tion,— to promote which they must unquestionably have been inspired and written, — unless it be admitted that they have an internal and spiritual sense ? And if this be admitted, it follows of necessity that a rule exists by which that sense can with certainty be drawn forth ; or otherwise the Word would be a mockery of human reason, and a snare to the simple heart, unworthy of infinite intelligence. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, thousands of passages are to be found equally as mysterious and difficult to understand in the mei"e letter ; and their constant occurrence in the Word of God at once pi'oves the necessity of some rational aud invariable law to interpret the whole, and the probability of its existence. 20 "'The whole law of Moses is like to a living creature, whose body is the literal sense ; but the soul, the more inward and hidden meaning, covered under the sense of the letter."— Philo Judseus. Prefixed, by Henry More, as a motto to his Defence oj "Conjectura Cabbalistica," or "Threefold Cab- baia, and Triple Interpretation of the three first Cliapters of Genesis, ed. 16o3. This author's Treatise on Iconisms, is described by Clowes " to be nothing else but an imperfect sketch of the doctrine of correspondence." CHAPTEE III. That the Divinity and Sanctity of the Word of God is the Con- sequence OF ITS Containing an Internal or Spiritual Sense. IN what, let us now ask, does the peculiar divinity and sanctity of the Holy Word consist ? By what arguments or reasonings is the indubitable certainty of its truth to be established ? and how is it to be distinguished from works of human composition ? These are most vital and momentous inquiries, and cannot be an- swered without thoughtful reflection and laborious research. In this work I can only profess to offer a few brief and general remarks. Happy shall I be, however, if the reader should be sufficiently in- terested to follow the principles which are advanced, until it is ration- ally perceived and acknowledged that the Holy Word, throughout all its inspired pages, teems with the divine " spirit," and is filled Avith the divine " life " (John vi. 63).^' I would begin b}' observing, then, at once, that the divinity and sanctity of the Word of God consist in its being an inspired revela- tion of the divine will and wisdom, from the mouth of the Lord him- self ; and as these are not apparent in the letter, the Word must con- tain a heavenly, spiritual sense, which is, as it were, its breathing, living soul. The spirit of the Word is united with the letter, and pervades every sentence and expression, just as the soul is contained in the body ; and as the life of the soul, momentarily derived from God, descends and flows into and animates every corporeal organ, so the divine life of the Lord flows into the minds of humble and prepared believei*s, as in faith and with affection they read the inspired pages. That world 21 The position that the phrase oAoyo? toC fieoC, is never used of the written Word, or the Revelation of tlie will of God, contained In the Scriptures, must appear unwarranted to those who impartially and carefully ex- amine the following passages : cxix. Vs., xxx. Prov., 5; vil. Mark, 13; x. John, 35; iv. Heb., 12.— (Henderson's Div. Ingpir., 2d ed., n. s., p. 488.) " The phrase Word of God implies that the fplenurily Inspired) Scriptures are God'3 both in matter and expression."— (CVirson'8 TheoT. oj Inspira., pp. 25, 42.) 32 REVEALS THE DIVINITY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 33 of wonders, the human frame, consists of forms in endless variety, exactly corresponding with principles and faculties of the mind which inhabit if, and as all the parts and portions of the nervous tissues and muscular fibre are harmoniously combined, and the minutest vessel, the smallest artery and vein, the slenderest and most delicate filament, are one and all required to make up the perfection of the whole ; and as each receives its vitalized influx for the sake of some specific use- fulness, so each part and expression of the Holy Word is the recej)- tacle of an inward spirit, has its peculiar analogy, its appropriate place, and its distinct use ; and contributes to the harmony, the com- pleteness, the divine perfection of the whole. While, therefore, the letter of the Word, especially in the Old Tes- tament, appears to treat much of natural objects and appearances, the inward sense treats only of spiritual, celestial, and divine reali- ties. The very title, " The Word of God," implies a revelation of his existence and nature, his boundless love and wisdom, his in- finite purposes and thoughts, together with the existence, the capaci- ties, the responsibility, and the destiny of the human soul, and the infallible doctrines and truths, essentially for man in the relation in which he stands to his great Creator ; and the knowledge of which, without such supernatural communications, it were impossible to at- tain (Job xi. 7, 8). And if this be the real character of the Sacred Writings, they must, in consequence, be full of interior truth and goodness as emanations from the divine mind, yet adapted to the comprehension of men on earth. The Apostle Paul, therefore, de- clares, "All Scripture is given by insjjiration of God;"" or, as the !2"The verb 'is' which constitutes the whole afiSrmation, is deficient in the origi- nal Greek, and is applied by the English translators as an index to their interpreta- tion of the passage. The sentence undoubt- edly requires a verb somewhere, but the place of its insertion depends upon the judgment of the translator. In the received version it stands in the first clause :— ' All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, etc' Baxter, Grotius, Schleusner, and others, render the passage thus: 'All Scripture given by inspi- ration of God, is also profitable, etc' The original, I think, will admit, without vio- lence, of either rendering, though inclined myself to regard the common version as more concordant to the Greek idiom than the other. But even thus translated, the Iheopneusty ascribed to the 'all,' or every 'Scripture,' does not in itself define the precise nature or degree of the inspiration af- firmed. That portion of the Scripture which is justly denominated the Word of God is es- sential diviuity itself— a. verbal embodiment of the eternal truth which forms a constituent part of the Divine nature. While, therefore, we recognize a general theopneiisty, or divine breathing, ascribed by Paul to all the books constituting the Old Testament Scriptures, we still regard this as something incompa- rably lower than that plenary divine afflatus under which the Word, strictly so called, was written."— Pro/. Bush's Reply to Dr. Woods, pp. 31, 32. "Every writing divinely inspired [is] also profitable for instruction, for conviction [of error], for recovery [to that which is right], for training up in righteousness." " The venerable Syriac version, whose antiquity is almost, if not quite, Apostolic, reads ' For 34 THE SCIENCE OF CORRESPONDENCES. Greek term Oionvevitoi has been aptly and emphatically translated, " God-breathed," or God-inspired, or divinely inspired (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17), that is, fiill of the Divine Spirit and the Divine life, — " All Scripture divinely inspired of God is profitable for doctrine, for re- proof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." And the Apostle Peter says, " Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is [or cometh] of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man ; but holy men of God spake as they Avere moved [4)fpo|tjfot, borne away, carried out of themselves] by the Holy Spirit " (2 Pet. i. 21) ; or, as Dean Alford renders it, " had utterance from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." Josephus, the Jewish historian, speaking of the plenarily inspired books of the Old Testament, adds, that they were written according to rtrtvjna, or the inspiration that comes from God ; and Philo, a contemporary Jewish philosopher, calls the Scripture $fo