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188 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG.
cerning the White Horse. But should the question here
be asked, Why at this late period of time, and not earlier,
such a meaning should be brought to light, a copious and
satisfactory answer will be found in many parts of his
writings ; as for example, in the work on the Angelic
Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence, 264. The
author here observes, That a doubt may be inferred
against the Divine Providence, because heretofore it
was not known, that in every particular of the Word
there is a spiritual sense, and that its holiness consists
therein. For (says he, ) it may be suggested as a doubt
against the Divine Providence, Why is this revealed now
for the first time, and why by this or that person, and
not by any primate of the church ? But whether a pri
mate, or the servant of a primate, be made choice of for
such a work, depends upon the Lord’s good pleasure, to
whom both the one and the other are best known. But
the reason why that sense of the Word was not re
vealed before, is, because if it had been revealed before,
the church would have profaned it, and thereby have pro
faned the sanctity of the Word itself. The church, not
long after its establishment, was converted into Babylon,
and afterwards into Philistia ; and Babylon does indeed
acknowledge the Word, but yet contemns it, saying,
that the Holy Ghost inspires them in their supreme de
cisions equally as much as it inspired the prophets. A
reason why they acknowledge the Word, is, for the sake
of the Pope’s vicarship, which they found on the Lord’s
words to Peter ; but yet they contemn it, because it does
not accord with their views. For that reason also it is
taken from the people and hid in monasteries, where there
are but few who read it. Wherefore, if the spiritual
sense of the Word, in which the Lord dwells, and at
the same time all angelic wisdom had been revealed, the
Word would have been profaned ; not only as is now the
case in its ultimates, which are the things contained in
the literal sense, but also in its intimates, or inmost
meaning. Philistia, by which is meant faith separate
from charity, would also have profaned the spiritual
sense of the Word, because it places salvation in certain
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