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LETTER FROM DR. BEYER TO DR. OETINGER. 219
arguments in my opinion, that the literal meaning is the
basis upon which the whole superstructure of the celestial
and spiritual meaning of the Word rests, 37 ; that in the
literal meaning, divine truth is to be found in its fulness,
holiness, and power, 50 ; that the doctrine of the church
must be derived from the literal sense, and be confirmed
thereby, 53 ; that through the literal meaning of the
Word, a conjunction is to be obtained with the Lord and
consociation with the angels ; and in 80, that in each
there is a close communion of the Lord with the church,
and thence a conjunction of good with truth. Let the
subject be only closely investigated, and not superficially
looked into. In the same manner I should wish to be
considered and properly weighed the Arcana Calestia,
1400, 1644, 6222, 9407 ; Apocalypse Revealed, 1 ; not
to mention other passages which are quoted from the
Arcana Calestia, in the New Jerusalem and its Hea
venly Doctrines, 262. It is therefore manifest, that
Swedenborg does not reject and despise, as he is so
strongly charged with doing, the diligence necessary to
be used in labouring to attain the knowledge of the literal
sense of the Word, as if the same were useless ; so far
from it, that he has not only approved of that earnest
application by his own example, but even has recom
mended it, in the passages that I have referred to above :
for the purer and clearer the vessel is, out of which we
drink a generous cordial, the more grateful and effectual
will that cordial prove ; and the more accurately a man !
is instructed in Holy Writ, agreeably to philology,* or a
correct knowledge of the Sacred Text in its letter, or
literal meaning, the more he is brought into a capacity
to apprehend, with greater certainty, perfection and clear
ness, the true meaning of any passage of Scripture which
presents itself. As to my genuine opinion upon this
subject, it may be seen com a short discourse upon the
twofold method of interpreting the Sacred Scriptures,
which I annex to this letter by way of appendix.
"III. With respect to the difficulty, which, dear and
reverend Sir, so much affects you, namely, that Sweden
In the Intellectual Repository it is "philosophy," but this is a
mistake: in the original it is philology.
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