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DECLARATION OF DR. G. A. BEYER. 141
from the Word, out of the Word, and uaiformly with the Word, because the
Lord is Himself the Word (1 John i. 14).
•’
The exalted ideas which we ought to cherish respecting the Holy Scriptures
are shown and proved in his work concerning the Sacred ScriptureSy and in that
concerning 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 writ-
ings ; 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 re-
vealed now for the first time, and why by this or that person, and not by any
primate of the church ? But whether a primate, 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 revealed before, is, because if it had been revealed
before, the church would have profaned it, and thereby have profaned the sanc-
tity of the Word itself. The church, not long after its establishment, was con-
verted into Babylon, and afterwards into Philistia ; and Babylon does indeed ac-
knowledge the Word, but yet contemns it, saying, that the Holy Ghost inspires
them in their supreme decisions 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, be-
cause 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 Where-
fore, 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 con-
tained 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 words which
are to be thought and spoken, and not in any good that is to be done, as was
shown before, and so makes that a saving principle which is not such ; and,
moreover, removes the understanding from things which ought to be believed.
And what have such persons to do with the light in which the spiritual sense of
the Word is ? Would it not be turned by them into darkness ? When the natural
sense is turned into darkness, what would the spiritual sense be ? Is there any
one of those who have confirmed themselves in faith separated from charity, and
in justification by it alone, that desires to know what the good of life is ; or
what love to the Lord is, and towards their neighbor; or what charity is; what
the goods of charity ; what good works are, and what it is to do ; yea, what
faith is in its essence, or any genuine truth that constitutes it ? They write vol-
umes, and confirm nothing but what they call faith ; and all the things above re-
cited, they say are contained in that faith. From which it is evident, that if the
spiritual sense of the Word had been revealed before, the case would have been
according to what the Lord says in Matliew, *’
If thine eye be evil, thy whole body
ihall befall of darkness ; if, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is
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