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LETTER FROM DR. BEYER TO DR. OETINGER. 159
;5prea{l abroad through human authority, grounded upon perplexed reasonmgs.
It is, therefore, better to forget them, or to lose sight of them, than to acquire
them; yea, while we hold any of them in esteem, the true doctrine is altogether
denied admittance ; wherefore Swedenborg, agreeably to the private communi-
cation which he imparted to me, and which I have above related, did himself
derive from the Word alone, under the instruction of the Lord, those doctrines
which are taught in heaven ; and if he does understand them, and has the felicity
to read also in heaven that Word, which is there preserved, and which corres-
ponds with our Word as to every particular (for correspendences are natural
truths and speculums of celestial things,) in the sense which is adapted to the
celestial spirits {Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, 70-75, likewise Last Judgment, 57),
can there be any apprehension, but that he may assuredly be a true interpreter
of the Scriptures? When you say you consider him as one who is constantly
advancing his visions, or rather memorable relations, 1 do willingly admit it. But
in the Arcana Cadestia, 1967, and elsewhere, passages which deserve your at-
tention, give a satisfactory information of the difference which subsists between
a prophet and a visionary; if you please you may add to the above also 1806,
1786; from The Divine Providence, ISi ; and from The Heaven and Hell, 76, 2i9.
The inmost or celestial meaning of the Word, is itself the right doctrine of the
church ; the Word yields the doctrine, and the doctrine is the whole of the
Word : now this cannot be taught better, by any means, than through a seer,
forasmuch as it cannot be seen without an especial illumination, which a seer
enjoys above others, his sight being opened by the Lord into the light of heaven.
" IL I do not know that any man ever treated the subject of the literal sense
of the Scriptures as of greater holiness than the author in question; we may,
therefore, directly and openly meet the accusation with which he is attacked,
as one who speaks meanly and slightly of the literal meaning of the Scriptures,
and, consequently, has committed errors. In the Arcana Codestia, 705, he proves,
in a masterly manner, that the very words of the Scripture have been inspired.
In the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, concerning the Sacred Scriptures, which is pro-
fessedly a work devoted to this new inquiry, he proves, with the most compre-
hensive and unshaken arguments, in my opinion, that the literal meaning is the
basis upon which the wliole superstructure of the celestial and spiritual mean-
ing 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 frorh 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 com-
munion 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 Ccdestia, 1400, 1644,6222, 9407 ; Apocalypse Revealed, 1 ; not to mention
other passages which are quoted from the Arcana Ccclestia, in the Neiu Jerusalem
and its Heavenly 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 laboring 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 ap-
proved of that earnest application by his own example, but even has recom-
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