Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
Doc. 314.] 1043
SWEDENBORG AND ETINGER.
that he is indebted for all his theosophical doctrines, and all
the clear explanations of the holy prophecies, to the Word
of God alone, and to illustration from the Lord. But in
proportion as we have a more imperfect view of these things,
the more we are careless in suffering the true knowledge of
God to obtain a right form in our hearts,-and the less we
meditate upon the infinite wisdom and majestic holiness of the
Word, unendowed with a right conception of it, the further
we are removed from the science of all sciences, which is
called the science of correspondences.
"All illustration comes from the Lord our God; the Word
of enlightening wisdom is the truest mirror : the science of
correspondences supports the spiritual sight, a sight which
cannot be dispensed with. What our views therefore ought
to be, respecting these three fundamental points, may be clearly
learned from The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine,
nos. 280-310 and 249-266 ; only let us not spare the trouble
to examine more deeply the other important passages from
the Arcana Coelestia which are referred to there, together with
the special treatises on the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem
concerning the Lord, and concerning the Sacred Scriptures.
Respecting the science of correspondences, it is not probable
that any person can conceive any idea of them, who thinks
it a labour to acquire an intimate acquaintance with the
treatise on Heaven and Hell, nos. 87-115 ; as well as the
passages in the Arcana Calestia, no. 2987 et seq., and
especially the general idea of them in no. 7850. Being
therefore persuaded, from the high esteem in which you hold
everything that is Divine, that you will spare no pains, be
they ever so great, to maintain the truth as it is presented to
us in unshaken dignity, I proceed, and with your approbation,
more confidently, to examine, with becoming modesty, the
objections you have advanced against his writings.
"1. You say that Assessor Swedenborg had not been called
to give an interpretation of the Scripture, but to make known
in these our days, the things he has seen and heard in the
spiritual world.
"2. You charge him with not following sufficiently the
literal meaning.
66*
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
