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Doc. 314.] 1047
SWEDENBORG AND ŒTINGER.
literal meaning is the basis upon which the whole superstructure
of the celestial and spiritual meaning of the Word rests, no. 37;
that in the literal meaning, Divine Truth is to be found in
its fulness, holiness, and power, no. 50 ; that the doctrine of the
church must be derived from the literal sense, and be con
firmed thereby, no. 62 ; that through the literal meaning of the
Word, conjunction is to be obtained with the Lord and con
sociation with the angels ; and in no. 80, that in every single part
[of the Word] there is a marriage of the Lord with the
Church, and thence a marriage of good with truth. Let the
subject be only closely investigated, and not superficially
looked into. In the same manner I should wish the following
passages to be considered and properly weighed ; Arcana
Calestia, nos. 10400, 10694, 6222, 9407 ; Apocalypse Revealed, I ;
not to mention those from the Arcana Coelestia, quoted in the
New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine, no. 262. It is there
fore 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, he has not only approved of that earnest application by
his own example, but has even expressly recommended 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 genuine philology, the more he is brought into a
capacity to apprehend, with greater certainty, perfection, and
clearness, the true meaning of any passage of Scripture which
presents itself. As to my genuine opinion upon this subject,
it may be seen from 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 Swedenborg,
in some passages, has taught that the literal sense perishes
as a shell without use, and that thereby the author contradicts
himself; the manner in which we are to understand this, will
be explained satisfactorily by a diligent consideration of
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