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1308 NOTES TO VOLUME II.
(1.) The Sexuality of Plants. In Vol. II, p. 351, Mr. White
declares that "in the last work he published, Swedenborg went out
of his way to condemn the doctrine of Sexes in plants."
That this is a mere assertion without any rational proof is plainly
shown by the Rev. S. M. Warren in the "New Jerusalem Magazine,"
New Series, 1877, pp. 19-24. From his exhaustive paper we quote
as follows: "The facts [of the case] are, that, at least with the more
highly organized plants, there are two separate classes of organs,
the co-operation of which is necessary to the formation of seed, for
their reproduction; that with a comparatively few plants these organs
are in separate individuals ; with more they are in separate flowers,
on the same individuals ; and with a still greater number the two
classes of organs exist together in the same flower. The duality of
function has been found to exist even among most of the crypto
gamous, or flowerless, plants.
"Now these facts Swedenborg was neither ignorant of, nor does
he anywhere deny them. In general terms he affirms them, as in
’Conjugial Love,’ no. 222, where we read, ’The universal of all the
spheres proceeding from the Lord is the conjugial sphere, because
this also is the sphere of propagation, and thus the supereminent
sphere of conservation of the created universe by successive genera
tions. That this conjugial sphere fills the universe, and pervades
all things from first to last, is evident from this, that besides being
with human beings, it is also with all the subjects of the animal
kingdom on the earths, even down to worms ; and, moreover, with
all the subjects of the vegetable kingdom, from olives and palm-trees
even to the smallest grasses.’ What Swedenborg denies, is the
scientific doctrine founded on the above facts,-that is, the theory
and analogy of them. His most explicit declaration on the subject
(T. C. R. 585) makes pointed reference to the teaching of ’ many of
the learned,’ the freshest and foremost of whom was Linnæus ; and
was made, undoubtedly, in full view of the facts, the false analogy
of which only he denies. He says, ’It has been held by many of
the learned, that the acts of vegetation (vegetationes), not only of
trees, but also of all shrubs, correspond to those of human prolifi
cation. By way of conclusion, I will therefore add something on
this subject :-There are not two sexes among trees, and all the
other subjects of the vegetable kingdom, a male and a female, but
every subject there is male; the earth alone, or ground, is the
common mother, and is thus, as it were, the female. For it receives
the seeds of all plants ; opens them; carries them as it were in the womb,
and at the same time nourishes and brings them forth,—that is, ushers
them into the light of day ; and afterwards clothes, and sustains them.’
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