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words. All the spiritual things relating to heaven and the church were presented before them in visible and tangible forms, as was mentioned just above; those forms were taken from the subjects of the three kingdoms of nature, the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral, by which were represented such things as appertain to the heavenly kingdom; these forms they placed in their sanctuaries, in the interior recesses of their houses, and in the public places and streets, arranging them according to their [respective] significations. But the succeeding age, after that the science of correspondences was obliterated, and when in consequence thereof the knowledge of their signification was lost, began to regard and consider those objects as so many divine and holy objects; and then to some they bowed the knee, some they kissed with their lips, and some they ornamented and decorated with wreaths, flowers, and bandages, just as children do their dolls, and as Papists do their images; yea, of some they made household gods, of some tutelar demigods, and of some Pythons [or familiar spirits ;] some again of smaller sizes they carried in their hands, some they hugged in their bosoms, caressed them, and whispered petitions to them, and so on; thus they converted heavenly types into infernal types, and the divine things of heaven and the church into idols. On account of this transfiguration and defiguration of heavenly things, a new representative church was raised up amongst the sons of Israel, in which real representations, as was said above, were instituted, and which was prohibited from celebrating divine worship by any others, as is evident from these words in the first precept of the decalogue, Thou shalt

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not make to thyself a graven image, nor any figure, which is in the heavens from above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor worship them, Exod. xx. 4, 5. Deut. v. 8, 9.

44. It was observed, that out of the people of every church at it's end there was formed a new heaven and a new hell, and since I have given, in the preceding Lemma, an account of the heaven and hell of those who were of the most ancient church, I shall also relate some particulars concerning the heaven and hell of those who belonged to the ancient church: for access was given me to them, inasmuch as I was permitted to travel about and survey the spiritual world, to the end that the new and true christian church may not be in gross darkness concerning heaven and hell, and concerning their lot after death, according to the actions of their life. The following quotation is taken from the work on CONJUGIAL LOVE, n. 76.

"CONCERNING THE HEAVEN OF THOSE [WHO WERE OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH.] An angel came to me, and said, "Art thou willing that I accompany thee to the people, " who lived in the SILVER AGE OR PERIOD, that we may "hear from them an account of the manners and life of "their time? and he added, that no one can have access "to them, but by the Lord's favour and protection. I was "in the spirit, and accompanied my guide; [we came] first "to a hill in the confines of the south-east; and when we "were on the top thereof, he shewed me a great extent of country, and we saw at a distance an eminence like that of "a mountain, between which and the hill whereon we stood "was a valley, and beyond the valley a plain, and from the

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plain a rising ground of easy ascent. We descended the “hill with intent to pass over the valley, and we saw here "and there on each side blocks of wood and great stones "carved into figures of men, and of various beasts, "birds, and fishes; and I asked the angel what they "meant, and whether they were not idols? He answered,

They are no such thing; they are figures representa> ❝tive of various moral virtues, and spiritual truths; the CC people of that age were acquainted with the science of "correspondences; and whereas every beast, bird, and "fish corresponds to some quality, therefore each distinct "carved figure represents and signifies some peculiar "attribute of virtue or truth, and several together repre"sent virtue or truth itself in some common extended "form: these are what in Egypt were called hierogly66 phics. We proceeded through the valley, and as we entered the plain, lo! we saw horses and chariots, "the horses variously harnessed and caparisoned, and "the chariots of different forms, some carved in the "shape of eagles, some like unicorns, and some like "whales; we also saw at the extremity [of the plain] "some carts, and surrounding them on each side stables: "but as we approached, both horses and chariots disap❝peared, and instead of them we saw men, pairs and

pairs, walking, discoursing, and reasoning. Then "the angel said to me, The figures of horses, chariots, "and stables, which were seen at a distance, are appear"ances of the rational intelligence of the men of that

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age; for a horse by correspondence signifies the under"standing of truth, a chariot the doctrine thereof, and "stables places of instruction: thou knowest that all

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"things in this world appear according to corresponden"ces. But we passed by these things, and ascended the "hill, and at length saw a city, which we entered; and "as we walked through it, we took a view of the houses "from the streets and public places. In the middle of

the city were palaces built of marble, having steps of ❝ alabaster in front, and at the sides of the steps pillars "of jasper. We saw also temples of precious stone of

a sapphire and azure colour. And the angel said to me, "Their houses are of stones, because stones signify "natural truths, and precious stones spiritual truths; "and all they, who lived in the silver age, had intelligence 66 grounded in truths spiritual, and in truths natural "thence derived: the like also is signified by silver. In "taking a view of the city, we saw here and there con"sorts, both husbands and wives; we expected an invi"tation from some of them; and while the thought was "in our mind, we were called back by two into their "house, which we entered: and the angel conversed with "them for me, and explained the cause of our coming "to this heaven, informing them that it was for the sake "of instruction concerning the manners of the ancients, "of whom it consisted. And they replied, We were "from the people in Asia, and the study of our age was "the study of truths, by which we procured intelligence; "this study was the study of our souls and minds; but "the study of our bodily senses consisted in representa❝tions of truths in natural forms, and the science of "correspondences conjoined the sensual things of our "bodies with the perceptions of our minds, thus natural "and corporeal things with spiritual and celestial things,

"and

"and procured to us communication with the angels of "heaven. On hearing this, the angel requested them to

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give some account of their marriages: and the hus"band said, There is a correspondence between spiri"tual marriage, which is that of good and truth, and na"tural marriage, which is that of a man with his wife; "and whereas we have studied correspondences, we have seen that the church, with it's truths and goods, can "in no wise exist with any others, than those who live in "love truly conjugial; for the marriage of good and

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truth is the church in man; wherefore all of us, who "are in this heaven, say, that the husband is truth, and "the wife the good of his truth, and that good can"not love any other truth but it's own, nor can truth in "return love any other good but it's own; if any other "were loved, internal or spiritual marriage would perish, "which constitutes the church, and there would be only "external or natural marriage, to which idolatry corres

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ponds, and not the church. When he had ended his "discourse, we were introduced into an antichamber, "where were several devices on the walls, and little "images as it were molten of silver; and I asked, What "are those? They said, They are pictures and forms "representative of several qualities, attributes, and

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delights, of a spiritual nature; as were also the cheru"bim and palm-trees on the walls of the temple at Jeru"salem. After this, there appeared at a distance a cha"riot drawn by small white horses; on seeing which the

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angel said, That chariot is a sign for us to depart. "Then, as we were going down the steps, our host gave

us a bunch of white grapes adhering to the vine leaves;

" and

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