that I may be separated from those who are in evil. For without a likeness of God none can be joined with Him, and he who is not joined with Him, will be separated from him for ever.

FURTHER REMARKS IN ANSWER TO L. C.

In a former paper I took the liberty of urging the members of the London Printing Committee to bestow more care upon the revision of their translations. This I did with no other motive than what must actuate them in their important labours, the desire of making the writings as generally useful as possible, by giving their true sense, and in a style easy to be comprehended. Had it been my direct object to point out defects in their translations, I should, of course, have proceeded in quite a different way. But my object was to shew, how by a correct, and yet freer translation, I could bring forth from its present obscurity a most important doctrine; and for that purpose I took such of the passages in the Arcana Coelestia as bore directly upon that part of the subject, which I wished to elucidate by extracts; intimating, but only incidentally, that, generally speaking, the editions of the London Society were, in point of correctness, and perspicuity, not such as we had a right to expect. I object to the mode of translating usually adopted, because justice cannot be done to Swedenborg by a literal rendering. Besides this, an uncouth style, abounding in Latinisms, in words not translated, as if there were no corresponding words for them in the English language, is actually a gratuitous stumbling block thrown in the way of those, who, from their previous habits, find the subjects in themselves difficult enough, without having to scramble through words, which require some little practice to pronounce, and still more to understand.* But my objection to most of the present editions reaches to something more than the difficulties which must necessarily accompany an uncouth, and faulty style: for I find that many parts which are most essential in elucidating the doctrines of the New Church, are given in so obscure a way that most readers pass them by un

* Take as examples of barbarous Phraseology, the word, proprium, and the still more barbarous, anglo-latin, singular-plural word, propriums ; intellectuals, rationals, and sensuals; serieses and specieses; man's will-goodnesses, in one complex, the faces of Jehovah, the will-proprium, and the intellectual-proprium, and a multitude of others of a like description. What would be thought of a translator of Cicero, who should render, "Id enim est cujusque proprium, quo quisque fruitur et utitur," for, that which each man uses and enjoys, is his proprium.

noticed, or else in so erroneous a way, that views are suggested foreign to those which the author himself intended to present. This, I presume to think, has in a measure been shewn, so far as respects the Lord's Divine Human Essence, in these papers: not that this is the only doctrine, which, in eonsequence of defective translation, is either imperfectly comprehended, or entirely misunderstood. Far from it. I lament deeply that it is so, but cannot shut my eyes to the fact, that the leading truths are distorted and obscured by the manner in which certain parts have been translated, and that hence no other but empirical attempts have been made to explain the doctrines. Let but some antagonist arise of acuter mind than those, with whom we have hitherto been contending, and let him but propound certain questions touching the grounds of our doctrines, and, unless we apply ourselves previously to the investigation, we shall be in the disagreeable predicament of being forced to run to the writings, in order to hunt for an answer. It surely is not a creditable state of things, that among our commentators on the doctrine of correspondences, and the public defenders of its truth, not one should be found who has attempted to explain the grounds of the mysterious relationship between the spiritual and the natural worlds, and of the representative signification of the myriad forms in the three kingdoms of nature. You, who are the defenders of its truth, affirm that correspondency is not an arbitrary contrivance, but has its ground in the very constitution of created things, and yet what do ye more in your expositions, than shew, that by supposing certain things to mean certain other things, a coherent sense is found to result, wherever it is applied in the Holy Scripture? And after all, what is this, but only pointing out an astonishing coincidence in that Holy Book, but not rationally unfolding, and laying open the grounds of the signification? Allow me to detain your readers a little, for the subject is one of considerable moment, while I illustrate my meaning by a familiar example. Water is a form of the mineral kingdom, which spiritually signifies truth, or in an opposite sense, falsehood, and it is told me, as a rule for the unfolding of the spiritual sense, that truth or falsehood, according as the context may determine it, must be substituted instead of the natural term for that mineral body which is called water. But why, I may ask, should truth especially be substituted for the word water? Because, it is answered, water itself is actually the representative image of truth. But how the representative image? not because it is pure, and clear, and nutritious, because this would be making a mere comparison of it, or ingenious similitude; but because water is actually an effect, of which truth is the cause.

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They are correspondences, and correspondency is the relationship subsisting between a cause and its effect. If it be so, then shew me how truth in the order of creation can produce the natural object which is called water; for unless you do this, though you attempt to prove it, in an external way by the accumulation of passages taken from the Holy Scripture, you will utterly fail to satisfy the internal perceptions of my reason. The expounders of the doctrine have never done this, and yet Swedenborg has so unfolded the science, that the very grounds themselves are to be traced through every part of his heavenly system. But unfortunately the universal truths on which the reason and reasonableness of the science depends, being in the translation obscurely or imperfectly expressed, are passed by unnoticed. In consequence of the grounds of correspondences not being comprehended, how little is there known of the true constitution of the spiritual world, or, what that world in fact is,-of the production of the natural world from it, and of their co-existence. How few that talk about these things, and write about them, have a rational perception of the manner of their co-existence. The facts are acknowledged, which Swedenborg was commissioned to reveal, of the reality of the spiritual world, its nearness, and the abundance of beautiful scenery which the heavens present; but who has ventured to give the explanation of these things? Who has pointed out from the works of Swedenborg, how it is possible for it to co-exist along with this natural world, and its scenery, distinct, and yet united, the one, as it is said, within the other, not as things exist the one within the other in space, but as a cause in its effect? If sought for in the writings, the explanation of this, and, as I believe, of every other difficulty, will be found, and then we shall no longer feel within ourselves the reproach of believing, by a persuasive kind of faith, that which we do not rationally comprehend.

The Human Essence of the Lord is an expression used by Swedenborg in two senses, and there will be no difficulty in ascertaining by the context in which of the two it is used. It sometimes means the Divine Truth, separated from the Divine Good at the consummation of the church in man, and then it is synonymous with the infirm Human Essence; at other times, though not so frequently, it is put for the progressive states towards union of the Divine Good and the Divine Truth at the establishment of the church in man, and then it is synonymous with the Human Essence glorified, or the Divine Human Essence. Hence it is said in reference to this separation of the Divine Truth from the Divine Good in man, that it condemns every one, but that by their union or glorification man is saved, because he is regenerated.

Arcana Coelestia, 10047. The glorification of the Lord's Hu man Essence was effected by the unition of the Divine Truth with the Divine Good. As the Lord glorified his Human Essence, so he regenerates man.-The sprinkling of the blood upon the altar round about, represented the unition, or act of uniting, of the Divine Truth and the Divine Good in all possible ways, as well in the internal, as in the external man; and the sprinkling of the blood at the foundation of the altar, represented the unition of the Divine Truth and the Divine Good in the external man only.

A. C. 10068. ( And thou shalt sprinkle it) upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments" that these words signify the reciprocal unition, from the Lord's Divine Human Essence, of the Divine Good and the Divine Truth in the lower heavens, results from this, that when the sprinkling of the blood, which was taken from the altar, and the anointing of Aaron with oil, signify the reciprocal unition from the Lord's divine Human Essence, of the Divine Good and the Divine Truth in the higher heavens, then the like ordinances, when applied to the sons of Aaron and their garments, signify such an unition in the lower heavens.

A. C. 8573. The Lord, when He was in the world, was the Divine Truth, but when He was glorified, which was at the time of his resurrection (and as he says in another part, He rises again in every one who is regenerated) He is then the Divine Good.

A. C. 2004. "Jesus said, He who believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on Him that sent Me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me, should not abide in darkness." John xii. 44, 45, 46. These words involve the most profound mysteries, and especially with respect to the union of good with truth and of truth with good, or, what is the same thing, of the Divine Essence with the Human, and of the Human Essence with the Divine. T. C. R. 41. THAT LOVE AND WISDOM IN GOD ARE ONE. Every wise man in the church knows that all the good of love and of charity is from God, and in like manner all the truth of wisdom and of faith; and that this is really the case, human reason also may perceive, if it be but instructed, that the origin of love and wisdom is from the sun of the spiritual world, in the midst of which is Jehovah God; or what is the same thing, that it is derived from Jehovah God by means of that sun, with which He is encompassed. For the heat proceeding from that sun is in its essence, love; and the light proceeding from it is in its essence, wisdom. Hence it becomes as clear as the day that love and wisdom are in their origin, one, and that consequently they are one in God, who is the origin of that sun. But that they are

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divided as they go forth is manifest from their recipient subjects, and this is especially the case, with man, in whom the light of life, which is intelligence, and the warmth of life, which is love, are separated.

A. C. 3704. Because all and every one of the states in heaven, and belonging to man, and even every object throughout the universe of nature, bear relation to good and to truth, therefore the Lord's Divine Essence is distinguished into the Divine Good and the Divine Truth, and the Lord's Divine Good is called, the Father, and the Divine Truth, the Son; and yet the Lord's Divine Essence is nothing else but good; nay more, it is the Essential Good, and the Divine Truth is the Lord's Divine Good, appearing as the Divine Truth in heaven, or before the angels.

If instead of the Divine Good and Divine Truth in the last clause of this passage, we insert the similar expressions of "Father" and "Son," and instead of angels or the Church in heaven, we insert the Church on earth, we shall have the same Truth in the natural and sensual degree, which is here expressed in relation to the celestial and spiritual, "Because every state of man bears relation to Good and to Truth, therefore the Lord's Divine Essence is distinguished into Divine Good, which is called "the Father," and the Divine Truth, which is called "the Son:" and yet the Son is no other but the Father, appearing as the Son at the consummation of the Church in man.

A. C. 4577. The Lord, before His Human Essence was glorified, was the Divine Truth, and therefore he says of Himself that He is the Truth, and on this account also he is called the seed of the

woman.

A. C. 2112. To circumcise signifies to purify, and when predicated of the Lord, it signifies to be glorified; thus it is to put off the Human Essence, and to put on the Divine Essence.

A. C. 8705. It may be proper to explain further on what ground it is that that the Lord Himself, who is the Essential Divine Good, and the very Sun of heaven, is called the Mediator and Intercessor with the Father. The Lord, while in the world before He was fully glorified, was the Divine Truth, and consequently at that time there was a Mediation, and He interceded with the Father, that is, with the Essential Divine Good. But after He was glorified as to the Human Essence, He was then called the Mediator and Intercessor, because no one can think of the Divine Esse, unless He place before himself the idea of a Divine Man; still less can any one be conjoined by love to the Divine Esse, unless it be by such an idea. The intelligent of this world remove from themselves the idea of a Human Essence, so that there is no Mediation between their minds and the Divine Essence.