5710. I also spoke about the Word: that it is the foundation itself for those who live well and acknowledge the Word as holy and Divine; but with those who are in doubt about it, due to various things in the sense of the letter or from the style, or due to such things as they believe to be meaningless, or due to many other things, for them either the Word must be opened such as it is in its inner meaning, or in its interiors, or [they must be convinced] by natural truths, by which contrary concepts, etc. are dispelled. How the foundation of the Word agrees with the foundation of the truths of nature was shown by two examples. For example, take a person who has convinced himself that the Divine does not exist because he sees good people in a low position and in poverty while evil people are in high positions and wealthy, and that such things have been acquired by craft: A natural truth founded in the Word also is that to be raised to high positions and to riches in the world are not real gifts or real blessings, because they either seduce and lead away from heaven, or because they are temporal, and consequently nothing in respect to eternity, therefore comparatively they do not have actual Being; nonetheless the Lord gives what is eternal and does this through means which lead toward it, and riches and high positions are not the means. The second example is that there are those who think there is no life after death and that human beings die just like the animals; and they think that there is no more intelligence in a human being than in animals; it is only that a human being can speak. That animals are equally able to think they deduce from various things, and that they are more skillful and intelligent in many things than human beings, they deduce from many other things. But there is a body of knowledge which teaches that in man there is an inner and outer self, that the inner can be elevated to God and consequently think about God and about the things that pertain to heaven, which are innumerable, and that he can be affected by things pertaining to the Divine and thus be conjoined to the Divine that is eternal, and what can be conjoined to the Divine, this too cannot die. This factual knowledge is in union with the Word, namely [with its teaching] that there is life after death, that man has an inner and an outer nature, that the inner can be elevated to God, that it can see the things that constitute heaven, thus it can be led by the Divine according to the laws of order to heaven, which are truths revealed in the Word. So it is with all other matters. In sum, nothing can be [correctly] founded on scientific matters unless has been first founded on the Word; this must be first; the other is only a confirmation by human knowledge.
5710. The Word, also, was spoken of, namely, that it is the foundation itself, but only for those who live well and acknowledge the Word as holy and Divine; but, with those who are in doubt respecting it, either by reason of various things in the sense of the letter, and the style, and such things as they think to be trifling, and for other reasons - that for them, the Word, such as it is in the internal sense, or in its interiors, must be laid open even by natural truths, by means of which conflicting ideas are thrown off etc. How the foundation from the Word accords with the foundation from the truths of nature, was shown by two examples as, for instance, he who has confirmed himself against the Divine because he sees the good in a mean condition and in poverty, but the evil honored and rich, and that such things are obtained by craft, - in such a case the natural truth is also founded on the Word, because being promoted to honors and riches in the world are not real gains, or real blessings, both for the reason that they seduce and lead away from heaven, and that they are temporary and thus nothing to eternity, therefore, comparatively, they have no Esse in themselves; when yet what the Lord grants is that which is eternal, and through means which lead thither, and riches and honors are not such means. The second is, that, [there are those] who think that there is no life after death and that man dies like the beasts; also think that there is no more of intelligence in man than in beasts, save that man is able to speak; that beasts think as much as men, and draw conclusions from various things, and in many respects are more skillful and more intelligent than men, and very many other things. But science teaches that with man there is given an internal and an external; and that the internal can be elevated to God, and consequently think about God, and about those things which belong to heaven, which are innumerable; also, that it is able to be affected by Divine things, and so be conjoined with the Divine, which is Eternal; and that which can be conjoined with the Divine is also unable to die. This scientific conjoins itself with the Word: that, namely, there is a life after death, that man has an internal and an external, that the internal can be elevated to God, can perceive those things which belong to heaven, and can be thus led by the Divine according to the laws of order in the heavens, which are the truths disclosed in the Word. So in all other matters. In brief, nothing can be founded upon scientifics except it be previously founded upon the Word. This must be first: the other is only a confirmation from man's scientifics.
5710. Etiam loquutum est de Verbo quod sit ipsum fundamentum sed pro illis qui bene vivunt, et agnoscunt Verbum pro sancto et Divino, at apud illos qui vel dubitant de illo ex variis in sensu literae, vel ex stylo, et ex talibus quae credunt inania esse, et ex pluribus, quod Verbum vel sit recludendum illis quale est in sensu interno seu in interioribus ejus, vel [quod evincendi] per veritates naturales, per quas discutiantur ideae oppositae etc. Quomodo concordat fundamentum ex Verbo cum fundamento ex veris naturae ostensum per bina exempla, ut qui se confirmavit quod Divinum non sit quia bonos videat in conditione vili et in paupertate, malos autem honoratos et divites, et talia acquiri per astus, veritas naturalis fundata in Verbo etiam est, quod evehi ad honores et ad divitias in mundo non sint realia dona aut reales benedictiones, quia vel seducunt et abducunt a coelo, vel quia temporaria sunt, et sic nihil ad aeternum, ita non habent Esse in se respective, cum tamen Dominus dat quod aeternum est et per media quae illuc ducunt, ac divitiae et honores non sunt media. Alterum est, quod qui cogitant nullam vitam post mortem dari, et quod homo moriatur sicut bestiae, et cogitant quod non plus intelligentiae sit in homine quam in bestiis, solum quod homo loqui possint; quod bestiae aeque cogitent deducunt ex variis, et quod callidiores et intelligentiores in multis sint quam homines, et ex pluribus aliis, at scientia docet, quod detur apud hominem internum et externum, et quod internum elevari possit ad Deum, et inde cogitare de Deo, et de illis quae coeli sunt, quae sunt innumerabilia, et quod possit affici Divinis, et sic conjungi Divino quod est aeternum, et quod conjungi potest Divino hoc quoque non mori potest, hoc scientificum conjungit se cum Verbo, quod nempe vita post mortem sit, quod homini internum et externum sit, quod internum elevari ad Deum possit, quod videre illa quae coeli sunt, sic duci a Divino secundum leges ordinis in coelis, quae sunt vera detecta in Verbo. Ita in reliquis; in summa nihil fndari potest super scientificis, nisi prius fundatum sit super Verbo, hoc erit primum, alterum est modo confirmatio ex hominis scientificis.