7. 圣经的灵义和对应。
自然界各个事物与灵界某事物的对应，可参阅《天堂与地狱》一书中下面两章的讲述：创世纪5:21-24）提到的以诺和他的同伴们，将那些从上古教会人们口中所说的对应加以收集整理，并将这些对应的知识传给后代。
结果，对应的知识不仅存在于亚细亚众多王国，而且还进一步发展，尤其在埃及、亚述、巴别、叙利亚、美索不达米亚、阿拉伯、以及迦南地。并由亚细亚传播到希腊，只是后来被改造成神话，这从那些关于雅典附近的奥林匹斯山、赫利孔山和品多斯山的故事就可以看出，以及那称为“珀伽索斯”的飞马用蹄子踏出了一股清泉，九位缪斯在这清泉周围建造了自己的住所。因为像赫利孔那样的大山，按对应象征着更高层的天，而像品多斯山这样低一点的小山，则象征着相对低层的天。飞马或珀伽索斯，象征着被灵性视觉所开启的悟性。而九个缪斯象征着真理的观念和各种各样的知识。其余的故事具有同样的特点。这些故事为上古时期某些希腊人所写，被称为“神话”，由奥维德收集并记录在他的作品《变形记》中。
[4] 然而，随着时间的推移，教会特有代表象征性的事物沦为了偶像崇拜物。于是，遵从主的天命，对应的知识逐步被抹去，最终在以色列和犹太民族中完全遗失和消亡。事实上，该民族的敬拜方式完全是代表和象征性的，只不过人们对任何事物代表的象征意义一无所知，因为他们已成为全然属世之人，所以不能也不想了解，关于属灵之人及其信仰和爱等方面的任何事情。结果，他们对对应也完全无知。
[5] 古时各民族的偶像崇拜源于他们关于对应学的研究，因为出现在地上的一切事物皆有对应——例如，不仅树木有对应，各样的兽类、鸟类，鱼类皆各有对应。古人拥有对应的知识，他们自己造像来对应于属灵的事物，以此为乐事，因为这些像象征着与天堂，因而与教会相关的东西。他们将这样的像不仅摆放在圣殿中，还摆放在家里；并非将它们作为敬拜的对象，而是提醒这些像所象征的天堂的事。因此，在埃及有人立一些牛犊、公牛、蛇、孩童、老人以及少女的像——因为小牛象征着属世之人的天真无邪，公牛象征着属世之人的情感，而蛇则象征着感官之人的审慎，孩童象征纯真，老人象征智慧，少女象征对真理的爱慕之情，诸如此类等等。当对应学的知识消失殆尽后，他们的后代不知道这些像到底象征什么意义，于是开始敬拜祖先所立的那些像及图腾。由于这些像被放置在他们圣殿之中或周围，所以他们先是将其作为圣物来拜，到最后，干脆敬拜为神明。
埃及的象形文字也是由此而来。其他国家类似的事情也是如此，例如在亚实突的非利士人当中的大衮神，上半部分像人，下半部分像鱼。这个偶像的构思，是因为男人象征理性的聪明，鱼象征属世的知识。因着同样的理由，古人在花园或树林中，根据生长在那里的树木种类进行各种崇拜仪式，还在高山上进行神圣的崇拜。因为，花园或树林象征着属灵的聪明，其中的每棵树象征与此相关的事物。例如，橄榄树象征着在那聪明之中的爱之良善，而葡萄树则象征其信仰的真理，香柏木象征理性，等等。另外，高山象征天堂；正因如此，上古之人的敬拜皆在高山上举行。
耶稣出生时，有几个东方的智者来探望祂，由此可见，对应的知识在许多东方人之中被保存到主降生之时。正因如此，有星在他们前头引路，他们带着黄金、没药与乳香来拜见（马太福音2:1-11）。这也是为何告诉牧羊人，让他们知道祂就是主，还告诉他们一个记号—他们要看见一个婴孩，包着布，卧在马槽里，因为客店没有地方了（路加福音2:6-12）。“在前头行的星”象征从天堂来的知识，圣经里“星辰”象征知识。“黄金、乳香、没药”分别象征属天、属灵、属世的良善，所有敬拜均源于这些良善。牧羊人找到婴儿主时，祂所在的“马槽”象征灵性的喂养，因为从马槽吃食的“马”象征与智识相关的事物。“没有空房的客店”象征犹太教，那时犹太教中没有灵性的喂养。因为圣经的所有内容，包含关于敬拜的诸事，都已被玷污和败坏。这就是为甚麽圣经说“要给他们一个记号”，有这记号的就是主（路加福音2:12）。
然而，对应学在以色列和犹太民族中已荡然无存，而他们一切敬拜之事，颁给他们的一切律例典章，圣经中的一切事情，纯然对应。这是一个内心崇拜偶像的民族，甚至不愿知道，他们所敬拜的任何事物象征什么属天和属灵的意义。他们盼望这一切敬拜之事自身、以及外在形式应当就是神圣的。因此，倘若向他们揭示属灵或属天之事，他们不仅否认，而且还会亵渎它们。正因如此，天堂向他们关闭，以致于他们几乎不知道死后生命仍继续。他们的如此性质，是再明显不过了。他们不承认主，尽管全部圣经的预言皆关乎祂，并且预告：他们会仅因为如下理由就否认祂：祂教导他们天国的事情，而无关地上的国度，因为他们想要一个能兴起他们超越地上万国的弥赛亚，而不是为他们提供永生拯救的弥赛亚。此外，他们声称圣经本身包含诸多难解之迷，他们称之为奥秘，但他们并不想知道这些奥秘论及主和祂的国度；相比之下，他们倒希望知道这些奥秘关乎黄金和炼金术。
[6] 在那些时代之后，并未公开这些学问，因为初期教会的基督徒非常单纯，不能向他们揭示。因为如果披露给他们，不但毫无用处，而且他们也无法理解。
那个时代过后，由于教皇统治的缘故，黑暗笼罩着整个基督教世界，最终成为“巴比伦”。属于这“巴比伦”的人们，在其伪谬中自求确证， 多为世俗和感官之人，他们既不能够也不愿意去理解属灵之事、因而不理解属世与属灵之间的对应关系。（若理解，会使他们相信圣经中的“彼得”并非表示彼得此人，还相信圣经从外到内都是神圣的，直到至内在层次，还相信教会的宣告相比之下就没那么重要了。）
宗教改教之后，人们却开始将信仰与仁爱分割开来，并崇拜一位上帝的三个位格，造出三位上帝，顶多口头声称一位而已，天堂的真理于是向他们隐藏。这是为了防止人们—倘若已向他们揭示真理—歪曲真理并将其应用于唯信之教导，却丝毫不理会其中的慈悲与爱。因此，即使揭示了圣经的灵义，他们还是会歪曲这些真理从而自己关闭了天堂。
[7] 每个人皆被允许简单地理解圣经字义，只要他不固执地去自行确证圣经所包含之真理的表面现象，以致破坏纯正的真理。为了教导伪谬而灵义解经，会将天堂关闭，且无法打开天堂；为了教导真理而灵义解经，会打开天堂，因为这是天使所掌握的意义。因而这层意义能使人与众天使同步思考，于是在智识的思维中将自己与之相连。但是，人若已陷入伪谬，试图利用对应之学来探究圣经灵义，会歪曲灵义。另一方面，人若先掌握了纯正的真理，这些真理与灵义一致，于是这些真理会更加清晰，因为灵义在天堂之光明中。但是，灵义完全不认同伪谬，这时若真理的任何部分显现，浓烈的黑暗就会取代天堂之光。在此情形下，天使们会转离，因而天堂向此人关闭。
需要理解圣经中主的里衣所代表的灵义，里衣无缝，乃整件织成，士兵不能撕开来瓜分。而另一方面，被士兵分成几份的衣服是代表圣经的物义或字义（约翰福音19:23-24）。“衣服”在圣经中象征真理，而“主的衣服”则象征神性真理。这也就是为何当主在彼得、雅各和约翰面前变像时，祂的衣裳洁白如光（马太福音17:1-2，马可福音9:2-3，路加福音9:28-29）
[8] 主如今揭示了圣经的灵义，是因为纯正真理的教义现已被揭示。该教义包含在《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》以及陆续出版的几个小册子中。又因为只有该教义才认同圣经的灵义，所以灵义、连同对应学的知识首次被公开。“看见人子、有能力、有大荣耀、驾着天上的云降临”就是象征这个意思（马太福音 24:30）。《马太福音》这一章描述了世代的终结——也就是教会的末期。“天上的云”，不论在此处还是圣经的其他地方，象征圣经的字义，而字义相对于灵义，就好比一片云。另一方面，“荣耀”在此处以及圣经其他各处都象征着圣经的灵义，也就是神性真理之光。“能力”指圣经中灵义的力量。
《启示录》也预示过圣经的启示在其灵义之中。这层意义以“白马”和“邀请召聚众人来赴上帝的大筵席”来象征（启示录19:11-17）。《启示录》还预示，在很长时间里，许多人不接受灵义，宁愿陷入谬误的教义之中—特别是关于主的教义—他们不接受真理。这些人以那只“兽”和“地上的君王”来表示，他们将与骑在白马上的主作对（启示录19:19）。那“兽”象征罗马教会（正如启示录17:3所示），而“地上的君王”则象征处于谬误教义中的基督新教。
人们在圣经中寻求的奥秘并非别的，正是圣经的属灵和属天之义。
7. The Spiritual Sense of the Word (and Correspondences)
Every single thing that exists in nature corresponds to something spiritual, just as every single thing in the human body does (as may be seen from what is shown in two articles in the book Heaven and Hell). 1But it is not known today what correspondence is. By contrast, in very ancient times the study of correspondences was the study of studies, so universal that the most ancients wrote all their tablets and scrolls in terms of things that correspond. The legends of the distant past were of just this character, and so were the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians. The book of Job-which is a book of the Ancient Church - is full of things that correspond.
[2] All the ancient churches were churches in which heavenly things were expressed representatively. All their rituals, and also the ordinances according to which their worship was established, consisted of nothing but correspondent things. So, too, in the church with the sons of Jacob. The burnt offerings and sacrifices, including every aspect of them, had a correspondence. So did the Tabernacle, with everything in it, and also the holy days, such as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of First Fruits, and likewise all the ordinances and decrees. And because things that correspond are the kinds of things that exist in the outmost phenomena of nature, and because all things of nature have a correspondence, and whatever has a correspondence also has a like symbolism, therefore the literal meaning of the Word consists of nothing but things that correspond.
Moreover, because the Lord spoke from His Divinity, and what He spoke was the Word, therefore He, too, spoke in terms of things that correspond. What is from a Divine origin and is in itself Divine ultimately descends into such things as correspond to Divine things in celestial and spiritual form. Thus it descends into such things as conceal celestial and spiritual things within them-things which they also symbolize.
What correspondences are may be further seen from Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), where the correspondences of things in Genesis and Exodus have been explained. And see, besides, the material on correspondences taken from that work and published in The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine, and in Heaven and Hell. The spiritual or internal meaning of the Word is simply the meaning of the letter unfolded according to correspondences, for this makes known the spiritual content that angels in the heavens perceive when a person in the world thinks naturally about what he reads in the Word.
[3] I have heard and perceived from heaven that the people of the Most Ancient Church-who are the ones meant in a spiritual sense by Adam and Eve in the first chapters of Genesis - were so affiliated with angels of heaven that they could speak with them by means of things that correspond. Consequently their state of wisdom was such that whatever they saw on earth, they perceived in a spiritual way as well, thus perceiving along with the angels. I have been told that Enoch-who is mentioned in Genesis, chapter 5 2-together with his companions made from what the most ancients said a collection of correspondences and handed down a knowledge of them to their descendants. As a result, a knowledge of correspondences not only existed in many kingdoms in Asia, but was also further developed, especially in Egypt, Assyria and Babylonia, Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabia, and the land of Canaan. From there it was carried into Greece-though in Greece it was turned into fables-as can be seen simply from stories about Olympus, Helicon and Pindus near Athens, 3and also from the story of the winged horse called Pegasus, which with its hoof broke open the spring around which the nine Muses made their home. For a mountain like Helicon by correspondence symbolizes a higher heaven, while a hill below a mountain, such as Pindus, 4symbolizes a heaven below it. The winged horse or Pegasus symbolizes an understanding enlightened by spiritual sight. A spring symbolizes intelligence and learning. And the nine Muses symbolize conceptions of truth and various kinds of knowledge. The rest of the stories composed by writers of the distant past in Greece, stories which are called myths, and which were gathered together and recorded by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, were of the same character.
[4] However, when in the course of time the representative features of the church were turned into objects of idolatrous worship, then in the Lord's Divine providence a knowledge of correspondences was gradually blotted out, and in the Israelite and Jewish nation it was entirely lost and extinguished. Indeed, the worship of that nation was completely representational, but still the people did not know what any of the representations signified; for they were altogether natural people, and therefore they were neither able nor willing to know anything about the spiritual person and his faith and love. As a consequence, neither did they know anything about correspondence.
[5] The idolatries of nations in ancient times arose from the study of correspondences among them for the reason that everything appearing on the earth has a correspondence-as, for instance, not only trees, but also animals and birds of every kind, as well as fish, and so on. The ancients, who had a knowledge of correspondences, made images for themselves that corresponded to spiritual things, and they took delight in them, because they symbolized such things as had to do with heaven and so with the church. They put images like this not only in their temples but also in their houses, not as objects of worship, but to remind them of the heavenly things which they symbolized. In Egypt they therefore set up images of calves, bulls, snakes, children, old people, and maidens, among other things, because a calf symbolized the innocence of the natural person, bulls the affections of the natural person, snakes the prudence of the sensual person, a child innocence, old people wisdom, maidens affections for truth, and so forth. After a knowledge of correspondences was there extinguished, their descendants-who did not know what these things symbolized-began to worship the images and figures set up by the ancients, first as holy objects, and finally as deities, because they were placed in and around temples.
The hieroglyphics of the Egyptians came from the same origin. So did other similar things in other nations-such as Dagon with the Philistines in Ashdod, whose upper half was like that of a man and its lower half like that of a fish. This image was invented because a man symbolizes rational intelligence and a fish natural knowledge. From the same origin arose also the worship of the ancients in gardens and in groves according to the kinds of trees growing there, as well as their sacred worship upon mountains. For gardens and groves symbolized spiritual intelligence, and each tree something relating to it. For example, an olive tree symbolized the goodness of the love in that intelligence, a vine the truth of its faith, a cedar its rationality, and so on. And a mountain symbolized heaven. It was because of this that the worship of the most ancients had been held on mountains.
It can be seen from the wise men from the east who came to see the Lord when He was born that a knowledge of correspondences remained with many eastern people even down to the time of the Lord's advent. That is why a star went before them, and they brought with them gold, frankincense and myrrh. 5And that is why the shepherds 6were told, in order that they might know He was the Lord, that this would be a sign to them: that they would see Him in a manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths, because there was no room in the inn. 7For the star which went before symbolized knowledge from heaven, inasmuch as stars in the Word symbolize concepts. The gold symbolized celestial good, the frankincense spiritual good, and the myrrh natural good-the three kinds of good from which everything of worship originates. The manger where the shepherds found the infant Lord symbolized spiritual nourishment, because horses, which get their nourishment from mangers, symbolize things having to do with the understanding. The inn where there was no room symbolized the Jewish Church, in which there was no spiritual nourishment at that time, because everything of the Word, and so everything of worship with them, had by then been adulterated and perverted. Therefore it is said that this would be a sign to them that it was the Lord (Luke 2:12).
Nevertheless, a knowledge of correspondences was still completely nonexistent in the Israelite and Jewish nation, even though all of their worship, and all the ordinances and decrees they were given, and all the contents of their Word were nothing but correspondent forms. The reason was that that nation was idolatrous at heart, and the character of the people was such that they were not even willing to know that anything of their worship had any celestial or spiritual symbolism. For they wanted every one of those things to be holy of itself and to be so with them in its outward forms. Therefore, if spiritual and celestial things had been disclosed to them, they would not only have rejected them but also profaned them. Consequently heaven was so closed to them that they hardly knew they would live after death. The truth of this is clearly apparent from the fact that they did not accept the Lord, even though their Holy Scripture everywhere prophesied concerning Him and foretold His advent. They rejected Him for the sole reason that He taught them about a heavenly kingdom and not about an earthly kingdom. For they wanted a Messiah who would raise them up over all other nations in the entire world, and not a Messiah whose care was for their eternal salvation. Furthermore, they say that the Word contains many secrets in it, which they call mysteries, but they do not want to know that these have to do with the Lord and His kingdom. On the other hand, they do wish to know when it is said that the mysteries have to do with gold and alchemy.
[6] A knowledge of correspondences was not disclosed after that time for the reason that Christians in the early church were very simple, so that it could not be disclosed to them. If it had been disclosed, it would have been of no use to them, nor would they have understood it. In the following centuries darkness arose over the whole Christian world on account of the papist religion, which at last became a land of Babylon; and those who come from this Babylon and have confirmed themselves in its falsities are mostly natural, sensual people, who cannot and will not comprehend anything spiritual, thus neither what the correspondence of natural things to spiritual things is. For then they would also have to be convinced that Peter does not mean Peter, that the Word is Divine even to its inmost elements, and that a papal edict is of no consequence by comparison. After the Reformation, furthermore, people began to draw a distinction between faith and charity, and to worship one God in three persons, thus three Gods, whom they merely called one, and because of this heavenly truths were then kept hidden from them, to prevent them from falsifying them. For if heavenly truths had been disclosed, they would have falsified those truths and used them to support faith alone, and not one of them to support charity and love. Therefore, if the spiritual meaning of the Word had then been revealed, they would have closed heaven to themselves also by a falsification of those truths.
[7] To explain this, it should be known that everyone is permitted to understand the literal meaning of the Word in a simple way, provided he does not affirm the appearances of truth he finds there to the point that he does away with the real truth. For to interpret the Word in respect to its spiritual meaning according to falsities of doctrine closes heaven instead of opening it. It is otherwise if one interprets the spiritual meaning in accordance with truths of doctrine. This opens heaven, because that is the meaning which exists with angels, and through that meaning, therefore, a person thinks along with angels and thus joins them to him in his intellectual thought. But if a person is caught up in falsities of doctrine and tries to explore the spiritual meaning from some knowledge of correspondences, he falsifies that meaning. It is different if a person has first come into genuine truths, for the spiritual meaning agrees with truths and appears in the light of truths, because it exists in the light of heaven. But it agrees not one whit with falsities, and if anything of it were to appear to someone in falsities, darkness would result instead of the light of heaven. For angels turn away in that case, thus closing heaven to the person.
The Word's spiritual meaning is meant by the Lord's inner garment or tunic, which was without seam, and which the soldiers were not permitted to divide. The Word's natural meaning, on the other hand, or the meaning of its letter, is meant by the garments which the soldiers divided. 8Garments in the Word symbolize truths, and the Lord's garments Divine truths. That is also why the Lord's garments appeared as white as the light when He was transfigured before Peter, James and John. 9
[8] The Lord has revealed the spiritual meaning of the Word at this day because a doctrine of genuine truth has now been revealed. This doctrine is contained in part in The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine, and now in some shorter works which are in process of publication. 10And because this doctrine and no other agrees with the spiritual meaning of the Word, therefore that meaning has now for the first time been disclosed, along with a knowledge of correspondences. That meaning is also symbolized by the Lord's appearing in the clouds of heaven with glory and power (Matthew 24:30), in the chapter in Matthew which describes the end of the age, by which is meant the final period of the church. A cloud of heaven, there and elsewhere in the Word, symbolizes the Word in its letter, the Word in its letter being relatively like a cloud in comparison to its spiritual meaning. Glory, on the other hand, there as also elsewhere in the Word, symbolizes the Word in respect to its spiritual meaning, by which Divine truth is in light. And by power is meant its force.
A revelation of the Word in respect to its spiritual meaning was also promised in the book of Revelation. That meaning is there meant by the white horse, and likewise by the great supper of God to which all come and are gathered (Revelation 19:11-17). It was also foretold that for a long time many would not accept the spiritual meaning, as is the case only with those who are caught up in falsities of doctrine - especially concerning the Lord - and who do not acknowledge truths. This is what is meant by the beast and the kings of the earth who were going to make war against Him that sat on the white horse (Revelation 19:19). By the beast is meant Roman Catholics (as in chap. 17, ver. 3, in the same book) and by the kings of the earth are meant Protestants - those who are caught up in falsities of doctrine.
The mysteries which some look for in the Word are nothing else than its spiritual and celestial meanings.
Footnotes:
1. See Genesis 5:21-24.
3. Sic.
4. The writer may have been thinking of a line from Ovid's Metamorphoses 7:225, ... both Pindus and, greater than Pindus, Olympus...."
5. See Matthew 2:1-11.
6. The writer first wrote "they," and afterward changed it to "the shepherds." Everything said here about the shepherds was entirely omitted in subsequent, parallel passages.
7. See Luke 2:6-12.
8. See John 19:23-24.
9. See Matthew 17:1-2, Mark 9:2-3, Luke 9:28-29.
10. The works referred to are almost certainly The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem in accordance with the Commandments of the Decalogue, and The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding Faith, published in 1763.
7. VII. The spiritual sense of the Word; on correspondences.
Every single thing in nature has a correspondence with spiritual things. The same is true of every single part of the human body, as may be seen demonstrated in two chapters of my book on Heaven and Hell [87-115]. But today it is not known what correspondence is. However, in the most ancient times the knowledge of correspondences was the queen of sciences, so universally known that the most ancient people wrote all their tablets and books by means of correspondences. The myths of the earliest peoples were the same, as were the hieroglyphs of the Egyptians. The Book of Job, which was a book of the ancient church, is full of correspondences.
[2] All ancient churches were intended to represent heavenly things; all their rituals, and also all the laws for the establishment of their worship, were composed entirely of correspondences. The same was true of the church of the sons of Jacob; the whole burnt offerings and the sacrifices in all their details were correspondences. The same was true of the tabernacle and everything in it; as also their festivals, such as the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of tabernacles and the feast of first-fruits; so also were their laws and judgments. Since they were correspondences, they are things of the kind which come into existence at the ultimate level of nature; and since everything in nature has a correspondence, and such things also have a meaning, it follows that the literal sense of the Word is composed entirely of correspondences. The Lord too, since he spoke from His Divinity, also spoke the Word; and it also follows that He spoke by means of correspondences. That which comes down from the Divinity and is in itself Divine at the ultimate level passes into such things as correspond to what is Divine, celestial and spiritual, that is, those which hold at their inmost level celestial and spiritual things, and have this meaning.
For a further demonstration of what correspondences are, see my Arcana Caelestia, in which the correspondences in Genesis and Exodus are explained, and in addition see what has been collected from that source on the subject in my Teaching of the New Jerusalem 1and Heaven and Hell. The spiritual or internal sense of the Word is nothing but the literal sense unfolded by means of correspondences, for it teaches the spiritual lesson which the angels in heaven perceive, when a person in the world thinks in a natural fashion about what he reads in the Word.
[3] I have heard and perceived from heaven that the people of the most ancient church, who are those meant in the spiritual sense in the first chapters of Genesis by Adam and Eve, were in such close contact with angels that they could speak with them by means of correspondences. Consequently their state of wisdom was such that whatever they saw on earth they perceived at the same time spiritually, that is, jointly with angels. I was told that Enoch, who is mentioned in Genesis [5:21-24], together with his companions made a collection of correspondences from the angels' lips, and transmitted the knowledge of them to their descendants. As a result the knowledge of correspondences was not only widespread, but prized in many kingdoms of Asia, especially in Egypt, Assyria and Babel, Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabia, and also Canaan. From there it spread to Greece, but there it was converted into myths.
This can be established merely by considering Olympus, Helicon and Pindus near Athens, 2and also from the winged horse named Pegasus using its hoof to make a spring burst forth, by which the nine maidens 3made their dwelling. For a mountain, such as Helicon, by correspondence means the higher heaven, the hill beneath the mountain of Pindus the heaven below that, the winged horse Pegasus means the intellect enlightened by the spiritual, a spring intelligence and learning, the nine maidens the knowledge of truth and sciences. The rest of the stories known as myths written by the earliest peoples in Greece are similar; these have been collected and described by Ovid in his Metamorphosis. 4
[4] But when with the passage of time the representative practices of the church became idolatrous, the Lord's Divine Providence ensured that this knowledge was progressively blotted out, and with the Israelite and Jewish race it was completely destroyed and became extinct. Certainly the worship of this people was entirely representative, but still there was no knowledge of what any representation meant. For they were utterly natural people, so that they were neither able nor willing to know anything about the spiritual man, and his faith and love, and so nothing about correspondence.
[5] The reason why the idolatrous practices of peoples of antiquity originated from their knowledge of correspondences was that everything to be seen upon the earth has a correspondence; so not only trees, but also cattle and birds of every kind, as well as fishes and other things. The ancients, possessing the knowledge of correspondences, made themselves images corresponding to spiritual ideas, and took pleasure in them, because they meant things to do with heaven and the church. Thus they placed such images not only in their temples but in their homes, not for them to be worshipped, but as a reminder of their heavenly meaning. So in Egypt there were erected calves, oxen, snakes, boys, old men, girls and many more things; because a calf meant the innocence of the natural man, oxen his affections, snakes the prudence of the sensual man, 5a boy innocence, old men wisdom, girls affections for truth, and so on. After the knowledge of correspondences had been blotted out, their descendants in ignorance of their meanings began to worship as holy and finally as deities the images and likenesses set up by the ancients, because they were placed in or near temples.
The hieroglyphs of the Egyptians are of the same origin. 6It was much the same with other peoples, as Dagon among the Philistines at Ashdod; he was above like a man, below like a fish, 7an image devised because a man means rational intelligence and a fish natural knowledge. This too is why the ancients worshipped in gardens and groves arranged according to the species of the trees; and also why their sacred rituals were held on mountains. For gardens and groves meant spiritual intelligence, and each kind of tree some detail of this. For instance, the olive -Translatore meant the good of love for it, the vine the truth of faith, the cedar its rational, and so on; and a mountain meant heaven. This is why the ancients worshipped on mountains.
The knowledge of correspondences lasted among many eastern peoples down to the Lord's coming, as may be proved from the wise men from the east who came to the Lord on His birth. So a star went before them, and they brought with them gold, frankincense and myrrh. And the shepherds were told, as a sign that they should know He was the Lord, that they would see Him in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes, because there was no place at the inn. For the star which went before them meant knowledge coming from heaven, since stars in the Word mean pieces of knowledge. Gold meant celestial good, frankincense spiritual good, and myrrh natural good, all worship being from these three sources. The manger in which the baby Lord was found by the shepherds means spiritual nourishment, because horses which feed from a manger mean matters of the intellect. The inn, where there was no place, meant the Jewish church, where at that time there was no spiritual nourishment, because everything in the Word and thus every detail of their worship was adulterated and perverted. This is why it is said that this should be a sign for them that it was the Lord (Luke 2:12).
But there was no knowledge of correspondences at all among the Israelite and Jewish people, despite the fact that the whole of their worship and all the laws and judgments given to them, and everything in the Word, were nothing but correspondences. The reason was that that people was at heart idolatrous, and such that it did not even want to know that any detail of their worship had any celestial or spiritual meaning. For they wanted all these things to be holy in themselves, and to be concerned with outward matters as they were. If therefore spiritual and celestial matters had been revealed to them, they would not only have rejected but also profaned them. On this account heaven was so closed to them that they hardly knew they would live after death.
The truth of this is plain from their failure to acknowledge the Lord, although the whole of the Sacred Scripture contains prophecies and predictions about Him. The sole reason for their rejection of Him was that He taught them about a heavenly kingdom, not one on earth. For they wanted a Messiah to raise them above all peoples throughout the world, not a Messiah to look after their eternal salvation. They say, moreover, that the Word contains many secrets which they call mysteries; but they do not want to know them, because they concern the Lord and His kingdom. But they want to know, if they are told they concern gold and alchemy.
[6] The reason why that knowledge was not revealed after that period was that the Christians of the primitive church were so exceedingly simple, that it could not be revealed to them. For if it had been, it would have been no use to them, nor would it have been grasped. Following this period the whole Christian world was plunged in darkness arising from the Popish religion, which eventually became Babylonia. Those from Babel, who had convinced themselves of its false beliefs, are mostly natural people who rely on their senses. These are neither able nor willing to grasp what is spiritual, that is, what is meant by the correspondence of natural with spiritual things. 8
However, after the Reformation, because people began to make a distinction between faith and charity, and to worship the one God in three persons, so as to make three gods, whom they merely named as one, heavenly truths were hidden from them. This was to prevent people, if they had been revealed, falsifying them and applying them to the teaching of faith alone, and none of them to charity and love. If therefore the spiritual sense of the Word had then been revealed, they would also have closed heaven against themselves by falsifying these truths.
[7] For anyone is allowed to understand the literal sense of the Word simply, so long as he does not convince himself so firmly of the appearances of truth it contains as to destroy the real truth. For interpreting the Word in its spiritual sense from the falsities of teaching closes heaven, and cannot open it. But interpreting the spiritual sense from the truths of teaching opens heaven, because this is the sense which the angels possess. Therefore this sense enables a person to think together with angels, thus linking them to himself in his intellectual faculty. But if a person has been taught falsities, and wants to explore the spiritual sense from some knowledge of correspondences, he falsifies it. On the other hand, if a person first possesses real truths, that sense agrees with the truths and is made clear by them, because it is in the light of heaven. But it does not at all agree 9with falsities, and if anything of that truth were to become visible, the light of heaven would be replaced by thick darkness. For the angels turn away from him, and so close heaven to him.
The spiritual sense of the Word is to be understood by the Lord's tunic, which was all of a piece, and the soldiers were not allowed to divide it. However, the natural sense of the Word is meant by the clothes which the soldiers divided among themselves. Clothes in the Word mean truths, and the Lord's clothes Divine truths. That is why when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James and John, his clothes were seen shining like light.
[8] The reason why the Lord has at the present time revealed the spiritual sense of the Word is that the teaching concerning real truth has now been revealed. This teaching is partly contained in my Teaching of the New Jerusalem, and now in the minor works which are being published. 10Since that teaching and no other is in agreement with the spiritual sense of the Word, that sense, together with a knowledge of correspondences, has now for the first time been disclosed. That sense is also meant by the Lord's appearing in the clouds of the sky with glory and power (Matthew 24:30-31). This chapter deals with the ending of the age, by which is to be understood the last period of the church. A cloud of the sky there and elsewhere in the Word means the Word in its literal sense, which is like a cloud compared to the spiritual sense. Glory, however, there and also elsewhere in the Word means the Word in its spiritual sense, which is also Divine Truth in light; power means the power it possesses in the Word.
The revelation of the Word in its spiritual sense is also promised in the Book of Revelation. That sense is there to be understood by the white horse (Revelation 19:11-14), and by God's great banquet, to which He invited and assembled everyone (Revelation 19:17 to the end). The fact that that sense would not be acknowledged for a long time (something that only happens to those who have received false teaching, especially about the Lord) is to be understood by the beast and the kings of the earth, who were going to make war on Him who sits on the white horse (Revelation 19:19). The beast is to be understood as the Roman Catholics, as in 17:3, and the kings of the earth as the Reformed Christians, who have received false teaching.
The mysteries which some people look for in the Word are simply its spiritual and celestial senses.
Footnotes:
1. i.e. The New Jerusalem and Heaven's Teaching for it. -Translator
2. An exaggeration, since Helicon is some fifty miles from Athens and the other mountains are much further away -Translator
3. i.e. the Muses. -Translator
4. Properly Metamorphoses, a long poem by the Roman poet Ovid (1st century bc); significantly the Author does not refer to the original Greek sources -Translator
5. i. e. one who is governed by his bodily senses. -Translator
6. The hieroglyphic script is now known to be a largely phonetic system of writing; but its origin is still unknown. -Translator
7. A reference to 1 Sam. 5:4, but this detail is not in the text as now accepted. -Translator
8. Added in margin: 'For this would have convinced them that 'Peter' did not mean Peter, and also that the Word is Divine even up to its inmost level; and that the Pope's pronouncement is comparatively of no importance.'
9. Reading with B. Rogers at ne hilum concordat. -Translator
10. i.e. The New Jerusalem and Heaven's Teaching for it and presumably some of the Four Doctrines published in 1763.
7. VII. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD.
CORRESPONDENCES.
Each and all things which are in nature, correspond to spiritual things; similarly each and all things which are in the human body, as may be seen in two articles in the work on Heaven and Hell. But it is not known at this day what correspondence is, but in the most ancient times the science of correspondences was the science of sciences, thus the universal science, so that the most ancient people wrote all their manuscripts and books by correspondences. The fables of the most ancient times and the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians are nothing else: the book of Job, which is a book of the Ancient Church, is full of correspondences.
[2] All the ancient churches were churches representative of heavenly things; all their rites and also their statutes, according to which their worship was instituted, consisted of nothing but correspondences. Similarly the church with the sons of Jacob; the burnt offerings and sacrifices with all their particulars, were correspondences; likewise the tabernacle with the single things therein, as also their feasts, such as the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of tabernacles, and the feast of first fruits, and also all their statutes and judgments; and because correspondences are such things as exist in the ultimates of nature, and because all things of nature correspond, and the things which correspond also signify, therefore the sense of the letter of the Word consists of nothing but correspondences. The Lord also, because He spoke from His Divine, and spoke the Word, spoke therefore also by correspondences. What is from the Divine, and in itself is Divine, in the ultimate falls into such things as correspond to Divine, celestial and spiritual things, thus such as in their bosom conceal and signify celestial and spiritual things. What, further, correspondences are, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, in which the correspondences which are in Genesis and in Exodus are explained. And again a collection of citations from that work concerning correspondences, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem and in the treatise on Heaven and Hell. The spiritual or internal sense of the Word is nothing else than the sense of the letter unfolded according to correspondences; for it teaches the spiritual which is perceived by angels in the heavens, while man in the world is thinking in a natural way of that which he reads in the Word.
[3] I have heard and perceived from heaven that the men of the Most Ancient Church, who are those meant in the spiritual sense of the first chapters of Genesis by Adam and Eve, were so consociated with the angels of heaven, that they could speak with them by correspondences, and hence the state of their wisdom was such that whatever they saw on earth, they perceived at the same time spiritually, thus conjointly with the angels. It was told me that Enoch, of whom mention is made in Genesis (Chap. 5:21-24), with his associates, collected correspondences from the mouth of those people, and transmitted the knowledge of them to posterity. From this it came to pass, that the science of correspondences not only was known, but was also cultivated, in many kingdoms of Asia, and especially in Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabia, and also in Canaan. From thence it was carried over to Greece, but was there turned into fables, as may be sufficiently evident from what is told of Olympus, Helicon and Pindus near Athens, and also of the winged horse called Pegasus, as, that with the hoof he broke open a fountain, by which the nine virgins [the Muses], established their seats. For a mountain, and thus Helicon, from correspondence signifies the higher heaven; the hill under the mountain, which was Pindus, signifies the heaven below it; the winged horse, or Pegasus, signifies the understanding enlightened by the spiritual; the fountain signifies intelligence and learning, and the nine virgins signify the knowledges of truth and the sciences. Similar were the rest of the things which are called fabulous, which were written by the most ancient writers in Greece, and which were collected together and described by Ovid in his Metamorphoses.
[4] But when the representatives of the church in the course of time were turned into idolatries, then by the Divine Providence of the Lord that science was successively obliterated, and with the Israelitish and Jewish nation it was altogether destroyed and extinguished. The worship of that nation was indeed altogether representative, but still they did not know what any representative thing signified. For they were altogether natural men, and hence they were neither able nor willing to know anything about the spiritual man and about his faith and love, consequently nothing about correspondences.
[5] That the idolatries of the nations in ancient times derived their origin from the science of correspondences amongst them, was because all things that appear upon the earth have a correspondence, as not only trees, but also cattle and birds of every kind, as well as fishes, and the rest. The ancients, who were in the science of correspondences, made themselves images, which corresponded to spiritual things, and they were delighted with those things, because they signified such things as are of heaven and thence of the church, they therefore not only placed them in their temples, but also in their houses, not for the purpose of adoration, but for the recollection of the heavenly thing that was signified, thence in Egypt there were set up calves, oxen, serpents, boys, old men, virgins, and many other things. For a calf signified the innocence of the natural man, oxen affections of the natural man, serpents the prudence of the sensual man, a boy innocence, old men wisdom, virgins affections for truth, and so on. After the science of correspondences was there lost, their posterity, who were ignorant what the images and likenesses set up by the ancients signified, began to worship them as holy, and finally as deities, because they were placed in and near the temples.
The Egyptian hieroglyphics are from the same origin. So was it also with other nations, as with the Philistines in Ashdod, where was Dagon, formed like a man above and like a fish below, which image was so contrived because a man signifies rational intelligence, and a fish natural knowledge. From similar origin was the worship of the ancients in gardens and groves according to the kinds of trees, as also their sacred worship upon mountains; for gardens and groves signified spiritual intelligence, and each tree something thereof, as the olive its good of love, the vine its truth of the doctrine of faith, the cedar its rational, and so on. A mountain signified heaven, and therefore the worship of the most ancient people was upon mountains. That the science of correspondences remained with many oriental nations until the coming of the Lord, may be evident from the wise men from the East, who came to the Lord when He was born.
Therefore a star went before them, and they brought with them gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It was also said to the shepherds, in order that they might know that it was the Lord Himself, that it should be a sign unto them, that they should see Him in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, because there was no place in the inn. "The star" which went before the wise men signified knowledge from heaven, for stars in the Word signify knowledges. "The gold" signified celestial good, "frankincense" spiritual good, and "myrrh" natural good; all worship being from these three. "The manger" in which the infant Lord was found by the shepherds, signifies spiritual nourishment, because horses, which are fed from a manger, signify intellectual things. "The inn" where there was no place signified the Jewish Church, in which at that time there was no spiritual nourishment, because everything of the Word and thence everything of worship with them, had then been adulterated and perverted. Hence it is said that this would be for a sign to them that it was the Lord (Luke 2:12).
Nevertheless, the science of correspondences was altogether none with the Israelitish and Jewish nation, although all things of their worship, and all the statutes and judgments given to them, and all things of the Word, were pure correspondences. The reason was that that nation was idolatrous in heart, and such that it did not even wish to know that anything of their worship signified anything celestial and spiritual. For they wished that all these things should be holy from themselves and with them in externals. Wherefore if spiritual and celestial things had been disclosed to them, they would not only have rejected, but would also have profaned them. For this reason heaven was closed to them so that they scarcely knew that they were to live after death. That this is so, is manifestly evident. They do not acknowledge the Lord, although the whole Sacred Scripture prophesied concerning Him, and predicted Him; they rejected Him for this sole reason, that He taught them of the heavenly kingdom, and not concerning an earthly kingdom, for they wanted a Messiah who would exalt them above all nations in the whole world, and they did not wish any Messiah who would provide for their eternal salvation. Moreover, they say the Word contains in itself many arcana, which are called mystical, but they do not wish to know that these treat of the Lord and His Kingdom; but they do wish to know when it is said that they are concerning gold and alchemy.
[6] That this science was not disclosed after those times, was because the Christians in the primitive church were very simple, that it could not be disclosed to them, for if disclosed, it would have been of no use to them, nor would it have been comprehended. After those times darkness arose over the entire Christian world, on account of the Papacy, which at length became Babylon, and they who are of Babel, and have confirmed themselves in its falsities, are for the most part natural, sensual men, and these are neither able nor willing to apprehend what is spiritual, thus what is the correspondence of natural things with spiritual. 1
But after the Reformation, because they began to make a distinction between faith and charity, and to worship one God under three Persons, the three Gods, whom they only named one, heavenly truths were then concealed from them, lest if revealed they should falsify them and bend them to faith alone, and none of them to charity and love. If therefore the spiritual sense of the Word had then been revealed, they would have shut heaven to themselves even by the falsification of its truths.
[7] For everyone is allowed to understand the sense of the letter of the Word in simplicity, provided he does not confirm the appearances of truth which are there, so far as to destroy genuine truth; for to interpret the Word as to its spiritual sense from falsities of doctrine, closes heaven, and does not open it; but to interpret the spiritual sense from truths of doctrine, opens heaven, because that is the sense in which the angels are, and so man by means of it thinks together with angels, and thus conjoins them to himself in his intellectual mind.
But if a man is in falsities of doctrine and wishes to explore the spiritual sense from some knowledge of correspondences, he falsifies it. It is otherwise if man is already in genuine truths; that sense agrees with truths and appears from them, because that sense is in the light of heaven. Cloud on the other hand agrees with falsities, and if anything of this truth should appear, instead of the light of heaven thick darkness would arise, for angels turn themselves away from him, and so close heaven to him. The spiritual sense of the Word is meant by the inner garment of the Lord, which was without seam, and which the soldiers were not permitted to divide; but the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, is meant by His outer garments, which the soldiers divided. Garments in the Word signify truths, and the Lord's garments Divine truth, wherefore also the garments of the Lord, when He was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, appeared shining white, like light.
[8] At this day the spiritual sense of the Word has been revealed from the Lord, because the doctrine of genuine truth has now been revealed, which doctrine is partly contained in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, and now in the small works, which are being given to the public; 2and because that doctrine, and no other, agrees with the spiritual sense of the Word, therefore that sense, together with the science of correspondences, has now for the first time been disclosed. That sense is also signified by the Lord's appearing in the clouds of heaven with glory and power (Matt. 24:30, 31), in which chapter it treats of the consummation of the age, by which is meant the last time of the church.
By the cloud of heaven, there and elsewhere in the Word, is signified the Word in the letter, which there, in respect to the spiritual sense, is as a cloud. But by the glory there, as also elsewhere in the Word, is signified the Word in the spiritual sense, which also is the Divine truth in light; and by the power is signified its power in the Word. The revelation of the Word as to the spiritual sense was also promised in Revelation, where that sense is meant by the "White Horse" (Chapter 19:11 to 14), and by the great supper of God, to which all were invited and gathered together (Rev. 19:17). By many that sense will not be acknowledged for a long time. Those alone who are in the falsities of doctrine, especially in regard to the Lord, and who do not admit truths, will not acknowledge this is meant by the beast and by the kings of the earth, who make war with the one sitting upon the white horse (Rev. 19:19). By "the beast" are meant the Roman Catholics, as in Rev. 17:3, and by "the kings of the earth" are meant the Reformed who are in falsities of doctrine. The mystical things which some seek in the Word, are nothing else than the spiritual and celestial senses.
Footnotes:
1. [MARGINAL NOTE.] For thus they would be convinced that by Peter is not meant Peter, also that the Word even to its inmosts is Divine; and that a papal decree is of no account in comparison.
2. The Four Leading Doctrines.--TR.
7. De Sensu Spirituali Verbi
De correspondentiis
[1] Omnia et singula quae in natura sunt, correspondent spiritualibus, similiter omnia et singula quae in corpore humano, ut ostensum videatur in binis articulis in opere de Coelo et Inferno; sed quid correspondentia est, hodie nescitur; antiquissimis autem temporibus fuit scientia correspondentiarum scientia scientiarum, ita universalis ut ab antiquissimis omnes codices et libri per correspondentias scripti sint; fabulosa vetustissimorum non fuerunt alia, nec Hieroglyphica Aegyptiorum; Liber Hiobi, qui est Liber Antiquae Ecclesiae, correspondentiis plenus est.
[2] Omnes Ecclesiae Antiquae fuerunt Ecclesiae repraesentativae coelestium; omnes ritus illarum, et quoque statuta, secundum quae institutus fuit cultus illarum, constabant ex meris correspondentiis; similiter Ecclesia apud Filios Jacobi: holocausta et sacrificia cum singulis illorum correspondentiae fuerunt, similiter tabernaculum cum singulis inibi, tum etiam festa illorum, ut festum azymorum, festum tabernaculorum et festum primitiarum, et quoque omnia statuta et judicia; et quia correspondentiae sunt talia quae in naturae ultimis existunt, et quia omnia naturae correspondent, et quae correspondent etiam significant, ideo Verbi sensus literae consistit ex meris correspondentiis: etiam Dominus, quia loquutus est ex Divino suo, et loquutus est Verbum, ideo etiam loquutus est per correspondentias; quod a Divino est, et in se Divinum est, ultimo cadit in talia quae Divinis coelestibus et spiritualibus correspondent, ita quae coelestia et spiritualia in sino suo recondunt, et significant; quid porro correspondentiae [sunt], videri potest ex Arcanis Coelestibus in quibus correspondentiae, quae in Genesi et in Exodo sunt, explicatae sunt, et praeterea videantur collecta inde de correspondentiis in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae: et in opere de Coelo et Inferno. Sensus spiritualis seu internus Verbi non aliud est quam evolutus sensus literae secundum correspondentias, docet enim spirituale quod ab angelis in coelis percipitur, dum homo in mundo id quod in Verbo legit, naturaliter cogitat.
[3] Auditum et perceptum est e coelo, quod homines Antiquissimae Ecclesiae, qui sunt qui in primis Capitibus Geneseos per Adamum et Evam in sensu spirituali intelliguntur, cum angelis coeli ita consociati fuerint, ut loqui cum illis potuerint per correspondentias, et inde status sapientiae illorum fuit talis, ut quicquid viderent in tellure, perciperent simul spiritualiter, ita conjunctim cum angelis. Dictum [est], quod Chanoch, de quo memoratur [in] Genes. Cap....[Genesis 5:24], cum consociis suis, ex ore illorum collegerit correspondentias, ac scientiam illarum propagaverit ad posteros; ex quo factum est, quod scientia correspondentiarum in multis regnis Asiae, non modo nota fuerit, sed etiam exculta, imprimis in Aegypto, Assyria et Babele, Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabia, terra Canaane; exinde illa translata est in Graeciam, sed ibi versa est [in] fabulosa; ut solum constare potest ex Olympo, Helicone et Pindo juxta Athenas, et quoque ex Equo alato Pegasus nominato, quod ungula ruperit fontem, ad quem novem virgines sedem fixerunt; mons enim, ita Helicon, ex correspondentia significat coelum superius, collis sub monte, qui erat Pindus, coelum infra illud; equus alatus seu pegasus significat intellectum a spirituali illustratum, fons intelligentiam ac eruditionem, novem virgines cognitiones veri et scientias: similia fuerunt reliqua, quae fabulosa vocantur, scripta a vetustissimis in Graecia, qua ab Ovidio in ejus Metamorphosibus in unum collecta sunt et descripta.
[4] Sed cum repraesentativa Ecclesiae temporis tractu versa sunt in idololatrica, tunc ex Divina Domini Providentia scientia illa successive obliterata est, et apud gentem Israeliticam et Judaicam prorsus deperdita et exstincta; cultus quidem hujus gentis fuit mere repraesentativus, sed usque nesciebatur quid aliquod repraesentativum significaret, erant enim prorsus naturales homines, et inde non scire poterant nec volebant aliquid de spirituali homine, et de ejus fide et amore, proinde non aliquid de correspondentia.
[5] Quod idololatrica gentium in antiquis temporibus ex scientia correspondentiarum apud illos traxerint originem, erat quia omnia quae apparent super tellure, correspondent, ut non modo arbores, sed etiam pecudes et aves omnis generis, tum pisces, et reliqua; antiqui, qui in scientia correspondentiarum fuerunt, sibi fecerunt imagines, quae spiritualibus correspondebant, et illis delectabantur, quia significabant talia quae coeli et inde Ecclesiae erant; talia non modo in suis templis sed etiam in suis domibus posuerunt, non adorationis causa, sed recordationis rei coelestis, quae significabatur; inde in Aegypto fuerunt positi vituli, boves, serpentes, pueri, senes, virgines, et plura, quia vitulus significabat innocentiam naturalis hominis, boves affectiones naturalis hominis, serpentes prudentiam sensualis hominis, puer innocentiam, senes sapientiam, virgines affectiones veri, et sic porro; postquam scientia correspondentiarum ibi obliterata est, posteri qui ignorabant quid significabant, coeperunt imagines et simulachra ab antiquis posita, quia posita in templis et juxta templa, colere illa ut sancta, et tandem ut numina; Hieroglyphica Aegyptiorum ex eadem origine sunt: similiter apud alias gentes, sicut apud Philisthaeos in Aschdodo Dagon, qui superius fuit sicut homo, inferius sicut piscis, quae imago inventa fuit, quia homo significat intelligentiam rationalem, et piscis scientiam naturalem; inde quoque [erat] cultus antiquorum in hortis et in lucis secundum arborum species, tum etiam cultus illorum sacer super montibus, horti enim et luci significabant spiritualem intelligentiam, et unaquaevis arbor aliquid ejus, sicut olea bonum amoris ejus, vitis verum fidei ejus, cedrus rationale ejus, et sic porro, ac mons significabat coelum, quare cultus antiquissimorum fuerat super montibus. Quod scientia correspondentiarum manserit apud plures orientales usque ad adventum Domini, constare potest ex sapientibus ab Oriente, qui venerunt ad Dominum, cum natus est, quare illis praeivit stella, et illi secum tulerunt aurum, thus et myrrham, et Pastoribus dictum est, quod ut scirent quod Ipse Dominus esset, quod illis signum esset, quod viderent Ipsum in praesepi fasciis involutum, quia non locus fuit in diversorio; stella enim quae praeivit significabat cognitionem e coelo, stellae enim in Verbo significant cognitiones; aurum significabat bonum coeleste, thus bonum spirituale, et myrrha bonum naturale, ex quibus tribus est omne cultus; praesepe in quo Dominus infans inventus est a pastoribus, significabat nutritionem spiritualem, quia equi, qui nutriuntur ex praesepi, significant intellectualia; diversorium, ubi non locus, significabat Ecclesiam Judaicam, ubi illo tempore nulla nutritio spiritualis fuit, quia omne Verbi et inde omne cultus apud illos tunc fuit adulteratum et perversum; inde dicitur quod hoc illis signum foret, quod esset Dominus, Luc. 2:12. Sed usque scientia correspondentiarum prorsus nulla fuit apud gentem Israeliticam et Judaicam, tametsi omnia cultus illorum, et omnia statuta et judicia illis data, et omnia Verbi erant purae correspondentiae; causa erat, quia illa gens corde idololatrica fuit, et talis ut ne quidem scire vellet, quod aliquid cultus illorum significaret aliquid coeleste et spirituale, volebant enim ut illa omnia sancta essent ex se et cum illis in externis; quare si illis spiritualia et coelestia detecta fuissent, non modo rejecissent illa, sed etiam prophanavissent; quapropter illis coelum ita clausum fuit, ut vix scirent quod victuri post mortem: quod ita sit, manifeste patet [ex eo], quod non agnoscerent Dominum, tametsi universa scriptura sacra de Ipso prophetavit et Ipsum praedixit; rejecerunt Ipsum propter illam solam causam, quia illos de regno coelesti, et non de Regno terrestri docuit, voluerunt enim Messiam, qui illos supra omnes gentes in universo Mundo exaltaret, et non aliquem Messiam, qui saluti illorum aeternae consuleret. Praeterea dicunt quod Verbum in se contineat multa arcana, quae mystica vocantur, sed non scire volunt quod illa sint de Domino et Ipsius Regno; at scire volunt cum dicitur quod sint de auro et alchymia.
[6] Quod scientia illa post ea tempora non detecta fuerit, fuit causa, quia Christiani in primitiva Ecclesia perquam simplices fuerunt, ut coram illis non detegi potuerit, nam si detecta, illis nullius usus fuisset, nec caperetur. Post illorum tempora obortae sunt tenebrae super universum Christianum orbem ex Papismo, qui tandem Babylonia factus est; et qui ex Babele sunt, et in falsis ejus se confirmaverunt, sunt plerique naturales sensuales homines, et hi non possunt nec volunt capere quid spirituale, ita quid [sit] correspondentia naturalium cum spiritualibus, sic enim etiam convincerentur quod per Petrum non intelligatur Petrus, tum convincerentur quod Verbum usque ad intima Divinum sit, et quod dictamen papale sit nullius rei respective: post reformationem autem, quia distinguere coeperunt inter fidem et charitatem, ac colere Deum unum sub tribus personis, ita tres Deos, quos solum nominarent unum, tunc veritates coelestes illis abscondebantur, ne si detectae fuissent, falsificarent illas, et deducerent illas ad solam fidem, et nullam illarum ad charitatem et amorem; quare si tunc sensus spiritualis Verbi revelatus fuisset, occlusissent sibi coelum etiam per illarum falsificationem;
[7] nam cuivis licet sensum literae Verbi simpliciter intelligere, modo ne apparentias veri, quae ibi sunt, confirmet usque ad destructionem genuini veri, nam interpretari Verbum quoad sensum spiritualem ejus, ex falsis doctrinae, claudit coelum, non aperit illud; at interpretari sensum spiritualem ex veris doctrinae, aperit coelum, quia ille sensus est in quo sunt angeli, ac ideo homo per illum sensum cogitat una cum angelis, et sic conjungit illos sibi in mente intellectuali; at si homo in falsis doctrinae est, et vult sensum spiritualem ex aliqua scientia correspondentiarum explorare, falsificat illum; aliter [est] si homo prius in genuinis veris est, [nam] sensus ille concordat cum veris, et apparet ex veris, quia ille sensus est in luce coeli; at ne hilum concordat cum falsis, et si aliquid ejus [cuivis in falsis] appareret, pro luce coeli oboriretur caligo, nam angeli avertunt se ab illo, sic claudunt illi coelum; sensus spiritualis Verbi intelligitur per tunicam Domini, quae fuit inconsuta, quam militibus non licuit dividere; sensus autem naturalis Verbi, qui est sensus literae ejus, intelligitur per vestes quas milites diviserunt; vestes in Verbo significant vera, et vestes Domini Divina Vera, quare etiam vestes Domini, cum transformatus erat coram Petro, Jacobo et Johanne, apparuerunt candidae sicut lux.
[8] Quod hodie a Domino revelatus sit sensus spiritualis Verbi, est quia doctrina genuini veri nunc revelata est, quae doctrina quoad partem continetur in doctrina novae Hierosolymae, et nunc in opusculis, quae publico dantur, et quia illa doctrina cum sensu spirituali Verbi concordat, et non alia, ideo ille sensus, una cum scientia correspondentiarum, nunc primum detectus est: ille etiam sensus significatur per apparitionem Domini in nubibus coeli cum gloria et virtute, Matth. 24:30-31, in quo Capite agitur de consummatione saeculi, per quam intelligitur ultimum tempus Ecclesiae; per nubem coeli, ibi et alibi in Verbo, significatur Verbum in litera, quod ibi est respective ad sensum spiritualem sicut nubes; per gloriam autem ibi ut quoque alibi in Verbo significatur Verbum in sensu spirituali, per quod est Divinum verum in luce; et per virtutem significatur potentia ejus. Revelatio Verbi quoad sensum spiritualem etiam promissa est in Apocalypsi; ille sensus ibi intelligitur per Equum album, tum per coenam magnam Dei, ad quam omnes veniunt et congregantur, Cap. 19:11-17. Quod a multis diu non agnosceretur ille sensus, quod unice fit ab illis qui in falsis doctrinae sunt, imprimis de Domino, et non admittunt vera, intelligitur per bestiam et per reges terrae, qui facturi bellum cum Sedente super Equo albo, vers. 19:19 ibi; per bestiam intelliguntur Romano-Catholici, ut Cap. 17:3 ibi, et per reges terrae intelliguntur reformati qui in falsis doctrinae sunt.
Mystica quae aliqui in Verbo inquirunt, non aliud sunt, quam sensus spiritualis et coelestis ejus.