Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/221

Rh if thou only knowest their names, without knowing what they contain, thou knowest nothing; for they are like caskets locked with a triple lock, which unless thou openest and lookest in, (and this is only to be done by the understanding) thou canst not tell whether they contain things of value, or things of no value, or even things hurtful, as cockatrice eggs, and spiders webs, according to the description in Isaiah, Chap. lix. 5. As I spoke these words, the priest eyed me with a stern countenance; and the congregation departed, and got into their chariots, intoxicated with paradoxes, infatuated with empty speculations, and overspread with darkness in all things relating to faith, and the means of salvation.

. I was once engaged in contemplation concerning what region of the human mind things of a theological nature have their residence in, and I at first conceived, that as such things are of a spiritual and celestial origin, therefore they must of course reside in the highest region. For the human mind is divided into three distinct regions, as a house is into three stories, and as the abodes of the angels are into three heavens. Then an angel presented himself before me, and said, Things relating to theology, in those who love truth for truth's sake, emerge even to the highest region, because in that region is their heaven, and they enjoy there the same light as do the angels; and things relating to Morality, if they have been attentively examined, and contemplated, have their abode beneath the former, in the second region, because they have communication with what is spiritual; and under these, in the first region, are things of a political, or civil nature; but scientifics, or matters of science, which are of sundry kinds, and may be classed into their respective genera, and species, form the door