Page:A brief discussion of some of the claims of the Hon. E. Swedenborg.pdf/18

 plies. The inspiration of the prophets, then, more properly belongs to their writings than to their persons; but the inspiration of Swedenborg belongs more properly to his person than his writings; understanding personal inspiration to mean the opening of the senses of the interior mind or spirit, so as to enable it to acquire an intellectual knowledge of the things pertaining to the other life; and the inspiration of writings to denote that there is a spiritual and celestial signification contained within the letter. Swedenborg, by means of his personal inspiration, was permitted to have sensible experience of a multitude of facts which distinguish the laws and government of the spiritual worlds. Among these, he was given to know in what sense the angels understood the Scriptures—for the word of the Lord is for ever settled in the heavens—and thereby to bring down their intelligence concerning it for the edification of mankind, so that a new epoch might be commenced in the Christian dispensation. The composition in which he has made these communications is human. It does not, like the writings of the prophets and other portions of the Holy Word, contain a spiritual sense; but it reveals what that sense is, and thus brings to view those divine truths which lie concealed beneath the letter, and which constitute the inspiration of the Scriptures. Swedenborg, then, in alleging a personal inspiration in the sense we have stated it, does not claim for his writings any equality with the Word, as some have ignorantly imagined, and others perversely insinuated. No one has succeeded so well in shewing the absolute Divinity of the Scriptures, the immutable nature of their composition, and the unbounded veneration to which they are entitled. The Word, says he, has a spiritual sense in all and every part; and it is owing to this sense that it is divinely inspired and holy in every syllable. The literal sense is the basis of the spiritual and celestial senses, wherein Divine truth is in its fullness, sanctity, and power; and by means of this literal sense, man has conjunction with the Lord and consociation with the angels. See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scriptures.

It has been said that the claims of Swedenborg cannot be true, because his doctrines are so novel. We can scarcely imagine that any one ever seriously entertained this as an objection. If they are true, and had been known, a revela-