as complete answers, but merely as hints; in which point of view, should they have a tendency to reconcile or illustrate the apparent contradictions there stated, they may serve to assist or confirm the more enlightened observations of others.

THE first apparent contradiction stated in page 213 relates to two different explanations of the 1000 years mentioned in the Apocalypse chap. xx. 2. In the Arcana n. 2575, the 1000 years is explained (in a proximate spiritual sense, because it apparently relates to time) as signifying an indeterminate large quantity, (multum indeterminatum). In the Apocalypse Revealed, n. 842, 844 and 855, the 1000 years is explained as signifying a little while, a short space of time, or a while. Now although it appears clear from consulting the above passages, that both these explications being spiritual, or the internal sense, relate to state and not to time, for no particular time is pointed out by 1000 or 1000 years, but state in both passages is plainly denoted, still to reconcile the difference which appears in the spiritual interpretation, it seems necessary to have respect to the periods in which they were written. The passage in the Arcana was published in 1750, and probably written in 1749, which was eight years prior to the last judgr The period or state therefore of the removal of nose signified by the dragon not being ar

VOL. II.

A a

rived,

rived, was unknown, and could only be described spiritually as a remote state in succession, therefore by the expressions, much indeterminate or indetermined: But when the Last Judgment had been accomplished eight years, which was the case 1765, for the Apoc. Revealed was published in 1766, then the state and also the spiritual sense of the 1000 years being revealed and made known, was determinate, and manifestly denoted the state of the removal of those meant by the dragon, during the ascent of those out of the inferior earth who worshipped the Lord, and shunned evils as sins. Before the last judgment, therefore, by the devil and satan being bound a thousand years, is signified, that the state of the separation of the false grounded in evil from truth grounded in good was not yet accomplished in the world of spirits, because it was not yet full or completė; one thousand and much relating to truth, and in the opposite sense to the false, and indeterminate or indetermined to the not being full and accomplished. But after the last judgment, that state of separation being full and determinate, by a little while, or a short space of time, is signified it's commencement and it's successive accomplishment, which still continues, while spirits from the world of spirits are elevating into heaven. That the spiritual sense is not meant at all to be applied to the idea of time is evident, for it is said in the Apoc. Rev. n. 855," But these things are not comprehended by those who do not know that by numbers in the Apocalypse, are not meant numbers, but things."

The

The next contradiction appears to be reconcileable on nearly the same ground as the preceding. The passage in the Arc. Col. n. 1815, is correctly translated, where it is said "but whereas the external, which He (the Lord) received (accepit or took) from the mother, was to be united to the Divine or Jehovah, and this by temptations and victories, as was said, &c." and it undoubtedly stands in opposition to a multitude of passages, in which it is clearly shewn, that every part and principle which the Lord received or took from Mary was separated, put off, rejected, utterly exterminated, and so totally destroyed, with respect to the Divine Human or the Human from the Father, that the Lord, when he became fully glorified in his Divine Human, was no longer the son of David or Mary as to the flesh, or material; neither was the human from the mother transmuted or changed into the Divine Essence, or even commixed therewith. To reconcile these opposite assertions, it seems necessary for explanation, to refer to the time in which they were written, in order to know the nature and quality of the truth contained: in them. The first passage quoted from the Arc. Col. n. 1815, was published in the year 1749, and probably written in 1747 or 1748. At this period it is evident that E. S. was nct in genuine illustration as to the supreme sense of the Word. which relates only to the Lord, but in a degree of obscurity, which he himself seems to point out in the same vol.. of the Arc. Cœl. at n. 1531,.

n. 1531, where he says, "that his interior vision was only so far opened as to see the moon of heaven, but that it was not given him to see the sun of heaven:" But afterwards, though prior to the year 1753, it was given him to see the sun of heaven, vide Arc. Cœl. n. 7173, published in 1753. In the first state, where he only saw the moon of heaven, he was not yet let into the inmost or third heaven, consequently not into the celestial sense of the Word, and therefore in this state, which was comparatively a state of obscurity, when he wrote concerning the Lord, he wrote only apparent truths and not genuine truths*; but when he was elevated by the Lord to see Him in the sun of heaven, consequently to a celestial state, he then wrote genuine truths concerning the mystery of the glorification, and

* Notwithstanding our impartiality induces us to insert this observation, we must take the liberty of objecting to this definition, as being totally inconsistent with the whole enor of the Writings.-All Swedenborg's theological writings we consider, as given him by the LORD alone, "That what he has written is strictly true, and that there is no error or mistake throughout the whole;" therefore whatever state he might be in as an individual, yet the truths contained in his writings are equally genuine from the first volume of the Arcana to the last line of his publications; and we are the more surprized at this observation, as the ntroduction to the first volume of the Arcana is in direct opposition to it.

such

such are those latter assertions, which appear in contradiction to the former assertion, which is only an apparent truth, of a quality, as it then appeared to him, according to his state at that time.

In the doctrine of the Lord, n. 35, he speaks very plain on the genuine truths concerning the Human from the father, and the Human from the mother, (but regard must be had to the mistranslation or interpola-tion, very properly noticed in the advertisement to the 7th vol. of the Arc. Col.) and that work was pub-lished in the year 1763, many years after he was in genuine and clear illumination concerning the Lord.—

To be brought forth, or out of, the maternal principle,. A.C. 1816, in the spiritual sense, signifies to be elevated above it, and with respect to the Lord, in the supreme sense, to separate it from himself; but this, as mention-ed, was not clearly made known until he was let into the celestial degree..

LECTOR PARVUS,

LECTOR PARVUs's compliments to the Editors of the Aurora. On the cover of the last Aurora he has noticed? the rejection of his explanations, of which he does not presume to disapprove, as it is doubtless one of their imprescriptible rights; but, is surprised, that they should consider the publication of those by the translator of