seraphita-第13节

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thickness。　If；　for　example；　this　statement；　'Some　angels　are

solitary；'　affected　me　powerfully　for　a　time；　I　was；　on　reflection；

unable　to　reconcile　this　solitude　with　their　marriages。　I　have　not

understood　why　the　Virgin　Mary　should　continue　to　wear　blue　satin

garments　in　heaven。　I　have　even　dared　to　ask　myself　why　those　gigantic

demons；　Enakim　and　Hephilim；　came　so　frequently　to　fight　the　cherubim

on　the　apocalyptic　plains　of　Armageddon；　and　I　cannot　explain　to　my

own　mind　how　Satans　can　argue　with　Angels。　Monsieur　le　Baron

Seraphitus　assured　me　that　those　details　concerned　only　the　angels　who

live　on　earth　in　human　form。　The　visions　of　the　prophet　are　often

blurred　with　grotesque　figures。　One　of　his　spiritual　tales；　or

'Memorable　relations；'　as　he　called　them；　begins　thus：　'I　see　the

spirits　assembling；　they　have　hats　upon　their　heads。'　In　another　of

these　Memorabilia　he　receives　from　heaven　a　bit　of　paper；　on　which　he

saw；　he　says；　the　hieroglyphics　of　the　primitive　peoples；　which　were

composed　of　curved　lines　traced　from　the　finger…rings　that　are　worn　in

heaven。　However；　perhaps　I　am　wrong；　possibly　the　material　absurdities

with　which　his　works　are　strewn　have　spiritual　significations。

Otherwise；　how　shall　we　account　for　the　growing　influence　of　his

religion？　His　church　numbers　to…day　more　than　seven　hundred　thousand

believers；as　many　in　the　United　States　of　America　as　in　England；

where　there　are　seven　thousand　Swedenborgians　in　the　city　of

Manchester　alone。　Many　men　of　high　rank　in　knowledge　and　in　social

position　in　Germany；　in　Prussia；　and　in　the　Northern　kingdoms　have

publicly　adopted　the　beliefs　of　Swedenborg；　which；　I　may　remark；　are

more　comforting　than　those　of　all　other　Christian　communions。　I　wish　I

had　the　power　to　explain　to　you　clearly　in　succinct　language　the

leading　points　of　the　doctrine　on　which　Swedenborg　founded　his　church；

but　I　fear　such　a　summary；　made　from　recollection；　would　be

necessarily　defective。　I　shall；　therefore；　allow　myself　to　speak　only

of　those　'Arcana'　which　concern　the　birth　of　Seraphita。〃



Here　Monsieur　Becker　paused；　as　though　composing　his　mind　to　gather　up

his　ideas。　Presently　he　continued；　as　follows：



〃After　establishing　mathematically　that　man　lives　eternally　in　spheres

of　either　a　lower　or　a　higher　grade；　Swedenborg　applies　the　term

'Spiritual　Angels'　to　beings　who　in　this　world　are　prepared　for

heaven；　where　they　become　angels。　According　to　him；　God　has　not

created　angels；　none　exist　who　have　not　been　men　upon　the　earth。　The

earth　is　the　nursery…ground　of　heaven。　The　Angels　are　therefore　not

Angels　as　such　（'Angelic　Wisdom；'　57）；　they　are　transformed　through

their　close　conjunction　with　God；　which　conjunction　God　never　refuses；

because　the　essence　of　God　is　not　negative；　but　essentially　active。

The　spiritual　angels　pass　through　three　natures　of　love；　because　man

is　only　regenerated　through　successive　stages　（'True　Religion'）。

First；　the　LOVE　OF　SELF：　the　supreme　expression　of　this　love　is　human

genius；　whose　works　are　worshipped。　Next；　LOVE　OF　LIFE：　this　love

produces　prophets；great　men　whom　the　world　accepts　as　guides　and

proclaims　to　be　divine。　Lastly；　LOVE　OF　HEAVEN；　and　this　creates　the

Spiritual　Angel。　These　angels　are；　so　to　speak；　the　flowers　of

humanity；　which　culminates　in　them　and　works　for　that　culmination。

They　must　possess　either　the　love　of　heaven　or　the　wisdom　of　heaven；

but　always　Love　before　Wisdom。



〃Thus　the　transformation　of　the　natural　man　is　into　Love。　To　reach

this　first　degree；　his　previous　existences　must　have　passed　through

Hope　and　Charity；　which　prepare　him　for　Faith　and　Prayer。　The　ideas

acquired　by　the　exercise　of　these　virtues　are　transmitted　to　each　of

the　human　envelopes　within　which　are　hidden　the　metamorphoses　of　the

INNER　BEING；　for　nothing　is　separate；　each　existence　is　necessary　to

the　other　existences。　Hope　cannot　advance　without　Charity；　nor　Faith

without　Prayer；　they　are　the　four　fronts　of　a　solid　square。　'One

virtue　missing；'　he　said；　'and　the　Spiritual　Angel　is　like　a　broken

pearl。'　Each　of　these　existences　is　therefore　a　circle　in　which

revolves　the　celestial　riches　of　the　inner　being。　The　perfection　of

the　Spiritual　Angels　comes　from　this　mysterious　progression　in　which

nothing　is　lost　of　the　high　qualities　that　are　successfully　acquired

to　attain　each　glorious　incarnation；　for　at　each　transformation　they

cast　away　unconsciously　the　flesh　and　its　errors。　When　the　man　lives

in　Love　he　has　shed　all　evil　passions：　Hope；　Charity；　Faith；　and

Prayer　have；　in　the　words　of　Isaiah；　purged　the　dross　of　his　inner

being；　which　can　never　more　be　polluted　by　earthly　affections。　Hence

the　grand　saying　of　Christ　quoted　by　Saint　Matthew；　'Lay　up　for

yourselves　treasures　in　Heaven　where　neither　moth　nor　rust　doth

corrupt；'　and　those　still　grander　words：　'If　ye　were　of　this　world　the

world　would　love　you；　but　I　have　chosen　you　out　of　the　world；　be　ye

therefore　perfect　as　your　Father　in　heaven　is　perfect。'



〃The　second　transformation　of　man　is　to　Wisdom。　Wisdom　is　the

understanding　of　celestial　things　to　which　the　spirit　is　brought　by

Love。　The　Spirit　of　Love　has　acquired　strength；　the　result　of　all

vanquished　terrestrial　passions；　it　loves　God　blindly。　But　the　Spirit

of　Wisdom　has　risen　to　understanding　and　knows　why　it　loves。　The　wings

of　the　one　are　spread　and　bear　the　spirit　to　God；　the　wings　of　the

other　are　held　down　by　the　awe　that　comes　of　understanding：　the　spirit

knows　God。　The　one　longs　incessantly　to　see　God　and　to　fly　to　Him；　the

other　attains　to　Him　and　trembles。　The　union　effected　between　the

Spirit　of　Love　and　the　Spirit　of　Wisdom　carries　the　human　being　into　a

Divine　state　during　which　time　his　soul　is　WOMAN　and　his　body　MAN；　the

last　human　manifestation　in　which　the　Spirit　conquers　Form；　or　Form

still　struggles　against　the　Spirit；for　Form；　that　is；　the　flesh；　is

ignorant；　rebels；　and　desires　to　continue　gross。　This　supreme　trial

creates　untold　sufferings　seen　by　Heaven　alone；the　agony　of　Christ

in　the　Garden　of　Olives。



〃After　death　the　first　heaven　opens　to　this　dual　and　purified　human

nature。　Therefore　it　is　that　man　dies　in　despair　while　the　Spirit　dies

in　ecstasy。　Thus；　the　NATURAL；　the　state　of　beings　not　yet

regenerated；　the　SPIRITUAL；　the　state　of　those　who　have　become　Angelic

Spirits；　and　the　DIVINE；　the　state　in　which　the　Angel　exists　before　he

breaks　from　his　covering　of　flesh；　are　the　three　degrees　of　existence

through　which　man　enters　heaven。　One　of　Swedenborg's　thoughts

expressed　in　his　own　words　will　explain　to　you　with　wonderful

clearness　the　difference　between　the　NATURAL　and　the　SPIRITUAL。　'To

the　minds　of　men；'　he　says；　'the　Natural　passes　into　the　Spiritual；

they　regard　the　world　under　its　visible　aspects；　they　perceive　it　only

as　it　can　be　realized　by　their　senses。　But　to　the　apprehension　of

Angelic　Spirits；　the　Spiritual　passes　into　the　Natural；　they　regard

the　world　in　its　inward　essence　and　not　in　its　form。'　Thus　human

sciences　are　but　analyses　of　form。　The　man　of　science　as　the　world

goes　is　purely　external　like　his　knowledge；　his　inner　being　is　only

used　to　preserve　his　aptitude　for　the　perception　of　external　truths。

The　Angelic　Spirit　goes　far　beyond　that；　his　knowledge　is　the　thought

of　which　human　science　is　but　the　utterance；　he　derives　that　knowledge

from　the　Logos；　and　learns　the　law　of　CORRESPONDENCES　by　which　the

world　is　placed　in　unison　with　heaven。　The　WORD　OF　GOD　was　wholly

written　by　pure　Correspondences；　and　covers　an　esoteric　or　spiritual

meaning；　which　according　to　the　science　of　Correspondences；　cannot　be

understood。　'There　exist；'　says　Swedenborg　（'Celestial　Doctrine'　26）；

'innumerable　Arcana　within　the　hidden　meaning　of　the　Correspondences。

Thus　the　men　who　scoff　at　the　books　of　the　Prophets　where　the　Word　is

enshrined　are　as　densely　ignorant　as　those　other　men　who　know　nothing

of　a　science　and　yet　ridicule　its　truths。　To　know　the　Correspondences

which　exist　between　the　things　visible　and　ponderable　in　the

terrestrial　world　and　the　things　invisible　and　imponderable　in　the

spiritual　world；　is　to　hold　heaven　within　our　comprehension。　All　the

objects　of　the　manifold　creations　having　emanated　from　God　necessarily

enfold　a　hidden　meaning；　according；　indeed；　to　the　grand　thought　of

Isaiah；　'The　earth　is　a　garment。'



〃This　mysterious　link　between　Heaven　and　the　smallest　atoms　of　created

matter　constitutes　what　Swedenborg　calls　a　Celestial　Arcanum；　and　his

treatise　on　the　'Celestial　Arcana'　in　which　he　explains　the

correspondences　or　significances　of　the　Natural　with；　and　to；　the

Spiritual；　giving；　to　use　the　words　of　Jacob　Boehm；　the　sign　and　seal

of　all　things；　occupies　not　less　than　sixteen　volumes　containing

thirty　thousand　propositions。　'This　marvellous　knowledge　of

Correspondences　which　the　goodness　of　God　granted　to　Swedenborg；'　says

one　of　his　disciples；　'is　the　secret　of　the　interest　which　d