Skepticism and Divine revelation

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I. A Personal Ood

THAT there is a personal God, or Creator, it would seem must be mauifesfc to every enlightened and thoughtful individual who has ever had the idea of such a being properly and truly presented to him, and who observes and reflects upon the works of creation. In all created things, in the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms, he sees evidences of design, of careful thought, and the most wonderful adaptation of individual parts, and their uses to whole structures. There is nothing in the works of man which will compare in this respect with the works of creation, which we behold around us on every hand, from the smallest atom, vegetable and insect, to the vast suns and their surrounding planets. If we were to find a beautiful piece of man-made machinery which we had never seen before, what would be our first thought ? Would it be that it had either come by chance, or was the work of the general mind of men, or would it not be that it was the WDrk of some individual or personal man or men. Do we ever find anything of human production, manifesting thought and design, which has not been made by some individual or personal man or men? How unreasonable then to think for a moment that the beautiful forms and structures, filled with life, around us, manifesting in an infinite degree thought and design, are not the works of a personal being or Creator. Geology shows that th^ did not always exist.

If there is a personal Creator, it is evident that lie must have had some object, design, or end in view, in creating the universe, worthy of such a beiug. Unaided by revelation from our Creator, we might have wandered in darkness and never have been able to see or comprehend the reason why the. universe was created, for a goodly number of our scientific men of this day, who ignore Divine Revelation, have manifested to us how utterly impossible it is for men, engrossed in scientific investigations and pursuits, unaided by revelation, to comprehend or even perceive spiritual truths, or the spiritual side of creation and of nian's nature.

But the sacred Scriptures intimate to us, and the revQlations made by the Lord for the benefit of this perverted and skeptical age, through Emanuel Swedenborg, teach us that the object of the material creation and universe was that man might he created in the image and likeness of his Creator, capable of loving, reverencing, and serving flim and his fellow or neighbor; and that from man an angelic heaven of intelligent, rational, and happy beings might be created, who should forever reverence, reciprocate His love, and serve, by doing good to each other, and wcfrship Him, not for His own sake or gloi-y, but for their own good, that they might realize that they individually are but recipients of life, all brethren — God the giver of all life, all truth, and of all goodness. Can we imagine a more worthy object for the creation of the universe than this ?

If, then, we are prepared to admit that this wonderful universe lias been created by an intelligent Personal Being for the sake of making man in his own image, capable of becoming by the proper use of the freedom of will with which he is endowed, intelligent, wise and happy, can we for a moment suppose that such a Creator, after endowing man with rationality, conscience, and freedom of will, capable of the most terrible perversions and suffering, eould by any possibility, if he is a wise and loving Father,

SPECIAL BETBLATIOKS FBOM A FEBSOVAL OOD. 8

as all nis works mamfesty leave man withoat any more £^ecial manifestation of His will, than he can gather from the dim light of nature— without any direct positive instruction OS to his destiny, or on whom he is dependent for his existence, or how he should conduct himself so as to reach the highest state of intelligence, goodness and happiness ? Would an earthly parent thus leave the child he loves, to grope in darkness ? And if he would not, how can we attribute such an unnatuiul course to our Heavenly Father? It would seem, then, if there is a personal God, as enlightened reason plainly assures us, and he is our Creator, an intelligent and loving Father, that He should have given to his children some knowledge of Himself and some manifestation of His will, some rules of life to guide them here and to heaven hereafter. Would it seem unreasonable that a Father, who in his great love has created this vast and wonderful universe for man, that he might be the recipient of His lovo, should personally manifest Himself to His creatures whom he has created and endowed witti rationality, freedom and conscience ? The yearning heart of every earthly parent and of every child of an earthly parent answers No. That He should not only manifest himself in a personal form to the children whom he has created, that they may have an object for reverence and worship, and not bow down to an impersonal or unknown God, but also give them, as He may see they need, line upon line and precept upon precept of useful instrmction, seems evident. Has He done it ? and first as to special revelations.

II. Special Revelations fl^om a Personal God

BY special revelations from the Lord are meant revelations either to or through individual men or women. The first thought which occurs is, " why should our Cveiato*, if Se is impai^tiali good, and meneiful, reveal trMh

6 SKKPTIC3I8M: AND DIVINE BEVELATION.

Gothic perhaps in form; bat this is not like the window in his house, it is obstructed with glass, which to you has a use, but without waiting to understand this nse, he decides at once it is no part of a house, or at least of a suitable house for him to live in; and so you go on throughout your entire house, showing him all parts of it, its halls, its rooms, its furniture, etc., and he denying and combating at every step. Can yon convince such a man? Never! In our Father's house are many beautiful mansions, but from a negative and combative state a man can never see or reside in one of them. We must come like little children, in a teachable spirit, not to believe blindly everything which is told us, or which we read, but to use the reason with which God has endowed us, to judge after a fair survey between truth and error. If we come in such a spirit, and shape our lives according to the truth, the Lord will lead us into one of His many beautiful mansions.

As. it will be our aim not to write this treatise from a negative spirit, but from an affirmative state, we will here make a general statement, and afterwards consider it more fully in detail. Not that we expect in the short space we have allotted to ourselves to set before the reader evidence enough to satisfy all, but we do hope to call the attention of many an earnest enquirer to a serious examination of the writings which have, after a patient and careful examination, so fully and happily satisfied us, and increasing thousands of intelligent men and women.

Although bom and educated in a Christian country, and accustomed to read the Bible from childhood, and to sit under the ministrations of religious teachers, not a few, owing to the apparent conflict which seems to exist between the Word of Gk)d in its letter and His works, which has been so clearly developed by the scientific researches of this day, have been led to doubt, and some unfortunately openly to deny, that the sacred Scriptures are either revelations from God, or entitled to any more respect than

HATE WE ASn SPECIAL BEYELATIOKS ? t

the acknowledged writings of men. It is not to be snpposed for a moment, by any liberal-minded man, that all such doubters are either dishonest or that they do not desire the truth ; the young, especially in the flush of scientific investigations, are liable to be led into such doubts, and it is but too evident that religious teachers, by the light aflforded by the letter of the Bible alone, have not been able to either shield them or deliver them from such doubts. But tlie Lord does not leave Himself without a witness ; conssquently in the Gospels and Book of Revelation, He promises a second coming in the clouds of Heaven — not the clouds of earth, please bear in mind. When on earth, our Saviour declared that He had tnanjr things to tell men, but mankind then were not in a state to receive them. As a kind parent does to his child, so our Heavenly Father adapts His instruction, or revels tions, to the capacity and needs of His children. At an age when the earth seemed to men, and was believed to.be the centre of the universe, and the sun, moon and stars were supposed to make a journey around it daily, the Lord was supposed to be angry, revengeful, even hating some of the creatures He had made. Such was the language of God's works and of His Word to the untutored men of those dark ages — ^the one in strict harmony with the other. But the enlightened science of this day shows that the supposed motion of the sun, moon and stars was only an apparent truth — ^not a real truth, the real truth being that day and night are caused by the motion of the earth — when it turns from the sun it is night. So a spiritual revelation in keeping with the natural science of to-day, must show that the supposed anger, revengefulness and hatred attributed to God, are but apparent truths, adapted to the state of, mankind when given; and men were permitted to dwell in such apparent truths for the sake of being restrained by their fears, and because they were not capable of comprehending or being benefited by real truths. The real truth being, that God i^ lierver

8 . SKEPTICISM AND DIVINE BEYEIATION.

angry, never hates and is never revengeful, but He is love and unchangeable, the same yesterday, to-day and forever. His tender mercies are around all His creatures; but when man turns from the Lord to himself, and seeks selfish ends, instead of regarding the rights of others, and perverts his God-given passions and appetites to purely sensual and selfish gratification irrespective of their legitimate use, making their gratification the chief object of his life, thus turning from the Lord to self, mental darkness overshadows him; and when he begins to suflfer the legitimate consequences, or, if you please, punishments which necessarily follow from the violation of the spiritual and physical laws of his being, which the Lord has ordained for his good, it seems to him that God is angry with him and hates him ; and who will not say that it is well that he has been permitted to remain in this apparent truth.

But the men of this day are rapidly outgrowing the state in which they can be restrained by the apparent truths of God's Word, for they are fast losing their belief in and reverence for a personal God and aU revelations from such a being. Even the fears of a literal hell are being shaken off, and men no longer tremble before the anathemas of the most venerable churches, or the denunciation of their clergymen.

Look around, reader, upon the confusion in the religious world, the manifestations of sectarianism, the love of rule in spiritual things, the growing skepticism, the Lo here and Lo there, and tell us if it is not time for us to be looking for the sign of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven, and for the new order of things which he has promised us in His Word, when He declared, "Behold I make all things new/' Look at the wonderful strides being made in the mechanical arts and in the sciences, and remember the order of creation and regeneration is, first that which is natural and afterwards that which is spiritual. This is the true order with the individual man, and it is true 'Wiih the race.

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Emanuel Swedenborg, the son of a Bishop of the Church of Sweden, who lived over a century ago, was thoroughly educated and trained in the sciences of his day, and devoted his life until he was over 54 years of age to scientific and mechanical pursuits, when, he assures us in his writings, he was called by the Lord from his scientific labors to the important mission of revealing to the world for the benefit of all Christians and others, the truths of a New Dispensation, or of the Second Coming of the Lord. He assures us that his spiritual sight was opened, as it was with the prophets, St Paul and John the revelator ; that he was permitted to see the inhabitants of the spiritual world, including those of heaven and hell, and to describe them and their condition, and to show the relation which the acts and deeds of this life have upon the future life; and he wrote a work entitled, "Heaven, the World of Spirits and Hell; from things seen and heard;" full of the most useful and practical instruction. Literspersed throughout his other works ai'e relations of what he claims to have seen and Heard in the spiritual world. He shows conclusively that the spiritual world is the world of causes, the real, the living world, and the natural world the world of effects: from this it follows that there is a strict correspondence between every object in this world and its cause in the spiritual world.

As is truly said by the Kev. George Field, in his work entitled "The Two Great Books of Nature and Bevelation," which work will richly repay both the theological and scientific student for a careful perusal, and from which we shall not unfrequently quote in the following pages:

" The natural universe is therefore but an outer form of the Divine mind ; and all its multitudinous contents are but so many symbols of the varied truths and affections existing in the world of mind. Thus the creation is, as it were, the alphabet of the Creator ; and it is by its types that the Creator speakethi Or, as the apostle wrote« ^The

10 SKEPTICISM AND DIVINE BEYELATIOK.

invisible things of Him [God] from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made ' (Rom. i. 20). A doctrine as old as the world, and taught by Hermes Trismegistus (the Egyptian Thoth, some 2000 years before it was thus reiterated by Paul. His words in English are, ^All things that are in heaven, are in the earth in a7i earthly form ; and all things that are in the earth, are in heaven in a heave7dy forin^ Which sentiment is thus transferred to poetry by Milton s

• What if earth Be but the shadow of heaven : and things therein Each to other like, more than on earth is thought.'

"How immense — how wonderful is the idea that the imrTcB of the Creator should be the signs for the words of His revelation I and that the one is to the other as the soul is to the body, and the mystic chain which binds them is correspondence, or the relation which exists by creation between spiritual and natural things.

"*To the most ancient people,^ says Mr. Kirby, ^the creation was a Book of Symbols, a sacred language of which they possessed the key, and which it was their delight to study and decipher.' (Introduction to Entomology.) Cor^ respondence is the necessary relation subsisting between things spiritual and things natural, or between thoughts and their outward images: thus, not as might be inferred, that one natural thing corresponds to another natural thing, as this would be merely arbitrary or speculative, for though one may illustrate the other, it does not correspond to it, or have any necessary relation to it. Actions correspond to feelings: words correspond to thoughts: sounds or intonations correspond to the quality of the affection, because they actually produce them. So every object in nature corresponds first to its prototype in the Divine mind, and secondarily to its antitype in the human mind, by as fixed and immutable a law as that effects are produced by causes.' **

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In a work by the late Prof. Agassiz on Lake Superior, he says: "There will be no scientiflc evidence of God's working in nature, nntil naturalists have shown that the whole creation is the expression of a thought, and not the product of physical agents;" and he adds, "Let the naturalists look at the world under such impressions, and evidence will pour in upon us, that all creatures are expressions of tlie thoughts of Him whom we know, love, and adore unseen.'*

That Man is not only the final end of Creation, but that God, the Creator, must have been the Infinite Divine Pattern — the self-existent Divinely Human Fountain, is also thus forcibly presented by Agassiz : " Man (he says), is the end to which all the animal creation has tended from the first apx)earance of the first Palaeozoic Gshes." But, says Hugh Miller, " No longer, however, the natural, but the Divine Man — occupying what is at once its terminal point, and its highest apex." — Testimony of the Rocks, pp. 229-235.

In the late Mr. Bancroft's speech before the New York Historical Society he says: "The comparative anatomist has sho^vn that all created vertebrae, without exception, are analogous, so that the induction becomes irresistible that an archetype existed previous to the creation, of the first of the kind. Shall we then hesitate to believe that the system of law likewise pervades the moral world? We cannot shut our eyes to the established fact that an ideal, or archetype, prescribed the form of animal life ; and shall we not believe that the type of all intellectual life, likezvise exists in the Divine Mind ? '^

According to this science of correspondences — which Swedenborg has shown is the science of all sciences — the sacred Scriptures were written, consequently they can only be correctly interpreted in accordance with this universal science. A correct interpretation therefore cannot be arbitrary, but it must be in accordance with rules and laws, and can never conflict with natural science, nor can

4 SKEPTICISM AND DIVINE KEVELATION.

to one man, or apparently favor him more than others, in this respect ? '* There are many reasons for His selecting individual men for such a mission, either one of which would seem satisfactory. Bevelations are not made simply for the benefit of the individual, but that the truths may be taught to others, and handed down to posterity either by tradition or in a written form; and, to say the least, it is often doubtful whether the revelator is specially favored at all or not A man to be benefited by truth must receive it in freedom, and not only receive it into his understanding, but he must also live according to it, and thus weave it into the very fibres of his spiritual organiza* tion, or it will do him no good. If he fails to shape his life, or walk according to the truth, he will profane it; or, in other words, by the light which he has received he will be enabled to sink himself deeper into evil and consequent suffering. If direct revelations were made to all men, irrespective of their state, it is certain that many might be compelled, as it were, to believe who have no desire to live a good and true life, and therefore would be very seriously injured by such revelations ; but when the truth is taught to them by their fellow-men, or handed down by tradition, or in a written form, it comes with less authority, and does not interfere with their freedom or compel them to believe, and they can receive or reject it, according to the state of their affections ; — having eyes they can see not, having ears they may hear not—not receiving the truth they do not profane it, and consequently it does them comparatively little harm. The " flaming sword" of self-love is placed at the east of the garden, in the mind of the evil man, to protect the truth from profanation ; fortunately, it is rarely sheathed except by repentance, faith in the Lord, and a sincere effort to lead a good life. Consequently, as a general rule, an evil man cannot see genuine spiritual truths, 7^i? ^^ ^^^ fortunate for him. Here then would seem to be a very satisfactory reason why the Lord does not directly reveal truth to aU men. Then, all men are not in

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a proper state, but our Creator seeing the hearts and capacity of all can select the best, or the one least likely to be injured by the truth to be revealed. If it is simply to vrite the words dictated by Him, it would seem possible that the man chosen need not necessarily be a good man, but one protected by the flaming sword of self-love from seeing the truth revealed in its true light, and thus from being injured by it; and the love of glory or fame might lead such a man to proclaim the truth with zeal, and others be benefited thereby, and himself not injured.

III. Have we any Special Bevelations from a Personal God?

THIS is a practical question, and one which no sensible man will hastily decide in the negative. The certainty of there being a personal Creator, and the equal certainty, if there is such a being, of whom man when regenerated is the image and likeness, that He would reveal to mankind such truths as are essential to be lived by us, that we may be happy here and hereafter, have been considered already. It becomes then, every man who is skeptically inclined, with due reverence and humility, to look for such a revelation, or such revelations ; and, as far as possible, not to look with a combative or negative spirit, for such a spirit is of necessity almost, if not quite, a bar to the truth being seen. You attempt to show a man a house — yes, a beautiful house for human habitation — he, unfortunately, is naturally, as most men are spiritually, a little near-sighted; and instead of waiting until he has seen the entire house and can form a general idea of it, as you approach the gate or the outer door he begins to cavil and deny that that door is a house, or any part of a house, as it does not swing in the direction or manner the door to his house has always swung; or his house has no outer door. You call his attention to a beautiful window,

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reasons the interpreters whom we have mentioned^ understanding all that is said of Paradise in a spiritual manner, anirmed that divers heresies had arisen, because certain persons had understood what is said of God and Paradise after a carnal manner/ So that it is certain that, in the jirimitive days, the Iieretics were those who interpreted this part of Scripture according to the letter" — NoJMs Plenary Inspiration,

Aside from the relation of what he saw and heard in the spiritual world, Swedenborg assures us that he received from tlie Lord, while I'eading His Word, the true interpretation of the sacred Scriptures, in accordance with the science of correspondences, and also the true Christian doctrines — which had become during the dark ages seriously perverted by the evil inclinations, the conflicting opinions and doctrines of men, which had too frequently made the Word of God of none effect. He claims that without Divine aid he could never have discovered the science of correspondences, the true and rational interpretation of the Word in accordance therewith, and the true Christian doctrines, and he most solemnly assures us that he received nothing of all he has revealed to us upon these subjects from any spirit or angel even, but from the Lord alone while reading His Word.

Swedenborg also shows us that the Lord has never left any nation or people without some knowledge of Himself and of His will — enough, if they will but hearken and obey, to lead to some of the innumerable mansions in His heavenly kingdom.

Swedenborg says : *^That religion has existed from the most ancient times, and that the inhabitants of the globe everywhere know of God with something about the life after death, has not been from themselves and from their own acnteness, but from the ancient Word mentioned above, and afterwards from the Israeli tish Word. ♦ * * It is well known that they had a knowledge of Paradise, of the flood; of the sacred Are, and of the four ages — from

tfie first or golden age to the last or iron age — ^by which the four states of the church are signified in the Word, as in Daniel iL 35. It is also known that the Maliometan religion which succeeded and destroyed the previous religions of many nations, was taken from the Word of both Testaments." " They who do not believe the Word from ' the Word, can neither believe anything divine from nature ; for the Lord teaches, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them ; if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if any of the dead were to rise (Luke xvi. 29-31). It is the same if any one, rejecting the Word, will believe irom nature alone what certain of the ancients, who were Pagans, have written, such as Aristotle, Cicero, and others, concerning the existence of God and the immortality of the soul ; this they did not first know from their own natural light, but from the religion of the ancients, among whom there had been a divine revelation, which was successively propagated to the heathens. '*

To the people of .the most ancient or the Adamic age He gave open vision and direct revelations, and they understood the correspondence between spiritual and natural things ; and a knowledge of correspondences and essential spiritual truths, after men began to sink voluntarily into evil, and opeu vision ceased, were handed down by tradition among ali nations; and from this source have originated Mythology, Idolatry, Masonry and sacrifices as the latter have existed among Gentile nations. Objects and images once used to remind men of spiritual truths, the spiritual signification of the objects and images being gradually lost, men came at length to worship the natural object or image, or to use the same in sacrifices. In a more or less perverted form the Ten Commandments have been handed down by tradition among many nations previous to their ever beeing the written word, and some knowledge of spiritual subjects among all nations. When our missionaries o^me to perceive the fact and act accord-

16 SKEPTICISM AND DIVINE BEYELATION.

ingly, that heathen nations are not all heathen after all, and come to recognize the tmth and good there is akeady among them, they will be more successful in conyerting them to Christianity.

Through Moses and the Prophets, the Evangelists and St John, were given special revelations in a written form, adapted to the times and wants of the men for whose benefit they were given, all written according to the correspondence between spiritual and natural things; every object, image, and word used representing spiritual ideas, perceptions, affections, and thoughts. Swedenborg claims to have given, or more strictly speaking, that the Lord gave through him, the key for unlocking all these various books written by different men in different ages, and to demonstrate to man's rational perceptions that God was in very deed their author, and from the vast store-house of God's Word he brings forth things new and old for the benefit of the men of this age. Has he accomplished all this ? If he has, the Lord has indeed been mindful of and merciful to the men of this age. Swedenborg asked no man to receive the truth on his say so, in fact he expressly teaches that no one can really receive the truth into his life any further than he perceives it to be true, and if not brought into life it is of no use, and soon vanishes from his mental vision, even if he hears it. With him there is no salvation by truth or faith alone, for all genuine religion has relation to life, and the life of religion is to do good. But the Kev. J. C. Ager says truly and justly:

" The real proof of the existence of anything is to see the thing itself. As soon as we begin to see the spiritual sense which is reflected in the letter, and to see the boundless vista of truth which it opens, and especially when we begin to feel the searching and discriminating power of this higher truth, penetrating to the most hidden motives and springs of action, we need no argument to convince us that there is such a sense in the Bible, and that the Bible is Divine and Infinite by virtue of that s^ise.