entirely unprejudiced and candid spirit. Should he, however, in any instance, have been betrayed into anything that appears hostile to this spirit, he here takes the opportunity, once for all, of craving the pardon of his readers, and of exhorting them to regard it as rather the offspring of controversial heat, than the result of any party-prejudice, still less of any form of the odium theologicum, from which he claims to be, in principle at least, wholly exempt. While speaking in reference to this topic, the author would further express his regret that, in several cases, he has not had access to original sources in making quotations from, or giving the views of other writers, especially in Germany, but trusts that the known reputation of most of the authorities from whom he has borrowed in those instances, will be sufficient guarantee for the accuracy of the statement of principles set forth. The work is now submitted to the public in the hope that it may supply a want, and that, notwithstanding its necessarily sectarian, or, at least, denominational character, it contains information which will be of use to the scholar as well as to the general reader. MONTREAL, CANADA. October, 1869. E. G. INTRODUCTION. THE subject of the present work naturally divides itself nto two branches, viz.: (1) The exhibition and examinaon of recent results in the field of Biblical criticism, and 2) The presentation of the teachings of Swedenborg in elation to, and in comparison with those results; and to his order we shall accordingly adhere in the following ages. The work will therefore consist of two parts, ccording to the division above made: the first part to mbrace a brief analysis of the sacred writings in accordnce with the latest results of Biblical science, together ith the various theories that have been propounded in xplanation of the phenomena they present, and a critical xamination of these latter; while the second part will e concerned with the presenting, in as brief a manner as compatible with clearness and completeness, the views f Swedenborg and other writers of the New Church in egard to the same phenomena. And here we would observe that the present inquiry ill have reference only to the Historical Books of the cred canon; since, if it can be shown that the principles f spiritual interpretation developed in the second part f this work are applicable (and in a manner, as we trust o be able to show, at once more reasonable and more atisfactory than any of the other theories maintained at he present day) to the Historical Scriptures of the Word f God, it would, we think, be comparatively easy to emonstrate that it is adapted to the explanation of Its 'oetical and Prophetical Books likewise. For the Histoical Books of the Old and New Testaments, being written evidently seen to contain anything deeper than the facts and circumstances which they record, and which have a tendency to confine the mind wholly to the outward narrative itself, to the exclusion of any higher teaching. The Psalms and Prophetical Books, on the other hand, are obviously mysterious and symbolical in their character, and are, therefore, commonly believed to involve something more within them than appears upon the surface. As regards the narrative and historical portions of the prophetical Scriptures, the same reasoning will manifestly apply to them as to the purely historical books now about to be considered. With these few preliminary remarks, therefore, we proceed to the inquiry before us. INTRODUCTION..... PAGE. 1 PART I. RESULTS OF MODERN CRITICISM. CHAP. I.-Style and Character of the Sacred Histories.... § 1. Peculiarities of the Old Testament History. § 2. Peculiar Character of the New Testament History..... CHAP. II.-Theories of Modern Critics.. § 1. Theories in relation to the Old Testament § 2. Modern Theories with reference to the New CHAP. III.-Inadequacy of the foregoing Theories.... § 2. Examination of New Testament Theories. PART II. TEACHINGS OF SWEDENBORG AND THE NEW CHURCH. § 1. Swedenborg's Critical Relations to the § 2. Relations to the Mythical Theory.. § 3. Relations to the Orthodox and Latitudina- CHAP. II.-Theory of the New Church and its Applica tion, &c. 33 12 18 18 30 45 45 65 81 84 100 118 135 § 1. Theory of Swedenborg and the New Church. 135 144 § 3. Application, &c., continued. Gospels of 181 CONCLUSION. 208 APPENDIX... 211 |