m and religious knowledge contained in his works, me to recognize in him, what he undoubtedly may lay im to being, one of the profoundest, most acute and est original of theologians and Biblical scholars.

And here, before proceeding to this inquiry, we may be mitted,,-on account of the prejudice which exists in ny minds against critical studies of every kind, and ecially when directed towards those writings, which, ng of Divine origin, and written by men while under influence of a supernatural guidance and control, are ught to be in no wise amenable to the laws of literary 1 historical criticism, such as we are accustomed to ly to the writings and histories of profane antiquity,— quote the words of a recent scholar and divine, in erence more especially to the character of the Old tament writings in this respect, which, however, are ally applicable to the later or New Testament Scripes, and which appear to us to place the matter in its e light.

It should ever be borne in mind," observes this ter, "that the Old Testament may be regarded from points of view-the religious and the literary. It is dless here to enlarge on the disproportion between value of the two, or to reassert the truism of the useness for the highest ends of the most accurate knowle of the literary history of the Holy Scriptures, and most minute acquaintance with their criticism, un= we also employ the Scriptures for the purpose for ch they were given by Divine inspiration, and make m profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, instruction in righteousness.' But while," he cones, "we endeavour to keep both in their places, and ecially not to exalt the lower at the expense of the

merely a revelation of God, His Being, His attributes, His will, His works, His ways, but also a national literature, and a collection of books of different characters, historical, prophetical, poetic, didactic; of widely different dates, some perhaps misdated, by very diverse authors, and some perhaps wrongly assigned. Taking this view of the Books of the Old Testament, no satisfactory reason can be assigned why the canons of criticism which hold good for other literatures, should fail altogether when brought to bear on this, and why the processes of literary investigation to which secular writings are subjected, should be restrained from being applied here." "To seek to forbid,"

adds the same writer, "the application of sound and im partial criticism to the books with which our highest hopes are connected, by raising the cry of irreverence, might seem almost to argue a doubt whether they would stand the test; like the jeweller who should refuse to apply the touchstone, lest the gold should prove to be nothing but dross. Real faith," he concludes, "is courageous. It does what it believes to be right, and trusts God for the issue. It can say, 'Thy word is tried to the uttermost, and thy servant loveth it.'"'1

§ 1. Swedenborg's Critical Relations to the Document

Hypothesis.

We shall pursue in this chapter the same order, in treating of Swedenborg's relations to the theories of the Modern Critics, as that observed in the previous chapters: considering first the bearings of his teachings upon the Document and Protevangelic Hypotheses, next upon the

Rev. E. Venables, Preface to Bleek's Introduction.

of the Orthodox and Latitudinarian schools. Ve have first, then, to present the teachings of -nborg with reference to the Documentary Theory, e view that Moses and the other writers and comof the historical books of the Old and New Testamade use of existing documents, as well as of oral ions, in the execution of their work. Upon this et Swedenborg's testimony is clear and straightfor Not only does he bear witness to the truth of this hesis in the cases in which the existence and use of documents is expressly declared, but he recognizes one or two other instances, where no such express ion exists. Thus, in many places in his writings, he s that, previous to the composition of the Scriptures Old Testament as we now have them, there existed RD, or written revelation, among those who lived the flood; and we are further instructed that the of the first eleven chapters of Genesis were copied that Word by Moses, and placed at the commence of the Old Testament. "It has been told me," he es in a certain place, "that the first eleven chapf Genesis exist in that ancient Word, and that not -ast word is wanting." 791 And in another work enti'The True Christian Religion," he observes upon the subject, "I have been informed by the angels that rst chapters of Genesis which treat of the Creation, lam and Eve, of the Garden of Eden, and of their en and posterity till the flood, and likewise of Noah is children, are contained in that Word, and so were d from it by Moses." ."2 Swedenborg also declares the Book of Jasher mentioned in Josh. x. and in 2

octrine respecting the Sacred Scripture, ch. xii. n. 103. ad fin.

ue Christian Religion; containing the Universal Theology of the huroh. &c., n. 279.

ང

one or two other passages quoted in the Old Testament, formed a part of those ancient Scriptures, all of which, save the fragments above referred to, are now lost to us. "That there was a Word among the ancients," he observes in the 'Doctrine respecting the Sacred Scripture,' is evident from Moses, by whom it is mentioned and some quotations are made from it (Num. xxi. 14, 15, 27–30); and that the historical portions of that Word were called THE WARS OF JEHOVAH, and the prophetical parts ENUNCIATIONS. From the historical portions of that Word," he continues, "Moses has taken this passage: 'Wherefore it is said in THE BOOK OF THE WARS OF JEHOVAH, I walked in Suph, and the rivers of Arnon, and the channel of the rivers that turned aside as far as Ar is inhabited, and stayed at the border of Moab' (Num. xxi. 14, 15)."From the prophetical part of that Word," again he observes, "Moses has quoted this passage: 'Wherefore say the ENUNCIATORS, Go into Heshbon; the city of Sihon shall be built and strengthened; for a fire is gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it hath consumed Ar of Moab, the possessors of the high places of Arnon. Woe unto thee, Moab! thou art undone, Ó people of Chemosh! He hath given his sons that escaped and his daughters into captivity to Sihon, King of the Amorites; we have slain them with darts. Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon; and we have laid waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medebah' (Num. xxi. 27-30). The translators," he adds, "render it, THEY THAT SPEAK IN PROVERBS; but they should be called ENUNCIATORS, or PROPHETICAL ENUNCIATIONS, as may appear from the signification of the word MOSHALIM in the Hebrew tongue; which means not only Proverbs, but also Prophetical Enunciations,—as in

-red his ENUNCIATION, which also was a prophecy con ing the Lord. His enunciation is called MOSHAL, in singular number. It may be added that the passages ce quoted by Moses, are not proverbs, but prophe

111

gain with reference to the Book of Jasher he has the wing remarks: "Besides these, a prophetical book he ancient Word is also mentioned by David and ua, called THE Book of Jasher, or the Book of the Upt." Then follow the quotations from 2 Samuel and ua already referred to. The Divinity and inspiration is ancient Scripture is further established by the fact in the Prophet Jeremiah (chap. xliii. 45, 6), there rs a passage almost word for word the same as the quoted above from the Enunciations.

will thus be perceived in what way the Documentary ry is, according to Swedenborg, to be received, viz. : Moses and the other inspired writers of the Old Tesent occasionally copied from other inspired writings ady in existence, sometimes with and sometimes out acknowledgment, and incorporated the passages the Scriptures in their present form. With regard he New Testament Swedenborg does not inform us, it seems not improbable that, as respects the Four pels, there may have been in existence, from the first od of the establishment of the Church, inspired nares of portions of our Lord's life, or reports of His disses, either in the form of oral tradition or of written ments, which the Evangelists subsequently made use nder Divine direction, in the composition of the Goswhich bear their names.3 We shall, however, return is question when we come to speak of the subject of

oct. S. S. n. 103. 2 Ibid. 3 Cf. Luke i. 1-3.