Coronis,
or Appendix,
to
True Christian Religion
Emanuel Swedenborg
SECOND PROPOSITION (31 - 33)
31. (d)
The fourth state of this church, which was its end or night and is
called consummation, is also described by these words, in the third chapter of
Genesis:Jehovah God called unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, therefore I was afraid. Then
Jehovah said, Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou
shouldest not eat of it? And the man said, The woman whom thou hast given with
me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And Jehovah God said unto the woman,
Wherefore hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and
I did eat. Then Jehovah God cursed the serpent, and afterwards the woman, and
after her the man. After which, Jehovah God sent the man forth from the garden
of Eden to till the earth from whence he was taken (Gen. 3:9-23). From the
literal or historical sense of the description of Adam's life, it is manifest
that he was cursed because he believed the serpent that he should be as God; and
he who believes this, at length does not acknowledge God. And as the natural man
separated from the spiritual is in such a belief in heart, however differently
he may talk with his mouth, therefore after he from spiritual became natural,
this latter was cursed and it was cursed as to its sensual, its voluntary, and
its intellectual; for its sensual is signified by the "serpent," its voluntary
by the "woman," and its intellectual by the "man"; these three were cursed,
because the one follows the other. (In Arcana Coelestia, every single
expression, and every meaning of the expressions, are laid open by the spiritual
sense, which has been revealed to me by the Lord; which explanation, being
published, may be consulted.)
32. After this curse, the fourth state of this church, which was its state of
night in spiritual things, and is called consummation, is described by the
expulsion of the man from the garden "to till the ground from whence he was
taken," by which is meant that the innocence, integrity, and wisdom in which he
was while he was spiritual were lost; consequently that he was cast down from
heaven, that is, dissociated from the angels, just as we read of the
"dragon":The great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, which is called
the Devil and Satan, was cast down out of heaven, where he fought with Michael
and his angels, to the earth; and his angels were cast down with him (Rev.
12:9).
33. What person of sound mind is there who cannot see, that, by those things
which are related of Adam are not meant any states of the first formed man, but
states of the church? As, for example, that God placed two trees in the midst of
the garden, from the eating of one of which man had eternal life, and from the
other of which he had eternal death; and that He made the latter "good for food,
pleasant to the eyes, and to be desired for giving understanding" (Gen. 3:6),
thus as if it were to fascinate their souls; also, that He admitted the serpent,
and permitted it to speak deceitful words to the woman in the presence of her
husband who was the image and likeness of God, and suffered them to be ensnared
by its flatteries and craft; as also why He did not provide, because He foresaw
that they, and the whole human race from them, should not fall into the
damnation of his curse; for we read in the orthodox books of
Christians:
That, in consequence of this original sin, "in place of the lost
image of God, there is in man a most inward, most wicked, most profound,
inscrutable, ineffable corruption of his whole nature, and of all his powers,"
and that it is the root of all actual evils (Formula Concordiae, p. 640);
and
that God the Father averted that universal damnation from His face, and sent His
Son into the world, who might take it on Himself, and thus appease Him; besides
many other things which are inconsistent with God in the sight of
everyone.
[2] Who, from the particulars above-mentioned, understood in their
historical sense, would not with reason conclude, to use comparisons, that it
would be like a person who gives his dependent a most fruitful field, and in it
digs a pit, which he covers over with boards that fall inwards at the touch of a
hand or foot; and, in the midst, places upon a stand a harlot clothed in purple
and scarlet, holding in her hand a golden cup (like her in Revelation, 17:4),
who, by her blandishments allures the man to herself, and so brings it to pass
that he falls into the pit and is drowned? Would it not, indeed, be like one who
gives a present to his friend of a luxuriant field of grain, and in the midst
thereof conceals snares, and sends out a siren who, with the allurement of song
and of a sweet voice, entices him to that place, and causes him to be entangled
in the snare, from which he is unable to extricate his foot? Yea, to use a
further comparison, it would be like a person who should introduce a noble guest
into his house in which there are two dining rooms, and tables in each of them,
at one of which are seated angels, and at the other evil spirits, on which
latter table are cups of sweet but poisoned wine, and dishes on which are
preparations of food containing aconite; and who should permit the evil spirits
there to represent the revels of Bacchus, and the antics of buffoons, and entice
them to those goblets and banquets.
[3] But, my friend, the things related of
Adam, of the garden of God, and of the two trees therein, appear under quite a
different aspect when spiritually comprehended, that is, unfolded by the
spiritual sense; then it is clearly seen that, by "Adam," as a type, is meant
the most ancient church; and the successive states of that church are described
by the vicissitudes of his life. For a church in the beginning is like a man
created anew, who has a natural and a spiritual mind, and by degrees from
spiritual becomes natural, and at length sensual, who believes nothing but what
the senses of the body dictate. And such a man appears in heaven like a person
sitting on a beast which turns its head back, and with its teeth bites, tears,
and mangles the man sitting upon it. But the truly spiritual man appears in
heaven also like a person sitting on a beast, but on a gentle one, which he
governs with a gentle rein and also with a nod.
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