The Secret of Swedenborg

church is based upon the truth of the divine NATrrRAL, humanity, and hence has no recognition of a deity outside of the conditions of human nature. — The incarnation is a domestication of the divine perfection in human nature, and through that in animal, vegetable, and mineral. — Swedcnborg illustrates tiiis truth rather than argues it. — Distinction between living and dead truth, or truths of conscience which belong to the life, and truths of science which belong to the memory. — Sweden- borg's doctrine of nature — Nature exists only to sense, and has no rational reality. — Thus it is a purely phenomenal or apparitional world, although in the infancy of our intelligence we suppose it to be the only reality, and are incapable of lifting our thought above it. — We suppose creation accordingly to be a physical achievement of God, — a magical ex- hibition of his power in space and time, whereas it is a wholly spiritual operation in the sphere of human affection and thought. — Philosophy de- mands consequently that we allow nature only a subjective force, or re- gard it as strict involution of the human mind. . . . 20-25