whether the statement is contradicted, as is alleged, by the facts of science. The writer in the Newchurchman" says that the existence of two sexes in the vegetable kingdom is “ a fact which botanists indisputably prove." Now "facts are stubborn things." They are rocks which must shiver any doctrine that comes against them. But let us see precisely what are the facts of the science of Botany relating to this subject. And let us be careful to distinguish between fact and theory.

The facts which botanists have discovered respecting the supposed gender of plants, are simply that with all plants there are two separate classes of organs, the cooperation of which is necessary to the production of seed. With a few plants these organs are in separate individuals; with more they are in separate flowers upon the same individual; and with a still greater number the two classes of organs exist together in the same flower.* These are the facts. They are indisputable. And they unquestionably exhibit, to a certain extent, a marked and beautiful image of the sexual functions of animals, especially when the phenomena are examined in detail. But that this distinction in plants amounts to actual sexuality, and that there are therefore really two sexes in the vegetable kingdom, is a theory, a mere supposition, the supposed rationale of the phenomena, which, so far from being "indisputable," is disputed by one of the most distinguished botanists of the present day, who, without denying the facts, claims to have disproved the theory. We quote his words :

"This fanciful account (of an Italian water plant, by Micheli) which, however, is not supported by any accurate scientific observation, led the way to the making of husband and wife of these two flowers, to investing the natural phenomena in question with the mysteries of the love with which the human heart is blessed. Scarcely was the idea broached when science seized upon it, extended it, in all its particulars, to all plants, and even at the present time we call the Linnæan arrangement of plants, the sexual system. Unfortunately, these beautiful dreams, which poets especially have so often tenderly dwelt upon, were attacked by the new discoveries of science, which uses only its senses, and showed us that all these visionary comparisons with the totally differently organized animals, are devoid of the smallest foundation. It was my lot, in the share I have taken in the advancement of Botany, to bring this result to light.”—Schleiden's “The Plant-A Biography."-p. 64.

Now the above facts relating to the vegetable kingdom Swedenborg does not deny. He distinctly affirms them. Few writers have done so

These separate functions have been found to exist also among the Cryptogamous or Flowerless plants, except only the class of Thallogeus. And even here there must be this duality of function, on principles which we shall hereafter show.

*

more distinctly. But the theory he does deny. And, in a question as to the true philosophical theory of these natural phenomena, who is more likely to be in the right, Swedenborg or the botanists?-even considering him apart from the authenticity of his writings, as a revelation from heaven. Here was a man wonderfully fitted for accurate judgment, by his vast knowledge of the facts of science, and by his naturally super-eminent ability to discover the latent principles which those facts contained,-transcending any genius the world has seen, before or since his day-who, in the fulness of his mature manhood, in the very meridian of his scientific greatness, was called of the Lord Himself to a higher and holier mission, and elevated into the very world of causes, even into the inmost of that world, and there saw causes as we see effects, and at the same time saw effects from their causes. Standing as he thus stood, with his vast capacity of understanding, in the very light of the truth that mirrors itself in the innumerable forms of matter around us, how much more likely that the scientific men of the age, groping the earth in the darkness of mere natural light, should be carried away by some of the innumerable appearances of truth that everywhere present themselves, to deceive the mental vision, than that he should be mistaken! And we have said nothing in all this of the authority which inheres in a revelation of truth" from God out of heaven."

But we do not rest the case here. It is clear that Swedenborg has contradicted no fuct of science in this matter. It is equally true that he presents the strongest rational considerations in support of his contradiction of an unestablished theory. We do not see how any intelligent and well-instructed mind can read the whole of the No. 585, T. C. R., and D. L. W. 316, without being forcibly struck with the reasonableness and beauty of the great doctrine that the earth is the common mother, whose prolific womb is the universal receptacle of the seeds of the vegetable kingdom, in which for a time she fondly bears them, and from which she teems them forth young and tender into the open day; upon whose maternal bosom they repose, and from which they draw their nourishment. The rational ground of this maternal relation is in the function. This functional character of the earth, or ground, must be true, from its correspondence

See C. L. 222; A. E. 1203.

+ "Frequently, when I have been in gardens, and have noticed the trees, fruits, flowers, and herbs, I have seen their correspondences in heaven, and have conversed with those in whom they were, and have been instructed concerning their ORIGIN and QUALITY."-H. H. 109.

in the Word, where it represents the church, which is the common spiritual mother. (T. C. R. 306.) Numerous passages from the writings might be adduced to show that in its character of common mother the earth corresponds to the church. In the very section which forms the subject of controversy, Swedenborg proves this maternal character of the earth by the spiritual sense of the Word. He says,—

"That the earth is a common mother, may also be spiritually illustrated, and indeed is illustrated by this circumstance, that the earth in the Word signifies the church, and the church is the common mother of all its members, as she is also styled in the Word."-T. C. R. 585.

So likewise the doctrine that the functional character of the subjects of the vegetable kingdom is male, is established by their universal correspondence in the Word, as revealed in the writings of Swedenborg. They are everywhere represented as corresponding relatively to things of the understanding. We quote a single passage as an example :

"A garden, in general, corresponds to heaven as to intelligence and wisdom, and on this account heaven is called in the Word the garden of God, and paradise, and man the heavenly paradise. Trees, according to their species, correspond to the perceptions and knowledges of good and truth, from whence come intelligence and wisdom."-H. H. 111.

These two correspondences-that of the earth, in its maternal character, to the church, and that of the subjects of the vegetable kingdom to things relating to the understanding-are among the most general correspondences of the Word, and they cannot be denied without invalidating the whole spiritual sense of the Word, as explained by Swedenborg.

But let us look at the relative functions of the earth and the vegetable kingdom in the matter of reproduction. The vegetable kingdom, like the male of animals, produces only seed. If there are actually two sexes in the vegetable kingdom, there should be one class of individuals that bring forth young plants, or at least what is equivalent to the egg.*

• It might seem at first sight that the seeds of plants are equivalent to the eggs of oviparous animals. That this is not the case, however, is evident from the fact that the egg, containing within itself both the paternal and maternal elements of organization, will therefore become developed into the perfect animal simply by a favourable temperature. It contains within itself all that is needful to the organization of the animal. This is well known. It is also affirmed by our author. He says

"In the egg lies deeply concealed the rudiment of a new bird, encompassed with every element necessary to the formation of the fœtus, from its beginnings in the head to the full formation of all things of the body.”—A. E. 1198.

It is not so with the seeds of plants. They have not within themselves all the elements necessary to the organization of the plant. The paternal is there, but [Enl. Series.-No. 25, vol. iii.]

C

The duality of function which is observable in the vegetable kingdom, and which forms the subject in question, is for the purpose of the production of seed, and only seed. The same duality of function exists in the male of all animals for the same purpose, according to our author's teaching in T. C. R. 584, that "the human seed is interiorly conceived in the understanding, and is formed in the will." Again: the seed of the male fructifies the female. So the seed of plants fructifies the earth. The seed of the male contains the soul, the body or form is from the female. (T. C. R. 103.) So also, it is well known, that the soul or essence of the plant is in the seed, but the form or body is from the earth.

From what has been advanced we think it will appear, not only that Swedenborg has contradicted no fact of science in relation to this subject; but that the doctrine which he opposes to the unestablished theory of botanists is profoundly scientific and rational. We come now to not the maternal. They must, therefore, like the seed of the male, be implanted in the womb of the earth, and the earth, like the mother, actually contributes of its purest essences to the development of the seed, causing it to germinate, according to the following passages from our author: —

"The earth, or ground, has the power of entering into the inmost of the seed, even to its prolific essence, and of drawing this forth and diffusing it, because every grain of dust or mould exhales from its essence a sort of subtle sphere, like an effluvium, which penetrates the seed; and this is owing to the active force of the heat that proceeds from the spiritual world."—T. C. R. 585.

"Even the very dust exhales its particular sphere, compounded of various properties, by which the inmost parts of every seed are impregnated, and its prolific principle caused to vegetate. Indeed, without such an exhalation from every particle of dust, there could be neither beginning nor continuance of vegetation."-T.C.R. 499.

The circumstance that water or moisture will cause seeds to germinate, and that some small plants will grow in water without striking their roots into the earth, would form no valid objection, because water itself is earthy, or mineral, and is, moreover, always in greater or less degree impregnated with other earthy substances, from the essence of which this necessary subtle sphere may emanate and impregnate the seed.

It is remarkable that the first thing formed after the germination of the seed is a root, by which the embryo plant becomes attached to its mother earth, and through which it receives afterwards of the grosser essences of the earth, for its formation and further development. In a manner which is strikingly analogous, the embryo animal becomes attached to its mother in the womb, and, through the means of this attachment, receives afterwards of the grosser essences of her body for its formation and development. It will thus be seen that the embryo plant in the womb of the earth passes through states analogous to conception, gestation, and finally parturition, when in the fulness of its time the infant plant is ushered forth into the open day.

examine the charge, that Swedenborg's denial of the doctrine of two sexes in the vegetable kingdom is in contradiction to his own teaching respecting the universal marriage law. But first let us have this law distinctly before us in his own words :

"Throughout the whole world, nothing ever was or can be produced, but from a marriage of two, one whereof has relation to good, and the other to truth, or, in the opposite sense, one to evil, and the other to what is false."-Brief Ex. 49.

66

The writer in the Newchurchman" appears to understand that wherever this universal marriage law prevails, there must be two sexes, and hence his inference that Swedenborg contradicts the universality of this law, by denying that there are two sexes in the vegetable kingdom. But this position would lead to some conclusions which the writer, it is presumed, would hardly be willing to admit. For our author tells us again that,

"In all the organic substances of which man is composed, whether they be compound or simple.-yea, even the most simple-there is both a passive and an active principle, which could not even be there, much less could they produce anything, unless they were conjoined by a kind of marriage like that of man and wife; and it is the same throughout all nature."-A. C. 718; see also 4. C. 1432, 2173, &c.

Now it would follow from the position which the writer has assumed, that there would be two sexes in every individual man. In other words, that he would be both male and female. Yea, more, that there would be innumerable pairs of sexes in all the parts of his body. Our author says, moreover, that "it is the same throughout all nature." Hence it would follow also, that in all things of nature there would be two sexes, even in its least parts, and parts of parts. But certainly our author does not teach any such fanciful doctrine as this! The universal marriage law does not imply universal sexuality! It simply implies the universal prevalence and coöperation of that duality of principles, which, beginning in the Divine Creator Himself, descends from Him into all His created universe, and there ultimates itself in indefinite varieties of forms, each manifesting, according to its degree, the two divine principles, love and wisdom, which were united in its creation. Throughout the whole domain of nature, there is undoubtedly a universal stretching forward in the lower forms of creation to something higher; and higher things are foreshadowed, and exhibited, as it were in an image, in the lower forms. This is wonderfully true of the Divine and holy marriage principle, which causes the distinction of sex.

But it is

a great error to take the image, or representation of a thing for the thing itself. For example, we find the same law which originates the