order
to contain them has been composed throughout in correspondences and
representations. It is plain then that the men of that church, who at
first were the wisest of men but finally became the worst through pride
in their own intelligence, were led astray not by a serpent but by
self-love, meant in Genesis by "the serpent's head," which the Seed of
the woman, namely, the Lord, was to trample.

[2] Who cannot see from reason that other things are meant than those
recorded literally like history? For who can understand that the world
could be created as there described? The learned therefore labor over the
explanation of the things in the first chapter, finally confessing that
they do not understand them. So of the two trees placed in the garden or
paradise, one of life and the other of knowledge, the latter as a
stumbling-block. Again, that just by eating of this tree they
transgressed so greatly that not only they but their posterity--the whole
human race--became subject to damnation; further, how any serpent could
lead them astray; besides other things, as that the woman was created out
of a rib of her husband; that they recognized their nakedness after the
fall and covered it with fig leaves; that coats of skin were given them to
cover the body; and that cherubim with a flaming sword were stationed to
guard the way to the tree of life.

[3] All this is representative, describing the establishment, state,
alteration and finally destruction of the Most Ancient Church. The arcana
involved, contained in the spiritual sense which fills the details, may
be seen explained in _Arcana Caelestia,_ on Genesis and Exodus, published
at London. There it may also be seen that by the tree of life the Lord is
meant as to His divine providence, and by the tree of knowledge man is
meant as to his own prudence.

242. _Their first son, Cain, killed his brother Abel, and God did not
speak to him and dissuade him, but only afterwards cursed him._ As the
Most Ancient Church is meant by Adam and his wife, as we have just said,
the two essentials of a church, love and wisdom or charity and faith are
meant by their first sons, Cain and Abel. Love and charity are meant by
Abel, and wisdom and faith and in particular wisdom separate from love,
and faith separate from charity, are meant by Cain. Wisdom as well as
faith when separate is of such a nature that it not only rejects love and
charity, but also destroys them and thus kills its brothe