the sacred place in the midst of the temple, the conjunction of that church with the angelic heaven; the cherub of gold within, the Word in its literal sense; the sword vibrating in his hand signified, that this sense of the letter is capable of being turned every way, supposing only that it be applied to favour any particular truth: the removal of the veil before the cherub signified, that now the Word is laid open. Afterwards as I approached nearer, I saw written over the gate these words, Now it is allowable, which signified, that now it is allowable to enter intellectually into the mysteries of faith. On seeing this writing, it occurred to my thoughts how dangerous it is to enter intellectually into tenets of faith, formed out of man's own intelligence, and consequently consisting of falses, and how much more so to confirm them by passages from the Word, whereby the understanding is closed above, and in a short time below, and that to such a degree, that matters of a theological nature not only become disagreeable, but are also obliterated and effaced, like writing on paper devoured with moths, whilst the understanding abideth only in political concerns, such as regard a man's life in the state to which he belongeth, and in civil concerns relating to his own particular function, and in domestic concerns, or the business of his own family, in all which he attacheth himself closely to nature, and loveth her by reason of her enchanting pleasures, as an idolater doth the golden image which he carrieth in his bosom. Now whereas the tenets maintained at this day, in all Christian churches, are not derived from the Word, but from man's own intelligence, and consequently consist of falses, and yet are confirmed by some passages out of the Word, therefore amongst the Roman Catholics, by the Lord's divine providence, the Word was taken out of the hands of the laity, and opened amongst the
