AC 1139-1140 - Styles of the Word

AC 1139-1140

It has been stated already
that there are four different styles in the Word.
The first, which was that of the Most Ancient Church,
is such as is that
from the first chapter of Genesis to (chapter 10).
The second is the historical style,
as in the following books of Moses,
and in the rest of the historical books.
The third is the prophetic style.
The fourth is intermediate between the prophetic style
and that of common speech.

In this chapter, and in the following one as far as Eber,
the most ancient style is continued;
but here it is intermediate
between the style of made-up history,
and that of true history.
For by Noah, and his sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan,
nothing else was meant, nor is anything else meant,
than the Ancient Church regarded abstractly as to its worship -
namely, by "Shem" internal worship,
by "Japheth" corresponding external worship,
by "Ham" internal worship corrupted,
by "Canaan" external worship separated from internal.
Such persons never existed;
but the kinds of worship were so named
because all other different kinds, or all specific differences,
could be reduced to these as fundamental ones.
By "Noah" therefore was meant
merely the Ancient Church in general,
as a parent comprehending all.
And yet by the names in this chapter,
except those of Eber and his posterity,
are meant so many nations . . .
that constituted the Ancient Church;
which church was widely spread around the land of Canaan.