1186. "And no craftsman of whatsoever craft shall be found in thee any more.- That this signifies no longer any wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (scientia), is evident from the signification of craftsman of whatsoever craft, as denoting all that pertains to the understanding, consequently wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (scientia); for these belong to the understanding, wisdom being the inmost, intelligence the middle, and knowledge (scientia) the ultimate thereof. The reason why these things are signified by the craftsmen of whatsoever craft is, that they are endowments of the understanding, and such endowments are signified by crafts. Since these are signified by crafts, therefore in those parts of the Word where the construction of the tabernacle is described and also the garments of Aaron which were of gold, purple, crimson (purpura), scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen, it is said that they were to be the work of the craftsman, and elsewhere the work of the designer (Exod. xxvi. 1, 31; xxviii. 6; xxxix. 8; and other passages). By those things, now mentioned, of which they are made, are signified such things as pertain to wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (scientia); it is therefore said of Bezeleel and Oholiab, the craftsmen who made them, that "they were filled with wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (scientia)" (Exod. xxxi. 3, and following verses; xxxvi 1, 2, and following verses).
[2] That a craftsman signifies intelligence from man's proprium is plain in Hosea:
"They make to themselves a molten image of their silver, and idols in their intelligence, all of it the work of the craftsmen" (xiii. 2).
A molten image and an idol signify worship according to doctrine which is from [man's] own intelligence; silver signifies falsity from which such doctrine is formed, it is therefore said, that in their intelligence they make themselves an idol, all of it the work of the craftsmen.
Similarly in Isaiah:
"The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and forgeth silver chains, he seeketh a wise craftsman" (xl. 19, 20);
and in Jeremiah:
"Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman, and of the hands of the founder, purple (hyacinthinum) and clothing, all the whole work of wise men" (x. 3, 9).
Here and in several other passages the nature of man's own intelligence is described by idols, sculptured things and molten images, as may be seen above (n. 587, 827).
[3] Continuation.- The end, middle causes, and effects are called also the principal end, the intermediate ends, and the ultimate end. These latter are called ends, because the principal end, which is everything in them - both their esse and soul - produces them. The principal end is the love of man's will, the intermediate ends are subordinate loves, and the ultimate end is the love of the will, existing, as it were, in its effigy. Since the principal end is the love of the will, it follows that the intermediate ends, because they are subordinate loves, are foreseen, provided, and produced through the understanding, and that the ultimate end is the use foreseen, provided, and produced by the love of the will through the understanding, for everything that love produces is use. It is necessary for this to be stated in order that the assertion just made may be understood, namely, that eminence and opulence may be blessings, and also that they may also be curses.
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