Samuel M-Warren--John-Bigelow-A-COMPENDIUM-of-THE-THEOLOGICAL-WRITINGS-of-EMANUEL-SWEDENBORG-New-York-1880
1. A
COMPENDIUM
OP TUB
THEOLOGICAL WRITINGS
01"
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.
BY SAMUEL M. 'VARREN.
SECOND AND REvISED EDITION,
"W'ITH A BIOGRAPHICAI~ INTRODUOTION,
By HON. JOHN BIGELOW.
THE NEW CHURCH BOARD OF PUBLIOATION,
NEW YORK: 20 COOPER UNION. ~._
1880. ,/ ~'t.tl
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S~~ï;J'C •
PREFAOE.
THIS volume is constntcted on the bnsis of the "Compendium"
compiled by the late Rev. W. 11. Fernald, which ie long ainee
out of print. The lalger proportion of the extracts contained
in tbat volume will be found also in this; together ,,~ith many
new extracts, and a number of new subjects, added by the
present compiler; and tbe whole have been almost entirely re-
arranged. The book being made up of extracts, the reader will
reasonably Dot expect the salue continuity that vould be looked
for in an original and connected ,,·ork. A constant effort bas
been made, however, in the arrangement of the chapters, as well
88 in the construction of them, to give the volume as much of
the character of a continued treatise as was practicable. It is
hoped that this .object will be ..found to have been 80 far attained,
tbat the volume will not he ill adapted to consecutive reading,
by tbose who would obtain, in briefer cornpass, a general view of
the theology and ~piritual philosophy embodied' in the author's
voluminous writings.
The large DUlnùer of volumes from which the extracts are
taken having been translated from the original Latin by different
persons, at videly different times, it was deemed important,
in such a work, that there should he sorne attelnpt at uniformity
of style and rendering,-apalt from any consideration of the very
great and acknowleged itnperfections of Inost of the translations.
The translation is therefore for the most part new; and the com-
parativcly slnall number of ext.racts that have not been re-trans-
lateù have been more or less caïcfully revised.
5. Iv PREFACE. •
Sorne word of apology may be due to the reader who shaH
make his first acquailltallce with the writings of Swedenbo~
through this volunle, for the use of certain unfamiliar termR.
The present condit.ion of mankind being such that interna!
tbiugs are but diInly and generally perceived, the mind does not
take cognizance of their plurality. It sees as an individual
thing what in realit:l is very multiple. And therefore we have
in cornlnon use in language only sillgular tenns for many
internaI things. Thus we commonly speak of good, happiness,
etc., which are of the will, and internaI, only in the singular
nunlber; while to corresponding things tllat are more external,
delights, jo)'s, pleasures, enjoyments, etc., ,ve ascribe plurality,-
because we perceive theu' pIurality. This is the Teason why, to
the unaccustomed mind, there appears a certain oddity of
expression in the vritings of Syedenborg, ".here internaI things
are the constant theule, and are described as they really are, and
as they are discerned in heaven,-and, "'itl~ less fulnes8, by
sorne on earth. To D10dify the author's language in order
to escape the oddity uf unfamiliar expressions, would he to shut
out from the reader's milld a large and Inost valuable part of the
spiritual philosophy his ,,'ritings contain; and would at least
endanger his falling into great misapprehensions. The import-
ance of rendel'ing the allthor iuto pleasant and pupular English
as far as pract'icable has, llovever, Dot been out of rnind; but
the translator has Dot felt at liberty knowingly to sacrifice
any s11ade of the author's Dleaning on account of it. The
writings of Syedenborg embody a system of most profound
philosophy, spiritual and natural; and, as vith most philo-
sopllical ~'ritillgs, and pcrhaps more than most, it requires
for exact expression language in sorne degree its own;
which cannot he changed for more popular and current
phraseology vithout, as was said, the 10ss of sorne part of the
author's meaning, and while seeming to favour, really hindering
the actual apprehension of the profound 8ubjects treat.ed of. Whnt
vould be thollght of the editor of any of the treatises on
vhich systems' of speculative pllilosophy are founde~, if be
6. PREFAOE. v
should underlake to adapt and popularize his autbor, hy doing
away with bis technical and philosophical terms 1 But these
writings contain a system of philosophy more profonnd and vast
than any and ail systems of man's devising. How much less
justifiable would it" be, then, so to attempt to popularize the
standard text of such a systeln. The place to adapt and apply
the teaching of an author, especial1y such an author, is not in the
translation of his writ.ings, but in books and teachings in eluciùa-
tion and exposition of them.
It may Dot be out of place to g'uard the reader against any
supposition that the title "Compendium" is intended to involve
the idea of condensation, and that the whole substance, or any-
thing more than a general view, and example, of the author's
teaching is here given. 80 far is this from being the case, tbat
there are even very many topies of great interest that could nut
he included in a volume like t.his. He who is interested to
know the scope and depth of these teachings should study the
writings themselves. Nor let. him he appallerl at the lnagnitude
of the undertakiug. For tb~y are as full of varied and most
interesting matter everyVllere as in the extracts given in tllia
volume; and he will come to rejoice, more and more, that th~
field is 80 wiJe before him.
S. lI. W.
Besides a 80mewhat extensive revision, and correction of
errors that had escaped notice in the former edition, the
present volume is enriched by a considerable number of im-
portant additional extracts appcaring in nearlyevery chapter ;
by an interesting biographicnl sketch of Svedenborg from the
pen of the Hon. John Bigelow; and an admirable likenes8,
engraved in his best manner, by Mr. S. A. SchofF, expressly
for this work.
7.
8. ABBREVIATED TITLES OF THE 'VORKS REFERRED
TO IN THIS VOLUME.
Le.
A.E.
A. R.
T. C. R. •
H. H.
D. L. W.
D. P.
c. L.
E. u.
D. L.
D. W. in A. E.
s. s.
8. S. Post.
L
Lire.
Ob. •
F.
H. D.
R.E.
LJ.
C. L.l.
Inr•.
W.R.
8. D.
8. D. Kîn11l
Swed. Doc.
AllCANA CœLESTIA.
APOCALYPSE EXPLAINBD.
.-.rOCALYPSE J:lEVEALED.
'faux CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
BEAVEN AND HELL.
DIVIN.E LOVE AND WI800K.
DIVINE PaOVIDBNCB.
CONJUGIAL LOVE.
EARTB8 IN THE UNIVEBU.
DIVINE LoVE.
DIVINE WISDOJf, ApPENDED TO A. E.
DOCTRINE CONCERNJ~OTHE SAORED SCRIP'I'11BBII.
P08THUJfOUS TRACT ON THB BACRRD SORIPTt71U1S.
DOCTRINB OP THE LORD.
DOCTRINE OF LIPE.
DOCTRINE 01' CHARITY.
DOCTRINB OF FAITH.
THE NJtlv JERU8ALEX AND ITS HUVENLY DOOTRJNR.
BRIEP EXPOSITION OP THB DOOTiUNES 01' THE NEW
JERUSALEK.
LABT JUDQ)(ENT.
CONTINUATION OONCERNING 'fHB LA8T JUDOMBNT.
NATURE OP lNPLUX BE1·WEE~ SOUL AND BODY.
CONCERNINO THB WHITE HoRSE, Rev. %Ïx.
SPIRITUAL DIARY.
THB SMALLER SPIRITUAL nIARY.
DOOl1lIENTS OONOBRNING 8WBDKNBOBO. Ed. Man-
chester 1842.
10. ..
CONTENTS.
BIOGRAPffiCAL INTRODUCTION.
CONCERNING GOD.
Importnnce of a just Idea of God .
God is One •
God is very Mon
God is not in 8pac~
The very Divine Es@ence i8 Love and Wisdom •
The Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom are Substance and Form
God is Love itself and Life itsclf •
The Nature of the Divino Love
Tlle IDfinlty and Eternity of God •
The Omnipotenc.e of God .
The Omniscience of God
The Omnipresenœ of God •
Knowledge Respooting God only' possible by Revelation
PAn
xxv
1
2
8
4:
6
6
7
8
10
11
12
18
14
CREA'rION.
God ereated the Universe from Himsclf, Dot out of Notbing 15
AIl thingg in the Universe Wt'l'e created froln the Divine Love and
the Divine Wistlom or GOff·Man 15
Two Worlds, the Spiritual aud the Nfttural 18
Two Suns, by meftDS of which ail Thiugs in the two Worlds were
created 1G
Atm08pheres, Waters, and Eartha, in the Spiritual and Natnral
Worlds 18
The Origïn of Matter 19
The Divine Obje(~t in the Crention of the Universe 20
AIl Tbiugs of the Crt'ated Universe viewed from Uses, represent
1lan in an Image Il
MAN.
WWMan~ a
What tbe Interna] and External Man.. • 2j
The very Inmost of Man 2'
The Lire of Man 25
The Origiu oC Vital H(!nt • 26
The Prinaitive Condition of Man 26
11. OONTENTS.
PAOI:
THE FALL OF MAN.
The Nature of th~ FaU • 7
Loss of InternaI Perception by the Fall 28
The Image of God Dot actually Destroyed in ?tIan . 29
External Respiration, and the Origin of Verbal Language by the
hll ~
The FaU wu GraduaI and Successiva 80
The Nature and Extent of Hereditary Erii 81
THE DOCTRINE OF THE I~ORD.
The Divine Human from Etemity • 82
The Lord's Appearance on Earth bE'fore the Incarnation, as an
Angel • 83
The very Jnfinite cannot be manifested otherwise tban by the Divine
Human 84
The Incarnation 85
Jehovah God descended A8 to Divine Trutb, and wu said to he Born 37
Yet did Dot separate- the Divine Good 38
Heasons for the Incarnation 38
Why it ie Mid that Jesus proceeded forth and came fronl God, and
was sent 44
The Lord's Hereditary Evii 45
The Lord made His Human Divine by His own Might 46
The Glorification 47
The Glorification was fully completed by the Passion of the Cross. 48
The Lord, in Glorification, did not transmute or change His Human
Nature into" Divine, but put off the Human and put on the
Divine. 49
The Lord did not acknowledge Mary as His llother, because He
put off the H uman derived from her _ 49
The Lord'8 Whole Lite wu a ContinuaI Temptation and Victory • 51
The Lord wu Tempted even by Angels 52
How ~be Lord bore the 1niquities of AIl 53
The Use of the Lord's Temptations 55
The Lord's Glorification is image<! in Man's Regeneration. 58
The Resurrection 58
The Reqemption 61
The Lord thus redeemed not only Man, but the An~ls 63
Without Redemption Wickedness wonld spreatl tbrougbout aIl
Christendom in bath Worl.ls • 65
Redenlption could not he effected but by God Incarnate • 65
False Views of the Atonement 66
The true. meaning of }Iediation, Interce~sion, Atonement, and
Propitiation 67
How the Lord fulfilled the whole Law 69
AIl Powf!r in the Heavens and on Earth given 10 the Lord 71
The Lord governs all Things from first Principles by means of
illtimates 72
)feaning of the Phrases Son of God and Son of Man 72
Varions Names of the Lord 73
12. CONTENTS. xi
PAOli:
Praetical Use 01 a correct Idea of the Lord 7~
The Re(',ognition of the Lord as God sheds Light upon every par-
ticular ot the Word 76
leJaonh Himself, in His Divine Human, is the on1y Saviour 76
Why Jehovah is nowhere named in the Word of the New Testa-
ment, but the Lord instead 77 .
The Reaaon why these Thinga eoncerning the Lord are now first
publicly made known . 79
Why the Lord wu Born on thia Earth 80
THE HOLY BPffiIT.
General Doctrine • 89
Blasphemy agaÎD8t the Holy Spirit 84
The Holy Spirit not mentioned in the Old Testament . 85
THE DIVINE TRINITY.
General Doctrine . 86
Before the World VUS created there was no Trlnity of God but
an ideal or potential One 87
A Memorable Narration coneeming the Divine Trinity . 88
Importance of a right idca of the Trinity 94
THE SACRED SCRIPTURES.
General Doctrine 96
There la a Spiritual Sense iD the Word. hitherto unknOWll • 96
What the Spiritual Sense of the Word is • 97
The Word wa8 written by Correspondences 98
Losa of the Knowledge of Correspontlences, and Origin of Idolatry 100
Why the Spiritual Sense of the Word w~s not revealed before 10]
The Spiritual Sense is in each and all things of the Word • 102
Six Dt'grees of Divine Tmth, the Letter of the Word being the
Lowest 109
The Literai Sense of the Word is the B8sis, the Containant, and
Foundation of ita Spiritual and CelestÎltl Senses • 109
The Litera! Sense orthe Word is a Onard t.o the Truths concealed
within it 110
ID the LiteraI Sen~ of the Word Divine Truth is iD its Fulness, in
iu HoliDOSS, and in its Power. 111
By means of the LiteraI Sense oC the Word Man has Conjunction
with the Lord and Consociation with the Angela • 112
'!'he Marnage of the Lord and the Church, and hence the Marnage
of Good and Truth, ia in every part of the 'Vord 114:
Doctrine amould he drawn trom the LiteraI Sense of the Word, and
confinned by it 117
Appearances of Truth in the Letter of the Word • 117
Genuine Truth in the LiteraI Sense of the Word, whicb the Truth
oC Doctrine must be, appears onl)' to those who are in Enlighten-
ment from the Lord • 120
. How Heretical Opinions are derived from the .Let~r of the Word . 121
Which are the Books of the Word . 123
The Character of the Apostolïc Writinga • 124
13. xii OONTENTS.
..0.Four Düferent Styles in the Word • 124
The Word of the Old T68tam~nt • 125
The Apocalypse 126
The Word ie in aU the Heavene, and the 'Visdom of the Angels ia
derived from it 128
The Historical Parts ofthe Word were given cspecially for Childrcn 128
Delightfnl Perception by Angels of the Internai Sense of the Worù
when devoutl:; read hy Men • . 129
And especially when the 'Vord is read by Children 180
By means of the Word Light is commqnicated to the Nations out
of the Church " 180
Revelation and Inspiration. 132
Previous to the Word which DOW exista in the World there wu &
Word which islost 134
The Sin of Profaning the Word and the Hol)? Things of the Church 136
Dift'erent Kinds and Degrees of Profanation 189
The Effects of Profanation 142
Memorabilia respecting the Divine Word in the Heavens 144
SIGNIFICATION OF VAltIOU8 TERMS AND SUBJECTS IN THE 'VORD.
The Daye of Creation 145
Enoch 146
The Ginnt8 147
Repentance of the Lord 148
The Flood 149
The Resting of the Ark upon the Mountains of Ararat 152
The Bow in the Cloud 153
Barn 153
Ishmael 154
~ . J , a n g h t e r . 155
Borrowing from and Sponing the Egyptiane 156
The Anger of the Lord 158
The Frogs of Eg)"pt 159
Apparent Contradiction as to the Nnmber of VenTS ,,"hich the
Israelites dwelt in Egypt 160
Divine Tmth, Pacifie and Tumultuous 161
Borin~ the Ear with an Awl 162
The Urim and Thumnlim " 165
The Brenking of the Tables of the Decalogue by Moses, and bis
Hewin~ out otber Tables 165
Signification of the Jewish Sacrifices 167
Balaam's Asa sl'€'.aking 169
The Sun and 1tloon standing still at tbe eommand of Joshua 170
Magic, Soreery and Enchantments 171
Destruction of Children by the Bears 173
Spiritual Drunkenness 173
Miracles 175
Why Fishormen werc chosen to he the Lord's Disciples Iii
Love 10 Enemies 17i
Spiritual Fermentations 177
Proyer and WOl1lhip 177
14. OONTENTS. xiü
PAGE
181
181
182
184 .
185
185
190
191
Why it ia the Lord's will to he Worshipped
The Lord's Prayer .
The Tnul.ifiguratlon, and the Parting of the Lord's Baiment
..-- T.-ra
The Dragon
The Spiritual Sense of Numbera
M:~ and Weights
Alpha and Oméga •
l'HE TEN COMMANDMENT8.
General Doctrine . 192
The First Commandment • 194:
The Second Commandment 195
The Third Commandment • 19i
The Fourth Commandment 199
The Firth Commandll1ent • 200
The Sixth Commandment • 201
The Future State oC Adulterera 205
The Seventh Commandment 207
The Eighth Commandment 210
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments 211
Oifending in One Commandment offending in AIl 213
rAITH.
What Faith is 214:
The Essence of Faith is Charity 215
Cognitions of Trnth and Good are not of Faith until a Man iB in
Charity 217
The Truths of Faith are first in Time, but Charity is tint in End. 217
Faith never becomes Faith till the Truths of it are willed and done 218
ln 80 far as any one shuns Evils as Sins he has Faith 218
Faith is the first Principle of the Church in appearance, but
Charity is actually the first 219
How Faith is formed from Chal ity 221
Truth rooted in the Mind by doing it 221
Faith alone, or Faith without Charity • . • • 222
The invented Modes oC CODnooting Good Works with Faith alone • 223
The Errors and Blindness of those who are in Faith alone • 22'
The Lord's Providence over th086 who are taught the Doctrino oC
Faith alone 225
Many of the leamed who were in Truths of Doctrine are in Hell,
while others who were in Falsities are in Heaven 227
or Intel1ectua! Faith 228
Of Persuasive Faith 230
Yo one ought to he persuaded instantaneously of the Troth 231
The Source of Spiritual Light 232
Every Man may see Spiritual Trnth who desirea it 232
Why Saving Faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ 233
OC the Faith by which Diseases were healed by the Lord • 234
Confirm~tioD8 236
15. xiv OONTENTS.
DUBculty of ExÜrpating Falaities tllat bave been Confirmed by
Evil Life 287
Kan cannot search into the Mysteries of Faith by thin~ knovu. 237
Of the False Assumption that nothing ia to be believed until it ia
understood 238
Affirmative and Negative States of M.ind • 289
Nature and Spiritual US8 of Outward. Acquisitions of Knowledge • 243
Memorabilia conœming Faith . 24.'>
Fruits of Faith and Capability of reeeiving lt in the other lire 24.9
CHARITY AND GOOD WORKS.
Who la the" Neighbourt 250
The Degrees of the Relationsbip of Neighbour 252
What Chality is 254
The Delights oC Charity are according to the greatness and
importance oC the Use performed 267
A. Man is not of sound Mind unless Use he his Affection or
Occupation 258
The Deligbt of doin~ Good without a Recompense 259
The InternaI Blesseùness of Love and Charity perceptible in this
Life 260
The Angels appear in Heaven as Forms of Charity 261
The Criterion of Character • 261
A Man has neitber Faith nor Charity before they exist in Work. • 262
Love, Life, and Works, with every Alan, make One 263
Love to the Lord and Love to the l'eighbonr distingWshed 264
Love the Foundation of aIl Harmony and Order • 264.
Love to Enemi~s 265
The Presence of the Lord with Man is accordïng to Neighbourly
Love or Charity 265
Self·Love and Mutual Love contrasted 266
FREE WILL.
General Doctrine • 268
What Free 'Vill is • 269
A 80mething analogons to Free Will in all Created Things 2i1
How Man is in Freedom from the Lord alone 272
Why in Freedom 11an feels and wills as o"r himklf, whep it is not
of himself 272
Kan ought to compel himself, and in this compulsion is the
highest Freedom . 278
Heavcnly Freedom and Infernal Freedom • 276
REPENTANCE, REFORMATION, AND REGENERATION.
Repentance. 280
The Nature of Man before Regeneration, or as to what is properly
his own (Propnum) 280
Man's grent teDdency to Evil 281
Why Man is born in Ignorance 282
Refonnation and Regeneration. i82
16. CONTENTS.
A Sign of Reformation and Non-Reformation
The CoU1'88 of Regeneration and of Progreu to True Wisdom
The Six States of Regeneration
Begeneration Progr~ through 8Uc~8Sive Cycles
The Cycles. of Regeneration are one with the Cyclea of Man's Life
Understanding separate !rom the Will is giVeD: to Man that he
may be regenerated
Correspondence of Natural Birth to SpirituJÙ Birth
During Regeneration the Lord Governs Man by means of Angela •
Regeneration is foreseen and llrovided for from Etel'nity •
Regeneration is effected by means of I{.emains
Regeneration cannot he effected suddenly •
Everyone may he Regenerateù, but each ditrerently
In order to have Regeneration the Natural Man must he entinaly
8ubdued
Even the Sensual Man must be Regenerated
AlI things in Nature represent Regeneration
Regeneration is etfected by combats in Temptation
Oombat may be waged even from Tmth Dot genuine
The Use of Temptations
How Temptations are excited by Evil Spirits
Evil is not extenninated by Regeneration, but ooly separated 10
the Circumferences, and remuins to Eternity •
Tcmporary Qaiescence of Evi1s
Difference betweeu tbe Rel{enerate and the Unl'egenerate •
What the Heavenly Proprium is
:Man is first in True Freedom when he becomes Regenerate
Ignorance of the Cburch at the Present Day concerning Regeneration
It is Dot difficult to Live a Goud Lire
A Monkish Lire is not cOl18istent with Regeneration
AMants Lüe anù Actions are Governeù hy the End propoeed
IMPUTATION.
xv
PAO.
284
284:
285
285
287
288
288
289
289
290
294 .
295
296
297
298
298
299
299
801
808
80'
804
305
306
807
308
810
811
The common Doctrine of Imputation 812
The Origin of the Doctrine of Imputation . 813
Imputation not known in the Apostolïc Church 314
Imputation of the Merits and Rightcollsness of Christ Impoasible • 315
The True Docbine of Imputation • 817
THE CHURCH.
The Cburch Universal 820
Th~ Specifie Church, and ita relation to the Church Universal 820
Where the Specifie Church iL' 822
Who Constitute the Specifie Church' 822
The Church is one thing and Religion another 322
Who are meant by Gentiles' • • 823
The Oood and Truth among the Gentiles is Dot constituent of the
Church 328
The Necessîty that there sbould a1ways he a Church 823
17. xvi OONTENTS.
PAGB
The Church in Heaven could not 8ubeist without a Càurch on
the Eartb 324
When a Church is Dear its End, a new Church is raised up 825
The Church cannat he raised up anew in any nation until it is
entirely vastated S2.!)
There have been in general foor Churches on the Earth 32lJ
General Character of these four Churc~leB 326
THE FIR8T, OR MOST ANCIENT CHUBCH.
General Character . 828
The Worship of the Most Ancient Chureb • 32U
The Most Ancients performed Ho11 Worship in Tenta. 830
The Most Ancient Chu.rch compœed ofseveral Different Churches 830
Perception in the Most Ancient Chureh . BSt
Dignities and Riches amODI{ the Most Aneient Men 332
The Food of the Most Ancient Men 338
A Remnant of thé Most Ancient Church in the Land of Canaan 888
THE SECOND, OR ANCIENT CHURCH.
General Character • 834
The Ancient Church was in Representatives and Significatives s.'i5
The Vorship of the Ancient Church 836
The Aneient Style of W riting 8;;7
The Decline of the Ancient Chureh 838
The Second Aneient Churcb, called Eber, and origin of So.eri-
fielal Worship . . . 839 .
Sacrifices were at flrst o1rered to Jehovah, and afterwards ho-
came Idolatrous &41
AU Nations which adopted Sacriflcial Worsbip, ealled Hebrewi 342
Others of the Ancient Church abominated Sacrifices, and abomine
ated the Hebrew8 on Rccount of them . 842
GraduaI Descent of the Hebrew Church to Idolatry • 843
Idolatry of the House of Terab, white there were other Hebrew
Nations that retained the Worship of Jehovah 34'
The Name and Worship of Jehovah agnin 108t by the Posterity of
Jacob in Egypt 8'7
Why Sacrificial Vorship, in itself Dot acceptable to the Lord, wu
Yt't commanded to the Children of Israel 348
The Externa1s of the Ancient Churches were Testored in the Ismel-
itish Church • 850
When the Children of Israel first constituted a ChUfCh 85]
Egylltian Hieroglyphics were perverted Representatives oC the
Âncient Chnrch 851
mE THIRD, OR ISRAELITISH CHURCH.
General Character • 852
This was not a true Church but merely Representative, or the Re-
presentative of a Church 852
The Dift'erence between a Representative Church and the Represen.
tative of a Church 858
18. ()()Nf'ENTS. ~vii
p~.
'l'Iae Representative of a Chureh could Dot he Mtablished till a11
Knowledge of Intemal Things had been 10st • . 355
The Jewish Chureh, with all Things appertaining to it, wu Repré-
sentative of aIl Things oC the Church in Heaven and on Earth 356
mustratïon of what a Representative Chureh is, .and why it is 858
What it is for the Lord to be present Representatively 860
What the Kingdoma of Judgea, Priests, and Kinga sigoified, and
why the Jews were divided into two Kingdoms 362
Why the Jen above aIl othera eould Ret as a representative
Church • • • • • • • 862
vby it ia belie"ed that the Jewa were chosen above others for their
goodnesa • 364
The Jen were Dot chosen, but were urgent to he & Church, from
the Love of PJe-eminence . ' 865
Why the Jews are calle<! in the Word a Holy People 867
The Erroneous Beliefthat the Jew8 are again 10 be choeeJl 86i
Why the J8n have been Preaerved unto thia day • 870
The Land of Canaan, in respect to the Churehee there . 870
Why t.he Israelites Vere expelled from the Land of Canaan. 871
THE FOURTH, OR FIBST CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
General Character . 8'19
The Primitive Condition and subsequent DegeneratioD of thia
ChristiaD Church 878
The preeent State of this Christian Church 874:
The End of the Firet Christian Church • 877
THE SECOND COMING OF THE LORD.
General Doctr1De • 880
This Second Comïng of the Lord is Dot a Comlng ln Penon, but
in the Word, which la from Hlm, and fa HimIelI . 881
This Second Coming of the Lord 18 e1reeted by meanl of a Mau,
to whom the Lord bas manifeste<! Hi~lf in PersoD, and
whom He has ftlled with IDa Bpiri~ to teaeh Lhe DoctriDes
of the New Chureh trom Himself, through the·Word 889
How the Lord's Advent becomes eifeetive in the Individual Man 884:
THE FIFTH, OR NEW CHRISTIAN CRURCH.
General Cbaracter • 885
Thi8 New Church ia lignifted by the New Jernsalem 885
The New Heaven and the New Earth 888
AlI Things :Made New 889
The Vision of the Holy City 890
The City Four-square 391
The City pure Gold 391
The Twel"e Foundationa • 892
The Twelve Gates oC Pearl. 893
The Temple of the City 894
The T~ of Lire in the Midst oC the City • • 895
The Leavea oC the Tree for the Realing of the Naticma 896
Seeial the Faee of the Lord 187
:li
19. Ivili OONTENTB.
PAGB
The Llgbt of the City ::J9~
The New Jerusalem the Bride and Wife of the Lord 899
Memorabilia conceming the Tabernacle and Temple of the
Holy City 400
The New Church in the Heavens signified .by the Woman
elotbed with the Sun 402
Tbe New Church Js fi1"8t Establisbed 8mong a Few 407
The Doctrine of tbe New Chureh js from Heaven, because flom
the Spiritual Sense of the Word 409
Ail the Doctrines of 'the New Chureh are E88entials . • 410
This Ghurch is to he the ClOwn of all the Churcbes, and is to
Endure for ever 411
Formation of the New Heaven 418
The New Chureh from this New Heavcn is to be Distinct from
the former Church 418
The New Chureh at first External 415
The Necessity of Orcier, InternaI and External • 415
BAPTISM.
General Doctrine 416
Baptism Commanded 416
The First Use of Baptism . 417
John's Baptism,an illustration ofthe E1feetofthe Sigu ofBaptism
ln the Spiritual World,and thence upon the Baptized on Earth 419
The Second Use of Baptism 420
The Third Use of Baptimn 420
BaptiSDl itself has no Snving E1Bcacy 421
BaptiStn with tbe Holy Spirit 421
THE ROLY SUPPER.
. General Doctrine 429
Divine Power in the Sacraments, br Correspondences • 424
THE PRIE8THOOD.
A Priesthood and Ecc!esiutical Govemments in Heaven . 42t~
A Priesthoo<fand Ecclesiastica1 Govemm~nts Likewise on Earth 431
That tbere is to be a PriASthood in the New Churcb typiClilly
shown in a symbolie Temple. 484
The Priestly Office Representativo . • . 48lS
Inauguration into the Priesthood bya Representative Rite 4S5
The Falsity nevertheless of the Dogma of Apo&tolie Succession. 486
The eifts and Offices of the Priesthood • 486
Charity in tlle Priest 438
Charity towards the Priest 488
Wby Priests are called Putors 489
Of some, in the other life, who disdained the Prlestly OŒœ 4~9
MARRIAGE.
The Nature and Ori$Zin of Maniage 440
The BoUnees of Mani8A'e . 442
The Di8tinetion of Sex is in the Spirit 4:48
The Love of Bex, and with tbœe who oome into Heaven Conju-
gial Love, remains after Death 444
20. OONTENTS. xix
PAOlI
lIarriages in the Heavens. • • • • 445
The Lord's Words conceming Mamage in the Heavl'nly World. 447
No Procreation of Offspring in Heaven 449
A Mamage Ceremony in Heaven • 450
A Conjugial Pair in Heaven • 451
The State of Marrieù Partne1'8 arter Daath 454
True Marriage looks to what is Eternal 455
Conjugial Love is perfected to Etemity. • • 456
They who are in Love truly conjogial feel and see themselves to be
a united Man • • • . • 457
lIarriages induc6 upon the Souls and Hinds another Form • 468
The Woman is actually (ormet! into a Wife according to tbe De-
scription in the Book of Genesis • • • 459
OoDjugial Love is Fundamental to aIl Lovell, and the Trea8ury of
aIl Joys and Dt'lights • • • • 460
Wisdom and Intelligence &r8 in Proportion to Conjugial Love 462
The Qualifications for receiving Conjugial Love 463
ObstaclN to Conjugial Love· • . . 46~
DifF~renoeof Religion incompatible with Conjugial Love • 466
Conjugial Pairs are born for each other.. 467
True Conjugial Love is scarcely known at this day 468
Semblances of Conjugial !Â)ve 469
Second Marriagea • • • • 470
The Nature of the Intelligence of Women and of Men 472
The Wüe should he nnder the Guidance of the Husband • '78
The Beauty of the An~els originates from Conjugial Loye. '7't A Llkeness of Marriage in aIl Created Things • 473
Origin of the Love of Infaute 476
Di1ferent Quality of the Love of Infants and Children wl~h ~be
Spiritual and the Natoral 478
The ReeesionoflnfantUe Innocence and henee ofParental Love 479
DIVINE PROVIDENCE.
General Doctrine • • • 480
The Lord's Divine Providence bu for ita end & Heaven from the
Human Race • 480
Divine Foresight with the Divine Providence 480
Divine Providence is Universal and Particular 481
ID all tbat it doea the Divine Providence looks to what il Infinite
and Etemal from itself, especially in the Salvation of the
Human Race • 4n
The Law of Divine Providence respecting Man's Freedom and
Reason 485
The Law of the Divine Providence respecting the Removal of SiDS
in the internaI and external Man '92
The Law of the Divine Provid~nce respecting Compulsion in
mattera of Faith and of Religion- '94
The Divine Providence unseen and unfeIt, y~ is to be known and
acknowledged • 502
The Divine Providence aeen trom behind and not in the Face 504
The Divine Providence and Human Prudence 605
21. OONTEJVTS.
."0.The Divine Providence re8pecting temporal ThiDgs 507
The Divine Providence l8Iflectïng the reception of Tnth and Good 509
PermissioDs of the Divine Providence 513
Permissions of Providence with reapeet to Worldly P088e88iOD8 and
Honours • 515
Permission of Providence with respect td Wars 516
Permission- of Providence with respect to the Religions of the
various Nations 518
Permiasion of ProyidE'De8 with respect to the Mahometan Religion 620
Permission of Providence with respect to the limited preval~nce
oC the Christian Religion 522
Permileion of Pl'OTidence with l'Npect to the Divisions and Cor-
ruptions of the Christian Religion 523
The PermiseioD of Evila 524
The Divine Providence is equa11y Vith the Evil and the Good 525
The Particular Leading of the Gootl and the Evil by the Divine
Providence !' 527
Why Divine Providence leads M~ by Aftèetion,Dotbr Tbought 529
The Divine Providence in Witbdrawing Man from Evil 530
Every Man may he reformed, and 'here Î8 no Predestination. 534
The Operations of Providence for Man's 8alvatioD are COD-
tinna1 and proJefEtssive 584
Reason why the Divine Providence operatee invislbly and ln.
compreheDSlve1y 536
Fate 586
Fortune and Chance 537
Accidents . 588
Divine Providence in respect to the Tlme of Man's Deatb 388
<Are for the Morrow 589
THE HUMAN SOULe
Prevailing Ignorance respecting the SouI • 541
What the Soui is • 541
Origin of the Soul • 548
Discrete and Continuous Degrees • 548
Successive and Sinlultaneous Order of Discrete Degreel 546
Three Discrete D~grees oC the Minci 547
ln each Degree there ÏI a Will and an Understanding 548
A yet interiot" Region oC the Underatanding, above the Celestial, in
the InmM Man 549
The Rational and the Natural Mind 550
Evila and Falsitiea reside in the Natural degree of the Mind 551
The Action and Reaction of the Natural and Spiritual Mind 552
The CI08Îng of the Spiritual Degree of tbe Mind . 552
A Man is perfected in the other Lire acoording to the Degree
opened in the World • 553
The Will and Understanding are Organic Forma • 553
The Understanding can be eleyated above the Will 55'
The Will ratber than the Understanding constitutes the Han 655
Thoughta and Affections are VariatioDl of State and Form of the
OrgaDic SubetaDcea of th. Mind 656
22. OON1!JlNTB. xxi
PJ.Q.
Ideas of Tbought • • MS
The Appearance of Understanding iD Brntea-Dtlferenœ he-
twee1l them and Man ~58
How the Spirit dwells within the Body • 560
INFLUX, AND INTERCOURSE BETWEEN THE SOUL AND THE BODY.
Former Hypotbeses conœrning the mtelœune between t1le
Sou! and the Body • 561
There is one only Life which Iowa loto and vivifiee &JI Forme . 562
Influx from the Lord Î8 both Immediate and Mediate througb
the Heavens ~68
General and Particular Influx M6
The Influx into and througb the Heavene is in Suooeeslve Order,
frotn the Firat to the Ultim&te 01 Nature 566
The Influx lnto Man is a)80 in Sueœssive Order, aecording to
the Discrete Degrees of the Mind 367
Tbe Influx is iuto the Will and Uuderst&nding, and tbrongb
these into the Body 568
Influx iUustrated by tàe Slgbt of the Bye • 570
ID troe order Spiritual Iuflux woald guide 'Man lnto aD Intel.
ligence and Wisdom . 570
The Influx into the World of Nature 571
Origin of Noxious Animale. Plants, and Minerale 578
Dow the Sonl aet8 ioto and b1 means of the Bodr 376
THE ETERN'AL WORLD.
AIl Anftels and Spirits were once Men 577
The Immenslty of the Spiritual World • G'17
Outward Aspect of the Spiritual World • 578
The Book of Life • 579
The Etemlty of Heaven and Bell. 681.
Why the Wieked cannot he 8ILved alter deatb ~
Meaning of the Sa)·ing, .e As the Tree falleth so It lies" 688
Seriptural Explanation of the final Btate 584:
The UnlverseJs of Hell and of Heaven 58ti
THE INTERMEDIATE BTATE OR WORLD OF BPIRITB.
General Doctrine. • • &86
The Reaarrection and Lut Judgment of e'Y8rf one is iJDIDediate1,
alter death • • 688
The Dre&tl of Deatb an Indication of the Quality of a lIan'. lMe • 689
The Process of Dying, Resurrection, etc. • 689
Three Successive States of Man in the World of Spirite • 692
The Firat State of Man aCter Death 598
The Second State of MAn arter Death 595
The Thini State of Man after Death 598
Vastation • 601
Indiscriminate earthly Friendsbips hurtf'ul after Death 601
The Character of every ena is perceived in the otber Lite froID the
8phere that encompeases him • 603
Conversation anc1 Language of Spirits G04
The Case of thON who have on11 Natura! Hereditary Goocl 001
23. GONTENTS.
ftO.
The Oue of th088 who in the World were Idiote • 606
The Delighta of every one are changed into the corresponding
Deligbt3 aCter Death • .606
UnconscioUB Association of Angela and Spirits with Mau. 608
Why tbere are two Spirits and two Angels witb every Man 611
8ucb Spirits and Angela are subject Spirits of some Heavenly or
Infemal Society 612
The AnKels Associated with Man, or Guardian Angela 61R
Only Good Spirits and AngeIs are with Infants 615
The Lord'a Providential Guardianabip of Man from EvilSpirits in
Sleep • 615
The DaDger of oonscioua Interco1U'8e with Spirita • 616
When Angela or Spirits &peak with Kan they speak in 1lia own
Language, from bis Memory 619
Man, Dot Enlightened by Intereoune wlth Spirits, but from
the Word &22
Visions and Dreams , 628
What la meaDt by being in the Spirit • 625
What i~ is ta be taken out of the Body, and to be camed by the
Spirit into another place 625
The Difference between a State of Vision and direct Bevela-
tion from tbe Lord . 626
Extension of Man's Thought into the Spiritual World 627
How Spirits can he enabled to Bee ioto tbis World 628
How long Men remain ln the World of Spirits 629
Purgatory a Fiction 628
BEAVEN.
Heaven ia Divided into Two KingdoDUJ 680
There are tbree Heavens 631
The Ht'Rvens were Dot three before the Lord'" Advent 632
In each Heaven there are Innumerable Societiea • 633
The Universal Heaven ia in the Form of a Man 684
The Correspondence of Heaven with all things of Man GS6
The Correspondence of Reaven with all thiDga on Earth • 638
The Sun and Moon in Heaven 639
The Beat and Ligbt of Heaven 641
The Four Quartera in Heaven 643
Changes of State in Heaven 646
Time in Heaven 647
Space and Distance in Heaven 648
Representatives and Allpt'81"8nces in Heaftll 649
The Garmeota of Angels 651
The Habitations and Mansions of the Angela 65~
Oovemments in Heaven 654
Divine Worship in Heavell • 655
The Power of Angela 657
The Speech of Angela 659
Writiogs in Heaven 661
The Knowledge of the Angela 663
The Wiadom oC the Angela • 663
The Innocence of Angela • 667
24. OONTBNTB. nili
p.wIa
The Peace of Heaven . • 669
The State in Heaven of the NatioDS aDd Peoplee out of the
ChUJ'Ch 670
Infants in Heaven . 678
The Rich and Poor in Heaven 677
Eternal Reet 679
The Occupations of Angela 679
The Eminence and Opulence of Angels . 881
HeaveDly Joy and Happiness 682
The Aged naturn to the Spring-time of Lüe in Heaven • 688
The Immensity of Heaven . 684
Heaven is never filled, but more perfect by increue 68G
BELL.
The Origin of Evil and of Hell 688
The Lord govcms the Bells 688
The Lord caste no one into Hell, but the Spirit casta himself
therein . 689
AlI in the Hells are in Evils and Falsities 890
Infernal Spirits are the FOnDS of their own Evils 691
The Nature of Self·Love • 699
The File of Hell, and the Gnashing of Teeth 694:
The ProfouDd Wickedness and NefarioU8 Arts of Infernal
Spirits • 69G
The Tonnents and Punishments of Hell . 69'1
The Use and Eifect of Punisbmente in Hell 698
Appearance, Situaüon add Plurality of the Hells 699
Equilibrium between Heaven and Hell • 701
Freedom of the Infernals . 701
Evil Spirits are restrained from plunging into greater depths of
Evii than tbey had reached in the World • 702
The Deadly Spbere of Hell 708
THE LAST JUDGMENT.
Wbat the Lut Judgment la 704
The Lut J udgment does Dot involve the Destruction of the 7œ
World . 7œ
The Earth and the Human Race will abide for evel' 707
When the Lut Judgment takes place 709
The Lut Judgment must be in the Spiritual World 710
The Last Judgment of the First Christian Chureh bas been
accomplished • 711
The Former Heaven and its abolition 711
Of tbose meant by the Sheep, the Saints that slept, and the
SonIs under the Altar • • 714
The etate of the World and Church, alter, and in oonBeqa.eDœ
of, the Lut Judgment 716
25. 001lY'llNT8.
THE EARTHS IN THE UNIVERBE. P.A.O.
lDnumerable Earths are iDhabited 718
PermiBBion to discoorse with the Inhabitante of other Eartbs. 719
The P088ibility of such Converse, and How e1I'eokd 719
The Pluet Mercury 720
The Planet VenU8 728
The Moon of our Earth . '128
The Planet Mars . 724
The Planet Jupiter 726
The Planet Satam 782
Eartbs of othel' 80lar Systems 788
Of a Second Earth beyond our ~ SIReIll 786
MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.
ContinuaI Reflection, and Continual Preeence of the Lord 788
Conscience . 789
The Lord's Favour to Man's "aried Conscience • 789
The Pleasures orLite '140
Naturallsm . 742
The Origin of Roman ~peech 748
Four suœessive Solar Atmospheres 748
A.Frayer for Deliveranee from Evil '144
The Church cannot he raised up anew in any Nation until it il
entirely vastated 745
Organic Function, the groUDd of Correspondance of Heaven wï,h
aH tbings in Man . . 746
The Cbùrcb passes througb the stages of Rfe Uke an individoal 747
A Man's Mind is the Man hilllle1f 747
26. BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION.
THE steadily increasing infiaence which the teachings of
Emanuel Swedenborg are exerting upon human society, Îs a
pbenomcnon in some respects qnite onprecedented. "The Amer-
iean Swedenborg Printing and Pl1blishing Society" was organ-
ized and has been sustaïned for a quarter of a centnry, exclu-
aively for the pnblishing and popnlarizing of his writings.
This Society, with other agencie& in the United States, has
sopplied Dot Iess than twelve hnndred libraries with his works,
and haB circulated about fortYthousand copies of them besides.
Through the Iiberality of lIr. Iungerich, a zealous disciple of
Swedenborg, eiKhteen t~ousand copies of the l'r?u Oh'rÜJtian Re-
ligWn, and twelve thousand copies of the Apocalyp8IJ Reveal8d,
both large and costly works, have been fnrnishcd gratoitously to
aU the c1ergy, of whatever religious denolDin&tion, that have ex..
pressed a desire to possess theln. The AmeriC&ll New Ohnrch.TI-act and Publication Society has snpplied the clergy gratuit-
01181y with fif~en thoU68.nd five hundred copies of bis work on
Heo,'fNm, anul H~U. The same Society alao distributes annnal1.r
between thirty and fortY thonsand tracts and kindred publiœ-
tiODS, desigoed to present the doctrines of the " New Church " in
• popnlar form. The British and Foreign Swedenborg Society,
œtablished in 1810, have distribnted by way of donation
among oolleges, public institutions, tho clergy and others, be-
tween seven and eigbt thousand volumes of his writioWJ, in
27. xxvi BIOGRAPllIOAL INTRODUOTION.
additio)l to th~ir annnal sales, ranging for many years past from
'live to seven thoosand volumes. The annna! sales of the tracts
of the English tract societies range between fortY and fiIty
thonsand a year.
In forcign countries the demand for "New Chnrch"
literature has also beau more or less. coDspicnous. Some or
aIl of S'edenborg's worka have been published in the Latin,
SaDscrit-Hindn, French, Swedish, German, lcelandic, Italian,
Nor'egian, Russian and Welsh languages, and every year is
adding to the number made accessible by translation to new
classes of readers· in every quarter of the globe. Recently,
the dcmand for Swedenborg's writings has reached the secular
press. One of the largest publishing houses 1 in the world is
prodncing revised translations of his works in a superior style,
for the general market; and the work of Mr. Warren, which is .
here submitted by them to the public, is at the same time one of
the imits of their enterpriBe and a striking proof of an incrcasing
popular interest in the doctrines of which it provides snch an
adeqnate and admirable compendium.
lt is au axiom in history that "a religion that does Dot
propagate itsclf and its Bacred books is either dying or dead."
If the converse of this be true there is no branch of the Chris-
tian Chnrch that exhibits IDore vitality than that with which
the name of Swedenborg: has been associated.
It is more than a century ainee this illustrions Swede com.
menced the publication of his theological writings. They wcre
aIl written in the Latin tongue; were puhlished at his own ex-
pense, in very lirnited editioDS, and the earlier ODes without bis
name. Most of the copies were presented by him to public
llbraries, or to personal friends supposed to be interested in the
snbjects of them. No special effort WBS made in his life-time
to attract pnblic attention to their contents. The press of the
1 J. B. Llppincott & Co., 01 Philadelphia.
.
28. BIOGB.APHIO.AL INTBODUOTION. xxvii
period seems scarcely to have known of their existence. Quiet-
ly, but steadily, hovever, they have gained readers and their
doctrines converts, nntil DOW his disciples may be found in
every Christian land; his worka in the language of every
civilized people; and his doctrines more or less leavening the
pnlpit teachiogs of everJ Christian sect. This growth and
vitality of a comparatively modern s~8tem of religious instruc-
tion and Biblical interpretation is in many respects without1
a precedent. It wonld, l think, be difficult to name an
instance oI a society organized and maintained expressly for the
propagation and exposition of the teachings of an uninspired
writer for any considerable fraction of the time which has
elapsed sinee the writings of Swedenborg were tirst 8ubmitted to
the public. Of aIl the founders of schools of thonght ainee the
Apostles, 1 recall none to whom snch homage has been paid.
This vitality seems tQ be the more exceptional and extraor-
dinary from the fact that 'Swedenborg took no steps looking to
the foundation of a sect. To whatever conclusion, therefore,
one may come in regard to the soundness of his teachings,
it is clear that he belonged t9 an order of men very rare
in the world; who brought e:x.traordinary gifts to the study
of the most important problems of human life; that he is
a man from whom much may he learned, and to the secret of
whose extraordinar, influence no one can afford to he indifferent.
L
1688-1710.
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG was born at Stockholm, in Sweden,
on the 29th day of January, 1688, and died on the 29th day of
lIareh, 1772, having attained the then unusllal age of eighty-
four years. His life divides itself into tbree sharply defined
periode.
29. xxvüi BIOGBAPBIOAL INTBOD UOTION.
Fi'rat, the period of bis childhood and Academie life, reach.
ing to 1710.
&cond, the Scientjfic period from 1710 to 1742.
TAird, the " Illuminated" period from 1742 to 1772.
Swedenborg was descellded from a family ofsucoesaful and
opulent minera. Ile was the third .80D of Jesper Swedberg,
who attained 8ucce&sively.the positions of chaplain of the Oonrt
in 16~8; Dean and pastor of Wingiiker in 1690; professor in
tlle University of Upsal in 1692; Dean of the cathedral in
ITpsal in 1694; superintendent of the Swedish chorches iD
Atncrica, London and Portngal in 1696, and, Bishop of Skara
in 1'702. He was chaplain st Court when Emanuel was born,
and by his fearlees, straight-forward and truly apostolic de-
meanor, 800n won the entire t'Oufidence of the old King Charles
XI. He commenced his duties as chaplain,by exercising his regi-
Jnent, consisting of 1,200 men, in the catechisme In a volu-
minous Autobiography which he left behind him in MS., Ile
tella us :-" To this they were quite unused, 80 that when they
MW me coming they q nsiled more than they ever did befoN
the enemy. But when l began telling theID stones from the
Bibl~ in 8 quiet way, they BOon came to like me sa well that
thcy did Dot care to go away when their time was op and an-
other detachment to come in, so that between the two 1 wu
near being trampIed under their feet. The, offioers, too, sat at
the table listening and exchanging with me edifying remarks.
At one yearly llluster of the rcgiment 1 told them that the next
year 1 should give a catechism to each man who should be able
to read it, at the aame time taking down the names of those
who oould then read, nnmbering three hundred. The next
year 1 found six hundred who oonld r~~, and it cost me six
hnndred copper dollars to redeem my promise. 1 betook n11-
self 10 the King, told him of the expense l had incurred, and
he at once puUad ont his purse filled with ducats, and gave me
a handful without counting them."
30. BIOGBAPHIO.AL INTRODUOTION. nÎ%
Father Swedberg wu no time-aerver, and neither found nor
80ught one way for the rich and powerfnl and another for the
poor and fooble to get to heaven. He wu a strict disciplina-
rian; he iDsisted upon the observance of the Sabbath, and ex.
hibited a blunt and honast persistency in the discharge of his
dnties, which, though irksome to those to whom ail religious
restraints are irkaome, and involving him in no end of trouble,
pleased the King very much. Ono day bis Majesty said to
him, " Yon have many enemies." "True," said the chaplain,
"the servant of the Lord, your :Majesty, i8 Dot .good for much
who bas Dot enemies." On another occasion, the King under
an impulse of gratitude for 80mething he had done, said, "Ask
. what you like, and yon shall have it." •
"From that day," Swedberg tells na, " 1 became more earn-
est and wary in all 1 Baid or did. 1 asked nothing for myself
nor Bline, D~, Dot the half of a ativer; but spoke to the king
freely of meritorious poor men, and he always attended to my
soggestions. l also pleaded for schools, collages, and for the
diffusion of religions publications. When he asked me who
should he appointed to a vacant living, 1 named the penon
l tbought bast fitted for it, and he always got it. Renee Many
good men came into rich livings, ta their joyfnl surprise, and
without any suspicion of the cause. AB 1 found every day
freer access to his Majesty, 1 prayed with my whole heart
unto God that 1 mightnot become proud nor misuse my
opportnnities, but that He would consecrate me to His serv-
ice and glory; and that 1 might fulfil my every dutY with
watchfolness, never forgetting that Gourt favor is capricions,
and that 1 w.as 8urrounded with gosaips and backbitera. More-
OTer 1 laid down these two rules for myself: tint, to meddie
in no affaira, politica1 or worldly, with which 1 had no business.
. And second, never to speak ill of any one, should he even he
ml worat enemy and persecutor.."
31. xxx BIOGBAPHIO.AL INTRODUOTION.
His Episcopate over the Swedish church in Pennsylvania
fnrnished the bishop with the occasion for publishing a little
work, made up of reports from his clergy there, entitled, .Âmw-
ica IUuminata, written and, jnWUsMd in, 1732 by ller biBlwp,
Dr. Jasper 8weàJJ6rg, Skara, a translation of which appeared
in the New Church Magazine of Boston, in the September and
succeeding nombers of 1873-1874.
The bishop lived to the advanced age of eighty-two, fulfiD-
ing acceptably aIl the duties of his Episcopate to the last. His
:tiret wife,-for he was twice mar~ied,-the mother of Emanuel,
was Sarah Behm, danghter of Albert Behm, assessor in the
college of mines and o,,'ner of the extensi7e mines of TaU·
fors. The social position occopied by the family, both on the
:father's and the mother's side, justify the presumption that
their children enjoyed the best educational advantages tbat
Sweden afforded at that periode Of him, as of Sampson, it
may be said that he was born a Nazarite from his mother's
womb. In one of bis lettera to Dr. Beyer, near the close of his
life, he said :
"From my fourth to my tenth year 1 was constantly occu-
pied with thoughts of God, sal,·ation, and the spiritual diseases
of men; and severai times 1 revealed things at which my
father and mother wondered, saying that angels must he speak.
ing through me. From my sixth to my twelfth year, 1 used to
delight in conversing with clergymen about faith, saying that
the life of faith is love, and that the love which imparts life is
love to the neighbor; 81so that God gives faith 10 everyone,
but that they only receive it who practise that love. 1 knew
of no other faith, at that time, than that God is the Oreator and
Preserver of Nature; that He itnparts nnderstanding and a good
disposition to men, etc. 1 knew nothing at that time of that
learned faith which teaches that God, the Father, imputes the
righteousness of His Son to whom80ever, and at sllch times as
32. BIOGBAPHIO,AL INTRODUOTION. xni
He chooses, even to those who have Dot repented, and have not
reformed their lives. And had 1 heard of such a faith it wOllld
have been then, as it is DOW, above my comprehension.",
Of his academic life we know nothing except that he
graduated at the university of Upsala, and in point of scholar-
ship was admirably equipped for the stndias to which he conse-
crated the rest of his life. He introduced himself to the world
in 1709, with 8 Selection of Sentences from Seneca and Publius
Syrus Mimus, enriched with commenta of bis own on "Friend.
ship '~'nd other virtnes.
II.
1710-1749.
THE second period of Swedenborg's life was devoted to the
study and the practical application of Natural Science. His rare
gifts for mathematics and mechanics soon won for him the favor
of the young king Charles XII, the office of Assessor of Mines,
and a patent of nobility, with a seat in the upper house of the
Swedish Parliament.
On leaving the university and while pl-eparing for 8 so-
joum of sorne months in England, to perfect his education, he
revealed, in a letter to his brother-in.law, Benzelius, the bent
his mind had aIready received towards the study of mathe-
matics. "... And DOW at my departnre," he wrote, " 1 pro-
pose to myseIf, gradnally to gather and work op a collection of
thinga diBcovered and ta be diaCO'lJereà in matltematica, or, what
is nearly the saIne thing, to measnre the progr688 made in matA-
611W,tÏC8 during th6 la8t on8 ur two centuM. This collection
will include ail branches of mathematics, and will 1 trust he of
nse to me dnring my journeys."
In hie twenty-:first year he wu sent to England, where on
lees than $200 a year he sp.ent 8 twelvemonth or more in the
prosecntion of his favorite study, and its application to the
33. xnii BlOGRAPHICAL INTRODUOTION.
sciences of astronomy and meehsnics,--seeking the acquain-
tance and frequenting the society of those who were pr&-
sumed to he mutera of those sciences. W riting to Ben..
zelius, soon after bis arrivaI in London, he says: "1 study
Newton daily, and am very anxious to Bee and hœr him." Sir
Isaao Newton, at this time, wu in his seventieth year, and
president of the Royal Society, of which Sir Hans Bioane waa
Becretary. Swedenborg goes on: "1 ~ave provided myself
with a small stock of books for the stndy of matbematics, and
81so with a certain number of instruments, which are 8 &lp in
the study of science. 1 hope that, after settling my accounts, 1
may have sufficient money left to purchase an air-pump."
Ho writes again in April following, to Benzelius, who wu
librarian of the King's Library :
" Would yon not like to have for the use of the Library
a good air-pump, with all the apparatuB belonging to it, and
the improvements invented by members of the Royal Society 1
1 will send yon shortly the books about it, the priee, and a list
of everything belonging 10 it. Three have beau sent to Russia;
for there are many Russians here. They mostly study mathe-
maties and navigation, adapting themselves to the taste of their
chief, who took a wonderful interest in these 8ubjects dnring
hi. visit here. The Czar purchased, also, froln lIr. Edmund
Balley, for eighty pounds, his 'incomparable quadrant; which
he used in discovering the southern stars at St. Helena; and
with which he took pretty good observations of the moon and
the planets in 1683, 1684 and other years.
" 1 viait daiJy the beet mathematicians here in town. 1
have been with Flamsteed, who is coosidered the hast astrono-
mer in England, and who is eonstantly taking observations,
which, together with the Paris observations, will give us some
day a correct tbeory respecting the motion of the moon and of
34. BIOGRAPHIOAL INTROD UOTION. xxxiii
îts appu1se to the fixcd stars; and with its help there may ho
round a trne longitude st &ea. He has found that the mo-
tion of the moon has as yet by no means been weIl determined;
that an theoretical lunar tables are very irnperfect ; and that the
aame errora or dcviations which are noticed in an earlier period
of eighteen years and eleven days, occur again afterwards."
In view of Swedenborg's later carecr, as a student and
tcaeher of theological science,-upoll which his earlier etndies
lllost he presulned to have had their infiuence,-it may Dot
he without profit to read the observations of one of his etni-
nent French contemporaries, upon the judgrnent passed upon
mathematical stndies, in which Swedenborg W&S so proficient,
by two of the most popnlar and illustrions theological teachers
of the preceding generation. D'AlcDlbert in his Eloge of Bos-
suet 1 says:
"Of a11 the profane studies, that of mathematics was the
on1y one which the young ecclesiastic believed he had a right
to neglect; Dot from contempt of them (wc do not fear to say
that such a contempt would be a ~tain upon the memory of the
great Bossuet) but becal186 sncb knowlcdge did Dot appear to
bim of any utility to religion. We might be accused of being at
once judges and parties if we dared to appeal from this rigor-
ous proscription. Nevertheless it shoold bo permittcd ns to
observe, aIl individual interest spart, that the growillg thcolo-
gian did Dot treat with adeqnate justice or infornlstion a science
which is ~ot so useless as he thinks, to the theologian; a science
in effect 80 suitable,-not to correct tll08e who are indifferent to
the trnth (les upritB fa'U~), cOlldemned to relnain what nature
made them, but, to fortify, in better natures, that justnes8 so
much the more nccessary as the subject of their meditatiôn
is more important or lnore sublime. Could Bossuet be igno-
rant that the habit of demonstration, in leading 11S to recogllize
1 Œuvrcede D'Alembert, TaI 2, p.247.
3
•
35. xxxiv BIOGB.APHIOAL INTBODUOTION.
and seize evidence in everything which is susceptible of proof,
teaches us 81so not to caIl that denlonstratïon which is not, and
to discern the litnits which, in the narrow circle of buman
knowledge, separate daylight from twilight, and twiligbt from
darkness Y
"ShaH we have the courage to avow here aOO that the in-
dulgent Fenelon, so unlike Bossuet in other respects, treated
mathematiœ yet more rigoroosly than he j He wrote in 80
rnany words to & young man, wbom he directed noe to allow
Àim881fto b8 1JeuJitclwl by tIuJ diabolioal attr~ of g8Dm8-
t~, tDhich 1DOulà eœtingUlÜJh in hi"" t~ apirü ofgrac8. With-
ont doubt the arid and severe speculations of tbis science, which
Bossuet accused only of heing useless to theology, appeared, 10
the tender and exalted soul of Fenelon, a poison to those mYEr
tic contemplations for wbich he had but too marked a weak-
ness. But if that W8S ail of geometry's crime, in the eyes of
the Archbishop of Cambra"~ it is difficult to pronounce ber .
gnilty."
Whether less mathematics in Swedenborg or more in
Bossuet would have modified, to aoy important extent, their
opinions or tbeir influence as religious teachers, ia a question
about which the greatest diversity of opinion might exiat;
but it. will scarccly be qliestioned, that a habit of subjecting
problems of natural science to the mathematical crucible, is
calcnlated to inspire confidence in the conclnsions which a
mind formed by such a habit is satisfied with. .
The fruits of Swedenborg's labors, during what we have
termed the second period of bis career, are preserved in saventy-
seven distinct worka, aIl of wbicb were written in Latin, except
twenty in the Swedish longue. About half of the whoJe
are still in manu8cript, the substance of m08t of them having
becn incorporated into the larger works ·hich were printed.
Though it will not probahly be contested, that S·edenborg
36. BIOGBÂPBIOAL INTRODUCTION. XXXy
100 all his oontemporaries in nearly if not quite the whole
range of applied science which he coltivated, his scicotifio
writings are Most interesting to the modern reader for th~
part they had in preparing him for the higher task to whicb he
felt bimself called to CODsccrate the last thirty Jear& of bis
life. The mere titles of his &eientifio worka ~re enongh to
appal the modem student, hy the evidence they furnish of
his industry and the range of 11is explorations. They a]80
show tbat this man, whom the world bas been disposed t9
regard as the most chimcrioal of dreamers, "'~8 the moat
praotica1 88 weIl as one of the most ingellioos of philosophera.
He was the tirst 10 introdoce ioto Sweden the difterenti~
and integral ca1cn1uB.
The yalidity of a patent fOf 'he modern air-tight stove,
DOW in suell universal use, has been recently contested and
&et aside in oor courts, l1pon the groulld tbat the principle
of the stove wu discovered and made knovn by Swedenborg
more than a centory ago.
His Specimens of Chemistryand Phyaics contain the germa
of the atomic thOOfY set forth afterwards by Dalton.
The French chelnist Dumas ascribes to Swedenborg the
c~tion of the modern science of crystallography.
Nineteen years before Franklin's famous experiments, Swe-
denborg had reasoned out the identityof lightning and elec-
tricity.
He antit-ipated Laplace by more than thirty yean in the
discovery that the pIanets and planetary motion are derived
from the sun; and while his hypothesie diWen eueotially from
tbat of Laplace, it is experimentally illustrated by De PIateau's
celebrated experimcnt of a rotating ftuid mass relieved from
the action of gravity.
He a180 discovered the animation of the brain; its coïnci-
dence during formation with the systole and diastole of the
37. xxxvi 'BIOGRAPHIOAL INTRODUOTION.
neart, and, after birth, with the respiration or the lungs; and,
incidcntal to this, the nniversal motion generated by the 1nngs
and distribnted to the whole anirnal machine.
It is DOW a ,vell recognized law of physical science, that
Action and Reaction are eqnal, simllltaneou8 and contrary.
·Prof. Bartlett, of the United States Military Academy st West
Point, nearly a qnarter of a century ago, used the above law
expressed in 'a singlc forlnll1a, froID which he derived aIl the
'conseqnences of the action of force upon matter. He saY8,1
(referling to its introduction in 1856),
. "That forlnula was no othcr than the sirnple allalytical ex-
pression of vhat is now generally cnlled the law of tlle conaer-
'lJation of energy, which haB sinee revo]utionizcd science in
ncarly aIl its branches, and whieh at that tÎlne ,vas but little
developed or Recepted. It is belicved that this WRS not on]y
the first, but that it e"en still ie the only treatise on Ana]ytical
':Mechanic8 in ~·hich aH the phencunena are presented as mere
consequences of that single law."
The saine law of Action and Reaction, as applied to the
moral forces, was statcd by Svedenborg lno're tban a ccntury
'ago,2 and thus we have a striking illustration of the universaIity
and sitnplicity of the law governiug both worlds. In its latter
'phase it is an essential part of ~hat the disciples of Swedenborg
1 Bartlett's Analytical ~{echanics, 9th edition.
t te 10 everythiog created by God," he saYf1, "there is reaction. Action be-
longs to Lite alone, and reaction is caused by the action of. Life. Now, be-
l cause this reaction takes place whenever Rny created thing is acted upon, it
,tem, to belong to the thing created; thus in man, reaction seems to he bie
own beC&uBe he has no Rense of life but as his own, although he is marely a
recipient of lite. Therefore it is that man trom his heredi tary evil reacts
against God, and that aIl the good in liCe is 000'8 action, and itR evil from
'man's reaction; then his reaction becomes the result of the Divine action
upon him, and he acts wi'th God as from himsell. By simultan~ous act.ion
and reaction aIl thing!t are h~ld in equilibrium, and a11 things must 80 be
lleld. This is here stated lest man should believe that he ascends to Ond by
bis own power, and Dot by the power of the Lord."-Swedenborg's DifJi'M
. IA'D8 and lVûdom, n. 68
38. BIOGRAPHIOAL INTBODUOTION. xxxvii
regard as the most conclu'sive arguluent that bas yet been made
in Iavor of the freedoln of the Will..
Alnong a11 tbe men who roso t.o eminence in any of the de-
partments of Natural Science d,uring his time, it would be difti..
cl1lt to naIlle one whose labors in the different departments of
applied science it would he luore interestiug or 'more profitable
to dwell upon. But that is Dot the aspect of Swedenborg's
career to which the sllcceeding pages invite attention; and there-
fore we 8hall content ourselves with a bare enumeration of the
titles of his literary and scientific worka, to illustrate, what &
more careful exanlination wonld demonstrate, that the most
striking feature of unity that characterizes them a11, from the
bcginlling to the end, and towards which every thing he did,
studied, or wrote seemed to tend, was to find the ultimate or final
source of power; that force which, both as a philosopher and
3S an ofticer of the state, he had been engaged from his yonth
npward in tryiug to reduce to the service or mankind.
We give here a list of his literary and academic writings,
in the chronological order of their production, to show the ex~
traordinary range of Ilis accolnplislunents:-
1. Select Sentences of L. Annmns, Selleea, and Pub. Syros
Mimns, with the annotations of Erasmus, and the Greek version
of Jos. Scaliger, which, with the consent of the Philosophie:l
Society, and furnished vith notes, are subtnitted with ditJiden~
to publio examination, by Emauuel Swed.berg, Up3al, 1709, 92
pages Svo.
2. The Swedisb pop.m "The Rl1le of Youth and the Mirrol·
of Old Age" from Ecclesiastes XII., by Dr. Jasper Swedberg,
Bishop of Scnra, the best of fathers, translated into Latin verse,
bv his SOD, Elnannel Swedberg, Scara, 1709.
el 3. To Sophia. Elisabeth Brenner, the only Muse of onr age,
when ahe edited her poems a second time. London, 1710, 2
pages 4to.
4. 'fhe Northern Muse sporting with the Deeds of Heroes and
Heroines: or Fables similur to those of Ovid, under varions
names. By Emanuel Swedberg, Greifswalde, 1715, 112 p:'ges
16mo. .
.5. The Heliconian Sport, or Miscellaneous Poems, written in
39. xxxviii 'BIOGBAPHIOAL INTBODUaTION.
Tarious places, by Emanuel Swedberg, Scara, 1716, 16 pages ~.
6. A Sapphic Poem in celebration of August 28, 1716, th&
birthdayof my dear~8t father, Doctor Jasper Swedberg, the Right
Reverend Bishop of Bearn, when he was sixty-three years old, which
is " the great climaeteric year." Scara, 1716.
7. Dœdalus Hyperboreus, or some new mathematical and
}>hysical experiments and ~bserv!tions, m~de by the Honorable
AS8C88or Polhem and otber Ingenlous men ln Sweden, and which
will be made public from time to time for the general good. Up-
Bal, 1716-1718, six numbers, 154 pa~es 4to.
8. Information coneerning the 'finware of StieIisund, its uee
and the method of tinning. Stockhohn, 1717, 4 pages, 4to.
9. The Importance of establishing an Astrononlicai Observa-
tory in Sweden, with a plan by which this may be carried out.
4 pnges MS. large folio, 1717.
10. On the Oanses of Things, 4 pag-es MS. 4to, 1717.
Il. A new Theory concerniBg the End of the Barth, MS. frag.
ment of 38 ~ge8, 1717.
12. On a Mode of assisting Commerce and Manufactures, MS.
Upsge8, 400, 1717.
13. A Memorial on the establishment of Saltworks in Sweden.
MS. 4 pages folio, 1717.
l~. The Nature of Fire and Oolore, MS. 6 pages folio, 1717.
15. Algcbra, edited in ten books, UpSl'Ia, 135 pages, 16mo,
1718.
16. Contributions to Geometry and Algebra. liS. 169 pages,
400, 1718.
17. An Attempt to find the East and West Longi!ude bv the
Moon, set forth for the judgment of the learned. Upsala, i718,
38 pages 8vo.
18. On the Motion and Repose ()f the Earth and the Planets,
f. e. sorne 3rguments showing that the earth slackens its speed.
more than heretofore, causing winter and 8ummer nights and days
to he longer, in respect to time, tban formerly. Scata, 1718, 40
pa.ges, 16 mo.
19. Rcspecting the great Depths of Water, and of stron~Tides
in the primeval world ; proofs from Sweden. Upsala., 1719, 40
pages, 16mo.
20. A Description of Swedish iron fnrnaces, and of the pro-
cesses for smelting iron, 84 pages 4to, 1719.
21. Anatomy of onr most sobtle Natnré, showin~ that our
rnoving and our living force consists of vibrations. MS. 48 pages,
4:to, 1719.
22. New Directions for diBcovering Metallic Veine, Or SOme
hints hitherto unknown for the discovery of mineral veins and
trea8nr~8 deeply hidden in the earth. 1.18. 14 pages 4to.
23. Information concerning Docks, Canal-Iocks, and Salt-
worka. Stockholm, 1719, 8 pages 4to.
40. BIOflBAPHICAL lNTROD UGTION. xxxix
:u. ProposaI for regulating our Coînage and Measnres, by
which our computation is facilitated and fractions are abolished.
Stockholm, 1719, S'P~ 400.
25. Conceming the Riee and FaU of Lake Wenner, and how
far this is due to tbe tlow of water into it, and the oarrying oil of
water by streams. MS. 7 pap:ea folio, 1720.
26. First Principles of Natural Things, deduced from experi-
ence and geometry, or a posteriori and a priori. MS. 560 pages,
4:to, 1120.
27. Latter of Emanuel Swedenborg to Jacob à Melle. lu
Acta Literaria Sueciœ for 1721, 4 pages (192 to 196).
28. A ForerUDner of the First Principles of Natural Things, or
of new attempts to expIain Chemistry and experimental Physies
geometrieally. Amsterdam, 1721, 199 pages, 16mo. .
29. New Observations alld Discoveries respecting Iron, and
Fire, and particnlarly respecting the elementary nature of fire,
together wlth a new constractioD of Stoves. Amsterdam, 1721,
56 pages, 16mo. illustrated.
30. A new Method of finding the Longitudes of Places, on
land and at sea, by Lunar Observations. Amsterdam, 1721, 29
pages, Svo.
31. A new Mechanical Plan for constructing Docks and
Dykes; and a mode of discovering the powers of VessaIs by the
application of Mechanical Principles. Amsterdam, 1721, 21 pp.
8vo, (second edition, 1727).
32. New Rules for maintaining Heat in Booms. In Acta Lit.
~ueciœ for 1722, 3 pages.
33. Miscellaneou8 Observations on the thin~ of Nature, and
~cially on MineraIs, Fire and the Strata. of Mountains. Part
1. to III. Leipzig, 164 pages, 16mo. Part IV., Sohiffbeck near
HambQ~g, 56 pages 16mo, 1722.
34. Fable of the Love and Metamorphosis of the Muse Urania
into a man and servant of Apollo, addressed to the most illustri-
ons and excellent Senator, Count Maurioe Wellingk, Schiftbeck
Deal Hamburg, 1722, S pages, 400.
. 35. An Eluoidation of 8 Law' of Hydrostatios, demoDstrating
the Power of the deepelt Waterl of the. Deluge and their Action
on the Rocks and other Substances at the bottom of the Sea. In
Acta Lit. Sueciœ for 1722, pp. 353 to 356.
36. Frank View8 on the FaU and Bise in the V&lue of Swedish
Money. Stockholm, 1722, 20 pages, 400.
37. The Magnet and its Qualities. MSS. 299 pp. 400. 1722.
3S. On the right Treatment of Metall. MS. 1723. 1481
pages, 4to.
39. The Motion of the Elements in GeneraL MS. 5 pages,
4ta. (1724 to 1733.)
.40. Papers belonging to the Principia, etc. MS. 18 pages
4to. (1724 to 1733.)
41. xi BIOGBAPHICAL INTROD UOTION.
41. The Mechanism of the Soul and Body. MS. 16 pages 4ta.
(1724 to 1733.)
. 42. A Comparison of ~hr~st.ian Wolf's Ontology and Cosmology
wlth Swedenborg's "Pr1,nctp&a ReTum Naturalium." MS. 49
pages 4to. (1724: to 1733.)
43. Anatomical Observations. MS. 6 pages 4to. (1724 to 1733.)
44. Journal of 'l'ravels for the Years 1733, and 1734. MS. 80
pages 4to.
45. Philosophical and Mettlllurgical Works. By Enlanuel
Swedenborg, 3 vols., Dresden and Leipzig, 1134. First vol., 432
pp. folio, 2d vol. ~ 386 pages, 3d vol., 534 pages.
46. Outlines of a Philosophical Argument on the Infinite and
the Final Cause of Oreation, and on the Mechanism of the Opora-
tion of Soul and Body. Dresden and Leipzig, 1734. pp. 270, Svo.
47. An Abstract of the 'York entitled Pr;'1l,cipia Reru,m Nat-
uralium. MS. 27 pp. 4to, 1734.
48. Fragments of three Treatises on the Brain, MS. 1004: pages
4to, 1734-1738.
49. Description of my Journeys. MS. 40 pages, 4to. 1136 to
1739.
50. Tho Wa.y to a Knowledge of the Soul. MS. 5 pages 4to.
1738.
51. Faith and Good Works. MS. 10 pp. 4to. 1738.
52. Economy of the Animal Kingdom. London and Amster·
dam. Part 1., 1740, pp. 388, 4to, Part II., 1741, pp. 194. 400.
53. A Oharacteristic and Mathematical Philosophv of Univer-
salse MS. 5 pa~es folio, 1740. 01
54. On the Bones of the Skull, and Ossification, and the Durà
Mater. MS. 49 p. fol., 1740.
55. A ~ummary of Corpuscular. Philosophy. MS. 1 page,
folio, 1740.
56. Anatomy of aIl the Parts of the Larger and Lesser Brains;
of the Medulla Oblongata and 8pinalis.,· together with the Dis-
eases of the Head. ~IS. 636 pp. fol.. 1740.
57. Introduction to n. Rational Psychology, the first part of
which treats of the 6bre, the arachnoid tunie, and the diseases of
the fibres.· MS. 366 pp. 400. 1740 and 1741.
58. On the Declination of the Magnetic Needle; 8 Contro-
versy betveen E. Swedenborg and Prof. A. Celsius of Upsal.
Read and discnsscd before the Academy of Scienco st Stockholm
in 1740 and 1749.
59. Introduction to a Rational Psychology, Part II, trcating
of the Doctrine of Oorrespondences and Representations. MS.
9 pages folio. 1741. .
60. A Hieroglyphic Key to Natnral and Spiritnu,l Hysteries,
by way of Representations and Correspondences. MS. 48 pages
4to. 1741.
61. Comparison of the Three Theories concerning the inter·
42. BIOGBAPRIVAL INTROD UOTION. xli
course between tbe SonI and the Body. MS. 44 pages 4to.
1741.
62. The Red Blood. MS. 24 pages 4to. 1741.
63. The Aninlal Spirit. MS. 24 pages 4to. 1741.
64. Sensation, or Passion of the Body. MS. Il pages 4to. 1741.
65. Ori~in and Propagation of the SouI. MS. 6 pages 4to. 1741.
66. ActIon. lIS. 30 pages 4to. 1741.
67. Ru.tional Psychology. MS. 234 rages folio. 1741 and 1742.
68. Signification of Philosophical 'lerma, or Olltology. MS.
21 pages folio. 1742.
69. 'fhe AnatoolY of the Human Body. MS. 269 pages folio.
70. Digest of Swammerdam's Biblia Natorœ. MS. 79 pages
folio. 1743.
71. The Animal Kingdom considered Anatomically, Physi-
cally and Philosophically. Hague, 1744. Part 1., pp. 438. Part
II., pp. 286, 4to.
72. Swedenborg's Private Diary for 1743 and 1744. MS. 101
pages, 16mo.
73. On Sense in generaI, its influx into the Soul, and the
reaction of the latter. MS. 200 pages folio. 1744.
74. The ~Iuscles of the Fuce and Abdomen. MS. pages 13
folio. 1744.
75. Physicul and Optical Experimenta. MS. pp. 6 folio. 1744.
76. On the Bruin. bIS. 43 pages folio. 1744.
77. The Animal Kingdom, considered Anatomically, etc.
Part III, 169 pages 4to. London, 1745.
The ability to treat 8nch a variety of topics, and most of
theln, 1 may add, npon the authority of perfectly competent
testimony,. as no other man of the tiIne could have treated
them, is due to qnalities of mind and character which have Dot
received from his biographers the attention they merit. There
W8S no kind of knowlcdge ,vhich conld be made useful to hia
fel10w creatures that he thOllght it beneath him to master, or
which he neglected an opportunity of mastering. He Dot only
while in London visited the best mathelnaticians and astrono-
mers, but in one of his lettera from there he says:
. .
"During my stay here, l have acql1ired the manual art of
binding books; for we have a bookbinder with U8; 1 have al.
ready displayed my skillupon two books, which 1 bound in
half-lllorocco."
43. BIOGRAPBreAL lN1.BODUOTION.
On the 6th of March following he writes that he had
added another accomplishmcnt to that of book-binding :
"1 have little desire to remnin here much longer," he
says, "for 1 am wasting most of my time. Still, 1 have made
such progress in music, that 1 have been ablc severa! tilDes to
take the place of our organist."
Swedenborg could never see anything done exhibiting in.
genuity, or skill, and usefulness combined, that he did Dot expo-
riance what he described 88 an "iUltnoderate desire," to 11188-
ter its secret. Writing afterwards from London, he ~'id:
"1 al80 turn 111Y lodgings to sorne use, and change them
olten; st first ~ was at a watchlnakcr's, and nov 1 am at a math·
ematical instrnment maker's; froln them 1 take theÏ.. trade,
which som~ day will be of use to me. 1 have recentl}9 corn·
pllted, for my own pleasure, severai useful tables for the lati-
tude st Upsal, and ali the solar and lunar eclipses which will
take place between 1712 and 1721 ; 1 am willing to communi-
cate theln if it he desired. In llridertaking, in astronomy, to
facilitate the calculation of eclipscs, and the motion of the
moon outside those of the syzygies, and also in undertaking to
correct the tables 80 as to agree with the Dew observations, 1
ahall have enough to do."
Writing to his brother-in-Iaw in 1712, about some globes that
he had been instructed to procure for the Royal Library, he 8&)'8 :
" It is almost impossible to get the paper for the globes;
for they are afraid they will he copied. Those that are
mounted are, on the other band, very dear. 1 have therefore
thought of engraving a couple nlyself, with my own hands,-
but only of the ordinary size, il of a Swedish foot,-&nd after
they are done 1 will sand both the drawing and the plates to
Sweden. Aftor my return 1 may perhaps make sorne of more
vaIne. 1 have already perfected mJself so much in the art of
engraving that 1 consider Inyself capable of it. A specitnen of
my art 1 enclose in my father's latter; this, which illustrates
BOme of my inventions, wu the first thing 1 took in hand. At
l '
f:
44. JJIOGBAPHIOAL INTRODUOTiON. xliü
the same time 1 have learned 80 much from my Iandlord, in the
an of making bras8 instruments, that 1 have manufactured
many for my own use. Ware l in Sweden, 1 should Dot need
-ta apply 10 any one to make the meridians for the globe, and
itB other appurtenances.
"With the little oa,nera o1Jacura, which yon bAd the kind·
De88 to send me, 1 havo already leamed perspective drawing to
my own satisfaotion. 1 have practiced on churches, honses, etc.
If 1 were alJJOng the lifting mRchines, in Fablun or elsewhere,
1 conld make drawinge Gf them &8 well as aoy one cise, by meana
of this little instrnment."
Rere we have a 1nan perfectIy eqnipped foremincnt 8uccesa
in the highe&t range of philosophiesl inqniry, who, in the short
apace of five or six years, makes himsell practically acquainted
with sevan of the industrial arts,-book-binding, music, the
manufacture of watches, fnrnitore, and mathematicfll instrn-
ments, engraving, and perspective drawing; no one of which
in the days of Plato would have been, and scarcely DOW is
tbought a desirable acquisition for a gentlctnau. At the corn-
paratively early age when these lettera were writtcn, Sweden-
borg W&S ooming, nnoonsciously, perhaps, under the dominion
of the great principle which he lived afterwArds to illustrate
with singnlar efBcacJ', both by precept and example, that the
only genuïne happiness this life or any ~ther CRD yie'd, resolts
from efforts to promote the welfare of others.
When he pl1blished his" Op81'l1J Philo8ophica et N.i'l'teralia,,"
in which he gave with considerable detail the theoreticAI and
practical processes of copper and iron lnelting, Ile was taken to
.Bk by others in the business for revoaling its Inysteries to the
publio. Speaking of these cenBON in one of his lettera, he
wrïteB :-" There are some who love to hold knowledge for
themeelves alone, and to be repnted p088e88OrB and gusrdians of
secrets. People of this kind gl'udge tho public everything;
lnd if any discovery by which Art and Science will he henefited
cornes to light, they look at i~ 8skanco with scowling visage, and
45. xliv BIOGRAPllIOAL INTRODUOTION.
probably denounce the discoverer as a babbler, who iets out.
secrets. Why should secrets be grudged to the public 1
Why withheld frOID this cnlightened age j Whatever is
worth knowing should by aIl menns be brought into the.
COlnmon market of 'the world. Unless this be done we cao
neither grow ",·iser nor happier wit.h tÏInc."
It W8.S this early direction of his character aud life which
Illade hitn one of the earliest and IIIost enlightened apostles
of popnlar sovereignty. For his ovn and his excellent father's
public serviceEl, his fanliIJ ,vas cnnobled in 1718, and it th'en
took the llame of S·cdelluorg. This gave hilll a seat in
the house of Pecrs or upper honse of the Swedish Parliament,
where he exhibited a capaeity for st..tttesmanship scarcely
interior to that which Inade him tàlDons 8S a philosopher.
He was one of the Inost cùnt)picuous chalnpions of a constitu-
tional government for Sgeden, that should set bounds to
the whims of a capricious sovereign, and his too unrcstricted
po~er. He boldly took the stand to which Hampden and
Russell only a few years before had been Inartyrs,-and 1hich
i t required great courage, sagaeity and virtlle to maintain, in
any legislative body in the eighteellth century,-that govern-
ment shollld be organized and conducted for the good of the
governed, and that no man was fit to be cntrusted ,vit.h absolute
power. "oN0 one," he. said in one of his memorials to the
Diet, involving the question of enlarging the prerogatives of
. the Cro"Il, "No one has the right to leave hislife and property
in the absolute po,,·er of any individual; for of thesc God
aJonc ]S lllaster, and ,ve are merely His stc,vards in this vorld.
• . 1 shndder ·hen 1 refiect ·hat may happen and probably
,vill happen, if private intercsts, by which the public good ie
shovcd into the background, shonld gain the ascendency here.
Besides, l cannot see any difference between a king of Sweden
""ho possesses absolute power and an idol; for aIl turn theln-
selves heart and soul as weIl to the one as to the othcr; they
obey his ""Hl, and worship what passés fl'om his mouth."
46. BIOGRAPHIOAL INl"ROD UOTION. xlv
Dnri~g his youth Swedenborg had witnessed the misfortunes
into which an unlimited monarchy had precipitated his conntry,-
the misery and distrcRs of eighteen years of ""Rr, with its dearly
bought victories and its' bloody defeats, its decÏlnated armics,
followed bJ a bankrnpt treasurJ', pestilence and fanJine,-811d
though alwa)'8 a favorite of thé king, he never rclaxed his ef-
forts, from the day he WBe clothed with the responsibilities of a
legislator, to bring the power and prerogatives of the crown
under the supervision and control of the people, or their repre-
'sentatives. So snccessful were he and his colleagnes in curtail-
ing the royal anthority, that when, in 1756, the king J"cfused
bis signature to me8sures resolved npon by the Privy Execn-
tive Couneil, he W8S one of the memoers of the Diet who eln-
'powered the ConDeil to put the' royal signature to the bill with
a Stamp. '
Pllusing at Rotterdnnl.in 1736, while on one of his conti-
nental excursions,. he made a record of his adrniration of the
,Republican institutions of Rolland, in which he discovercd " the
sorest gnarantee of civil and religions liberty, Rnd a tortu of
government Dlore pleasing in the sight of God than that of
·absolute empire." "In 8 Repnblic," he adds, " no undue vene-
·ration and hornage is paid to any nlan, but the hi~11e8t and the
·lowcst deems bimself the equal of kings or emperors. . •
The only being "hOln they venerate is God. And vhere He
aJone is wOfshipped, and men are not, is the country most ac-
·ceptable to Rim. . . They do Dot shase themselves under
·the influence of shalne or fear, hut may alwaJs preserv'e ft firm,
· sound mind; and with a free spirit and erect air mllY com-
mit themselves and their concerns to God, who alone elaims to
govemal1 things. Far otherwisc," he continueR, "ie the case
·under absolntc govemments, where men are trained to simnla-
tion and deceit; where they learn to have one thing in their
thoughts and another on their tongne ; and where, by long habit,
they become so inured to ,vhat is fictitious and cOllnterfeit. that
·even in divine worship they say one thing and think :tnother.
47. xlvi BIOGBAPHIOAL INTBODUOTION.
and try to palm 011 Opol1 God thcir falsity and. adulation."
This was strong language to use at a time nen all Europe, save
the amall @tate8 of Holland and Switzerland, were onder tbe .
mie, praotically, of absolute monarchs.
At a period, 000, when eçery country wu trying to pay its
debts with a cheaper money than that by which thcy wel-e in.
curred, Swedenborg wu an impassiooed champion of speoie pay-
menti, a sound commey and aD hoo~' maintenance of aU pùb-
lie engagements. The Connt A. J. VOD Hôpken, for many
years prime ministor of Sweden while Swedenborg sat in the
Honse of Peen, in a letter to a friend, said of Swedenborg:
"He pœsesaed ft sound jodgment upon aIl oooasions; he
MW everything clearly, and expressed bim&elf weIl on ail sub-
jects. The most solid, and the best written meJDorials present-
ed to the Diet of 1761 on matters of finance were from bis pen."
Two or three appeals on this subjece have been preserved.
One of them closes with the following paragraph :
"If any country could exist by means of a paper CQJTency,
which ie a anbstitute for, but is Dot mone"~ it would he a COUD-
try without a paraneI."
Swedenborg also labored earnestly in the Diet 10 check in-
temperance. On the fty-leaf of one of his books wu found the
following, in his hand-writing: cc The immoderate use of spir-
ituous liquors will be the ruin of the Swedish people." He
proposoo several measurea to the Diet intended to lessen the
coDaumption of spirits, and the waste of grain in their distillatioD.
In order to diminish the nomber of drunkards, he reoom-
mended, in one of bis memorials to the Diet, that "ail public
houses in town shonld be likc bakenl' shops, with an opeoiog in
the window tbrol1gh which tbose who desired nlight pnrchaae
wbiskey or brandy, without being allowed 10 onter the hOUle,
and lounge about in the tap-room."
Another of his propositions, which wu adopted hy the
Diet, was to limit the distillation of whiskey, and ta mise it in
priee by farming ont the right of distilling it. "If the diatil-
48. BlOORAPHIOAL INTBODUOTION. xlvii
Bug of wbiskey," he says in bis memorial to the Diet, "were
fanned ont in every judit-ial district, and al$o in the towns, to
the highest bidder, 8 considerable revenue roight be obtained for
the country, and the consumption of grain might al80 he ra-
dueed; that ie, if the consomption of w4iskey cannat be done
away with altogether, wbich wonld be more desimble for the
conntry's welfare and morality than aIl the iDcome which conld
he realized from so pemicioRS a drink."
III.
1743-1712•
. BUORB the last important scientific work of Swedenborg
had come from the press, he had an experience 80 unusoal 88 to
he almost unique, that changed the direction and character of
hie studies for the rest of his Hfe. What this experience wu,
is best described in his OWIl words. In a brief Autobiography
which he prep~, near the close of his eighty-second year, he
says:
" Bat aIl that 1 have thus far related, 1 consider of compar-
atively little importance; for it is far transoonded by the cir.
, cnmstance that 1 have been called to a holy office by the Lord
Himself, who most mercifully appeared before me, His servant,
in the year 1743, when He opened my sight into the spiritual
world, and enabled me to converse with spirits and angels; in
wbich state l have continned np to the present day. From
that time l began to print and publisb the varions arcana~ that
were seen by me or revealed to nle, conr.erning Heaven and
Hell, the 8t~te of man after death, the true worship of God,
the spiritual sense of the Word, and many other important mat-
tara condncive to salvation and wiadom."
The same year that he wrote the foregoing, one of the
Swedish bishops had given orders for the confiscation or hi,
work Pe ÂmON OonjugiaU. Swedenborg addressed a memorial
ta the king npon the 811bject, in which he complained, among
49. xlviii BIOGBAPHICAL INTRODUOTION.
other things, that he had been treated as no one had ever been
treated before in Sweden sinee the introduction of Christian-
ity; and in the coursc of bis remonstrance he gives a more
detailed account of what he regarded as his illumination.
"1 humbly bcg,". he says, "to make the following state-
ment :-That our Saviour visibly revealed Rimself before
me, and comlnanded me to do what 1 have done and ""bat
l have still to do. And that therenpon He pel'mittcd me to
have intercourse with Angels and Spirits, l have declared be-
fore the whole ofChristendom; in England, Rolland, Germany,
and Denmark, in France and Spain, and 81so on yarions .occa-
sions in this country before their RoyaItnajesties,-and especial1y
when 1 enjoyed the grace to est st their tables, in the prcseuee
of the whole Ro)':!l family, and also of five senators and others;
at which time my mission cODstitnted the sole topic of conver-
sation. Subsequently, l made this known a180 to many sen-
ators; aud among these, Connt Tessin 1, Count Bonde 2 and
Connt Hopken S have found it in truth to be 80, nnd Connt Hop-
ken, a gentleman of enlightened understanding, st~ll continnes
to believe; Dot to mention many others, both at home and
abroad. nmong whom are kings and princes. AlI this, hov-
ever, the Chancellor of Justice, if public rnmor is correct,
declares to he false. Should he reply that the thing ie inconceiv-
able to him, L cannot gainsay it, since 1 am unablc to pnt the
state of nlY sight and speech into his head; neither am l able
to canse angels and spirits to converse with him; nor do
miracles happen now. Bnt his very rcason '",ill enable him to
see this when he has thonghtfnlly read my writings,-wherein
mnch may he fOllUd which has never before been revealed,.and
which could only be discovered by aetual vision, and intercourse
with those who are in the Spiritual WorId. In order that reason
J Prefddent of the House of Nobles and minister plenipotentiary to Paris;
foundtr of the Swedish Academy of Fine Arts.
t President of the Vollege of MineB, nnd Chancellor of the University.
• Minieter of Foreign A1faire, and President of the Court of Chanceryof
Upsala.
50. BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTiON. xlix
may see and acknowledge this, l heg 'that your Majesty may
peruse ·hat bas been Mid on this subject in my book .De .Amor8
Conjugiali, in a nlcnlorable relation on pages 314 to 316. . .
If any donbt should still remain, 1 am ready to testify with the
m08t solelnn oath that may be prescribed to me, that it is en-
tirely true, a reality without the least fal1acy, that our Saviour
permits me to cxperience this. It ie Dot on my own acconnt,
bot for His interest in the eternal weltare of aU Christians.
Snch being the facta it is wrong to proDonncc them faIse, though
they may he prononnced incolnprehen~ibIe."
In a letter addressed in 17~1 to Fhe Landgrave of Hesse-
Darmstadt, Svedenborg assigns the reason for his selection
as the channel of this new reve1ation :-
" In yonr gracious letter yon ask how 1 came to have intcr-
eonrse with angels and spirits, and whether this 8tate could
be inlparted by one to another. Please accept the following
reply:
" The Lord our ~aviour forctold that He wonld come again
into the world" and institute a New Chnrch. He predicted this
in Revelation XXI and XXII, and a180 in several places in the
Gospels. Bnt as He cannot come again iuto the world in per-
SOO, it was necessary that He should do it by means of a man,
who ShOllId not on1y receive the doctrine of that church in his
understanding, but should also publish it by th~ press; and
as the Lord had prepared me for this from my childhood, Ife
manifèsted HÎloself in person before me nis servant and sent
IDe to do this work. This took place in the J"ear 1743; and
afterwards He opened the sight of my spirit and thus introduced
me ioto the spiritual world, granting lne to aee the heavens,
and many wonderflll things there, and also the hells, and to
talk with angels and spirits,-and this continually for twenty-
seven years. This took place with me on accollnt of the church
W'hich 1 mention above, the doctrine of which is contailled in
my books. The gift of conversing with Spirits and Angels can-
not be transierred from one person to another; as in my case,
4:
51. 1 BIOGRAPHIO,AL INTRODUCTION.
the Lord Himself opens the sight of the spirit of the person.
1t is sometirnes granted to a spirit to enter and communicate
with a man; but leave is not given the man to speak with him
mouth to mouth."
But there is nô more remarkable nor more satisfactory ex-
planation of his special titness for his mission, if his own allega-
tions may be accepted in a11 thcir length and breadth, than the
peculiar and strange competence of his respiratory functions.
Wc are not a·are that the faculty of conscious interna] 8S dis-
tinct from extcrnal respiration, which Swedenhorg attributed
to himself, was ever before po~sessed by any man. ln a diary
of his spiritual cxperiences, which Swedenborg was accus--
torned to keep after "the opening of his spiritual vision," occnr
the folloçing passages:-
" l 11180 conversed ,vith thelD respccting the nature of their
speech; and in order that 1 rnight perceive. it the peculiarity
of their breathing was shown to Ine, and 1 was informed that
the breathing of the lungs varies sl1ccessivel.r, according to
the 8tate of their Iaith. This was llnknovn to me before, and
yet l can perccive and believe it, becallsc Iny breathing has been
60 foruled by the Lord that for : considerable timc 1 could
hrcathe inwardly, without the aid of the external air, and J'et
the extcrnal senses continue in their vigor. This facnlty can-
Dot he posse8sed by any bnt those who are 80 fOflned by the
Lord, and, it is said, not otherwise than rniracnlously. 1 was
infornlcd a180 that Iny breathing ie 50 directed, withont my
knovledge, in order that 1 may be with spirits and speak with
them. . . l was accnstomed to breathe in this way first in
my childhood, when praying my morning and evening praycrs ;
soluetimes a180 afterwards, when 1 was exploring the concord-
ance of the lUDgs and the heart; and especially ,,'hen 1 was
writing from Iny rnind the things which ha,·e beeu published
for many J'ears. 1 obscrved, constantly, that there was a tacit
breathing, hardly sensiblc,-ahout which it was afterwards
given me to think, and th~n to write. Thus was 1 introdllced
52. BIOGR,APHIO,AL INTRODUOTION. li
into sneh brcathings froni infaney oDvard through many
years; and afterwards, when heaven vas opened to me, so that
1 might converse with spirits, 1 scarcely inhaled at aIl for nlore
than an hour,-only just enongh air to enable me to think. So
l was introduced ioto interior respiration by the Lord."
If, as Swedenborg asserts, this facnlty of internaI respira-
tion for a time without the aid of the external air, can ooly be
possessed by those who are so formed by the Lord, and, as he ·
was told,-he does not aver the fact of his own knowledge,- .
miraculoosly, it is a matter which hnman science necessarily
has diflicnlty in takillg jl1risdictioll of. It has, however, pro-
voked some very interesting and striking reftectioDs from Dr.
'Vilkinson, an eOlinent physician of London, author of an elo-
quent biography of Swedenborg, and translator of SOlDe of his
most important scientific works. We need oirer no excuse fOl-
Inaking a few extracts from them.
" As we breathe, so ,ve are. Inward thoughts have inward
breaths, and pllrer spiritual thoughts, have spiritual breaths
hardly mixed with material. Death is breathlessness. Fully
to breathe the external atmosphere is equivalent, cœteris pari-
bus, to living in pienary enjoyment of the senses and the mus-
cnlar powers.
" On the other hand, the condition of trances or death-life ie
the persistence of the inner breath of thought, or the 80u1's sen-
sation, while the breath of the body is annnlled. It is only
th08e in wholn this can have place, that may still live in this
world and yet be consciolu~ly associated with the persons and
events in the other. Jlybernation and other phenomena come
in support of these remarks. Thus we have COlnmon experi-
ence on oor side in asserting, that the capacities of the inward
life, whether thought, meditation, contemplation or trance, de-
pend npon those of the respiration.
,- Sorne analogons power over the breath, a power to lire
and think without respiring,-for it is the bodily respiration that
draw8 down the rnind 8t the same time that it draw8 l1p the air,
53. Iii BIOGRAPHIOAL INTRonltoTION.
and thl18 canses mankinù to he cOin pound, or spiritual and
material b~ing8,-solne analogou8 po'er, we say, haB Iain at
the basis of the ~ift8 of many other seers besides Swedenborg.
"It ie quite apparent that the Hindn Yogi were eapable
of similar states; and in our day, tlJC phcnotnena of hypnotislD
have tanght U8 nlueh in a scientific manner of these ancient
conditioJ18 and sempiternal laws_ Take away or suspend that
which drav8 yon to thi8 world, and the spirit by its own light-
lless lloats upwards into the other. There is, however, 8 difIer-
ence betwecn Swcdenborg's atate, as he reports itt and the
modern instances, iosslnuch as the latter are artifici:l and in-
duced by external effort, whereas Svedenborg-s was Datural
and we may BaY congenital; was the cOIJ.bined r~inle of
bis aspirations and his respirations; did not engender sleep, but
was accolnpanied by full waking and open eyes; and "9as Dot
cOlll'ted in the first instance for the trances and the visions that
it brought. Other cases, moroover, are occasional, whereas
Swedenborg's appears ta have becn llninterrllptcd, or nearly 80,
for twenty-seven Jears."
"To show hov intelligent Swedenborg W8S of these dccp
things, we have only ta exarnine his anatomical works "and
mannscripts, which present a regul,lf progress of ideas on the
subject of respiration. 'If we carefnlly attend to profollud
thought,' says he, 'we shaH find that vhen we draw breath
a host of ideas rush froul hencath, as throngh 8U open door, into
the sphere of thought; "hereas when t'e hold the breath and
slovly let it out, wo deeply keep the vllile in the tenor of Olll-
thonght, and COlillmllnicate as it were vith the higher faCll]ty
of the SOll],-as I hnve observed in my ovn person tÎlnes ont of
nlllnher. Retaining or holding back the breath is eqnivnlent
to having intercourse with the Boul; attracting or drawing it,
arnollnts to interconrse with the bodJ'.'
" This indeed is a fact 80 common that we never think about
it; so near to natural life that its axiolns are aIrnost too suh-
stantial for knovledge. Not to go 80 profound as to the intel-
54. ·BIOGBAPHIOAL INTRODUOTION. liii
1ectus1 sphere, we IDay remark that aIl fineness of bodily work,-
all that in art which cornes out of the infinite delicacy of lnaD-
bood RB contrasted· with anitnality, reqnires a corresponding
breathlessness and expiring. Tu listen attentively to the fincst
and least obtrusivc sounds, as with the stethoscope to the mur.
murs in the breast, or with mouth and ear to distant sonnds,
needs a hush that breathing disturbs; the oolnmon ear has to
die and he born again to exercise th~se delicate attentions.
"To takc an sim at a rapidly flJin~ orminute object, requirea
in like manner a breathlcs8 time and ft, steady ACt. The very
pulse lnnst receive from the stopped 111ng3 a pressure of calm.
To adjust the exqnisitc machinery of watches, or other instrne
ments, requirc8 in the Inanipnlator a motionless power of his own
centT~l springs. Even to see and observe, with an eye liko the
mind itself, necessitates a radiant panse. Again, for the nega-
tivc proof; we see that the first actions and attelnpts of children
are l1nsllccessfll], being too qnick, and full Inoroover of confu-
sing breaths; the life has Dot tixed aeriëil space to play the gaIne,
but the scene itsclf flaps and flutt~rs with alien wishes and
thonghts. In short, the whole reverence of relllark and deed
depeuds llpon the ab-ove conditions, and we lay it down AS a
gcneral trnth, that every man requires to edl1ca.te his breath for
his business. Bodily strength, Dlental strength, cven wÎsdotn,
alllean llpon our respirations; and Swedenborg's case ie bllt a
striking in~tance, raising to & very visible size a fact which,
like the air, is felt and wanted, but for the most part Dot per-
ceived."
The respect which 80 acnte and aceotnplished a physiologist
as Dr. Wilkinson testifies for this pretensioll of Swedenborg,
encourages me to add a relnark which may find ample confir-
mation in every one's experience; it is, that those whose habits
and vocation in life in"olve the most active elnployment of
what Svedenborg tenns the external respiratory organs, are as
~ rule least disposed to the study and contemplation of spiritual
forces.