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CORRESPONDENCES.

(Concluded....from vol. 1, page 532.)

But it is urged by those, who are unwilling to admit of any such spiritual or allegorical way of interpreting the Sacred Pages, that there is a danger attending it, or, as it is expressed by a learned prelate, that "the practice of allegorizing the Scriptures has been attended with the worst consequences." And, indeed, it must be confessed, that there is some foundation for this remark of the right rev. author, and that the practice of allegorizing, as he terms it, has not always been executed with judgment, or attended with edification, but, on the contrary, that whilst it has manifested in many instances a want of sound knowledge and discretion on the part of the interpreter, it has tended as frequently to bewilder and to mislead his weak and over-credulous readers. But the question is, how shall we get rid of this danger? Shall we say, because in some cases the practice of allegorizing has been attended with ill consequences, that therefore it ought to be altogether discarded as both visionary and groundless? Surely this is to plunge ourselves into a danger incalculably more dangerous, since it is presuming to say, that the WORD OF GOD doth not either in the whole or in parts, bear testimony to JESUS CHRIST; that it relates only to human occurrences and events, and hath no more of divine spirit and life in its histories, than other human records can pretend to. And what is all this but stopping up the "wells of salvation," so that no water of life can be extracted thence for the health, the nourishment and refreshment of those for whose spiritual benefit and consolation it was principally intended? Or, to change the metaphor, what is it

See Elements of Christian Theology, by the Bishop of Lincoln, vol. i. p. 69.
VOL. II.
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No. 1.

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but closing our eyes at once against every ray of heavenly wisdom, intelligence, and illumination, and thus reducing the christian church to that same miserable Jewish darkness and blindness described by the prophet, where he says, "The LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your rulers, the seers, hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot: for it is sealed."* To get rid then of the danger of allegorizing the Scriptures, we must take heed how we fall into the greater danger of denying their allegorical sense and meaning. We ought therefore to digest well the wisdom which teaches us to consider, that "a principle is not therefore to be rejected because it has been abused."† We ought also to use heavenly prudence and discretion in our spiritual interpretations of the Sacred Records; and since all such prudence and discretion is of God, and not of ourselves, we must apply ourselves in devoat prayer to the DIVINE AUTHOR of the Holy Pages, to give us those graces, and with them a right understanding of his DIVINE WORD, agreeably to the practice of the Psalmist, where he prays, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of thy law." If we are thus careful to guard ourselves by supplication to the INCARNATE GOD, of whom the Scriptures testify, and to interpret them according to the spirit of his holy love, charity, meekness, and humility, we may then have the consolation and the confidence to believe, that we shall not only be out of the reach of mischief in our interpretations of the Holy Volume, but shall also be conducted by the Divine spirit and life to the possession of all that wisdom, blessing, and salvation, which the Word OF GOD, in every part of it, was intended to supply to the humble, the penitent, and the believing, agreeably to that testimony of the Psalmist, "Through thy commandments I get understanding, therefore I hate al! exil ways."

If the reader yet wants any further satisfaction on the above important subject, the author of these pages has the happiness to think, that he is able to direct him to it, and to assure him, that if he follow the direction faithfully, he will not be disappointed in his search. But he must first take the liberty of asking him, whether he can be content to seek what he wants in the mire of obloquy and reproach? Has

*Isaiah xxix. 10, 11.

+ See Bishop Hurd's Introduction to the Study of the Holy Scriptures. Psalm cxix. 18.

Psalm cxix. 104.

be the discernment to discover it in the dark shade of defamation, and the courage and patience to dig it out from under the rubbish of contumely, of contempt, and of the most opprobious appellations? Moreover, is he seeking the desired information, not in the spirit of a vain and idle curiosity, still less with a view to gratify his vanity and ambition, but that becoming better acquainted with the laws of that eternal life and order which are revealed in the WORD OF GOD, and more fully persuaded of their Divine origin, he may be the better enabled to fulfil the Divine intentions of his HEAVENLY FATHER, and thus become a regenerate child of his mercy and kingdom? If such be the reader's tempers andqualifications-if he be actuated by that pure love of the eternal truth, which will prompt him to pursue her whithersoever she conducts him, whether through good report, or evil report, he may then safely be informed, that in the writings of a learned and honorable foreigner, which have lately been translated from the original Latin into the English language, he may find the clearest and fullest confirmations of the divinity, the spirituality, and the blessed tendency of the inspired Books of Moses and the Prophets. Doth he yet ask the name of this extraordinary writer? Let him seek it (where the proper name of a writer can alone be found) in his edifying writings, until he blushes to discover, that the mad, the visionary, the enthusiastic, the nonsensical SWEDENBORG, as the world, and perhaps himself, hath been pleased to call him, ought rather to have been surnamed the SOUND THEOLOGIAN, THE ABLE AND LUMINOUS EXPOSITOR OF THE WORD OF GOD, THE COOL AND SOBER INVESTIGATOR OF HOLY TRuth, the CONDUCTOR TO The heights oF EVANGELICAL VIRTUE, THE DECLARED FOE TO EVERY SPECIES OF ENTHUSIASM, FANATICISM, AND DISORDER, WHETHER CIVIL OR RELIGIOUS; THE STREOF CHRISTIAN NUOUS ASSERTER OF THAT FUNDAMENTAL ARTICLE

FAITH, THE INCARNATION OF THE SON OF GOD, AND HIS ONENESS WITH THE ETERNAL FATHER; THE LOUD PREACHER OF REPENTANCE AND REGENERATION; AND THUS, FINALLY, THE RESTORER OF THE ONLY TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, VIZ. A BELIEF IN JESUS CHRIST AS THE ONLY GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND A LIFE ACCORDING TO HIS HOLY COMMANDMENTS OF LOVE AND CHARITY,

It is hardly to be expected that the reader will acquiesce in the propriety of this name, unless he be already well acquainted with the writings which bespeak it: but be the reader's judgment what it may, we are free to confess ourselves most perfectly satisfied about such propriety, and are bound to acknowledge that many of the best thoughts contained in this Magazine are derived from that truly astonishing and

edifying work entitled ARCANA CELESTIA, written by the above honorable writer. This work is an exposition of the internal spiritual sense of the Books of Genesis and Exodus, and whilst it demonstrates that in those books, as Jerome expresseth it, "Singula verba plena sunt sensibus," or, as it is otherwise expressed by Tertullian, that "Ratio divina in medullâ est, non in superficie," it supplies at the same time the fullest and most convincing proofs of the Divine inspiration, not only of the particular books of which it treats, but of all the other books of Moses, of the Prophets, and the Psalms. But though the editors are ready to make this confession, they have sufficient reason to blush that their own explication falls so far short of the honorable writer's in the above work, insomuch that they would never have been induced to undertake the present publication, had they not been led to conceive, from the representations of others, that it may have its use in serving as an introduction to the more excellent and extensive interpretation contained in that work.

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF

THE HON. EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.

As the writings of EMANUEL SWEDENBORG are confessedly of the greatest importance, and as we shall, in the Theological Department of this Magazine, have frequent recourse to the same, in order to elucidate many subjects heretofore involved in doubt and uncertainty, we think it proper to give the public a short, but authentic account of that wonderful man, and his extraordinary commission from Heaven, previous to our entering upon the doctrines which are contained in his writings, and which will cut so conspicuous a figure in the future course of this work.

But as we would not willingly misrepresent any of the memorable events of his life, either by magnifying or diminishing the real circumstances attending the same, we have thought it best to make choice of his own words, which we find in a letter written by himself to the Rev. THOMAS HARTLEY, late Rector of Winwick, in Northamptonshire.

SWEDENBORG TO HARTLEY.

"I take pleasure in the friendship you express for me in your letter, and return you thanks for the same; but as to the praises therein, I consider them as belonging to the truths contained in my writings, and so refer them to the Lord our Saviour as his due, who is in himself the fountain of all truth. It is the concluding part of your letter that chiefly engages my attention, where you say as follows: As after your

departure from England disputes may arise on the subject of your writings, and so give occasion to defend their author against such false reports and aspersions, as they who are no friends to truth may invent, to the prejudice of his reputation, may it not be of use, in order to repel any calumnies of that kind, that you leave behind you some short account of yourself, as concerning, for example, your degrees in the university, the offices you have borne, your family and connections, the honors which I am told have been conferred upon you, and such other particulars as may serve to the vindication of your character, if attacked, that so any ill-grounded prejudices may be obviated or removed; for where the honor and interest of truth are concerned, it certainly behoves us to employ all lawful methods in its defence and support. After reflecting on the foregoing passage, I was induced to comply with your friendly advice, by briefly communicating the following circumstances of my life.

"I was born at Stockholm in the year of our Lord 1689, January 29. My father's name was Jesper Swedberg, who was bishop of WestGothia, and of celebrated character in his time: He was also a member of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, formed on the model of that in England, and appointed President of the Swedish Churches in Pennsylvania and London, by King Charles XII. In the year 1710, 1 began my travels, first into England, and afterwards into Holland, France, and Germany, and returned home in 1714. In the year 1716, and afterwards, I frequently conversed with Charles XII. King of Sweden, who was pleased to bestow on me a large share of his favor, and in that year appointed me to the office of Assessor in the Metallic College, in which office I continued from that time till the year 1747,when I quitted the office, but still retain the salary annexed to it as an appointment for life. The reason of my withdrawing from the business of that employment was, that I might be more at liberty to apply myself to that new function to which the Lord had called me. About this time a place of higher dignity in the State was offered me, which I declined to accept, lest it should prove a snare to me. In 1719, I was ennobled by Queen Ulrica Eleonora, and named Swedenborg, from which time I have taken my seat with the Nobles of the Equestrian order, in the Triennial Assemblies of the States. I am a Fellow, by invitation, of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Stockholm, but have never desired to be of any other community, as I belong to the Society of Angels, in which things spiritual and Heavenly are the only subjects of discourse and entertainment; whereas in our literary societies, the attention is wholly taken up with things relating to the body and this world. In the year 1734, I published the Regnum Minerale at Leipsic, in three volumes, folio; and in 1738, I took a journey into Italy, and staid a year at Venice and Rome.

"With respect to my family connections: I had four sisters; one of them was married to Eric Benzelius, afterwards made Archbishop of Upsal; and thus I became related to the two succeeding Archbishops of that see, both named Benzelius, and younger brothers of the former. Another of my sisters was married to Lars Benzelstierna, who was promoted to a provincial government; but these are both dead: however, two Bishops who are related to me, are still living; one of them

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