COMPENDIUM

OF THE

THEOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL WRITINGS

OF

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG:

BEING

A SYSTEMATIC AND ORDERLY EPITOME OF ALL HIS
RELIGIOUS WORKS;

SELECTED FROM MORE THAN THIRTY VOLUMES,

AND EMBRACING ALL HIS

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES, WITH COPIOUS ILLUSTRATIONS
AND TEACHINGS.

WITH AN APPROPRIATE INTRODUCTION.

PREFACED BY

A FULL LIFE OF THE AUTHOR;

WITH

A BRIEF VIEW OF ALL HIS WORKS ON SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY, AND THEOLOGY.

THIRD THOUSAND.

"There are five classes of those who read my writings. The first reject them entirely, because they
are in another persuasion, or because they are in no faith. The second receive them as scientifics,
or as objects of mere curiosity. The third receive them intellectually, and are in some measure pleased
with them, but whenever they require an application to regulate their lives, they remain where they were
before. The fourth receive them in a persuasive manner, and are thereby led, in a certain degree, to
amend their lives and perform uses. The fifth receive them with delight, and confirm them in their
lives."SWEDENBORG.

BOSTON:

PUBLISHED BY OTIS CLAPP.

NEW YORK: PARTRIDGE AND BRITTAN; FOWLERS AND WELLS.
PHILADELPHIA: LIPPINCOTT, GRAMBO, AND COMPANY.

CINCINNATI: TRUMAN AND SPOFFORD.

TO THE PUBLIC.

The design of this WORK is, to exhibit, in a condensed form, the LIFE and
WRITINGS of the most wonderful man that ever lived. The developments of the
present age and day make this a most timely production. The great objection to
the reading of Swedenborg has hitherto been, that his Writings are too voluminous.
Here is the substance of more than Thirty Volumes comprised in one, so far as it
could be done even in so large a volume, with the fullest Life of the Author that
has ever been published.

As a man of Science, and a PHILOSOPHER of Nature, as a SEER and Theolo-
gian, and as a Philosopher of spirit, it is now generally conceded that he has the
most liberal demands upon the Reason and Faith of our common Humanity; and it is
certainly a desideratum to have, in ONE VOLUME, a COMPENDIUM of so vast and
wonderful an Author. But read the TABLES OF CONTENTS, and see the interesting
and all-important subjects of which he treats.

THE following is an explanation of the abbreviated titles of the works referred to in this COMPENDIUM.

It should be remarked, in respect to the quotations from the "Spiritual Diary," that this work is not considered the same
authority as the other writings of Swedenborg, being a posthumous publication, without the author's sanction. It is evidently a
record of his private spiritual experience as it occurred from day to day, and appears to be the first brief notes and groundwork,
from which he afterwards constructed his more matured and authorized works. If there are errors in it, they are generally sup-
posed to be corrected in his authorized publications. See another note respecting the Diary, COMPENDIUM, numbers 1139, 1140. It
should be well remembered that the whole of the Diary was written before the Last Judgment, which may serve to explain some
otherwise obscure passages in it.

PREFACE TO THE LIFE.

An attempt is here made to present a fuller ac-
count than any yet, of the Life and Writings of
the most extraordinary man who has ever lived.
He was a man who has evidently done as much,
to say the least, to benefit humanity, though not
yet appreciated because of the high sphere in
which he labored, as any of the world's most illus-
trious benefactors. We are aware, when we speak
thus, that we shall not gain credence in many a mind.
Let truth and time, then, speak for themselves.
Swedenborg is evidently the most unknown man
of the world. There is more to learn, and less
learned, of his voluminous and interminable wis-
dom, than the superficial, yea, than the scientific
and philosophic of this world, are by any measure
aware of. And it is a pleasing contemplation at
this day, to see a manifestly popular and growing
desire to know more of the great Philosopher and
Seer of the latter ages, than can be found in
Cyclopædian, Biographical, and Theological Dic-
tionaries, most of which bear false witness against
him and his doctrines. He is still regarded by
many, as an insane visionary, or somnambulic
dreamer; a very learned and good man, but de-
ranged on the subject of Theology. Others, and
their number is now largely increasing, are be-
ginning to regard him as a man of true spiritual
enlightenment, of enlarged ideas of God, of Na-
ture, and of the Spiritual Spheres, but still far
from correct in many of his principles and teach-
ings. Still another class, though as yet but small,
have a right appreciation of his noble genius and
mission.

to the labors of this "Great Humble Man," in
whose works on these interesting subjects can be
found the seeds or principles of all that is known
of the Essences, Forms, Powers and Uses of
Universal Matter; and how far he was in advance
of Bacon, Leibnitz, Newton, La Place, Kepler,
Herschel, Cuvier, or any other man, as a theorist
and author; and at the same time perfectly free
from all jealousies and animosities growing out of
any of them, as to who should be the greatest in
the Kingdoms of Nature. It may be said of him,
most truly, that "he set one foot of the compass
of truth in God, and with the other, swept all
creation, both animate and inanimate." And this
is particularly true, when we consider him as the
Seer, Theologian, and Philosopher of spirit.

In the present work, we have aimed at a fuller
presentation of him as a man of Science and Phi-
losophy, than can be found in any other Biography;
and this not only for the purpose of showing the
perfectly irrational character of those charges
against him as a mere visionary, void of a solid un-
derstanding, and how the world is mistaken in
one of her greatest sons; but also for the purpose
of showing how well prepared he was, in all the
natural knowledge which man could then acquire,
for that sacred office to which he was at last
called, as the illuminated Teacher of the New
Church.

But from the character of this Work, being
more of a compilation than an original composi-
tion, we here make one acknowledgment for all,
of indebtedness to the various Biographers of
It is perhaps useless, to say in this Preface to a Swedenborg, especially to Wilkinson and Rich;
Life and Writings which will speak for them- also to various minor publications, such as the
selves, that he is unquestionably the most tran- "Intellectual Repository," "New Jerusalem Mag-
scendent human luminary that has ever yet snone azine,” and other works. We would gladly have
upon our dark world. Even in Science and Philos- given the usual credit, passage by passage, for
ophy, he nobly strode a century before his time, the many extracts we have made; but as the first
and his works evince, not of course without minor part of the work was made up before it was con-
errors, an intuitional and decided anticipation of templated to publish it as a Prefix to this "Com-
many of the more recent discoveries. He was a pendium" of his writings, it would be very diffi-
man, "take him for all in all," who was the most cult now to refer to the many sources, for the par
marvellously gifted of any of the sons of earth, ticular page of each publication quoted from.
both on the sides of nature and of spirit. He And as the extracts from the Biographies abcve
combined them both in his God-given grasp, and referred to, involve so much that is drawn from a
there can be no question, were it not for his theo- common source and from each other, particularly
logical character, by which many are yet held from the "Documents concerning the Life and
from his scientific works, that he would at this Character of Swedenborg," therefore, for all suffi-
day take a foremost rank in some of the most ab-cient purposes, we have chosen to give this gen-
struse departments of natural physics and philoso-eral credit. But where long extracts occur, which
phy. His discoveries and teachings in Geology, are characterized by the author's peculiar mode
Mineralogy, Botany, Natural History, Animal and of thinking, we have, nevertheless, with the ex-
Human Physiology, Chemistry, Crystallography, ception of the first part above referred to, given
Mathematics, Mechanics, Astronomy, and Natural the particular credit as usual.
Philosophy, show how deeply the world is indebted

COMPILER.