or style to induce others to believe. There is this peculiarity in all his writings he leaves the reader in freedom to receive or reject the truth. He does not use the power inherent in all the truths of which he was the recipient, to work upon the imagination and feelings of the reader, but acts in all cases as a servant of Divine Truth, leaving the event to Him who trieth the heart and the reins of all mankind. At the close he has the following remarks :

'What has been said in this work concerning heaven, the world of spirits, and hell, will be obscure to those who are not in the delight of knowing spiritual truths, but clear to those who are in that delight, especially to those who are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth, that is, who love truth because it is truth for whatsoever is loved enters with light into the idea of the mind, especially truth, when it is loved, because all truth is in light.'

2. A Treatise concerning the Last Judgment, and the Destruction of Babylon; showing that all the predictions contained in the Apocalypse are at this day fulfilled. Being a testimony of things heard and seen. (De Ultimo Judicio et Babylonia Destructa, &c. London, 1758.)

3. A Continuation concerning the Last Judgment, and the Spiritual World. (Continuatio de Ultimo Judicio, &c. Amsterdam, 1763.)

These two works are published in English, in one volume, 18mo.

In the above works it is shown that the last judgment took place in the year 1757. The New Jerusalem Church takes its date from that period, succeeding the Christian Church, as the, latter did the Jewish Church, at the first advent of our Lord. It is shown that the judgment took place in the world of spirits, that is, in the intermediate state between heaven and

hell. All men are there prepared for heaven or hell, but some arrive at their final destination sooner than others. Those who are interiorly good remain in the world of spirits, as before stated, until they are willing to surrender all those affections and thoughts which are not consistent with the prevailing principles of their lives; and those who are interiorly evil remain there until they are willing to give up all hypocritical pretensions to honesty and morality, and manifest in their external conduct the real selfishness of their character. From the time of the first advent of our Lord to the year 1757, the world of spirits had been gradually accumulating a great number of human beings, both good and evil, who had many things in common, and were able to live together in the bonds of external friendship, such as is often seen to take place in this life, for a certain period, between a good and a bad man of similar tastes in external things. But the time had arrived for a general separation. The good could no longer endure the presence of the evil, and the evil could no longer deceive by assuming the appearance of goodness; and the former were raised up to heaven, whilst the latter sunk into hell.

Since the last judgment, agreeably to the testimony of Swedenborg, no one is allowed to remain in the world of spirits more than thirty years; of course there will not hereafter be another general judgment.

4. Diarium Majus, Part 1, Volumes 1 and 2 in press, (April, 1844.) *

Diarium Majus, Part 2d, 378 pages. Stuttgard,

1843.

Diarium Majus, Part 3d. Volume 1, 407 pages, and Volume 2, 242 pages. Stuttgard, 1844.

* Dr. Tafel's letter to Mr. J. H. Wilkins, of this city.

Diarium Minus, or Part 4th, 102 pages. Tubingen, 1843.

These last four volumes have been published by Dr. Tafel, from manuscripts preserved in the academy at Stockholm and elsewhere, and it is confidently expected that whatever is extant of the whole Document, and also whatever else remains of the invaluable writings of Swedenborg will soon be rescued from the ravages of time, by the editorial labors of this indefatigable man.

The following is extracted from a letter of Dr. Tafel's, found in a report of the London Printing Society, and is substantially a translation of an extract from a letter in French, incorporated into his preface to the fourth part of the Diary. I think from what I read in Mr. Wornum's copy of the manuscript, that the Diary is a document of immense importance. It contains a multitude of facts, which, although not made use of [published] by Swedenborg, serve to illustrate and confirm his views. The naïvete with which he describes all his impressions, seems to me to produce irresistible conviction. We feel them with him; we wonder at the sight of such prodigies; and are struck with admiration at those wonders which he tells us he could not [at the time] sound. In these pages, more than in all the others written by him, we seem, like Thomas, to touch the realities of which he speaks. The peculiarity of these works arises from their being written for his own use, and not for publication. Swedenborg, taken at unawares, is even more persuasive than when he has prepared what he wishes to tell to the world. But herein it is very evi

dent, as in all that he has written, that there are cherubim to repress those who ought not to enter.' By this last remark we understand Dr. Tafel to mean that there are contained in the Diary, accounts simi

lar or corresponding to the "memorable relations" which are to be found in Swedenborg's other works.

I am now in possession,' says Dr. Tafel, in a letter to Mr. Hyde, 'of the whole Diary of E. Swedenborg. I received, from the Academical Senate of Upsala, Sweden, Volumes 1 and 2 of Part I. containing in its first page, also the rest of the Index Veteris Testamenti. The volume, in folio, is greater than both volumes of 3428-6036, which were sent me from Sweden.' * In that portion of the Diary received from the academy at Upsala, Swedenborg gives an account of the first opening of his spiritual sight. The Diary goes back to April, 1745, and embraces a period of more than twenty years. It will make two hundred and ten sheets, or seven volumes of thirty sheets each.

CHAPTER VII.

LETTERS FROM SWEDENBORG TO DR. BEYER.

THIS gentleman, in the year 1766, became one of Swedenborg's most intimate friends, and one of the most active promoters of his sentiments. This drew upon him a severe persecution from the Consistory at Gottenburg. The matter was carried before the supreme government, when, in compliance with an order from the king, Dr. Beyer presented to his ma

*See N. J. Magazine, Vol. 17, page 198.

† Ibid. 436.

jesty, January 2, 1770, a declaration of his sentiments in regard to the doctrines of Swedenborg.*

LETTER I.

I have now at length arrived at the end of the Apocalypsis, and send you, sir, eight copies thereof, two bound, and six in sheets, which you will please to dispose of in the following manner: one copy for yourself, one for the bishop, one for the dean, one for Dr. Rosen, one for the mayor (Mr. Petterson), and one for the library; the other two you may lend out to your friends. At the conclusion of every chapter there are memorable relations separated from the text by asterisks, which you will please to read over first, whereby a fundamental knowledge will be acquired of the miserable state to which the reformed churches are reduced by the doctrine of faith alone. I am now going from this place for England, where some disturbance has most likely arisen, as the bishops of England are strongly pointed out in the memorable relations, but necessity required it. I remain, &c. EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.

Amsterdam, April 8, 1766.

LETTER II.

With regard to the writings of St. Paul, and the other apostles, I have not given them a place in my Arcana Calestia, because they are dogmatic writings. merely, and not written in the style of the Word, as are those of the Prophets, of David, of the Evangelists, and Revelation of St. John.t

The style of the Word consists throughout in correspondences, and thence effects an immediate com

*See Appendix, No. ÌV.

+ See the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture, n. 113.