each; so that from hence it is easy to imagine | account is too lightly regarded by the major part of how cheap the whole will be, especially when print- the present Christian world), proved to be as delighted in such a grand and pompous manner at so low a price. But it is the generous author's absolute command that it should be so, who, it is plain, wants neither purse nor spirit to carry on his laudable undertaking.

enjoying at first a good reputation as a scientific and
practical man, saw that reputation gradually expire
as his own mind unfolded in his works, until at
length he was only known as a visionary, and the
fact of his early career was scarcely remembered
by his few surviving contemporaries. There was
every reason why his works died to that age. He
had a firm faith, from the first, in the goodness of
God, in the powers of the mind, in the wisdom
and easiness of creation, and in the immovable
firmness of revelation; later on, a belief too in
spiritual existence, in a sense intelligible to all
mankind. In his case, there was a breaking of
shell after shell-a rolling away of delusion after
delusion, until the truth was seen to be itself real
-to be the true creation, the world above and be-
fore the world, of which mortal creatures are made.
How could so substantial a personage-a man whose
spirit and its relations were a body and a force
be seen at all in the last century, when the public
wave ran in spring tides towards materialism,
frivolity, and all conventionalities? The savage
might as easily value a telescope or a theodolite
as Europe estimate a Swedenborg at such an era.
Accordingly, in proportion as he transcended brute
matter and dead facts, he vanished from its sight,
and was only mentioned with ridicule as a ghost
- the next thing to a ghost. But how stands
the matter now? The majority, it is true, know
nothing of Swedenborg; and it is for them we
write. But the vast majority of those who do
know- and the number is considerable in all
parts of the civilized world-regard him with
respect and affectionate admiration; many hailing
him as the herald of a new church upon earth; many
as a gift of the same provident deity who has sent, as
indirect messengers, the other secular leaders of
the race, the great poets, the great philosophers,
the guiding intellects of the sciences; many also
still looking towards his works in order to gain in-
struction from them, and to settle for themselves the
author's place among the benefactors of his kind.
We ourselves are in all these classes, allowing
them to modify each other; and perhaps, on that
account, are suitable to address those who know
less of the subject, for we have no position to
maintain but the facts of the case.

Beer

tions exist that in another five and twenty years the field occupied by this author must be visited by the leaders of opinion en masse, and whether they will or no; because it is not proselytism that will take them there, but the expansion and culmination of the truth, and the organic course of events. The following pages will have their end if they be one pioneer of this path which the learned and the rulers are to traverse."

Testimony of Professor Gorres, Of Germany, Professor of Roman Catholic Theology at one of the German Universities. 503. "Throughout the whole of Swedenborg's voluminous works every thing appears simple and uniform, especially as to the tone in which he writes, in which there is no effort at display in the imaginative powers, nothing overwrought, nothing fantastic, nothing that can, in the remotest degree, be construed into a morbid bias of a prevailing mental activity, nothing indicating a fixed idea, or manifesting any peculiarity of a commencing mental derangement. Every thing he undertakes is developed in a calm and measured manner, like the resolution and demonstration of a mathematical problem, and every where the operations of a mind composed and well ordered shine forth, with conviction as to the certainty of the results of its activity. In the cultivation of science, sincerity and simplicity of heart are necessary requirements to the attainment of durable success. We never observe that Swedenborg was subject to that pride by the influence of which so many great spirits have fallen; he always remained the same subdued and modest mind; and never, either by success, or by any consideration, lost his mental equilibrium."

Extract from the Memoir by Rev. O. Prescott Hiller.

504. "A man, a human being like ourselves, has been chosen by the Divine will, as the instrument for conveying these truths to the world. And as Moses, a man like ourselves, was chosen of old, to be the instrument for bringing into the land of Canaan the people with whom a representative Church was to be established, and who was called too, (man though he was) up into the mount to speak with God, and receive the tables of his law;- -as Paul, a man, too, like ourselves, was chosen, at the commencement of a former dispensation, to be an apostle to teach the new truth to the world, and, in order to enlighten and strengthen him for that work, was admitted in spirit to a view of the heavens and even of the Lord Himself:

"Now whence this change in public opinion? It has been the most silent of revolutions, a matter almost of signs and whispers. Swedenborg's admirers have simply kept his books before the public, and given them their good word when opportunity offered. The rest has been done over the heads of men, by the course of events, by the advance of the sciences, by our new liberties of thought, by whatever makes man from ignorant, so now, in our own day, at the commencement enlightened, and from sensual, refined and spiritu- of another Dispensation of Divine truth, at this the alized. In short, it is the world's progress under time of the Lord's second coming in the light of Providence which has brought it to Swedenborg's the Spiritual Sense of His Word, has another indidoor. For where a new truth has been discovered, vidual,- - a man, like ourselves,― been raised up as that truth has said a courteous word for Sweden- the instrument for making known to the world the borg; where a new science has sprung up and entered upon its conquests, that science has pointed with silent-speaking finger to something friendly to, and suggestive of, itself in Swedenborg; where a new spirit has entered the world, that spirit has flown to its mate in Swedenborg; where the age has felt its own darkness and confessed it, the students of Swedenborg have been convinced that there was in him much of the light which all hearts were seeking. And so forth. The fact then is, that an unbelieving century could see nothing in Swedenborg; that its successor, more trustful and truthful, sees more and more; and strong indica

truths and doctrines of that New Church which is about to be established on the earth- the New Jerusalem. The herald will not be received nor believed, for a time; he has been, and he will be, slandered and reviled; he has been and will continue to be, by some and for a while, pronounced a mystic and a madman; the interested, the prejudiced, and the self-confident will scoff at him, as the proud Athenians scoffed at Paul preaching to them the truth-as the doctors of the Jewish Church scorned the words of Him who was the Truth itself. But these things will be only for a time. "Truth is strong and will prevail.' There

128

are always a few candid and earnest minds in the the sweet and tender influences of the divine love, community, anxious for the truth, and ready to seek is perceived to proceed from this Divine Fountain, it wherever it is to be found, and to follow whither-as its only source! Yet such is the transcendent soever it leads. Such there were, even in Swe- glory, gain, and happiness imparted to every penidenborg's lifetime, men too of high character, tent and devout receiver of the above Heavenly intelligence, and education, who perceived the Doctrines. Add to this, the nearness and connectruth of the principles he taught, received them tion between this world and another, demonstrated with delight, and sought to make them known to by such a weight of irresistible evidence; the great others. Since his death, the number has been evangelical doctrines of Faith, of Charity, of Resteadily increasing, in all parts of the world. And pentance and Remission of Sins, of Temptation, within a few years past, many of the profound and Reformation, Regeneration, and the Freedom of original thinkers of the age have repaired to his the Will, opened, explained, and enforced, accordpages, as their chief source of instruction, and have ing to their edifying and important meaning; the acknowledged that they could find there satisfac-nature, also, and effect of the Last Judgment, the tory answers to their inquiries, that could be found Lord's Second Advent, and the descent of the New nowhere else, in the whole range of moral, theo-Jerusalem, presented to view in all the brightness logical, and philosophical writers. The signs of and fulness of truth, and confirmed by the testithe times are now giving token of a change and a mony of the sure Word of prophecy; and some great change, in the view generally entertained of faint idea may then be formed of the immense debt this author. As he becomes more known, surprise of gratitude, owing at this day from all the famiand admiration take the place of neglect and con- lies of the earth to their Heavenly Father. For tempt; the earnest searchers for truth wonder that who, except that Father, 'whose tender mercies they had not been directed to this light before-are over all His works,' could thus cause 'His the intellectual and the learned are astonished that light to shine in darkness' for the deliverance of they had passed by a thinker and writer, who far His people from evil, from error, and from destrucexcels them both in intellect and learning; and the tion, and, at the same time, for the guidance of admirers and collectors of great names are begin-their feet into the ways of righteousness, truth, ning to admit his into their list. And we venture and salvation? To his praises, and most unthe prediction, that as years roll by, and these writ- feigned thankfulness on this occasion, the author ings are examined, explored, understood, more is lastly urgent to add his ardent prayers, that the and more thoroughly as the world grows wiser above glorious light' may shine in every corner and better-as the darkness of old error passes of the habitable globe, until the whole earth beoff, and the light of truth increases the name of comes that blessed tabernacle of God,' which was SWEDENBORG will shine the brightest in the whole announced to be with men,' in which God will galaxy of great names, and his memory be revered dwell and be with them their God, and wipe away as that of the most powerful and most useful of all all tears from their eyes' (Rev. xxi. 3, 4)." the human instruments whom Heaven has raised up, to communicate truth, goodness, and happiness to mankind."

Testimony of the late Rev. John Clowes, A. M.,
Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Rector
of St. John's Church, (Episcopal) Manchester,
England.

The New Church.

506. "The reception of the Doctrines of the New Church has slowly, but constantly increased, from the time when Swedenborg began to teach Those who bethem, up to the present moment. come fully impressed with their truth, and with the desire to live according to them, usually endeavor to connect themselves with each other, and to form 505. "The author (of this Memoir) cannot con- societies for the purpose of mutual encouragement clude his narrative, without offering up to the and instruction. This effort commonly results in Father of Mercies his most devout and grateful the building of churches, establishment of preachacknowledgments for the extraordinary privilege, ing, and performance of religious services, very and inestimable blessing vouchsafed him, in having much in the ordinary congregational and episcopal been admitted to the knowledge and acknowledg-forms. There are now in England some seventyment of the truth and importance of the doctrines five ministers or preachers of the Doctrines, and unfolded by Swedenborg from the Word of God as the genuine doctrines of christianity. For what worldly glory, gain, or happiness, can stand in competition with this to know Jesus Christ to be the only true God,' and to be allowed to approach and worship Him in his Divine Humanity; to be delivered thus from all perplexity as to the proper object of worship; to see, at the same time, the divine volume of Revelation opened; its interior treasures displayed; its evidence and authority thus confirmed by its divine contents; its apparent contradictions reconciled; whilst all that is divine and holy, all that is good and true, all that is calculated to excite the veneration of intelligent beings, and the affection of penitent ones; all, in short, that has a tendency either to enlighten the human understanding, or to purify the human will; either to edify, by the bright and proud lessons of divine truth, or to soften and console by

in the United States about sixty. The number of places, however, where receivers are known to reside, is much larger, being in the United States, about four hundred and fifty. There are also many known in France, Germany, and Sweden, and some in other countries. In Sweden the New Church Doctrines have not been preached openly as such, on account of the established church; but it is understood that many of the clergy there are well acquainted with Swedenborg's writings, and instruct their people in accordance with them, although not openly professing the source of their instruction.

"The Receivers of the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem Church, await patiently to be joined by their fellow-men, in the glad confidence that there is a good time coming, when the whole Christian world will rejoice in the light of the New Jerusalem.” — Hobart's Life, p. 276.

INTRODUCTION

TO THE COMPENDIUM.

phy of the day. "The secret of heaven" (says Emerson) "is kept from age to age. No imprudent, sociable angel, ever dropped an early syllable to answer the longing of saints, the fears of mortals. We should have listened on our knees to any favorite, who, by stricter obedience, had brought his thoughts into parallelism with the celestial currents, and could hint to human ears the scenery and circumstance of the newly-parted soul."* This is the utterance of the merest, most refined naturalism of our age. So low has philosophy fallen in her high places! Yet it expresses the yearning wants of the human soul. The transcendental Philosophy of this age would get down upon its knees for any, even the faintest whisper, from the mysterious dwellings of eternity. But upon such ears, no sociable angel ever dropped a syllable! It would be better to ascribe the cause to the right party.

THE Compiler of this work has endeavored to answer a want which has been deeply felt, and which, at the present crisis, seems more pressing than ever. It is a time of unparalleled interest in spiritual truths. It is a time, in God's Providence, when the old systems of theology are evidently breaking up and passing down the stream of Time - when ancient authorities are questioned with a bold and determined aspect—and the most keen and searching glances are sent into every creed. It is a time, too, of much doubt and confusionof the most bare and unblushing infidelity — of a deeper and wider knowledge of Nature on the one hand, and a more lamentable ignorance and denial of God on the other. It is, as a consequence, an age of extremes. The freedom of the human mind, for which we are now so distinguished, has revealed to many the hideous deficiences of the so called Protestant faith, and driven them to a refuge in Catholic authority. It has become too evi- Now, that we are approaching an Era of marked dent, that the prevalent theology will not bear the spiritual truth, it would seem useless to deny. piercing test which it is now submitted to that Notwithstanding the immensely higher truth which the better reason flees from it, a million times in has, at least for a century, been already in the secret, and many times in open affront; and that world, to wit, in the pages of our Author, yet Provthus, where the religious tendencies predominate, idence is evidently now permitting an external and there is either a backward movement to the visible communication from spirits out of the maChurch of Rome, to save the fear and trouble of terial body, with the men of our earth, to the end, thinking, or a melancholy indifference to all that among others, that the sensual philosophy of our demands a Philosophy commensurate with Faith; times, and the gross unbelief of the church and while on the other hand, where the natural reason the world, may find its proper antidote in these predominates, there is a tendency to flee from all tangible and sensuous phenomena. Of the heights venerated "theologies," to the open fields of Na- and depths of this most palpable demonstration, of ture and her pantheistic enticements. There is a its measure of truth and falsity, of its infernal demiddle class, who still strive to reconcile their va- ceptions, and the willingness with which so many rious theologies with the Reason that so urgently thousands are led astray by a converse with the impels, and who are really doing much to save other world, we here say nothing. Of its amount many fragments of truth, and adapt them at once of honesty we here say nothing. It is sufficient to the science, philosophy, and theology of the here to say, that no one can take a survey of the soul. But amidst the whole, what dread confu-wide extent and practice of this very evident demsion and scepticism! How much doubt, even of onstration from the invisible world, without bethe future, immortal life of man! lieving that a more than ordinary movement is taking place in the world of spirits. To believe that it will all come to nothing, does not comport with the best ideas of Providence. Should it even al' end here, it would not be without a stirring up of the minds of hundreds of thousands of those who most needed it, to a faith, realization, and know]

But again, we are opening into new and strange wonders. New indeed, to those who now first realize them; not so new in the history and experience of man. The whole Past has been fruitful of a varied spiritual experience; and we are now really experiencing nothing but what has been better and more fully attested in ages long since gone by. Not so, however, the sceptical philoso

* Representative Men, p. 140.

coming times. Still, in doing this, we have not withheld the highest and most important truths but have made a faithful, full, and impartial transcription. We have shunned all comments, only giving, here and there, what seemed to be a ne cessary or profitable explanatory note.

edge of immortal verities connected with undying crease of truth, more or less ample, according to man. Should it all end even to-day, it has created the states and conditions of the present and all an epoch, and left a history and a literature, such as it is, which could not fail to stimulate inquiry, and connect with past evidences, for ages yet to come. But we do not believe that this is all, though the whole phenomena may die away, and be succeeded by other and higher evidences. As it runs, it will doubtless have the effect, among others, to turn the world's attention even to these writings, which we here preface with our brief remarks. If so, then let us be thankful for the Providence that has so ordered. The whole demonstration will undoubtedly be made to tell in the establishment of the grand truths of the New Jeru-We indeed designed more than we have accomsalem. Rev. xxi. 1, 2.

The reader will here find Swedenborg in brief. We could not, of course, go very largely, indeed but very little, into his expositions of Scripture for to abridge the “ Arcana Cœlestia,” or the “ Apo alypse Explained," or "Revealed," could not possibly fall in with the design of such a work as this.

plished, even in the matter of scriptural exposition; but found it altogether impracticable, and inconsistent with the bulk of the work, to attempt much of this. And herein may be a Providence; for it is manifestly certain, that an estranged and external world is not yet prepared for the connected, interior sense of the Word of God, such as would be involved in much lengthy extract, and it might therefore serve only for profanation, and operate as a hinderance to the reception of the great principles and truths which are given in this volume. We could not have presented enough, in particular and detail, to accustom the mind, and establish any firmly-rooted convictions. Rather, then, than enter upon longdrawn and connected explanations of Scripture, although herein consisted the chief and exalted labors of Swedenborg, we have chosen to present his great doctrines, derived professedly from the Word, and his principles in full of scriptural interpretation, with such expositions as fell naturally into the extracts made, and such others, of a marked and particular character, as serve for examples and illustrations of this system of scriptu

Such, then, in brief, are the times in which we live. At such a crisis, and when thousands are inquiring what they shall believe, and to what the church, with its nameless sects, is evidently approaching; in the midst, too, of a very general expectation of some great interposition of Providence in the affairs of men; it is certainly a desideratum to have, in one volume, as full and systematic a collection as may be, of the principles and statements of the greatest Seer who has yet lived or spoken. Hitherto, the works of Swedenborg have been so voluminous as to confine them, chiefly, with the partial exception of a few of the smaller volumes, to the circle of his more immediate followers. And even these, from not being read in connection with his larger works, or from not being aware of the system and philosophy which pervade and characterize the whole of them, have frequently had the effect to discourage and drive away many minds, who, if they could have been presented with a fuller view, would have experienced a stronger attachment, if not a full reception of the teachings of the illustrious Seer. Indeed, to an entirely new inquirer, with the excep-ral exegesis. This, we think, cannot fail to lead tion of a very few rarely prepared minds, there has been hardly a volume but which, more or less, would realize something of the aforementioned effect upon him.

to further inquiry at the proper sources.

We have arranged the Work in order, so that, if any one choose, it may be read from beginning to end, with system and profit. Indeed, to a novitiate inquirer, this is the only way in which the full meaning of the volume can be obtained. As far as is possible, in such a case, the reader may here find an orderly body of theological and spiritual truth.

We deem it necessary, as far as possible in the limits allotted to us in this Preface, to advert to two grand doctrines taught in the following pages, for the purpose of removing, so far as may be,

In the present work, an attempt has been made to present, from some thirty volumes, all the fundamental principles and chief teachings of Swedenborg. Something, and that the best, which he has said on every topic of importance which he has treated, we have endeavored here to present. That we have in every case fully succeeded, it would be both immodest and unreasonable to pretend. How laborious is such a work! What judgment is required! What labor of condensa- whatever of objection may exist against them in tion, and yet what fulness of representation! And in accomplishing this labor, we have kept a particular eye to the world outside of the "New Church," and to the multitudes of all sects, and of no sect, who cannot, as yet, enter into the more abstruse and mystical of our author's productions, and yet who may be expected to receive an in

the natural mind, and of seeing their accordance with the best reason of man. We allude to the Lord and the Word. It has been frequently found that Swedenborg's language, full as it is, while all-sufficient to convince and satisfy many minds, still is not always the best adapted to the novitiate inquirer, and especially to those on the natural