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20 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG.
inhabitants, a similarity and agreement of tastes and
occupations, of conveniences and inconveniences, of
pleasures and of pains. Strongly impressed with these
ideas, he endeavoured, in examining the Holy Scriptures,
to combine them with his philosophical principles. Never
theless, in describing spiritual things he has not been
able to avoid the ideas inseparable from material exist
ence. He tells us, however, that the whole is to be
understood in a spiritual manner. This is a judicious
caution but is there not reason to apprehend, that when
we trust too much to the imagination, we are in danger
of falling into error ? I am led to believe that Bishop
Swedberg, otherwise a highly respectable and learned
man, was a little inclined this way. Several of his
works seem to indicate it : at least, we may conjecture
from them that he had a tendency to behold, in certain
events, a species of prophetic indications. It is true
that, in an ecclesiastic, the defect of believing too much
is preferable to that of believing too little. But it seems
to indicate, that the case might be the same with his
learned son ; who had, so to speak, inherited from his
father that spirit of curiosity, with which he entered on
the investigation of the objects which strike the senses,
and of those which are beyond their sphere, and are
even beyond the limits prescribed to the human under
standing.
I have probably dwelt too long on Swedenborg’s
theological works : these are not matters to be discussed
affections and thoughts, of their real life, whether good or evil.
What, therefore, Swedenborg describes as facts concerning the
spiritual world and the states of departed spirits must not be con
sidered, according to M. Sandel’s supposition, as conclusions
drawn from visible, or material things respecting invisible or
spiritual things, but as realities perceived in spiritual light by his
spiritual senses, and communicated to the world to promote the
wisdom, happiness, and salvation of mankind. The things,
which Swedenborg describes as facts and realities, which he
heard and saw in the spiritual world, will be seen attested and
proved by the examination and testimony of the celebrated
German philosopher, Kant, and others equally worthy of credit,
which will be adduced farther on. [Tafel.]
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