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36 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG.
of extensive intellectual abilities : we have had con
firmation of these things from his own mouth, and have
received his testimony, and do both of us consider this
our acquaintance with the author and his writings among
the greatest blessings of our lives. The extensive learn
ing displayed in his writings evinces him to be the
scholar and the philosopher ; and his polite behaviour
and address bespeak him the gentleman. He affects no
honour, but declines it ; pursues no worldly interest, but
spends his substance in travelling and printing, in order
to communicate instruction and benefit to mankind : and
he is so far from the ambition of heading a sect, that
wherever he resides on his travels he is a mere solitary,
and almost inaccessible, though in his own country of a
free and open behaviour. He has nothing of the pre
cisian in his manner, nothing of melancholy in his
temper, and nothing in the least bordering on the enthu
siast in his conversation and writings."
Mr. H. makes similar remarks in his letter to the
translator of The True Christian Religion:
"The great Swedenborg (he says, ) was a man of un
common humility. He was of a catholic spirit, and loved
all good men of every church, making at the same time
all candid allowance for the innocence of involuntary error.
However self-denying in his own person, as to gratifi
cations and indulgences, even within the bounds of
moderation ; yet nothing severe, nothing of the pre
cisian, appeared in him, but, on the contrary, an inward
serenity and complacency of mind were manifest in the
sweetness of his looks and outward demeanor. It may
reasonably be supposed, that I have weighed the character
of our illustrious author in the scale of my best judg
ment, from the personal knowledge I had of him, from
the best information I could procure respecting him, and
from a diligent perusal of his writings ; and according
thereto, I have found him to be the sound divine, the
good man, the deep philosopher, the universal scholar,
and the polite gentleman
’; and I further believe, that he
had a high degree of illumination from the Spirit of God,
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