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TESTIMONY OF DR. MESSITER. 45
pears from his correspondence with the Professors of Divinity at Edinburgh, Glasgow
and Aberdeen;* to which Universities, by desire of Swedenborg, he, in 1769, presented
some of his works. In his letter to Dr. Hamilton at Edinburgh, Dr. M. says,
—
" As I have had the honor of being frequently admitted to the author’s com-
pany when he was in London, and to converse with him on various points of
learning, I will venture to affirm, that there are no parts of mathematical, philo-
sophical, or medical knowledge, nay, I believe I might justly say, of human
literature, to which he is in the least a stranger ;
yet so totally insensible is he
of his own merit, that I am confident he does not know that he has any ; and, as’
himself somewhere says of the angels, he always turns his head away on the
sUghtest encomium."
Dr. Hamilton, in his answer, candidly says,
—
" I have seen enough to convince me that the honorable author is a very
learned and pious man—qualities that shall ever command my respect."
So in his letter to Dr. Gerard at Aberdeen, Dr. Messiter, speaking of Swedenborg’s
works, says
—
" They are the productions of a man whose good qualities resulting from his
natural and acquired abilities, I can with much truth, from my frequent con-
verse with him, assert, are a high ornament to human nature. Credulity, preju-
dice, or partiality, seem to have no share in his composition or character ; nor
is he in the least influenced by any avaricious or interested views. A proof of
this last assertion was afforded me, by his refusing an offer of any money he
might have occasion for while in England, which was made him on a supposal,
that his want of connexions in a place where he was a stranger might prove an
obstacle to his divine pursuits."
We will, however, adduce the letters of Dr. Messiter to the Scotch Professors :
—
To the Professor of Divinity at Edinburgh.
" October 23, 1769.
•* Ret. Sir,
•
" As I have not the honor of knowing your name, I hope you will not attribute
that deficiency in the superscription to a want of respect towards the professor
of a science which I have ever held in the greatest veneration. The Hon. Mr.
Swedenborg has desired me to send you, as a present, some of his late Tracts,
which, should you think proper to peruse them, I doubt not but you will con-
sider them as very extraordinary, and certainly more proper to be submitted to
the scrutiny of gentlemen of your dignity and profession, than to that of those
whose want of a proper scale of literature but ill qualifies them to judge of their
sublimity. As I have had the honor of being frequently admitted to the author’s
company when he was in London, and to converse with him on various points
of learning, I will venture to affirm, that there are no parts of mathematical,
philosophical, or medical knowledge, nay, 1 believe I might justly say, of human
literature, to which he is in the least a stranger ;
yet so totally insensible is he of
his own merit, that I am confident he does not know that he has any ; and, as
himself somewhere says of the angels, he always turns his head away on the
* See Intellectual Repository, Vol. iii. (first series) p. 449, &c.
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