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86 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG.
\ ’
time proposed sending for Mr. Mathesius, the officiating minister of the Swedish
church. This person \wii.s known to be a professed enemy of Swedenborg, and
had set his face against his writings : it was he that raised and spread the false
account of Swedenborg’s having been deprived of his senses. Swedenborg
therefore declined taking the sacrament from him, and actually received it from
the hands of another ecclesiastic of his own country, named Fernelius, who at
that time was a reader of Swedenborg’s writings, and is said to have continued
to do so ever since, at Stockholm, where he is now living; and I have been
assured that, on this occasion, Swedenborg expressly exhorted him to continue
steadfast in the truth.’
" Mr. Mathesius is said to have become insane himself, a short time after this ;
and becoming thereby incapable of his function, has existed ever since, in that
melancholy state, upon the king of Sweden’s bounty.
" Mr. Springer further says, ’ That a short time before his death, Swedenborg
had his spiritual or internal sight withdrawn from him, after having been favored
with it during so long a course of years : that he was under the greatest tribula-
tion of mind on that account, calling out, *’
my God ! hast thou then at last
abandoned thy servant ?" This seems to have been the last of Swedenborg’s trials.
He continued several days in that deplorable condition ; but at length recovered
his spiritual or internal sight. He was then comforted again, and became happy
as before.’
" Mr. Springer received this assurance from Swedenborg’s own mouth ; and
all I write now is from an exact copy of part of a letter written by Mr. Springer
himself.—I remain, &c.,
"Robert HiNDMARSH.
*« London, Nov. 28, 1786."
Affidavit referred to in the above Letter.
"Richard Shearsmith, of Coldbath Fields, London, peruke-maker, and Eliza-
beth Shearsmith, formerly Reynolds, his present wife, jointly and severally make
oath, and say. That the late Honorable Emanuel Swedenborg came to lodge a
second time at his, this deponent’s, house, No. 26 Coldbath Fields, aforesaid, in
the month of July or August, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one, and
continued to lodge there until his death, which happened the twenty-ninth of
March following. That a short time before Christmas, one thousand seven
hundred and seventy-one, he had a paralytic stroke, which deprived him of his
speech, and occasioned his lying in a lethargic state for three weeks and up-
wards, during the whole of which time he took no sustenance whatever, except
a little tea without milk, and cold water occasionally ; and once, about two tea-
spoonsful of red currant jelly. That about the expiration of three weeks from
the time he was so struck, he recovered his speech and health a little, and eat
and drank toast, tea, and coffee, as usual. That from that time to the time of
his death he was visited but by a very few friends only, and always seemed un-
willing to see company. That about a month before he died, he told this de-
ponent, then Elizabeth Reynolds, spinster, who was then a servant to her fellow-
deponent and Mrs. Shearsmith her then mistress, that he should die on a par-
ticular day, which to the best of her recollection and belief, happened on the
day he had foretold. That about a fortnight or three weeks before he died, he re-
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