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CONFIRMATION OF SHEARSMITH’S TESTIMONY. 87
ceived the sacrament in bed from the hands of a foreign clergyman, and enjoyed
a sound mind, memory, and understanding to the last hour of his life. That
about five o’clock on Sunday the twenty-ninth day of March, he asked her,
this deponent, and her then mistress, who were sitting by his bed-side, what
o’clock it was; and upon their answering him that it was about five o’clock, he
replied, *
That is good, I thank you, God bless you,’ or to that effect; and in
about ten minutes after, he heaved a gentle sigh, and expired in the most tranquil
manner. And these deponents jointly and severally on their oath declare, that,
to the best of their recollection and belief, no person whatever visited him, either
the day before, or the day on which he died. And these deponents positively
declare that they never did, either directly or indirectly, say or assert to any
person or persons whatsoever, that the said Emanuel Swedenborg had, a few
hours before his death, retracted or contradicted any part of his writings, as lias
been falsely reported ; nor did they ever hear him, nor do they believe he ever
did, say a word that expressed or implied such an idea; nor were ihese depo-
nents ever asked a question relative to that circumstance, by any person or per-
sons whatsoever, until the twenty-second day of October last, when Mr. Thomas
Wright, of the Poultry, London, watchmaker, and Mr. Robert Hindmarsh, of
I
Clerkenwell-close, printer, called upon them to inquire into the truth or false-
’
hood of such report, which these deponents then declared to them, and now
again on their oaths declare, to be a false and groundless report. *
"Richard Shearsmith,
" Sworn at the Guildhall, London, the 24th day " Elizabeth Shearsmith.
of November, 1785, before me,
\
" T. Wright, Mayor."
The above affidavit was translated into French, and printed at the Hagiie; by which
means the false report that had gained credit there was completely refuted, and the
enemies of truth were effectually silenced.
The above testimony confirmed by Mr. B. Chastanier.
*«
As a strong confirmation of the above testimony, I, Benedict Chastanier,
surgeon. No. 62 Tottenham-court-road, am happy in being able to declare, that
the late Rev. Mr. Hartley* declared to me, on the very first visit he paid me in
1778, at my house, then in Grafton- street, Soho, that three or four days before
Swedenborg’s death, he, together with Dr. Messiter,t waited on him, and in the
Doctor’s presence, earnestly pressed him openly to declare, whether all he had
written was strictly true, or whether any part, or parts thereof were to be ex-
cepted. ’
I have written,’ answered Swedenborg, in a very emphatic manner,
* nothing but the truths as you will have it more and more confirmed hereofter all the days
of your life, provided you always keep close to the Lord, and faithfully serve Him alone,
in shunning evils of all kinds as sins against Him, and diligently searching His Holy
Word, which from beginning to end bears incontestible testimony to the truth of the doc-
trines I have delivered to the world’—Dr. Messiter, lately deceased, has also more
* See above p. 37. t See above p. 44.
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