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88 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG.
than once affirmed to me this plain declaration of his intimate friend, Mr. Hart-
ley. As witness my hand this 9th of May, 1790 :
" Benedict Chastanier."*
XIII.
ANECDOTES OF SWEDENBORG
WHILE
IN HOLLAND.
Swedenborg was well known at Amsterdam, having published many of his works In
that city. A gentleman, named D. Paulus ab Indagine,t has left several things on re-
cord concerning Swedenborg, which, although not of much importance, and, in some
respects, evidently erroneous, we shall here adduce. The following is an extract from
a letter which D. P. ab Indagine addressed to Swedenborg, dated March 8, 1769 ;
—
*’
Vir doctissime, celeberrimeque ! [Most learned and celebrated Man.]
•* have thoroughly examined the principles of your system. You rest your
principal proofs on what you maintain you have seen.| You relate wonderful
things, which you assert you have heard and seen. Hitherto you have published
works On the Last Judgment and the Destruction of Babylon ; On Heaven and Hell /
On the White Horse ; On the Earths in the Universe ; On the Wisdom of Angels, &c.
The Arcana Ccdestia, your most extensive work, consisting of eight parts, I have
not yet been able to meet with, and, of course, have not read.§ More writings
of this kind have appeared. You have sent, I am informed, a copy to all the
bishops of England ; but not one has given himself the trouble to confute them.
The Dutch have criticised one of your last works, entitled Conjugial Love, &c., with
much care, and with a praiseworthy modesty. The critic at Amsterdam with-
holds his judgment and his final decision, until he has seen the complete work,
which, you promise, shall appear within two years. ’ We expect, therefore,’
says the reviewer, ’ a greater development, and a fuller illustration, which, we
doubt not, will appear in due time. In the mean time,’ says he, at the conclu-
sion of his remarks, ’ the divines, in our opinion, can spare themselves the
trouble of refuting the ideas of this extraordinary man.’
*’
Your last work you have distributed amongst the divines of all sects in this
city, not only amongst the Reformed, but also amongst the Roman Catholics;
you have also advertised it in other cities, and in the other universities of Hol-
land. Far be it from me to place limits to the divine omnipotence ; I lay for the
* See New Jerusalem Magazine, 1790, p. 226.
f This individual is described in collateral documents, as being a highly respectable
and learned man, resident at Amsterdam.
± This is by no means the case ; all the proofs of his doctrines are based upon the
Word of God, and enlightened reason.
§ This does not comport with what he says in the first sentence, *’
I have thoroughly,"
&c., since the principles of his system are chiefly developed in this his most extensive
work.
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