Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
ANECDOTES COLLECTED BY D. P. AB INDAGINE. 89
j^resent, my metaphysics and my psychology aside, in order that I may not do
injustice to a venerable man of eighty-six* years and upwards, who is a learned
man, and of an excellent ajid upright character^ and I would by no means de-
tract anything from his merits. I will, therefore, admit, that it has pleased the
Lord to manifest himself to you, and to send you to teach something new, which
tlie church and the whole human race have hitherto not known ; yea, I will
admit, that you are permitted to be in the spidtual world with angels, and, at
the same time, to dwell in this world with men, and this already for twenty-five
years ; but, my dear friend, why do you not convince the unbelieving world of
this your peculiar calling?
" It is repoi-ted, that you have related, word for word, from the world of spir-
its, the conversation which the queen of Sweden formerly held in this world
with her brother, the king and prince of Prussia, at Charlotienburg, near Berlin 5
and that the queen, who well knew that no one was present at this.secret con-
versation, and that, consequently, not a word of it could be repeated by any
person living, was compelled to admit, that you had ascertained the most particu-
lar circumstances of this conversation, and must certainly have had an inter-
view with her deceased brother. It is well known that men, in general, are
very attentive to wonderful things, and very desirous of knowing them. Various
friends have told me of this occurrence, and many, whom I have heard relate it,
have added to it something of their own ; but that this remarkable occurMice
did happen, you yourself have told me ; and why do you not make it publicly
known to the unbelieving world ? Truth seems to require this of you ; you have
the queen, and the king, as well, for witnesses ; and they, no doubt, will not
refuse to give their testimony."t
The Sivedhh Documents, p. 104^ give extra>cls from letters written by this respectabid
man at Amsterdam, wi’^o was acquainted with Swedenborg, and contain certain things
which he communicates to an intimate friend at Hamburg.. In his first letter, dated
Jan. 26, l??!, he says, amongst other things-—
" You ask me what this venerable old man (Swedenborg) is now doing ? This
I can tell you ; he eats and drinks very moderately, but keeps his chamber rather
long, and thirteen hours appear to be not too much for him.i When I informed
him, that his work On the Earths in the Universe had been translated and pub-
lished, he was much delighted, and his eyes w^hich are always smiling, became
still more brilliant. He is now indefatigably at work ;
yea, I must say, that he
* This is a mistake, since Swedenborg was only eighty-four when he died,
t Such testimonies have been given ; and the queen lierself testified several times to
the truth of this occurrence. But Sv/edenborg’s doctrine, which contains the develop-
ment of spiritual truths, could not be demonstrated by miraculous phenomena; nor
does it stand in need of stupefying miracles, which, for the time their influence contin-
ues, deprives a man of the use of his freedom and rationality. It rests upon interior
grounds—upon Scripture and reason ; and the miraculous experience which Sweden-
borg and others may hare had, only serves as a confirmation. Those extraordinary oc-
currences could, indeed, demonstrate that he was in a condition to experience things in
the other worid ; but, as they could by no means prove his doctrine, he consequently re-
fused to record them, and to appeal to them as proofs of his doctrine: and this he no
doubt told D. P. ab Indagine ; for We find, that he afterwards conversed much with
him when at Amsterdam,
—
Tafel.
t It must be observed, that his time was not all consumed in sleep, but a great por-
tion of it in meditation and spiritual intercourse, when he would, of course, pirefer being
secluded from the world.— Ta/e^,
7
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
