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TESTIMONY OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY. 107
" Mr. Wesley went the circuit, and on his return to London [if not, as is most
probable, before], was informed of the fact, that Swedenborg had departed this
life on the 29th of March preceding.
" This extraordinary correspondence induced Mr. Smith to examine the writ-
ings of Swedenborg ; and the result was, a firm conviction of the rationality and
truth of the heavenly doctrines promulgated in those invaluable writings, which
doctrines he zealously labored to disseminate during the remainder of his natu-
ral life.
" That Mr. Smith was a man of undoubted veracity, can be testified by several
persons now living, besides myself; the fact, therefore, that such a correspond-
ence did take place between the Honorable Emanuel Swedenborg and the Rev.
John Wesley, is established upon the best authority.
" On referi’ing to Mr. Wesley’s printed journal, it may be seen, that he left Lon-
don on the first of March in the year 1772 ; reached Bristol on the third, Worces-
ter on the 14th, and Chester on the 29th, which was the day of Swedenborg’s
final departure from this world. Mr. Wesley, in continuing his circuit, visited
Liverpool, and various towns in the north of England, and in Scotland, return-
ing through Northumberland and Durham to Yorkshire, and thence through
Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Shropshire, to Wales; thence to Bristol, Sahsbury,
Winchester, and Portsmouth, to London^ where he arrived on the 10th of October
in the same year, having been absent rather more than six months.
" I feel it my duty to accede to your request, and allow my name to appear
as your immediate voucher.—I remain, dear Sir, yours, very sincerely,
"John Isaac Hawkins."
" To this I can add, that the Rev. M. Sibly has assured me, that he has heard
Mr. Smith relate the above anecdote ; and that he could mention, if necessary
several other persons still living who must have heard it too. He fully, also,
supports Mr. Hawkins’ statement in regard to Mr. Smith’s veracity. Thus it is
impossible to doubt that Mr. Smith affirmed it ; and it is difficult to suppose that
he could either wilfully or unintentionally misrepresent an incident which must
have impressed him so strongly, and of which his consequent adoption of Swe-
denborg’s sentiments formed a collateral evidence.
" It may here be proper, to observe, that the translation of Swedenborg’s little
work ’
On the Intercourse between the Soul and the Body’ had been published not long
previously (in 1770), with a preface by the translator, addressed to the Univer-
sities, urging the author’s claims to attention. This Mr. Wesley had probably-
seen, and had thence conceived the desire he acknowledges to see the author.
The discovery that this desire, though it had remained a secret in his own breast,
was known to Swedenborg must have affected him very strongly : it must have
convinced him that Swedenborg’s assertion, that he possessed the privilege of
conversing with angels and spirits, was true : and it is natural to suppose that he
would conclude from it, that the cause assigned by Swedenborg of his having
received this privilege, namely, that he might be qualified for a holy office to
which he had been called, was true also. There is further, the strongest evi-
dence that Mr. Wesley’s conviction went as far as this. I had heard an anec-
dote demonstrating it, related in conversation by the reverend and venerable Mr.
Clowes, rector of St. John’s, Manchester, whose high character for every quality
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