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TESTIMONY OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY. 109
afterwards : and the words he then uttered to Mr. Houghton will not appear
stronger than he might be expected to use, when two such recent and completely
incontrovertible proofs of the truth of Swedenborg’s claims were operating on
his mind.
**
Yet Mr. Wesley, thus miraculously convinced of the truth of Swedenborg’s
claim (as far, at least, as relates to his intercourse with the spiritual world),
afterwards exerted himself to check the extension of the same conviction to
others !
—in which, however, he only afforded a proof of Swedenborg’s constant
assertion, that miraculous evidence is inefficacious for producing any real or
permanent change in a man’s confirmed religious sentiments. When Mr. Wes-
ley uttered the strong declaration respecting Swedenborg and his writings, he
spoke of the latter, rather from what he expected to find them, than from what
he actually knew them to be. The probability is, that he at this time knew little
more of them than he had learned from the tract ’ On the Intercourse ;’ which
contains, probably nothing that he would except against; especially as it is
certain, as will be seen presently, that even the treatise On Heaven and Helh
which gives the main results of Swedenborg’s spiritual experience, was not con-
demned by him. But when he came to find that Swedenborg’s writings mili-
tated against some of the sentiments that he had strongly confirmed in his o’wn
mind ; these, which were his interior convictions, gradually threw off the ex-
terior conviction arising from merely outward though miraculous evidence:
hence he afterwards accepted the false report of Mathesius,* and promoted its
circulation. Indeed, there can be no doubfthat, then, such a statement as that
of Mathesius would operate as a relief to him ; for though he could not receive
the whole of Swedenborg’s- doctrines, the positive proof he possessed of the
author’s supernatural knowledge must often have disturbed him in his rejection
of them : he must therefore have been glad to meet with anything which could
make him,’ in regard to that rejection, better satisfied with himself. Finally, per-
haps, other causes assisted to strengthen his opposition. When first he publish-
ed the slanderous report (in 1781), he still seems to have had some misgivings
;
hence he prefaced it with the acknowledgment, that Swedenborg was ’
a very
great man,’ and that in his writings ’
there are many excellent things ;’ when he after-
wards seemed less inclined to admit so much, although, no doubt, he still spoke
sincerely, a little human frailty, perhaps, influenced his judgment. It is well
known that Mr. Wesley was *ihvays prompt in taking measures to put down
anything like rebellion among his disciples,—anything that tended to the dimi-
nution of his authority over their minds. Now it is a certain fact, that Mr.
Smith was not the only one of his pupils who began to think the doctrines of
the New Church superior to those of Methodism : among his other preachers
who came to the same conclusion, were Mr. James Hindmarsh, Mr. Isaac Haw-
kins, and Mr. R. Jackson, deceased, with Mr. J. W. Salmon and Mr. T. Parker,
still living ;t all of whom became active promoters of those doctrines : it there-
fore is not to be wondered at, if Mr. Wesley at last took the most decisive steps
to check their further extension among his flock.
" The above appears to me to be a fair and highly probable account of the
Who reported that Swedenborg had a fever, and that he had been deranged ; see
following document.
t When the first edition of the " Appeal, ^c." was published.
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