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60 [Doc. 6.
GENERAL BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.
Swedenborg’s life was again in danger during an assembly of
the Diet, when he was obliged to give orders to his servants
not to admit any one into his house until further notice ;
orders which were obeyed by them.
13. His writings raised him many enemies among the
clergy, who found in them causes for persecuting him beyond
endurance. His writings were denounced before the Consistory,
and during a whole month meetings of the bishops and pro
fessors of theology were held for the purpose of examining
them. At the end of this period they reported the result of
their examination, which was nevertheless favourable; and
there the matter rested for the moment. But his enemies
filled with rage at their small success, tried other means, and
they profited by Swedenborg’s absence, who was abroad, and
did not know what was taking place, nor the machinations
that were resorted to, with the view of destroying him . Here
we may well exclaim : Tantæne animis coelestibus iræe! Can so
much gall enter into the hearts of the pious! of the ministers
of the Lord, who preach a religion, the only basis of which
is love to God, and charity! And whom did they persecute ?
An author whose writings breathe nothing but these two kinds
of love, as the only means by which heaven may be opened
to man, and show that the opposite of these, the love of self
and of the world, lead to eternal perdition. Swedenborg always
with several friends in his garden, when there entered a young man un
known to all the parties present. He walked up to Swedenborg with a
self-sufficient smile playing around his lips, and informed him that he had
recently lost his father, and that he therefore desired, by Swedenborg’s
intercourse with spirits, to know what was his lot in the other world.
Swedenborg, who probably wanted to punish the youth’s impertinence, said
to him, “It is pitiable, if your father belonged to that order of which very
few are saved . Your father was a clergyman, was he not?" As Sweden
borg’s supposition was really correct, the stranger blushed with astonish
ment and shame, and went away; but not in order to let this remark serve
him as a warning. On the contrary, filled with a feeling of revenge against
the satirical spirit-seer, he again desired to make his way into the garden,
for the purpose of murdering him. But when he rushed in by the door,
his cloak caught in the lock, and uncovered his sword, which fell to the
ground. His design was thus betrayed, and he was prevented from
executing it. The consequence was that during that Diet, his door was
closed against all unknown persons."
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