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Doc. 10.] 139
BISHOP JESPER SWEDBERG .
regard to his further relations to pietism, Swedberg had al
ready expressed himself respecting it in these words : “ I have
never indulged in reading pietistic writings, as I have never felt
called upon to do so. I had nothing to do with the pietists,
but very much with the unpietists, and indeed with a great
number of them. I therefore can neither condemn nor defend
them. But this I shall affirm , May God grant us all to
be true pietists, such as Paul and Peter describe them.’
Argumenta ad homines were not wanting, by which pietism
profited. Swedberg related concerning Dr. Edzberg, a member
of the Diet, who was sitting with certain others at a table,
on which lay several sheets of Scriver’s " Treasure of the
Soul” (Seelenschatz), which had recently been translated into
Swedish. Edzberg declaimed with much violence against this
book, as being poisoned with the principles of pietism. But
this same Doctor proved very clearly the purity of his own
orthodoxy, by intoxicating himself nearly every day with spirits
of wine, and being usually found upon a curb-stone in some
by-street, where he slept off the effects of his intemperance.
He excused himself on the plea that his severe tooth -ache had
to be cured by aqua vita.
What we have hitherto stated concerning Swedberg does
not militate against the opinion which we now express, that
his life was a “Pastoral-theologie in Beispielen,” i. e. a pastoral
theology in examples. At Brunner’s death-bed he had expressed
a wish, that a double portion of that pious man’s spirit might
rest upon him . This wish seemed to be fulfilled in much more
than a double measure. He remembered especially the im
portance Brunner attached to a pure and lauful office or calling,
outside of which nothing ought to be undertaken, but in which
everything ought to be done with the utmost care and exactness.
Swedberg could bear witness respecting himself, that during
twenty -six years he had never neglected to attend public worship,
-
but had indefatigably preached from the gospels and epistles,
had held confessions, "read with his curates,” &c. He followed
and recommended the simple analytical mode of preaching,
where the sermons flowed without any straining or forcing
from the text; for, said he, “ then God recognizes again His
own Word. ” For an estimate of Swedberg’s style of preaching
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