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618 NOTES TO VOLUME I.
7
which is contained in Vol. III. of the photo-lithographic edition of
Swedenborg’s MSS., he institutes a minute comparison between
his own system of philosophy and that of Wolf; among other things
he there says : “Of him it may be said, that he is truly a philo
sopher, and that by constant examination, scrutiny, and study he
has extracted the principles of true philosophy" (p. 84 ). It is
interesting to compare this estimate of Swedenborg’s with that which
he formed respecting Wolf, when he met him in the other life.
In his work entitled “The Earths in the Universe," No. 38, he
says : “ The spirits of Mercury once came to a certain spirit from
our earth, to be instructed by him onvarious subjects. This was Christian
Wolf, who during his life upon earth had been highly distinguished
for his learning. They perceived, however, that what he spoke was
not elevated above the sensual things of the natural man, for in
speaking he thought of honour ; and as every one in the other life
remains like his former self, he as had been his wont in the world desired
to connect various things together into series, and these again into
others, and thus to go on making other deductions, and so forming
several chains, which they neither saw nor acknowledged to be true,
saying that these chains cohered neither in themselves nor with the
conclusions, and calling them the obscure principle of authority.
After that they ceased to interrogate him, but confined themselves
to asking him , how various things are called; and as all his replies
were given in material and not in spiritual ideas, they left him .”
In his “Spiritual Diary,” (No. 4550,) he adds the following particulars:
“A certain one appeared to the left, and silence having been made
when he spoke, it was perceived he was like Wolf. After he ap
proached, a sphere diffused itself from him as if he were the God
of the universe. This sphere continued for some time, and mean
while he said to all, that he was the greatest upon earth, and that
there was no one so learned as himself; but of this they could not
be persuaded. He was told that those things which had constituted
his learning, were simply means for acquiring wisdom, and that there
is no wisdom in them unless they are thus applied; also that these
things with him may have been the means of making him insane,
and of extinguishing truths. A conversation also was carried on
with him about these truths. He then approached nearer; and after
that sphere had been dispelled (for other spirits had been associated
with him ) he desired to know everything in the other life, and
also the arcana of the internal sense of the Word, and this apparently
from the desire of knowing. He also learned some things, but as
soon as he turned to his own spirits, i. e. to the life of his own
principles, he derided them. He was then told that he only desired
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