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702 NOTES TO VOLUME I.
1
We shall not enter here into a refutation of the slanders which
Mathesius circulated respecting Swedenborg; these will be thoroughly
exposed in Section X; but it may be necessary to furnish the
materials which will give us an insight into his character.
In the “Records of the Swedish Church in London” (Anteckningar
rörande Svenska Kyrkan i London ), p. 82, we read :
“On April 29, 1777, the Swedish congregation sent a letter to
His Royal Majesty, containing the following nine points of accusation
against their pastor, Mathesius: arbitrary administration of the money
belonging to the Church; personal attacks from the pulpit; keeping
the minutes of the congregation in a slovenly manner; refusing the
members of the congregation access to the church books; holding
church-meetings without calling them in a legal way; signing the
minutes of the proceedings with the names of members without their
knowledge; going to the country without leave of absence; causing
dissension in the congregation by exciting the lower classes against
the higher, and persuading them that they possess rights which do
not belong to them ; and, finally, purchasing a parsonage in an
unlawful way." This letter was remitted by the King to the College
of Chancery, by which it was sent to pastor Mathesius, with the
order that he should defend himself on these nine points, and send
in his defence within a month ; meanwhile he was suspended from
his functions. Mathesius defended himself in a long reply, and as he
changed his course of proceeding among the members of the con
gregation, and helped to procure the adoption of the constitution
of the church which he had heretofore opposed, a petition was
sent to the King by the congregation on March 7, 1778, praying to
have him re-instated in his office. On March 21, 1779, he was accord
ingly re-instated. At p. 88 Pastor Mathesius is commended for his
zeal in the performance of his ecclesiastical functions, and the particulars
of the work which he performed are enumerated. And at p. 89 we
find the following statement: “ In the summer of 1783 Pastor Mathesius
was overtaken by a severe illness, whereby he was disabled from
continuing his office. In the quarterly meeting which was held on
August 18 of the same year, it was announced that Ambassador
Baron von Nolcken had made arrangements with the Danish minister
to hold services in the Swedish Church every alternate Sunday.
On May 16, 1784, in the presence of Mathesius, Magister Andreas
Leufenius was installed as his successor. Mathesius had been so far
restored that, after being relieved from the ministerial office, he was
able to return to his native country, where he remained until his death."
The following particulars respecting Mathesius have been given by
members of his congregation:
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