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Doc. 245.] 283
INTRODUCTION.
Swedenborg had continued to publish his theological works
without being disturbed by any one , and he had distributed
them to the libraries of universities and to the learned in
England, Holland, France, Germany, and Sweden. Sundry
theologians also, e. g. Hartley, Etinger, Beyer, Rosén, and
Lavater, had studied his writings , expressing admiration
and approval of his teachings. Most, it is true , had simply
glanced over the title-pages of these works without taking any
further notice of their contents. But no one had considered
himself called upon to protest against the circulation and the
reading of these writings, although they contained views which
could not easily be made to harmonize with what was regarded
as orthodox in the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches
of the eighteenth century. Swedenborg’s writings , however,
were composed in a language which was not generally under
stood. They were possessed only by the learned, who are not
always inclined to judge the orthodoxy oftheological productions
by the standard of the conclusions of the Council of Trent,
the Heidelberg Catechism, or the Formula Concordiæ , and
who, besides , are not fond of submitting the settlement of
doctrinal or exegetical controversies to spiritual or civil courts.
But gradually Swedenborg’s friends in his own country by
reviews, translations, and sermons, began to introduce a know
ledge of his religious views to a class of readers who , un
accustomed to a deeper investigation of the Scripture and to
higher theological speculation, regard as heterodox and heretical
all religious knowledge which in any degree changes or modifies
the sanctioned doctrines, or which is above the sphere of the
doctrinal text-books in current use. A new epoch now began
to open in the history of Swedenborg’s writings, at least in
Sweden.
"Several of the Swedish clergy found fault with the views
of the New Church, and insisted that they should be formally
opposed, as militating against the Evangelical Lutheran faith.
Such an opposition first manifested itself in the diocese of
Gottenburg, and the immediate cause of it was as follows:
In the ’Clerical News’ (Presttidningen)" a monthly magazine,
published at Gottenburg by Dr. Rosén a "lector" (professor)
in that town, a review of Swedenborg’s Apocalypsis Revelata
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