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422 TESTIMONY OF CONTEMPORARIES. [Doc. 253.
assuring him that it was not in the least from youthful pre
sumption, (I was then twenty,) but from a strong desire of
conversing with a character so celebrated. He received me
very kindly. It being early in the afternoon, delicate coffee,
without eatables, was served, agreeably to the Swedish custom:
he was also, like pensive men in general, fond of this beverage.
We conversed for nearly three hours ; principally on the nature
of human souls, and their states in the invisible world ; dis
cussing the principal theories of psychology, by various authors ;
among them the celebrated Dr. Wallerius,209 late Professor of
Natural Theology atUpsal. He asserted positively, as he often
does in his works, that he had intercourse with spirits of de
ceased persons. I presumed, therefore, to request of him as
a great favour, to procure me an interview with my brother,
who had departed this life a few months before, a young clergy
man officiating in Stockholm, and esteemed for his devotion,
erudition, and virtue. He answered, that God having for wise
and good purposes separated the world of spirits from ours, a
communication is never granted without cogent reasons ; and
asked what my motives were. I confessed that I had none
besides gratifying brotherly affection, and an ardent wish to
explore scenes so sublime and interesting to a serious mind.
He replied, that my motives were good, but not sufficient; that
if any important spiritual or temporal concern of mine had
`been the case , he would then have solicited permission from
those angels who regulate such matters.* He showed me the
* Here the Editors of the New Church Repository published in Phila
delphia in 1817, appended a note as follows:-"Although as to substance
there can be no doubt of the correctness of Mr. Collin’s memory, yet with
due deference to that respectable gentleman, we cannot but remark, that
we are of opinion he must have misapprehended one of Swedenborg’s ex
pressions. We allude to that which is expressed by Mr. Collin in the
following words: ’That if any important spiritual or temporal concern of
mine had been the case, he would then have solicited permission from those
angels who regulate such matters.’ Now, as far as we are acquainted with
the writings of Swedenborg, we have no recollection of his ever having in
culcated the idea, that application for any favour, natural or supernatural,
should be made to angels, but to the Lord alone. We cannot, therefore,
but conclude, that the declaration was either misunderstood, or mis-remem
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