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444
[Doc. 256.
TESTIMONY OF CONTEMPORARIES.
been made by any man before, would be sufficient to induce
any intelligent reader to throw the entire work under his
chair.
3. When a certain scholar could not understand the dark
satires of Persius, he is said to have dashed them down full
of impatience, exclaiming. "If you refuse to be understood,
you ought not to be read" (si non vis intelligi, non debes legi
).
Still we should wrong Swedenborg very much by charging
him with want of clearness. His style is very simple, clear,
and intelligible ; sometimes indeed his descriptions are so full
of details and so picturesque, that they could easily be painted,
and represented in interesting pictures. In respect to his
Latinity, it must certainly not be submitted to a critical Latin
scholar ; for it can be very easily seen that he does not wield
the pen of a Petrus Biermannus Secundus ; nevertheless, he
can say everything he pleases in Latin, and be understood by
his readers. Besides, the Latinity of most of the Fathers of
the Church, and even of many theologians of the present time
when they write on theological and Biblical matters, is far
from being Ciceronian. But let me pass from words to things.
4. The Christian worship of God is subject to this sad
calamity in this world, that attacks are made upon it either
by arrogant fools who call themselves strong-minded, or by
visionaries ; the latter rendering it ridiculous sometimes without
wishing to do so, but the former endeavouring to do so with
all their power. The learned Mr. Swedenborg cannot be
classed among freethinkers and enemies of the Christian
religion; for he writes with the greatest reverence for God
and His Word. He has impressed upon me the most pro
found reverence for the adorable Saviour of the world, and
his entire system of doctrine is based upon His Divinity.
Although, on the other hand, his writings contain many evident
errors, so that he must be classed among the heretics [!], I
nevertheless cannot discover in him so very easily those motives
by which most heretics are carried away. Those who know
this man and desire to judge of him without prejudice, may
indeed declare him to be somewhat eccentric in his habits
and his mode of living, yet they cannot charge him with
anything wrong or disorderly. I scarcely believe that he has
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