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Doc.293.] WAS SWEDENBORG A FREEMASON? 737
eighteen years of age, in the year 1706, and whilst on a visit
to his home at Brunsbo, West Gothland, Swedenborg went to
see the University of Lund. Here he was initiated for the
first time into the mysteries of Freemasonry, taking the Chapter
degrees of the Scottish Rite, which formed a part of the series.
On his return he joined or affiliated with the Stockholm Chapter.
Lund, where he took his degrees, is the capital of Sconen,
the extreme southern province of Sweden."
All this speculation about Swedenborg’s having joined the order
of Freemasonry in Lund, in 1706, is exploded by the following
historical account of the establishment of Freemasonry in Sweden
taken from Ersch and Gruber’s "Allgemeine Encyklopädie,"
Vol. XLIX , p. 69, from which it appears that Freemasonry was
not introduced into Sweden until 1736. We read there : "Freema
sonry, which was introduced from England in 1736, and quickly
took root in Sweden, was forbidden by Frederic I, on October 21,
1738, under penalty of death ; but seven years later the prohi
bition was rescinded, and the institution was placed on a secure
basis. The King placed himself at its head, and received the
homage of the delegates of the lodge ... Since 1786 Freemasonry
in Sweden inclined partly to the metaphysical and mystico
theosophical efforts of Swedenborg ; whence arose the Swedish
system which has nine degrees, and which was soon favour
ably received in England and Russia. In a modified form of
seven degrees, which was introduced by Zinnendorf, it exists
also in the "Grosse Landesloge von Teutschland" (in the
grand Lodge of Germany) in Berlin." This account was written
by one of the historians of Freemasonry, August Wilh. Müller,
the editor of the Masonic Journal "Astræa."
As the order of Freemasonry was not introduced into
Sweden before 1736, and as it was not placed on a safe foot
ing there until 1745, the following assertion of Mr. Beswick
also falls to the ground (p. 18), "For a number of years he
(Swedenborg) was known as a constant visitor in the chapters
of Lund, Stockholm, Greifswalde, Stralsund, and Christianstad ;
and his visits have been traced for a period of about thirty
years, or from 1706-1740." When yet the real facts of the
case are, that before 1740 there were no Masonic chapters
in any of the towns mentioned by Mr. Beswick, and that among
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