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1204 NOTES TO VOLUME 11.
borg must have discovered the secret which the Rosicrucian adepts
pretended to possess, by virtue of which he could protract his existence
as long as he pleased. He therefore contended, that Swedenborg had
not died, but being desirous to put off the infirmities of age, had
renewed his existence by means of a precious elixir, and had with
drawn to some other part of the world, causing a sham funeral to
be performed to avoid discovery. It was in vain that the friends of
the New Church present opposed this wild suggestion, as not only
contrary to reason in general, but to every principle of truth deve
loped in Swedenborg’s writings : the pseudo-philosopher repeated his
asseverations, and declared his conviction, that if access could be
had to the coffin, it would not be found to contain the body of the
supposed deceased. In the warmth of the dispute, the others agreed
to adopt this mode of satisfying, the unreasonable stranger: they all
set off immediately to the church; where having arrived, they, with
the sexton’s assistance, soon found means to accomplish their purpose.
The first thing they did was to descend into the vault under the
church, where the body was deposited in two coffins, one within the
other, the company being provided with torches. The outer coffin,
which was of wood, was then opened : afterwards the top of the inner
coffin of lead was sawed across the breast and the upper part taken
off, so as to leave the head and face open to inspection. The
gentlemen present were satisfied with the sight, and the visible
proof that the mortal remains of that great man were actually in
the precincts of the grave, and not, as the Rosicrucian vainly
imagined, translated to some unknown part of the world still
animated with the breath of life, while the appearance of death
was only assumed by a sham funeral, and the interment of a
certain quantity of ponderous matter, instead of a real human
body of flesh, blood, and bones. Thus the incredulity, or rather
the credulity, of the Rosicrucian was made evident, while he him
self stood confounded by a direct view of Swedenborg’s mortal
remains. No violation, however, was offered to them by any
of the visitors : they closed the coffin as well as they could, and
departed.
"
It may be proper to remark here, that two visits to the tomb of
Swedenborg were made on this occasion. The first was by two or
three persons, accompanied by the foreign gentleman, who professed
the Rosicrucian tenets, as above described : the second was made a
few days afterwards by five or six persons, members of the New Church,
who were desirous of seeing the body, and of witnessing the state of
preservation which it maintained after an interval of seventeen or
eighteen years since it was first deposited in the vault. Ofthe persons
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