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1306 NOTES TO VOLUME II.
from the published " Records of the Swedish Church" the subsequent
history of Mathesius, which we have embodied in Note 118 (Vol. I,
p. 703) ; but ignoring another entry, on p. 89, where we find the
following statement, "In the summer of 1783 Pastor Mathesius was
overtaken by a severe illness, whereby he was disabled from
continuing his office," and under the date of May 16, 1784, we
read, "In the presence of Mathesius, Magister Andreas Leufenius
was installed as his successor. Mathesius had been so far res
tored that, after being relieved from the ministerial office, he
was able to return to his native country, where he remained until
his death."
On p. 82 we find, under the date of April 29, 1777, another
entry which Mr. White did not deem it advisable to adduce in his
vindication of the memory of A. Mathesius, "The Swedish congre
gation sent a letter to His Royal Majesty, containing the following
nine points of accusation against their pastor, Mathesius : arbitrary
administration of the money belonging to the Church; personal
attacks from the pulpit ; keeping the minutes of the congregation in
a slovenly manner; refusing the members of the congregation access
to the church books ; holding church-meetings without calling them
in a legal way; signing the minutes of the proceedings with the
names of members without their knowledge ; going into the country
without leave of absence; causing dissension in the congregation by
exciting the lower classes against the higher, and persuading them
that they possess rights which do not belong to them; and, finally,
purchasing a parsonage in an unlawful way." As to the question
of Mathesius’ insanity, we see that the "Records of the Swedish
Church" by no means prove the sanity of Mathesius in 1783 and
1784; for they, especially, declare that he was overtaken by an ill
ness by which he "was disabled from continuing his office," and they
further declare that in 1784 he was "so far recovered that, after
being relieved from the ministerial office, he was able to return to
his native country."
The special charge of insanity was brought against Mathesius
by Springer121 and Bergström.224 Against Springer’s character and
credibility Mr. White has nothing to say ; but Bergström’s testimony
he seems inclined to question, for he says (I, p. 231), "The third is the
testimony of Bergström, the keeper of a Swedish inn, the King’s
Arms, in Wellclose Square, London, where Swedenborg once lodged
for ten weeks, and was, as Bergström said, ’very generous to him;""
and on p. 232 he speaks of his testimony as "the gossip of a
publican to whom Swedenbrg had been handsome." Mr. Springer’s
testimony is contained in Document 270, no. 4, p. 610 ; that of
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