of him; he is a problem that I cannot solve. I sincerely wish, that upright men, whom God has placed as watchmen upon the walls of Zion, had sometime since, occupied themselves with this man.”

The Swedish Documents mention also another letter, written by the same person, addressed to a respectable merchant at Hamburg, dated March 5, 1771; in which he says, amongst other things, “I cannot forbear to tell you something new about Swedenborg. Last Thursday, I paid him a visit, and found him, as usual, writing. He told me, 'that he had been in conversation that same morning, for three hours, with the deceased king of Sweden. He had seen him already on the Wednesday; but, as he observed that he was deeply engaged in conversation with the queen, who is still living, he would not disturb him.' I allowed him to continue, but, at length, asked him, how it was possible for a person, who is still in the land of the living, to be met with in the world of spirits? He replied 'that it was not the queen herself, but her spiritus familiaris, or her familiar spirit.' I asked him, what that might be? for I had neither heard from him any thing respecting appearances of that kind, nor had I read any thing about them. He then informed me, 'that every man has either his good, or bad spirit, who is not only constantly with him,* but sometimes a little removed from him, and appears in the world of spirits. But, of this, the man still living, knows nothing; the spirit, however, knows every thing. This familiar spirit has every thing in accordance with his companion upon earth; he has, in the world of spirits, the same figure, the same countenance, and the same tone of voice, and wears also similar garments; in a word, this familiar spirit of the queen,' said Swedenborg, 'appeared exactly as he had so often seen the queen herself at Stockholm, and had heard her speak.' In order to allay my astonishment, he added, "that Dr. Ernestit of Leipzig, had appeared to him, in a similar manner, in the world of spirits, and that he had held a long disputation with him.' What will this learned professor say, when he comes to hear of it? Probably he will say, that the old man is in his second childhood; he will only laugh at it, and who can be surprised? I have often wondered at myself, how I could refrain from laughing, when I was hearing such extraordinary things from him. And what is more, I have often heard him relate the same things in a numerous company of ladies and gen

"Every man has his associate spirit; and every man attracts to himself a spirit similar to the affection of his will, and hence to the perception of his understanding." T. C. R., 380., see also A.C., 5470.

† See T.C. R., 737, where Swedenborg alludes to this circumstance.

tlemen, when I well knew that there were mockers amongst them; but, to my great astonishment, not a single person even thought of laughing. Whilst he is speaking, it is as though every person who hears him were charmed, and compelled to believe him. He is by no means reserved and recluse, but open-hearted, and accessible to all. Whoever invites him as his guest may expect to see him. A certain young gentleman invited him last week to be his guest, and although he was not acquainted with him, he appeared at his table, where he met Jewish and Portugese gentlemen, with whom he freely conversed, without distinction. Whoever is curious to see him has no difficulty; it is only necessary to go to his house, and he allows any body to approach him. It can easily be conceived, however, that the numerous visits, to which he is liable, deprive him of much time. I am, &c.,

D. P. ab INDAGINE."

SKETCH OF SWEDENBORG.

From the "American New Jerusalem Magazine."

[The following extract we found in a late number of the Corsair,—a periodical lately established in New York, conducted with great ability, and having, as we understand, a wide circulation. A large part of each number consists of selections from English works, and this stands among such selections, but without any reference which would tell us where it came from. This we should be very glad to know. We feel certain that it should be attributed to no work and no writer in England, professedly of the New Church; and that such an article as should contain the following, (for it seems to be an extract,) should be written and published there out of the Church, gives to it a peculiar interest.]

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG was (and the reader ought to know it) one of the greatest and most respectable of men. He was also more than this. He was deeply versed in every science: a first-rate mechanician and mathematician; one of the profoundest of physiologists; a great military engineer, conducting battles and sieges for Charles the Twelfth; a great astronomer; the ablest financier in the Royal Diet of Sweden; the first metallurgist of his time; and the writer of vast works, which, even at this day, are of sterling authority on mining and metals. Then he was a poet, and a master of ancient and modern languages; and a metaphysician, who had gone through all the long mazes of reflective philosophy, and done besides what metaphysicians seldom do, for he had found his way out of the mazes, and got back to reality again. In short, as far as the natural sciences go,

N. S. NO. X.-VOL. I.

3 o

(and we include among them the "science of mind"), it is much more difficult to say what he was not than what he was.

He was occupied fifty-five years in being and doing the things we have just recorded. Having thus laid an immense basis for his mind, in nature, and a knowledge of the actual, and yet only a basis, he now, like a stately pyramid, rose into the ideal. He pierced through the cloudy curtains of space and time. Nature became to him but the mantle of living souls, giving fixed images to the reason, and distinctness of object to the will. The whole of his theological works, which have consigned him for the present to a neglect he anticipated and had no care for, were now produced. The spiritual world was the object, as well as the subject of his thought; and this produced what we may call the realism of his psychology. In his mind, imagination and sentiment, properly so called, had no place; but, instead of imagination, there was reason, producing itself in images; instead of sentiment, affections forming themselves into reasons. Hence, there is at once the greatest boldness and the greatest method in his thoughts, one startling proposition developing itself after another, and each coming forth by the most fixed rules of genesis; a superficial formality, an internal freedom.

COLERIDGE'S OPINION OF SWEDENBORG. Extracted from the last volume of his "Literary Remains," recently published.

"So much, even from a very partial acquaintance with the works of Swedenborg, I can venture to assert, that, as a moralist, Swedenborg is above all praise, and that, as a naturalist, psychologist, and theologian, he has strong and varied claims to the gratitude and admiration of the professional and philosophical student." (Vol. IV. P. 424.)

[This passage is taken from the British Magazine for September, p. 300, where there is an article recommending the clergy to examine the writings of Swedenborg.]

SWEDENBORG'S WORKS ON MINING AND

METALLURGY

RECOMMENDED AS THE BEST OF THEIR TIME.

Extracted from a Work entitled "Elements of the Art of Assaying Metals."

For the sake of such as understand Latin, we must not pass by that

magnificent and laborious work of Emanuel Swedenborgius, entitled, Principia Rerum Naturalium, sive novorum Tentaminum Phonomena Mundi Elementaris Philosophice explicandi: Dresda et Lipsia, 1734, in 3 tomes, in folio; in the 2nd and 3rd tomes of which he has given the best account, not only of the methods and newest improvements in metallic works in all places beyond the seas, but also of those in England, and in our Colonies in America; with draughts of the furnaces and instruments employed. It is to be wished we had extracts of this work in English. So industrious are the Swedes in improving themselves in the art of Metallurgy, that they send young gentlemen yearly to travel, not only all over England, but all over Europe, to learn every thing new in regard to mines; while we in England sit still at home, and seldom go beyond a county or two; though if more diligent search was to be made by persons of skill, there is great reason to believe that nature hath enriched these our Isles with as great subterranean treasures, even the virgin silver of Potosi not excepted, as any other spot of the same extent.

THE EDUCATION AND INCREASE OF THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW CHURCH.

To the Editors of the Intellectual Repository, &c. GENTLEMEN,

I PERCEIVE, with great satisfaction, from the Minutes of the late General Conference, that a committee was appointed, to take into serious consideration the most appropriate means of educating and increasing the ministry of the New Church.

I do sincerely hope, that this Committee will be actuated by a deep sense of the importance of their duty in deliberating upon this subject, and in devising means for its accomplishment. No arguments are required to prove a self-evident truth. That the spread of our heavenly doctrines will be in proportion to the efficiency of the means employed to disseminate them, cannot, I think, be doubted. The first and most efficient means is, doubtless, that of manifesting them in the life, "So let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Unless this great condition be complied with, little can, comparatively, be done to spread the truth, and to cause it to be sincerely regarded and affectionately received. But other means, in great variety, should be employed, to make the glorious things of the New Dispensation known to mankind; and I hail with great delight the appointment of a Committee by Con

ference, whose duty it is to devise the best means of affording instruction of a classical and scientific character to suitable young men, who are willing to devote themselves to the sacred duties of the ministry; and I do sincerely trust, that this good and eminently useful design will not be permitted to languish for the want of proper zeal in the endeavor to accomplish it; since an efficient ministry is, in the hands of Divine Providence, a principal means of promoting a knowledge of the glorious truths we possess. In order, however, to realize this useful design, I feel it necessary that the combined efforts of the church at large should be engaged in the work. If all are united,— and who for a moment can doubt the great utility of the design?—a beginning, at least, may be made with one or two suitable young men, who might have their minds furnished with classical knowledge, and their attention directed to the best method of bringing forward our heavenly doctrines, and of unfolding from the Word those truths which alone can regenerate mankind, and establish the Lord's church upon the earth. Let not the design entertained by Conference be considered as premature, or as not likely to operate for good at the present. But let us remember, that the Church, at its commencement, is but a "mustard seed, which is the least of all seeds,” and that no means, however slender and feeble, when designed to effectuate eminent good, ought to be disregarded.

Seeing, therefore, as I do, the great utility of the design, and feeling assured that, with the divine blessing, great good will result from its being accomplished, I would recommend to the church at large a plan, in which all can co-operate, and by their combined efforts, make, at least, a beginning of this useful work. The plan that I would propose is simply this, that every member of the New Church, in every society, contribute one penny per week, to form a fund to assist in realizing the design of Conference. This plan will be burdensome to none, but if all zealously unite, it will produce a sum, sufficient for the present, to commence the necessary operations; for, from a calculation made on the number of members recorded in the Conference Minutes, it has been ascertained, that a sum of not less than 5007. per annum might be raised on the plan above mentioned; and if some felt disposed to contribute more, that sum would be increased. Let every society, therefore, appoint a treasurer, and collectors who shall meet the treasurer, either once a month, or once a quarter, and hand over to him the sums they may have collected, which being afterwards transferred to the common fund of the treasurer appointed by Conference, and the work, so far as raising the funds is concerned, will be