from misconception and perversion, that the little time I have had to spare from the duties of my office and my various engagements, must excuse the delay with which the present volume comes before the public; especially when it is considered how much time I am compelled to devote to the new edition of the Arcana Cœlestia, the eighth volume of which is now in the press. But some may inquire, why does not the Biography itself of Swedenborg make its appearance, which has been so long expected? In reply, I beg to state, that I am devoting the whole of my spare time to this biographical production; but as it is rather an extensive work, I cannot make that rapid progress with it I could wish. Moreover, these documents could not all be inserted in the Biography; for, not to mention repetitions, they contain many things that do not properly belong to the Biography, and yet they ought by no means to be lost. These documents, however, when properly arranged, form a complete body of information, which can with geat propriety be published by itself, to which afterwards the biography can refer."

* *

Dr. Tafel then states that he has been very particular in translating the various documents; and in many cases, for the satisfaction of the reader, he has inserted the document in the language from which he translates, as well as in German. This circumstance has swelled the volume to a size considerably greater than it otherwise would have been.

We can easily imagine that this volume will be read with great interest in Germany by all who desire to be informed respecting the life and character of Swedenborg; and we trust it will lead many, who have hitherto been ignorant of the truths contained in his works, to a diligent perusal of the great treasures of knowledge and wisdom unfolded in his theological writings. But as to the receivers of the heavenly doctrines in this country, all the documents, with but few and unimportant exceptions, have long since been made known in English. From a very early period the receivers of the New-Church doctrines in England have exerted themselves to procure all the information they could respecting the venerable and enlightened Swedenborg. The New Jerusalem Magazine, published in 1790, is replete with various kinds of information respecting this illustrious man; and the Intellectual Repository contains many documents and letters respecting him which Dr. Tafel has inserted in the present volume. But the most complete body of authentic and well-sifted information that we possess concerning the life and character of Swedenborg, is contained in the fifth section of Mr. Noble's Appeal, &c. (last edition); in which the able author has collected a great quantity of most valuable intelligence respecting the subject in question. This, of course, has afforded a rich harvest of materials for the work before us; * This volume has lately arrived in this country.

and the doctor has justly availed himself of this valuable and authentic information.

In order, however, to put our readers as much as possible into possession of the contents of this volume, we will adduce, in the order they are arranged by the author, the documents it contains; after which we will give at length those things which, as far as our knowledge extends, we think have not been communicated in English.

The work is divided into two parts; the first contains,

1. Sandel's Eulogium, translated from the Swedish, with notes; 2. General Tuxen's Account from the New Jerusalem Magazine; 3. Letters of Swedenborg to General Tuxen: 4. Letters of Count Hopken, Prime Minister of Sweden, to General Tuxen; all from the New Jerusalem Magazine; 5. Testimony of the Academician Pernetti; 6. Testimony of Mr. Springer, the Swedish consul; 7. Testimony of the Academician D. Thiebault; 8. Testimony of the celebrated Emanuel Kant (inserted in the last edition of Noble's Appeal); 9. Testimony of D. P. ab Indagine; 10. Testimony of Dr. Jung Stilling (also inserted in the last edition of Noble's Appeal); 11. Testimony of the Queen Louisa Ulrica of Sweden; 12. Testimony of Captain de Stahlhammer; 13. Corroboration and Explanation of the extraordinary facts; 14. Testimony of John Wesley; 15. Confutation of the lies respecting Swedenborg's state of health and his last assertions; 16. Affidavit of Shearsmith before the Lord Mayor of London; 17. Testimony of the Rev. Thomas Hartley.

The second part contains,

18. Swedenborg's Account of himself, in a letter to Dr. Hartley; Remarks on the same, by the Rev. Mr. Collin, minister of a Swedish church in Philadelphia; 20. Mr. Collin's Interview with Swedenborg; 21. Dr. Messiter's testimony and his correspondence with the professors of theology at the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen; 22 Testimony of John Lewis and of Stephen Penny; 23. Anecdotes collected by Mr. Provo; 24. Testimony of Mr. Cookworthy; 25. Testimony of Mr. Servanté; 26. Anecdote respecting Drs. Beyer and Rosen; 27. Swedenborg's eleven letters to Dr. Beyer; 28. Swedenborg's letter to Wenngren; 29. Swedenborg's letter to General Tuxen; 30. Swedenborg's letters to the Universities of Upsal, Lufd, and Abo; 31. Swedenborg's two letters to the king; 32. Dr. Beyer's declaration to the king concerning the doctrines of Swedenborg; 33. Swedenborg's two answers to Dr. Ekebom; 34. Swedenborg's letter to Menander, Archbishop of Sweden; 35. Swedenborg's letter to an Ambassador; 36. Swedenborg's letter to a secretary of state; 37. Swedenborg's letter to another person unknown; 38. Swedenborg's correspondence with the prelate Oetinger; 39. Oetinger's testimony; 46. Dr. Beyer's let. ter to Oetinger; 41. Refutation of the objections of Oetinger; 42. Swedenborg's two answers to the Landgrave of Hess Darmstadt; 43. John Casper Lavater's two letters to Swedenborg; 44. Testimony of Matthias Claudius; 45. Testimony of the Marquis de Thomé; 46. Some scientific discoveries of Swedenborg. The reader has now a view of the contents of this first volume. Those who are well acquainted with New Church literature will re

cognize nearly all the above documents; as, however, they are scattered in different volumes, and recorded at different periods since 1790, probably few of the present generation have seen them all. A more interesting volume, containing so many well authenticated testimonies in illustration of the life and character of the venerable Swedenborg can scarcely be imagined; and we can easily conceive the effect which the perusal of this volume will have on the mind of the unprejudiced German reader, who, having become acquainted with the theological writings of our author, desires to know something of the life and character of that extraordinary man. He will here find the testimonies of the most scientific men of the age, of prime ministers and counsellors of state, of kings and queens, of the most distinguished philosophers and poets, of the most esteemed divines, not of one country but of several, all concurring to demonstrate that the venerable Swedenborg was a man of unblemished life, of exalted piety and virtue, of distinguished eminence as a philosopher in nearly every department of science; honored by the kings, under whom he lived, as one of the most useful members of the community, revered and loved by a numerous and most respectable circle of acquaintance in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, and England. These testimonies also prove that in the economy of a wise and merciful Providence, he was placed in an extraordinary position, in which he could acquire information on the most important subjects relating to wisdom, salvation, and happiness; which information had hitherto been precluded from the eyes of mortals; and that he shed a peculiar lustre on those momentous points of human intelligence "which so many have desired to look into, but were not able."

In fact, these testimonies prove what Swedenborg so frequently asserts respecting himself, that his spiritual sight was opened, and that he had, for most important purposes, a communication with the spiritual world; in order, through the divine mercy, to be able to communicate intelligence respecting heaven and hell, the spiritual sense of the Word, and innumerable things of the utmost moment in promoting the wisdom and happiness of men; but of which they have hitherto been so deplorably ignorant.

We, therefore, consider that these documents, arranged in the manner in which our indefatigable and learned friend, Dr. Tafel, has published them, will be of unspeakable service to the cause of the New Church in Germany. It is also our firm conviction that the same documents arranged in a similar manner, and published in one volume in English, would prove not only a highly interesting work, but

a work of most eminent usefulness in satisfying the public mind respecting the life and character of Swedenborg. So great a number of witnesses-witnesses, too, of the most respectable standing in society, bearing, in a great variety of ways, the most decided and unequivocal testimony to the excellent life and illustrious character of Swedenborg, could not be resisted. Such a volume, although nearly all the materials already exist scattered in our different publications, is still a desideratum in the literature of the New Christian Dispensation.

The only portions of the work which, we think, are new to the English reader, that is, which have not appeared some time or other in the English language, are those which relate to Oetinger. Dr. Clemm, in the Introduction to his Theology, &c., published in 1767, has preserved two letters which Oetinger addressed to Swedenborg, besides many declarations of Oetinger, respecting the writings of Swedenborg, which are of some importance, and which we purpose to present to our readers at another opportunity.

Manchester.

EDITOR.

Ancient Christianity, and the Doctrines of the Oxford Tracts. By the Author of Spiritual Despotism.

(Second Notice.)

In our former notice of this very useful work*, we took occasion to point to the circumstances which induced the author to enter upon a thorough examination of Nicene Christianity. The Oxford Tracts are directing the attention of the Christian world to that period, as the time when Christianity had received its full development; when all its doctrines, rituals, and its ecclesiastical constitution, were brought to that perfection, which was the crown and splendor of the Christian religion, and from which succeeding ages have declined, until at length, scarcely a vestige of the ancient fabric remains. Hence, according to the Oxford Tracts, Christianity must be brought back to its ancient purity and excellence; and all its doctrines, rituals, and discipline, must be firmly established, and rigorously maintained, according to the standard of purity and excellence, which characterized Nicene Christianity. Seeing, then, that this great controversy and backward movement are calculated, especially as they have already assumed a formidable aspect, to break up the existing state of theological and ecclesiastical affairs, no point is of greater moment than clearly to ascertain what Nicene Christianity was.

All parties agree, because it is indubitably proved from ecclesiastical

* Page 79.

history, that Christianity, even at its commencement, was liable to many perversions and corruptions. The apostles had seriously to contend against the spirit of " Antichrist," and against "vain philosophy;" and how often did they prophesy of "perversions," "corruptions," and "apostasies," quickly to spring up in the church? The author accordingly observes, that there is every reason to suppose that immediately after the apostolic times, Christianity began to be corrupted by perversions and false doctrines, and that at the Nicene age, the work of havoc and ruin had assumed an alarming appearance.

When we enter (says he) upon the examination of ancient Christianity, the apostolic predictions, like a band-writing upon the wall, brighten before our eyes in characters of terror. We are entering upon a wide field, upon the skirts of which a friendly hand has posted the-" Beware of pits and swamps, even on the beaten paths of this sacred ground." To addict oneself to the study of ancient Christianity with a credulous antiquarian veneration, regardless of the apostolic predictions, is to lay oneself down to sleep upon the Campagna, after having been told that the whole region exhales a malignant miasma. The fate of one so infatuated would not be more sure than merited.-P. 21.

Here we have it declared from impartial investigation and research, that Christianity had so early become the prey of every kind of perversion and corruption, that "pits, swamps, and malignant miasma" already existed, even on "sacred ground," in the very centre of the church.

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Christians may reasonably ask, Why was this the case? How came it to pass that the fair face of Christianity should so soon be disfigured, and the benign spirit of the Gospel changed into a malignant miasma," so shortly after the empire of "peace and goodwill" had been proclaimed upon earth? so shortly after the Saviour God had subjugated the hells, and having glorified his Humanity, had poured out afresh from himself, with seven-fold power, the life-giving influences of his infinite love, to regenerate mankind? Was there not in Christianity a principle and a power adequate to the accomplishment of the work? These questions will naturally arise in the minds of the reflecting and devout; and a solution will be as naturally required.

When the mighty Redeemer came to establish his church in the world, the state of mankind was dreadful. (see Rom. i.) The universal mind of man was beset with every species of fallacy, falsity, superstition, and idolatry. All the springs and movements of the mind were in hostile collision with the purity and principles of the Gospel. The great wonder is, not that Christianity in its purity existed so short a period, but that it ever could exist at all, seeing the dreadful state of opposition that was manifested against its being