THE

PRINCETON REVIEW.

JULY 1848.

No. III.

ART. I.-An Appeal in behalf of the views of the eternal world and state, and the doctrines of faith and life, held by the body of Christians who believe that a new church is signified (in the Revelation, chapter xx1.) by the New Jerusalem, embrac ing answers to all principal objections. By the Rev. S. Noble, minister of the New-Jerusalem church, Hatton Garden, London.

On the 29th of January A. D. 1689, according to himself, but in 1688 according to others, there was born at Stockholm in Sweden a man, who is known to the world by the name of Emanuel Swedenborg. He was the son of a Bishop in Sweden, was himself a good scholar, made considerable attainments in science, rose to the order of nobles in the kingdom, travelled extensively over Europe, exhibited amiable dispositions, was kindly treated by his monarch, Charles XII., wrote voluminously, and at last died in the city of London in the year 1772, aged either 82 or 83 years and 2 months. During the earlier parts of his life he made some important contributions to science and the arts; but that which has given him the most notoriety, was

the peculiarity of his views on the subject of religion. In 1743, when he was 54 or 55 years of age, he relinquished other pursuits, and devoted himself to teaching and propagating his new doctrines. He made a few disciples in several places, among whom were some persons holding eminent stations; but it is not thought to be interesting or instructive to enter into a history of his sect. The number of his followers at this time is not exactly known to us; but we have seen no evidence that it is large.

In the United States the number is inconsiderable. His disciples are popularly called Swedenborgians; but they designate themselves in their associated capacity as the "New Church," or the "New Jerusalem." According to the minutes of their "General Convention" for 1844, they have 6 ordaining ministers, 18 pastors and teaching ministers, 2 ordained ministers and 5 licensed ministers, in all 31 ministers; of whom, however, 6 do not constantly and regularly officiate. Thus their effective preaching force appears to be 25. From the same minutes we learn that they have the following "Societies," or churches: In Maine 3, in Massachusetts 8, in Rhode Island 1, in New York 6, in Pennsylvania 7, in Maryland 2, in the District of Columbia 1, in Virginia 2, in Ohio 14, in Illinois 2, in South Carolina 1, and in Missouri 1: in all 48.

Of the numerical strength of these societies we have no means of certainly knowing, but suppose it not to be great. Nearly or quite all the houses appropriated to their meetings, so far as we have observed, are small. We have often heard that the number in attendance was generally less than their houses would accommodate. This fact may, however, mislead us; for we believe the members are not generally very zealous in attending their meetings.

The pecuniary statistics of the body would not indicate large numbers or great zeal. At the meeting of the General Convention in 1844, the Treasurer received for all purposes the sum of $161 83 cents; about one half of which went to pay for the publication of their Journal, $20 to the fund for educating ministers, and $50 for the publication of books. These statistics are supposed to be interesting to our readers, and are given here, because we suppose that very few of our readers have access to them in their general reading. Such being the state of

facts, some may ask, why do we notice so small a body, or its publications? We reply: 1st. We have not previously noticed it and we wish to keep our readers advised of such things. 2. Considerable zeal has of late been manifested in some quarters in disseminating the tenets of the "New Church," especially by the circulation of books and tracts; and it is probable still greater efforts may be made for the same purpose during the next few years. According to a quotation found in the North American Review for January 1821, p. 96, Swedenborg stated that the year 1852 is to be decisive of the destiny of the New Church. If his doctrine be not then extensively embraced, it is to be accounted false. Hence, probably, the zeal of his followers is rather greater now than formerly. It behooves them indeed to be up and doing because, counting exactly, less than four of the eighty years, within which it was to make extensive conquests, remain for the great work. If not influenced by this prediction, his followers have of late bestirred themselves; especially in a private way, and some of our readers may need warning. To despise the day of small things may lead us as much astray from our duty concerning evil things as good things. The neglected spark may lead to flames that will consume a city.

We must, however, premise that we have no idea of attempting to tell our readers all or half that is involved in Swedenborg's views. No man can read his writings and those of his followers without thinking of Chaos, described by Ovid as rudis indigestaque moles. We do not remember in our lives to have seen so many incoherent, strange and wild opinions brought together. We do not, like one of our countrymen, profess to have read the whole of Swedenborg's works. Twenty-seven pretty large volumes of such writings far transcend our powers of endurance, although we are not esteemed by our intimate friends very impatient of labour, if any reward is to follow. Yet we have in possession and have read a pretty respectable shelf of books written by the Swedish Baron and his followers, and we have found in them enough to enable us to make up our minds as to the bearing of the New Church doctrines on some important points.

Before we had read for ourselves, we often heard Swedenborgianism spoken of as a sublimation of Christianity, as a refinement of doctrine and ethics, harmless at least to many. Again

we heard it spoken of as an innocent kind of romancing concerning the spiritual world and a future state. This language did not satisfy our minds. It even alarmed us. For "what is the chaff to the wheat"? Yet until we read for ourselves we had no conception of the extent of Swedenborg's assaults upon fundamental truths and principles.

Our readers will perhaps be much surprised at hearing that Swedenborg and his followers reject from the canon of Scripture a large number of the books received by the Christian world as divinely inspired. This is their language: "The books of the Word are all those, which have the internal sense, but those; which have not the internal sense, are not the Word. The books of the Word in the Old Testament are the five books of Moses, the book of Joshua, the book of Judges, the two books of Samuel, the books of Kings, the Psalms of David, the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi; and in the New Testament, the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the Apocalypse. Total, Thirty-four books, which complete the canon of the Sacred Scripture or Word of God."* Indeed we believe the Baron's followers, so far as they are informed of his doctrine, universally embrace his views of the Sacred Canon. We have indeed known some of them to deny that such were his views, and voluntarily pledge themselves to renounce his teachings, if such could be shown to be his doctrine. The evidence has been given. They could not deny it. But they still held fast their delusions.

The list above given excludes from the Old Testament the book of Ruth, the two books of Chronicles, the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, in all ten. And it excludes from the New Testament the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and every Epistle, in all twenty-two. Total rejected from both Testaments, thirty-two. Total received from both Testaments, thirty-four. Pretty sweeping work this, our readers will say. We think so too. It is in our view just like Mr. Jefferson's plan of treating the New Testament. He tells us that he selected those things, which he

*See "Arcana Coelestia," n, 10, 325, "New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine," n. 266, and "White Horse," n. 16, and "Hindmarsh's Seal," n. 136.

discovered to be the genuine teachings of Christ and rejected all the rest. How much he rejected we are not told, but we can hardly suppose he rejected a larger proportion of what he attempted to expurgate, than has the Swedish Baron from the whole Bible. We may be thankful that he has left us any of the New Testament. He has rejected twenty-two out of its twenty-seven books.

The reasons assigned for thus rejecting so large a part of Scripture, are sufficiently curious. One is that these books have not the "internal sense." Whatever may be the meaning assigned to such a phrase, we think it would be very difficult so to define it as by the definition to include the Lamentations of Jeremiah and exclude Solomon's Song. If the former has an internal sense, surely the latter has also. The authority of Swedenborg, capriciously exercised, is the true cause of rejecting these books. The above reason has no application. But Hindmarsh is very bold, and attempts to found the rejection upon the authority of Christ himself. He quotes Luke xxiv. 25, 26, 27, and 44, as follows: "Then said he unto them, O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. . . . And he said unto them, these are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." On this passage he says: "It is remarkable, that our Lord, in this passage, has designated or given us a key to discover those books of the Old Testament as well as of the New, which alone ought to be regarded as canonical or of divine authority in the church. because written under the immediate influence and dictation of the spirit of JEHOVAH, or the LORD, and in their inmost sense treating of HIM alone. The Law of Moses denotes all the historical parts of the Word; the Prophets, all the prophetical parts, and the Psalms may fairly be supposed to include not only that portion of the Word, which is so named, but likewise all those other parts which bear the form and spirit of prayers. praises, thanksgivings and celebrations of the Lord. This rule, therefore, which so well applies to the Old Testament, may also