The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-09-23


rs q suitable character In proportion 10
the progress of science and Information
sure the christian era, has been the adj
yaneeineut IA natural scirhee. of those wiro
have been the chosen Instruments of Gnd
M filing Offices Of his divine rrrainn.-
Amongst the multitude of Swedenborg's
appnsrrs. NOT an indniduh h.rs attempted
Ia show lhat he was not gnpd mau--that
hr Was not honorable aud learned. Tn
spari eHcrtlons, however, have been
made to prove That he WAS nadinan.-
\ ficr lapse Of more thanffiy yeafs-aIter
dllisrni enquiry, which extended 10 hls
mott retired moments, and his confidential
serrauts-and even 10 the moment Of his
dedh-llis Is the only charge uadc against
him. This, | llIIuk, must vanish before the
proofs like the mlsls before the morning
sun. Independent OF the positive evidence
al thpse who lived with him aud continued
IL do 50 I'LL his death, dispro,lng the charge
of arrangement, | think there are other
proofs equally forcible and less likely to
err fSwedenborg was mailman, or of
uns0nnd mind, is ii not renarkalle, that lie
should have been retained IN an office of
high responsibility office upon which
the eyes of the whole nation were incess-
saniIy turned, for flour years after his
sions or his derangement commenced =
That then, his sovereign, anxious 10 retain
him IN the government should tneeavor To
allure him With the offer of higher ofce,
IN defiance of which, aud sacrificing his
wealth and worldly honor, be descended
from this exalted political height, ard reti
red into ohsculty, where we find him deyo
ted To his Theological writings But il may
BIZ said that arrangement sometimes mani
1tests itself on particular subjects and oeca
slons only. This will be admitted. Can
II, however, be credited for moment that
man subject To such a maIady, at any
time or on any subject, however remotely
connected with the functions of his Office,
should he continued in such as his was p
Is it not equally strange, that more concln-
S'ye ~ ldence cannot be obtained, IT he WAS
deranged, of the state of man who MAS
the associate of Kings, Queens, Princcsses,
Senators, and all the digufarics ola Royal
Government. There must have been IL
mongst them individuals ut least as we'll
acquainted with Swcdcnborg, and rs well
qualified to Judge Of The state Of his mind,
rs those who, since that time, have conf
IDENTIFY and unsupported by evidence, AS
serted that he was deranged. But the as
sertlon is too ridiculous In be believed by
an impartial mind.
This is the life aud character of the man
who has used these words 9f himself
person appeared to me in n strong shining
light and said, am the Lord the creator
and redeemer-I have chosen thee to ex-
"plaln to men the interior and spiritual
" sense of the sacred wrilnss--I viii die
"tate unto thee, what thou ought To
" write ;; and who, says he, continued
these spiritual Visions for 81 ycai's.-l have
shown that he was not IL dcrangcd man,
and that it has been always admitted that
he was a good man His assertion is
either true or false. How will his enemies
reconcile the assertion of ii lalsrhood of
such bold, deep aud impious nature up-
on the supposltl0u that IL IS untrue, 10 The
cbaidcter of good man and Il christian
II an imposition upon the world, he con
tinued it with his last breath. 4 short
time before his death, his intimate friend,
Doct. Hartley, addressed him, saying -" In
" the name OF God, III whose presence you
are soon 10 appear, aud of sacred friend
ship, declare 10 mt if all you have writ
" ten is truth ITSELF" Swcdcnborg ans
werng said, "The doctrine | have set
forth to the wo ldfs true. 1t has been
revealed to me, aud from and after the
"year 1850 it will spread very much."-
An appeal To the journals of the New
Church convention for Il few years past,
will establish the truth the latter branch
of the drclaratlon-Ne have then his as
sep.on on his death bed to an intimate
friend, in addition to other preceding as
scrtons, that he was the Instrument 10 the
hands of God to reveal 10 man the my ste
rirs of the Church. But let us examine
whether he could be an impostor, aud
whether there is not someting IN the ma.
ture of his religion which coniradicts the
idea OF an imposition? Let us ran para
lei between himself and Mahomrd, than
whom no man ever more ssfully i'm
posed upon the rd-Whose religion has
extended throngh all Asia, and in some Of
the adjoining countrics--aud who by
means of h acquired more temporal au.
thorlty and Influence than any other i'm
poster the world has ever known: and
you will ind that their characters are, at
teIly Misunderstanding had no am
blton 10 crafty Niahomcd's whole scheme
was founded i'll ambition and personal az
grandiscment. Swedcuborg refused no
nor5-Aahomed sought them. Sweden
borg's religion condemned proiigacy, am
bltion and vice in every shaPe--hIahomcd
approved it even in the future world
SwedenborS took no means to make him
self thu leader of "A party and 10 propagate
his religion ; on the contrary, lie knew that
IL would not spread until after his death
he could expect no temporal advantage,
aud if untrue, he must know that Ire was
profaning sacred things. MAhomed ex-
teoded hls influence by his religion aided
by the sword and the faggot Sweden