The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-12-02
.YNcuguRG, DECEMBER !, 1925
IpU IuE vIRCfVfAH.
tn SIR. ID. WILLIAMS.

fn u1r a. Fne tlrfiuan at the a5th ult. q
da, afr ut,an to the notice gwen by us
.dtaf. whose poliienc IS ~ ~ lnE place III
th,ir cnlumns To my remarks upon your
annut NOUS letter, thaHgh somewhat
L.nstht, gratefully acknuwlrJgc,l re-
aait<.- that II should be- done ~ briefly "a
jus-ihIe, and without iusoIyIag any new
matter nf discussion. therefor. pass
some af Your observations IN silence,
Which uodrr hiGerrut circumstances |
mishi perhaps have uuttccd. fnu reqmrv
M, 10 prove 4 statement MhIch you say |
have "cunkdrntI5" o'sde, tu wit: that the
member. OF the New Jerusalem Church
believe that the doctrines taught by the
Baron Sw-deuborg are true, because they
are convinced that h,s lnterpretatie = Of
Scripture are funded upon aud formed lay
Al snsiT-.s of the sacred text 50 accurate
and caiup l.ic as 10 give them certainty
not inferior IL malhrmatic.d dem0nstra'
zion. Now slihough ! am indeed very
con ident that the Bar'1's interpretations
of scripture is really mol inferior To mathe.
NAUTICAL Demonstration, | neither did nor
sTcr meant To assert, tint both were 0f the
same nature, aud that cXposlllons OF the
intcrua s-sse of passages OF scripture
nrt 10 he proved from general axloms ~
ths same manner a. propositions ia Eu.
cid. But neither have ! ever seen the cx
istcuce of God thus proved, though you
will doubtless admit that it's not less Ger
tain.
Respecting thr evidence offered to The
pubic on the subject Of our present dis
cussion, have really cudeas ored to'explhn
my self ia my remarks upon your anony-
NOUS letter, rs clearly az | am able; and
rs utterly despair of ever becoming in
telligiblr, through the medium "f a news
paper, to these who do not readily under
stand what have there said, | must do
cline entering with you into any mctaphy
slcal disquisition respecting the nature of
evidence, and leave ii 20 the Candor of the
public To decide whether, If the nature
aud results of Baron Swrdruhorg's analy-
SIS of the scripture, he such ~ have dcs-
cIlLed them, there can remain the least
soubt that his Interpretations of them are
true. tn ascertain whether this anal, ais
be as accurate a. myself, as well AZ 9th
crs Of my acquaintance believe it to be,
can devise no other means than 10 examine
the works in which il is contained. VIZ Ce-.
sta Arcana and Apocalypse Explained,
and carefully To compare them with the
scriptures, with the assistance of good
Concordance To this you will perhaps
reply, IA YOU have insinuated, that such
works are not within the reach of pe0r
mechanics, who have neither the money to
purchase nor the time 10 read them but
tllen you will admit that poor mechanics
are not much ia the habit of fayorng the
world with their opinions of such men AS
Baron Swcdenborg and Bishop Berkeley /;
and that when they do il Is no more than
fhr to forget their occupations, and, Instead
al asking who they are, or what ar. their
means OF information, simply To inquire
whether they have read aud understood
the works of those authors, respecting
whose merits they would mtlueace the
public mind. But | am very far from in
snuailng that none can get sufficient
knowledge of the doctrines of the New
Church, 10 enable them 10 judge whether
they accord with scripture and common
sease, without reading lha Arcana Ce-stia
or Apocalypse ExplaIncd. Those who
have not confirmed Themselves In opposite
opinions, either by modern mrtaphy sic,,
or by systematic or couuo ers,ai divinity,
may itifink easily be satisfied by perusal
oi w"rks which are or may he easily pac
ed withiR the reach ri most men--such as
Baron S"edenborg's Sacred Doctrines
of the New Jrrusalcm," his Doctrine of
the Lord Of the Holy Scriptures "Of
Faith, ""Of Lite, besides Mr.. Hindnarsh's
Compendium Of the Doctrines of the New
Church, which are all no more than pam
phl~ts of the ordinary size aud full view
OF the whole system o. the theology of
The New Church may be obtained by read
ing Baron 9wrdenhor5's True Christian
Rriigon," work in two octave volumes.
IL IA however Ia he observed thai those
who read the work lasl mentioned should
suspend their opinion of the Truth oil the
memorable relations therein contained and
Judge al the doctrines offered IT, them sim
Fly BY the proofs by which they are con
hrfned. an fully aware that an opinion
too generally prevails that the doctrines
OF the Nov Church are received upon the
strength Of tho Baron's lpse dlxit-and |
am happy To have been the means of
Bringing tina fact 10 your knowledge that
this is mt the Case aud any further inCor-
rnatieg that | am able To afnrd you upon
this sabiect, shah be heartily at your ser.
-ice, should auy opportunity Offer Of doing
80, either publicly or in private. Fully be-
ali-ying as do ia Baron Swedenhurg's ex-
fraordinary illumination, | unrquisocally
declare that | would teceiye no doctrine,
either from him or fon any man, spirit or
angel, without being CONVINCED that they
are contained in the word If the Lord ;
for, according To the Baron's own asser
fion, " now il is permitted to enter inrrI.
lectually into the mysteries of faith" To
ksing the knowledge of the means of doing
50, Nhjch axe contained il bis wo!As, d,