The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-06-13
BON nnE wnGIStaS.
TO DIR. IOHN |. IABEEI.


TO DIR. JOHN l. CABELL.
DIAN Sia--Your aiI'ctionatc address TO
the Clergy 81 all Denominations in tle L,
States, on wb.m You solemHy call, ~ in
ycstigair the doctrines Of Baron Sweden
borg, as published by himself aud sundry
pf his followers, embraces ma. Before the
publication Of your address, ] had paid Sc
Tious attention to The subject, and formed
some apinions, trust, free from that pre-
JUDGE which YOU very much dread, and
most derouuy depreeate, and under which
you suppose the Clergy to labour. The
proIsssrd objec, 0t yeur address, is 10 ava
Ken and excite attention of such character
az may be suitable 10 the nature aud i'm
portance Of the subject which you exhibit
10 view for which p1rpose you have
employed many Arguments, and inrfodu-
ced various considerations, al Of which APP
pear allpgether rational aud conclusive |
have not had an opportunity If pcrusing all
the writings Of Your iasOdic author, nor
those of his followers aud, therefore, shall
De silent, where | ain ignorant, | have,
however, through your kindness and that
al par;i.".ar and worthy TREND IN Lynch
burg, been favored with some of the wri-
iings of Swelrnhorg, and others of bis
church. The last of which came To me
through the Firgiuan Ia Lyn"hbufg papsr)
strongly recommended By yea from all of
which II is presumed, that the faith aud
doctrines of your church may he collected
My object in soliciting Your attention 10
this communication, IS with view to EN-
ploy your aid, IN removing serious doubts,
and obstinate difficulties In my way 10 the
reception Of your doctrines You have
made no exception II any part of Sweden
borgs writings, nor 10 the Nu,ings of his
nisciplrs but on the contrary, You haze
recommended them al, and annexed a ca
talognc Of books, tn Your address, written
an support Of his tcnols. II appears rea
sonable, therefore To conclude that howe
yer ace differ among ourselves by making
the holy scriptures &" say things which they
do not say, yea whiehlhey expressly con
tradlet,o you all See exc IL EYE ard speak
the same thing and therefore you are
prepared 10 answer Dor all You say that
You are member Of the -Jrrasalem
church ; that Is, If understand You, the
New.Jcrnsalrm which John, 10 The Reveal.
Ton made To him, "saw coming dawn FROM
Heaven, prepared ~ bride adorned for
the husband" Now, sir, lei me ask whe-
ther the Holy City, the New Jerusalem
from Heaseu, he represented in the scrp.
lures, as ticking place previously tn the de-
s,rueiioL Of the world by fire /? Ill under.
stand mhati lead IN the Revelation, g0th
und 2!st chapters, the existence upon edrih,
Vt this church, viii be preceded by the
erection Of "a great whitr throne - and
hr who sits ON It, will be- so gloriousiy air.
tat, that the heaven and the earth will
lee from his presence, the dead, small and
great, shall stand before God, the books
VII be opened, and the dead will be Judged
vat ot those things which arr written in
tbe books according to the works " and
death and He'll" shall be "cast into the
lake of IRE which" is the second death. y
and whatsoever IS NOT found written,n the
book of life, will he cast into the same
lake and God himself shall be with his
humble followers, and :" shall wipe away
All tears from their eyes, and there shall be
10 more death, neither sorrow nor CRYING,
neither shall there be any more pain - the
first Heaven and the first earth having pas.
sed away, a new Heaven and a new earth
are established upon their ruins. After
which 1 hear cue of the seven ar1ela
winch hig The seven Walls full of th, seven
last plaques, saying, come hither, | will
show thee the bride, the Lalni,'s Wife
And he carried me- says John, :" away in
me spirit, Ia great aud high mountain.
and showed the that great city, the Holy
Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven, from
co. Now, sir, ask whether all these
th'a5s have iakenplacc 7 You may perhaps
answer ine by Wing, that "Me Internal
sease OF the holy scriptures brought Ia
hshf by Baron Swcdcnborg, forbids the
idea OF the earth's literal destruction by
fire. Aud now, permit me to ask, does his
internal sens" explain the apostle Peters
expressions in relation to the dellc, p
=" Whereby the world" says he, q THAI
then was being oyersowcd with water. De-
rished hat the Heavens and the earth
when are now by the same word kent in
store, Reserved unto fire, against the day
al Judgment and ferdiiisn of ungody
men" isst not PLAIN, that the apostle un-
oerstood the coming destruction of the
sarth 10 be ef similar character 10 thai
Which was past, with this unly difference.
that God employed the element Of water
~ order ta ELECT the one, and designs Ia
use The element of IRE. ia order To produce.
me other But suppose we admit your
exposition sffhe scriptures, in relation TO
the destruction vi Heaven and earth what
becomes Of Those Passages referred to.
Swhlsi d-claI~, that in the New Jerusalem
ssiihrr sin,, sarrow. crying nor death shall.
Dc experienced or known? Nay, we ar,
TOD Nat we shah net need the light of the