New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-06-22
Riterarp Notes

~. o. E.>pl VIII 90 .eeoea' >, h'- VIZ,
10 Church New-York S CoiHaa u John 81
The fame Of SwEDEsIoRc has r,sted for Yeas beneath
thick cloud OF darkness, and mystery Hono'ed during ms
hfc by the friendship and nigh esteem OF the eniHeh' men
his own Sweden and of all Europe distinguished wherever
his name wa. known for the and depth OF ais learning
and unyisi,ed bv breath of reproach to the purity ao
uniform basneessness OF his life, the OF ms existence
lad nc sooner 80, than his memory had passed from "
minds Of men or ne was remembered only strange o
sh;Der Of Wild fancies shameless impostci or wrete'
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT mailman. This has been his tate WIN 80
grea, body Of scholars and literary mem seiec' Nv
e,sr have received his teachings in yer! ''
and sy the worship they have paid 'l' a. d" i''
P,pnhe, nd the founder of religious ai' ''
,,s induced the great OF men to regard merely
r. ,,o-,ed ~ be supernatural in his character, en-
., overlooking his better established and less dououu
claims 70 h;eh consideration The number OF ms disciples
~ have reason believe, rapidly increasing not OILY II
,h;, country bu: England ard the Continent OF Europe
Churches have established acknowledging him a. hc1
Head and strenuous efforts made extend their doc
.nes and enlarge their bouad This fact gives to tic VII
,ugs and character of Swedenborg st higher claim " at
,snlion and fair appreciation.
The incidents OF Swedenbogs life few and OF but ht
tie importance He born Stockholm in 1888 and wa
educated chiefly a; the University OF saa His youth
was marked ~ assiduity ana ut carly age nc
xas familiar with philosophy mathematics natural history
together with The Eastern and European languages From
ZIG 10 1927 he spent much of his tine il visiting the ya
Gus Universities OF Engand Holland France and Germany
and made various journeys different parts Europe to cx
anime their principal and smelling works His car'
.,l; of a character
He seems 10 haze cultivated with unwearied assduy and
,} eminent success the various branches OF Natural it
Es,hy and made many discoveries, particularly in magnet
rsm and the prime pie. of chemistry. which generally as
ei,cd to more recent nquircrs In 7l6 in consideration
Of his perfcc, knowledge of me,aurgy he appointed by
Charles XII Assessor Extraordinary of his Board of Mines
IN, duties Of yoh office he continued discharge until ms
resignation in wv His mode of living was cmHcntly
i,De and his habits abscmious uniformly vrtuou' and In
every respect % the exemplary character
Bu, TIE rue Ii, of Swedcnborg is be found in ms wr-
pys and these are most voumnous His theological works
were written ing the latter part Of his life and are no less
remarkable for the extraordinary power of anal tho I'M
ryaed logical acumcn and the addressing the faith
s the religious ch they lay than for the singular doc
rne and methods of teaching they contain. They abound
IN The mos, profound ard elevated conceptions Of mans r-
a nature oftentimcs made pucre and rcpusye by the
oipu,encss OF detail with which ne loaded them Tic is
never context 10 leave his elevated ideas their phio-
,ophca purity but bring them down and break them
into scientific conceptions These details. which for the
most par, easily arrived by the most obvious processes
and TO ordinary minds contain nothing wonderful are insist
nd upon him acts-communcatcd by miraculous inter
position. They address the natural senses but arc
present TO the understanding alone, and every who
thinks a, al has suck inuitions. But Swcdcnborg
looks upon them other they ovcrshadowcd his
aou with the and grandeur that belong spiritual things
md he bowed down before them with all the shlds faculty
af wonder looking upon what has been thousand times
aen as if it were then frs, behold He had excess
shs, powe which CoLERIDGE finely describes charac-
scrstc of genius. To Id contradiction in the union of
old and new contemplate the ANCIENT OF DAYS with feel
ings as fresh they then sprung forth at his own hat tins
-haocterzes the minds thai feel the riddle of the world and
may help TO unrave To carry the feelings of childhood
into the powers OF manhood, combine the child sense OF
weder and novelty with the appearances which every day
Cor perhaps forty years, had rendered familiar
With Sun and Neon and Stars throughout; the year
And Man and Woman
his the character and privilege OF genius and one OF
,he marks which distinguish genius from talents This
mus, explain extent TIE prophetic states OF Sweden
borg There is proof that he claimed miraculous
power though many of his most implicit followers give nina
credit for i,s possessions the testimonies relied upon how
have been sought By others rather than put forward by
himself Many of them curious but have no ph'ioSoph-
cal interest, His system of correspondence IN "ch his
peculiar supposed lie contesscd not original
fathers OF the Church and the mycs of all ages having
insisted similar between the material and the
spiritual
The .cientifc works of Swcdenbsrg, however are OF
remarkable character. Upon Anatomy, Chemistry
Mechanics and all the branches of Natural Philosophy he mas
written many and valuable The character OF
his mind enincn,ly analytical AID ia all his cxairna-
lions he displayed the patient ad accurate esearch
He allowed often the with scientific Spccu-
'as,s particular fact, lose their individuality in - glare
of cclpsng theory; the smallest points arc treated
~h the careful attention, and his highest distinctions
allied practical facts. One feature of his sccn