Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-11-04
"IsHMAIL "--sPIRITUALIzED.

The %besetting sin of " Mcssrs. Garrison & Co."
perhaps is not opprobativonoss. Nevertheless,
though a humble member of that company, VIC are
always quite willing ito see oursclf as others see
u.s." if we may perchance profit thereby. As we
are probably not singular in this, we copy the FOL
lowing spiritual explanation Of the word lshmail.
The paragraph is from Swcdenborg. The New
Church Repository introduces it MS follows:
From the New Church Repository for October.
Will Messrs. Garrison & Co. take it as an offence
il we say that the Spiritual explanation of lshmail,
given by Swedenborg in the following paragraph.
applies itself by q certain instructive spontaniety,
to the school of reformers which they represent?
THE rational principle consists of good and of
truth-that is, of those things which appertain to
charity, and of those things which apportain to
faith rational truth il that which is signifcd by
the wild ass. This, then, is what is represented by
tshmail, and is described in this verse. No one
can believe that rational truth separate from ration
nj good is OF such n nature, nor should | have
known il myself to be such, unless | had been con
WINGED by lively experience. 1t is the same
thing whether we speak of rational truth, or Of II
man whose rational principle is of the nature here
described such a man, whose rational principle is
such that he is only in truth, although in the truth
OF faith, and not at the same time in the good of
charity is of this character: he is morosc, impa-
tient, opposite to all others, viewing every one rs
in a false principle, instantly r~ebuking, chastising
and Furnishing he is without pity, neither does he
apply himself nor endeavor to bend the minds and
affections of others for he regards everything
from a principle of truth, and nothing from q prin-
einle of good, Tha rational principle, without life
from celestial good, is rs here dcscriSc!!, VIZ 1t
fights against all, and all fghtagainst it. Rational
good never fights, howsoever it is assaulted, be-
cause it is meek and gentle, patient and pliablc, its
attributes being those of love and mercy and, al
though it does not fight, yet it conqucrs all, never
thinking of combat or Boosting OF victory. 1t acts
thus because it is divine, and is safe Of itself: for
no evil can assault good, nor even exist in the
sphere where good is: if it only feels its approx
nation, it recedcs of itself and retires: for evil is
internal, and good is celestial. But truth separate
from good, which is here represented by lshm2el,
and is described in this verse, is altogether differ
ent, viz, it is like u wild ass, and fights against all
and all against it; yea, it thinks and breathes
scarce anything but combats, its general delight or
reigning affection being to conquer, and when 1t
conquers it boasts of victory. 1t is therefore de-
scribed by a wild ass or Il mule of the wilderness,
or an ass of the forest, which cannot abide with
others. G. 1913, 1850.
If it should appear problematcal why the advo-
Gates of Swedenborg do not enlist more heartily IN
many popular measures of reforms, we can only
say that we find it difficult to sympathize with
movements where the Ishmael spirit is predomi-
nant. We have for ourselves n very strong impress
sion as to the intrinsic wrong and evils OF the
system of American slavery, but we do not, we
trust, make anti-slavery the whole of our religion,
nor do we find any necessity laid upon us to give
up a divine revelation in order to reconcile the
ways of God to man." What association, more
over, can Srtdenboryiaas, as they are called, have
with those who would put jesus, whom they sol
emily regard as the Lord of heaven and earth, the
true and only Jehovah, upon a level with Moses
and the prophets, and mix him up with such worms
of the dust as Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and Sweden
Borg? We are Mortified by such dissertation of
what is to us most holy and divine. We may say,
too, that we are inevitably compelled to stand
omewhat in doubt of the character Of that good
ness which so completely ignores genuine truth.