New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
vEpeNBoRe /. HIS LIFE AND MISSION.

Swedenborg has always been source OF perpieN-
NV save IN those whose intellectual habits and
tendencies lead them to accept bis PROFESSIONALISM
ont demur. The pecuarities and anomalies oil ms
life have been accounted for IN many ways by
some he has been labelled a mystic" and 50 DIS
posed Of By others he has been set down as q VS.
tonary' Not few have sought to solve the prop
lem by assuming him to have been insane. And AT
least one serious endeavor has been made 70 prove
HIM the victim OF "larvated epilepsy" But there
are MANY circumstances in the career of this re-
markable man which are inconsistent with any OIL
the otherwise convenient theories devised 10 ac~
count for his abnormalities. In the hrst place lie
received rigidly scientific and mathematician uan-
ing and at an early age distinguished ninseii III
those siudes which are supposed to be most poteh'
tal in curbing and educating the Imagination, 10
devoted years to anatomy and physiology ana was
undoubtedly fully abreast of the most advanced
lnovedoe of his time in those branches OF science
Az a sneculat,ye philosopher be forestaled Mani,
WIN acknowledged the fact, while reDudlatlhg al
concurrence in Swedenborg's ystical doc'iine"
I'm his treatises upon cosmlcal phenomena he can "o
shown to have anticipated several OF the lnoueIh
theories: notably the Nebular HYPOTHESIS. lue o'
scurty of his style. the extent OF his WIiti"t'' "'
hya all the strangeness of his spiritual doctrines
have prevented his works from being ut all geiier-
ally studied and have discredlted his phlosopn,oi
arguments with the present generation espec,'iiy'
Bnt none the less is it demonstrate that 'iis al
legged mystic visionary, mailman or epiep'ic was
man of profound learning, classcal scnoi"i'
rreot mathematician self-taught physoloeist and
anatonist a logical thinker. familiar WIN al ie"s'
five modern languages, an economist ana statesman
Of NO mean abilities and fitted in all ways ior tne
mast practical work of TIL everyday world. let
:, mnst he said that from the time he conceived the
;deo Of his spiritual mission fully, he abandoned
,natter.of-fact work in which he had previously
been engaged and devoted all his time to the COM
position and publication of those theological "orNS
upon which his fame as teacher and religious IT,
former rests.
His nresent biographer who is evidently an ar
don't dscIole of Swedenb0rg enGeaVOrs 10 sho"
that the latter was instrumental IN checking Tue
preoress of Desm and Atheism. III is certainty my
difficult to prove that he came upon inc "oIiu
stac. AT n time when nfdelity was rampant, but 1t
is not so easy to make it plain that his lie-"orN Sc
riously impingsd upon that current of thought. IL
=, t,s that those who came within the scope of his
rerSopal influence appear to have been deeply I'M
pressed by him but it is equally certain tnat MS
theology made very little progress during his me-
time. and even to-day probably the most that can
he claimed for it is that it tended TO modify theo-
logical doctrines which, however, had become un-
tenable through the operation OF other causes anu
influences Swedenborg was, nevertheless WhaV
NAV be called almost primitive Christian. Ills
life was a beautiful innocent and benehcent one
His character was singulary lofty and pure. Yet
not withstandng his scientific training he somehow
failed to acquire what Professor Huxley calls the
.sscientific imagination" On the contrary, when
he had mastered all the science OF his age mSteau
If proceeding on the lines laid down by Descartes,
n,lu Dd
began TO develop phase of that mysticism winch
Is more familiar in Asia than III Europe. He be-
lieyed that lie was in constant communication
with angels and spirits He surrendered his miad
to impressions which he believed to be both lmpor-
tant and divine. At the same tins he grated this
pecullar doctrine upon his od-worid theology with
strange results. Thus he accepted the scrpturai
writings from beginning to end with chlid-iike
faith. He never made an inquiry into their Origins
Modern exegetical studies would possibly have dis
turbed his harmonious interpretations greatly. but
he was spared all perplexites of that kind and by
taking everything for granted he was enabled 10
develop his system of spiritual interpretations with
the utmost freedom OF course when it is assumed
that the true meaning of scripture Is esoterlc and
that the letter is merely blind, like that of the old
Alcbemist writings there is no limit to the variety
Of the applications which may be given; and when
the authority of unseen angels is alleged for all
these phases the freedom of the expounder becomes
infinite Modern criticism has so damaged, II not
demolished many of the pillars upon which Swe-
denborgs theological work stands that the authority
of his spiritual guides and revelations has become
open TO serious question. But it IS also true that
his broader teachings are becoming more and more
consistent with modern religious thought, and
herein is fresh anomaly.
To the spritualists of the present day there prob
l. .1...t cali ..aD
sniritual relations. They could and in fact do say
that be was SIMPLY powerfully gifted medium. but
that as in the case of many other mediums be was
ant to confound the suggestions of his own mind
with external communications. and that in this way
he came to build a theology which was many
respects merely an adaptation of venerable falaces
and errors Yet to the student of occult and Oren-
tai literature and doctrine it Is apparent that the
Swedish sser he'd IN some way been famlarized
with many of tks theories and beliefs which held
Mt this day on the banks of the Ganges and in the
Lamaseries of Thlbet. His views of the future life
are certainly not Buddhlstic. but 1T would be posi-
BILE to point out several agreements between them
and the doctrines of the Asiatic occultiss. while
there are others OF his hypothesis which are quite in
unison with spiritualist doctrines of the present
time Aud despite his innumerabe quarrels with
physical science, and despite all the scoifing and
incredulity excited by his simple faith in the reality
of his spiri-communings, ii Is certain that his writ
ings have sensibly the minds of many very
zane and sensible men. 1t is well known that Emer-
son thought highly of Swedenborg, and such vrile
thinkers as the Rev. James Freeman Clarke have
acknowledged their indebtedness TO him. Clarke
says. ia fact, that while Wesley was made the
mediator of new force flowing out of Christianity.
Emanuel Swedenborg became the organ Of new
spiritual philosophy, the power of which is hardly
yet understood, but which seems likely to leaven
ell religious thought, and change ali arbitrary
theologes into spiritual rationalism." 1t must be
admitted perhaps, that if such change takes place
1t will be In the nature of an expansion and de-
velopment from Swedenberg's foundations. and that
ipvoiva he euanrexsion or raant of