the threshold of a knowledge of the doctrines, and to shew, that, for any thing the world yet has a right to infer to the contrary, those doctrines may be true; and on this ground, to inculcate the moral responsibility men are under of examining them. The points which experience has proved to be the main stumbling-blocks to the ignorant and careless reader, are presented in order, and gently put aside: the circumstances of the age are then briefly touched on, as indicating the necessity for a divine interposition, to bring forth the Word from the darkness with which human evil and error have surrounded it, and to restore it as the medium between heaven and man; and a succinct statement of the new revelation is propounded. In the details much novelty could scarcely be expected: it is in the tone and arrangement that the peculiar talents and graces of the author's mind are strikingly displayed. It would be impossible, we think, for any person to read this Letter, and not to be impressed with its powerful qualities of common sense; with its logical flow of argument, and its piety; and with the absence of all visionary, enthusiastic, and ambiguous statements whatever. To those who have heard Swedenborg censured as a madman, the first feeling on opening this Letter would probably be surprize; to find every thing so cool, reasonable, and easy of acceptation! The timid would be pleased to discover, that the new revelation was not meant to destroy, but to fulfil the law; and the skeptic, proud of his denunciations of bigotry in others, and of his fearless reasonings, might be won by the substance of these things, instead of pursuing their shadow. To enable the reader to judge, in some degree, of the correctness of our statement, we will quote the concluding paragraphs. In quitting the subject, there is one thing I would wish to leave clearly understood, namely, that the truth or falsehood of Swedenborg's writings and mission is not the question which I have attempted to argue in these pages. The position I have from the first taken, and which I have attempted to illustrate and defend, is simply this; -that for any thing the world as yet knows, or has fairly proved to the contrary, these doctrines may be just as true as we suppose them; because the opinion of their untruth, which prevails so generally, is accompanied by an ignorance of their true nature, and consequent incompetence to decide, as general as itself. I have endeavoured to interest you by the assurance, that beyond the thick veil which the apathy and misconception of mankind have spread before these doctrines, there lie things, the true shape and import of which the world has never yet seen; but which, illustrating and illustrated by the wonderful changes now going on around us, altogether form a case worthy the deepest investigation of every rational and religious man. I have sought to induce you to pierce this veil, to see these things as they really are, and then judge for yourself. It may be possible that in this I shall fail; the feeling, however, of duty, from which I have made the attempt, prompts me to add, finally, a consideration to which I am aware you of all men will not be insensible. These doctrines come to us in the name and on the alleged authority of God. Now, whatever security or confidence Christians may feel, that the contempt with which they treat them does not fall back on any such divine authority; yet, apart from the mere feeling of confidence, is not this security mainly based on the following supposition ;-that the man who put forth these doctrines to the world, was either mad, self-deluded, or an intentional deceiver? Without, then, attempting to shew that this supposition is groundless, may I not truly observe respecting it, that those who rest upon its truth as a security that they are not disrespectfully rejecting the proffered mercies of God, make it a security for a very serious thing? a due and reverent sense of which, one should think, might indicate the duty of an examination into the foundation upon which the supposition itself rests. Is it respectful to the name in which these things have come, to allow it to rest (as most do) upon that worst of all foundations in religious matters, the opinion, rumour, and hearsay evidence of the world? I will not hide from you my own conviction, that from the aspect these doctrines present to those best acquainted with them, from the blameless life and character of their immediate author, and more especially from the authority which he has claimed for them, I think it the duty of all Christians, once, at least, in their lives, to give them a serious investigation. The man who rises from such a task with a conviction of their fallacy, will then do so with a clear conscience, or at least in such proportion as he performed his task in a candid and truth-seeking spirit. That, where religious truth is concerned, a man ought well to know what that is which he receives, is an admonition of most grave and vital importance; but surely all the reasons which make it so, make it equally important that a man should know as well what that is which he rejects. I am, my dear Sir, &c., &c., POETRY. LINES COMPOSED FOR A LADY'S ALBUM. "Behold! I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me."—Apocalypse, 3: 20. WHAT gentle impulse wakes my slumbering thought? What voice is that with heavenly music fraught? What face so meek, yet glorious, do I see? At my heart's door 'tis Jesus makes request Wonder of love! can words such love declare? O! welcome, gracious Visitor, to stay For ever here, not only for to day! For who, but Thou, can titles shew so clear, And give, by sweet experience, to know How "light" thy "burthen "-what rewards await, Where mountains vast o'er laughing valleys frown, Ready to spring, and seize him for their prey, If, from that narrow path, his heedless foot should stray. Up many a rugged steep the traveller mounts with pain: While gloomy precipices yawn below! But, gracious Lord! what danger can I fear, But say, what contrast can more shocking be, Frail nature's loans are ever insecure, But heav'n's adorning must, like heav'n, endure,— Can youth confer, immortal in the skies, CLERICUS. N. S. No. 35.-VOL. 3. 3 к THE LONDON PRINTING SOCIETY. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING, held at The Chairman stated the object of the meeting to be, to consider and determine what should be done in reference to restoring to the Royal Academy of Stockholm, the Manuscripts of Swedenborg then in the Society's possession :-a subject which had occupied much of the committee's attention for some years, and respecting which a laborious investigation and much correspondence had taken place which also had been brought before the Society at its annual meeting. He then requested the Secretary to read the circular (which had been sent to every member of the Society) calling the meeting, and the following letters from the President pro tem., and the Secretary of the Royal Society of Stockholm, copies of which were contained in the circular. : Academy feels herself fully assured that your respectable Society, inspired equally by her own sentiment of what is right in general, and particularly by her esteem for the memory of Swedenborg, will make no objection to restore the before-mentioned Manuscripts to the collection of Swedenborg's originals, after having made of them all the use the Society may desire, by copying or publishing the contents thereof; the Royal Academy being, on her part, bound by a double obligation to preserve, in their complete integrity, all the Manuscripts which have been entrusted to her by the heirs of Swedenborg, and to hold them in readiness in her library for all persons who may desire to study or consult the posthumous works of this celebrated philosopher. VON BRINKMAN, p. t. President of the Royal Academy of Sciences. JAC. BERZELIUS, Secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Stockholm. Stockholm, the 18th May, 1842. Stockholm, the 19th May, 1842. Dear Sir, I have to return my best thanks for your two letters of the 8th of March, and the very accurate explanations they contain regarding the manner by which your Society are for the present in possession of the Swedenborg Manuscripts; which you are willing to restore to the Swedish Academy, from which they have been alienated by an unpardonable negligence of two persons, to whom they had been entrusted, under the formal condition and promise to return them after having taken a more particular knowledge of their contents. TO THE LONDON PRINTING SOCIETY. The Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences has been informed that your Society is at present in possession of some Manuscripts belonging to the collection of original hand-writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, which the heirs of that illustrious author had deposited in our Academy, that they might be conserved there, as an everlasting monument to his memory. But some of those Manuscripts have, since a considerable time, been abalienated from the original collection, by being lent on trust and confidence to two members of the Academy, personal and intimate friends of Swedenborg in his life-time; and the same persons having afterwards taken those papers with them The Swedish Academy has received to foreign countries, where they remained with great satisfaction the assurance, to their death, without having restored "that your committee regards the reto the Academy the borrowed Manu- stitution of those MSS. to their rightful scripts. owner as a duty on her part." But an For these considerations, the Royal insinuation in your Letter No. 1," that |