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name of all the members of the New Church, or New Jerusalem, that they are Christians in the proper sense of the word, and that for the following reason, viz.: because they acknowledge no other God in heaven, or on earth, but the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus they derive their name from the God they worship, and from no other inferior being, be he man or be he angel."

Liverpool.

ΦΙΛΙΟΞ.

[On a proper perusal of the paper "Unitarians" in our last, it is abundantly evident that our correspondent "Z" has by no means compromised any principle of doctrine. The opening declaration of the paper sufficiently guards the reader against any such idea: "It is a remarkable fact," says 'Z,' "that the New Church is at issue with Unitarians more than with any other body of professing Christians, concerning the fundamental doctrine of faith,-the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ," and throughout the article, nothing inconsistent with this declaration occurs. Nor does there appear any "apology for Unitarianism." But because Unitarians, from Dr. Priestley to the present time, both in England and in America, have almost uniformly treated the New Church with liberality and respect, our correspondent is desirous of acknowledging this Christian civility, and we heartily join in the acknowledgment. Whereas, Tripersonalists, especially of the Solifidian class, have almost as uniformly treated the New Church doctrines and their claims upon the attention of mankind in an opposite spirit,-with neglectful disdain and contempt. But we well know that ignorance and prejudice have chiefly caused them to manifest such a spirit, and, therefore, we say—“ Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." As to Tripersonalism, and Unitarianism, or rather Socinianism, the doctrines of the New Church demonstrate that they are both errors of the grossest kind, which must be utterly extirpated from the mind before man can live in the light of heaven and enjoy its peace and bliss. This extirpation is effected sooner or later, in proportion as these gross doctrinal errors have not been confirmed by evil in the heart and life. Tripersonalism, viewed as to its real nature, is nothing but Tritheism; and although a portion of divinity is ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ, yet as He is not considered as the one only object "in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells," Tripersonalism is but one remove from Socinianism; hence Swedenborg, in his Spiritual Diary, sometimes calls it Semisocinianism. There is, however, this great advantage in Tripersonalism, that it involves the AFFIRMATIVE of the Lord's Divinity, and also, that God is a Person or a Divine Man: whereas Socinianism involves the NEGATIVE of the Lord's Divinity, and that God is impersonal and invisible. The doctrine of the New Church on this most important subject removes all the errors of both systems, and scripturally and rationally shews how trinity in unity, and unity in trinity, may be apprehended, and how the mind, in consequence, may be established upon an immovable basis, because it has an enlightened belief in the Supreme Object of its worship.-EDITOR.]

INQUIRY RESPECTING THE EXISTENCE OF FEROCIOUS ANIMALS PRIOR TO THE FALL OF MAN.

SIR,

To the Editor of the INTELLECTUAL REPOSITORY.

In your concluding observations on the letter of H. L., concerning the Præ-adamites, &c., occur the following words :"Whereas in his theological writings, he teaches that angels are from the human race, and of course did not exist prior to the first man, and that ferocious beasts existed together with hell, and consequently after the Fall." I am desirous to know how this statement is to be reconciled with Geological discoveries. Among the evil uses originating from hell, Swedenborg mentions some which had their existence many centuries previous to that of hell itself, if hell, as above stated, began its operations after the Fall. Such are those animals, for instance, which belonged to the "era of the new red sandstone," being reptiles of saurian character, as the Ichthyosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Megalosaurus, Pterodactylus, and the Iguanodon, the latter being twenty times the length of its modern representative the Crocodile. Now Man does not appear to have existed on this earth till three or four other eras had passed away, and each of immense duration; whence it would appear, that if these uncouth, noxious creatures received their animating principle from hellish influx, it must have proceeded from other than the hells of Man.

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Does E. S. use the term "human race as applying solely to the inhabitants of this world ?- -or does he not often mean the universal humanity?-the humanity which exists in the sidereal heavens, as well as that in Jupiter or our own earth.

When he speaks of angels being from the human race, I presume it is in contradistinction to the notion of their constituting a peculiar race, different from the human, and superior to it ;-and that every individual from every heavenly sphere, when he quits his natural state, becomes an angel; whence, if the spiritual universe be connected as is the natural, may it not have been that evil influxes proceeded to this earth from those of elder birth, and thus be solved the above difficulty as to its material points?

Truth is ever consistent with itself, whether it shine forth from a mineral, or from the revelations of Heaven. We need not, therefore, shrink from investigation; it should not be received but upon suffi

cient grounds, and under the firm conviction that Heaven's will and Nature's facts are not opposed. I have presumed to address you on this subject, thinking that some of your correspondents may be able to enlighten further the mind of

18th January, 1845.

AN INQUIRER.

[The inquiry of our correspondent is very reasonable, and will, no doubt, be met by some of our intelligent contributors in our next. We will here merely observe, that Swedenborg nowhere states, in his Theological and Philosophical Works, written subsequently to 1745, or after the period when his especial illumination commenced, any thing contrary to the assertion, "that evil uses and ferocious beasts existed together with hell, and consequently after the Fall."-EDITOR.]

IGNORANCE AND CALUMNY OF A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE CONCERNING

SIR,

SWEDENBORG.

To the Editor of the INTELLECTUAL REPOSITORY.

Your readers have occasionally been gratified with extracts from the writings of celebrated men in the Old Church, in which certain views of the heavenly doctrine of the New Church have been lucidly expressed. It is, however, to be regretted that authority and talent are not always to be found on the side of consistency and truth; though it is some consolation to know that opposition comes from ignorance. The following specimen of this is remarkable, considering the station of the person, and the subject in which it occurs. The Professor of Modern History in the University of Cambridge, William Smith, in his Lectures on Modern History, published 1841; vol. 1, page 68, in a chapter on Mahomet, has the following paragraph:

« More temperate climates, more civilized countries than those of the East, even times improved like our own, have, witnessed the rise, and, to a certain degree, success, of enthusiasts who have made considerable approaches to the pretensions of Mahomet. The German Swedenburgh (sic) entirely equalled him in his claims on the credulity of mankind. He affirmed, distinctly, that he had a regular communication with heaven. Like other enthusiasts, he was unable to prove his mission; but he convinced himself, and had his converts, in different parts of Europe."

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Here we have the revival of an old calumny which has been often and successfully refuted. On this point, therefore, it is not necessary to say a word. The paragraph is cited merely to show that the professor is perfectly ignorant of his subject. He calls him a "German" whom the slightest inquiry would have shown to have been a Swede; and so imperfect has been his research in this matter, that he has not even learnt to spell his name with accuracy; while he seems to be entirely unaware of the fact that Swedenborg's converts are increasing, not only in Europe, but in America, and throughout the world! This ignorance concerning Swedenborg may be excusable in a common opponent of the New Church; but when it comes from a Professor at an English University-and he, too, a Professor of Modern History, publishing so lately as 1841-it is entitled to no other consideration but rebuke.-I am, yours respectfully, Preston, Jan. 10th, 1844.

R. ***

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM OF SWEDENBORG.

THIS work has now, for some months, been in the hands of many of our readers. We could have wished to have given in our periodical a descriptive review of the wonderful principles and doctrines it demonstrates; but as we found that this could not be better done than the Translator himself has done it in his excellent and luminous "Introductory Remarks," we have not ventured upon the subject ourselves. Had we not known that the work is easily accessible to most of our readers, we should have taken the liberty of inserting a considerable portion of those " Introductory Remarks;" but from the cause already mentioned, we can only state that those "Remarks" are admirably calculated to prepare the mind for a proper study of the "Animal Kingdom;" and, that, therefore, we sincerely recommend them to the perusal of our readers.

It will be interesting to observe what notice is taken of the " Animal Kingdom" by the Scientific World. It will be remembered that in our periodical of July last, we inserted some extracts from a most important review of that work, which had recently appeared in the 'Monthly Review," in which Swedenborg, as a scientific man and a philosopher, was most highly commended. The only notice we have heard of since the second volume appeared, is given in "THE FORCEPS" for November 16, 1844.

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This," says the writer in that work, "is the most remarkable theory of the human body that has ever fallen into our hands; and N. S. No. 62.-VOL. VI.

K

by Emanuel Swedenborg, too! a man whom we had always been taught to regard as either a fool, a madman, or an impostor, or perhaps an undefinable compound of all the three. Wonders, it seems, never will cease, and therefore it were better henceforth to look out for them, and accept them whenever they present themselves, and make them into ordinary things in that way. For thereby we may be saved from making wonderful asses of ourselves and our craft, for enlightened posterity to laugh at.

"To return to our book, we can honestly assure our readers, (which is more than it would be safe to do in all cases,) that we have carefully read through both volumes of it, bulky though they be, and have gained much philosophical insight from it into the chains of ends and causes that govern in the human organism. What has the world been doing for the past century, to let this great system slumber on the shelf, and to run after a host of little bluebottles of hypotheses which were never framed to live for more than a short part of a single season? It is clear that it yet'knows nothing of its greatest men.' The fact is, it has been making money, or trying to make it, and grubbing after worthless reputation, until it has lost its eyesight for the stars of heaven and the sun that is shining above it.

"Emanuel Swedenborg's doctrine is altogether the widest thing of the kind which medical literature affords, and cast into an artistical shape of consummate beauty. Under the rich drapery of ornament which diversifies his pages, there runs a framework of the truest reasoning. The book is a perfect mine of principles, far exceeding in intellectual wealth, and surpassing in elevation, the finest efforts of Lord Bacon's genius. It treats of the loftiest subjects without abstruseness, being all ultimately referable to the common sense of mankind. Unlike the German transcendentalists, this gifted Swede fulfils both the requisites of the true philosopher: he is one 'to whom the lowest things ascend, and the highest descend, who is the equal and kindly brother of all.' There is no trifling about him, but he sets forth his opinions, irrespective of controversy, with a plainness of affirmation which cannot be mistaken; and in such close and direct terms, that to give a full idea of his system in other words would require that we lesser men should write larger volumes than his own.

"The plan of the work is this: Swedenborg first gives extracts from the greatest anatomists of his own and former times, such as Malpighi, Leuwenhoek, Morgagni, Swammerdam, Heister, Winslow, &c. &c., so that these volumes contain a body of old anatomy (translated now into close English) such as cannot be met with in this

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