Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

"I am much pleased to hear that you have circulated so many books, relative to the New Church, and I wish I had it in my power to send you a few copies of such as I have published; but although I have printed about forty different works, they are all, or nearly so, out of print, having been disposed of a considerable time since. You do well, my dear friend, in circulating such works as are calculated to open the eyes of men, to perceive truth, and lead them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, as the only God, and to the infinitely important doctrines of the present dispensation."

Extract of a letter from a gentleman in London, dated December 10, 1816.

"A vessel immediately sailing for New York, I am eager, on the part of our societies, to express to you the great delight you have afforded them, by your last most interesting communication, and at the same time to return their humble and grateful acknowledgments to the INFINITE BESTOWER of every blessing, who has thus permitted them, to be the happy instruments of disseminating the knowledge of the Eternal Truth. Your intelligence was, indeed, of the most gratifying nature, and proves by the living energy which actuates your proceedings, for the eternal welfare of others, that there is a powerful descent of Heavenly Principles in your hemisphere, and that your society has connected itself with them, for the promotion of this most glorious and sacred of all designs. I trust we shall catch a spark of your heavenly fire, and that you will receive with this, the books, according to your order; so that we shall not have to reproach ourselves with delay, but be as eager in this great cause to give, as you can be to receive.

"We fully agree with your proposal of an exchange, between the "New Jerusalem Church Repository," and "The Intellectual." In my next, I will give you every information of the portrait (of Emanuel Swedenborg) which you are desirous to possess."

C. A. T.

Extract of a letter from the secretary of the London society, for printing and publishing the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, dated December 13, 1816.

"The reason why more of "The Arcana" were not sent last winter, was owing to the sixth volume of that work being out of print. It is only now just published by the Manchester Society. Most probably Mr. T. will have informed you, in his letter, of the delightful sensation, felt by our committee, on hearing read your letters, to him, of the 1st and 21st of October. They rejoice most sincerely in the blessed and happy prospect that is now dawning on the western world, and most sincerely congratulate yourself, and worthy colleagues, on the unexpected success which has attended the first rich cargo, they sent to you for the supply of the United States.

"Mr. T. may also have mentioned to you, that Mr. Clowes' translation of "Heaven and Hell" is only now going to be put to press by our society. Mr. Clowes' new works, of which you were informed, in a former letter, are none of them yet printed. We have, however, sent you a few copies of two small works, by Mr. Hindmarsh, viz. "Remarks on the Holy League," and "Compendium of the New Church Doctrines." We have, also, selected a few of Mr. Proud's works, but his first course of lectures is quite out of print. In order to have your opinion of our fine copies, of some of the works, we have taken the liberty to enclose a copy or two of each, say "Intercourse between soul and body," "The Heavenly Doctrine," and "Divine Love and Wisdom."

"As a specimen, we have sent you six prints of Emanuel Swedenborg, engraved from a drawing, taken at an early period of his life. At some future opportunity, we could obtain and send you another small print, engraved from a painting, done at a later period, if you think proper to have a few copies of it. We are rejoiced to find that you are about to add to your already important labours, by undertaking a quarterly periodical work. We shall take care to give publicity to your prospectus, and have no doubt, of obtaining several subscribers in this country,"

[ocr errors]

AMERICAN EDITIONS OF NEW CHURCH WORKS.

As one of the leading objects of the establishment of this journal, was to record particulars, relative to the introduction and progress of the New Jerusalem Dispensation in the United States, we would be much gratified to receive from our friends at a distance, such details as would assist us in our design. The following catalogue is believed to comprise all the New Church works, which have been published in this country, prior to the year 1815. Those which have appeared since that period, have been enumerated in the Report of "The American Society for disseminating the doctrines of the New Jerusalem Church," published in the first number of this Repository. Should our list be incomplete, we will thank our correspondents to point out the omissions.

1. A Summary View of the Doctrines. Pamphlet, Philadelphia, 1787, Francis Bailey, printer.

2. True Christian Religion. 2 vols. octavo, Philadelphia, 1789, F. Bailey.

3. Liturgy and Hymns, Rev. J. Proud's collection. Duodecimo, Baltimore, 1792, S. & J. Adams.

4. Angelic Wisdom concerning Divine Love. 1 vol. octavo, Boston, 1794.

5. Treatise on Influx. Duodecimo, Boston, 1794.

6. Doctrine concerning the Lord. Duodecimo, Boston, 1795. 7. Doctrine of the Sacred Scriptures. Duodecimo, Boston, 1795.

8. The Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem. Duodeci mo, Boston, 1795.

9. Dialogues between Sophron and Philadelphus, upon the subject of the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Duodecimo, Boston, 1795.

10. Aphorisms of Wisdom, consisting chiefly of extracts from the works of Emanuel Swedenborg. Duodecimo, Boston, 1795. 11. Angelic Wisdom concerning Divine Providence. 1 vol. octavo, Boston, 1796,

12. Conjugial Love. 1 large octavo volume, Philadelphia, 1796, F. Bailey.

13. Heaven and Hell. 1 volume octavo, Baltimore, 1812, A. Miltenberger.

14. Select Sermons of the Rev. J. Clowes. 1 vol. duodecimo, New York, 1815.

The works printed by Mr. Bailey were undertaken upon his own account and risk; and to the individual enterprise and zeal of that venerable gentleman, who still lives amongst us, the Church is indebted for much of her increase. Those published at Boston, and which were printed by T. W. Folsom and J. B. & T. Andrews, were at the individual charge and risk of the late worthy Mr. William Hill, who, in addition to the expenditure of large sums, for the promotion of the cause of the Church, devoted his talents, and a vast portion of his time, to her service. He translated "The Apocalypse Explained," from the original Latin of Emanuel Swedenborg, an entire copy of which was made out by Mr. Daniel Thuun, and transmitted, after the death of Mr. Hill, to England, where it has been published, in six volumes

octavo.

NEW CHURCH MAGAZINES.

The following is a list of the periodical works, which have been established in England and America, for the propagation of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem Dispensation.

1. The New Jerusalem Magazine, monthly, London, commenced in January, 1790, and continued until June, following, six numbers, with an Appendix.

2. Magazine of Knowledge, monthly, London, commenced in April, 1790, and continued until October, 1791, twenty numbers. 3. New Jerusalem Journal, no fixed period of publication, London, commenced in January, 1792, and ended in September of same year, ten numbers.

4. The Aurora, monthly, London, commenced May, 1799, and ended in April, 1801, twenty-five numbers.

5. The Halcyon Luminary, monthly, New York, commenced January, 1812, and ended in December, 1813, twenty-four numbers.

6. The Intellectual Repository, quarterly, London, commenced in January, 1812, and continued to the present time. Twenty numbers have appeared.

7. The New Jerusalem Church Repository, quarterly, Philadelphia, commenced in January, 1817.

EXTRACTS

FROM THE WRITINGS OF EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.

ON THE PRIDE OF HUMAN REASON.

"A desire to search into the mysteries of faith, by means of things sensual and scientific, was not only the cause of the fall, or decline of the most ancient Church, viz. of the generation which succeeded, and which is treated of in the following chapter, but it is also the cause of the fall, or decline, of every Church; for hence come not only falsities, but also evils of life.

"The worldly and corporeal man saith in his heart, “If I am not instructed concerning faith, and the things relating to faith, by things of sense, so that I may see them, or by things of science, so that I may understand them, I will not believe ;" and he confirmeth himself in his incredulity by this persuasion, that natural things cannot be contrary to spiritual things; wherefore he is desirous of being instructed from things of sense concerning things celestial and divine; which is as impossible as it is for a \ camel to go through the eye of a needle; the more he desires to grow wise from such a ground, the more he blinds himself, till at length he cometh to believe nothing, not even the existence of any thing spiritual, or of eternal life; this is a necessary consequence of the principles which he layeth down; and this is to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which causeth a greater death the more a man eateth thereof. But whoso wisheth to grow wise by a wisdom not derived from the world, but from the Lord, he saith in his heart that he ought to believe in the Lord, that is, in the things which the Lord spake in the Word, because they are truths; and this is the principle by which he governs his thoughts, and then he confirmeth himself in such belief by things rational, scientific, sensual, and natural, and removeth from his mind whatever doth not tend to such confirmation.

"It is in every one's power to see, that man is governed by the principles he receiveth, be they ever so false, and that all science and reasoning favour such principles, inasmuch as innumerable things are ready to engage the assent, and thus confirm the mind in what is false; wherefore, if it be a received principle that nothing is to be believed before it is seen and understood, a person

« PoprzedniaDalej »