ting the Baron's motives to be as pure as purity itself, that may justify his heart, but it will not justify his head nor the offspring of his head. We often hear very erroneous sentiments uttered by those whose intentions we never suspect. Nevertheless, when false doctrines and loose principles are written and then translated, and printed and reprinted, first in the gross, and then in piece-meal, or otherwise in small tracts, and these tracts circulated with persevering industry, there may possibly be an awful responsibility lying at somebody's door! In any wise I think it would be worth while for those whom it may concern, to review their own conduct and revise their principles, while there is time and opportunity for amendment, lest in the end they should lose their own souls and incur the additional aggravation of having been accessary to the ruin of others. The man that leads a wicked life is bad but he that devises and propagates false doctrines and erroneous principles is much worse. A bad life has a pernicious influence; but then the influence is often

:

very limited both in extent and duration. Whereas evil principles and false doctrines are commonly more rife and mischievous after the decease of the first founder than during his life. This was notoriously the case with Mahomet, the number of whose

adherents at the time of his death in the year 631, was small in comparison of their present myriads, even after a lapse of twelve hundred years! Mr. Evans, in his "Sketch of the denominations of the Christian world," makes the number of Mahometans at the present time to be one hundred and forty millions!

Respecting Baron Swedenborg, it may not be amiss for me here to give my opinion of him; and my opinion is that he was a learned man: this cannot be denied by those who have read his works, and will speak candidly. Against his moral character I never heard any thing; and as I cannot impeach his moral character, I have no authority whatever to call in question his piety and sincerity. But though charity obliges us to deal tenderly with men's sincerity, yet there may be very good reasons for our calling in question their sanity! It does appear to many, that either much learning or something else unknown had made Baron Swedenborg mad, if not in the highest yet in a lower degree. For surely no one in his right mind would have undertaken the subversion of most of the leading doctrines of Christianity, which the Baron most assuredly has done! Whereas a man in his right mind and under a due impression of the infinite importance of the Christian

doctrines, would sooner suffer death and strangling, than be found guilty of either adding to, or taking from, the things which are written in this book, the Bible. (Rev. xxii. 18, 19.)

Besides the dreadful errors, as I deem them, found in the Baron's writings, there is an almost endless tautology and repetition either of expression or meaning: this is notorious to the most superficial reader, and is to me another plain indication of the author's disordered intellects. I have seriously thought whilst perusing the Baron's writings, that if all his works, and they are voluminous, were analyzed and consolidated into what has been said once over, one good octavo volume might possibly contain the whole. But lest I should be charged with misrepresentation respecting these repetitions and tautologies, I will give one instance. No. 332, Memorable Relation, True Christian Religion.—No. 331, Memorable Relation, Conjugal Love. These memorable relations, which I find in two different works, are word for word, except the small difference which has been made by being translated, as appears to me, by different hands.

What the Baron says concerning truth and good, and especially what he says respecting faith and charity, as also his opinion respecting

man's free will and predestination, accords in general with my sentiments, and may perhaps be read with some advantage. But on these subjects the Bible may always be consulted with infinitely more success. Therefore quitting the Bible for Baron Swedenborg's works, even for sentiments on faith and charity, is something like leaving good wine for mere water. Besides if we will read uninspired books on these subjects, there are plenty to be found more compact and consolidated than the Baron's writings, which are frequently both diffuse and incoherent.

A portrait of this notable man's mind and character can scarcely be better exhibited than in his own words respecting those who are enthusiasts, and under a spirit of delusion: hear what he says.

"They who so addict themselves to musing on religious things, as to work their minds into superstitious reveries concerning them, come in time to hear spirits talking to them; for such religious reveries, where any one wilfully gives himself up to them, to the neglect of relative duties and usefulness in his station, enter deep and gain a form in the interior part of man, and so taking full possession of him, communicate with the spiritual world, and excite certain spirits there to associate with him: such are properly vision

aries and enthusiasts, who believe every spirit they hear to be the Holy Spirit, whereas they are no other than enthusiastic spirits, who being under delusion themselves, delude those whom they have access to and influence over"! Treatise on heaven and hell, No. 249.

If the above account of enthusiasm and delusion be true, then the Baron has perhaps made out his own case better than any other man could have done it for him!

I shall now proceed to a brief discussion and exposure of what I believe to be the principal errors of the Swedenborgian system.

ON THE PERSONALITY OF THE SON OF GOD: OR THAT THE SON OF GOD IS A DISTINCT PERSON FROM THE FATHER.

In Baron Swedenborg's True Christian Religion, a thick quarto volume, the doctrine of the trinity of persons in the Godhead, as held by both Roman Catholics and Protestants, is treated as a doctrine the most chimerical and inconsistent; and as being repugnant both to common sense, and plain scriptural language. To give the Baron's own words is needless, and if done would swell this publication much beyond its intended