. Obedience to the Will. Inquire further, and you will find, that the Will of Man is his Proprium, or Self-hood, and that this confidered in itfelf is merely evil, and in Confequence of this his Understanding is full of Falfes. When you have made these Discoveries, you will fee, that Man, of himself, is not willing to understand any Thing but what cometh from the Proprium of his own Will, and that he could not, unlefs there was fome other Source of Knowledge. Man, by Reafon of the Proprium of his Will, is not willing to underftand any Thing but what regards himself and the World; every Thing of an higher Nature is in Darkness; when he feeth the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, if by Chance he reflecteth on their Origin, he could not be able to refer them to any other creative Power than their own, as many very learned Men in the World have done, who, although they were informed by the Word that God created all Things, ftill afcribe Creation to Nature and what then would have been their Sentiments, in Cafe they had received no Information from the Word? Is it credible, that the old Philofophers, as Ariftotle, Cicero, Seneca, and others, who have written about God, and the Immortality of the Soul, received their first In. formations on thofe Subjects from their own Underftand ings: No furely, but from others, to whom the Infor mation was fucceffively handed down from thofe, who had the firft Notice thereof from the ancient Word. The Writers on the Subject of natural Theology derive none of their Knowledge in that Science from themfelves, but only confirm, by rational Deductions, the Truths which they have learnt from the Church, which is in Poffeffion of the Word; and it is poffible there may be fome amongst them, who confirm fuch Truths, and yet do not believe. them. 116. It hath been permitted me to fee People, born in remote Iflands, who were reasonable enough in all Points of civil Concern, but yet had no Knowledge concerning God. In the fpiritual World, they have the Appearance of Sphinxes, and are in a Life nearly fimilar to their's; but whereas they were Men by Birth, and confequently in a Capacity of receiving fpiritual Life, they are inftructed by Angels, and by Means of Knowledges concerning the Ford in his human Character, are vivified. What Man is is in himself, appears evidently from those who are in Hell, amongst whom there are fome Perfons of Learning and Diftinction, who have no Inclination to hear any Thing of God, and on that Account cannot pronounce the Word God. I have seen them, and converfed with them; I have alfo converfed with those who have fallen into the Fire of Wrath and Anger, at the bare Mention of the Lord, Confider, therefore, what Sort of a Creature Man would have been, fuppofing him to have received no Information about God, when fome, who have heard about God, have written about God, and have preached about God, are in fuch a State; there are many fuch from among the Jefuits. The Reafon why they are in fuch a State, is, because their Wills are evil, and the Will, as was before obferved, directeth the Understanding, and robbeth it of the Truths it receiveth from the Word. If man could have known of himself, that there is a God, and a Life after Death, how comes it to pass that he never difcovered that Man is a real Man after Death? Why doth he imagine, that his Soul or Spirit is like Wind or Ether, which hath neither Eyes to fee, nor Ears to hear nor Mouth to fpeak, until it be united to it's Carcafe or Skeleton? Suppofing therefore a Doctrine derived from the Light of Reafon alone, muft it not of Neceflity eftablish the Worship of itself, as was the Cafe in former Times, and is ftill the Cafe with many, who yet are inftructed by the Word that God alone is to be worshipped? It is not poffible that any other Worship, but that of Self, fhould be derived from the Proprium or Self-hood of Man, not even the Worship of the Sun and Moon. 117. The Origin of religious Worship in the most early Age of the World, and of the univerfal Knowledge of God, and a Life after Death, is not to be ascribed to Man, or to his own proper Intelligence, but was derived from the ancient Word above-mentioned, n. 101 to 103, and in fucceeding Times from the Ifraelitifh Word. From those two Words, religious Knowledge was propagated through all Parts of India with it's Islands, and through Egypt and Ethiopia, in the Kingdoms of Africa, and from the Sea Coasts of Afia, into Greece, and from thence into Italy. But whereas the Word could not be written otherwife than by Representatives, which are fuch fuch earthly Exiftences as correfpond with heavenly ones, and confequently are fignificative thereof, therefore the religious Rights of the Gentiles were made Idolatrous, and in Greece were turned into Fables, and the Divine Properties and Attributes were confidered as fo many feparate Gods, governed by one Supreme Deity, whom they called Jove, from Jehovah; that they had a Knowledge of a Paradife, a Flood, and the Sacredness of Fire, of four Ages, beginning with that of Gold, and ending with that of Iron, by which are fignified in the Word the four States of the Church, as in Daniel, Chap. ii. 31 to 35, is well known. That the Mahometan Religion, which fucceeded and destroyed the former religious Knowledges of many Nations, was taken from the Word of both Teftaments, is alfo well known. 118. Laftly, I fhall here declare what is the State of thofe after Death, who afcribe all Things to their own Understanding, and very little, if any, to the Word. They are first like Perfons intoxicated, afterwards like Perfons infatuated, and lafly they fink into Stupidity and fit in Darkness. Let every one therefore take Heed to himself how he falleth into fuch a Delirium. FINI S. E 103 ] COPY of a LETTER, From the Rev. THOMAS HARTLEY, to a Dear Sir, Eaft Malling, Feb. 11, 1784. Am favoured with your's of the laft poft, and have to acquaint you of my being informed, fome time ago, by the Rev. Mr. C. of the laudable zeal fhewn at this time by many worthy perfons, for promoting the knowledge of the writings of the Hon. and highly enlightened Emanuel Swedenborg; and in my anfwer to his letter, I expreffed the great fatisfaction I received from the account, and my belt wishes of fuccefs to fo ufeful and important an undertaking, as I know no writings that fo clearly illuftrate the Holy Scriptures, and confequently that tend more effectually to enlighten the understanding, and mend the Heart and Life. It is a real grief to me that I cannot join my endeavours to give farther help in forwarding fo falutary a work, as I thould think the remaining part of my life well employed in fuch a concurrence; but, as I mentioned to you fome time ago, my infirm ftate of health, together with frequent returns of a nervous diforder in my head, ftomach, and bowels, in far advanced years, unfit me for engaging in any thing that requires clofe application of mind; and through this caufe, joined to the present severity of the weather, I find the writing even this letter rather too much for me, fo that you will excufe my not being more particular in this answer to your laft. As to the intended tranflation of the other pieces of E. Swedenborg you mention, I doubt not their meeting with the like good fuccefs, that has attended the foregoing translations. May the good Lord profper the pious endeavours of all that may be concerned therein, and of all that are now labouring for the propagation of his Truth. Please to commend my good refpects to Mr. C. and to accept the fame yourself from, Sir, Your Friend and Servant, THOMAS HARTLEY. He died in December, aged 74. Lift of ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS from the Latin of E. SWEDENBORG, printed by R. HINDMARSH, No. 32, Clerkenwell-Close. Price o 1 3 O 14 O · Body, 3. A Treatife concerning Heaven and Hell, and 4. Firft Volume of Arcana Cœleftia, or Heavenly Myfteries, 5. Second Volume of Arcana Cœleftia, 6. The New Jerufalem and it's Heavenly Doctrine, 7. The Doctrine of the New Jerufalem concerning the Lord, 8. The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerufalem, o 9. A Summary View of the principal Doctrines contained in the Theological Writings of E. Swedenborg, 1 O 1 6 These Writings may be confidered in a threefold View: I. As giving a full and fatisfactory Account of all the DOCTRINES of the Chriftian Faith, pointing out clearly those Errors which have reduced the Chriftian Church to it's prefent lamentable State; and establishing on a firm Foundation thofe holy Truths on which the Existence of the Church, and it's Communication with Heaven des pends. II. As opening and defcribing that ETERNAL WORLD to which we are all daily approaching, fhewing our Connection with it, and it's Influence upon us; and hence urging us with all the Power of a Divine Evidence to enter 3 into |