A Friendly Reply

I rejoice in the friendship to which you bear witness in the letter you wrote me, and I give you thanks for the latter and the former. Continue steadfast, I pray, in the truth of the faith you have embraced.

As concerns the twofold humanity in Christ, you will find light upon its nature in no. 117 of Summary Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church which you have on hand. The former Humanity was the Divine Celestial Human, the latter the natural Human which He took on that He might fight with the hells, and might reduce into order all things therein, and in the heavens and also on earth; and, moreover, that He might more nearly be present with and within men in the world, all of whom are natural. The Celestial Divine Humanity was interiorly in the Lord when He was in the world; and then, especially when He did miracles, He drew on it as much as pleased Him; but when He underwent temptations, and most of all when He suffered the Cross, He concealed it interiorly in Himself, being at such times in the state of exinanition. Afterwards He fully united this humanity to His Divine Celestial Human, this state being the state of His glorification.

From the above few words it can be seen what is meant by these His words: Father, Glorify me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was founded. In the state of exinanition He prayed to the Father as to another than Himself, but in the state of glorification, He was Himself that Father. This, however, will be fully demonstrated in the work on the Doctrine of the New Church, which, under the Lord's auspices, I am going to write on my return to Sweden.

As regards myself, I was born in Stockholm on the 29th of January in the year 1689 of my father, Jesper Swedberg by name, who was Bishop of West Gothland and was celebrated in his day. He was also inscribed as a member of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, having been elected by that English Society.

In 1716 and later, I frequently talked with Charles XII, King of Sweden, who greatly favored me, and honored me with the office of Assessor in the College of Mines, an office which I then filled until the year 1747, in which year I resigned, retaining [half] the salary of that office to the end of my life. I gave in my resignation solely to the end that I might the better devote myself to the new function enjoined on me by the Lord. A higher rank of dignity was then offered me, but this I absolutely refused, lest pride should thereby invade my mind.

In the year 1719, 1 was ennobled by Queen Ulrica Eleonora, and named Swedenborg, and from that time on, in the Assemblies which take place every three years, I have been numbered among the Nobles of the order of knighthood.

I am an associate and member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Stockholm, by formal invitation. I have never asked to be received into any other society of the learned elsewhere because I am in an angelic society, and there, only such things are dealt with as pertain to heaven, while in societies of the learned, it is only such things as pertain to the world.

As regards my relatives, I had 4 sisters, one of whom was married to Eric Benzelius who later became Archbishop in Upsala, and I thus became related to the 2 next Archbishops there who were Benzelii, being younger brothers of the former. My second sister was married to Lars Benzelstierna, who was a Provincial Governor. But these men are dead. Two Bishops, however, relatives of mine, are at present among the living-one who is called Filenius, Bishop of East Gothland,* who, in the Assembly at Stockholm, is now filling the office of President in the Ecclesiastical Estate, in place of the Archbishop who is ill. He married my sister's daughter. The other is the Bishop of Westmanland, who is the son of my second sister-not to speak of other men who are in positions of dignity.

Moreover, in my country, Sweden, all the Bishops, who are 10 in number, and also the Senators, who are 16 in number, and the other dignitaries, love me and from love honor me, and I associate with them familiarly as a friend with friends, and this because they know that I am in company with angels. The King himself, with the Queen, and the three princes their sons, show me great favor. Once also I was invited by the King and Queen to their table to eat with them-which otherwise is not granted to any save the great-and likewise, at a later time, with the Crown Prince.

All are eager for my return, and therefore in my own country I have not the least fear of the persecution, of which you make kindly mention in your letter. If they persecute me elsewhere, it does not reach me.

But the things recounted above, I regard as of comparatively little moment; for what towers above them is the fact that I have been called to an apostolic office by the Lord Himself who, in the year 1743, manifested Himself to me in Person. From that time my sight has been opened into the spiritual world, and it has been granted me to speak with spirits and angels, and this has continued even to the present day.

My traveling at times from my own country to foreign parts was from no other cause than the desire to perform uses and to disclose the arcana given to me. For the rest, I possess means that are sufficient and neither seek nor desire more.

I have been led by your letter to mention the above particulars in order that-as you put it-prejudices wrongly received may be removed.

Farewell, and from my heart I wish you happiness in this world and in the world to come; nor do I doubt but that you will obtain it, if you look to our Lord and pray to Him. London, August 5, 1769.

Eman. Swedenborg

* Linkoping is the episcopal seat in East Gotland.