However, perhaps I am wrong; possibly the material absurdities with which his works are strewn have spiritual significations.
Otherwise, how shall we account for the growing influence of his religion?
His church numbers to-day more than seven hundred thousand believers,--as many in the United States of America as in England, where there are seven thousand Swedenborgians in the city of Manchester alone.
Many men of high rank in knowledge and in social position in Germany, in Prussia, and in the Northern kingdoms have publicly adopted the beliefs of Swedenborg; which, I may remark, are more comforting than those of all other Christian communions.

I wish I had the power to explain to you clearly in succinct language the leading points of the doctrine on which Swedenborg founded his church; but I fear such a summary, made from recollection, would be necessarily defective.

I shall, therefore, allow myself to speak only of those 'Arcana' which concern the birth of Seraphita." Here Monsieur Becker paused, as though composing his mind to gather up his ideas.

Presently he continued, as follows:-- "After establishing mathematically that man lives eternally in spheres of either a lower or a higher grade, Swedenborg applies the term 'Spiritual Angels' to beings who in this world are prepared for heaven, where they become angels.

According to him, God has not created angels; none exist who have not been men upon the earth.