Emanuel Swedenborg, den store andeskådaren från 1700-talet, anses av många ortodoxa swedenborgare ha lärt ut evig förtappelse för de förlorade, och vissa ting i hans skrifter antyder att han vid någon tidpunkt trodde så. Men i en av hans stora andliga dagbok, går det inte att ta miste på att han trodde på allas slutliga frälsning. Beviset är framlagt i den lilla skriften "Emanuel Swedenborg's new year gift to his readers for 1791", från 1791, efter Swedenborgs död, som är en slags tidig spiritistisk skrift som vill bevisa att Swedenborg var universalist (trodde på allas slutliga frälsning).
Skriften anför följande texter ur "Spiritual Diary
" (paragraferna 2825-2827, som också kan läsas på
denna sajt, där kan du kontrollera att uppgifterna stämmer):
2825.
When the veil is thus formed into such a sphere then another near him, a little more remote [longius], snatches hence the sphere of the veil, revolves himself in a contrary direction so that that veil is unwound and so lessened, but is continued quite a long time from the circumference to the central place where he [is], and when he comes near him he falls downwards, yea into a lake, black [and] very filthy, and there remains until liberated thence by the Lord: the water is so filthily black that it can scarcely be described. Such falls frequently occur: for thus heaven is freed from falsities; but when they have been instructed in the world of spirits, and so [become] better, they are again received. This happened at a distance to the front, and many falls of others also [were] seen.
2826.
There was speech in heaven concerning hell and the various punishments and vastations there, and there was [one] who supposed for certain that infernal punishments would last to eternity, and that their end can never be given, still less redemption from hell by the Lord: to whom it was nevertheless shown that never can any punishment be given in the other life except for an end, still less can it be thought that any punishment is given without an end, to wit, that by punishment and torments he may be tempered so as to be able to be in some good society. In the Lord nothing is given unless an end to good: The divine Itself and Divine Wisdom is the [an] end of good or to good: therefore it would be contrary to Divine wisdom or contrary to the Divine that a soul should be tormented to eternity without an [the] end of good: which is explained by the rule known in the world,
2827.
the greatest justice would be injustice. Man has deserved this, and such is man, wherefore eternity is preached: but the intercession of the Lord or the redemption of the Lord intervenes and liberates or takes away from hell; for if [punished] to eternity there is no man who is not liable to eternal damnation, because in no one is there anything but mere evil: therefore everyone is damned [condemned], but is rescued by the Lord. That spirit with me has been rescued [taken] from the black lake, and I perceive that something false inheres, wherefrom he is nevertheless liberated by divine means, for the societies of heaven possess from the Lord their desire to lose no one, for they reject no one, but he rejects himself, and thus it is with his phantasy. - 1748, August 14.
I skriften "Emanuel Swedenborg's new year gift to his readers 1791" är paragraf 2827 mera omfattande (jag vet inte varför), och lyder så (jag tror texterna inom parentes är författarens tillägg):
"2827. The most exalted justice would be injustice: man deserves this, (namely, eternal punishment) for such is man's nature; wherefore the word eternal or eternity is predicated; but the intercession of the Lord, or the Lord's redemption intervenes, and free: or delivers the soulfrom hell; for if (it stayed there) to eternity, there is not one man, who is not obnoxious to eternal damnation, because in every one there is nothing but mere evil; consequently every one is damned, but by the Lord he is delivered or taken out of hell. The above spirit taken up out of the black pool is now with me and I perceive that some false is inherent in him; from which, however, he is now delivered by divine means: for (mind well this, O 'all ye Readers, in whatever city, place, or corner of this island ye may dwell, who wish to be, or to pass for, or who call yourselves already, the New Church of God, or God's New People, or his New Jerusalem Church, or new, or true Christians, &e. &c.) Heaven's societies have this from the Lord, that they will lose none of their members; (no, no, men and brethren, they never will send there any letter of exclusion or dismiffion from among them to any of their fellow members, as did not many years ago a certain society, not one hundred miles distant from the monument, to some of its dissentient members, for no other reason than because they were a few degrees deeper grounded in the Truth than the rest) ; for they in Heaven reject none, (hearest thou this, O Rome, neither Heaven, nor the Lord's True Church on earth ever did, or ever shall pronounce, as thou hast so often foolishly done, anathema, marathema against any of her God's creatures ; mind well this also, O all ye other churches and congregations of believers over the whole face of this sinful world) they reject none, I say: but it is the member that rejects himself of his own accord, and this is an effect of his own fancy that is so constituted. This I saw on the I4th of August, 1748."
Nämnas bör också att Swedenborg uttrycker sig universalistiskt i en annan skrift, nämligen "Änglavisheten om den gudomliga försynen" från 1764, en av de senare böcker han skrev.
