784、至于他们用来获利的特许，其形式是各种各样的。有些特许涉及法律禁止范围内的婚姻缔结；有些特许涉及离婚；有些特许涉及邪恶，甚至大恶，以及当时免除世俗的惩罚；通过赎罪券也有特许；有些特许涉及在未经世俗统治者授权的情况下的行政管理权；其中还包括对公爵的爵位和公国的确认；更不用说他们通过向那些充实修道院、扩充其宝库的人承诺天堂的喜乐，称他们的礼物是神圣而有功德的善行本身而获利。他们通过让这些人深信圣徒的权柄和帮助，以及他们所行的神迹而诱使他们如此行。尤其是，当富人生病时，他们就暗算他们，那时还灌输地狱的恐怖，从而通过承诺照着他们遗赠财物的价值为他们的灵魂举行弥撒，由此逐渐从他们称之为炼狱的折磨之地解脱出来，从而获准进入天堂来勒索他们。
关于炼狱。我可以断言，炼狱纯粹是巴比伦为了物质利益而虚构的，既不存在，也不可能存在。每个人死后首先进入灵人界，灵人界在天堂与地狱的中间；在那里，各人照着他在世上的生活要么为天堂，要么为地狱做准备。在灵人界，没有人会受到任何折磨；不过，恶人在做好准备后进入地狱时，首先进入折磨。灵人界有无数社群，其中的喜乐与地上的很相似，因为那里的居民与地上的人结合，后者也在天堂与地狱中间。在灵人界，他们的外在会逐渐脱去，他们的内在因此被打开；这个过程会持续到主导爱显露出来，事实上，主导爱是生命之爱，是至内在的，也是掌控他们外在的爱；当这爱被揭示出来时，人的真实品质就变得显而易见了；按照这爱的品质，他从灵人界被送往他自己的地方：若为良善，就被送往天堂；若为邪恶，就被送往地狱。情况就是这样，我得以确切地知道这一点，因为主恩准我与那些在灵人界里的人在一起，看到这一切，从而通过亲身经历把它讲述出来；到现在这已经持续了二十年了。因此，我可以断言，炼狱是可称之为恶魔般的虚构，因为它是为了利益，为了掌控灵魂的权力，甚至掌控死后的死者灵魂的权力而编造的。
784. As regards the dispensations by which they profit, these are of various kinds. Some dispensations have to do with the contracting of matrimony within degrees of relationship prohibited by law. Some have to do with divorces; some with evils, even heinous ones, and freedom then from temporal penalties, as may be granted also by indulgences. Some dispensations have to do with the governmental appointments of secular candidates without any power or authority. Among these are also the confirmations of duchies and principalities. Moreover, they profit by promises of heavenly joys made to those who enrich monasteries and swell their treasuries, calling their gifts "good works," in themselves sacred, and also merits. They induce them to do this by impressing on them a belief in the power and assistance of their saints, and in the miracles done by them.
Especially do they plot against the wealthy when they are ill, and they also inspire in them then a terror of hell and so extort legacies from them, promising sacrifices of the mass for their souls according to the value of their bequest, and thereby a gradual delivery from the place of torment they call purgatory so as to enter into heaven.
[2] As regards purgatory, I can assert that it is nothing but a Roman Catholic fiction invented for the sake of material gains, and that it neither exists nor can exist.
Every person comes first after death into the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and there he is prepared either for heaven or for hell, each according to his life in the world. Moreover, no one suffers any torment in that world, but an evil person first meets with torment when, after being prepared, he enters hell.
The world of spirits contains countless societies, and found in them are joys like those on earth, because the inhabitants there are associated with people on earth, who also are in between heaven and hell. In the world of spirits their outward facades are gradually stripped away and their inner characters thus exposed, and this until their reigning love is revealed, which, being their life's love, is the inmost one and predominant over more external ones. When this is revealed, the person's real character becomes apparent, and he is sent according to the character of that love from the world of spirits to his own place, a good person to a place in heaven, and an evil one to a place in hell.
The reality of this I have been given to know for certain, because the Lord has granted me to be with people in that world and to see everything, and thus to report it from personal experience, and this for twenty years now.
Consequently I can assert that purgatory is a fiction, which may be called a diabolical one, because it was invented for the sake of material gains, and for the sake of power over souls, even those of the deceased, after death.
784. As regards the dispensations by which they make gain there are various forms: There are dispensations respecting marriages contracted within the degrees prohibited by law; respecting divorce; respecting evils, even enormous ones, and release at the time from temporal penalties. Then also by means of indulgences there are dispensations respecting official services without any legal sanction or authority of the secular powers; among which are also confirmations of dukedoms and principalities; not to mention by means of the promises of heavenly joys made to those who enrich monasteries and augment their treasuries, by calling their gifts good works in themselves holy and also meritorious. They are led to these by an impressed faith concerning the authority and might of the saints and the miracles done by them. Especially do they lie in wait for the rich when they are sick, and then also infuse a terror of hell and so make extortions by promising the sacrifice of the Mass for their souls in accordance with the value of the legacy, and a gradual delivery thereby from the place of torment which they call Purgatory, and thus admission into heaven.
[2] As regards Purgatory, I can firmly assert that it is purely a Babylonish fiction for the sake of profits, and that it does not and cannot exist. Every man after death first comes into the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and is there prepared either for heaven or for hell, each one in accordance with his life in the world. And in that world no one has torment, but then the evil first come into torment when after preparation they come into hell. In that world there are innumerable societies, the joys in them being similar to those on earth. This is because those who are there are conjoined with men on earth, who also are in the midst between heaven and hell. Their externals are put off gradually, and so the internals are opened. And this takes place until the ruling love is revealed because this is the life's love and is inmost and dominant over the externals. From this revelation it is plain what the man is like; and in accordance with the quality of that love he is sent forth out of the world of spirits to his own place, if good in heaven and if evil in hell. That such is the case it has been given to know for certain because it has been granted to me by the Lord to be together with those who are in that world and to see all, and thus to relate it from actual experience, and this now for twenty years. Therefore I can firmly assert that Purgatory is a fiction which can be called diabolical, because it is for the sake of the profits and the authority over souls, even of the deceased after death.
784. As regards the dispensations by which they make gain, they are various. There are dispensations in regard to contracting matrimony within the degrees prohibited by the laws; relating to divorces; relating to evils, even enormous ones, and then liberation from temporal punishments; then also by indulgences; dispensations relating to administrations without any power or authority of the secular rulers; among which also are confirmations of dukedoms and principalities; likewise by promises of heavenly joys made to those who enrich monasteries, and augment their treasuries, calling their gifts good works, in themselves holy, as also merits; to which they are led by the belief impressed concerning the power and help of their saints, and in the miracles performed by them. Especially do they plot against the rich when they are sick, and likewise infuse at that time a terror of hell, and so extort from them; promising the sacrifice of the mass for their souls according to the value of their legacy, and a gradual delivery thereby from the place of torment, which they call purgatory, and thus admission into heaven.
[2] As regards purgatory, I can aver that it is purely a Babylonish fiction for the sake of gains, and that it neither does nor can exist. Every man after death first comes into the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and is there prepared either for heaven or for hell, everyone according to his life in the world; and in that world no one has torment; but the evil first come into torment, when after preparation they come into hell. There are innumerable societies in that world, and joys in them similar to those on earth, for the reason that they who are there are conjoined with men on the earth, who are also in the midst between heaven and hell. Their externals are there successively put off, and thus their internals are opened; and this until the ruling love, which is indeed the life's love, and the inmost, and the one that governs their externals, is revealed; and when this is revealed, the man's real quality appears; and according to the quality of that love, he is sent forth from the world of spirits to his place, if good into heaven, and if evil, into hell. That it is so has been given to me to know of a certainty, because it has been granted to me by the Lord to be together with those who are in that world, and to see all things, and thus to relate it from experience itself; and this now for twenty years. Therefore I can assert that purgatory is a fiction, which may be called diabolical; because it is for the sake of gains, and for the sake of power over souls, even of the deceased, after death.
784. Quod attinet dispensationes per quas lucrantur, sunt illae variae. Sunt dispensationes circa matrimonia intra gradus in legibus prohibitos contrahenda: circa divortia: circa mala, etiam enormia, et tunc liberationem a poenis temporalibus: tum etiam per indulgentias: dispensationes circa ministeria absque ulla potestate aut auctoritate saecularium; inter quae etiam sunt confirmationes ducatuum et principatuum: praeterea per promissiones gaudiorum caelestium factas illis qui ditant monasteria, et thesauraria illorum augent, vocando dona illorum bona opera, in se sancta, ut et merita; ad quae adducuntur per impressam fidem de potestate et ope Sanctorum suorum, et de miraculis ab illis factis: imprimis insidiantur divitibus cum aegrotant, et quoque tunc infundunt terrorem pro Inferno, et sic extorquent; promittendo sacrificia Missae pro animabus eorum secundum valorem testati, et per illa successivam exemptionem e loco cruciatus quem vocant Purgatorium, et sic intromissionem in Caelum. Quod Purgatorium attinet, asseverare possum quod sit pure figmentum Babylonicum propter lucrationes, et quod non detur nec dari possit. Omnis homo post mortem primum venit in Mundum spirituum, qui est medius inter Caelum et Infernum, et ibi praeparatur vel ad Caelum vel ad Infernum, quisque secundum vitam suam in mundo; et in illo mundo non est alicui cruciatus, sed malus tunc primum in cruciatum venit, quando post praeparationem in Infernum. Sunt in illo mundo innumerae societates, in illis gaudia similia quae in terris; ex causa quia illi, qui ibi, conjuncti sunt hominibus in terris, qui etiam in medio inter Caelum et Infernum sunt. Externa illorum ibi successive exuuntur, ac sic interna aperiuntur, et hoc usque dum amor regnans, qui quia amor vitae est, ac intimus et dominans super externa, revelatur; quo revelato patet qualis homo est; et secundum quale illius amoris emittitur e Mundo spirituum ad locum suum, si bonus in Caelo, et si malus in Inferno. Quod ita sit, datum est pro certo scire, quia a Domino datum est mihi una cum illis esse qui in illo mundo sunt, ac videre omnia, et sic ab ipsa experientia id referre, et hoc nunc per viginti annos; quare asseverare possum quod Purgatorium sit figmentum, quod vocari potest diabolicum, quia propter lucrationes, et propter potestatem super animas, etiam defunctorum, post mortem.