2759、在右边，可以说有一股翻滚的波浪从低地涌上来。我被告知，他们是许多来自低层社会的灵人，没有受过教育，但并不邪恶。他们是农民和其他简单人。我与他们交谈，他们说，他们知道主，并把自己交托给祂的名。此外，他们对信及其秘密知之甚少。后来，知道得稍多一些的其他灵人也上来了。我感觉他们心智的内层能被打开，因为在来世，这种可能性能被清楚感知到。他们有良心，这良心传给我，好叫我了解它；并且我被告知，他们过着简单的婚姻之爱的生活。他们说，他们爱自己的配偶，避开通奸。他们以这种方式受良心支配，这一点从以下事实清楚看出来：他们说，他们不能以其它任何方式行事，因为那样做违背他们的意愿。在来世，像这样的人会接受教导，并在爱之良善和信之真理上得以完善，最终被接到天使当中。
序 言
（注：拉丁文第三卷）
那些只停留于字义，不从圣言里解释它的其它经文中寻找内义的人受了何等大的迷惑，从大量异端邪说的存在很清楚地看出来，其中每个异端邪说都从圣言的字义来证明自己的信条。这从疯狂和地狱般的自我之爱和尘世之爱基于主对彼得所说的话而制造的大异端看得尤其清楚：
我告诉你，你是彼得，我要把我的教会建造在这磐石上，地狱的门不能胜过它。我要把天国的钥匙给你，凡你在地上所捆绑的，在天上也要捆绑。凡你在地上所释放的，在天上也要释放。（马太福音16:15-19）
严守字义的人以为这些话是指着彼得这个人说的，如此大的权柄被赐给了他。尽管他们十分清楚，彼得只是一个极为简单的人，从来没有行使过这种权柄，并且行使这种权柄将是对神性的攻击。即便如此，疯狂和地狱般的自我之爱和尘世之爱仍促使他们为自己篡夺地上和天上的这种权柄，让自己成为神。因此，他们根据字义来解释这段经文，并为自己的解释激烈辩护。而事实上，这些话的内义是，拥有这种权柄的，是对主的信本身，然而也不是信，而是作为信之源头的主；对主的信本身只存在于那些处于对主之爱和对邻之仁的人里面。在对“彼得”所说的这些话中，“磐石”表示那信，如在圣言的其它所有地方一样。教会正是建造在那信上，地狱的门不能胜过它。也正是那信拥有天国的钥匙，它关闭天堂，以防止邪恶和虚假进入，并向良善和真理打开天堂。这就是这些话的内义。
十二使徒和以色列的十二支派一样，都只代表这信的各个方面（577，2089，2129，2130e节）。彼得代表信本身，雅各代表仁，约翰代表仁之良善（参看创世记18章序言）。他们的代表类似代表性的犹太和以色列教会中，雅各头三个儿子流便、西缅和利未的代表，这从圣言中的上千处经文清楚看出来。正因彼得代表信，所以上述这些话是对他说的。由此明显可知，那些照字面解释一切的人把自己和同他们在一起的其他人拽入何等的黑暗，如那些如此解释对彼得所说的这些话，利用它们从主那里夺走拯救人类的权柄，并为自己篡夺它的人所行的。
Potts(1905-1910) 2759
2759. On the right side there rose up from the lower earth as it were a roll; and it was said that they were many spirits from the lower class of people, untaught but not depraved. They were peasants and other simple people. I spoke with them, and they said that they know the Lord, to whose name they commend themselves. Further than this they knew little of faith and its mysteries. Afterwards others rose up who knew some little more. It was perceived that their interiors were capable of being opened; for in the other life this can be manifestly perceived. They had conscience, which was communicated to me, that I might know it; and it was said that they lived in conjugial love in simplicity. They said that they loved their consorts and abstained from adulteries. That this was from conscience was evident from their saying that they could not do otherwise, because it was contrary to their will. Such persons are instructed in the other life and are perfected in the good of love and truth of faith, and are at length received among the angels.
Preface [to volume 3 of the original Latin]
How greatly they are deluded who remain in the sense of the letter alone, and do not search out the internal sense from other passages in the Word in which it is explained, is very evident from the many heresies, every one of which proves its dogmas from the literal sense of the Word; especially is this manifest from that great heresy which the insane and infernal love of self and the world has drawn from the Lord's words to Peter:
I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth shall be loosed in the heavens (Matt. 16:15-19). [2] They who press the sense of the letter think that these things were said of Peter, and that power so great was given him; although they are fully aware that Peter was a very simple man, and that he by no means exercised such power; and that to exercise it is contrary to the Divine. Nevertheless, as owing to the insane and infernal love of self and the world they desire to arrogate to themselves the highest power on earth and in heaven, and to make themselves gods, they explain this according to the letter, and vehemently defend it; whereas the internal sense of these words is, that Faith itself in the Lord, which exists solely with those who are in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor, has that power; and yet not faith, but the Lord from whom faith is. By "Peter" there is meant that faith, as everywhere else in the Word. Upon this is the Church built, and against it the gates of hell do not prevail. This faith has the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and it shuts heaven lest evils and falsities should enter in, and opens heaven for goods and truths. This is the internal sense of these words. [3] The twelve apostles, like the twelve tribes of Israel, represented nothing else than all the things of such faith (n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130 at the end). Peter represented faith itself, James charity, and John the goods of charity (see the preface to Genesis 18); in like manner as did Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, the firstborn sons of Jacob, in the representative Jewish and Israelitish Church, which is plain from a thousand passages in the Word. And as Peter represented faith, the words in question were said to him. From this it is manifest into what darkness those cast themselves, and others with them, who explain all things according to the letter; as those who so explain these words to Peter, by which they derogate from the Lord and arrogate to themselves the power of saving the human race.
Elliott(1983-1999) 2759
2759. Over on the right side there came up out of the lower earth what looked like a rolling wave. I was told that it consisted of many spirits from the lower levels of society who were uneducated but not wicked. They were peasants and other simple people. I spoke to them, and they said that they knew the Lord to whose name they entrusted themselves. Beyond this their knowledge of faith and its mysteries was small. Others subsequently came up who knew somewhat more. I perceived that the interior parts of their minds were capable of being opened, for in the next life such possibilities may be perceived quite plainly. They possessed a conscience, which was communicated to me so that I might know of it, and I was told that they had lived in conjugial love in simplicity. They said that they loved their married partners and refrained from adultery of any kind. That in this way they were governed by conscience was clear from the fact that they said they were unable to behave in any other way since to do so was against their will. Such persons receive instruction in the next life and are perfected in the good of love and in the truth of faith; and at length they are received among the angels.
PREFACEa
How deluded those people are who confine themselves to the sense of the letter and do not look for the internal sense in other places where this is explained in the Word becomes quite clear from the great number of heresies there are, each one of which confirms its own doctrinal position from the literal sense of the Word. It is particularly clear from that great heresy which insane and hellish self-love and love of the world have made out of the Lord's words to Peter,
I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matt 16: 15-19.
[2] People who keep rigidly to the sense of the letter imagine that these words refer to the man Peter and that such great power was given to him. Although they know that Peter was just an ordinary simple human being who by no means exercised such power, and that the exercise of that power is contrary to the Divine, they nevertheless adopt and stoutly defend a literal interpretation of what the Lord said, because of the insane and hellish self-love and love of the world which fill them with the desire to arrogate such power to themselves on earth and in heaven and to make gods of themselves. But the internal sense of those words is that faith itself in the Lord, which exists solely with those in whom love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are present, possesses that power, yet not faith but the Lord, the Source of faith. In the words addressed to Peter 'rock' is used to mean that faith, as it is everywhere else in the Word. It is on this faith that the Church is built, and against this faith that the gates of hell do not prevail. It is that faith also which holds the keys of the kingdom of heaven, for that faith closes heaven to prevent evils and falsities entering in, and it opens heaven to goods and truths. This is the internal sense of these words.
[3] Like the twelve tribes of Israel the twelve apostles represented nothing else than all aspects of such faith, 577, 2089, 2129, 2130 (end). Peter represented faith itself, James charity, and John the good works that flow from charity - see the Preface to Gen. 18 - as in a similar way did Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, Jacob's three eldest sons, in the Jewish and
Israelitish representative Church, a point that is clear from a thousand places in the Word. And it was because Peter represented faith that those words were addressed to him. From all these considerations one may recognize what darkness it is into which people plunge themselves, and others with them, who explain everything literally, as they do who, taking literally the words addressed to Peter, use them to take the power of saving the human race away from the Lord and arrogate it to themselves.
Latin(1748-1756) 2759
2759. {1} Ad latus dextrum e terra inferiore exsurgebat quasi volumen; dicebatur quod essent spiritus multi ex plebe indocta, non prava; fuerunt rustici et alii simplices; locutus cum iis; dicebant quod sciant Dominum, cujus nomini se commendant; praeterea parum noverunt de fide et ejus mysteriis; a postea exsurgebant, qui aliquantisper plus sciebant; quod interiora eorum potuissent aperiri, perceptum est, hoc enim in altera vita manifeste percipi potest; conscientiam habuerunt, quae mecum communicata, ut scirem, dictum quod in amore conjugiali simpliciter vixerint, dicebant quod conjuge amaverint, et ab adulteriis abstinuerint, quod haec ex conscientia, constabat eo quod dicerent se non aliter potuisse quia contra eorum voluntatem: tales informantur in altera vita, et perficiuntur in bono amoris et vero fidei; et denique recipiuntur inter angelos. @1 n. 2758 and 2579 were written and numbered in reverse order, but directions are inserted for their transposition.$