784.至于他们用来获利的特许，其形式五花八门。有些特许涉及法律禁止范围内的婚约；有的涉及离婚；有的涉及邪恶，甚至大恶，同时免于世间刑罚；也通过纵容获利；有些特许涉及没有世俗权力的任何准许或权能的公务；其中还包括对爵位和公国的确认；更不用说他们通过向那些增添修道院财富、扩充其宝库的人许以天堂喜乐，称他们的奉献为善工，本身是神圣的，也是有功德的而获利；他们通过对于圣徒的能力和帮助，及其所行神迹的深刻信仰引诱人们。尤其是，他们阴谋暗算患病的富人，向他们灌输地狱的恐怖，通过许诺照着遗赠财物的价值为他们的灵魂举行弥撒，由此从他们称之为“炼狱”的受苦之地逐渐释放出来，从而获准去往天堂而敲诈他们。
关于炼狱。我可以肯定地说，炼狱纯粹是巴比伦旨在谋利的捏造，根本不存在，也不可能存在。每个人死后首先进入天堂与地狱之间的灵人界，在那里各自照着在世时的生活要么为天堂，要么为地狱做预备。在灵人界，没有人遭受折磨；不过，恶人在预备之后进入地狱时就会逐渐受苦。灵人界有无数社群，其中的欢乐与世上的一样。这是因为那里的居民都与世人联结，世人也在天堂与地狱之间。他们的外在逐渐脱去，因而内在被打开。这个过程会持续到主导爱显露出来，因为主导爱是生命之爱，是至内在的，并掌控外在。从这种显露明显可知此人的性质；于是，他照着主导爱的性质从灵人界被送往他自己的地方：若为善，便在天堂；若为恶，便在地狱。此事千真万确，我得以确切地知道这一点，因为主恩准我与灵人界的居民在一起，看到这一切，从而通过亲身经历把它讲述出来，这种情形如今已持续了二十年。所以，我可以肯定地说，炼狱就是一个可称为属恶魔的捏造，是为了谋利，为了掌控灵魂，甚至掌控死后的死者。
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.