49、荷兰人比其他人更坚守自己的宗教原则，不会动摇。即便有人向他们证明这个或那个教义与他们所信的其它东西不一致，他们仍转回去，并且无动于衷。如此他们也从对真理的内观中退出，因为在属灵的问题上，他们使自己的理性官能严格服从他们所信的。他们因具有这种性质，故当死后来到灵人界时，以完全不同于其他人的方式预备接受天堂的属灵教导，也就是神性真理。之所以不教导他们，是因为他们不接受教导。相反，他们会有这样的经历：他们被给予一段天堂样貌的描述，然后被允许上天堂亲自参观。那时，凡与他们自己的性情一致的东西就都被灌输给他们；因此，当他们被送下来，回到自己的同伴当中时，便充满了对天堂的渴望。
例如，假如他们不接受这一真理：神在位格和本质上都为一，祂就是主，三位一体在祂里面；又假如他们不接受这一真理：信与仁即便被承认并成为谈论的主题，也毫无用处，除非人们实实在在地活出它们；当我们避恶如罪时，主就把信与仁赐给我们；如果他们被教导这些真理后却不接受，反而继续思想神是三个位格，认为宗教只不过是某种存在的东西，那么他们就会陷入贫困，他们的贸易也被剥夺，直到他们意识到，他们陷入了极端的困境。这时，他们被带到一些富有一切，生意兴隆的人那里；同时，在天堂的影响下，他们开始思想为何这些人如此成功，并反思他们对主的信仰如何，又是如何生活的。他们尤其注意到这些人厌恶邪恶，因为它们是罪。他们甚至对此作出了一些调查，他们所获得的信息证实了他们的想法和反思。他们就这样在自己的生活和成功人士的生活之间来来回回。最终，他们自发认为，他们若想摆脱贫困，就要接受类似的信仰，并像这些人那样生活。然后，他们就照着接受这种信仰并过仁爱生活的程度而被赐予财富和愉快的生活。
那些在世时过着含有某种仁爱的生活之人便以这种方式被自己，而非其他人纠正，并为天堂作准备。后来，他们比其他人更坚定，以至于可称作坚定不移的典范；他们不允许自己被诡辩或任何误导性的见解所制造的任何推理、谬误、混乱或模糊左右，无论有多少论据支持它。
49. The Dutch hold more firmly to their religious principles than others do. They will not be moved. If someone proves to them that this or that teaching is out of step with the other things they believe, they still will not accept it. They turn away and remain fixed in the position they had held before. They also avoid undertaking any investigation of inner truth; on spiritual matters they keep their rational faculty strictly obedient [to what they already believe].
Since this is their nature, when they come into the world of spirits after death they are brought to accept spiritual teachings from heaven, which are divine truths, in a completely different way than others are. They are not taught them, since they are not receptive. Instead, this is what they go through: They are offered descriptions of what heaven is like, and then are granted the opportunity to go up to heaven and see it for themselves. Then anything [there] that is in harmony with their own disposition is instilled into them and they are brought back down to their own people, full of a longing for heaven.
[2] For example, suppose that they do not accept the truth that God is one in person and in essence, that that God is the Lord, and that the Trinity is within him. Suppose, too, that they do not accept the truth that faith and caring, even if they are acknowledged and made the subject of conversation, do not accomplish anything unless people actually live them, and that faith and caring are given by the Lord when we turn our backs on evil deeds because they are sins. If they do not accept these truths when they are taught them and persist instead in thinking of God as three persons and thinking no more of religious practice than that some such thing exists, they are reduced to misery and deprived of their business until they see that they are completely out of options.
Then they are brought to some people who have everything, whose businesses are flourishing. At the same time, under heaven’s influence it occurs to them to think about why these people have this success, and to reflect on what these people believe about the Lord and how they live. They notice in particular that these people turn their backs on evil deeds because they are sins. They even make a few inquiries about it, and what they learn confirms their thinking and reflection.
They then go back and forth, back and forth like this [between their own lives and those of the successful people]. Eventually, they decide of their own accord that if they want to get free of their misery they need to believe and live as these others do. Then they accept this faith and lead this life of caring, and as they do so, they are given wealth and an enjoyable life.
Therefore although they are not open to being corrected by others, in this way the ones who had lived any kind of life of caring in the world can correct themselves and become prepared for heaven.
[3] Thereafter they are more steadfast than other people are, to the point that they could be called embodiments of constancy; they do not allow themselves to be swayed by any faulty rationale, any fallacy, any confusion created by subtly deceptive reasoning, or any misleading insight, no matter how many supporting arguments it might have.
49. The Dutch are more firmly attached than other peoples to their religious principles, and are not to be moved from them. Even if it is proved to them that this or that point is inconsistent, still they do not accept this, but turn back and remain unmoved. So too they draw back from looking inwardly at truth, for they keep their powers of reasoning about spiritual matters under strict control. Being of this nature, on arrival in the spiritual world after death they are not prepared in the same way as others to receive the spirituality of heaven, which is Divine truth. They are not taught, because they are not receptive of teaching; but they are given a description of what heaven is like, and then they are permitted to go up into heaven to view it. Then whatever is in keeping with their character is imparted to them, so that when they are sent back down to their companions they are full of desire for heaven.
[2] If then they do not accept this truth, that God is one in person and in essence, and that He is the Lord and that in Him is the Trinity, as well as this, that it is of no avail to know and talk about faith and charity, unless they are expressed in the life we lead, being given to us by the Lord when we shun evils as sins - if when they are taught such things they turn their backs on them, and continue to think of God as being three persons, and of religion as merely something that exists, they are reduced to poverty and their trade is taken away from them, until they realise they are reduced to extreme straits. Then they are taken to people who have affluent means and a flourishing trade, and there the idea is introduced into their minds from heaven of finding out what is the source of these peoples' prosperity. At the same time they are brought to reflect on what these people believe about the Lord, and how they live loathing evils as sins. Even so they do not sufficiently enquire and perceive how this agrees with their own thoughts and reflexions. These states alternate. Finally they think of their own accord that the way out of their poverty is to adopt similar beliefs and to behave in the same way. Then, depending on the extent to which they receive faith and lead a life of charity, they are given wealth and a pleasant life.
[3] In this manner those who have in the world lived a life containing some charity are corrected by themselves rather than by others, and prepared for heaven. Afterwards they become so much more resolute than others that they can be called models of constancy, nor do they allow themselves to be led astray by any reasoning, fallacy or blurring produced by sophistic arguments, or by mere proofs which result from looking at things the wrong way round.
49. The Dutch adhere more firmly than others to the principles of their religion, nor are they drawn away from them; and if they are convinced that one or another of them is not in agreement, still they do not admit it, but turn themselves back, and remain unmoved. Thus they remove themselves from an interior intuition of truth, for they keep their rational under obedience, in spiritual things. Because they are such, when they enter the spiritual world after death, they are prepared for receiving the spiritual of heaven, which is Divine truth, quite differently from others. They are not taught, because they do not receive; but what heaven is, is described to them, and afterwards it is granted them to ascend there, and to see it; and then whatever agrees with their genius is infused into them, which being done, they are sent down, and return to their companions with a full desire for heaven. If then they do not receive this truth, that God is One in Person and in essence, and that this God is the Lord, and that in Him is the Trinity; and also this truth, that faith and charity as matters of knowledge and discourse, are of no avail apart from the life of faith and charity, and that faith and charity are given by the Lord when evils are shunned as sins; if when they are taught these truths, they turn themselves away, and still think of God as existing in three Persons, and of religion, merely that there is such a thing, they are reduced to misery, and their trade is taken away, until they are brought to the greatest extremities. And they are then led to those who have abundance of everything, and a flourishing trade, and when there, the thought is insinuated into them from heaven, whence it is that they are such, and at the same time to reflect on the faith of these persons concerning the Lord, and upon their life, in that they shun evils as sins. In a little time they make inquiries, and perceive an agreement with their own thought and reflection; this is done repeatedly. At length, they think of themselves, that in order to be relieved from their miseries, they must believe and do the same. Then, as they receive that faith, and live that life of charity, opulence and enjoyment of life are given them. In this manner, those of them who have led anything of a life of charity in the world, are amended by themselves, and not by others, and are prepared for heaven. They afterwards became more constant than others, so that they may be called constancies; and they do not allow themselves to be led away by any reasoning, fallacy, or obscurity brought on by sophistries, or by any preposterous view from confirmations alone.
49. Hollandi principiis suae religionis firmius inhaerent quam alii, nec dimoventur ab illis; et si convincuntur quod hoc aut illud non concors sit, usque non affirmant, sed vertunt se retro, et permanent immoti; ita quoque amovent se ab intuitione veri interiore; rationale enim suum de spiritualibus concludunt sub obedientia. Quia tales sunt, ideo illi post mortem, dum in mundum spiritualem veniunt, prorsus aliter praeparantur ad recipiendum spirituale caeli, quod est Divinum Verum, quam reliqui: non docentur, quia non recipiunt; sed describitur illis caelum, quale est, et dein datur illis ascendere illuc, ac videre illud, et tunc quicquid concordat cum genio illorum infunditur; sic demissi redeunt ad suos cum pleno desiderio caeli. Si tunc non recipiunt hoc verum, quod Deus unus sit persona et essentia, et quod ille Deus sit Dominus, et quod in Ipso sit Trinitas, tum hoc verum, quod fides et charitas cognitione et sermone non faciant quicquam absque vita illarum, et quod illae dentur a Domino dum fugiunt mala ut peccata,- si ad illa, cum docentur, se avertunt, et usque cogitant de Deo, quod sint tres quoad personas, et de religione solum quod sit,- rediguntur in miserias, et aufertur illis negotiatio, usque dum vident se ad incitas redactos; et tunc perducuntur ad illos qui abundant omnibus, et apud quos negotiatio floret, ac ibi insinuatur illis e caelo cogitatio, unde est quod tales sint, et simul reflexio super fidem eorum de Domino, et super vitam eorum, quod aversentur mala ut peccata. Parum etiam inquirunt, et percipiunt concordantiam cum propria cogitatione et reflexione; hoc fit per vices. Tandem ex semet cogitant, quod, ut exeant a miseriis, similiter credendum sit et similiter faciendum. Tunc sicut recipiunt illam fidem et vivunt illam charitatis vitam, datur illis opulentia et jucunditas vitae. Hoc modo illi, qui in mundo aliquam vitam charitatis egerunt, emendantur a se, et non ab aliis, ac praeparantur ad caelum. Hi postea constantiores fiunt aliis, adeo ut dici queant Constantiae, nec se ex aliqua ratiocinatione, fallacia, obscuritate inducta per sophistica, et ex visione praepostera a solis confirmationibus, abduci patiuntur.