340、⑷出于直接怜悯、无需方法的瞬间得救就是教会中“会飞的大火蛇”。“会飞的大火蛇”表示从地狱之火发出的邪恶，与以赛亚书中所提到的“会飞的大火蛇”意思是一样的：
全非利士啊，不要因击打你的仗折断就喜乐。因为从大蛇的根，必生出一条蛇。他的果子，是会飞的大火蛇。（以赛亚书14:29）
当教会相信出于直接怜悯、无需方法的瞬间得救时，这种邪恶就在教会飞行；因为这种信念：①导致宗教被废除，②使得人们感觉安然无虞，③将诅咒归因于主。
①它导致宗教被废除。有两样事物在宗教中是必不可少，且是无所不在的，即：对神的承认和悔改。对那些相信人们唯信得救，或说出于纯粹的怜悯得救，无论他们过着怎样生活之人来说，这两者没有任何意义，完全是虚无。因为除了说“神啊，求你怜悯我吧”之外，还需要什么呢？当涉及与宗教有关的其它一切时，这些人就陷入黑暗，他们甚至喜欢这黑暗。论到教会的第一要素，就是对神的承认，他们只是想：“什么是神？谁曾见过祂？”如果你说有一位神，祂为一，他们会说，祂为一；如果你说有三位，那么他们就会说有三位，但这三位要被称为“一位”。这就是他们对神的承认。
论到教会的第二要素，就是悔改，这些人就不想它了。这意味着他们不思想任何罪，最终不知道还有罪这回事。他们听见下面的说法就欢然接受：律法不定他们的罪，因为基督徒不受律法的束缚；你只要说：“神啊，求你为了你儿子的缘故怜悯我吧”，就会得救。对他们来说，这就是悔改的生活。然而，若拿走悔改，或也可说，把生活与宗教分离，那么，除了“怜悯我吧”这个词语外还剩下什么呢？这就是为何他们只会说，就在说这句话的那一刻，拯救就发生了；即便以前没有发生，也会在临终那一刻发生。那么，对他们来说，圣言不就是从山洞里的三脚架发出的晦涩难懂的神秘信息，或来自某个偶像神谕的一个不知所云的回复吗？简言之，若拿走悔改，也就是把生活与宗教分离，人不就是从地狱之火发出的邪恶，或教会中会飞的大火蛇吗？因为没有悔改，人就陷在邪恶之中，而邪恶就是地狱。
②相信出于纯粹怜悯的瞬间得救使得人们感觉他们的生活是安然无虞的。生活安然无虞的感觉要么来自无宗教信仰之人的信念，即死后的生命是不存在的，要么来自将生活与得救分离之人的信念。后者虽信永生，但仍思想：“无论生活良善还是邪恶，我都能得救，因为得救就是纯粹的怜悯；神的怜悯是普世的，因为祂不愿一人死亡。”他们若想到他们需要以赞成信的话语来祈求怜悯，可能会想，即便以前没有做到这一点，在临死的那一刻仍能做到。凡活在这种安全感中的人都不将奸淫、欺诈、不义、暴行、亵渎和报复当回事，而是放开控制，让身体和灵魂纵行于这些罪恶。他们也不知道什么叫属灵的邪恶及其欲望。即便他们从圣言有所听闻，也不过像某种东西敲在乌木上又反弹回去，或像某种东西掉进沟里被吞没。
③因着这种信念，诅咒被归因于主。当主出于纯粹的怜悯能够拯救每个人时，谁不能得出这样的结论：如果人没有得救，该负责任的不是人而是主呢？如果你说，信是得救的方法，那么有谁不能被赋予这信呢？因为这无非是一个想法，无论人的灵什么时候从世俗中退出，这种想法都能被注入，甚至与信心一起被注入。有人也许会说，人不能凭自己获得这信；因此，如果某种东西没有被赐下，某人受到诅咒，那么被诅咒的人岂不认为主应该对此负责吗？因为祂能够拯救，却不想拯救。这岂不是说祂无情吗？此外，受到诅咒的人因这信发热会说：“为什么我们会看见这么多人在地狱受到诅咒，主不是能出于纯粹的怜悯在一瞬间把他们都拯救出来吗？”此外还有其它类似的话，这些话只能被称为对神性的可憎指控。由此可见，出于纯粹怜悯的瞬间得救的信念就是教会中“会飞的大火蛇”。
请原谅我补充以下内容来填充剩下的篇幅。一些灵人经允许从地狱上来，与我对话：
“你已经写了主赐给你的许多话，也写写来自我们的东西吧。”
“我该写什么呢？”
“就写每个灵人，无论善恶，都有自己的快乐；善灵有自己的良善快乐，恶灵有自己的邪恶快乐。”
“你们的快乐是什么？”
“就是奸淫、偷盗、欺诈和说谎的快乐。”
“这些快乐像什么呢？”
“别人觉得它们就像粪便的恶臭，尸体的腐臭和陈尿的馊臭。”
“你们觉得它们令人愉悦吗？”
“是最令人快乐的。”
“那么你们就像生活在这类东西中的肮脏动物。”
“是就是吧；不过，对我们的鼻孔来说，这些东西是芬芳怡人的。”
“你们还想让我写什么？”
“就写这一点：每个人都被允许活在自己的快乐中，无论它们有多么污秽，如有些人所说的，只要他不去骚扰善灵和天使。但我们忍不住去骚扰他们，所以就被赶走并扔进地狱，我们在那里痛苦不堪。”
“你们为什么骚扰善灵？”
“我们忍不住，当我们看见天使，感觉到围绕他的神性气场时，就好像有一种狂怒临到我们。”
“这使得你们像野兽。”
一听见这句话，一种看似仇恨之火的狂怒就临到他们；为防止他们造成伤害，他们被带回地狱。关于快乐如何在灵界被感知为气味和臭味，可参看前文（303-305，324节）。（本书完）
340. (4) Instantaneous salvation out of mercy apart from means is the "fiery flying serpent" 1in the church. By "fiery flying serpent" we mean evil glowing with a hellish fire, the same as is meant by the fiery flying serpent in Isaiah:
Do not rejoice, all Philistia, that the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent's root will come forth a basilisk, 2whose fruit will be a fiery flying serpent. (Isaiah 14:29)
Such an evil flies about in the church when it believes in instantaneous salvation out of mercy apart from means. For it 1) abolishes religion, 2) induces a lack of concern, and 3) imputes damnation to the Lord.
[2] As regards the FIRST, that it abolishes religion: Religion has two essential and at the same time universal elements: acknowledgment of God and repentance. These two are pointless to people who believe they are saved out of mercy alone, no matter how they live; for what more do they need to do than cry, "Have mercy on me, O God!" As to everything else having to do with religion they are in a state of darkness. Indeed, they love the darkness.
With respect to the first essential element of the church, which is an acknowledgment of God, they think simply, "What is God? Who has seen Him?" If told that He exists and that He is one, they agree that He is one. If told that He is three, they agree with that, too, but say that the three must be called one. This is their acknowledgment of God.
[3] To the second essential element of the church, which is repentance, they give no thought. Consequently neither do they give thought to any sin, and at last they do not know that anything is a sin. They also then hear and take in with pleasure the idea that the law does not condemn, because a Christian is not under its yoke. They think, "If you simply cry, 'Have mercy on me, O God, for the sake of the Son!' you will be saved." This is the repentance of life practiced by them.
Take away repentance, however, or what is the same thing, divorce life from religion, and what remains but the phrase, "Have mercy on me!"? As a consequence they cannot help but say that salvation is instantaneous upon the saying of these words, and if not before, still during the hour of death.
What then is the Word to them but a cryptic and enigmatic voice issuing from a tripod in a cave, 3or a seeming reply not understood 4from the oracle of an idol?
In a word, if you do away with repentance, which is to say, if you divorce life from religion, what then is a person but an embodiment of evil glowing with hellish fire, or a fiery flying serpent in the church? For without repentance a person is impelled by evil, and evil is hell.
[4] SECOND, that a belief in instantaneous salvation out of pure mercy alone induces a lack of concern over one's life: A lack of concern over one's life arises either from the belief of the impious person that there is no life after death or from the belief of one who separates life from salvation. Even if the latter were to believe in eternal life, still he thinks, "Whether I live rightly or evilly, I can be saved, since salvation comes of pure mercy, and God's mercy is universal, as He does not wish anyone's death." And if perchance the thought occurs to him that mercy must be implored in the words of the accepted faith, he may think that he can do this, if not sooner, still before he dies.
Everyone who has this lack of concern makes adulterous affairs, swindles, injustices, deeds of violence, blasphemies, and acts of vengeance to be of no consequence, but gives rein to his flesh and his spirit in regard to them all. Nor does he know what spiritual evil is or a lust for it. If he hears something about it from the Word, it is to him comparatively like something that falls on ebony and rebounds, or like something that falls into a ditch and is swallowed up.
[5] THIRD, that such a belief imputes damnation to the Lord: If the Lord can save everyone out of pure mercy, who cannot conclude that not the person but the Lord is to blame if he is not saved?
If he is told that faith is the means of salvation, he replies, "But who is the person that cannot be given that faith? For it is simply thought, which can be infused in any state of the spirit withdrawn from worldly concerns, even with a feeling of confidence."
Moreover, the same person may also say, "I cannot acquire that faith on my own." If it is not imparted, then, and a person is damned, what else can the damned person think but that the Lord, who could have imparted it and failed to, is to blame. Would this not be to call Him merciless? And furthermore, in the wrath of his persuasion, may the person not say, "How can He look upon so many damned persons in hell, when He could save them all in an instant out of pure mercy?" And other like things, which can only be called heinous accusations against the Divine.
It can now be seen from this that a belief in instantaneous salvation out of pure mercy is the "fiery flying serpent" in the church.
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[6] Pardon the addition of the following to fill the remainder of the sheet:
Some spirits by permission ascended from hell and said to me, "You have written much from the Lord. Write something from us as well."
"What shall I write?" I replied.
"Write," they said, "that every spirit, whether good or evil, is in the enjoyment of his delight - a good spirit in the enjoyment of the delight of his good, and an evil spirit in the enjoyment of the delight of his evil."
"What delight do you have?" I asked.
They said that it was the delight of committing adultery, stealing, deceiving others, and lying.
Again, then, I asked, "What kind of delights are these?"
They replied that they were perceived by others as being like the foul odors of piles of excrement, like the putrid smells of corpses, and like the fetid stenches of stagnant pools of urine.
I said, "Do you find these things delightful?"
They said they found them most delightful.
"Then you are like unclean animals that live in such filth," I said.
They replied, "If we are, we are; but to our nostrils these things are delightful."
[7] "Shall I write anything further from you?" I asked.
They said, "This, that everyone is permitted to be in the enjoyment of his delight, even of one most unclean (as others term it), provided he does not molest good spirits and angels. But because we cannot help but molest them," they said, "we were driven away and cast into hell, where we suffer terrible hardships."
"Why," I said, "did you molest good spirits?"
The spirits replied that they could not help it. It is as though a kind of madness invades them whenever they see some angel and feel the Divine atmosphere surrounding him.
At that I said, "Then you are also like wild animals."
On hearing this, a madness came over them, which appeared as the fire of hatred, and to prevent them from doing any harm, they were drawn back into hell.
(Regarding delights perceived as odors and stenches in the spiritual world, see nos. 303-305 above.)
Footnotes:
1. Isaiah 14:29, 30:6. A legendary serpent or dragon, whose breath and glance were said to be lethal. Formerly identified in English translations of the Latin Vulgate with the cockatrice, and retained as such in the King James Bible.
2. Same meaning as fiery flying serpent.
3. A reference to the famous Greek oracle at ancient Delphi. The medium, Pythia, would descend into an underground cell of the Temple there and mount a sacred tripod to issue her response.
4. A reference to the often enigmatic nature of oracles in ancient Greek and Roman times, worded so that a prediction could be construed as correct whatever the actual outcome.
340. 4. Instant salvation by direct mercy is the flying fiery serpent in the church. The flying fiery serpent means an evil bright with hellfire like the evil meant by the flying fiery serpent in Isaiah: "Do not be happy, all Philistia, because the rod that strikes you has been broken, for a snake will come out from the root of the serpent, whose fruit is a flying fiery serpent" (Isaiah 14:29). This kind of evil is on the wing in the church whenever it believes in instant salvation by direct mercy, because this (a) leads to the destruction of religion, (b) makes people feel safe, and (c) blames God for damnation.
[2] As to the first, (a) that this leads to the destruction of religion, there are two things that are essential to and omnipresent in religion: belief in God, and repentance. These two are empty for people who believe they are saved by mercy alone, no matter what kind of life they lead. For what more is needed except to say, "God, have mercy on me!" When it comes to everything else that has to do with religion, these people are in darkness and love their darkness. On the first essential of the church, belief in God, all they think is "What is God? Who has seen him?" If you say that God is real and that God is one, they say that God is one. If you say that there are three, then they say that there are three, but that the three are to be called "the One." For them, that is belief in God.
[3] As for the second essential of the church, repentance, these people give it no thought. This means that they give no thought to any sin and eventually do not know that anything is a sin. They hear and absorb with delight the statement that the law does not condemn them because as Christians they are not under the yoke of the law. All you have to do is say, "God, have mercy on me for the sake of your Son," and you will be saved. For them, this is a life of repentance.
But if you take repentance away, which is the same as removing life from religion, what is left but the phrase, "Have mercy on me"? That is why all they can say is that salvation happens the moment these words are spoken; if not earlier, then at the time of death. What is the Word, then, but a dim and enigmatic message from the tripod in the cave or like an unintelligible answer from some oracular idol? In short, if you take repentance away, which is the same as removing life from religion, what are we but an evil thing bright with hellfire, or a flying fiery serpent in the church? For without repentance, we are devoted to evil, and evil is hell.
[4] (b) Belief in instant salvation from nothing but pure mercy makes us feel that our lives are safe. The feeling that our lives are safe comes either from the belief of irreligious people that there is no life after death or from the belief of people who separate life from salvation. These latter do believe in eternal life, but they still think, "I can be saved whether I lead a good life or an evil one, because salvation is a matter of pure mercy, and God's mercy is universal because he does not will the death of anyone." If the thought crosses their minds that they need to ask for this mercy in the approved words of the faith, they may think that if they do not do it earlier, they can do this just before the hour of death approaches. People who live in this sense of safety all think nothing of adultery, fraud, injustice, violence, slander, and vengeance. Rather, they lose control of themselves in these actions, body and soul. They have no idea what a spiritual evil is or what obsession with it is. If they hear anything about it from the Word, it is rather like something that falls on a bony surface and bounces off, or like something that falls into a ditch and oozes away.
[5] (c) By this kind of belief, God is blamed for damnation. If God can save everyone out of pure mercy, is there anyone who cannot draw the conclusion that God is to blame, not we, if we are not saved? If you say that the means of salvation is faith, is there anyone who cannot be given this faith, since it is nothing but a thought that can be poured in whenever our spirits are withdrawn from the world, and done so with confidence? People can also say, "I cannot acquire anything by myself"; so if something is not given and someone is damned, then that damned individual can only think that the Lord is to blame because he could have saved but did not want to. Would this not be calling him merciless? Not only that, in the heat of this belief the damned may say, "Why can we see so many damned in hell when the Lord could save them all in an instant out of pure mercy?" and a good deal more of the same, all of which can only be called appalling indictments of Divinity.
This now serves to show that a belief in instant salvation out of pure mercy is the flying fiery serpent in the church.
[6] Forgive me for adding the following to fill out the rest of the page.
By special permission, some spirits came up from hell and said to me, "You have written a great deal that the Lord has given you. Write something from us as well."
I answered, "What should I write?"
They said, "Write that every spirit, whether good or evil, has his or her own delight--a delight in goodness for the good and a delight in evil for the evil."
I asked, "What is your delight?" They said that it was a delight in adultery, theft, fraud, and lying. I went on to ask, "What are these delights like?" They said that others experienced them as stenches from excrement, foul odors from corpses, and the reek of stale urine. I said, "And do you find them pleasant?" They said that they were absolutely delightful. I said, "Then you are like filthy beasts that live in substances like these."
They said, "If we are, we are, but to our nostrils, these scents are delightful."
I asked, "What else do you want me to write?"
They said, "Write this: that we are all allowed to live in our own delights, no matter how filthy they are, as some would say, as long as we do not harass good spirits and angels. But since we cannot help harassing them, we are driven off and cast into hell, where we suffer terribly."
I said, "Why do you harass good people?" They answered that they could not help it, it was as though a rage came over them when they saw angels and sensed the divine aura around them. I said, "This makes you like wild animals." When they heard this, a rage came over them that looked like blazing hatred, and to prevent them from doing any harm, they were taken back into hell.
On the way pleasures are sensed as odors and as stenches in the spiritual world, see 303-305, 324 above.
THE END
340. IV. INSTANTANEOUS SALVATION FROM IMMEDIATE MERCY IS THE FIERY FLYING SERPENT IN THE CHURCH. By this fiery flying serpent is meant evil glowing from infernal fire, the same as is meant by the fiery flying serpent in Isaiah:
Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia (A.V. Palestina) because the rod (A.V. of him) that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. Isa. 14:29.
Such evil is flying in the Church when there is belief in instantaneous salvation from immediate mercy; for by it
1. Religion is abolished;
2. Security is induced;
3. And condemnation is ascribed to the Lord.
[2] Concerning the First: By it religion is abolished. There are two things that are the essentials and at the same time the universals of religion, namely, the acknowledgment of God and repentance. These two are void of meaning to those who believe they are saved from mercy alone, no matter how they live; for what need is there of anything more than to exclaim, Have mercy on me, O God? With regard to everything else pertaining to religion they are in darkness, and they even love the darkness. With regard to the first essential of the Church, namely, the acknowledgment of God, they only think, What is God? Who ever saw Him? If it is said that there is a God, and that He is one, they say that He is one; if it is said that there are three, they also say that there are three, but that the three must be called one. This is their acknowledgment of God.
[3] With regard to the other essential of the Church, namely, repentance, they give it no thought; and consequently they give no thought to any sin, and at length they do not know that there is such a thing as sin. Then they hear, and drink it in with pleasure, that the law does not condemn, because the Christian is not under its yoke. If only you say, Have mercy on me, O God, for the sake of the Son, you will be saved. This with them is the repentance of life. If, however, you take away repentance, or what is the same thing, separate life from religion, what remains but the words, Have mercy on me? Hence it is that they could not do otherwise than maintain that salvation is instantaneous, effected by uttering these words, even at the hour of death, if not before. What, then, is the Word to them but a voice obscure and enigmatic, issuing from a tripod in a cave, or like an unintelligible response from the oracle of an idol? In a word, if you take away repentance, that is, if you separate life from religion, what then is man but evil glowing from infernal fire, or a fiery flying serpent in the Church? For without repentance man is in evil, and evil is hell.
[4] Second: By a belief in instantaneous salvation from pure mercy alone security of life is induced. Security of life arises either from the belief of the impious man that there is no life after death, or from the belief of the man who separates life from salvation. Although the latter might believe in eternal life he still thinks, Whether I live well or wickedly I can be saved, because salvation is pure mercy, and the mercy of God is universal for He does not desire the death of anyone. If perchance the thought occurs to him that mercy must be implored in the words of the accepted faith, he may think that this can be done, if not done before, still just at the point of death. Everyone in such a state of security makes light of adultery, fraud, injustice, deeds of violence, blasphemy and revenge, and gives a free rein to his body and spirit for the commission of all these evils; nor does he know what spiritual evil is, and its lust. Should anything from the Word reach his ears concerning this, it is like something that falls on ebony and rebounds, or like something that falls into a ditch and is swallowed up.
[5] Third: By that belief condemnation is ascribed to the Lord. Who can help concluding that if he is not saved it is not the man but the Lord who is in fault, when the Lord is able to save everyone from pure mercy? If it is said that faith is the medium of salvation, it will be urged, But what man is there to whom this faith cannot be given? For it is only thought, and this may be imparted with all confidence in every state of the spirit when it is withdrawn from worldly things. The man may also say, I cannot acquire that faith of myself. Accordingly, if it is not bestowed on him and he is condemned, what else can the condemned one think but that the Lord is in fault who could have given him faith but would not? Would this not be to call the Lord unmerciful? Moreover, in the glowing ardour of his faith he may say, How can He see so many condemned in hell when He is able to save them all in a moment from pure mercy? And much more in a similar strain, which can only be termed wicked impeachment of the Divine. From these things it may now be evident that belief in instantaneous salvation from pure mercy is the fiery flying serpent in the Church.
SUPPLEMENT
[6] Excuse the addition of what follows to fill up the paper that is left.
Certain spirits by permission ascended from hell and said to me, You have written many things from the Lord; write something from us, too. I replied, What shall I write? They said, Write that every spirit, whether good or wicked, is in his own delight; the good spirit is in the delight of his good and the wicked spirit is in the delight of his evil. I then asked, What is your delight? And they replied that it was the delight of committing adultery, stealing, defrauding and telling lies. Again I asked, What are these delights like? They replied, They are perceived by others as offensive odours from excrement, and as the putrid smell from dead bodies, and as the reeking stench from stagnant urine pools. I then said, Are they delightful to you? And they replied, They are most delightful. I said, Then you are like unclean beasts that live in such filth. To this they replied, If we are, we are; nevertheless, such things are a delight to our nostrils.
[7] I asked, What more shall I write from you? They said, Write this, that everyone is permitted to gratify his own delight, even that which is most unclean, as it is called, provided he does not molest good spirits and angels; but as we could not do otherwise than molest them we were driven away and cast into hell, where we suffer dreadfully. I asked, Why did you molest the good? And they replied that they could not do otherwise. It was as if a certain fury seized hold of them when they caught sight of any angel and felt the Divine sphere around him. Thereupon I said, You are indeed like wild beasts. When they heard this a fury came over them which appeared like the fire of hate; and to prevent them doing any harm they were withdrawn to hell. Concerning delights perceived as odours and offensive smells in the spiritual world see above (n. 303-305, 324).
340. (4) Instantaneous salvation out of mercy apart from means is the "fiery flying serpent" in the church. By the "fiery flying serpent" evil glowing from infernal fire is meant, the same as by the "fiery flying serpent" spoken of in Isaiah:-
Rejoice not thou, Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk; whose fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent (Isaiah 14:29).
Such evil is flying abroad in the church when there is belief in instantaneous salvation out of mercy apart from means; for thereby:
(1) Religion is abolished.
(2) Security is induced.
(3) Damnation is attributed to the Lord.
[2] As to the first: Religion is abolished thereby. There are two things that are at once the essentials and the universals of religion, namely, acknowledgment of God and repentance. These two are void of meaning to those who believe that men are saved out of mere mercy, howsoever they live; for what need is there more than to say, "Have mercy on me, O God?" About all other things belonging to religion they are in thick darkness, and they even love this darkness. Of the first essential of the church, which is acknowledgment of God, they merely think, "What is God? Who has seen Him?" If it is said that there is a God and that He is one, they admit that He is one; if it is said that there are three, they admit that there are, but claim that the three must be called one. This is their acknowledgment of God.
[3] To the other essential of the church, which is repentance, they give no thought, consequently they give no thought to any sin, and at last they do not know that there is any such thing as sin. And then they hear, and drink in with pleasure, that "The law does not condemn, because the Christian is not under its yoke; you have merely to say, 'God have mercy upon me for the sake of the Son,' and you will be saved." This with them is repentance of life. But take away repentance, or what is the same thing, separate life from religion, and what is left but the mere words, "Have mercy upon me?" For this reason they could not do otherwise than claim that salvation is instantaneous by means of these words, even near the hour of death if not before. What, then, is the Word to them but an obscure and enigmatical voice uttered from a tripod in a cave, or an unintelligible response from the oracle of an idol? In a word, when you take away repentance, that is, separate life from religion, what is man but evil glowing with infernal fire, or a "fiery flying serpent" in the church? For without repentance man is in evil, and evil is hell.
[4] Secondly: A belief in instantaneous salvation out of pure mercy alone induces security of life. Security of life arises either from the impious man's belief that there is no life after death, or from the belief of him who separates life from salvation. The latter, although believing in eternal life, still thinks, "Whether I live well or ill I can be saved, since salvation is pure mercy, and God's mercy is universal because He desires not the death of any one." And if perchance the thought occurs that mercy ought to be implored in the words of the accepted faith, he may think that this, if not done previously, can be done just before death. Any man in such a state of security makes nothing of adultery, frauds, injustice, violence, defamation, and revenge, but lets his flesh and his spirit run riot in them all; nor does he know what spiritual evil and its lust are. If he listens to anything about this from the Word it is comparatively like something striking against ebony and rebounding, or like what falls into a ditch and is swallowed up.
[5] Thirdly: By that belief damnation is attributed to the Lord. Who can help concluding that not man but the Lord is to blame if man is not saved, when the Lord is able to save every one out of pure mercy? If it be said that faith is the means of salvation, what man is there to whom that faith cannot be given? For it is nothing but a thought that may be imparted, even with confidence, in any state of the spirit withdrawn from worldly things. It may also be claimed that man cannot of himself acquire that faith; if, therefore, it is not given and the man is damned, must not he that is damned think that the Lord, who had the power to give it and would not, is to blame? And would not this be to call Him unmerciful? Moreover, in the glow of his faith he would say, "How can He see so many damned in hell when He is able out of pure mercy to save them all in a moment?" Other like things he may say that must be called abominable accusations against the Divine. From all this it can now be seen that a belief in instantaneous salvation out of pure mercy is the "fiery flying serpent" in the church.
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Excuse the addition of what follows to fill out the rest of the sheet.
Certain spirits by permission ascended from hell, and said to me, "You have written many things from the Lord; write something from us, too."
I replied, "What shall I write?"
They said, "Write that every spirit, whether good or evil, is in his own delight; a good spirit in the delight of his good, and an evil spirit in the delight of his evil."
I asked, "What is your delight?"
They said, "It is a delight in committing adultery, stealing, cheating, and lying."
Again I asked, "What sort of delights are these?"
They said, "To the senses of others they are like the fetid smell from excrement, the putrid smell from dead bodies, and the odor from stagnant urine."
I said, "Are these things delightful to you?"
They answered, "Most delightful."
I said, "Then you are like the unclean beasts that live in such things."
They replied, "If we are we are; but such things are delicious to our nostrils."
I asked, "What more shall I write from you?"
They said, "Write this: that every one is permitted to be in his own delight, even that which is most unclean, as they call it, provided he does not infest good spirits and angels; but as we could not do otherwise than infest them we were driven away and cast into hell, where we suffer dreadful things."
I said, "Why did you infest the good?"
They replied that they could not do otherwise, that a sort of fury came upon them when they saw any angel and felt the Divine sphere around him.
Then I said, "Thus you are even like wild beasts."
When they heard this a fury came upon them that appeared like the fire of hatred; and to prevent their doing harm they were drawn back into hell.
Of delights perceived as odors and as foul smells in the spiritual world see above (303-305).
340. IV. Quod momentanea salvatio ex immediata Misericordia sit praester volans in Ecclesia: per praesterem volantem intelligitur malum ex igne infernali lucens, simile quod per praesterem volantem apud Esajam, "Ne laeteris Philisthaea tota, quod fracta sit virga percutiens te, nam e radice serpentis exibit basiliscus, cujus fructus praester volans," 14:29. Tale malum volat in Ecclesia, quando momentanea salvatio ex immediata Misericordia creditur; nam per id 1. aboletur religio, 2. inducitur 1securitas, 23. et 3damnatio imputatur Domino.
[2] Quod concernit PRIMUM. Quod per id aboleatur religio: sunt duo essentialia et simul universalia religionis, Agnitio Dei et Poenitentia; haec duo vana sunt illis, qui credunt salvari ex sola Misericordia, utcunque vivunt, nam quid opus pluribus, 4quam dicere, Miserere mei Deus; de omnibus reliquis, quae religionis sunt, in caligine sunt, imo caliginem amant: de Primo essentiali Ecclesiae, quod est Agnitio Dei, non aliud cogitant, quam quid Deus, quis vidit Illum; si dicitur quod sit et quod sit unus, dicunt quod sit unus; si dicitur quod sint tres, etiam dicunt quod sint, sed quod tres nominandi sint Unus: haec est agnitio Dei apud illos.
[3] De Altero essentiali Ecclesiae, quod est Poenitentia, nihil cogitant, consequenter nec de aliquo peccato, et tandem non sciunt quod aliquod peccatum sit; et tunc audiunt et hauriunt cum voluptate, quod Lex non damnet, quia Christianus sub ejus jugo non est, si dicas modo, Miserere mei Deus propter Filium, et salvaberis; haec est poenitentia vitae apud illos. Sed remove poenitentiam, seu quod idem est, separa vitam a religione, quid superest nisi quam vox, Miserere mei; inde est, quod nec aliud potuerint dicere, quam quod salvatio sit momentanea per illas voces, et si non prius, usque circa mortis horam: quid tunc Verbum illis, nisi quam vox obscura et aenigmatica ex tripode in antro emissa; aut sicut responsum non intellectum ex oraculo idoli. Verbo, si removes poenitentiam, hoc est, separas vitam a religione, quid homo tunc aliud quam malum ex igne infernali lucens, seu praester volans in Ecclesia; nam absque poenitentia est homo in malo, et malum est infernum.
[4] SECUNDUM. Quod per fidem momentaneae salvationis ex pura et sola Misericordia inducatur securitas vitae. Securitas vitae oritur vel ex fide impii quod non sit vita post mortem, vel ex fide separantis vitam a salvatione; hic tametsi crederet vitam aeternam, usque cogitat, sive bene vivam sive male vivam, salvari possum, quoniam salvatio est [ex] pura Misericordia, et Misericordia Dei est universalis, quia non vult alicujus mortem; et si forte incidit cogitatio quod Misericordia imploranda sit per voces fidei receptae, potest cogitare, quod hoc possit fieri, si non prius, usque ante mortem; omnis homo qui in illa securitate 5est, nihili facit adulteria, defraudationes, injustitias, violentias, blasphemationes, vindictas; sed carnem suam et spiritum suum ad omnia illa relaxat; nec scit quid spirituale malum et ejus concupiscentia; si audit aliquid de hoc ex Verbo, est comparative sicut id quod incidit in ebenum et resilit, vel sicut id quod incidit in scrobem et absorbetur.
[5] TERTIUM. Quod per illam fidem damnatio imputetur Domino. Quis non potest concludere, quod non homo, sed Dominus in culpa sit, si non salvatur, dum unumquemvis potest salvare ex pura Misericordia: si dicitur, quod medium salvationis sit fides, 6[responsum] sed quis homo est cui non dari potest illa fides, est enim illa solum cogitatio, quae potest infundi in omni statu spiritus abstracti a mundanis, etiam cum fiducia; et ille quoque potest dicere, non possum illam sumere a meipso; si itaque non datur, et homo damnatur, quid damnatus aliud cogitare potest, quam quod Dominus in culpa sit, qui potuit et non voluit; annon id foret Ipsum vocare immisericordem; ac insuper in excandescentia fidei suae potest dicere, cur tot damnatos potest videre in inferno, cum tamen momento potest salvare omnes ex pura Misericordia, et plura similia, quae non aliter vocari possunt quam nefandae insimulationes contra Divinum. Ex his nunc constare potest, quod fides momentaneae salvationis ex pura Misericordia, 7sit praester volans in Ecclesia.
[6] Ignoscatis quod haec adjiciantur, ut superfluum chartae impleatur: ascenderunt quidam spiritus ex permissione ab Inferno, et mihi dixerunt, scripsisti multa ex Domino; scribe etiam aliquid e nobis; respondi, quid scribam; dicebant scribe, quod unusquisque spiritus, sive bonus sive malus sit, in suo jucundo sit, bonus in sui boni jucundo, et malus in sui mali jucundo; quaesivi, quid vestrum jucundum; dixerunt quod esset jucundum adulterandi, furandi, defraudandi, mentiendi; et iterum quaesivi, qualia sunt jucunda illa; dixerunt quod sentiantur ab aliis sicut foetores ex stercoribus, et sicut putores ex cadaveribus, et sicut nidores ex urinis stagnatis; dixi, sunt illa vobis jucunda; dixerunt quod sint jucundissima; dixi, tunc estis sicut immundae bestiae, quae in talibus degunt; responderunt, si simus, sumus, sed talia sunt delitiae narium nostrarum.
[7] Quaesivi, quid plura e vobis scribam; dixerunt, hoc, quod unicuivis liceat in suo jucundo esse, etiam immundissimo, ut illud vocant, modo non infestet bonos spiritus et angelos, sed quia non aliter potuimus quam illos infestare, abacti sumus, et dejecti in infernum, ubi patimur dira; dixi, cur infestavistis bonos; responderunt quod non potuerint aliter; est sicut furor invadat, cum vident aliquem angelum, et sentiunt sphaeram 8Divinam circum illum; tunc dixi, sic estis etiam sicut ferae; quo audito supervenit furor, qui apparuit sicut ignis odii, et ne damnum inferrent, in infernum retracti sunt. De Jucundis sentitis ut odors 9ac ut nidores in Mundo spirituali, videatur supra, 303-305. 10
FINIS
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: Inducitur
2 Prima editio: securitas.
3 Prima editio: Et
4 Prima editio: pluribns,
5 Prima editio: securitate
6 Prima editio: fides;
7 Prima editio: Miseri / ricordia,
8 Prima editio: sphaetam
9 Prima editio: oderes
10 Prima editio: 303-305, 324.