172、此后，一些修道士灵人出现了，就是前面所提到的那些在世时曾为旅行的修道士或传教士的灵人。我们还看见来自这个星球的一群灵人，其中绝大多数是邪恶的；这些修道士灵人便引诱这群灵人接受他们的观点，以此迷惑他们。这些灵人出现在该星球的东部地区，将那里的善者赶走；于是，善者便到了该星球的北边，如我前面所说的。这群灵人，连同他们的迷惑者联为一体，直到人数达到数千人，然后被分离出去，他们当中的恶者被投入地狱。我可以与其中一个修道士灵人交谈，于是便问他在那里做什么。他说，他在教导他们关于主的事。我问还有别的吗？他说，关于天堂与地狱的事。我问还有什么，他说，关于赦罪的权柄，以及打开和关闭天堂的事。于是，他接受测验，以查看他所知关于主、信之真理、赦罪、人的救赎，以及天堂与地狱的事。结果发现，他几乎什么也不知道，对每一个主题都持有模糊和虚假的观念；只有获得利益和实施控制的欲望。他在世时就获得这种欲望，并将其从世上带来。所以，他被告知，他在这种欲望的驱使下到这个星球旅行，在教导人时如此欠缺，以致他必然剥夺该星球灵人的天堂之光，将地狱的黑暗带进来，从而将他们置于地狱，而非主的统治之下。此外，他在迷惑人方面诡计多端，但在天堂的事上却是个傻瓜。他因是这样一个人，故被投入地狱。这个星球的灵人由此从这些攻击者那里得以释放。
172. Later I saw some monastic spirits, who had been traveling monks or missionaries in the world (the ones mentioned above [169]); and I also saw a crowd of spirits from that planet, many of them evil, that the monastic spirits had attracted to their cause and led astray. I saw them in the eastern region of that planet, a region from which they had driven the good, who had made their way to the northern region mentioned earlier. That crowd and the people who were misleading them were gathered into one group amounting to some thousands, and were then sorted out. The evil among them were cast into the hells.
I was given an opportunity to talk with one of the monks. I asked, “What are you doing here?”
He said, “I am teaching people about the Lord.”
“What else?”
“About heaven and hell.”
“What else?”
“That they should believe everything I tell them.”
“What else?”
“That [I have] the power to forgive sins and open and close heaven.”
We then explored what he knew about the Lord, the truths that belong to religious faith, the forgiveness of sins, our salvation, and heaven and hell, and it turned out that he knew hardly anything at all; on every topic he was in darkness and error. His sole obsession was a craving for wealth and power-a craving he had acquired in the world and had brought with him from there. I told him that since that craving was the reason he had come all the way to them, and since that is the type of teacher he is, he could not help but take the heavenly light away from the spirits of that planet and plunge them into the darkness of hell, bringing them under the control not of the Lord but of the hells. He was skillful at leading people astray, but stupid in matters concerning heaven.
Since that was the kind of person he was, he was then cast into hell. That is how the spirits of that planet were set free.
172. After this some monastic spirits were seen, some, that is, who had been travelling monks or missionaries in the world, as already mentioned above. We also saw a crowd of spirits from that world, most of them wicked ones, whom they had induced to accept their views and so seduced. There were to be seen towards the eastern regions of that world; they had driven the good away from there, and these had taken themselves off to the north side of that world, as I said before. The whole crowd together with its seducers were collected together until they numbered several thousand, and then separated, the wicked among them being cast into hells.
I was able to talk with one of the monastic spirits and enquire what he was doing there. He said it was to teach them about the Lord. Asked what else, he said about heaven and hell; and further, about trusting everything he was going to say; and further, about the power of remitting sins and opening and closing heaven. He was then tested on his knowledge of the Lord, the truths of faith, the remission of sins, personal salvation, and heaven and hell. It transpired that he knew hardly anything, having vague and false notions about every single subject. All he had was a desire to gain advantage and exercise control; this he had acquired in the world and brought with him from there. He was therefore told that, having been led by that desire to journey to that world and being so deficient in his teaching, he could do nothing for the spirits of that world but deprive them of heaven's light and substitute the darkness of hell, so ensuring that hell, and not the Lord, would rule amongst them. Moreover, he was crafty in seducing, but a fool as regards heavenly matters; and being such a one, he was then cast into hell. By this the spirits of that world were freed from these attackers.
172. Afterward some monkish spirits were seen, namely, those who had been travelling monks or missionaries in the world, and who have been spoken of above; and a crowd of spirits was also seen, who were from that earth, most of them evil, whom they had drawn over and seduced to their side. These were seen at the eastern quarter of that earth, from which they drove away the good, who betook themselves to the northern side of that earth, and have been spoken of above. That crowd, together with their seducers was collected into one body, to the number of some thousands, and was separated when the evil were cast into the hells. I was granted to speak with one spirit who was a monk, and to ask what he did there. He replied that he taught them concerning the Lord. I asked, what besides. He said, concerning heaven and hell. I asked, what further. He said, concerning a belief in all that he should say. I asked, what further. He said, concerning the power of remitting sins, and of opening and shutting heaven. He was then examined as to what he knew concerning the Lord, concerning the truths of faith, concerning the remission of sins, concerning man's salvation, and concerning heaven and hell; and it was discovered that he knew scarcely anything, and that he was in obscurity and falsity concerning all and each of them, and that he was possessed solely by the lust of gain and dominion which he had contracted in the world and brought with him thence. Wherefore he was told that, because he had traveled so far led by that lust, and was such as to doctrine, he must needs deprive the spirits of that earth of celestial light, and bring in the darkness of hell, and thus bring them under the dominion of hell, and not of the Lord. Moreover he was cunning in seducing, but stupid as to those things which are of heaven. Because he was such he was then cast thence into hell. Thus the spirits of that earth were liberated from them.
172. Postea visi sunt spiritus monachales, qui nempe fuerunt Monachi peregrinatores seu Missionarii in mundo, de quibus supra dictum est, et quoque visa est Turba spirituum, qui erant ex illa Tellure, plerique mali, quos in sui partes traxerunt et seduxerunt: hi visi sunt ad plagam orientalem illius Telluris, e qua abegerunt bonos qui se ad septentrionale latus Telluris, de quibus prius, contulerunt: illa turba una cum suis seductoribus in unum collecta est ad aliquot millia, et separata; mali ex illa conjecti sunt in inferna. Cum uno spiritu Monacho dabatur etiam loqui, et quaerere quid faceret ibi; dicebat ut illos doceret de Domino; quid porro, de Coelo et Inferno; quid porro, de Fide omnium quae dicturus; quid porro, de Potestate remittendi peccata, ac aperiendi et claudendi Coelum; explorabatur tunc quid sciret de Domino, de veris fidei, de remissione peccatorum, de salvatione hominis, ac de coelo et inferno, et compertum est, quod vix aliquid sciret, et quod esset in obscuro et in falso de omnibus et singulis; et quod solum insideret ei lucrandi et dominandi cupiditas, quam in mundo contraxit, et inde secum tulit; quare dicebatur ei, quod quia ex illa cupiditate usque illuc peregrinatus est, et quia talis est quoad doctrinam, non aliter potuisset quam apud spiritus illius Telluris auferre lucem coelestem, et inferre tenebras inferni, et sic efficere quod infernum apud illos dominaretur, et non Dominus. Praeterea astutus erat in seducendo, sed stupidus quoad illa quae coeli: is quia talis erat, dein conjectus est in infernum. Ita spiritus illius Telluris ab illis liberati sunt.