1168. There are spirits who can speak just as fluently and quickly as heavenly spirits, and yet are evil
One spirit was with me today, speaking with me for a while, who during his life in the body had been brought up with no faith, and had not believed in life after death. He was thought by the busy robbers to be one of them [see 1155]. This spirit was able to speak as one of the heavenly spirits, that is, as fluently as a stream [see 1146], and yet he was evil.
So one cannot conclude from a spirit's speaking and its flow that he is heavenly. One knows that he is heavenly from the fact that he loves to speak about matters of belief, thus that he understands matters of faith. But this spirit, when anything was said about the Kingdom of the Lord, could not follow the conversation but seemed to draw back. Then one hears immediately what he is like. 1748, 4 March.
1168. THAT THERE ARE SPIRITS WHO CAN SPEAK BOTH AS VOLUBLY AND AS RAPIDLY AS THE CELESTIAL SPIRITS, AND NEVERTHELESS THEY ARE EVIL
Today there was a spirit with me, who spoke with me for some time. In the life of the body he had been imbued with no faith, nor had he believed in a life after death; and he was, as they supposed, one of the assiduous [robbers - see n. 1155. He could speak like one of the celestial spirits, that is as volubly, like a stream, but still he was evil; wherefore it cannot be concluded from anyone's speech and its flow that he is celestial. But that a spirit is celestial is known from this that he loves to speak concerning matters of faith, thus that he perceives those things which are of faith. When, however, something was said about the Kingdom of the Lord, this spirit was unable to follow in conversation, but, as it were, withdrew himself; it was then at once learned of what quality he was. 1748, Mar. 4.
1168. Quod spiritus dentur, qui tam volubiliter et tam cito loqui possint, ac spiritus coelestes, et tamen quod mali
Unus spiritus hodie fuit apud me, mecum aliquantum loquutus, qui in vita corporis nulla fide imbutus, nec vitam post mortem crediderit, et sicut opinati, inter industrios unus [vide 1155], is similiter loqui potuit ac unus coelestium spirituum, tam nempe volubiliter, fluvii instar [vide 1146], sed usque erat malus, quare non ex sermone ejusque lapsu concludi potest, quod sit coelestis, sed quod coelestis sit, inde noscitur, quod amet loqui de iis quae sunt fidei, sic quod ea quae sunt fidei, percipiat, hic vero spiritus, dum quiddam de Regno Domini diceretur, non potuit sequi sermone, sed se quasi retraxit, tunc auditur statim, qualis sit. 1748, 4 Martius.