1178. But I have heard that it was not a spirit working in me, but some habitation of angels of the inward heaven, who dwell, in respect to the person, at a distance toward the front but to the left, somewhat higher than the person's forehead. They are spirits who cannot stand very inward qualities, but want to stay back with only inward qualities.
Take, for example, when it is said that the Lord governs the universe, and that there is no good in man, but that all good is the Lord's own; or when it is said that man, spirit and angel can do nothing of themselves, but are only instruments of life. They cannot stand this, but also want to act on their own, thus crediting themselves, too, with powers of doing good. They also take the credit for themselves for good deeds they had done by the Lord's power during their life, thus for part of His righteousness, and they want to mention this now. The very inward qualities of this kind, and others, angels of the inward heaven in a certain habitation [cannot bear].
1178. But I learned that it was not a spirit acting within me, but some kind of abode of angels of the interior heaven who dwell in respect to man at a distance in front, but towards the left, a little higher than his forehead. These are they who cannot tolerate more interior things, but who desire from various causes to remain only in interior things. They cannot tolerate it, for instance, when it is said that the Lord governs the universe, and that there is nothing that is good in man, but all good is the Lord's own; also when it is said that man, spirit, and angel can do nothing of themselves, but are only organs of life. But they want to act also of themselves, thus to attribute to themselves the power of doing good even. These same spirits also attribute merit to themselves in the goods which they had done from the Lord during their life, thus justification as to part, as they now want to infer; and there are similar things which are more interior. There are also the other angels of the interior heaven in a certain kind of abode.
1178. Sed audivi, quod in me non esset spiritus agens, sed certum quoddam domicilium angelorum interioris coeli, qui habitant, respectu hominis, ad distantiam antrorsum, sed sinistrorsum, aliquantum altius quam frons hominis, suntque ii, qui non intimiora possunt tolerare, sed manere cupiunt in solum interioribus, ex varia causa, sicut cum dicitur Dominum regere universum, ac nihil bonum dari in homine, sed omne bonum esse Domini proprium: tum quoque dum dicitur, quod homo, spiritus, angelus ex se nihil agere possit, sed modo organum sit vitae, tunc id non tolerare possunt, sed ex semet quoque agere volunt, sic sibi tribui vires agendi etiam bonum; iidem quoque in bonis, quae in vita ex Domino, egerant, tribuunt [sibi] 1
meritum, sic justificationem quoad partem, ut nunc inferre volunt; et similia, quae intimiora sunt: caeteraque 2
[non tolerare possunt] angeli interioris coeli, in certo quodam domicilio.
Footnotes:
1. sic in J.F.I. Tafel's edition
2. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition caeterique