1531. From this it can be clear that the inhabitants and spirits of our earth are the outer sense, and that they are carnal, and thus approach to the nature of brute animals more than to the human nature, as they even said about the spirits of our earth.
But even though they are like this on this earth, nevertheless they possess knowledge of religious truths, which can serve as a kind of soil in which the spiritual and heavenly truths of religion can be implanted. Without such a soil, religious truths do not easily become implanted, and grow. Therefore also, they come more easily into the inward and very inward heaven, after their outward elements have been purged. And because they bring something with them from the life of the body, they also serve as ministering spirits for instructing others who do not have that higher knowledge from revelation. For this reason the Lord loved our earth above others.
If there is to be perfect order, heavenly truths, and spiritual ones, must take root in truths of nature. But it should be noted that the higher knowledge and mental imagery of the angels are incalculably more profound that the mental imagery of man, yet are nevertheless rooted in truths of nature; and so truths follow one after another, and correspond. 1748, 18 March.
1531. From this it can be evident that the inhabitants and spirits of our earth are the external sense, and that they are corporeal and thus approach the nature of brutes rather than the human nature. The spirits of Saturn also said this concerning the spirits of our earth. But although those on this earth are such, yet they possess the cognitions of the truths of faith which are serviceable for a ground, as it were, in which spiritual and celestial truths of faith can be sown. Without such a ground the truths of faith are not easily inseminated so that they may grow. For this reason also the spirits of our earth more easily enter the interior and more interior heaven after the exteriors have been devastated; and because they take with them something from the life of the body, they also may serve as ministering means for instructing others who do not possess such cognitions from Revelation. Wherefore the Lord loved our earth above others, since for perfect order to exist, celestial and spiritual truths must be inrooted in natural truths. It is also to be observed that while the cognitions and ideas of the angels are indefinitely more profound than the ideas of man, still they are rooted in natural truths. Thus do truths mutually succeed and correspond to each other. 1748, Mar. 18.
1531. Exinde constare potest, quod nostrae telluris incolae et spiritus sint sensus externus, et quod corporei, et sic ad brutorum naturam plus quam ad humanam accedant, sicut ii quoque de spiritibus 1
nostrae telluris, dixerunt; sed quamvis in hac tellure tales sunt, usque tamen cognitiones veritatum fidei habent, quae inserviunt, quasi pro humo, in quibus inseminari possunt veritates fidei spirituales et coelestes, absque tali humo non facile inseminantur, et sic crescunt, veritates 2
fidei; quare etiam ii in coelum interius et intimius facilius veniunt, postquam exteriora, sunt devastata; et quia tales secum a vita corporis aliquid 3
trahunt, ii quoque pro ministeriis inserviunt instruendi alios, qui tales cognitiones ex revelatione non habent, quare Dominus nostram tellurem prae aliis amavit; ut enim ordo perfectus sit, coelestes veritates, et spirituales radicari debent in veritatibus naturalibus. Sed observandum, quod angelorum cognitiones et ideae sint indefinite profundiores ideis hominis, sed usque sunt radicatae in veritatibus naturalibus; veritates ita sibi mutuo succedunt et correspondent. 1748, 18 Martius.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has spiribus
2. The Manuscript has crescunt veritates
3. The Manuscript has aliqui