1581. Falsities taken as a premise are sometimes so corroborated that the proponents do not know what the truth is,
and then do not want to understand what is true
Let just one case serve as an example. Spirits partly in error, and partly wicked, had assumed as a proposition to be proved, the falsity that a spirit can enter the body of a person on earth, and thus live in the body. They tried to prove it at once by the fact that a spirit with a person supposes that he is the person. But when I said this was not the case, they did not want to pay attention to reasons, because they had assumed the falsity as a premise, and therefore wanted to corroborate it.
The fact of the matter is, however, that because the spirit at such a time thinks, understands, and wills the same as the person he is with, and this is followed by action, therefore he imagines that he is the person. But this does not last long; only during those states of mind in which there is agreement.
1581. THAT FALSITIES HYPOTHETICALLY ASSUMED ARE SOMETIMES CONFIRMED TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT THOSE WHO DO IT DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS, AND THUS ARE UNWILLING TO KNOW.
Let one fact be taken for an example. Spirits partly erring and partly malignant assumed a hypothetical position, viz. the falsity that a spirit could enter into the body of a man, and thus live corporeally. This they were prompted to affirm solely from the fact that a spirit with man thinks that he is the man. But when I asserted that such was not the case they were unwilling to pay any attention to the reasons [which I adduced], for having once assumed in theory the falsity, they were intent upon confirming it; when the fact is, that as the spirit then thinks, apprehends, and wills in like manner with the man, and the appropriate acts follow, the spirit therefore supposes that he is the man. But this does not last long; it only holds in those states [of the parties] which are analogous.
1581. Quod falsitates pro thesi assumtae confirmentur quandoque, ut nesciant quid veritas, quodque intelligere sic nolint, quid verum
Unum pro exemplo sit; spiritus erronei, et partim maligni, pro thesi affirmanda eam falsitatem assumserunt, quod spiritus in hominis corpus intrare possit, et sic vivere corpore, quod illico affirmare volebant ex eo, quod spiritus apud hominem, putet quod homo sit; cum autem dicerem, quod res se ita non haberet, noluerunt attendere ad rationes, quia pro thesi assumserunt falsitatem, quam sic confirmare vellent, cum tamen ita se res habeat, quod quia spiritus tunc similiter cogitat, capit, et vult cum homine, et actum consequatur 1
, ideo putat quod is homo sit; sed quod non diu perstat, solum in iis statibus, qui comformes sunt.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has consequantur