1673. In their bodily life, they had held the opinion that they had been spirits from eternity, so that only with difficulty would they be convinced of having been born, insisting that they had been spirits from eternity. Convinced nevertheless that this was not the case, because they do not at all like to deceive anyone, they said that they now know that they are not from eternity, but had been born like everyone else, but that they had had this opinion that their spirits had existed from eternity, as some do also on this earth, and had then been poured into bodies. They are indeed so upright that they moved me deeply, also for the reason that they were sorry for having had this idea, since they now realize they are not from eternity, but only the Lord is from eternity. 1748, 23 March.
1673. (Their opinion during the life of the body had been that they had existed as spirits from eternity, on which account they were very backward to receive the conviction flowing from the fact that they were born, insisting that they had been spirits from eternity. But being still pressed by the conviction that the fact was not so, inasmuch as they would by no means deceive any one, they said that they now knew that they had not existed from eternity, but were born like others, but that they had [somehow] imbibed that opinion of their having been eternally spirits, and thus infused into bodies, just as certain persons on our earth [run into the same conceit]. Still so upright are they that the indications of their penitence for having entertained such an opinion moved me much, seeing that they now know that they were not from eternity, as the Lord alone is from eternity. - 1748, March 23.)
1673. Eorum opinio fuerat in vita eorum corporis, quod putaverint se spiritus ab aeterno fuisse, quare aegre volebant evinci in eo quod nati essent, insistentes quod ab aeterno spiritus, sed usque evicti, quod ita non esset, quia nusquam volunt fallere aliquem, dicentes quod nunc sciant quod non ab aeterno, sed quod nati sicut alii, sed in opinione ista fuisse 1
, quod spiritus eorum ab aeterno fuisse, sicut etiam quidam in hac tellure, et sic infundi corporibus; imo tam probi sunt, ut moverint mentem meam, ex eo quoque quod poenituerit eos, ita opinatos, cum nunc sciant, se non ab aeterno fuisse, sed solum Dominum ab aeterno. 1748, 23 Martius.
Footnotes:
1. sic manuscript; vide praefationem hujus editionis sub capite "Idiosyncrasies"