1829. The bodily-minded, spirits as well as people on earth, or those in whom the fantasies and desires of the earthly mind cling as bodily elements, do not want to know that there is an inward life, because they do not perceive it. Lower elements cannot discern anything deeper or higher than themselves. Then again, neither do some of those in the inward heaven want to know that there are very inward qualities, or some want to know and do know, but do not understand them; and so on.
A lower spirit cannot of his own ability ascend to a higher one, because the higher one is invisible to lower ones, who therefore think they do not exist. So inward qualities cannot be discerned by outward spirits, who therefore, unless gifted with faith, cannot believe things that ought to be believed, because they are beyond their grasp. 1748, 3 April.
1829. Those who are corporeal spirits, as well as men, namely, those with whom the phantasies and cupidities of the natural mind cohere with corporeal things, are not willing to know that an interior life is given, for they do not perceive it, as lower principles cannot recognize such as are interior or superior to themselves. Thus, also, some of those who are in the interior heaven do not wish to know that there are things still more interior. Some, however, wish to know them, and do know them, but they do not perceive them, etc., for that which is inferior has not the faculty of ascending to that which is superior, because the superior is imperceptible to such persons, wherefore they do not suppose it to be given. Accordingly, the things which are interior cannot be perceived by those which are exterior, neither can they believe the things which are to be believed unless they be gifted with faith, for they are imperceptible to them. - 1748, April 3.
1829. Qui corporei sunt, spiritus sicut homines, nempe penes quos phantasiae et cupiditates mentis naturalis cohaerent corporeis 1
, non volunt scire, quod interior detur vita, quia eam non percipiunt, nam inferiora nequeunt sapere ea quae interiora seu superiora se sunt: ita etiam quidam ex iis qui in interiori coelo sunt, nec scire volunt quod intimiora sunt, quidam scire volunt, ac sciunt, sed non percipiunt, et sic porro; nam inferior 2
ascendere sua facultate nequit in superiorem, quia superior iis imperceptibilis est, quare nec dari putant, quare quae interiora sunt, non percipi ab exterioribus possunt, ideo credenda, nec credere possunt, nisi iis donetur fides, quia iis imperceptibilia. 1748, 3 April.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has corporei ut videtur, sed forte pro corpori
2. In the Manuscript inferior in inferius emendatum sed inepte