1987. About those at this day who are as if they were from the ancient Church
There are still some people who retain and preserve much of the ancient Church, having also the ability more than others to see whether something is good. For this reason they are also rejected by others, who consider them not unlike those who are more or less fanatical, when yet this insight as to what is good, thus what one should do, was a feature of the ancient Church.
They acknowledge the operation of spirits, but [receive] into themselves only that of the Lord's spirit, rejecting the rest. But because such people are [mostly] of lower a condition, not readily taking educated persons [into their midst], they think in simple terms and do not much expand their thinking.
These in the other life are blessed, and they appeared to me in front, toward the upper part of the forehead at some distance. They were able to read my thoughts more completely and more deeply than other spirits, so I did not speak with them in the same way, but by a greater abundance of thought, which the others said they had not understood. So they are not far from heaven.
1987. 1/2. I was shown how they pray in the other life, as is usually done, while saying the Lord's prayer, during which their understanding was communicated to me. It was simple, hardly beyond the bare meaning of the words. Yet it was not closed up, as with others, but still soft, able to be opened up, and therefore understandable to the angels, as though each mental image, albeit in the bare meaning of the words, could serve as a container. 1748, 18 May.
1987. CONCERNING THOSE AT THIS DAY WHO ARE, AS IT WERE, [A REMNANT] OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH.
There are still some who retain and preserve much of the Ancient Church, and who are especially distinguished by that feature of it by which they perceive whether anything is good. For this reason they are also rejected of others, who suppose that they are to be classed with enthusiasts, when yet this was a peculiarity of the Ancient Church that they had a perception of what was good, and thus of what they should do, acknowledging the operation of spirits, but recognizing in themselves that only of the Lord's spirit, and rejecting others. These persons, however, are mostly of an inferior condition, not easily admitting learned men among them, wherefore they think in simplicity, and give but a limited range to their thoughts. These are happy in the other life, and they were seen by me in front, towards the higher part of the forehead, at some distance; and they could perceive more fully and profoundly what was thought than other spirits, so that I could not converse with them in a like manner [as with others], but only by means of a greater fullness of thought, which the others said they did not understand; indicating that they are not far from heaven.
1987 1/2. How it was with them in the life of the body was shown me, as usual, by their utterance of the Lord's Prayer, in which their understanding of it was communicated to me; this was so simple as hardly to extend beyond the sense of the letter, but yet such as not to be closed as with others, but still soft, easily opened, and thus intelligible to the angels, as if each idea, though sensual as to the words, could serve for a vessel. - 1748, May 18.
1987. De iis qui sunt hodie sicut ab antiqua Ecclesia
Sunt adhuc quidam, qui ex antiqua Ecclesia multum retinent, et conservant, qui quoque id prae aliis habent, quod percipiant num bonum, ideo quoque ab aliis rejiciuntur, putantibus 1
eos non absimiles esse enthusiastis, cum tamen antiquae Ecclesiae hoc erat, ut perciperent quod bonum, sic quid agerent, agnoscentes spirituum operationem, sed in semet solum spiritus Domini; ceteros rejiciunt; sed quia sunt inferioris sortis, non facile admittentes eruditos, ideo in simplicitate cogitant, nec multum cogitationes suas dilatant; illi in altera vita beati sunt, et mihi apparuerunt antrorsum versus superiorem partem frontis, ad aliquam distantiam, ac percipere potuerunt cogitata plenius et profundius quam caeteri spiritus, sic ut cum iis non loquutus simili modo, sed per cogitationis pleniora, quae caeteri non se intellexisse dicebant, ita non absunt procul a coelo.
1987a. Quomodo in vita corporis orant, mihi ostensum est, ut solitum, in oratione Domini, in qua eorum intellectus mihi communicatus, qui erat simplex, vix praeter sensum verborum, sed usque talis, ut non clausus, sicut apud alios, sed usque mollis, apertibilis, et sic angelis intelligibilis, sicut quaelibet idea, tametsi sensualis vocum, inservire potuisset pro vase. 1748, 18 Maj.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has putantes