2150. Man and spirit cannot do the least thing by themselves, even if they seem to themselves able to do everything on their own power.
Today further experience made me realize that a spirit can do not the least thing on his own, even if he seems to himself able to think, speak, and do everything. The experience is so abundant that if all the rest should be brought forward, it would fill every page.
Here I can say only this, that today spirits were told that they are powerless of themselves, at which they were indignant and said that they were able to act of themselves. So they were shown that they could do nothing, although being permitted to speak.
I saw in a spiritual mental image that there was a kind of limited field, the boundaries of which they could not possibly overstep. So these fields were shown them, and when the spirits tried to go beyond them, or speak beyond them, they were powerless to do so.
2150. THAT MEN AND SPIRITS CANNOT DO THE LEAST THING FROM SELF, THOUGH TO THEMSELVES EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE FROM THEM.
(It was granted me today to know by much experience that spirits cannot effect the least, although it seems to them that they can think, speak, and do everything from themselves. My experience [on this head] is so copious, that if all the rest should be displayed, it would fill every page. I will only relate that it was today told the spirits that they could effect nothing from themselves, whereat being indignant, they said they were able of themselves; wherefore it was shown them that they could effect nothing, that what they spoke was permitted them. I perceived in spiritual idea that there was, as it were, a sphere having limits, beyond which they could by no means pass. Wherefore such spheres were shown; and when spirits attempted to pass beyond, or speak, they could by no means do so.
2150. Quod 1
homo et spiritus ne minimum ex se possint, tametsi videantur 2
sibi omnia esse 3
ex se
Hodie per plurem experientiam dabatur mihi scire, quod spiritus ne hilum possit, tametsi videatur sibi omnia ex se posse, cogitare, loqui, agere; experientia est tam copiosa, si omnis alia proferretur 4
, ut omnem paginam impleret; solum quod hodie, dicebatur spiritibus, quod nihil ex se possint, quo indignati dicebant se posse ex se, quare ostensum est iis quod nihil potuissent, quod loquerentur, hoc esset iis permissum; in idea spirituali percepi, quod quasi sphaera esset, limitata, extra cujus limites nequaquam possent transgredi, quare tales sphaerae ostensae sunt, cumque spiritus conarentur ultra ire, seu loqui, nequaquam potuerunt.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has Quo
2. The Manuscript has vidantur
3. sic manuscript, forasse pro posse
4. The Manuscript has proferetur