2157.
But suddenly a doubt arose, which, I noticed, also slipped into the inward heaven, for heaven was suddenly closed, because the doubt had touched some of them.
It was this: since their inward parts are not defiled by hereditary and self-acquired evil, but only the regions of their earthly mind, it therefore appeared at first sight that because their inward parts were not defiled, they were thus without vice, or they were pure and holy.
Some of them pondered on this doubt. But later it vanished, because the fact is, angels cannot possibly be in the inward heaven, nor in the very inward, nor in the innermost one, without at the same time being [rooted] in their earthly mind, which pertains to the angels of the inward heaven. The earthly mind cannot be put off, for thus they would lack that which completes order, and they would no longer be angels. Therefore, the defilement gotten hereditarily and that acquired by one's actions, pertaining to the earthly mind, must interact harmoniously with the qualities that are more inward, even as the more inward qualities must with the innermost, and without interaction there can be no holiness.
2157. But suddenly came a doubtful principle which also insinuated itself into the interior heaven, which I perceived, because it was immediately closed, inasmuch as the doubtful principle affected certain of them; and this since their more interior parts are not vitiated by hereditary and acquired evil, but only those parts which belong to the natural mind. Therefore it appeared at the first glance that because the more interior things are not vitiated, these angels are then without vice, or are such, and consequently pure or holy, some of them thought concerning this doubtful principle. But afterwards the doubtful principle vanished, because the matter is so circumstanced that angels can by no means be in the interior heaven, nor in the more interior, nor in the inmost, without being also at the same time in the natural mind, which belongs to the angels of the interior heaven. The natural mind cannot be put off for thus would be lacking that which completes order, and no longer would they be angels; wherefore the vicious principle received by inheritance and actually acquired, which belongs to the natural mind, must harmoniously correspond with such things as are more interior, like as the more interior things with the inmost, and apart from correspondence cannot exist any holiness; wherefore correspondence is that which is given by the Lord, which is the faculty given by the Lord,
2157. Sed subito venit dubium, quod se quoque insinuavit in coelum interius, quod percepi, quia illico claudebatur, quia dubium affecit quosdam eorum, nempe cum intimiora eorum non sint vitiata 1
a malo haereditario et acquisito, sed solum ea quae sunt mentis naturalis, proinde primo intuitu apparebat, quod, quia intimiora non vitiata, quod ii tunc essent absque vitio, seu tales ut 2
sic puri seu sancti, de quo dubio aliqui eorum cogitabant; sed postea evanescebat, quia ita se res habet, quod angeli nequaquam possint esse in coelo interiori, nec in intimiori, nec in intimo, quin simul etiam in mente naturali, quae est angelorum interioris coeli, exui mens naturalis nequit, sic enim deforet id quod ordinem compleret, et forent amplius non angeli: quare vitiosum haereditate acceptum, et actualitate acquisitum, quod est mentis naturalis, harmonice correspondere debet, cum iis quae sunt intimiora, sicut intimiora cum intimis,et absque correspondentia, non potest existere aliqua sanctitas, quare correspondentia ista est, quae datur a Domino, quae est
(2158.) facultas a Domino data, ut correspondeant ita, ut nesciant paene quod naturale habeant, data enim correspondentia, tunc naturale est tanquam nihil, et quasi abesset, sicut quod pellucet, tunc intimiora patent, quod est Solius Domini donum: quod constare potest ab experientia aliquoties ostensa, quod etiam animae recentes, qui adhuc in phantasiis suis seu corporeis, imo spiritus non boni, quoque in coelum auferri queant, sed modo dum in certis statibus sunt, in quibus concordantia dari potest a Domino; verbo correspondentia est, quae facit, ut videantur sibi angeli esse non spiritus naturales, cum tamen sunt naturales, sed naturale in certis statibus per correspondentiam quasi disparet; sed usque talis est homo, talis spiritus, et talis angelus, tam vitiosus, ut nusquam in aeternum correspondentia fieri possit, sed semper perficitur a Domino: quare etiam cum dissident, tunc e coelo in spiritus vertuntur, et ibi subeunt castigationes, usque dum correspondentia a Domino detur. 1748, 31 Maj.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has vitiato ut videtur
2. The Manuscript has et