2418. About evil and grosser spirits' understanding and conception of their being nothing
Spirits have at times been told that they are nothing, and that the Lord is all in all things, indeed they have even been told and shown what it means that they are nothing [2043-2048]. Yet some nevertheless do not want to understand, and some do not understand because their mental imagery is too gross for them to grasp it. For this reason they have repeatedly declared that the doctrine of faith is absurd for saying that they are nothing, and they still think they are everything, that they possess all life and power as their own and in themselves.
So in their irritation they have thrown back in reply that the doctrine is absurd for saying they are nothing. They tolerate this less than other tenets of the doctrine of faith, and this is surely due to self-love, though partly with others to ignorance. 1748, 27 June.
2418. CONCERNING THE UNDERSTANDING [intellectu] AND PERCEPTION OF EVIL SPIRITS, AND THOSE OF THE GROSSER SORT, TOUCHING THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOTHING.
It has been said several times to spirits that they are nothing, and that the Lord is all in all; yea, it was also said and shown them what is meant by their being nothing; but still some do not wish to understand it, others do not understand it because their ideas are of too gross a character to apprehend it. Therefore they babbled [dictabant] many times that the doctrine of faith is absurd, because it was said that they are nothing; and yet they suppose they are everything, as also that they possess all their life and power as their own, and in themselves. Wherefore, being indignant, they retorted that the doctrine was an absurdity, but is said as to their being nothing, they tolerate less than other things of the doctrine of faith, and, Indeed, out of self-love; others [do so] partly from ignorance. - 1748, June 27.
2418. De intellectu et perceptione spirituum malorum et crassiorum, de eo, quod nihil sint
Dictum aliquoties spiritibus quod nihil sint, et quod Dominus omne in omnibus, imo etiam iis dictum et ostensum, quid sit, quod nihil sint [2043-2048]; sed usque quidam non volunt intelligere 1
, quidam non intelligunt, quia ideae eorum crassiores, quam ut capiant, ideo id pluries dictabant, quod doctrina fidei absurda sit, quia dictum quod nihil sint, et usque putant quod omne, tum quod possideant omnem vitam et potentiam ut suam et in se; quare cum indignati, hoc regesserunt, quod 2
absurdum doctrina, quod dictum, eos nihil esse, hoc minus tolerant, quam alia doctrinae fidei, et quidem ex amore sui, partim alii ex ignorantia. 1748, 27 Junius.
Footnotes:
1. imperfectum in the Manuscript
2. The Manuscript has ut