2485. Evil spirits are worse than brute animals
I spoke with some around me in the other life who were reflecting on the condition of spirits, especially of evil ones, and in a spiritual mental image it was seen quite clearly that evil spirits are like brute animals, comparable to hornets and bees, since from their natural character they think and do nothing but evil; and that they are worse than brutes in this respect, that they act from the faculty of reasoning, which they abuse to think and do evil. Therefore they act worse than brutes, and from that faculty they strive against spiritual and heavenly things, or those pertaining to belief, which brute animals, being devoid of that faculty, are unable to do. 1748, 2 July.
2485. THAT EVIL SPIRITS ARE WORSE THAN BRUTES.
I spoke with certain ones around me in the other life, who reflected upon the state of spirits, especially of the evil; and it was perceived very manifestly by a spiritual idea that evil spirits are like brute animals, resembling wasps and bees, which, when [they act] from their natural disposition, conceive [cogitent], and do nothing but evil, and that they are worse than brutes in this, that they act from a faculty of reasoning which they abuse, to think and do evil; therefore [act] worse than brutes, and that from that faculty they act against spirituals and celestials, or those things which belong to faith, which brute animals, because destitute of such a faculty, cannot [do]. - 1748, July 2.
2485. Quod spiritus mali pejores sint brutis
Loquutus sum cum quibusdam circum 1
me in altera vita, qui reflectebant super statum spirituum, imprimis malorum, et perceptum idea spirituali admodum manifeste, quod spiritus mali sint sicut bruta animalia, assimilata crabronibus et apibus, dum 2
ex indole sua naturali nihil nisi malum cogitent et agant, et quod pejores brutis in eo, quod ex facultate ratiocinandi agant, qua abutuntur ad malum cogitandum et faciendum, pejus ideo ac bruti, et quod ex facultate ista agant contra spiritualia et coelestia, seu illa quae fidei sunt, quod bruta animalia, quia tali facultate destituta, non possunt. 1748, 2 Julius 3
.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition circa
2. The Manuscript has qui dum
3. The Manuscript has 7 Juius