250.我说“用处”，是指着那些研究科学知识时带着没有它们就什么也不信这种态度来研究的人说的。它们在学校还有用处，在那里，哲学家们，甚至那些要担任牧师职务的人只阐述和教导这类材料。它之所以还有用处，是因为这种知识对年轻人来说是一个挑战，能助长他们的雄心壮志。另外一个用处就是，以这种方式从天上降下来的属灵事物不会那么容易被扭曲，以至于弄瞎人们的心智，不知不觉地把他们引入摇摆的信仰，或不信。由于当今世界被视为是学术的，除了它能理解的东西外，什么也不愿相信，所以对具有这种性质的人来说，属灵事物几乎不能有效发挥作用，除非现有的虚假和谎言的基础层面要么完全被驱散并灭亡，要么被转化为由属世真理所构成的基础层面。这些人死后会是什么样子：他们当中那些有点判断力的人能从以下事实得出结论：死后生命是肉体生命的延续；当死后特别和具体的记忆逝去时，这种扭曲，也就是在属灵事物上的虚假和对真理的无知，会用一种硬皮覆盖头脑，如此败坏核心或天性。因此，他们只能变得最愚蠢；他们在身体里越聪明，就越愚蠢。事实上，他们比那些没有学过任何科学知识的人更愚蠢，因为他们会把科学应用到对属灵事物的探究上。（1747年11月14日）
250. When I say "of use," I mean for those who study scientific matters with the attitude that they cannot believe anything without them; besides its use in schools, where nothing but such material is propounded and taught by philosophers, even by those who are committed to the priestly office. It is also of use because this kind of knowledge is a challenge to youth, promoting their ambitions. An additional use is that by its means, spiritual things let down from heaven are not so readily distorted, so as to blind their minds and lead them unconsciously into a wavering belief or no belief.
Because the world today is considered to be scholarly and does not want to believe anything but what it understands, therefore with people of this character, what is spiritual can scarcely function effectively unless the existing false and lying basis is either completely broken up and perishes, or is converted into a basis consisting of natural truths.
What these people will be like after death, those of them who possess some discrimination can conclude from the fact that life after death is a continuation of the life of the body, and that distortions of this kind, which are falsities in spiritual matters and concealments [of truth], when specific and individual memories pass away [after death], overlay [the mind] with a sort of crust, and thus virtually corrupt the core, or character [see 245]. So they cannot but become most stupid, and thus the wiser they were in the body, the more stupid [they become] (in fact, more stupid than those who had not learned anything whatever of the sciences), because of having imposed the sciences upon the exploration of spiritual matters. 1747, 14 November (old calendar).
250. I say, "use", but with reference to those who study knowledges in such a way that they are unwilling to believe anything without them. There is also their use in the schools where nothing but such matter; are set forth and taught by philosophers, even by those who are to perform the office of the priesthood. Then, because similar subjects belong to the exercises of youth, since they favor their desires, there is in addition the use that in this way spiritual things sent down from heaven are not thus perverted, and do not blind men's minds and insensibly lead them to doubt, and thus to infidelity. Because the world is such at this day that it is reputed learned, and is willing to believe nothing but what it can understand, therefore, with those who are of such a nature, the spiritual can scarcely operate unless that false and mendacious plane is either entirely dispersed and perishes, or else is turned into a plane of natural verities. What such persons will be like after death, those of them who possess any judgment can conclude from the fact that the life after death is the continuation of the life of the body, and that there are similar things, as falsities in spiritual things and blindness, which induce as it were a crust when the special and particular things of the memory perish, and thus as it were pervert the kernel, or the nature. Hence they cannot but become most stupid: and the wiser they thus are in the body, so much the more stupid do they become; indeed, they become more stupid than those who had learned nothing whatever of the sciences, inasmuch as they have applied the sciences to the investigation of spiritual things. 1747, Nov. 14, o.s.
250. Usum dico, sed apud eos, qui scientificis ita student, ut absque iis nihil credere velint, praeter usum in scholis, ubi nihil nisi similia traduntur et docentur a philosophis, etiam ab iis qui sacerdotii munere functuri sunt, tum quia similia sunt juventutis palaestrae, quia favent eorum cupiditatibus, praeter usum, quod sic spiritualia demissa de coelo, non ita pervertantur, occoecentque 1
mentes, et perducant eas insensibiliter ad dubiam seu nullam fidem; talis quia mundus hodie est, ut audiat eruditus, et nihil nisi quod intelligere possit, velit credere, ideo, apud similes vix operari potest, spirituale, nisi planum istud falsum et mendax vel discutiatur prorsus et pereat, vel ut in planum veritatum naturalium vertatur; quales ii post mortem futuri, iidem, qui aliquo judicio pollent, concludere possunt ex eo, quod vita post mortem sit continuatio vitae corporis, et quod similia, quae falsitates sunt in spiritualibus et occoecationes, quasi 2
crustam inducant, cum res speciales et particulares memoriae pereant, et sic pervertant quasi nucleum seu indolem, inde non possunt non stupidissimi fieri, et quo plus sapientes ita in corpore, eo stupidiores, imo stupidiores iis, qui nihil usquam didicerant ex scientiis, nempe quod scientias applicuerint ad indagationem spiritualium. 1747, 14 Nov. st. v.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has occoecantque
2. The Manuscript has occoecationes quasi