2713. About the government of the universe: the universe is not ruled by the Lord in agreement with human fallacies and fantasies, in which there are countless things that oppose
In perverse and inverted human minds there is this most powerful and almost exclusive tendency to draw conclusions from the way outer things are governed, thus especially from fallacies of the senses and fantasies: why does the Lord not guard against and turn people away from evils, indeed, from cruelties and other such dreadful and abominable things, when yet the hearts of all are in His hand? Why, for example, did He not bend David away from so cruelly treating the Ammonites [2 Sam. 12:31], from adultery with Bathsheba [2 Sam. 11:4], or Solomon from idolatry [1 Kings 11:4-8], and countless other such things that can occur at any moment in people's thoughts?
I have been conversing with spirits on this subject yesterday and today, and those of them who are of a perverse and inverted nature stubbornly insist that the Lord either cannot, [or will not-] 1among numerous other things they turn over in their minds.
Footnotes:
1. Thus J. F. I. Tafel.
2713. CONCERNING THE GOVERNMENT OR THE UNIVERSE, - THAT THE UNIVERSE IS NOT RULED BY THE LORD, ACCORDING TO THE FALLACIES AND PHANTASIES OF MEN WHEREIN THERE ARE INDEFINITE THINGS WHICH RESIST [REPUGNANT].
In human minds, perverted and inverted, their conclusions are principally, and almost wholly, drawn from the government of externals; thus from the fallacies of the senses and phantasies, especially as to why the Lord does not guard and turn away man from evils, yea, from cruelties, and the like, which are to be dreaded and execrated, when yet the hearts of all are in his hand. For instance, why he did not turn away David from so cruelly treating the Ammonites; from adultery with Bathsheba; Solomon from idolatry; and indefinite things of this kind, which may occur at any moment in the thoughts of man. I conversed concerning this matter yesterday and today, of whom they are of a perverted and inverted nature, pertinaciously insist that, either the Lord cannot [or will not]; beside very many other things which they revolved in their minds.
2713. De regimine universi, quod universum non regatur a Domino, secundum fallacias et phantasias hominum, in quibus indefinita sunt, quae repugnant
In mentibus humanis perversis et inversis, hoc potissimum est, et paene omne, quod concludant a regimine externorum, ita ex fallaciis sensuum, et phantasiis, cumprimis: quare Dominus non custodiat et avertat hominem a malis, imo a crudelitatibus, et similibus quae horrenda sunt et abominanda, cum tamen omnium corda in manu ejus sint? sicut cur non deflexerit Davidem ab ita crudeliter tractandis Ammonitis [II Sam. XII: 31], eum ab adulterio cum Bathscheba [II Sam. XI: 4], Salomonem ab idololatria [I Reg. XI: 4-8], et indefinita talia, quae quovis momento occurrere possunt in cogitationibus hominis? De 1
hac re cum spiritibus heri et hodie in loquela fui, ex quibus, qui perversae et inversae naturae sunt, insistunt pertinaciter, quod vel Dominus non possit, [vel non velit,] 2
praeter alia, quae perplura in mentibus eorum volvuntur.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has hominis. De
2. sic in J.F.I. Tafel's edition