2736. The sciences contribute nothing to salvation, but rather they confuse and distort ideas
I spoke with spirits about the fact that the sciences contribute nothing to salvation, only let there be higher knowledge from the Word of the Lord; and that to make a comparison, they are like a knowledge of the human body regarding anatomical facts, the blood, and the structure of all the rest of the parts-this knowledge does nothing toward the preservation of health. So those who understand nothing about these things still live as healthy as those who have devoted themselves very much to such studies. It is similar with mental health, which can be much greater with those who know nothing about the intellect and its faculties than one who has studied them throughout life, who is confused by scholarly hypotheses. 1748, 4 Aug.
2736. THAT SCIENCES CONTRIBUTE NOTHING TO SALVATION, BUT RATHER CONFUSE [AND] DISTORT IDEAS.
I conversed with spirits concerning this: that the sciences do not contribute to salvation, but only the knowledges of truth out of the Lord's Word, are [what contribute] - and that this may be compared to the knowledge of the human body, as to anatomies, the blood, all the constitution of the rest, [which knowledge] contributes nothing to the preservation of health; so that he who understands nothing of these things, still lives as healthy as he who during all his life has been intent on these studies. Likewise intellectual health [soundness] [sanitas] may be possessed in much greater degree by those who know nothing of the understanding and its faculties, than by him who has studied these things all his life, and confused with hypotheses, and scholastics. - 1748, August 4.
2736. Quod scientiae nihil contribuant ad salutem, sed potius confundant et distorquent 1
ideas
Cum spiritibus loquutus de eo, quod scientiae nihil contribuant ad salutem, [cum] modo cognitiones veritatum sint, ex Verbo Domini, et quod per comparationem ita se habeat, sicut cognitio corporis humani, quoad anatomica, sanguinem et omnium reliquorum constitutionem, nihil facit ad sanitatis conservationem, sic qui nihil ex iis intelligit, usque tam sanus vivit, ac qui in omni sua vita iis studiis invigilavit, similiter sanitas intellectualis, quae 2
multo major potest esse iis, qui nihil sciunt de intellectu et ejus facultatibus, quam qui studuit iis in omni vita, qui hypothesibus confunditur, et scholasticis. 1748, 4 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has confundant, distorquent
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has qui