2889. When such spirits were infesting me for a long time, holding me in my more pleasant [states] from premeditated deceit, and it was granted me to realize this, then in whatever way I seemed to be able, I resisted, repelling them, twisting the evil back toward them, though not on my own power, but I seemed to do so on my own. Certain spirits speaking with me were saying that it is not lawful to act in this way, resisting evil with evil, considering that they should be entirely passive and await direct help from the Lord, falling into this opinion only because of the general law that they should not resist evil [Matt. 5:39], but should suffer all evils to be brought upon them and then await direct liberation by the Lord. But I was prompted to tell them that it should not be interpreted in this way, so as to mean that if someone in a person's life, if a thief or robber, or if a criminal, wanted to take someone's life, steal craftily or with overt violence what is most dear to the person and utterly necessary, burn it up, and the person is alone, he should then passively let this happen and await direct help from the Lord, and on not receiving it,
2889. When such infested me long, by keeping me in my more pleasant [states] out of premeditated deceit, and this was granted me to perceive, then, in whatever mode, I seemed to be able, I resisted, by fighting them back, retorting evil upon them, although [it was] not of me, but I seemed [to act] as it were, from myself. Certain spirits spoke with me and said, that it is not permitted to act so, as to resist evil with evil; they supposed that they ought to be wholly submissive, and expect immediate help from the Lord, for they fall into such an opinion, from the general law alone, that they must not resist evil, but suffer all evils to be brought upon them, and so expect immediate liberation from the Lord. But they were told, that it is not so to be understood, as that if anyone in the life of man, if a thief, a robber, a malefactor, wishes to take away any one's life, to steal deceitfully, or by open force, what is most dear and quite necessary to him, to burn it, and he [the sufferer is] alone, that then he would suffer this to happen, and expect immediate help from the Lord,
2889. Cum tales diu me infestarent, me in jucundioribus meis tenendo, ex praemeditato dolo, et hoc datum est mihi percipere, tunc quocunque modo videbar posse, restiti, iis repugnando, retorquendo malum in eos, quamvis non ex me, sed videbar quasi a me; quidam spiritus mecum loquentes dicebant, quod ita non licitum sit agere, ut malum malo resistatur, putantes quod prorsus patientes esse debeant, et exspectare auxilium immediatum a Domino, nam in talem opinionem cadunt ex sola lege communi, quod non resistere debeant malo [Matth. V: 39-], sed quod paterentur omnia mala sibi inferri 1
, et sic liberationem immediatam a Domino exspectare; at iis dicere datum, quod non ita intelligendum sit, ut si quis in vita hominis, si fur si latro, si maleficus auferre velit vitam alicujus, furari dolose et vi aperta quod ei charissimum est, et prorsus necessarium, id comburere, et is solus, quod tunc pateretur hoc fieri, et exspectare immediatum
(2890.) auxilium a Domino, et cum non accipit, culpam dare Domino; tale nequaquam est intellectus Legis communis, sed resistere cuique licet malo, cum non aliud auxilium adest, sed solum mente resistendi malo, non odio habendi eum qui facit, nec mente vindictam exercendi; nam tunc a Domino, per media tunc conformia, ei datur vis resistendi, et mens resistendi, quae resistentiae reguntur a Domino; quae cum non intelligerent, vel non vellent intelligere, nam non potuerunt scire quid hoc sit absque odio et vindicta resistere, et in aliquem retorquere malum, in aliqua ratiocinia volebant me inducere, cui dictum, quod hoc veritas, et lex communis, contra quam si formarentur ratiocinia, nihil de lege et veritate ista intellegeretur, sed modo forent 2
ratiociniorum cumuli, inde caligo mentis. 1748, 23 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has inferre
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has foret