3008. At length they wanted to cast the blame for their hatred on the Lord, [saying] that He had ruled them in a way that they could not become different. About this there was much discussion, with some small uproar, because many were agreeing with [that point of view.] They were told that all evil in act comes from them, and all good from the Lord, but still they stubbornly insisted that they had been such not due to themselves, but due to the Lord. I was inspired to say by a spiritual mental image that thousands of volumes can be written about these matters, all seeming confirmatory, but still at last the truth must be written down that all evil in act comes from them, and all good from the Lord.
It was also shown that as much as [their restraints] are slackened, so much there is of evil and hatred-this since they are spirits, in the life of the body not so. The conclusion was that it has been foreseen by the Lord that they would thus bring evil into act, and that it has been provided that they would not cast themselves headlong into the worst death. 1748, 31 Aug.
3008. At length, they wished to cast the blame of [their] hatred on the Lord, that He had so ruled them that they could not have been different; concerning which matter they spoke much, with some small uproar [tumultu], because there were many who conspired. They were told that all actual evil comes from them, and all good from the Lord; but they still pertinaciously insisted that they had been of such a nature, not from themselves, but from the Lord. It was given to say with spiritual idea, that concerning these things, a thousand volumes can be written, and all, as it were, confirming. But still the truth is inscribed in ultimates, that all actual evil [proceeds] from them, and all good from the Lord. It was also shown that so far as they have remission, so far they have evil and hatred. This [is the case] when they are spirits; in the life of the body [it is] not so. The conclusion was, that it is provided by the Lord, that thus they should do evil in act [actualiter], and that it is provided that they should not precipitate themselves into the worst death. - 1748, August 31.
3008. Tandem voluerunt culpam odii rejicere in Dominum, quod sic rexisset eos, ut non alii potuissent fieri, de qua re multum loquutum cum quodam parvo tumultu, quia plures erant, qui conspirabant, iis dictum, quod omne malum actuale ab iis veniat, et omne bonum a Domino, sed usque pertinaciter insistebant, quod tales fuissent, non ex se 1
, sed ex Domino; dicere dabatur cum idea spirituali, quod de his volumina millia scribi possint, et omnia quasi confirmantia, sed usque in ultimis subscribetur veritas, quod malum omne actuale ex iis, et omne bonum a Domino; ostensum etiam quod quantum remittuntur, tantum malum et odium; hoc cum spiritus sunt, in vita corporis non ita; conclusio erat, quod a Domino praevisum, quod actualiter ita malum facturi, et quod provisum, ut non se praecipitarent in pessimam mortem. 1748, 31 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has iis