3105. One knows many truths, but does not acknowledge them, the moment one reasons
It has sometimes happened that those who had preached heavenly truths in their lifetime and had ardently impressed them upon others, when those truths are demonstrated to them in the other life, that they denied them, because they were in a state of mind to reason about them-such as that the Lord rules them through His spirit. This the preachers ardently urge them [to believe], praying that the Lord may rule them through His spirit, may dictate the words to them, may put in their mouth what they should say, that He may be present and lead everyone, that there is nothing except from Him, that human strength is nothing, and that he is as a stump in the act of regeneration.
When these things are demonstrated to their very eyes as being so, then because they are in a state of mind to reason about them, and because their faith had been only one of knowing, they wondered about them like others and denied them at heart. But when it was recalled to their memory that in their lifetime they had nevertheless urged others [to believe] these things, and had preached them, indeed in preaching had seemed to themselves to believe them, then they at once acknowledged and affirmed them. This all showed that it had not been a belief of the heart, but of the memory.
Just now it also happened when it was being thought about that human beings were so created by the Lord that while in the world, they would also be in heaven with the angels, and thus that heaven must have been joined with the world, one who had been a preacher in his day said that he had been able in preaching so to enlarge on these things
3105. THAT MAN KNOWS MANY TRUTHS; BUT HE DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THEM, AS SOON AS HE REASONS.
It happened on several occasions that, to those who have preached heavenly truths in life and zealously inculcated them, it was demonstrated, in the other life, that they denied them, because they have been in a state of reasoning concerning them: for instance, that the Lord directs them by his Holy Spirit; this is zealously urged by preachers, and they pray that the Lord may direct [them] by his Holy Spirit, may dictate words to them, put in their mouth what to say; that he may be present and lead everyone; that nothing [comes] but from him; that men have no power, and are like stocks in the act of regeneration: and the like. When the same things were demonstrated to the sight [ad oculum] of the same [preachers] to be so, because [they have been] in a state of reasoning, concerning them, and because their faith has been a scientific [faith], they as well as others, have been astonished, and denied [it] in heart: but when it was recalled into their memory, that till they have urged and preached these things during their life, yea during [their] preaching, seemed to themselves to believe: then they at once acknowledged and affirmed [it]: from which it could be evident, that it was not a faith of the heart but of the memory: even when I thought concerning this that man was so created by the Lord as, while in the world to be also in heaven with the angels, and thus heaven be conjoined with the world, it happened that one of the preachers of his time said, that he could have so enlarged on these things by preaching,
3105. Quod homo multas veritates sciat, sed non agnoscit illico ut ratiocinatur
Aliquoties contigit, quod ii qui veritates coelestes in vita praedicarunt, et ardenter aliis 1
inculcarunt, cum iis in altera vita demonstrarentur, quod eas negarent, quia in statu ratiocinationis de iis fuerunt; sicut quod Dominus eos per spiritum Ipsius, regat eos, hoc praedicatores ardenter urgent, et orant quod Dominus per spiritum Ipsius regat, dictet iis voces, indat ori eorum quid dicant, quod adsit et unumquemque ducat, quod nihil quam ab Ipso, quod hominis vires nullae sint, et sicut stipes in regenerationis actu, et similia, cum iisdem ad oculum eadem demonstrarentur, quod ita esset, [tunc] quia in statu ratiocinationis de iis, et quia fides eorum fuerit scientifica, mirati sunt sicut alii, et in corde negarunt, at cum iis in memoriam revocatum, quod usque in vita sua haec urserint, et praedicaverint, imo in praedicatione se credere sibi visi sint, tunc illico agnoscebant, et affirmabant, ex quibus constare potuit, quod non fuit cordis fides, sed memoriae; nunc quoque contigit, cum cogitaretur de eo, quod ita homo creatus a Domino sit, ut dum in mundo, etiam in coelo cum angelis esset, et sic conjunctum foret coelum mundo, unus praedicatorum sui temporis dixit, quod haec potuisset praedicatione ita
(3106.) amplificare, et cum persuasione apud se, ut omnes quoque viderentur sibi persuasi, ad minimum dicerent, quod praedicavisset sicut angelus, sed usque dum in altera vita demonstratur quod ita sit, nempe quod ego talis a Domino sim, quod in mundo spirituum percipere possim quid 2
dicunt, quid agunt, et ii per me in mundo, tam mirum iis obvenit, et tam incredibile, ut dixerint, quod hoc nusquam in vita cogitaverint, praeter similia alia. 1748, 9 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has alii
2. The Manuscript has quid quid sed in J.F.I. Tafel's edition quidquid