3107. So a person is in an entirely different state when in Church, both the speaker and the listener, not reflecting on arguments that could be raised, than when in a state to reason. For example, about life after death, who does not believe in life after death, moved even to sighs and tears, when listening to an enthusiastic preacher? But who believes in life after death when in a argumentative state of mind?
Some spirits were let into a state of zeal, as they were when they had preached and listened in church. Then they were in such a state of conviction; but I know that outside of that state they are not like that, but wonder, like others, about every detail, whether it is so. 1748, 9 Sept.
Even famous preachers had been in that state for a period of time, that they considered it impossible for a person on earth to speak with spirits, for the reason that they had held that opinion in their lifetime, and [I] perceived that if someone had told them such a thing in their [bodily] life,
3107. Wherefore, when man is in church, and does not reflect upon the arguments which can be objected, he is both preacher and hearer in a very different state than when he is in arguments. For instance, as respects the life after death; who does not believe in a life after death, when he hears the preacher earnest even to sighs and tears: but who believes in the life after death, when in a state of reasoning. Certain ones were thrown [missi] into the same state of zeal, as when they preached and heard in church. They were in a state of such a persuasion, but I knew that (apart from) [extra] that state, they are not of such a nature, but wonder as well as others, that such is the case, in every point [in singulis]. - 1748, September 9. Also in such a state have been famous preachers, for some space [moram] of time, so as to deem it impossible that man could have spoken with spirits, because they have held that opinion during life, so that if anyone perceiving such a thing had told them during life, they would have wholly denied [it],
3107. Quare homo prorsus in alio statu est, cum in Ecclesia, tam qui concionatur, quam qui audit, dum non reflectit ad ratiocinia, quae objici queunt, quam dum est in ratiociniis; sicut de vita post mortem, quis non credit vitam post mortem, dum praedicatorem audit ardentem, usque ad gemitum et lachrymas? at quis credit vitam post mortem in statu ratiocinationis? missi 1
quidam in statum zeli, sicut dum praedicarunt et in ecclesia audiverunt, tunc erant in statu persuasionis talis, at scio quod extra statum illum non tales sint, sed mirentur in singulis, ut alii, quod ita se res habeat. 1748, 9 Sept. Etiam in tali statu insignes praedicatores fuerunt per moram temporis, [ut putarent] quod impossibile esset, quod potuisset homo loqui cum spiritibus, ex eo, quod in ea opinione fuerunt in vita, percipiens 2
si tale quis iis
(3108.) dixisset in vita, quod prorsus negavissent, dicendo quod illusiones essent; quare in tali statu fuerunt apud me, inquirendo an ita sit, putantes 3
tunc quod illusio, et nihil sciam ex iis, quamvis ii sciunt, sed tandem convicti, in alium statum ducti sunt, ut autumarent; nunc quoque in statu autumandi sunt, sed non in statu credendi, 1748, 9 Sept. Etiam talis quandoque praedicatio persuasiva datur, ut qui nihil credunt, et putant se morituros sicut bruta, quod tunc quasi elevari in coelum sibi videantur, sed usque mox, ut exeunt ab Ecclesia, nihil credunt, et similia alioquin subsannant; quod eleventur in coelum ex idea spirituali percepi, tum quoque experientia viva apud quosdam. 1748, 9 Sept. Cum homines in tali statu persuasivo sunt, et elevantur 4
, tunc Dominus operatur, et ea inseminat mentibus eorum, et illa recondit, quae vocantur "reliquiae"; tum quoque aliis multis temporibus, ut dum in infortuniis, tentationibus, quod mihi nunc insinuatum. 1748, 9 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has rationcinationis: missi
2. sic Manuscript forte pro [ego] percipiens vel percipientes
3. The Manuscript has putans
4. The Manuscript has est, et elevatur