3217. At length, I was prompted to speak about certain things written and published by me concerning the devil 1- that he had been created before the creation of the world as a link between heavenly and bodily things (these were supported also by the fact that they could not have been written differently, because the whole Christian world does not believe otherwise), and that he had been created a good angel, but afterwards fell, and was cast down from heaven, among other things. Then, because these were the principles of nature worshippers, he seized upon them so eagerly, that he said he had never had such life, so it was as if he was let into his true life, for it had been his nature to seize upon these principles in the life of the body, to confirm himself in them and to convince himself of them. And I was able to observe that poisons coming out of him were spread about to the spirits, for being bound to him, so to speak, by his effluvia, they could hardly have thought differently.
Footnotes:
1. Cf. The Worship and Love of God 69 ff., The Word Explained 55, 1848 ff., 1923.
3217. At length, when it was granted to speak concerning certain things written and published by me, concerning the devil [to wit], that he was created before the creation of the world, as a copula [link] between heavenly and corporeal things; which was also confirmed by this, that they could not have been written differently, inasmuch as the Christian world does not believe different; and that he was created a good angel, but afterwards fell and was cast from heaven; besides other things: then, inasmuch as these were the principles of the worshippers of nature, he snatched at these things so eagerly, that he said he had never possessed such a life: thus he [was] as it were let into [his] true life, for he was of such a character that he snatched at these things in the life of the body, and confirmed himself and persuaded himself [thereof]; and I could observe, that from him, poisons were diffused into spirits, by this, that they being as it were bound [ligati] by his efflux [effluvie] could hardly have thought otherwise.
3217. Tandem cum loqui datum de quibusdam a me scriptis et editis {a}, de diabolo, quod creatus ante mundi creationem, ut copula inter coelestia, et corporea--quae 1
confirmabantur quoque ex eo, quod non aliter scribi potuisset, quia universus orbis Christianus non aliter credit--quodque 2
angelus bonus creatus, sed postea lapsus, et dejectus a coelo, praeter alia, tunc quia haec naturalium 3
cultorum principia erant, is ea arripiebat tam avide, ut diceret, quod nusquam talem vitam habuerit, sic quasi missus in veram vitam, nam talis fuerat, ut haec arripuerit in vita corporis, et se confirmaverit, et sibi persuaserit: et quod ex eo venena diffusa sint in spiritus animadvertere potui per id quod quasi ligati 4
ab ejus effluviis, vix aliter cogitare potuissent.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has corporea, quae
2. The Manuscript has credit, quodque
3. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition naturae
4. The Manuscript has ligiti