3283. It was said of these that they are nevertheless on the good path, and so are easily led to heaven, to become angels, which they still love to become, as I now sense. That they are on the good path was confirmed in general by the fact that they love uses, and that they have a life of uses, not a life of passions. Even though they worship a bearded one on account of the compatibility of [his] life, they still become angels, because they do so in simplicity and ignorance, like those who adore some saint on this earth. When they do this out of simplicity and ignorance, especially boys and girls, in the other life they are easily guided to adoring the Lord.
It is different with adults who know it is false, and being saturated with fantasies, confirm the simple-minded therein for the sake of their own vainglory and their own enjoyments. These were portrayed as being on the evil path, and immersed in worldly, bodily and earthly things.
3283. It was said concerning these that still they are in a good way, and thus are easily led to heaven, so as to become angels, which they ever love to become, as I now perceive. That they are in a good way, is hence confirmed in general that they love uses, and that they possess a life of uses, not uses of cupidities. That, although they worship the bearded [man] on account of its suiting their life, they still become angels, because [they do it] in simplicity and ignorance. Just as it is the case with those who worship some saint in this world: when he does this from simplicity and ignorance, especially boys and girls, they are easily brought in the other life to worship the Lord. It is different with adults, who know it to be false, and being imbued with phantasies confirm the simple-minded for the sake of [on account of] their pride and their pleasures, who are represented [as] in a bad way, and immersed in worldly, corporeal and terrestrial things.
3283. Loquutum de iis, quod usque in via bona sint, et sic facile adducantur ad coelum, ut angeli fiant, quod fieri usque amant, sicut nunc percipio; quod in via bona sint, exinde confirmatum, in genere quod usus ament, et quod vitam usuum habeant, non vitam 1
cupiditatum; quod, tametsi colunt barbatum propter vitae convenientiam, usque fiant angeli, quia in simplicitate, et ignorantia, sicut qui adorant sanctum quendam in hac tellure, cum hoc faciunt 2
ex simplicitate et ignorantia, cumprimis pueri et puellae, in altera vita facile perducuntur ad adorandum Dominum; aliter adulti, qui sciunt falsum esse, et phantasiis imbuti confirmant simplices sui fastus et suarum voluptatum causa, qui repraesentati quod in via mala, et immergi mundanis, corporeis et terrestribus.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has usum
2. The Manuscript has facit