3313. It was disclosed to me that the most subtle ones, whom I had not felt before, were children of the most ancient Church, namely, from before the flood, let back into their state, such as they had been. Their malice is indescribable, being too subtle to come to my perception, only the fact that it existed. But what it was, or its quality, I was given to realize only from this, that they were evil. In short, they were inwardly evil, so that if they had been any more deeply so, they would not have been salvable to eternity; for they wanted also to corrupt pure spiritual things. 1
Footnotes:
1. [, which are the means of salvation]
3313. It was disclosed to me that the subtlest, whom I did not perceive before, were those who were sons of the Most Ancient Church, to wit [the Church] before the flood, [and were] remitted into their state such as they were [then]. Their wickedness cannot be described, because it was more subtle than could come to my perception, save what it was. But what, or of what quality, was given to perceive only from this, that [they were] evil. In a word, they were interiorly evil, so that if [they had been] still more interiorly evil, they could never have been saved to eternity, for they also wished to pervert pure spirituals.
3313. Detegebatur mihi quod subtilissimi, quos prius non percepi, essent ii qui filii antiquissimae Ecclesiae, nempe ante diluvium, remissi in statum suum, quales erant, quorum malitia non describi potest, quia subtilior erat quam potuit ad perceptionem meam venire, praeter quod esset: quid autem aut quale [erat] solum ab eo quod mali, percipere datum, verbo erant interius mali, sic ut si adhuc magis interius, nusquam in aeternum potuissent salvari, nam volebant pura spiritualia quoque pervertere.