3353. About the posterity of the most ancient Church, or Adam after the fall
They were with me overhead, not so high up as those from the most ancient Church. At first they were streaming in quite softly and inconspicuously, but due to inner sight I was given to recognize that they were inwardly evil, because their inward action was against love. Later it was imparted to me that they were from the offspring of the most ancient Church, which was spurious, and about whom it was said that the imagination of their heart was nothing but evil [3316], which had been separated from true love, so that they loved their offspring most tenderly, as they even declared.
Now since their inward action was against love - but such that if I had not been given inner sight by the Lord, I never would have perceived it-so since they were carrying this in their mind, the spirits were fleeing away, shouting that they could not bear the cadaverous odor such as they had never smelled before, because it would kill them, as they are now adding.
3353. CONCERNING THE OFFSPRING OF THE MOST ANCIENT CHURCH; OR ADAM AFTER THE FALL.
(There were with me [some], above the head, not so high as they who [are] of the Most Ancient Church. These first inflowed quite mildly and imperceptibly [inconspicue]; but it was granted to know from perception, that they were interiorly evil, because they acted interiorly against love. Afterwards, it was insinuated into me that they were of the offspring of the Most Ancient Church, which was spurious, and of whom it is said, that the device of their heart was nothing but evil. It was afterwards also signified by respiration about the province of the genital members, where, as you may see before [stated] their love repaired, which was separated from true love, so that they loved [their] offspring most tenderly, as they also said. And when they acted with interior deceit in opposition to love, yet in such a manner, that had not the Lord granted me perception, I could by no means have perceived it; then when they harbored this in mind, the spirits fled cried out that they could not endure so cadaverous an odor; so that they have never perceived such [an odor], inasmuch as it would destroy [kill] [necaret] them, as they now allege.)
3353. De antiquissimae Ecclesiae prole, seu Adamo post
lapsum
Erant apud me supra caput, non tam alte ac ii qui ab antiquissima Ecclesia, ii primum influebant satis molliter et inconspicue, sed ex perceptione cognoscere dabatur, quod interius mali essent, quia interius contra amorem agebant; postea mihi insinuatum quod essent ab antiquissimae Ecclesiae prole, quae spuria, et de quibus dictum quod figmentum cordis eorum esset nihil nisi malum [Gen. VI: 5]: postea quoque significatum per respiratum circa membrorum genitalium provinciam, quo se contulit, ut prius videas, amor eorum [3316], qui separatus erat a vero amore, sic ut prolem tenerrime amarent, quod etiam dicebant: cumque dolose interius facerent contra amorem, sed ita ut nisi perceptio a Domino mihi data esset 1
, nequaquam percepissem: tunc cum hoc mente ferrent, tunc aufugiebant 2
spiritus, et clamabant, quod non sufferre possent odorem tam cadaverosum, sic ut nusquam talem perceperint, quia eos necaret, ut nunc inferunt.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has essent
2. The Manuscript has aufugebant