3479. This all shows how people fall into wicked principles and into dreadful fantasies when from philosophical, material, sensual, bodily, or earthly - thus from finite things - they reason about spiritual and heavenly matters, and even more, about Divine ones. This results from their not having true faith so that the Lord may lead all their thoughts, even the very least, but from their leading themselves, for such reasonings rise up out of what is their own.
3479. From this it may appear how men fall into impious principles and direful phantasies, when from things philosophical, material, sensual, corporeal, yea, natural and finited to the lowest degree, they reason concerning spiritual and celestial, and still more, Divine things; which results from their not being in true faith, so that the Lord might lead each and all their thoughts; whereas they on the contrary lead themselves, for such things arise from their proprium.
3479. Inde constare potest, quomodo cadunt homines in nefanda principia, et in diras phantasias, cum a philosophicis, materialibus, sensualibus, corporeis, imo naturalibus, ita a nitis, magis qui a finitissimis, ratiocinantur de spiritualibus et coelestibus, et magis de Divinis, quod fluit inde quia non in vera fide, quod Dominus ducat cogitata omnia et singula, sed ii semet ducant, nam talia ex proprio exurgunt.