3547. Little children, even though they grow up in heaven, are nonetheless corrupted, and impure, and nothing but evil
It had been the distorted view of some [spirits] that little children who have grown up in heaven were pure because they had practiced no evil as adults on earth. But there was a certain one who had died in early childhood and had grown up in heaven, perhaps unaware that he had evil in him, because he thought there was not, was let back among spirits like others, and conversed with spirits about little children and about the fact that they are almost composed of hereditary evil, so that they are nothing but evil and, to be sure, with diversity according to the evil inherited by parents in succession. This continually bursts forth, and being the evil of lusting, continually brings up falsities.
Therefore, neither can they be perfected to eternity, or an absolute harmony ever be achieved, because the root of evil constantly sprouts forth, bringing many evils into act during bodily life, being aroused by hereditary evils, the diversities of which obviously come forth in step with the evil acts of the parental lineage. In this way the evils of some families may be distinguished from the evils of other families. Therefore in little children goodness cannot ever be implanted [as their own], because evil and good cannot abide together, but all their goodness is the Lord's. 1748, 12 Oct.
3547. THAT INFANTS, ALTHOUGH THEY GROW UP IN HEAVEN: ARE STILL SINFUL AND IMPURE, AND IN THEMSELVES NOTHING BUT EVIL.
It was the perverse opinion of certain spirits, that infants who grew up in heaven were pure, because there was in them no actual evil, as in adults on earth. But there was a certain one who had died an infant and grown up in heaven, who because he thought otherwise, and perhaps because he was ignorant of his own evil, was remitted, like others, among spirits, and then spoke with them on the subject of infants, saying that they were made up, as it were, of hereditary evil, so that they were nothing but evil, yet still with some diversity, according to the evil successively transmitted by descent from parents, which continually bursts forth, and, as being the evil of lusts, continually suggests falsities. Wherefore they can never be perfected to eternity, or an absolute correspondence be given, because the stock of evil incessantly buds, from whence are abundant actual evils in the life of the body, excited by hereditary evils, of which the diversities exist according to the actual evils of the parents successively transmitted. Hence it is that the evils of some families may be distinguished from those of others. Good therefore can never [from this source] be implanted in infants, because they cannot be good and evil at the same time; but all their good is from the Lord. - 1748, October 12.
3547. Quod infantes, tametsi adolescunt in coelo, usque quod vitiosi sint, et impuri, et nihil nisi malum
Quorundam spirituum perversa opinio erat, quod infantes qui adoleverunt in coelo, puri essent, quia iis non actualitas sicut adultis in terra, sed erat quidam infans mortuus, qui adolevit in coelo, is quia aliter cogitavit, et forte quod nesciret se malum habere, remissus erat inter spiritus, sicut alii, et loquutus cum spiritibus de iis, quod ex malo haereditario sint quasi compositi, sic ut nihil nisi malum, et quidem cum diversitate secundum malum haereditario a parentibus successive acceptum, quod continuo ebullit, et quia malum cupiditatum, continuo falsa suggerit, quare nec ii in aeternum possunt perfici, seu correspondentia absoluta nusquam dari queat, quia mali radix continuo propullulat, inde quoque mala pleraque actualia in vita corporis, quae excitantur a malis haereditariis, quorum diversitates dari secundum mala actualia parentum successive constat, inde familiarum mala dignoscuntur a familiarum aliarum malis; quare nusquam infantibus implantari potest bonum, quia malum et bonum simul esse nequeunt, sed omne bonum eorum est Domini. 1748, 12 Oct.