3596. Moreover, I spoke with those who had been stirred up to be inappropriately compassionate, and it was granted me to declare that this is wickedness, and that they are not being moved by mercy, but when, instructed that mercy for those who are eager to deceive and corrupt the whole world and are looking out for themselves only - when, instructed that this is their character, they still persevere, this is worse than is the case with those who like to punish everyone. For those who are compassionate in this way do not suffer themselves to be moved with mercy from the Lord, thus toward those who are perishing. Even if it were the whole world that perished, they are still unwilling to recede from their [kind of] compassion for the sake of those who are destroying.
I have noticed that these are the kind who reason much about the government of the Lord and thereby cast themselves into darkness, so that they do not know what mercy is, and even if instructed, remain obstinately unmerciful [in their ignorance]. They allow themselves to be easily persuaded by such unmerciful cunning ones who breathe in compassion for the sake of themselves so that they may be greater than others, and the greatest - and as long as the cunning persuasion is breathed into them, they persist.
3596. I spoke, moreover, with those who were prompted to this unseasonable compassion, and it was given to say, that this was outrageous, not that they should be touched with pity, but that when informed [of their character] they should be disposed to exercise compassion towards such as were aiming to deceive and pervert the whole world, intent only upon their [vile] ends - that when instructed in their quality they should still persist [in their misplaced pity], which was in fact worse than the desire to punish everyone [of them], for those who are thus compassionate refuse to be affected by compassion from the Lord, that is, in behalf of those who perish [by their means]; even if it were the whole world that should perish [in this manner], still they would not desist from their compassion towards those who destroy them. I observed that those were of this character who reason much concerning the Divine government, and thus cast themselves into absurdities, not knowing what compassion is, and remaining obstinate, though instructed. They suffer themselves to be easily persuaded by such deceitful, merciless spirits, who inspire compassion for the sake of themselves and their own preeminence; and so long as this deceitful persuasion is infused into them, they persist [in their mistaken pity].
3596. Praeterea cum iis, qui excitati sunt, ut intempestive misericordes erant loquutus, et dicere datum, quod hoc nefandum, non quod misericordia tangantur, sed dum instructi, quod misericordia pro talibus, qui universum mundum decipere et pervertere student, et sibi solis student, cum instructi quod tales, et usque perseverant, quod pejus sit, quam qui unumquemque punire cupiunt, nam qui ita misericordes, non patiuntur se tangi misericordia a Domino, ita pro iis qui pereunt, si vel fuisset totus mundus qui periret, usque a misericordia sua non recedere volunt, pro iis qui perdunt: observavi quod tales essent, qui ratiocinantur multum de regimine Domini, et sic se in obscuritatem conjiciunt, ut non sciant quid misericordia, et tametsi instruuntur contumaces sunt; ii a talibus dolosis, immisericordibus, qui inspirant misericordiam sui causa ut aliis sint majores et maximi, facile se persuaderi patiantur, et quamdiu persuasio dolosa inspiratur, persistunt.