3693. About Truth 1
I perceived that the Lord, Who is love, thence mercy, flows into heaven, then into the world of spirits, in which, because heavenly love is turned into its contrary, namely, into lusts, heavenly order perishes. But whoever is in heavenly order is confirmed through love in every truth of faith. But because there is no heavenly love, for it is turned into lusts, there are truths of faith, which, separated from love, instruct, and lead back - which, however, is inverted order. Consequently, there are no longer inner bonds that rule [from within], but outer bonds that must rule mankind. Outer bonds are the rules that apply to civil society, inward bonds deriving from higher knowledge of the truths of faith, are also outward, which when they persuade [to obedience] constitute a person's conscience.
But the true conscience is the conscience coming from heavenly love, thus from the Lord. As for those inward bonds that are also outward, arising from the conviction of higher knowledge of faith, I have not yet been given to know how the case is with them in the other life. 1748, 25 Oct.
Footnotes:
1. The following unnumbered and unfinished paragraph deleted by transverse lines appears above this title:
About Truth
I perceived that the order is that one should come to know the truths of faith from love, not that one should be led by truths to heavenly love; also that the Lord inflows from love through heaven, and that this perishes
3693. CONCERNING TRUTH.
It was perceived that the Lord, who is love, and thence mercy, flows into heaven, thus into the world of spirits, in which, because celestial love is turned into the contrary, namely, into cupidities, therefore celestial order perishes; yet whoever is in this order is confirmed in all the truth of faith from love. But because there is no celestial love but it is turned into cupidities, [I perceived] that they are only truths of faith, separate from love, which instruct and reduce [to order], so that it is still inverted order; whence it is no longer by internal, but simply by external bonds that man is governed. External bonds are those which are of civil society; internal those that spring from a knowledge of the truths of faith. There are also [of these latter] certain bonds that are more exterior, and when they persuade [to obedience] constitute the conscience of man: but that [only] is a true conscience which is from celestial love, thence from the Lord. Those interior bonds which are [at the same time] more exterior, arising from the persuasion of the knowledges of faith - how the case is with them in the other life it is not yet given to know. - 1748, October 25.
3693. De Veritate 1
Perceptum quod Dominus, Qui amor, inde misericordia, influat in coelum, sic in mundum spirituum, in quo quia amor coelestis vertitur in contrarium, nempe in cupiditates, quod pereat ordo coelestis, in quo tamen qui est, in omni veritate fidei confirmatur ex amore; sed quia nullus amor coelestis, sed ille versus in cupiditates, quod veritates fidei sint, quae separatae ab amore, instruent, et reducent, quod tamen est inversus ordo; proinde non amplius sunt vincula interna quae regunt, sed vincula externa, per quae regendus homo: vincula externa sunt ea quae sunt societatis civilis, interiora vincula, quae a cognitione veritatum fidei, sunt quoque exteriora, sic ea vincula sunt, quae cum persuadent, conscientiam hominis constituent; at vera conscientia est, quae est ab amore coelesti, proinde a Domino; vincula illa interiora quae sunt exteriora, a persuasione cognitionum fidei, oriunda, quomodo in altera vita se habeant, nondum scire datum. 1748, 25 Oct. 1
Footnotes:
1. supra titulum hunc apparet paragraphus non numerata et inabsoluta lineis transversalibus deleta cum eodem titulo: De Veritate. Perceptum, quod talis sit ordo, ut homo ab amore sciat veritates fidei, non autem ut a veritatibus perducatur ad amorem coelestem; tum quod Dominus influat ab amore per coelum, et quod pereat hoc