3715. Neither can sirens be instructed in the other life, for whatever truth and whatever goodness they see, they do not grasp, because they have only superficial qualities, but they seize and examine it at once as a means they may use for leading astray, for corrupting, for sneaking in, thus for deceiving or turning something into magic. For whatever is pious and holy with others becomes with them an outer medium, and so on, because there is nothing inside that constrains and binds them. They seem not to know about this.
3715. Neither can the sirens be instructed in the other life, for whatever of true and whatever of good they see they do not lay hold of [and appropriate], because they are only in externals, but they immediately seize whatever [of this nature] they can, and regard it as a means of deceiving, of perverting, of insinuating themselves, of ensnaring, and of turning it into something magical; for whatever is pious or holy with others, becomes with them an external means, and so on; because there is nothing interior [with them] which constrains and obliges; of this they are, as it were, ignorant.
3715. Sirenes nec instrui possunt in altera vita, nam quicquid verum et quicquid bonum vident, non capiunt, quia solum in externis sunt, sed illico arripiunt et intuentur ut medium quo utantur ad fallendum, ad pervertendum, ad se insinuandum, sic decipiendum, ad vertendum in magicum quoddam, nam quicquid pium est et sanctum apud alios, apud eos fit externum medium; et sic porro, quia nihil internum, quod constringit et obligat: hoc nesciunt quasi.