4346. About conscience
I spoke with a certain one who had had no conscience in the life of the body, who had been for a long time in a dark chamber, and said that he was in darkness, and liked it better than light. I spoke with him about conscience, and he said he did not know what it was. He was informed in a way that he would understand, by that spurious line of thinking from the love of self and of the world: when he realized that whatever is against the love of self and of the world is against his thinking, and that whatever is against him causes distress - when he notices that things are not going the way he thinks from this he can learn what conscience is, namely, anything that is against goodness and truth. Thus when something happens that compels him to think or to act in a certain way, then it causes distress, so that it is charity, or heavenly love that reigns, thus the Lord, apart from the love of self or of the world.
[2] In this way he came to understand what conscience is, but what mercy is, he did not know, and it was pointed out that there is mercy where there seems sometimes to be no mercy, as for instance when one has the common good in view by punishing the evil, and sometimes others in order to restore order, for then there is mercy toward the community; or as in war, when the end in view is victory, and thereby, the common good in the preservation of the masses. Then there is no mercy for those who fall in battle, because there is mercy in the end toward the many, and so in other instances. But to plunder others for one's own benefit, this is unmerciful, because the end is evil and selfish, against the common good. In these points he received instruction. 1749, 9 Aug. 1
Furthermore, charity and mercy reaches out from the neighbor to the many, from the many to the republic, from the republic to the Kingdom of the Lord, from the Kingdom of the Lord to the Lord, Who is the all in all. From this it can be learned what charity is, and what mercy is, respectively. 1749, Aug. 9. 1
Footnotes:
1. Astrological symbol of Mercury, meaning Wednesday.
4346. CONCERNING CONSCIENCE.
I conversed with a certain one who, in the life of the body, was devoid of conscience; wherefore he remained a long time in an obscure chamber, and said that he abode there in darkness which he preferred to light. Having broached the subject of conscience in my conversation with him, he said that he knew not what it was. He was then informed, so far as the grossness of thought which is of the love of self and of the world would permit, and as whatever is contrary to the love of self and of the world is contrary to thought, so he perceived conscience as something contrary to his thought, and that from the contrariety he was pained by it, as when one perceives anything to operate in a different way from what he had supposed. From this it may be known what conscience is, namely that it is something contrary to the [apprehended] good or true, be it what it may, by which one is impelled to think or act, and from whence arises pain, thus compelling the inference that it is charity or heavenly love, thus the Lord Himself, which ought to reign supreme apart from the love of self or of the world. Hence he perceived what conscience is; but what mercy is he was ignorant. It was said that there was sometimes mercy where mercy was not apparent, as for instance, when one aims at the common good by punishing the evil and reducing others to order, mercy is then exercised towards the community. So also in war, where the end is victory and thence the common good in the preservation of numbers, in which case there is no mercy towards those that fall because mercy has for its end the saving of many, and so in other things. But to despoil others for the sake of one's self, this is cruelty, because the end is selfish and contrary to the common good. By these considerations he was enlightened. - 1749, August 9. Charity and mercy, moreover, are to be turned from the neighbor to numbers, from numbers to the community, from the community to the Lord's kingdom, from the Lord's kingdom to the Lord himself, who is the all in all. Hence it may be known what is charity and what is mercy respectively. - 1748 August 9.
4346. De conscientia
Loquutus cum quodam qui nullam conscientiam habuit in vita corporis, qui diu fuit in camera obscura, et dicebat se in tenebris degere et eas prae luce amare, loquutus cum eo de conscientia, dicebat quod nesciret quid esset, informatus eo modo ut perciperet, ex spurio illo cogitationis, quod est [ex] amore sui et mundi: dum is perciperet quod hoc contra ejus cogitationem esse, quicquid contra amorem sui et mundi, et quod hoc quod ei contrariatur angat, dum appercipit non ita fieri sicut cogitat, ex hoc scire potest, quid conscientia, nempe quod est contra bonum et verum, [quum] quid contingit, quo adigitur cogitare aut facere, tunc est angor inde; sic ut sit charitas et amor coelestis qui regit ita Dominus, absque amore sui aut mundi; inde appercipiebat quid conscientia, sed quid misericordia nesciebat, et dicebatur quod misericordia sit ubi non misericordia quandoque apparet, sicut dum intendit quid commune bonum, et malos punit, et quandoque alios ut redigat in ordinem, est misericordia erga commune; sicut etiam in bello est finis victoria, et inde bonum commune, et servatio multorum, tunc nulla est misericordia eorum qui occumbunt, quia est misericordia in fine multorum, ita in aliis, at spoliare alios sui causa, hoc est immisericordia, quia finis est malus et propter se contra commune bonum; his instruebatur, 1749, 9 Aug. Porro charitas et misericordia se extendit a proximo ad plures, a pluribus ad commune, a communi ad Regnum Domini, a Regno Domini ad Dominum, Qui est omne in omnibus, inde sciri potest quid charitas et misericordia respective. 1749, 9 Aug.