4364. Those who were being deceived by the hypocrite, or tartuf, 1were all reasoners. Reasoners do not know what good and truth are, but allow themselves to be led astray by such characters and carried wherever [the victim] is brought, from which they derive enjoyment. Reasoners are the arms and hands of evil spirits. As soon as they realize that reasoning is in progress, they captivate the reasoners with arguments, and lead them wherever they want, instilling also enjoyment, even if what they say is most false and deceptive.
Footnotes:
1. = a hypocrite, especially in regard to piety, from French "Tartuffe," principal character in a comedy by Moliere, 1664.
4364. Those who were deceived by his hypocrisy or pride were ratiocinators, such as do not know what goodness and truth are, but suffer themselves to be seduced by such characters and to be borne away wherever they please, and thence drinking in delight. Ratiocinators are the arms and hands of evil spirits; as soon as ever such spirits perceive their propensity in this direction they captivate them by their own dialetic arts, and by insinuating delight lead them whithersoever they will, although they deal only in what is most false and deceitful.
4364. Qui decipiebantur ab hypocrita vel tartuf erant omnes ratiocinatores, ratiocinatores non sciunt quid bonum et verum, sed se seduci patiuntur a talibus et vehi quocunque fertur, et jucundum inde captant; ratiocinatores sunt brachia et manus malorum spirituum, utprimum percipiunt quod ratiocinentur, captant eos ratiociniis, et ducunt quocunque velint, insinuando etiam jucunditatem, tametsi falsissimum et dolosissimum sit.