4655. About the heaven of country people
It was granted me to speak with some of the simple country folk who had had faith: they had believed in God and had done what is just and right in their bodily life. These appeared in front at a considerable distance above, at about the level of the chin. They appeared as something cloudy, and because they had affection for knowing truth, they also wanted to know whether a doctrinal tenet of their Church was true. Because they wanted to know this, it was granted me to speak with them, saying that in order to know the truth it is necessary to know that charity toward the neighbor and love to God are essential, and faith as well. They wanted to hear what the difference is between charity and faith. Then it was given to say that charity is everything that pertains to life, or rather that has regard to one's way of life - not only giving to the needy, but also dealing justly and rightly with the neighbor, and likewise in every action. All these things are matters of charity, in a word, of life. Faith, on other hand, is thinking about all things rightly and justly, such as that the Lord rules all things, that all good is from the Lord, that what is good and just must be done on account of what is good and just, but they said, on account of the Lord, and many more such things (these are matters of faith and of thought), also that the Word is Divine, and that from it we know how we must live and think. It was granted to say further that in order to become [actual] faith, the elements of faith, that is to say, of our thought, need to pass over into the will to the point that we will it: such as [the thought] that that the Lord rules us, and not we ourselves, because He loves us and knows everything in us, to eternity. Thus we need to not only think about it but also will it, and then there is pleasure in this and when it is in everything of life that is just and right, it plants itself in charity. And then we must not simply think that this must be done for the sake of the Lord, but must also will this, and if we are doing good for the sake of ourselves as an end, it ought to be rejected. So in all other things which are matters of faith: first they are matters of thought, but then they become matters of will, and in this way they are within every action in our lives and thence in charity itself, and thus they make a single unit.
[Marginal note: Up above there also often appeared the simple upright, who were often carried downward. There is the place of their temptation.]
4655. CONCERNING THE HEAVEN OF RUSTICS.
It was granted me to speak with those who were from a simple and rustic race, who were in faith, believed in God, and practiced what is just and right in the life of the body. These appeared in front, in a considerable space above, in the plane of the chin round about. They appeared like something misty; and, because they were in the affection of knowing truth, and whether the doctrinal of their Church was true - inasmuch as they wished to know this, it was granted me to speak with them; [and I said] that in order that truth may be known, it is necessary that it should be known that charity towards the neighbor and love to God are essential, and also what faith is. They wished to hear what is the difference between charity and faith. It was then granted me to say, that charity is all that which is of life, or that has regard to life, not only to give to those in need, but to practice what is just and right with the neighbor, and in every function; all those things are of charity, in a word, which are of life; but that faith is to think rightly and justly concerning everything, as that the Lord rules all things, that all good is from the Lord, that what is good and just ought to be done for the sake of good and justice - but they said, on account of the Lord; and many such things. These are of faith, and are of thought: further, also, that the Word is Divine, and that they might know, thence; how to live and to think. It was granted me to say, moreover, that those things which are of faith, or of thought, must, in order that they may be of faith, pass into the will, to the end that they may will it - as, that the Lord rules us and not we ourselves, because He loves us, and knows all things with us, even to eternity: thus, we ought not only to think, but also to will this; and then delight is in it, and it conveys itself into charity, when, also, it is in the whole of life, as justice and right: also, that we ought to think that a thing ought not only to be done for the sake of the Lord, but that it ought also to be willed, and doing good for the sake of ourselves as an end, ought to be held in aversion. So in all things else which are of faith: they are first of the thought, but next become of the will, and thus are within every action which is of life, therefore in charity itself, and so they make a one. There, also, often appeared above, simple upright spirits, who were often borne downwards. Their place of temptation is there.
4655. De coelo rusticorum
Loqui datum est cum illis qui ex simplici et rustica gente, qui in fide fuerunt, crediderunt in Deum, et justum ac rectum fecerunt, in vita corporis, illi apparebant antrorsum multo spatio superius ad planum menti circiter, apparebant sicut nimbosum quid; et quia erant in affectione sciendi verum, etiam num verum esset doctrinale suae Ecclesiae, hoc quia volebant scire, loqui datum est cum illis, quod ut sciatur verum, necessum est, ut sciatur quod charitas erga proximum et amor in Deum sit essentiale, et quoque quod des; volebant audire quae differentia inter charitatem et dem, tunc dicere datum est, quod charitas sit omne id quod est vitae, seu quod spectet vitam, non solum dare egenis, sed cum proximo facere justum et rectum, etiam in omni functione, omnia illa sunt charitatis, verbo quae vitae; at quod fides sit cogitare recte et juste de omni re, sicut quod Dominus regat omnia, quod omne bonum a Domino, quod faciendum bonum et justum propter bonum et justum, sed illi dicebant, propter Dominum, et plura talia, haec sunt dei, et sunt cogitationis, tum quoque quod Verbum sit Divinum, et quod inde sciamus quomodo vivendum et cogitandum; ulterius, dicere datum, quod illa quae sunt fidei seu cogitationis, ut sint fidei transire debeant in voluntatem, adeo ut velimus id, sicut quod Dominus regat nos, et non nos nosmet quia is amat nos, et novit omnia apud nos, in aeternum, ita non modo cogitare hoc debemus sed etiam velle debemus, et tunc in eo est amaenum, et se consert in charitatem, cum est in omni vitae, quod justum et rectum: tum quod non solum cogitare debemus quod faciendum propter Dominum, sed quod etiam volendum id, et aversandum si bonum faciamus propter nos ut finem; ita in reliquis quae fidei sunt, illa sunt primum cogitationis, sed dein fiunt voluntatis, et sic insunt omni actioni quae est vitae, proinde ipsi charitati, et sic unum faciunt. 1
Footnotes:
1. Sidebar: Supra etiam simplices probi apparuerunt saepe, qui saepe ferebantur deorsum, ibi tentationis eorum locus est.