4723. Babylon
About the Insanity of those who are evil from the love of self. They imagine they are gods, even God the father.
Those who had the highest love of self in the world and ordered others around, such as popes, cardinals, mufti and their like in other positions, in the other life believe themselves to be gods and want to be called gods, like the one who was the director in the dark Chamber. How great this insanity grows! Let me relate a remarkable incident. There are those who are, as it were, on a very high mountain. Those in the middle set up a throne and believe themselves to be God the Father, and the Son to be someone they send to carry out their mandates, whom they call the Son. I saw him on the top of a mountain as it were, with a great white beard, and he ruled like this. But he was cast down into hell. And then another arose. It is Lucifer on the Mount of Assembly, Isa. 14[:13, 14]. Above him evil spirits hold a certain one, whom they call the holy spirit, flying like an angel fitted with wings.
4723. BABYLON. CONCERNING THE INSANITY OF THE EVIL FROM THE LOVE OF SELF, THAT THEY SUPPOSE THEMSELVES GODS, YEA, GOD THE FATHER.
They who have been in the highest self-love in the world, and have ruled, such as popes, cardinals, mufti, and similar ones elsewhere, believe themselves gods in the other life. They wish to be called gods, like him who is president in the dark chamber. To what a pitch this insanity grows, seemed wonderful. These are they who place their seat, as it were, on a very high mountain, which is in their midst, and believe themselves to be God the Father, and send, as the Son, someone, whom they call the Son, to execute their commands. One was seen by me, as if on the top of the mountain, with a large snowy beard; and thus he governed - but he was cast down into hell, and then succeeded another. It is Lucifer, on the mount of Assembly (Isaiah 14). 1Above him, is kept, by the evil, a certain one like an angel flying, being provided with wings, whom they call the Holy Spirit.
Footnotes:
1. The allusion here is to Isaiah 14:13. The Latin Editor read Isaiah 12.
4723. Babylonia
De Insania malorum, ex amore sui, quod putent se deos imo Deum patrem
Qui in summo amore sui fuerunt in mundo ac imperarunt, sicut pontifices, cardinales, mufti, et similes alibi, illi in altera vita se credunt deos, vocari volunt dii, ut qui praeses est in Camera obscura; quantum insania haec crescit, mirabile referam, sunt qui quasi in monte altissimo, qui in medio, ponunt solium, et credunt se Deum patrem esse, et filium mittunt aliquem ad obeundum mandata, quem vocant filium; visus est mihi in summo quasi monte, cum magna et nivea barba, et sic imperabat; sed dejectus in infernum, et tunc surrexit alius. Est Lucifer in monte conventus, Es. XIV: [13,[14] . Super illo tenetur quidam sicut volans angelus a malis, alis praeditus, quem dicunt spiritum sanctum.