4817. The Lord can be honored and acknowledged by the worst devils if they are promised power
Also continuation about Moravians
There was a conversation about their love to the Lord as only a person and that therefore they are [His] companions in a more intimate friendship. It was said that therefore they love the Lord, for they believed that they alone are saved and rule over all in heaven. Consequently it is the love of self that conjoins them, deep within to the degree that it stems from religion, because they constantly talk about this among themselves and think about it within themselves. It was said that the worst devil can acknowledge and honor the Lord if his thought is kept fixed on the idea that he would be made the greatest of all by the Lord. Therefore an extremely wicked devil was taken by the angels and inflated with such pride. Then, speaking from pride and a love for himself, he said that he would lead them to the Lord, to honor Him. And this he insisted, even though he was an intensely bitter enemy of the Lord as he had actually shown by many things. From this is evident that in the case of Moravians, love and honor of the Lord came from self-love and so from pride and a sense of superiority over all others.
4817. THAT THE LORD CAN BE HONORED AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE WORST DEVILS, IF POWER IS PROMISED THEM. ALSO A CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE MORAVIANS.
There was a conversation concerning their love to the Lord, as only a man, and that they are therefore associated in a more intimate friendship. It was said that they loved the Lord because they believed themselves alone to be saved, and to reign in heaven over all, and thus that self-love conjoins them, so deeply inrooted is it from their religious persuasion, because they speak with each other, and ponder within themselves, concerning it. It was said that the worst devil may be able to acknowledge and honor the Lord, if his thought is kept in the idea that he would be made, by the Lord, greatest of all. Therefore, a very bad devil was taken by the angels, and inflated with such arrogance. Then he, speaking from arrogance and self-love, said that he would lead them to the Lord to honor Him; and [he said] this confidently, when yet he was the most inveterate enemy of the Lord, as he had shown, in act, by many things. Hence, it was evident that the love and honor of the Lord with the Moravians was from self-love, and, so, from arrogance and super-eminence over all others.
4817. Quod Dominus possit honorari ac agnosci a pessimis diabolis, si illis pollicetur potestas
Continuatio etiam de Moravianis
Sermo fuit de amore illorum in Dominum ut solum hominem, et quod illi ideo sint intimioris amicitiae socii, dictum fuit, quod ideo amarunt Dominum, quia crediderunt se solum salvari et regnare in coelo super omnes, et sic quod amor sui conjungat, intime quantum est ex religioso, quia continue de eo inter se loquuntur, et in se cogitant; dictum quod pessimus diabolus possit agnoscere et honorare Dominum, si teneatur cogitatio ejus in eo quod a Domino maximus omnium fieret, ideo ab angelis sumtus est pessimus diabolus, et inflabatur tali fastu, tunc ille ex fastu et ex amore sui loquens, dicebat, quod ille duceret illos ad Dominum, ad honorandum eum, et hoc asseveranter; cum tamen is fuit infensissimus hostis Domini, quod per multa actualiter ostenderat, inde patuit quod amor et honor Domini apud Moravianos esset ex amore sui et sic ex fastu et supereminentia super omnes alios.