5004. Continuation about Babel
When the mountains together with the cities there fell, the mountains farther off there remained, and those who were there fantasized a sun before them where the Lord was, but it did not shine. They dimmed the fantasy. Those who were in the mountains there sometimes moved off from the other side of this fantasy of a lightless sun, and sometimes sallied out and in the lower regions there plotted crimes as before. And soon they moved off from behind this sun and were not seen. It was said to them that the Sun where the Lord is is so hot that they could in no way approach it at any distance without being burned up. They then replied that the Lord was in their sun and that they went in and went out [before Him] and acted according to His orders; He commanded such actions. And then it was discovered that it was a man there who had self-love from the love of dominating others, (it was Jac[ob] Benzel[ius 1]), who professed the Catholic religion because it gave him power to dominate.
He was then taken out of there and thrown around in the accursed dust 2because he had dared such an outrage. From this it was evident what those who have a love of commanding are alike as regards their faith. He had given orders to commit those crimes.
Footnotes:
1. Jacob Benzelius (1683ֱ747), Archbishop of Uppsala from 1744 until his death.
2. This is the dust of hell described in Divine Love and Wisdom 341:2.
5004. CONTINUATION CONCERNING BABEL.
When the mountains, together with the cities, there, went down, then mountains remained there farther off; and those who were there, produced, from phantasy, before themselves, as it were the sun where the Lord is. But it did not shine: what they caused to appear was an obscurity of phantasy. Those who were on the mountains there, sometimes removed themselves from the other side of that lightless sun of phantasy, below; and sometimes they went out, and, in the lower places there, plotted crimes as before, and were removed, in an inverse manner, to the back of that sun, and were not seen. It was said to them that the sun where the Lord is, has such heat that they could by no means approach it at any distance without being burnt up; whereupon they answered that the Lord was in their sun, and that they went in and out and did according to his command who ordered such things; and it was then detected, that it was a man in the love of lording it over others who was there. (It was Jacob Benzelius), who professed the Catholic religion because it was granted him to govern. He was then taken from thence, and hurled round about into the accursed dust, because he had dared to commit such a crime. Hence was apparent of what quality, as to faith, are they who are in the love of governing. He gave commands to do those misdeeds.
5004. Continuatio de Babel
Quando montes cum urbibus ibi ceciderunt, tunc remanebant montes longinquius ibi, et illi qui ibi ex phantasia fecerunt ante se sicut solem, ubi Dominus, sed qui non lucebat, faciebant ut phantasticum obscurum appareret, illi qui in montibus ibi, removebant se quandoque ab altera parte illius phantastici solis instar absque lumine, et prodibant quandoque et in inferioribus ibi machinati sunt facinora ut prius, et mox se a tergo illius solis removebantur, et non videbantur, dictum illis quod Sol ubi Dominus tanto ardore sit, ut nequaquam ad distantiam aliquam accedere possent, quin comburerentur, tunc responsum quod in sole eorum esset Dominus, et quod intrarent et exirent, et quod fecerint secundum ejus mandata, qui imperabat talia; et tunc detectum, quod esset homo qui in amore sui ex amore dominatus prae aliis ibi esset, (erat Jac. Benzel.), qui Catholicam religionem confessus quia dominari ei dabatur; ille tunc exemtus inde, et conjectus circumcirca in pulverem damnatum, quod tale facinus ausus esset, inde patuit quales sunt quoad fidem qui in amore dominatus sunt. Ille dedit mandata facinora illa faciendi.