5037. As regards the Swedish people in general, they are among the most malicious. With them goodness and truth have been adulterated because they think more inwardly in themselves than other peoples. Today, because they are in more freedom than in earlier times when they were under absolute rule, their inner qualities erupt and appear more quickly in the other life than before. Before they were certainly malicious, but in a more inward way. Then fear of the king and of his power restrained them and as it were covered the fire of their loves under ash, which fire nonetheless erupted. The Swedish people for the most part are not concerned about civic good or about civic truth which are matters prescribed by law and consequently matters of behavior, but in so far as they can they adulterate the good prescribed by the law and its truth, and when they adulterate civic good and truth, they also have no care at all about the good and truth of religion. So it is only with their mouth that they profess and say they are Christians. But they are anything but this, because civic good and civic truth is the fundament of religion because it is the substance of life, of deeds.
5037. As respects the Swedish nation in general, it is amongst the wicked nations - goods are adulterated amongst them, and also truths; for they are more addicted to inward thinking than other nations, at the present day, as they are free in comparison with former times, when they were under absolute government. Interiors burst forth, and appear more quickly, in the other life, than was formerly the case. Formerly, indeed, they were ambitious, also; but more secretly. The fear of the king and his power then held them in check, and kept the fire of their loves as it were under the ashes, which, still, bursts out. The Swedish nation, for the most part, have no regard for civil good, or civil truth, which are of the law and hence of morals, but they adulterate the good of the law and its truth; as much as they can. They also have no regard for the good and truth of religion; wherefore they only confess it with the mouth, and say they are Christians, but they are anything rather than that; for civil good and civil truth is the fundamental of religion, for it is of the life, or of works.
5037. Quod gentem Svecanam in genere attinet, est illa inter gentes malitiosas, bona apud illos adulterata sunt, et quoque vera, nam intus magis in se cogitant quam aliae nationes, hodie, quia in libero sunt prae temporibus prius quando fuerunt sub imperio absoluto, erumpunt interiora et in altera vita apparent citius, quam prius, prius quidem etiam malitiosi fuerunt, sed intus magis, timor regis et ejus potestatis coercuit tunc, et texit quasi ignem amorum illorum sub cinere, qui usque erumpit; gens Svecana quoad plurimam partem, non curant bonum civile, nec verum civile, quae sunt legis, et inde morum, sed quantum possunt bonum legis et verum ejus adulterant, et cum bonum et verum civile adulterant, etiam nihil curant bonum et verum religionis, quapropter id modo ore fatentur, et dicunt se esse Christianos, sed nihil minus, nam bonum civile et verum civile est fundamentale religionis, nam est vitae seu operum.