5396. When the Germans, Swedes and Danes were visited, those for whom religion had not been so very important were cast out first, those who thought about civil and worldly affairs and little about the things pertaining to religion except that it exists, and not that it [is] needed. They said that they saw no difference between living rightly civilly and morally, and doing so in a Christian way, and that it is all the same whether they avoid doing what is wrong in the civil state simply because they would be punished by the laws there, or that they avoided doing wrong from religious belief, thinking about the Church's precepts from the Word. Nevertheless the difference is so great that those who do well on account of civil laws still have no conscience, thus no inflow from heaven, but were human only outwardly. And who if outer things were taken away, as happens in the other life, rush into all manner of wickedness, into which they are led by the hells in accord with their desires, without reins holding them back, since inwardly they are not ruled by the Lord, and because in the other life they are in dense darkness as to everything pertaining to intelligence, bored and yawning about everything pertaining to life there. In a word, their life lies open outwards or downwards and not inwards or upwards. This is the difference between doing well from religion and doing well from civil concern on account of the laws [and] the fear of the loss of reputation, profit, [and] honor.
[5396] 1/2. A multitude of those so-called Protestants appeared on a rather high mountain and also around the mountain. Their nature in the world had been such that they had believed themselves to be more Christian and worshipers of God than the rest. They had believed this, they said, on account of their having repented and having done this whenever they attended the holy supper, and having prayed on their knees other times, that they might be forgiven their sins. And this they called repentance, when nevertheless they had not examined themselves nor known what sin is nor cared to know. They only believed themselves to be born in sins. For this reason, when they returned from the holy supper and from prayers, they carried on a life not a bit different than before. They had imagined that not acting against civil laws from the fear of punishments and against moral laws from the fear of the loss of reputation, profit, and honor was living in a Christian way.
[5396] 1:3. They had not imagined evils in the thought and will to be sins, when nevertheless these are the sins that damn. Acting well outwardly when such evils are within is hypocrisy; both are guile and deceit in the eyes of God and one's neighbor. Such was the nature of their repentance and fear of God, for when outward concerns are taken away, there are no bonds of conscience, which are in the thought and will, that hold them in check or restrain them, to keep them from mercilessly rushing into evils and falsities of every kind. This is what those are like who do not think from religion and will from it and so act. And because they had the intention of harming the upright whom the Lord protected, which they had also known, it was said to them that they did not fear any God. This they denied but said that they certainly knew that the Lord protected the upright, but still they do not look on the Lord
[5396] 1:4. otherwise than as a human being, and they had not thought about Him otherwise. But they were asked if they did not know that that which is Divine is also in the Lord and that the Divine is one with God the Father, that the Divine and His Human act as a one, and that the one can never act against the other, and that the oneness is just as the soul and body are with a person, as the creed received in the whole of Christianity teaches. They were also asked if they knew that no one comes to God the Father except through the Lord; and that He is the Way, from which it follows that one who acts against the Lord, acts against God the Father; and that all these do not acknowledge any God, but are atheists, who deliberately or knowingly disparage the Lord by so doing. They admitted that from doctrine they know such things, however, they never think in this way, but think about the Lord no otherwise than as about a human being like others. Because these were like this, that mountain subsided to a plane, and those who were worse than the rest were detained on a certain high point there and were thrown into a hell in the region around the north.
5396. When the visitation of the Germans, Swedes and Danes occurred, those were first cast out to whom religion was not a matter of very much concern, thus, those who thought about civil and worldly matters and but little about religion save that it exists - not even that it ought to exist. Their perception respecting it was also deadened, as if it were not a matter of very much moment. They said that they did not know the difference between living civilly and morally well, and living well in a Christian way; and that it is just the same thing whether they refrain from evil in the state merely because they would be punished by the laws thereof, or whether they shun evil out of regard to religion, thinking about the precepts of the Church derived from the Word; when, yet, the difference is so great, that they who do well only on account of civil laws, still have no conscience, nor, consequently, influx from heaven. But these were merely external men; and, when the externals of such ones are removed, as happens in the other life, they rush into every crime, into which they are led by the hells, according to their cupidities, without restraint, since they are not inwardly ruled by the Lord; and, in the other life, they are in dense darkness as regards all things which belong to intelligence, and in torpor and listlessness concerning everything that pertains to the life there: in a word, the whole of their life is open outwards, or downwards, and not inwards, or upwards. This is the difference between doing well from religion, and doing well from a civil standpoint, out of regard to the laws and fear for their reputation, profit, or honor.
5396a. There appeared a multitude of so-called Protestants, upon quite a high mountain and also around the mountain, who have been, in the world, of such a temper, that they esteemed themselves better Christians and worshippers of God than other men. They believed this because, they say, they have performed the work of repentance, and have done so as often as they attended the Holy Supper; and that they have also prayed on their knees, at other times, that their sins might be forgiven: this they have called repentance; while, yet, they neither examined themselves, nor knew, nor cared to know what their sins were; only that they believed they were born in sins. Wherefore, when they returned from the Holy Supper and from their prayers, they led a life not at all different from their previous one. They supposed that not to act contrary to the civil laws from fear of punishments, nor contrary to moral laws from fear of the loss of reputation, profit and honor, was to live Christianly.
5396b. Evils of thought and will they did not suppose were sins; when, yet, these are the sins that condemn. To do well outwardly, when such things are within, is hypocrisy, and, in relation to God and the neighbor, fraud and deceit. Such was the quality of their repentance and fear of God; for, when externals are removed, no bonds of conscience, which are of the thought and will, bridle or restrain them from rushing into evils and falses of every kind, without any mercy. Such are those who do not think from religion, and will, and thus act, from it; and, inasmuch as they had the intention of injuring the righteous whom the Lord defended (which also they knew), they were told that they do not fear any God. This they denied, though they said that they were, indeed, aware that the Lord defends the righteous, but, still, they do not regard the Lord otherwise than as a man, and have never thought otherwise about Him.
5396c. But they were asked whether they do not know that the Divine is also in the Lord, and that the Divine is the same as God the Father; also, that His Divine and Human act as one; also, that one is never contrary to the other; also, that the oneness is like that of soul and body in man - as, moreover, the Creed received in universal Christendom teaches; and likewise that no one cometh to God the Father except by the Lord; as well as that He is The Way - whence it follows, that he who acts against the Lord acts against God the Father; and that those all acknowledge no God, but are atheists, who deliberately, or knowingly, thus disparage the lord. They confessed that, from doctrine, they know such things, but that they never think so, but think no differently about the Lord than about a man just like other men. Inasmuch as these persons were of such a character, that mountain sank down to a level surface, and those who were worse than the rest were kept there on a certain summit, and cast into a hell in the neighborhood of the north.
5396. Cum Germani, Sveri et Dani visitarentur, ejecti sunt primum illi, quibus religio non tanti fuit, sic qui cogitaverunt de civilibus et mundanis, et parum de [iis quae] religionis, nisi quod sit, non quod esse deberet, hebetabatur tunc perceptio de illa, sicut non tanti. Dicebant, quod non sciant discrimen inter vivere civiliter et moraliter bene, et Christiane bene, et quod perinde sit, modo non egerint malum in civitate, propter quod punirentur ex legibus ibi, sive quod non egerint malum ex religione, cogitando de Ecclesiae praeceptis ex Verbo, cum tamen tantum discrimen est, ut qui propter leges civiles bene agunt, usque non conscientiam habent, ita nec influxum e coelo, sed quod modo externi homines essent, qui si externa auferrentur, ut fit in altera vita, ruunt in omne nefas, in quod ducuntur ab infernis secundum cupiditates suas, absque fraenis, quoniam interius non reguntur a Domino, et quod in altera vita in denso obscuro sint quoad omnia quae intelligentiae, et in hebetudine et oscitatione de omnibus quae vitae ibi, verbo patet omne vitae eorum extrorsum, seu deorsum, et non introrsum seu sursum. Haec differentia est agere bene ex religione, et agere bene ex civili, propter leges, timorem [jacturae] famae, lucri, honoris.
[5[396] 1/2. Ex Protestantibus ita dictis apparebat super monte satis alto multitudo quoque circum montem, qui tali genio fuerunt in mundo, quod se crediderint Christianos ac Dei cultores prae reliquis, crediderunt id ex eo, quod dixerint se poenitentiam egisse, quodque id fecerint quoties frequentarunt sacram coenam quod etiam aliquoties super genubus oraverint ut remittantur illis peccata hoc vocaverunt poenitentiam, cum tamen nec exploraverunt se, aut sciverunt quid peccatum, aut curaverint scire, solum quod crediderint se natos in peccatis; quare cum redierunt a sacra coena a precibus, prorsus nullam aliam vitam egerunt quam prius; putaverunt quod non facere contra leges civiles, ex timore poenarum contra leges morales ex timore jacturae famae, lucri honoris, esset vivere Christiane, cogitationis voluntatis
[5[396] 1/3. mala non putarunt esse peccata, cum tamen illa sint peccata quae damnant, bene agere exterius cum talia intus sunt, est hypocrisis coram Deo proximo astus dolus, talis fuerat illorum poenitentia timor Dei; nam cum externa auferuntur, nulla vincula conscientiae, quae cogitationis voluntatis sunt, illos fraenant aut retinent, ne ruant in omnis generis mala falsa absque ulla misericordia: tales sunt qui non cogitant ex religione volunt inde sic faciunt; quia intentionem habebant nocendi probis quos Dominus tutatus, quod etiam sciverunt, dictum eis quod non aliquem Deum timeant, quod negarunt, sed dixerunt quod quidem sciverunt Dominum tutari illos, sed usque Dominum non spectent
[5[396] 1/4. aliter quam hominem quod de Ipso non aliter cogitaverint, sed illis dictum annon sciant quod Domino etiam sit Divinum quod Divinum unum sit cum Deo Patre quod Divinum Humanum Ipsius unum agat quod unum nusquam contra alterum quod unum sit sicut apud hominem anima corpus, ut quoque fides symbolica recepta in universo Christianismo docet, tum quod Deum Patrem nemo veniat nisi per Dominum quod Ipse sit via, unde sequitur quod qui agit contra Dominum, agat contra Deum Patrem quod illi omnes nullum Deum agnoscant, sed quod sint athei, qui consulto aut conscie vilipendunt ita Dominum; fassi quod ex doctrina talia sciant, sed quod nusquam cogitent ita sed de Domno non aliter ac de homine simili aliis. Quia hi tales erant, mons ille subsidit planitiem qui pejores reliquis fuerunt in summitate quadam ibi detenti conjecti in infernum circa septentrionem.