5659. About nature-worshipers in the other life
Most of these are the kind that thought in the world, when they heard from preaching or came to thinking something from what others said and seemed to be convinced by some argument they could not contradict, that they do not know whether it is true or not: whether there is a God, whether there is a heaven, whether faith and the sort of things that belong to the Church [are true, but] thought that "I can easily believe these things if I see them in the other life, if I come there," thinking that they are going to believe if they see for certain or hear for certain.
[2] But this never happens. Those who do not have faith in the world do not have faith in the other life. I have spoken with such individuals, and they were convinced that they were mistaken. They grasped [everything], and when they turned their face to me, believed, but as soon as they turned to their own loves, or turned away to themselves, they immediately believed as they had in the world and entirely contrary to those things which they had heard, and no longer could be brought to true faith, for inward intellectual life stems wholly from its principles: therefore to destroy that is to destroy life.
5659. ABOUT NATURALISTIC PERSONS IN THE OTHER LIFE.
The majority of these are such as have thought in the world, when they heard from preaching, or came into any thought from the speech of another, and seem to be vanquished by some reason which they cannot gainsay that, whether it is or is not, true, they do not know; whether there is a God, whether there is a heaven, whether there is faith, whether such things as belong to the Church; [saying to themselves] "I might easily believe them if I were to see them in another life - if I come thither;" supposing that they will believe if they see for certain, or hear for certain. But this by no means happens. They who have not faith when in the world do not have faith in the other life. I have spoken with such ones; and they were convicted of being in error. They seized upon the truth. And, when they turned the face to me, they believe. But, immediately they turn themselves to their own loves, or turn themselves away from me and to themselves, then they are instantly in the like faith to that in which they were in the world, and altogether against those things which they have heard. Nor are they any longer able to be led to the truths of faith; for the whole interior intellectual life is from their principles: wherefore, [to be so led] would be to destroy that life.
5659. De naturalistis in altera vita
Plerique illorum tales sunt, quod in mundo cogitaverunt - cum audiverunt ex praedicatione, seu in aliquam cogitationem ex sermone aliorum venerint, et evicti videantur aliqua ratione, cui non contradicere possunt - quod si verum sit vel non, hoc non sciant, si Deus sit, si coelum sit, si fides sit, si talia quae Ecclesiae, [sed] quod "facile possem credere illa, si videro illa in altera vita, si illuc venio," putantes quod credituri si vident pro certo aut audiunt pro certo, sed hoc nequaquam fit, qui fidem in mundo non habent, nec fidem habent in altera vita, loquutus sum cum talibus, et evicti sunt quod in errore, [omnia] arripuerunt, et cum vertebant faciem ad me, credebant, sed mox ut se vertant ad suos amores, seu avertant se, et ad se, tunc illico in simili fide sunt in qua in mundo, et prorsus contra illa quae audiverunt, nec usque possunt adduci ad vera fidei, nam vita intellectualis interior est ex suis principiis tota: quare illam destruere est vitam.