5669. THE SPHERE OF VIOLATION, AND HELL
The sphere of violation appears horrible, like sexual intercourse obtained by violence. Those from whom that sphere exhales, are such as in their heart deny the Divine and those things which belong to the Church, but outwardly appear courteous, affable and moral. They enter the heavens everywhere, and remain there for some time, for they know how to conceal their inmosts. These are such as, when the injury of the worshippers of the Lord is being advocated, are silent, and abstain from taking part until they see that the matter begins to hasten to some catastrophe, where they are instantly present, and assist with all their power, stopping at nothing. Many such ones were borne down through a sphere of violation, and cast down out of the heavens, as I saw. This is meant in the internal sense by the violation of virgins, and by the violent, in the Word. Inasmuch as they are outwardly affable and courteous, there appears, when they walk in the streets, as it were a luminous brightness on both sides of their face, which quivers in unison with their movement; and there also sometimes appears a burning flame flickering around them in the streets where they are walking; but it is a consuming fire, which is a sign that it is a violent one. A fire, on the contrary, which is not a consuming one, is angelic. Moreover, the part in their face which is beneath the nose is hideous, dark-colored and corpse-like. Such ones, when cast down out of heaven, appeared in face and body black and as it were bony, because they are inmostly evil. When they are cast down out of heaven, the interiors burst forth into the whole body; for then it is not permitted them to dissemble any longer, since the communication with the upright, from whom their courteous demeanor is supplied, is taken away. Their hell is very deep down under the buttocks they sit there, like charred Egyptian mummies.
5662a. SYNCRETISTS: THE LAST JUDGMENT.
High above the head there, on the mountain, at a considerable height, dwelt those who have deliberated together about the union of religions, or syncretism and they decided that they would make one Church from many, or all; - to such an extent that they wished Mohammedans to be included as well, on the ground that they acknowledge the Lord as the Grand Prophet, and as the Son of God, who was sent to teach the human race wisdom. Thus they wanted to make one Church out of many; but they thought [to do this] only through the doctrinals which belong to faith, and the Intellectual, and not through life, which is of love and charity, thus, the Voluntary of man. These at last proceeded to such a length that they had almost profaned goods; and they sought out from the Word such things as they might accommodate to everyone. They inflowed with me, and this was experienced as a likeness of profanation; but they were discovered, and it was granted me to speak with them, and, then, to say that this is evil, inasmuch as they thus wish to make one Church from mere idols and graven images; for when only those things which belong to intelligence are taken into account, and not those which are of the will, man appears like ebony, or like a stony thing without any life, and if they want to make their one Church out of such things they may. But if, on the contrary, they want life in them, consequently, to have not images but men to constitute the Church, regard must be had to the good of love and of charity, thus to the reception of life from the Lord. When this is adopted as the foundation, the Church becomes one; for the Lord then arranges all according to heaven and its form, and presents all as one man. Such is the Lord's Church in the entire circle of earths; from which those who are only images are cast forth, and most of them are in hell, save those who have to some small extent lived according to doctrinals, which the have thus made of the life, or have thus made alive, in themselves. Since they were on high, and consequently inflowed into the lower places, and were only in doctrinals, therefore they were cast down thence, lest they should profane good with others.
5663a. THE MOHAMMEDANS AND MOHAMMED: THE LAST JUDGMENT.
Mohammedans dwell in the western side, outside the Christian world, in many mountains there, even to a great number. The better ones among them were transferred thence to the eastern side, namely, those of them who in the world acknowledged the Lord as the Grand Prophet, and called Him the Son of God, and believed Him sent by the Father to instruct the human race, consequently [that He was] wiser than others. Such ones, who had at the same time lived well according to their religious belief, and practiced justice and equity and sincerity from religion, and acknowledged the God of the universe, although they also declared Mohammed to be a great prophet, were transferred towards the east. This transfer has been previously treated of; also, that then he who at that time was Mohammed, was cast down into the lower regions, where he was in chains lest he should get out. 1The reason he was cast down, he himself afterwards disclosed, when it was made known of what character he was, because, namely, he knew that all those who did not worship him looked towards the east, and as soon as any did this he became aware that they did not worship himself; for which reason, when he saw that the whole multitude was transported thither [i.e. towards the east], he realized that he was being altogether deserted; therefore he burned with anger and wanted to hinder them. This was the reason.
Footnotes:
1. See n. 5260a.
5664a. Many - amounting even to hundreds of thousands - remained at the other side, in the boundary where Christendom ends. There they worshipped that Mohammed as God; neither did they think about the Lord, and but little about the God of the universe. They all labored assiduously to release Mohammed from his fetters and restore him again to his original station; and, after attempting this in vain, they appointed for themselves another Mohammed, at first from their own number; but, since this did not answer, they elected a certain one in a lofty mountain, above Christendom, with whom they took counsel, and whom they obeyed as they previously did Mohammed. But that crew, which was of such a character, was not content with this, but even, by the advice of their new Mohammed, began to betake themselves into the Christian world, and, in various ways, and by various devices, began there to claim power to themselves. They inflowed with some, and injured the Christians; and also they dispatched their most skillful one to me, and he put himself in possession of the province of my left ear, and hid himself for some time, and thereby so strengthened them, that, at length, they could scarcely be resisted.
5665a. But when this was discovered, an investigation was made, and it was found that it was from those Mohammedans who were in the boundaries on the western side; and it was inquired what kind they were, and why they did such a thing, since they had not intruded themselves into Christendom before. It was then found that that crew was of such a character that they worshipped Mohammed as a sort of God, and that they did not think anything of the Lord according to their religious belief. It was also inquired what sort of idea they had about God the Father; and it was found that they had no other idea than as of a created universe, and that the idea was devoid of a human idea, as with all others - consequently, that they had not any idea of God the Father. They said, that they could have thought about the Lord from their religious faith, if they would, and approach Him rather than Mohammed, who to them, according to their religious belief, was a lesser prophet. But they said that they cannot do this, because they had rejected that thought in the world, on account of the Christians, who were their enemies. It was ascertained, afterwards, what an inconstant race they were; they are neither willing to do anything, nor to take up any sort of work, - just like those who are on the mountains there, who have governments and forms of governments.
5666a. Inasmuch as that crew was of such a character that they worshipped Mohammed to so great an extent, it was therefore shown how things were with Mohammed. The very Mohammed who wrote the Koran and was buried in Mecca, was taken away from his own place where he was. He was deep down in a place a little behind the right foot, and was raised up above to the left of my head, and there appeared to them. He appeared gross and swarthy. Such are corporeal men, and they have little of life. Those who are in that place are almost idiotic. I spoke to those [Mohammedans], and said that he is such, and that he is among the corporeal there. Afterwards, also, he retired to his place.
5667a. After this, the second Mohammed, who was in chains, and for whom they sought, was led forth; and it was discovered who he had been in the world, that, namely, he was born in Saxony, and afterwards became a ship's captain and was made captive by Algerians and set at liberty by them; and as he there adopted the Mohammedan religion, he was trusted as a ship's captain there. Then he was taken prisoner by Genoese, and set at liberty by them also; and was thus imbued with both the Christian and the Mohammedan religion. He also took up a position in the Christian world of which we have before spoken; and, since he persuaded those in the boundaries that he was Mohammed, and was possessed by the lust of governing, he governed them for quite a remarkable time, acknowledging the Lord from the Christian religion and thence was able to be led by the Lord; -Respecting him, see many things before related. There was also another Mohammed, who was a Christian from Greece, who had a place behind that one and he, because he sometimes undertook his duties and worked diligently, was proclaimed [Mohammed] by the former one, and acknowledged by some among them who have thought of many Mohammeds. And so as regards another also.
5668a. Respecting those who are in the mountains there, they indeed think of Mohammed when first they come into the other life; but, afterwards, they abandon him and think of God the Father, the Creator of the universe, and of the Lord as the Grand Prophet, wisest of men and Son of God. They were examined as to what sort of idea they had of the one God, the Creator of the universe; and it was ascertained that it was as it were something human, and not as with the former ones, as of a universe.
5669a. Some of the Mohammedans, when they heard many things about the Lord, wanted to accede to that Church; but they were told that they may remain in their own religion, if only they think respecting the Lord - according to their doctrine out of the Koran - that He was the Grand Prophet, the Son of God and the wisest of men. For they cannot acknowledge His Divine in heart, only some with the mouth and from the Intellectual, inasmuch as they have from infancy imbued themselves with a belief in such tenets; and spiritual good is formed by such things as have belonged to their faith in the world, which cannot be thus suddenly extinguished by a new article of faith. It is sufficient that they live in their good, observe sincerity and justice, and acknowledge that all justice is Divine; also, they can thus still live happily in their own way, and be gradually led to the Lord. It was added, that those who live in justice and in their own good, are able to be better than Christians, because these take away all Divinity from the Lord the majority of Christians, who are called Papists, arrogating to themselves the whole power of the Lord in heaven and on earth, and consequently taking from Him all Divinity, which they no longer acknowledge in Him but in themselves. And all the other Christians, who are called Reformed, know, indeed, and from doctrine confess, that the Divine belongs to the Lord, and He is one with the Father; but, still, when they think of the Lord, they do not think otherwise than as of an ordinary man who is like themselves; and at such times they do not think of His Divinity at all; wherefore, also, they supplicate the Father that He may do what they ask for the sake of the Son, and do not go to the Lord. Such, also, is the idea of those Christians. Hence they saw that good Mohammedans think better about the Lord, in their heart, than Christians do. They also acknowledge Moses as a great prophet, but inferior to the Lord; but of Moses they think no longer.
5669. De sphaera violationis et inferno
Sphaera violationis apparet foede, sicut concubitus ex violatione, illi a quibus illa sphaera exhalat, sunt qui in corde suo negant Divinum, et illa quae Ecclesiae sunt, sed exterius apparent civiles, blandi, morales; illi intrant coelos ubivis, et manent aliquamdiu ibi, quia intima sua sciunt recondere; illi tales sunt, ut quando agitur de pernicie cultorum Domini, tunc tacent, et abstinent usque dum vident quod incipiat ruere ad aliquam perniciem, tunc illico adsunt, et adjuvant omni potentia, non prius. Tales delati sunt per sphaeram violationis plures, et dejecti e coelis, quod vidi, hoc intelligitur in sensu interno per violationem virginum, et per violentos in Verbo. Illi quia exterius blandi et civiles sunt, apparet cum vadunt in plateis sicut lucidum utrinque a facie eorum, quod se vibrat secundum gressum; et quoque apparet flammeum ignitum quandoque errans circa eos in plateis ubi vadunt, sed est ignis consumens, quod signum quod violentum, ignis mitis non consumens est angelicum; praeterea in facie eorum in parte infra nasum est tetrum, obscurum cadaverosum; tales dejecti e coelis apparebant facie et corpore nigro quasi osseo, quia intime sunt mali, cum e coelo dejiciuntur tunc erumpunt interiora in totum corpus, nam tunc non licet amplius simulare, communicatio enim cum probis, a quibus civilitas eorum sustentatur, adimitur. Infernum eorum est sub clunibus profundissime, ibi sedent sicut aegyptiaci Mumi adusti.
5662 [a]. 1
De Syncretisticis, ultimum judicium
Alte supra caput ibi in monte satis alto habitabant qui inter se de unione religionum seu syncretismo consultarunt, et concludebant quod unam Ecclesiam a pluribus seu omnibus facerent, usque ut quoque vellent quod Mahumedani consociarentur, ex causa quia agnoscunt Dominum pro maximo Propheta, et pro Filio Dei, qui missus ut sapientiam doceret humano generi, ita volebant ex pluribus unam Ecclesiam facere, sed cogitabant modo per doctrinalia quae sunt fidei et intellectualis, et non per vitam quae est amoris et charitatis, ita voluntarii hominis; illi tandem eo usque progressi sunt, ut paene prophanavissent bona, et ex Verbo conquirerent quae accomodarent unicuivis; influebant apud me, et hoc sentiebatur instar prophani, sed detecti, et datum est loqui cum illis, et tunc dicere, quod hoc malum sit, quoniam sic vellent unam Ecclesiam facere ex solis idolis et sculptilibus, nam cum modo illa quae intelligentiae sunt acceptantur, et non illa quae voluntatis, tunc apparet homo sicut ebenus, vel sicut saxeus absque vita, si vellent unam Ecclesiam facere ex talibus possent; sed aliter si velint vita in illis, ita non idola sed homines habere, qui constituant Ecclesiam, tunc spectandum est ad bonum amoris et charitatis, ita ad receptionem vitae a Domino, cum hoc pro fundamento accipitur, tunc fit una Ecclesia, nam Dominus tunc disponit omnes secundum coelum et ejus formam, et sistit omnes sicut unum hominem; talis est Ecclesia Domini in universo terrarum orbe; ex qua ejecti sunt qui modo idola sunt, et plerique ex illis in inferno sunt, praeter illos qui aliquantum vixerunt secundum doctrinalia, quae sic fecerunt vitae, seu sic apud se vivificarunt. Quia in edito erant, et sic influebant in inferiora, et modo in doctrinalibus, ideo inde dejecti sunt, ne prophanarent bonum apud alios.
5663 [a]. De Mahumedanis, et de Mahumede, ultimum judicium
Mahumedani habitant in parte occidentali extra Christianum orbem, in multis montibus ibi, ad magnum numerum; illorum meliores transportati sunt inde in partem orientalem, 2
nempe illi eorum, qui in mundo agnoverunt Dominum pro Maximo Propheta, et vocaverunt Ipsum Filium Dei, et crediderunt Ipsum missum a Patre ut informaret genus humanum, ita sapientiorem reliquis, tales qui simul secundum suum religiosum bene vixerunt, justum et aequum, et sincerum ex religioso fecerunt, agnoverunt Deum universi, tametsi etiam Mahumedem dixerint esse prophetam magnum, illi transportati sunt versus orientem, de qua translatione prius actum est [5246, 5259-5262], et quod tunc Mahumedes ille, qui tunc erat, dejectus est in inferiora, ubi in vinculis fuit, ne exiret, causam quod ille dejectus sit, detexit ipse postea, cum iterum manifestatus qualis esset, quod nempe sciret quod omnes illi qui non eum colerent, spectarent versus orientem, et ut primum hoc fecerunt, appercepit quod tunc non semet colerent, quapropter cum vidit quod transferretur illuc multitudo, appercepit quod ille desereretur prorsus, inde excanduit, et voluit resistere, haec causa erat.
5664 [a]. Ab altera parte remanserunt plures usque ad centena millia, in confinio ubi terminatur Christianismus, illi colebant Mahumedem illum, sicut Deum, nec cogitarunt de Domino, et parum de Deo universi; illi omni studio allaborabant Mahumedem solvere e vinculis, et iterum illum in pristinam stationem remittere, et cum hoc frustra tentati fecerunt sibi alium Mahumedem primum inter se, sed cum hoc non successit, elegerunt aliquem in monte edito supra Christianismum, cum quo consultabant, et cui obediebant sicut prius Mahumedi. Sed turba illa, quae talis erat, non contenta eo, sed etiam incipiebant ex consilio sui novi Mahumedis, inferre se in Christianum orbem, et vario modo, et varia arte incipiebant potestatem sibi ibi vindicare, influebant apud quosdam, et laedebant Christianos, et quoque ad me miserunt ingeniosissimum suum, qui se misit in possessionem provinciae sinistrae meae auris, et se occultabat aliquo tempore, et sic inde corroborat eos, ut tandem vix resisti possent.
5665 [a]. Sed cum hoc detectum est, tunc inquisitio facta, et inventum quod ab illis Mahumedanis qui in confiniis in parte occidentali, et inquisitum quales essent, et cur tale facerent, cum non prius se immiserint in Christianismum, inventum tunc quod turba illa fuerit talis, quod colerent Mahumedem pro quodam Deo, et quod nihil de Domino cogitarent secundum suum religiosum; et inquisitum qualem ideam haberent de Deo Patre, quod non aliam haberent quam sicut de universo creato, et quod idea esset absque idea humana, ut apud reliquos, ita quod nullam ideam haberent de Deo Patre, dixerunt quod potuissent ex religioso suo cogitare de Domino, si vellent, et Ipsum potius adire quam Mahumedem, qui illis ex religioso minor propheta, sed dicebant quod hoc non possent, quia in mundo propter Christianos, qui illis hostes, illam cogitationem rejecerunt, compertum dein quam essent gens vaga, nec quicquam vellent facere, nec se ad aliquid operis conferre, sicut illi qui in montibus, ibi, quibus sunt regimina, ac regiminum formae [5060].
5666 [a]. Quia turba illa talis erat, ut Mahumedem tantum colerent, ideo detectum est quomodo cum Mahumede se habuit, ipse Mahumedes, qui scripsit Alcoran sepultus est in Mecca, ille desumtus est ex suo loco, ubi erat, erat profunde in loco post dextrum pedem paulo elevatus supra sinistrum capitis mei illi apparebat illis, apparebat crassus in nigro, quales sunt homines corporei, qui parum vitae habent, qui ibi sunt, paene fatui sunt, loquebatur parum cum illis dicebat quod talis sit quod inter corporeos ibi; postea recessit in locum suum.
5667 [a]. Postea eductus alter Mahomed qui in vinculis quem quaerebant detectus quis in mundo fuerat, quod nempe natus Saxoniae dein quod nauclerus factus captivatus ab Algerianis ab illis liberatus quod quia suscepit ibi religionem Mahumedanam, creditus ut iterum nauclerus esset tunc a Genuensibus captus ab illis quoque in libertatem missus sic quod imbutus religione tam Christiana quam Mahumedana quod occupaverit locum in Christiano orbe, de quo prius [5600] ; quum persuasit illis qui in confinio, quod esset Mahumedes cupidine imperandi praeditus, illis imperavit per satis insigne tempus, agnoscens Dominum ex religione Christiana inde potuit duci a Domino - 3
de illo plura vide prius - 4
erat etiam alter Mahumedes, qui fuit Christianus ex Graecia, qui locum habebat post illum ille quia vices ejus quandoque obiit industrie egit, ab illo detentus est agnitus a quibusdam ab illis qui cogitaverunt de pluribus Mahumedibus ita de alio quoque.
5668 [a]. Quod attinet illos qui in montibus, ibi, illi quidem primum cum in alteram vitam veniunt, cogitant de Mahumede, sed postea deserunt illum cogitant de Deo Patre, creatore universi de Domino, quod maximus Propheta, sapientissimus hominum Filius Dei; exploratum qualem illi ideam de Deo uno creatore universi haberent compertum quod sicut aliquod humanum non sicut priores sicut universum.
5669 [a]. Quidam ex Mahumedanis, cum audiverunt multa de Domino, volebant accedere illam Ecclesiam, sed dictum est illis, quod maneant in sua religione, modo de Domino cogitent ex doctrina sua ex Alkorano, quod maximus Propheta esset, quod Filius Dei quod sapientissimus hominum; quia Divinum Ipsius non possunt agnoscere corde, solum quidam ore ex intellectuali, quoniam ab infantia imbuerunt se fide talium bonum spirituale a talibus quae fuerunt fidei eorum in mundo, formatum est, quod exstingui per novum fidei tam subito non potest, modo vivant in bono suo, sincerum justum faciant sciant quod omne justum sit Divinum quod sic usque felices suo modo vivere possent successive duci Dominum. Addebatur quod illi qui in justo suo bono vivunt, possint esse meliores Christianis, quia illi derogant omne Divinum Domino maxima pars Christianorum, qui pontificii vocantur, sibi vindicant omnem potestatem Domini, in coelo in terra sic adimunt ei omne Divinum, quod non amplius in Ipso sed in semet agnoscunt. Ac reliqui Christiani, qui reformati vocantur, sciunt quidem ex doctrina fatentur, quod Divinum sit unus cum Patre, sed usque cum cogitant de, non aliter cogitant quam sicut de vulgari homine, qui similis illis tunc nihil de Divino Ipsius, quapropter etiam adeunt Patrem, ut propter Filium faciat non Dominum; idea Christianorum illorum etiam talis est; inde viderunt, quod boni Mahumedani in suo corde melius cogitent de quam Christiani. Agnoscunt etiam Mosen pro magno propheta sed minore quam Dominum, sed de Mose non cogitant amplius.
Footnotes:
1. sic in ms. Incipit abhinc numeratio ab 5662
2. Sidebar: NB.
3. 5268
4. 5600