5700. About those who are said to be learned and are believed be able prove their own dogma and whatever else in the other life
There are many who are able to prove anything and so skillfully that these things then appear as if entirely true; and as a result those who can do this are called learned in the world and more rational than others, when yet they have almost no understanding of truth, but it is obscure and closed to them. This I have learned through much experience. There was one (Rosenadler 1) who was able to prove anything so cleverly that scarcely anyone could do it better, and when he had proved it, he himself believed it was true. Some believed he possessed an inner understanding, beyond others, and from this had such an ability to produce proofs. He was sent to a place where there was inner thought, and he was then blinded, so that he could see nothing; and this was the case as often as he was brought into inner thought. He said therefore, just as he had believed in the world, that he could make whatever he wanted true; but it was shown to him that this was a false appearance and that he could not even see that which is true in itself. A siren was displayed who was able to make herself more beautiful than others. She appeared so beautiful that everyone who looked at her from a natural standpoint said that she was the most beautiful of women; and she was also able to adorn herself in brilliant, lovely attire. But when this false outer appearance was taken away, she appeared in a diabolical form.
Footnotes:
1. Johan Rosenadler (1664ֱ743), was a great Swedish orator esteemed for his thorough erudition.
5700. THOSE WHO WERE CALLED LEARNED AND WERE BELIEVED BECAUSE THEY COULD CONFIRM THEIR OWN DOGMA WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, IN THE OTHER LIFE.
There are many who can confirm anything whatever, and so dexterously that it appears, at the time, entirely as if they were true, and by this means also pass in the world as learned, and as more rational than others; when, nevertheless, they have almost nothing of the understanding of truth, but this is dark and closed with them. This was proved by many. One was Rosenadler, who was able to confirm anything whatever so skillfully that scarcely any could surpass it; and, when he had confirmed it, he himself believed it to be true. He was believed by others to be possessed of an interior understanding beyond other men; and that his great faculty of confirmation was from that source. He was sent to a place where there was interior thought; and then he became blind, so as to be able to see nothing; and it happened so, as often as he was let into thinking interiorly. He said, therefore, as he believed in the world, that he could make out whatever he chose, to be true; but it was shown him that this was a fallacy, and that he was not even able to see that which is true in itself. One of the Siren kind was exhibited, who was able to make herself more beautiful than others. She appeared so beautiful that all who looked upon her from the Natural, declared that she was the most beautiful of women: she was likewise able to adorn herself with becoming and magnificent clothes. But when this deceptive external was taken away, she appeared in a diabolical form.
5700. De illis qui docti dicuntur et creduntur quod confirmare possint suum dogma et quodcunque in altera vita
Sunt plures qui possunt confirmare quodcunque, et tam dextre, ut appareant tunc prorsus sicut vera, et per id quoque audiunt docti in mundo, et plus quam alii rationales, cum tamen illis paene nullus intellectus veri, sed obscurum et clausum illis; hoc expertum est per plures, unus (Rosenadler) qui tam dextre potuit confirmare quodcunque, ut vix aliquis melius, et cum confirmavit, credidit ipse quod verum esset; ille ab aliis credebatur quod interiorem intellectum haberet, prae aliis, et quod inde confirmationum talis facultas, missus ad locum ubi interior cogitatio erat, et tunc factus coecus, ut nihil videre posset, ita quoties mittebatur in interius cogitare; ille ideo dixit, sicut in mundo credidit, quicquid vult possit facere ut sit verum, sed ei ostensum, quod id fallacia esset, et quod ne quidem id posset videre, quod sit verum in se, ostensa est una siren quae potuit se pulchram facere prae aliis, quae tam pulchra apparebat, ut omnes qui intuebantur ex naturali, dicerent quod pulcherrima faeminarum esset, etiam potuit se ornare vestibus decoris et splendidis, sed cum fallax hoc externum detrahebatur, apparebat in forma diabolica.