255.在灵界，我与生活在许多世纪前的人交谈过，他们曾确认其宗教信仰的虚假，我发现他们仍继续执着坚守。我也与一些曾有过同样的宗教信仰，以同样的方式思考，但没有确认其虚假的人交谈过。我发现，经天使教导后，他们便弃绝虚假，接受真理。这种人得救了，而前者没有得救。死后，每个人都被天使教导，那些看到真理，并且通过真理看清虚假的人就被接纳。但只有那些没有确认虚假的人才能看到真理。而那些已经确认的人却不愿看到真理，即使看到，他们也会背过身去，要么嘲笑、要么歪曲它们。其真正原因在于，确认进入意愿，而意愿是这个人的真正本质，就是这个人自己，能随意支配理解力。纯粹的知识只进入理解力，这种知识对意愿没有任何控制力，在人里面仅仅像站在大厅或门口、尚未进到屋里的人。
255. 在心靈世界, 我曾與許多世紀前的那些自行證實所信宗教的偽謬的人交談過, 我發覺他們對此仍舊堅定不移地持續著。我也與另一些與前者有同樣宗教信仰和同樣想法的人交談過, 只是這些人並未自行去確證其中的偽謬。後來發現這些人在受過天人的教導後, 他們拒絕了偽謬,接受了真理。這些人得救了, 而前者卻沒有。每個人死後都會受到天人的教導, 凡接受的就能看到真理,並由真理而看見偽謬, 只是真理僅被那些並未確證偽謬之人看見。那些自行確證偽謬之人並不願看到真理, 或者當他們看到真理時, 要麼會轉身離開, 要麼嘲笑或歪曲真理。其中真正的原因在於這樣的確證會進入到人的意志之中, 而意志就是人本身,並使人的認知傾向于自己所樂意的。不過, 知識僅進入人的認知, 無法掌控人的意志, 在人裡面的情形如同某人在走廊或門口,而非在家裡面。
255. In the spiritual world I have spoken with people who lived hundreds of years ago who had become adamantly devoted to false ideas in their religion. I learned that these people still consistently maintain these ideas. I have also spoken with people in the spiritual world who had belonged to the same religion and had had the same thoughts as these others but who had not become adamant about these false ideas inside themselves. I learned that when the latter people were taught by angels they rejected these false ideas and embraced true ones. They were saved, but the others were not.
After we die we are all taught by angels. If we can see truths, and can see falsities in contrast to truths, we are accepted [into heaven]. The only people who are able to see truths, however, are those who have not reinforced false ideas in themselves. Those who have reinforced false ideas are unwilling to see truths. If they see truths, they turn away and either laugh at what they have seen or falsify it. The real reason for this is that becoming adamant enters the will, and the will is the real person. The will controls the intellect as it wishes. Merely knowing something enters only the intellect, and the intellect has no jurisdiction over the will. Knowledge, therefore, is not really inside us, just as someone who is standing on a porch or in an entrance is not really inside the house.
255. I have spoken with people in the spiritual world who lived many centuries ago and convinced themselves of the falsities taught by their religion; and I learned that they still steadfastly remain convinced of them. I have also spoken with some there who belonged to the same religion and thought just as the others, but had not confirmed the falsities in their minds; and I learned that these under instruction by angels have rejected the falsities and accepted truths. These people have been saved, but not the others.
After death everyone is instructed by angels, and those are accepted who see truths, and falsities in the light of truths. But the only ones to see truths are those who have not convinced themselves of falsities; those who have are unwilling to see truths, and if they do, they turn away, and then either laugh at them or turn them into falsities. The real cause of this is that confirmation enters into the will, and the will is the very essence of the person, and has the understanding at its beck and call. But bare knowledge only enters the understanding, and this has no control over the will; so it is no more inside the person than someone who stands in the forecourt or at the door, and has not yet been admitted to the house.
255. I have talked with some in the spiritual world who lived many centuries ago and who had confirmed themselves in the falsities of their religion; and I found that they still continued steadfastly in them. I have also talked with some there who had been of the same religion and had thought in the same way, but had not confirmed in themselves its falsities; and I found that after having been taught by the angels they rejected the falsities and accepted truths; and that such were saved, while the former were not. Everyone is instructed after death by angels, and those are received who see truths and from truths see falsities; but truths are seen only by those who have not confirmed themselves in falsities. Those who have confirmed themselves are unwilling to see truths, or if they see them they turn themselves away and either ridicule or falsify them. The real cause of this is that confirmation enters the will, and the will is the man himself and disposes the understanding at its pleasure. But bare knowledge enters the understanding only, and this has no authority over the will, but is in man only as one who stands in the hall or doorway and is not yet in the house.
255. I have conversed in the spiritual world with some who lived many ages ago, and who had confirmed themselves in the falsities of their religion, and I found that they still firmly adhered to them. I have also conversed with some in that world who had been of the same religion and had entertained the same ideas as the others, but had not confirmed themselves in its falsities; and I learned that they, after being instructed by the angels, had rejected the falsities and accepted truths. These had been saved, but the others were not. Every man after death is instructed by angels, and those are received into heaven who perceive truths and, from truths, falsities. Only those, however, perceive truths who have not confirmed themselves in falsities; but those who have so confirmed themselves do not wish to see truths; and if they are presented to them, they turn away, and either ridicule or falsify them. The reason is that confirmation enters the will, and as the will is the man, it disposes the understanding as it pleases; whereas mere knowledge simply enters the understanding, and has no influence over the will; consequently such knowledge is not in the man, but is like one standing in the entrance hall or portal who is not yet in the house.
255. Loquutus sum cum quibusdam in Mundo spirituali, qui ante plura Saecula vixerunt, et se confirmaverunt in falsis Religionis suae, et compertus sum, quod in iisdem adhuc constanter manerent: et quoque loquutus sum cum quibusdam ibi, qui in eadem Religione fuerunt, et cogitaverunt sicut illi, sed non confirmaverunt falsa ejus apud se, et compertus sum, quod instructi ab Angelis falsa rejecerint, et vera receperint, et quod hi salvati sint, non autem illi. Unusquisque homo post mortem instruitur ab Angelis, et recipiuntur illi qui vera vident, et ex veris falsa; sed modo illi vident vera, qui se non confirmaverunt in falsis, sed qui se confirmaverunt, illi non volunt videre vera, et si vident, se retro vertunt, et tunc vel ad illa rident, vel illa falsificant; genuina causa est, quod Confirmatio intret voluntatem, ac voluntas est ipse homo, et disponit intellectum ad nutum; at nuda cognitio modo intrat intellectum, et hic non aliquod jus in voluntatem habet, ita non est in homine, aliter quam sicut qui stat in atrio aut in porta, et non adhuc in domo.