819. 在偏东的南部地区，天主教徒有一个举行议会的地方，他们的领袖在此聚集，讨论各种宗教问题，特别是如何让百姓盲从，扩大其权势。但是，凡在世曾为教皇者皆被禁止参与，因为这类人在世时僭取主的权柄，导致神性权威的假象在他们头脑中固化；红衣主教由于优越感也不被允许参加这个议会。然而，这些红衣主教在其他人下面的一个大会议室聚会，但在此停留几天后，就被带走了，我未被允许知道他们所去的地方。在偏西的北部地区（英文有误）也有一个聚会的地方，此处的业务是介绍普通民众进入天堂。他们在周围安排了各种外在的娱乐团体，有的用来跳舞，有的用来举行音乐会，有的用来游行，有的用来演戏剧和游览观光，还有的通过幻觉制造各种形式的壮丽辉煌，有的用来搞滑稽表演和玩笑，有的用来友好交谈，讨论宗教和社会事务，有的甚至用来交流猥亵的话题，凡此种种，不一而足。凡上当受骗者，他们随其所欲，将其带入这些团体，称其为天堂。但是，凡进入的人，呆一两天后全都厌倦离开了，因为这些娱乐是外在的，而不是内在的。通过这种方式，很多人也被引离荒唐的信仰，以为那些人握有获准进入天堂的权柄。至于敬拜的细节，形式和尘世的差不多，也由弥撒构成，但所用的不是灵共通的语言，而是某种高音组成的完全听不懂的语言，表现一种表面的虔诚和敬畏感。
819. 在偏东的南部地区, 天主教徒有一个举行议会的地方, 他们的领袖在此聚集, 讨论各种宗教问题, 特别是如何让百姓盲从, 扩大其权势。 但是, 凡在世曾为教皇者皆被禁止参与, 因为这类人在世时僭取主的权柄, 导致神性权威的假象在他们头脑中固化; 红衣主教由于优越感也不被允许参加这个议会。 然而, 这些红衣主教在其他人下面的一个大会议室聚会, 但在此停留几天后, 就被带走了, 我未被允许知道他们所去的地方。 在偏西的北部地区 (英文有误) 也有一个聚会的地方, 此处的业务是介绍普通民众进入天堂。 他们在周围安排了各种外在的娱乐团体, 有的用来跳舞, 有的用来举行音乐会, 有的用来游行, 有的用来演戏剧和游览观光, 还有的通过幻觉制造各种形式的壮丽辉煌, 有的用来搞滑稽表演和玩笑, 有的用来友好交谈, 讨论宗教和社会事务, 有的甚至用来交流猥亵的话题, 凡此种种, 不一而足。 凡上当受骗者, 他们随其所欲, 将其带入这些团体, 称其为天堂。 但是, 凡进入的人, 呆一两天后全都厌倦离开了, 因为这些娱乐是外在的, 而不是内在的。 通过这种方式, 很多人也被引离荒唐的信仰, 以为那些人握有获准进入天堂的权柄。 至于敬拜的细节, 形式和尘世的差不多, 也由弥撒构成, 但所用的不是灵共通的语言, 而是某种高音组成的完全听不懂的语言, 表现一种表面的虔诚和敬畏感。
819. The Roman Catholics have a kind of council that meets in the southern quarter [of the world of spirits] on the east side of it. Catholic leaders meet there to discuss various issues related to their religion. They are particularly concerned with how to keep the general population in a state of blind obedience and how to expand their own dominion. No one who had actually been a pope in the world is allowed on the council, because a sense of their own divine authority still remains in their minds; as a result, they transfer the Lord's power in the world to themselves. No cardinals are allowed on the council either, because of their sense of supremacy. The recently deceased cardinals and popes gather instead in a large room beneath the council chamber, but after a few days they are taken away; I was not allowed to find out where they are taken to.
[2] There is another place of meeting in the southern quarter on the east side. The business that is transacted there is to bring gullible commoners into [what they think is] heaven. The people in charge there have arranged a number of communities around themselves that are devoted to various different outward pleasures. In some communities there is dancing, in some there are musical performances, in some there are parades, in some there are stage plays, in some there are people who know how to generate images that convey various kinds of magnificence, in some there is just joking and laughter all the time. In some communities they have friendly conversations, discussing religion in one place, politics in another, lascivious topics in another, and so on.
The locals take the gullible commoners to one or another of these places, depending on what these people have thought is most pleasurable. They tell them that this is heaven itself. All of the people, though, after just a day or two of being there get tired of it and leave, because these are outward pleasures, not inward pleasures. In this way, many are disabused of frivolously believing that just being let into heaven accomplishes anything.
As for the Catholic forms of worship in that area, they are much like they are in the world. They consist of masses, which are conducted in a language that is not the usual language of spirits, but something cooked up with profound sounding words, by which the people are struck with a sense of external holiness and with trembling, although they have no idea what the words mean.
819. The Roman Catholics have a sort of council towards the east of the southern region. At this their leading men assemble and debate various matters to do with their religion, especially how they can keep the common people in blind obedience, and how they can enlarge their domination. But no one is admitted to this council who had been Pope in the world, because a reflexion of Divine authority besets his mind, as the result of having while in the world usurped the power of the Lord. Nor is any cardinal permitted to attend the council, again because of his very high rank. The cardinals, however, meet in a large council-chamber below the others; but after staying there a few days, they are taken away, but where to I was not allowed to know.
[2] There is another meeting towards the west of the southern region 1 ; its business is to admit the credulous common people into heaven. They arrange a number of communities around them, which engage in various external pleasures. In some there are dances, in others musical, concerts, in some processions, in others theatres and stage competitions, in some there are people who by illusion produce various appearances of magnificence, in others they clown and joke. In some they engage in friendly conversation, elsewhere they talk about religious matters, elsewhere about politics, elsewhere even about sex; and so forth. They admit the credulous to one or other of these communities according to what they wish, calling this heaven. But after they have been there for a day or two, they all become bored and leave, because their pleasures are external and not internal. In this way also many of them are led away from the ridiculous belief in people having the power to admit to heaven. The details of their worship are more or less the same as in the world. It consists likewise-of masses, which are not conducted in the language shared by spirits, but one invented from lofty-sounding words which induce an external feeling of holiness and awe, because they are utterly unintelligible.
Footnotes:
1. A parallel passage in Last Judgment 66 describes this as being 'in the north of the western region'.
819. The Papists have a sort of place of council in the southern quarter toward the east, where their leaders assemble and deliberate about various matters pertaining to their religion, especially about how to keep the common people in blind obedience and how to enlarge their own dominion. But no one who had been a pope in the world is admitted to this assembly, because a semblance of Divine authority is fixed in the minds of such, on account of their having arrogated to themselves the Lord's power in the world. Neither are any cardinals permitted to enter that council, because of their sense of pre-eminence. Nevertheless these latter assemble together in a spacious room beneath the others, but after staying there a few days are taken away, I was not permitted to know where. There is also another place of meeting in the southern quarter towards the west, where the business is to introduce the credulous common people into heaven. There they arrange round about themselves several societies which provide for various external delights; in some there are dances, in some musical concerts, in some processions, in some theaters and scenic amusements; in some there are persons who by hallucination produce various forms of magnificence; in some there is merely clownish acting and jesting; in some again there is friendly conversation, here about religious matters, there about civil affairs, and elsewhere they even talk lasciviously; and so on. Into some of these societies they introduce the credulous, each one according to the kind of pleasure he prefers, and this they call heaven. But when they have been there a day or two they all become weary and go away, because those delights are external and not internal. In this way also many are led away from the folly of their belief about the power to admit into heaven. As to the particulars of their worship, it is nearly the same as their worship in the world, consisting in like manner of masses which are conducted in a language not common to spirits but composed of high-sounding words which inspire external sanctity and trembling, but which the hearers do not at all understand.
819. The Roman Catholics have a council hall in the southern quarter towards the east. Here their chief men assemble and consult on matters relating to their religion; particularly on how the common people may be kept in blind obedience, and how their own influence may be extended. No one, however, is admitted to this council who has been a Pope in the world, because he has firmly established in his mind something resembling Divine authority, from having arrogated to himself the Lord's power in the world. Nor are any cardinals permitted to enter, because of their pre-eminence. They, however, meet in a spacious chamber beneath the council hall; and after staying there for some days they are removed, but I was not permitted to learn their destination.
There is also in the southern quarter towards the west another place of meeting where the business of letting the credulous common people into heaven, is gone through. Here they have arranged in their vicinity several societies which are devoted to the enjoyment of various pleasures of an external kind. In some there are dances, concerts, processions, theatrical performances and stage shows; in some there are spirits who by arts of illusion produce magnificent spectacles; in some they merely engage in foolish talk and jest; in some they hold friendly converse with one another, in one place on religious matters, in another on civil affairs, in another on wanton sports, and so on. Into one or other of these societies they introduce the credulous, according to the favorite pleasure of each, and call it heaven. But after a day or two they all become weary, and depart; for such pleasures are external and not internal. In this way many are induced to give up the absurd tenets of their faith concerning the power to admit to heaven. As for the nature of their worship, it closely resembles what they practised in the world. It consists in saying masses, not in the common language, but in one composed of high-sounding words, which inspire an external sanctity and awe, but which convey no meaning.
819. Pontificii Synedrium quoddam habent in Plaga Meridionali versus Orientem, in quo illorum Primores conveniunt, et consultant de variis quae Religionis eorum sunt, imprimis quomodo Vulgus tenendum est in caeca obedientia, et quomodo Dominatus eorum ampliandus: sed non in illud admittitur aliquis qui in Mundo fuerat Pontifex, ex causa quia insidet animo ejus instar Auctoritatis Divinae, ex eo quod arrogaverit sibi potestatem Domini in Mundo: nec permittitur alicui Cardinali in Synedrium illud intrare, et hoc propter supereminentiam; hi tamen in amplo Conclavi sub illis se colligunt, at post aliquot dierum commorationem auferuntur, sed non datum est scire, quo.
[2] Alius etiam Conventus est in Plaga occidentali prope septentrionem; 1 negotium ibi est credulum vulgus intromittere in Coelum; disponunt ibi circum se plures Societates, quae in variis Jucundis externis sunt; in quibusdam sunt Choreae, in quibusdam Harmoniae musicae, in quibusdam Processiones, in quibusdam Theatra et ludi scenici, in quibusdam sunt qui per phantasias inducunt varias species magnificentiae, in quibusdam modo hariolantur 2 et jocantur; in quibusdam loquuntur inter se amice, alicubi de religiosis, alicubi de civilibus, etiam alicubi de lasciviis; et sic porro: in aliquam ex his societatibus secundum cujusvis voluptatem immittunt credulos, vocantes id Coelum; sed omnes post diem unum aut alterum, cum ibi fuerunt, taedio afficiuntur et abscedunt, quia Jucunda illa sunt externa et non interna; ita quoque plures abducuntur a frivolis fidei de potestate intromittendi in 3 Coelum. Quod Cultum eorum in specie attinet, est ille paene similis Cultui illorum in Mundo; consistit ille similiter in Missis, quae fiunt in Lingua non communi spirituum, sed conflata ex vocibus alte sonantibus, quae Sanctum externum et Tremorem 4 incutiunt, quae prorsus non intelligunt.
Footnotes:
1. Sic de ULTIMO JUDICIO 56[4]. occidentali prope septentrionem ubi in prima editione meridionali versus Occidentem.
2. Prima editio: hauriolantur.
3. Prima editio: ln.
4. Prima editio: Tremotem.