824. Many of the Roman Catholics, especially monks, on reaching the spiritual world look for the saints, especially the saint to whose order they belong. They are surprised at not finding them. But later on they are taught that they are not separated from those in heaven or those in the lower earth, and that, wherever they are, they know nothing of the worship and invocations addressed to them. Those who do know of it and wish to be invoked fall into madness and talk nonsense. The worship of the saints is such an abomination in heaven that its bare mention causes horror, since in so far as worship is directed to any human being, so far is it detracted from the Lord. For in these circumstances the Lord cannot be the sole object of worship, and if He is not the sole object of worship, a separation is made which does away with communion, and the happiness of life which flows from it.
[2] So that I should know, and so might make it known, what the saints Of the Roman Catholics are like, as many as a hundred, who know of their canonisation, were brought up from the lower earth. They came up behind my back, only a few before my face. I spoke with one of them, who was, I was told, Xavier*. While he was speaking with me he was like an idiot. However, he was able to relate that in his own place where he is shut up with others he was not an idiot, but that he became one as often as he thought about being a saint and wanted to be invoked. I heard the same kind of murmuring from those behind my back. The situation of the so-called saints in heaven is quite different. They know nothing of what happens on earth, nor are they permitted to talk with any of the Roman Catholics who share that superstition, to prevent any such idea entering their minds.
* Canonised in 1622.
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