Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10785

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10785. When the spirits belonging to that planet came into sight they addressed us. Who were we and what did we want? they asked. We said that we were travellers, that our journeys had brought us there, and that they should not be afraid of us. For they were afraid that we might be some of those who caused them to become muddled regarding God, faith, and the like, on account of whom they had retreated to that quarter of their planet, running away from them in whatever direction they could. When asked what it was that caused them to become muddled, they replied that it was the idea of Three and the idea that within God Divinity exists without Humanity, when yet they knew and perceived that God was One and also Man (Homo). We realized then that those who caused them to become muddled and whom they ran away from belonged to our planet. We also realized it from the fact that those from our planet who wander around in that fashion in the next life do so on account of their enthusiasm for and delight in travel which they acquired in the world; for those on other planets do not engage in such travels. After this we learned that they were monks who had travelled about our world with a zeal for converting gentiles. We therefore told those spirits that they did right to run away from them, because they were not intent on teaching people but on gain and dominion; their first aim was to use various means to capture people's minds, but after that to make those people subject to them as slaves. We also told them that they did right not to allow such persons to make them muddled in their ideas about the Lord.


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