gel of light and cast down; but that all, both in heaven and hell, are from the human race; in heaven, those who lived in the world in heavenly love and faith; in hell, those who lived in infernal love and faith; and that hell in the whole complex is what is called the devil and satan."—H. H, n. 311.
"That heaven is from the human race may be further evident from this, that angelic minds and human minds are similar. Both enjoy the faculty of understanding, perceiving and willing. Both are formed to receive heaven; for the human mind is capable of wisdom as well as the angelic mind; but it does not become so wise in the world, because it is in an earthly body, and in that the spiritual mind thinks naturally.
"From these observations it may be seen that the internal of man, which is called his spirit is, in its essence, an angel; and when released from the earthly body it is in the human form the same as an angel. But when the internal of man is not open above but only beneath, then after its release from the body it is still in the human form, but hideous and diabolical; for it cannot look upward to heaven, but only downward to hell."—Ibid, n. 314.Such is Swedenborg's uniform teaching on this subject, reiterated many times in his writings. Throughout all his theological works, which occupied him nearly thirty years in writing, we find nothing at variance with this. Let us now examine his assertions in the light of reason and Scripture.
The sum of what is taught in the passages we have quoted, is: That man was created with the capacity of becoming an angel, and consequently of enjoying eternal happiness in heaven: That the soul or spirit which
