Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 1.djvu/224

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

as to the delights of one's love, which are turned into things correspondent. The same holds of the life of those now treated of, which is altogether such as it was in the world, with this difference: that the hidden things of their hearts are there uncovered, for they are in the spirit, in which reside the interior things of the thoughts and intentions which they had concealed in the world, and had covered over with a devout external. And as these hidden things were now laid open, it was perceived that more than half of those who had usurped the power of opening and shutting heaven, were downright atheists. But since dominion is rooted in their minds as in the world, and is based on this, that all power was given by the Father to the Lord Himself, and that it was transferred to Peter, and by order of succession to the heads of the church, therefore an oral confession about the Lord remains adjoined to their atheism. But even this remains only so long as they enjoy some dominion by means of it. But the rest of them who are not atheists, are so empty as to be entirely ignorant of man's spiritual life, of the means of salvation, of the divine truths which lead to heaven; and they know nothing at all of heavenly love aud faith, believing that heaven may be granted of the Pope's grace to any one of whatever character.

Now since every one is in a life in the spiritual world similar to his life in the natural world, without any difference, so long as he is neither in heaven nor