Who could ever understand the Word from
the sense of its letter, unless he saw from an enlightened reason the
truths it contains? Is not this the source of so many heresies from
the same Word?{1}
{Footnote 1} The truths of doctrine of the church derived from
the Word must be the starting-point, and these must first be
acknowledged, and afterwards it is permissible to consult
knowledges (n. 6047). Thus it is permissible for those that are
in an affirmative state towards the truths of faith to confirm
them rationally by knowledges, but it is not permissible for
those who are in a negative state (n. 2568, 2588, 4760, 6047).
It is in accordance with Divine order to enter rationally from
spiritual truths into knowledges, which are natural truths, but
not to enter from the latter into the former, because spiritual
influx into natural things is possible, but not natural or
physical influx into spiritual things (n. 3219, 5119, 5259,
5427, 5428, 5478, 6322, 9109, 9110).
456. That the spirit of man, when it has been loosed from the body,
is still a man and in a like form, has been proved to me by the daily
experience of many years; for I have seen such and have listened to
them a thousand times, and have talked with them about this fact,
that men in the world do not believe them to be men, and that those
that do believe this are regarded by the learned as simple.
Pages:
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546