The spirit of an evil man
enters of itself into these arts when he is released from his body,
for they are inherent in the nature of the evil in which he then is.
By these arts they torment each other in the hells. But as all of
these arts, except those that are effected by pretenses, persuasions,
and lies, are unknown in the world, I will not here describe them in
detail, both because they would not be comprehended, and because they
are too abominable to be told.
581. The Lord permits torments in the hells because in no other way
can evils be restrained and subdued. The only means of restraining
and subduing evils and of keeping the infernal crew in bonds is the
fear of punishment. It can be done in no other way; for without the
fear of punishment and torment evil would burst forth into madness,
and everything would go to pieces, like a kingdom on earth where
there is no law and there are no penalties.
582. LXI. THE APPEARANCE, SITUATION, AND NUMBER OF THE HELLS.
In the spiritual world, that is, in the world where spirits and
angels are, the same objects appear as in the natural world, that is,
where men are. In external appearance there is no difference.
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