Quinque Memorabilia #1

By Emanuel Swedenborg
/ 24  
  

1. QUINQUE MEMORABILIA

DE MERE NATURALI HOMINE QUALIS ILLE

1. Quondam ex desiderio sciendi qualis est mens hominis mere naturalis, suspexi in coelum et petii hoc a Domino; causa fuit quia summe naturalem hominem audivi dicentem quod ille aeque rationaliter possit multas res videre, intelligere, et percipere, sicut illi qui vocantur spirituales, et inde angeli coeli; et addidit dictis, 'Estne similis rationalitas utrisque 1 ? quid facit differentiam, nisi frivola opinio?'

Subito tunc ascendit ex inferis 2 quidam Satanas; Satanae sunt omnes mere naturales, et possunt solerter ratiocinari, sed ex fallaciis sensuum, quare vident falsa sicut vera, nam omnia falsa ortum suum ducunt ex fallaciis illis. Hic cum in aspectum venit, apparuit primum facie candida viva, dein facie pallida mortua, demum facie nigra infernali. Quaesivi unde faciei ejus illae mutationes, responsum e coelo tuli quod tales sint status successivi mentium illorum qui mere naturales sunt, facies enim sunt typi animorum; intima mentium illorum, quia sunt infernalia, in facie sub nigredine repraesentantur 3 ; media, quia falsificaverunt vera, sub pallore mortui; extima autem sub candore vivo, quia cum in externis sunt, quod fit dum in congregatione, possunt vera cogitare, confirmare, intelligere, et docere; hoc illis est, quia rationalitas est ipsa humanitas, per illam enim homo est homo, et distinguitur a bestiis; sed rationalitas Satanis solum est in externis, nulla autem in internis, quia in internis regnat cupiditas adulterandi bona et falsificandi vera Ecclesiae; et haec cupiditas influit in rationalitatem illorum, ac lucem ejus inumbrat, ac inducit 4 caliginem, usque ut non nisi quam falsitates loco veritatum videant.

V:

1. utrisque in Johansen's corrected edition, and in Tafel's edition; ubrisque in Johansen's copy of the manuscript.
2. inferis in Johansen's copy of the manuscript; infernis in Tafel's edition.
3. repraesentantur in Johansen's corrected edition, and in Tafel's edition; representantur in Johansen's copy of the manuscript.
4. inducit in Johansen's copy of the manuscript; induit in Tafel's edition.

/ 24  
  

This is a Latin edition of one of Swedenborg's works (from 1766) that was left in manuscript, and is now lost. This edition was prepared in 1975, by John Chadwick and John Elliott, and published by the Swedenborg Society, London, England. It is based on two previous Latin editions edited by Christian Johansen and J.F.I. Tafel, respectively.