Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 6479

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6479. Spirits not so well disposed, who were for some time with me, continually injected doubts from the fallacies of the senses against the possibility of all things flowing from one fountain, and thus from the Lord. But they were told that so many doubts cannot be removed within a short time, on account of the fallacies of the senses, which must first be dispelled, and on account of the numberless unknown things which must first be known; nay, that with those who are in what is negative, that is, those with whom what is negative universally reigns, doubts cannot possibly be removed; for with them one scruple has more weight than a thousand confirmations. For one scruple is like a grain of sand placed close before the pupil of the eye, which, although single and small, yet takes away all the sight. But they who are in what is affirmative, that is, those with whom what is affirmative universally reigns, reject the scruples from fallacies which are contrary to truths, and if there are any things which they do not apprehend, these they cast to the sides, and say that they do not as yet understand them, and nevertheless they remain in the belief of the truth. But the above-mentioned spirits attended little to these things, because they were in what is negative.


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