g heaven and hell. I asked, what further.
He said, concerning faith in all that he should say. I asked again,
if he taught anything else. He said, concerning the power of remitting
sins, and of opening and shutting heaven. He was then examined as to
what he knew concerning the Lord, the truths of faith, the remission
of sins, man's salvation, and heaven and hell; and it was discovered
that he knew scarcely anything, that he was in obscurity and falsity
concerning all and each of these subjects, and that he was possessed
solely by the lust of acquiring gain and dominion, which he had
contracted in the world and brought with him from thence. He was
therefore told that as he had, prompted by that lust, travelled
thus far, and as he was such in regard to doctrine, he could not but
deprive the spirits of that earth of heavenly light, and inflict on
them the darkness of hell, and thus cause hell, and not the Lord, to
have dominion with them. Moreover, he was cunning in seducing, but
stupid as to the things relating to heaven. As he was of such a
character, he was afterwards cast into hell. Thus the spirits of that
earth were freed of them.

173. The spirits of that earth, amongst other things, also said that
those strangers, who, as has been said, were monkish spirits, used all
their endeavours to persuade them to live together in society, and not
separate and solitary. For spirits and angels dwell and live together
just as they had done in the world. Those who have dwelt together
collectively in the world, also dwell collectively together in the
other life; and those who have dwelt separated into households and
families, also dwell separated there. These spirits, whilst they had
lived as men on their earth, had dwelt separated, every household and
family, and thus every clan, apart, and therefore knew not what it was
to dwell together in society. Wherefore, when it was told them that
those strangers wanted to persuade them to this, in order that they
might reign and rule over them, and that they could not otherwise
subject them to themselves and make them slaves, they replied that
they were totally ignorant what was meant by reigning and ruling. That
they flee away at the bare idea of rule and domination, was manifest
to me from this circumstance, that one of them, who accompanied us on
the return journey, when I showed him the city in which I dwelt, at
the first sight of it fled away, and was seen no more.

174. I then co