With spirits I spoke about the learned, saying that spirits have found with them more things confirmatory of what they have conceived out of the love of self and of the world and assumed as principles, than with others. For whatever philosophic and scientific point exists with man, they turn into confirmations, and the rest they do not see, or if they are brought out by others, they bend them toward [their own views]. Likewise preachers do the same with regard to things in the Word of the Lord, not seeing anything that conflicts with, but only those things in the literal meaning that favor [their views]. Therefore, the more learned in the sciences, and the more learned in the Word, the more insane they usually are. Perhaps this is the reason why priests almost at once change their attitude on becoming priests, and become more unmerciful than the rest, among other things. The cases of these, who draw conclusions only from the things they see, are like that of the mental images of spirits who see only filthy things that are far off [2850-3]. 1748, 2 Oct.