365. [302.] Several hundred of these Moravians departed and went to a society where charity reigned, and the several hundred were ones caught up in the persuasion that they were alive and that those in the practice of charity were dead. Because of this persuasion, the angels of the society where charity reigned appeared to their eyes to be black, while they for a time seemed outwardly to be angels. (Their persuasion has this effect, that as they approach, they themselves appear, because of their persuasion, as alive, and all others in their eyes as half-dead.) When the angels perceived this, they prayed to the Lord to remove these newcomers. Consequently the Moravians were commanded from above to leave, and as they were going and removing themselves, they appeared so monstrous as to seem scarcely human. Moreover, the monstrosity of their appearance kept increasing until they reached the entryway to their place underground, which led through a cavern, and when they arrived there, their monstrousness persisted and was apparent to their eyes and to the eyes of their comrades. After that they were also punished for a long time, and exceedingly so, for having dared such a venture; and they were told that they were being punished to keep them from going to the societies of others and by their persuasion inducing in others a state like theirs and so winning them over to their wicked dogma, believing that they are alive and those in the practice of charity dead, when the contrary is the case. Their punishment continued until they swore that they would not do it again. For their greatest desire is to seduce others by various wiles and arts and persuade them to their views. They are deceivers.