3431. But this subject-spirit was not, I think, in any other persuasion than that life consisted in this, viz., that he was nothing; but what the being nothing is he did not know. In other things he was, compared to others, rather open to conviction; as, for instance, when it was said that the Lord is life, he gave his assent to it, besides other things which he could easily be drawn to admit; wherefore his whiteness appeared like that of a body, naked and pliable, because he himself was pliable, as was manifest. I thus judged that he was easily led to things that were true and good; but I now perceive that the fact was otherwise, and also that he had lived in ignorance, and thought that [state] to be everything (:his preacher or instructor, who is now with me and directs and has directed him, does not admit what I am now writing; he does not admit that I shall say true and good, because this involves faith, which he regards as knowledges [or sciences] that pervert:) and thought all this was so, as his preacher or instructor has taught him, thus [remaining] in ignorance, because he suffers himself to be simply and passively led; wherefore there is yet hope of him, for ignorance excuses.