5207. CONCERNING THE DESTRUCTION OF BABEL, AND THE CASTING INTO THE LAKE OF SULFUR. It has been seen, on several former occasions, how those of the Catholic religion are circumstanced, who have been prelates, monks, and such as have been set over others, namely, that some of them are in the east, where the Lord is as the sun. The Lord is above the heavens, like the sun of the world is above the earth. But those of that religion who are there, have, by phantasy in themselves, made for themselves the semblance of a sun; but this is from magical phantasy, which is in externals, and inwardly [that semblance] is foul and devilish. They placed therein a certain devil whom they called Christ; and those around, went to him and came back, and he told them that he has given them all his power and they may do what they will; also, that it must always appear, by means of the phantastic sun, that they are in his favor. All this time, there were no Jesuits there. Thus they persuaded the common people, and held them in their former persuasion, lest they should, in any way, arrive at the knowledges of truth and good. That phantastic sun was worshipped, altogether as though it were Christ. This continued for some time; but, when light from heaven was let in upon it and its quality made evident, then that sun was obscured, and made darkness, and the devil inside it appeared in a certain vessel - a large vat - which glided down. And yet [that sun] was again restored by them, through phantasies, and another devil entered - a certain one known to me in the world, who is now a devil; and it so occurred several times. But these [suns] were destroyed; the people were cast into hells; and this went on continually, for there were always many fresh arrivals. At a distance, behind these, in a corresponding position in the west, was a mountain full of that sort, who called themselves Christ; and, whithersoever they came, they had just such a sphere as though they were Christ, and this in such a powerful degree, that the simple-minded were altogether led away, and believed it to be so; for they feigned humility, piety and the like, whereby the simple were deceived. They also said, when they were with me, that Christ was in them, to save them and protect them from the diabolical crew; besides many similar things. They were also able to seduce others besides the simpleminded. They proceeded, there, along an extended way, and applied themselves near the occiput; and there they acted in concert with the diabolical crew round about; still alleging that they protected, until, at length, they were exposed as being devils under angelic form, and as having derived this [quality] from the fact, that, in the world, they desired to rule all things, in the name of the Lord. There was a great multitude of them, and they continued for a considerable time; but they were afterwards cast out of that mountain into a gloomy hell, immediately beneath the mountain there. I saw companies of them; and a great multitude were cast thither. They are seducers of an interior kind; and they combined with the hells round about. I saw, and spoke with them, frequently.