5790. All these are of such a quality, that they take away the government of the Lord from every one whom they assail; for they arrogate it to themselves, and rise up even to the point that they believe that they are gods, and that the Divine is not anything, but that the Lord rules universally and they in details; thus, that they are deities, and that this is heaven. They say that ruling is heaven, because this is the very delight of their life. They therefore never submit to the Lord, nor receive anything of obedience: they wish to do all things from proprium.
5790a. Those who are not such keep quiet in their own houses. They are content with their own possessions, and perform the duties enjoined upon them. These are the ones who enjoy heavenly gladness, because it is in themselves and not outside them. I spoke with some who were such, and said that if they wished to rule others, and over subject-spirits, by their eyes, it would be as if one fiber in the body wished to arrogate to itself all things of the will, and not to obey the will save from itself, and that if many fibers did thus, all action would stand still utterly, would not receive the influx of the will, but would separate itself and utterly destroy lower things. Inasmuch as these [observations] fell into the ideas of the spirits, they acknowledged that it was so; but still they did not desist; for the love is what actuates every one there, and it is vain to try to change it; for a man, or spirit, is from it, and is nothing else than his love.
5790b. The majority of such ones are hypocrites. As long as they are able to rule, they acknowledge the Divine; but as soon as they are deprived of dominion, they deny it. They carry this [denial] in the heart: the acknowledgment they carry only in the mouth. It is well known that there are such also in the world, especially among the Catholic community. They adore the Lord with the mouth, and affect sanctity to such a degree that merely at the presence of the host when it is borne round, and when they exhibit that symbol from the altar, they compel all to fall upon their knees and to be in the holiest worship of Him; when, nevertheless, in their heart, they deny Him, even saying that the Lord has no power, because it has all been given to themselves: thus, that the Lord rules by virtue of them. It was shown, also, that a certain one was taken up out of hell, and power was there given him over many; and it was said that he would enjoy that power if he acknowledged the Lord: and then he acknowledged with such great fervor as scarcely anyone could exceed; but, as soon as he was deprived of dominion, he denied Him. Of such a character are all those who adore the Divine for the sake of dominion.
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