Spiritual Experiences (Buss) n. 5995

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5995. ZINZENDORF AND DIPPEL, CONTINUED. In a dream, Zinzendorf was looking at me, and then, at the same time, Dippel, who appeared like a wild stag chained up. Zinzendorf saw him, and loosed his chains, and set him on to me. He rushed with fury, desiring to mangle and destroy me; but he was then mangled by others and then I came to a huge dog, also chained up, which likewise was to tear me but he rushed upon the stag which was above me, and roughly handled him. Afterwards, that enormous stag was chained up elsewhere. The stag was Dippel. He appeared thus, and chained up - which also was an appearance - because he is not allowed to go about, and destroy people by his persuasion, as he did in the world. Zinzendorf said that he had loved him, but had discovered that he afterwards receded, and was of such a character as to want to tear and devour all - which, also, he had done by writings of a virulent nature - and [was] opposed to all. Such was his disposition. It was said by me that his style, when he confuted others, was as if full of knowledge and intelligence but, that, when he disclosed his own sentiments, he was almost idiotic, as where he discoursed of systems, religious topics, and other matters. The delight of his life was to refute all and to excite disturbances. Moreover, the Zinzendorfians say of themselves the like of what the Lord says of Himself, namely, that they are the sons of God, [that] they are adopted, that they are without sins, that they are the life and the truth, that God is in them as [He was] in the Lord, that by doing and deeds is meant such a life, consequently, that no thought must be exercised concerning evils and goods of life and that no evil in them is regarded by God. They are unwilling for the goods of life, or good works, to be the fruits of faith, because life [they hold] is attended to by God, but faith and works count for nothing. They make all good works meritorious. The goods which they perform to one another they call good offices of friendship. They call their life blameless, because it is alive through faith.


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