Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 1.djvu/225

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in hell, and since the spiritual world as to its external appearance is altogether like the natural world, therefore they also live a similar moral and civil life, and above all have similar worship, for this is inrooted and inheres in man's inmost; nor can anyone after death be withdrawn from it, unless he be in good from truths and in truths from good.

But it is more difficult to withdraw the people now treated of from their own worship, than other people, because they are not in good from truths, and still less in truths from good; for their truths are not derived from the Word, with the exception of some few which they have falsified by applying them to dominion; and hence they have none other than spurious good,—for such as the truths are, the good becomes. These things are said, in order that it may be known that the worship of this people in the spiritual world, is altogether similar to their worship in the natural world.


THEIR WORSHIP IN THE OTHER WORLD.

I will now relate some particulars of the worship and life of the Papists in the spiritual world. They have a certain session, in place of the session or consistory at Rome, in which their leaders meet, and consult on various matters touching their religion, especially on the means of holding the vulgar in blind obedience, and of enlarging their own dominion.