Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 4004instituted a life, not evil, in accordance with it. Others who are notof a similar nature cannot easily have intercourse with them; forthey cling tenaciously to the opinions they have received, and donot suffer themselves to be led away from them by reasons. Verymany such are from this earth, because our planet is in externals,and also reacts against internals, as does the skin.5555. There are those who in the life of the body have knownnothing but the general things of faith—as that the neighbor oughtto be loved—and who from this general principle have done goodto the evil and to the upright alike without discrimination, sayingthat everyone is the neighbor. When these lived in the world theysuffered themselves to be led much astray by the deceitful,hypocritical, and pretending; and the same thing happens to themin the other life; nor do they care what is said to them, for they aresensuous and do not enter into reasons. These also constitute theskin, but the outer and less sensitive part. I have spoken with thosewho constitute the skin of the skull. There is as great a difference inthose who constitute the skin, as there is in the skin itself in variousplaces—as on different parts of the skull, about the occiput,sinciput, and temples, on the face, and on the chest, abdomen,loins, feet, arms, hands, and fingers.5556. It has also been given me to know who constitute the scarfskin. This skin is less sensitive than any other of the coverings, for itis covered over with scales that are nearly like a thin cartilage. Thesocieties which constitute it are they who reason about all things asto whether it be so or not so, and go no further. When I spoke withthem, it was given to perceive that they do not at all apprehendwhat is true or not true; and the more they reason, the less theyapprehend. Yet they seem to themselves wiser than others, for theyvest wisdom in the faculty of reasoning. They are altogetherignorant that the chief thing in wisdom is to perceive withoutreasoning, that a thing is so or not so. Many such are from thosewho in the world became so from a confusion of good and truththrough philosophical subtleties, and who thereby have the lesscommon sense.