utterly contrary to the appearance, but that they still could not deny
it, for it was fully demonstrated. Nevertheless, astonished as they were,
they said that they are not in fault then in thinking evil; also that it
seems then as if evil is from the Lord; and, again, that they do not
understand how the one Lord can cause all to think so diversely. The
three points will be explained in what follows.

290. To the experiences cited this is also to be added. When it was
granted me by the Lord to speak with spirits and angels, the foregoing
arcanum was at once disclosed to me. For I was told from heaven that like
others I believed that I thought and willed from myself, when in fact
nothing was from myself, but if it was good, it was from the Lord, and if
evil from hell. That this was so, was shown me to the life by various
thoughts and affections which were induced on me, and gradually I was
given to perceive and feel it. Therefore, as soon as an evil afterwards
entered my will or a falsity into my thought, I investigated the source
of it. I inquired from whom it came. This was disclosed to me, and I was
also allowed to speak with those spirits, refute them, and compel them to
withdraw, thus to take back their evil and falsity and keep it to
themselves, and no longer infuse anything of the kind into my thought.
This has occurred a thousand times. I have remained in this state for
many years, and still do. Yet I seem to myself to think and will from
myself like others, with no difference, for of the Lord's providence it
should so appear to everyone, as was shown above in the section on it.
Newly arriving spirits wonder at this state of mine, seeing as they do
only that I do not think and will from myself, and am therefore like some
empty thing. But I disclosed the arcanum to them, and added that I also
think more interiorly, and perceive whether what flows into my exterior
thought is from heaven or from hell, reject the latter and welcome the
former, yet seem to myself, like them, to be thinking and willing from
myself.

291. It is not unknown in the world that all good is from heaven and all
evil from hell; it is known to everyone in the church. Who that has been
inaugurated into the church's priesthood does not teach that all good is
from God, and that man can receive nothing of himself except it be given
him from heaven? And also that the devil infuses evils into the thoughts
and leads astray and incites one to commit ev