crucified
and other like things: but the spirits of the earth Jupiter paid no
attention to those things. They said that such are their devils,
whom they abhor; adding, that in their minds there abides absolutely
nothing that is heavenly, but only what is earthly, which they called
dross. They said that they had also ascertained this to be the case
from the fact, that when they heard that on that earth they go naked,
obscenity instantly occupied their thoughts, and that they gave no
thought at all to their heavenly life, of which they also heard at the
same time.

67. In how clear a perception on spiritual subjects the spirits of
Jupiter are, was made evident to me from their representation of how
the Lord converts depraved affections into good ones. They represented
the intellectual mind as a beautiful form, and imparted to it the
activity of a form fit for the life of affection. This they did in a
manner which cannot be described in words, and so skilfully that they
were highly commended by the angels. There were present at the time
some of the learned from our Earth, who had immersed the Intellectual
in terms belonging to scientifics, and had written and thought much
about form, substance, the material and the immaterial, and the like,
without applying them to any use; these could not even comprehend that
representation.

68. On their earth the greatest care is taken to prevent any one
falling into wrong opinions respecting the One only Lord; and if they
observe that any begin to think wrongly respecting Him, they
first admonish them, then deter them by threats, and at length by
punishments. They said they had observed, that any family, into which
any such thing had crept, is removed from amongst them, not by the
punishment of death inflicted by their fellow-men, but by spirits
depriving them of respiration and consequently of life, after first
threatening them with death. For in that earth spirits speak with the
inhabitants and chastise them if they have done evil, and also if they
have intended to do evil; of which more will be said in subsequent
pages. Therefore, if they think ill concerning the One only Lord, and
do not repent, they are threatened with death. In this way the worship
of the Lord, who to them is the Supreme Divine, is preserved on that
earth.

69. They stated that they have no holy days, but that every morning at
sunrise, and every evening at sunset, they perform holy worship to the
One only L