5661. Wij weten niet wie het zilver in onze reiszakken heeft gelegd; dat dit het niet-geloof betekent vanwege de onwetendheid, waaruit het ware in het uiterlijk natuurlijke was, staat vast uit de betekenis van niet weten, namelijk in de geestelijke zin niet geloven of het niet-geloof; uit de betekenis van wie heeft gelegd, namelijk de onwetendheid daarover waar het vandaan was; uit de betekenis van het zilver, namelijk het ware, nr. 5658;

en uit de betekenis van de reiszak, namelijk het uiterlijk natuurlijke, nr. 5497.

83. Of the heredity of man, spoken of above (n. 70-79), it is the love of self and of the world.

All men are born into evils of every kind, insomuch that their proprium is nothing but evil (n. 210, 215, 731, 874-876, 987, 1047, 2307-2308, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283-10284, 10286, 10731). Therefore man is to be born again, that is, regenerated, in order that he may receive a new life from the Lord (n. 3701).

Hereditary evils are derived, increased, and accumulated from parents and ancestors in a long backward series, and not as is believed, from the first man's eating of the tree of knowledge (n. 313, 494, 2910, 3469, 3701, 4317, 8550). Therefore hereditary evils are at this day more malignant than formerly (n. 2122). Infants who die such, and are educated in heaven, are from heredity nothing but evils (n. 2307-2308, 4563). Hence they are of various dispositions and inclinations (n. 2300). Every man's interior evils are from the father, and the exterior from the mother (n. 1815, 3701).

Man superadds of himself new evils to such as are hereditary, which are called actual evils (n. 8551). No one suffers punishment in the other life for hereditary evils, but for actual evils, which return (n. 966, 2308). The more malignant hells are kept separate lest they should operate on the hereditary evils with men and spirits (n. 1667, 8806).

Hereditary evils are those of the loves of self and the world, which consist in man's loving himself more than God, and the world more than heaven, and in making his neighbor of no account (n. 694, 4317, 5660). And because these evils are contrary to the goods of heaven and to Divine order, man cannot but be born in mere ignorance (n. 1050, 1902, 1992, 3175). Natural good is connate with some, but nevertheless it is not good, because prone to all evils and falsities; and that good is not accepted in heaven unless it be made spiritual good (n. 2463-2464, 2468, 3304, 3408, 3469-3470, 3508, 3519, 7761).

2122. As regards souls recently arrived from the world, there is more to be said. Those gathering there from the Christian world have hardly any other thought or endeavour than to be the greatest and to possess all things. All are accordingly eaten up with self-love and love of the world, which loves are altogether contrary to heavenly order, 2057. In addition most of them think about nothing other than what is filthy, disgusting, and profane, and talk about nothing else to one another. They also attach no importance to, and utterly despise, everything to do with charity and faith. Nor do they acknowledge the Lord Himself, indeed they hate all who confess Him; for in the next life thoughts and hearts speak. Besides this hereditary evils resulting from the shameful behaviour of parents become more wicked still, which like fires hidden and fostered within incite a person to greater violations of what is decent and godly than ever before. Such people are at the present time swarming into the next life and are filling the outer and the inner spheres of the world of spirits, as has been stated. When evil starts to prevail in this way, and the balance tilts to the side of evil, it is then clearly perceived that the final period is imminent and that that balance must be restored by the rejection of those inside the Church and the acceptance of others outside it.