with their seducers, were collected together to the number of some thousands, and were separated; the evil of that crowd were cast into the hells.  It was also given me to speak with one spirit who was a monk, and to ask him what he did there.  He replied that he taught them concerning the Lord.  I asked, what besides.  He said, concerning heaven and hell.  I asked, what further.  He said, concerning faith in all that he should say.  I asked again, if he taught anything else.  He said, concerning the power of remitting sins, and of opening and shutting heaven.  He was then examined as to what he knew concerning the Lord, the truths of faith, the remission of sins, man’s salvation, and heaven and hell; and it was discovered that he knew scarcely anything, that he was in obscurity and falsity concerning all and each of these subjects, and that he was possessed solely by the lust of acquiring gain and dominion, which he had contracted in the world and brought with him from thence.  He was therefore told that as he had, prompted by that lust, travelled thus far, and as he was such in regard to doctrine, he could not but deprive the spirits of that earth of heavenly light, and inflict on them the darkness of hell, and thus cause hell, and not the Lord, to have dominion with them.  Moreover, he was cunning in seducing, but stupid as to the things relating to heaven.  As he was of such a character, he was afterwards cast into hell.  Thus the spirits of that earth were freed of them.

173.  The spirits of that earth, amongst other things, also said that those strangers, who, as has been said, were monkish spirits, used all their endeavours to persuade them to live together in society, and not separate and solitary.  For spirits and angels dwell and live together just as they had done in the world.  Those who have dwelt together collectively in the world, also dwell collectively together in the other life; and those who have dwelt separated into households and families, also dwell separated there.  These spirits, whilst they had lived as men on their earth, had dwelt separated, every household and family, and thus every clan, apart, and therefore knew not what it was to dwell together in society.  Wherefore, when it was told them that those strangers wanted to persuade them to this, in order that they might reign and rule over them, and that they could not otherwise subject them to themselves and make them slaves, they replied that they were totally ignorant what was meant by reigning and ruling.  That they flee away at the bare idea of rule and domination, was manifest to me from this circumstance, that one of them, who accompanied us on the return journey, when I showed him the city in which I dwelt, at the first sight of it fled away, and was seen no more.