The Last Judgment (Posthumous) · 12 of 18

The Dutch (II)

303.[281] THE DUTCH. How formally and courteously they invite their wives and bring and lead them to their house, and show how well it is with those who act together in unity in their houses, and also how clean and well furnished their houses are; and on the contrary how unclean those are where there is the dominion of one over the other; savory food is also given those who act in unity, and they are taught by these things the quality of their delight when one is of the other mutually and reciprocally. Therefore when they see those things and apperceive them to be true they desist from dominion; and then they obtain a habitation nearer to the middle, and are led into a house better furnished. The reason is that there is then conjugial love, which regarded in itself is celestial love itself.

304.[282] THE MORAVIANS IN LONDON, THE HERRENHUTERS AND THE JEWS. The Moravians dwell in the furthest corner of the place of exit mostly at the side there, but when they journey into the city as to their sanctuary, they appear to proceed towards the middle and thence a little to the south, and thus to their corner, which is done because they wish to appear to others as Christians, of a similar doctrine. Afterwards from their corner they go into the west where the presbyters are who are in faith alone, concerning whom we have before spoken, and they return thence. From their corner, which is as it were their inn there, they go out by turns, and descend into a vault which stretches deeply under the west, where the presbyters are of whom we have before spoken, and their hell is there, from which they are no longer let out, except some into deserts. It is not allowed them to dwell near others, nor elsewhere, because they form a society of interior friendship, which takes away the spiritual delight of others. They say to others that they should dwell here and there even to the middle, but still they dwell at that corner, of which they have an idea as of their inn. [283] They appear in a way towards the middle, because they persuade that they are of the Anglican religion and speak with the English piously as if they were; and that they differ only as to ceremonials, which are like those of the Apostles. When they are asked why their preachers are clothed in blue, they say because that color is loved; nor do they dare to say that they should be clothed like the English preachers in a black gown, because they fear lest their mysteries should be disclosed. They very greatly fear to be sincere and just on account of religion. They are altogether averse to this, wherefore they are prone to all kinds of evils, taking care only lest they be discovered, because with others this would be hurtful to their religion.

305.[284] Moreover the Jews do not dwell upon the earth in London, but under the earth there, on the northern side below, where Towerhill is. They enter there through a dark opening. And the citizens of the city do not know where they dwell.