2 Timothy 4:3-4 & 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Apostasy

4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; ² Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
-1 Timothy 4:1-2 King James Version (KJV)

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
-2 Timothy 4:3-4 King James Version (KJV)


The Christian Church, which the Master Jesus established, entered into apostasy or a falling away from the truth as seen in the Roman Catholic Church.

Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
114

...[9] I will here also mention a great scandal heard from the pope called Benedict XIV. He openly declared [in the spiritual world] that when he lived in the world he believed that the Lord had no power, because He had transferred it all to Peter, and after him to his successors; adding his belief that their saints have more power than the Lord, because they hold it from God the Father, while the Lord resigned it all and gave it to the popes; yet that He is still to be worshiped, because otherwise the pope is not worshiped with sanctity. But because this pope even after death claimed the Divine for himself, after a few days he was cast into hell.

 
Pope Benedict XIV (31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), was Pope from 17 August 1740 to his death in 1758 

1029.

...the church consisting of those who by means of the holy things of the church strive to gain dominion over the whole world, and this by dominion over the souls of men, claiming to themselves authority to save whomsoever they will; and these finally seek dominion over heaven and hell and make it their own. And to this end they draw and transfer to themselves all the Lord's authority, as if it had been given them by Him. The church consisting of such is very different in the beginning from what it becomes in process of time. In the beginning they are as it were in zeal for the Lord, for the Word, for love and faith, and especially for the salvation of men. But in that zeal the fire of domineering lies hidden; and in process of time as dominion increases this breaks forth; and so far as it comes into act the holy things of the church become the means, and dominion itself the end; and when dominion becomes the end the holy things of the church are applied to that end, and thus to themselves; and then they not only ascribe the salvation of souls to their own authority, but they also appropriate to themselves all the Lord's Divine power. And when they do this they pervert every good and every truth of the church, and thus profane the holy things of the church... [2] That this is so has been shown me... In the spiritual world there were those who strove to gain such dominion; and as they knew that the Lord alone has all power, they put on a seeming zeal for Him and for heaven and for the church, and they labored with all their might to worship the Lord alone, and to observe in a holy way all things of the Word; and they arranged to have sanctity and integrity prevail in all. But it was granted to know that in such zeal an ardent desire of domineering over all others lay hidden, believing that the things they arranged would be acceptable to the Lord. For just as soon as they began to gain dominion, their end was gradually disclosed, which was that they and not the Lord should rule, and thus that the Lord should serve them and not they the Lord; and they were indignant [feeling or showing anger or annoyance] if they were not permitted, like gods, to dispose everything at their will; and it was perceived also that they thought lightly of the Lord, and even rejected Him if He did not grant them authority to do all things as they pleased, and unless He assented to every decision of theirs. It was also perceived that if they dared, they would, under some pretext, transfer His Divine authority to themselves; but they were afraid of being for this reason cast down into hell... The conclusion to be drawn from this was that when dominion becomes the end, and the holy things of the church become the means, the worship of God is turned, under various pretexts, into the worship of men; so that they themselves are actually gods, and the Lord is not actually God, but is so called for the sake of form. [3] Now because dominion by means of the holy things of the church over the souls of men, over heaven, and over the Lord Himself, is inwardly profane, it follows that it is infernal [or hellish] for the devils who are in hell desire nothing so much as to have dominion over heaven, and over the Lord Himself; and this they attempt to do under various pretexts, but as soon as they attempt it they are swallowed up by hell. And since those who in the world cast the Lord down from the seat of His kingdom and place themselves upon it, are in heart like devils, it is evident that a church made up of such must in process of time be devastated as to all its good and all its truth; and this is its end. That such are devils is evident from the same in the spiritual world. Those who have exercised the Lord's Divine authority in the world talk about the Lord after death in a most holy manner, and worship Him with all external devotion. But when their interiors are looked into (for in the spiritual world these can be uncovered and looked into) they are seen to be profane, because they are godless and full of diabolical craft; and from this it becomes clear that their holy externals had served them as means to an end, which was dominion... [4] ...such... at this day is clearly evident from the fact that under the pretext of the keys having been given to Peter, they have transferred to themselves all the Divine authority of the Lord, that they have shut up Divine truth from the people by taking away the Word, and that they have ascribed to the decrees of the Pope a holiness equal and even superior to the holiness of the Word; also that they teach little, if at all, the fear and worship of God, but only a fear and worship of themselves, and also a worship of the saints for the sake of themselves. All this makes clear that... [the Roman Catholic Church] in its end is a church empty and void of all the good of love to God, and of all the good of love towards the neighbor, and consequently of all truth... 
1032.

...[2] ...a love of having dominion over all things of the world, and still further, over all things of heaven and the church, and finally over the Lord Himself, cannot do otherwise than wholly change Divine truths into falsities and Divine goods into evils, thus the church into a religious persuasion in which all its good and truth is adulterated and profaned. For by that love a man wholly turns himself away from the Lord, and turns only towards self; and thus he can no longer be led by the Lord, but is led by what is his own; and to be led by what is his own is to be led by hell. Man is either led from heaven or he is led from hell; he cannot be led by both at the same time; and he is led from heaven when he is led by the Lord, and from hell when he is led by self. For man was so created as to be capable of being raised above what is his own and of thinking in that elevated state. He is raised above what is his own and thinks in that elevated state when he is raised up by the Lord; and this is effected when he acknowledges the Lord and His Divine power over heaven and earth; and by that confession and faith of the heart he has conjunction with the Lord; and when conjunction is effected, the interiors, which belong to his mind, that is, to his understanding and will, are held by the Lord under his view. This is effected by an elevation above what is his own; and when man thinks in that elevated state he thinks truth from the Lord and does good from Him. [3] The opposite comes to pass when a man strives to gain dominion over the world, over heaven, and over the Lord; for he then immerses the interiors of his mind which belong to his thought and will in what is his own; and when a man is immersed in what is his own he thinks and wills from hell; consequently he thinks and wills falsities and evils; and for the reason that what is man's own is nothing but evil for it is his inherited evil...
1033.

...That the... [Roman Catholic Ministers] have subjected the truths of the Word and the holy things of the church to their judgment, jurisdiction, and dominion, can be seen from this, that they persuade the people that the Word is understood by them alone and not by any who have not been inaugurated into the ministry; and by this means they subject all things of the Word and thus all things of the church to their dominion. [3] Moreover, the Word is such in the sense of its letter that it may be drawn aside to confirm any heresy whatever; for the sense of the letter consists of appearances of truth, which hold enclosed in them the genuine truths of heaven, which are called spiritual truths; and unless these truths are revealed and laid bare, that is, unless they are taught in the doctrines of the church, the appearances they present may be drawn over and perverted to favor any falsity whatever, and even to favor evil. For the genuine truths of the Word are like a man, and the appearances of truth, of which the sense of the letter consists, are like his garments, from which alone no judgment can be formed respecting who the man is or what he is. If a man were judged from his garments alone, a king might be called a servant, and a servant a king, and a good man might be called an evil man, and an evil man a good man; and so on. So those who arrogate [take or claim something] without justification. to themselves dominion over all things of the church and heaven can apply the sense in its letter a thousand ways to favor their dominion. And this is an easy task, because all things of the church, which are called holy, they place above the human understanding, and when this is assented to and no genuine truth is taught, infernal [hellish] falsities may be called truths, and devilish evils may be called goods; and the simple may even be persuaded that the edicts of the Pope are just as holy as the commandments of the Word, and even more holy; and yet these are from heaven, while those edicts are for the most part from hell. For every edict respecting government, faith, and worship in the church, that has for an end dominion in the world, however it may appear in the external form, and may sound as if from the Word, is from hell; while every commandment from the Word, because it has for its end the salvation of souls by the Lord, is from heaven...
1044.

...[The Roman Catholic Church's] appearance in externals [is] to be in the cognitions of good and truth, and yet in internals they are in the knowledge of evil and falsity... The... [Roman Catholic Church] is such, namely, that they wish to appear to be in sanctity, and thus in every good and truth and in the knowledges of these, and to appear in consequence to be intelligent above all others in the world, although in fact they are in no good or truth nor in any knowledges of these, and thus not in any intelligence or wisdom in spiritual things. That they are not in these, but are instead insane in respect to them, is clearly seen in the spiritual world, where the interiors of every man are laid bare and thus clearly appear. In the case of the monks, and especially the Jesuits [members of a Roman Catholic order of priests founded in 1534 to do missionary work,] who from their cleverness were considered to be more intelligent than all others in the world, their interiors were found to be so empty and void that they did not know a single truth that leads to heaven... [2] They appear in externals to be in goods, truths, knowledges, intelligence, and wisdom, because they have made subject to their dominion all the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, and therefore from dominion they speak with the common people, persuading them that they hold the mysteries of heaven, and that their Pope utters his edicts from inspiration, like that of the prophets and apostles; and this they can declare in a haughty manner, because they speak from the authority of dominion over souls, and over heaven and hell; and from a persuasion of their holiness it can be accepted by the common people with no repugnance of heart, since the common people are kept for this very purpose in dense thick darkness respecting spiritual things. And in that thick darkness they inspire spurious [not being what it purports to be; false or fake] goods and foolish truths, which they call Divine and heavenly; and in such thick darkness in which the common people are kept, they are even able to inspire devilish and infernal [hellish] evils and falsities, and to induce a faith in them as if they were celestial and spiritual goods and truths; for thus and not otherwise can they be adored as deities, and subject countries and possessions to their command and disposal. Such are the things that lie hidden inwardly in them... 
1050.

...That the... [Roman Catholic Church does] violence to the truths of the Word that teach about the Lord can be clearly seen from this, that they have transferred the Lord's Divine authority to the Pope as His vicar, and worship and adoration along with it; also with this end in view they have separated the Lord's Divine from His Human, that they might say that they have not assumed His Divine but His Human authority; not being willing to know that the Divine authority consists chiefly in the power to save the human race; although... [they] appropriate even this power to themselves...

1052.

...The Word which in the beginning was received in the church and read, ...afterwards was taken away from the people and not read (n. 1054); ...it is acknowledged as Divine and yet is rejected (n. 1055); ...those of that religion who reject the Word (n. 1056); "whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world," signifies that there are those who do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine authority over heaven and earth, but regard it as transferred to a certain vicar, and from him to his vicars (n. 1057)... 
1054. 
...the Word in the beginning was received in the church and read, and afterwards was taken away from the people and not read... In the beginning they acknowledged it as Divine, taught from it, and read it before the people; but... afterwards, as they extended their dominion over the church and over heaven, while they acknowledged it to be Divine they no longer taught from it as before. For they interdicted [or in other words the Roman Catholic Church banned] the people from reading it, and instead of doctrine from it they put forth their doctrine from the Papal throne as Divine, they instituted Divine worship in masses not understood by the common people, and they preached the adoration of the Pope and of dead men whom they call saints, instead of the Lord whom they previously adored... All this makes clear that... [the Roman Catholic Church] in the beginning was a church that worshiped the Lord, and preached the Divine truth from the Word, but afterwards, while it retained an adoration of the Lord it was an external, that is, a formal adoration, and the internal which is the essential adoration they transferred to the Pope as the Lord's vicar, and consequently to the ministering body as vicars under him; this may be seen above (n. 1029)... 
1057.

...there are those who do not acknowledge the Divine authority of the Lord over heaven and earth, but regard it as transferred to a certain vicar, and from him to his vicars... (.Continuation respecting the Second Kind of Profanation) [6] Profaners [not initiated into the inner mysteries] of this kind are stupid and foolish in spiritual things, but are crafty and keen in worldly things, because they make one with the devils in hell... In a word, the love of having dominion by means of the holy things of the church corresponds to filth, and its delight to a stench indescribable by words, and at which angels shudder. Such is the exhalation from their hells when they are opened...

1059.

...(Continuation respecting the Third Kind of Profanation) [2] Those who are in this kind of profanation, which is hypocritical, differ in this respect, that there are those who have less ability and those who have more ability to conceal the interiors of their mind, that they may not be disclosed, and to shape the exteriors, which pertain to the face and mouth, into an expression of sanctity. When such after death become spirits they appear encompassed with a cloud, in the midst of which is something black, like an Egyptian mummy. But as they are raised up as it were into the light of heaven, that bright cloud changes to a diabolical duskiness, not from any shining through it, but from a breathing through it, and the consequent darkening. In hell, therefore, these are black devils. The differences in this kind of profanation are known from the blackness, as being more or less foul and horrid.

1062.

...those who are in worship according to that religious persuasion and are not in dominion. When such live according to the statutes of the Pope, and acknowledge him to be the Lord's vicar, and observe the holy things of worship as they have been instituted, they are not dissimilar to upright pagans, who know not otherwise than that they are truths, goods and holy things which their ministers and monks teach; and this the more because they do not read the Word, some because it has been taken away from them, and some because under persuasion they depend upon the mouth of their monks, and believe that these alone and no others understand the Word. [2] But those of their people who look to the Lord, and to the Pope only as to the head of the church, and who are in some affection for truth, are indeed in... [the Roman Catholic Church,] but are not of it; for after death these can be drawn away from the vanities of that religious persuasion and from idolatries, and can be led to worship and adore the Lord; and they also receive truths from the Lord through the Word or through those who teach it. For this reason, after the Last Judgment many societies, which are so many churches, were instituted from these by the Lord (of which in what follows). In regard to "the seven mountains" upon which the woman was seen to sit, it is believed that they are the seven mountains of Rome, where the Papal throne is. But admitting that Rome is meant, still "the seven mountains" signify the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned; for the Word is spiritual in every part, and this is the spiritual of it. That "the seven mountains" signify the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned is evident also from what immediately follows, where it is said that "the seven heads of the beast" mean also "seven kings;" and "seven kings" signify in the spiritual sense the truths of the Word falsified and profaned...

1063.

...(Continuation respecting the Fourth Kind of Profanation) [3] In this kind of profanation [not initiated into the inner mysteries] are those especially who read the Word and know about the Lord; because from the Lord through the Word are all things holy that can be profaned... Those who belong to this kind of profanation appear after death at first with a face of human color, around which float many wandering stars; and those of them that had been leaders sometimes appear shining about the mouth. But as they are brought into the light of heaven, the stars and the shining of the mouth vanish, and the color of the face is changed to black, and likewise their garments. But the blackness of these profaners draws something from blue, as the blackness... draws something from red, for the reason that the latter profane the goods of the Word and of the church, while the others profane the truths of the Word and of the church. For red derives from the sun its signification of good, while blue derives from the sky its signification of truth.

1064.

...(Continuation respecting the Fifth Kind of Profanation) [3] This kind is not like the others that have been treated of, for it consists in jesting from the Word and about the Word. For those who make jokes from the Word do not regard it as holy, and those who joke about it hold it in no esteem. And yet the Word is the very Divine truth of the Lord with men, and the Lord is present in the Word, and heaven also; for every particular of the Word communicates with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord; therefore to jest from the Word and about the Word is to bespatter [soil] the holy things of heaven with the dust of the earth.

King Albert II of Belgium kneels before the Pope in 2009

1065. 

...[2] In respect to the matter itself, namely, that they [the Roman Catholic Ministers] have transferred the Lord's authority over heaven and earth, thus over men to save them, to their head and from him to the others who are under him, this is well known; and it is evident from this that with all the heart and mind they aspire to be gods over the earth, consequently to be adored with Divine worship. That their head is adored as a god in place of the Lord is evident from their venerating him upon the knees, from the holy kissing of his shoes, also of his footsteps. This veneration or rather adoration follows from this, that he is able to open heaven by the keys of Peter, and thus to give heaven to whomsoever he pleases; also by the same means to close heaven, thus to cast into hell whomsoever he pleases... For they know that he who possesses the souls of men and also their wealth, possesses men as God does, and can transfer to himself a kind of Divine worship. From this it is clear that those who belong to the... [the Roman Catholic Church] of the present day, [1757-9] aspire with the whole heart and mind to be gods, and to be adored with Divine worship. But although they aspire to this they deny that they have transferred anything Divine to themselves...

1066.
...The Lord's authority over heaven and earth, which they have transferred to themselves, is said not to be Divine, and yet it is Divine... [2] In respect to the thing itself it is well known that they claim that the authority over heaven, and over the souls of men to save them, is not Divine, since it was the authority of the Lord's Human transferred to Him from God the Father, and from the Lord to Peter. But this is said from a fear that the common people may withdraw from them. Nevertheless, that authority is Divine... Man is not saved in a single moment, since he is reformed and regenerated by the Lord by successive steps... That man is thus reformed and regenerated by the Lord they do not know, because they do not wish to know it; consequently they persuade themselves that salvation is instantaneous, and is simply an admission into heaven, which is a huge falsity...
1067.
...It [the Word] has been received and acknowledged as Divine chiefly because their religion is founded on the keys given to Peter, as described in the Word. Nevertheless, that it has been rejected is well known, for it is taken away from the common people [Swedenborg wrote this in 1757-9,] it is not read in the temples, and the same holiness and inspiration are attributed to the decrees of the Pope as to the Word; but as these are not in harmony with the Word, the Word in general is invalidated, and even blasphemed, by the claim that it is allowable to change it according to the state of the church. From this it is clear that the truth that the Word is Divine has been profaned [not initiated into the inner mysteries] by them...
1069.
...those Divine truths that the... [Roman Catholic Church] has profaned, ...are especially, that the Lord has authority over heaven and earth, and that the Word alone is holy and Divine; for these two truths make the church itself of the Lord on earth, for the church is a church from this that the Lord is adored and that the Word is read. For the Lord reforms man, and the Word teaches how man must live that he may be reformed by the Lord; therefore if these two truths are not acknowledged and received the church itself perishes, for upon these two truths the church is founded. It was for this reason that it came to pass through the Divine Providence of the Lord that certain churches separated themselves from the... [Roman Catholic Church,] and these acknowledge the Lord's Divine power over heaven and earth to be equal to the power of God the Father, and also attribute Divine holiness to the Word alone. This was provided by the Lord in order that the Christian Church in the European world might not be utterly overthrown...
1070.
...those who have not thus acknowledged that the Lord's authority over heaven and earth has been transferred to man, but have ascribed Divine holiness to the Word and not to the decrees of the Pope... have not... profaned... Divine holiness must be attributed to the Word; also that... they will acknowledge that the Lord has power to save, thus that He, and not the Pope, has dominion over heaven, the church, and the souls of men. [2] It has been said above that there are two things that constitute the church, namely, the acknowledgment and belief that the Lord has the power to save, and that the Word is Divine... But that the church in the European world might not wholly perish, it has been provided by the Lord that not only within the... [Roman Catholic Church,] but also outside of it, there should be societies that should not make one with the... [Roman Catholic Church,] in these two primary truths, which are the pillars and the foundations of the church itself. Within... [the Roman Catholic Church] there are those in the kingdom of France, and many in Holland, England, Scotland, and Ireland, who have not taken away from the Lord the power to save men, nor from the Word Divine holiness, and ascribed these to some vicar; as may appear from the contest between the Gallican Church [the Catholic Church in France] and the Roman [Catholic Church,] which has so long continued and still continues... Outside of the... [Roman Catholic Churches] there are churches that ascribe all power to save to the Lord, and none to the Pope, and acknowledge the Word alone to be Divine, and have wholly withdrawn from the papal dominion, and are consequently called Protestants and Reformed [Churches.]...
1071.
...It has been said above that the Gallican Church [the Catholic Church in France] acknowledges the Word to be the Divine truth, and ascribes a Divine inspiration to all the particulars of the Word, and not an equal Divine inspiration to the decrees of the Pope as to those things which are means of salvation; and the same is true of others in the European world; and this has come to pass from the Divine Providence of the Lord, that the Christian Church might not be wholly destroyed, because by means of the Word man has communication and conjunction with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord; and communication and conjunction with heaven and with the Lord cannot possibly be given through the declarations and decrees of the Pope, since these have not for their end the salvation of souls, but dominion; and all edicts and statutes that have dominion as their end, especially over the things of heaven and the church, have communication with hell, and effect conjunction with hell... 
1074.
...those that are in love to the Lord, in love towards the neighbor, and in the faith of charity, have the truth respecting the Lord's Divine authority and the Divine holiness of the Word... The angels of the third heaven, who are in love to the Lord, are called the "called," the angels of the second heaven, who are in love towards the neighbor, are called the "chosen," and the angels of the first heaven, who are in the faith of charity, are called the "faithful." And since in the Lord's church on earth there are those who belong to the third, the second, and the first heaven, and who therefore become after death angels of those heavens, so "the called, the chosen, and the faithful," mean all those in the kingdoms under the dominion of the Pope who ascribe to the Lord the power of saving men, and ascribe to the Word alone Divine holiness and inspiration, and in these two doctrines recede from the vicarship of the Pope...
1079.
...the Reformed [Christian Churches,]... have altogether rejected all the statutes and decrees of the Pope, thus his falsifications and profanations, especially the two treated of above, namely, respecting his authority over the holy things of the church and over the souls of men to save them, which is called the authority to open and shut heaven, also respecting the authority to interpret the Word, and to change things in it to favor his own dominion; these being the two [doctrinal] heads of their religion which the Reformed have wholly rejected...

1082

...the Reformed [Christian Churches,] who have rejected the works... [of the Roman Catholic Church,] which consist especially in gifts to the idols of their saints, to their sepulchres [a small room or monument, cut in rock or built of stone, in which a dead person is laid or buried,] also to monasteries, and to the monks themselves, given as offerings for various expiations [the act of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing; atonement.]...

1085

...the Reformed, who are divided into three churches, one of which has embraced the doctrine of Luther, another that of Calvin, and the third that of Melancthon; nevertheless all three have wholly withdrawn from the profane things of... [the Roman Catholic Church.]...

1089.

...There is domination over the truths of the church because their chief, who is called Pope and Pontiff [who was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs,] ascribes to his own decrees an equal holiness and a like inspiration with the truths of the Word. It is also a part of this doctrine that it is lawful for him to change the truths of the Word according to the changes of the state of the church, and thus to turn them into such things as may be means of domination, and these are falsities; for all things that have regard to domination are falsities, or truths falsified, since the end chooses the means and applies them to itself; and means that are applied to an end which is domination over the souls of men, over all things of the church and over heaven, cannot be truths, and if they are truths the end falsifies them, but with those only who are in dominion...

1091.

...after the Last Judgment [which took place in the spiritual world in the year 1757] upon these... [of the Roman Catholic Church] their religious persuasion would be wholly condemned, nor would it ever rise again to eternity. But this must be thus understood, that this religious persuasion will continue in the world, because the love of ruling is so implanted in everyone that it cannot be rooted out, and so long as that love is present it is impossible for that religious persuasion to come to an end in the world; and yet in the spiritual world, into which everyone comes after death, it will come to an end, for then all who are of that religion and have exercised dominion from the delight of the love of ruling, do not as they previously did, make for themselves seeming heavens in the world of spirits, which is in the midst between heaven and hell, and dwell there for a time, but as soon as they arrive there they are sent away and cast into their hells. This is what is meant by the destruction of Babylon, as predicted both... in Revelation, and in many passages in the prophets. Since the... [Roman Catholic Church have transferred the Lord's authority over heaven and the church to their chief pontiff [or Pope,] whom they call the successor of Peter, and thus the vicar of the Lord, declaring that the authority over heaven and hell was transferred by the Lord to Peter, and that it was not the Lord's Divine authority but His human authority given Him from God the Father, I will show at the end of the articles of this chapter that the Lord even as to His Human was God, that is, that His Human was Divine; and from this it follows that the... [Roman Catholic Church] did transfer His Divine authority to him whom they call the Lord's vicar [or the Pope,] and thus they have made him God upon earth, and that he has made his ministers deities, which can be nothing else than horrible...

1130

...[2] ...it shall now be told whence it is that the Babylonish nation [or the Roman Catholic Church]has falsified the Word [or Bible] and weakened its Divine holiness. It has been known in the whole Christian world that the Word is Divine, and consequently that all things contained in the Word are Divine truths. Now as the Babylonians have claimed for themselves and have actually assumed dominion over all things of the church and also over heaven, and as they thus let themselves into all evils that spring up from the love of self, it was necessary for them to confirm those evils by means of the Word, and this could be done only by falsifying it, for the Word can in no wise confirm evil; consequently when a man confirms evil by means of the Word he falsifies its truths. This was done by the Babylonians; but as they still saw truths in the Word that they could not falsify, as for instance, all that is said in it about Babylon [or the Roman Catholic Church,] so by their craft they weakened the Divine holiness of the Word, and forbade the reading of it by the people; and their leaders and presbyters, who are called monks, also refrained from reading it, saying that the decrees of the Pope were just as holy as the contents of the Word, and that all things of the church must be adapted to its state, and consequently must be changed as its state requires, and that such adaptation and changes must be made from the inspiration of the Pope. All this makes clear how it is that the truths of the Word have been falsified and rejected by them, and in place of these such things as pander to their love of ruling and wholly favor it, and which are in themselves falsities, have been accepted, and have been endorsed by their Pope...

Spiritual Diary, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by Bush, Smithson and Buss [1883-9] at sacred-texts.com

Pope Benedict XIV (31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), was Pope from 17 August 1740 to his death in 1758

5833.

THE POPE: ALSO SIXTUS V. I spoke with the Pope who was recently dead. [Pope Benedict XIV.] He was in the west towards the north, where there is ordinarily a council. He was instructed in detail about Babylon [or the Roman Catholic Church,] what and how impious [showing a lack of respect for God or religion] they are. He was exceedingly astonished, that so many even of the inferior monks made themselves Christ, and with so great a persuasion, - supposing that himself only [was that]. He spoke about Sixtus V., saying that he had been [Pope] in the world for five years. [Pope Sixtus V. died 1590, after a Pontificate lasting for five years.] He wished to see him: wherefore he was summoned from the hell where he was, which was not far off slightly backwards towards the north. Having prepared himself, he [Pope Sixtus] appeared before him; and he recognized him from his portrait in the world. But Sixtus V. scarcely spoke. He earnestly desired to get away, and was borne down to his own hell, where, sometimes, he is set over those who are there, in order that he may hold the impious crews of the Babylonish race [or the Roman Catholic Church,] in check; and it was said, that, if he does not observe the prescribed laws, he is punished...

Pope Sixtus V (13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), was

Pope from 24 April 1585 to his death in 1590.

5843

THE LAST POPE, BENEDICT XIV. After three weeks from death, it was permitted me to speak with the Pope, and at that time for four days, about many things in the spiritual world, especially about the Lord, that He is the God of heaven, and has not given any power to any man, because power belongs solely to the Divine. He was also instructed about the remission of sins, about heaven and hell, about man - that it falls out to him according to the life in the world, and very many similar matters; and, at the time, he seemed to understand them all, and also as it were to believe them; for he so spoke. For this reason, some cherished the hope, respecting him, that in the world he may have been a worshipper of the Lord and in the affection of truth, and thus that he might have been able to be of use with the people of that religion. But he was of such disposition, that he spoke in accordance with the affection of another, and very politely and adroitly. [An adroit leader will be able to persuade people to go with his ideas.] When it was supposed that he accepted the instruction, he was left to his own love and its derivative principles; and, when he was so left, he acted in unison with the most crafty of his religion, countenancing and instigating the destruction of those who were of the Reformed religion [or Reformed Christian Churches,] but clandestinely [or executed with secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or deception.] And, inasmuch as he was allied with the most wicked, he also endeavored, and this in many different ways, to totally destroy those who ascribed all power to the Lord; and he was told to desist, because he is now in a world where there is no respect of persons, but whoever does evil is punished. Still, however, he persisted, believing that nobody can do anything to him. But, when he persisted, he was punished like the rest and indeed grievously, in a cavern where was a rigorous punisher; and, because he still continued such, he was cast towards the west.

5844

Inquiry was made as to what he had been in the world, even according to his own confession: (1) that he esteemed the Word as of no account, and, when he read it, ridiculed many things in it, as not at all Divine. Many passages also were recited by him, in regard to which he spoke with derision, saying, that it was only so written according to the style of the time: in a word, that nothing of Divinity is to be found in it; (2) that he, in Consistory, speaks more from the Divine than is spoken in the Word; so that he extolled his own utterances in Consistory above the Word; (3) that, for this reason, he confirmed the Bull Unigenitus, and persuaded people to accept... (4) that, for this reason, he loved and honored Jesuits more than others; of which matter, also, some things were said [as to] how [he did so]. When he was told that a large part of them were devils, and was likewise shown this by many being gathered together to him, so that he might see them as they were, yet, he still loved them as before; (5) he also said, that, as regards the Saints, he thought that they had more power than the Lord, because they are inspired by God the Father in what they do, but that the Lord abdicated all power and conferred it on the Popes; also, that, although without power, He still ought to be worshipped. Thus was ascertained of what quality he had been, and therefore that heaven was entirely closed to him, and that he acted in union with hell; for, to him who destroys the Word, places a Papal decree above the Word and denies all power to the Lord, heaven is fast closed, and hell is open.

Pope Clement XII (7 April 1652 – 6 February 1740), was Pope from 12 July 1730 to his death in 1740.

5845

With the former Pope, however, or the predecessor [That is, Clement XII. He reigned from 1790 to 1740] of this one, all is well; for he was not of such a character.

5846.

That last Pope [Benedict XIV,] who has been described, associated himself with the worst of his religion, who were sorcerers, and he likewise, three times, sent forth the worst sorcerers of them: one, to destroy a spirit who was in favor of the Lord; two, to the Reformed [Christians,] to seduce them; and, likewise, he himself wished to learn more about magical arts. He also sent forth other exceedingly bad sorcerers, to work evil; and, when he was discovered to be such, he was reduced to his interiors, consequently, into phantasies; for the interiors of such ones are phantasies, since they think nothing about God, but about themselves alone, and about the worship of themselves and about intrigues [make secret plans to do something illicit or detrimental to someone.] It was then still more clearly seen what he had been, namely, that he at first reverenced the Word, but afterwards despised it utterly, and accounted his own decrees Divine; that he believed himself to be wiser than all others, because he was more crafty, as also was shown; that he was able to enter into the interior affections of others and to see them; also, that he reverenced the Saints more than the Lord and made them deities, and that he dearly loved the maliciously cunning, and, for that reason, the Jesuits.

5847

Afterwards, he was led down towards the western sea, [See, for further information about this "Western Sea," nos. 5296, 5300, 5303, 5638] at the part facing the south, and as far as to its extremity, where he stopped and said that he wished to be in that place, because the most crafty were there; but, still, he was brought down from thence into the west, and from there towards those who were in the remotest mountains, [See, in reference to these "mountains" and those who dwell on them, nos. 5648, 5652, of the present work] who were the Neapolitans [Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city] and the worst ones of Italy. When he was there, he also said that he wished to be there because they are the most crafty of all, asserting that he was more cunning than they. There he discovered a certain saint [or Roman Catholic Pope,] who was a most powerful sorcerer, and who was then brought out from hell in order that he might speak with him. That saint, who was the powerful sorcerer, declared himself to be a Pope. He spoke with the other, and wanted to determine, by competition, which was the more cunning and it was ascertained that this one was equally cunning. He was afterwards brought farther down, as far as somewhat into the north, and was brought back, for a long while, through various zigzag ways - thus, - to a part where were the worst hells of the Babylonish [or Roman Catholic] people; for the reason that he loved such things, and also in order to attract and imbibe [absorb or assimilate ideas or knowledge] [them], thus, that he might apply himself to hells suited to his interiors. Thus he was brought back to the remotest boundary, or to the extremity, of the western sea, and there, of his own accord, plunged himself down amongst the worst of those who were in the western sea.

Last Judgment Continued, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John Whitehead [1892] at sacred-texts.com

56

VII. THE PAPISTS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. The Papists [Roman Catholics,] and the Last Judgment upon them, were treated of in the small work on The Last Judgment (n. 53-64). The Papists in the spiritual world appear around the Reformed [Protestant Church members,] and are separated from them by an interval, which they are not permitted to pass. Nevertheless, those who are of the order of Jesuits [members of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests founded by St Ignatius Loyola, St Francis Xavier, and others in 1534, to do missionary work. The order was zealous in opposing the Reformation,] by clandestine [kept secret or done secretively, especially because unlawful] arts procure for themselves communications, and also send out emissaries, by unknown paths, for the purpose of seducing them. But they are discovered, and after being punished, they are either sent back to their companions, or are cast into hell. 
57.

After the Last Judgment [in 1757,] their state was so changed, that they were not allowed to gather together in companies, as before; but ways were appointed to every love, both good and evil, which those who come from the world immediately enter, and go to a society corresponding to their love. Thus the wicked are borne away to a society which is in conjunction with the hells, and the good to a society which is in conjunction with the heavens; thus precaution is taken that they may not form artificial heavens for themselves as before. Such societies in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, are innumerable; being as many as there are genera and species of good and evil affections. And in the meantime, before spirits are either elevated into heaven, or cast down into hell, they are in spiritual conjunction with men in the world, because they too are in the midst between heaven and hell. 
58. 
All those of the Papists, who have not been wholly idolaters, and who, from their religious persuasion, have done goods [good works] out of a sincere heart, and have also looked to the Lord, are led to societies which are instituted in the confines nearest to the Reformed, and are instructed there, the Word being read, and the Lord preached to them; and they who receive truths and apply them to life, are elevated into heaven and become angels. There are many such societies of them in every quarter, and they are guarded on all sides from the treacheries and cunning devices of the monks, and from the Babylonish [Roman Catholic Church] leaven. [Leaven signifies the falsity of the natural man.] Moreover, all their infants are in heaven, because, being educated by the angels under the guidance of the Lord, they know nothing of the falsities of the religion of their parents.

59

All who come from the earth into the spiritual world, are at first kept in the confession of faith, and in the religion of their country; and so therefore are the Papists. On this account, they always have some representative Pontiff [Pope] set over them, whom they also adore with the same ceremony as in the world. Rarely does any Pope from the world act the Pontiff there; yet he who was Pope at Rome twenty years ago, [This was published in 1763] was appointed over the Papists, because he cherished in heart that the Word is more holy than is believed, and that the Lord ought to be worshiped. But, after filling the office of Pope for some years, he abdicated it, and betook himself to the Reformed Christians, among whom he still is, and enjoys a happy life. It was granted me to speak with him, and he said, that he adored the Lord alone, because He is God, who has power over heaven and earth, and that the invocations of saints, and also their masses, are trifles; [a thing of little value or importance] and that when he was in the world, he intended to restore that church, but that for reasons, which he mentioned, he found it impossible to do so. When the great northern city of the Papists was destroyed, on the day of the Last Judgment, I saw him carried out of it on a couch, and taken to a place of safety. Quite a different thing happened to his successor.

60

Here I am allowed to add something memorable. It was granted me to speak with Louis XIV., grandfather of the reigning king of France, who while he was in the world, worshiped the Lord, read the Word, and acknowledged the Pope only as the highest one of the church; in consequence of which, he has great dignity in the spiritual world, and rules the best society of the French nation. Once I saw him as it were descending by ladders, and after he descended I heard him saying, that he seemed to himself as if at Versailles, and then there was silence round about for half an hour; at the end of that time, he said, that he had spoken with the king of France, his grandson, concerning the Bull Unigenitus, advising him to desist from his former design, and not to accept it, because it was detrimental to the French nation, he said that he insinuated this into his thought profoundly. This took place in the year 1759, on the 13th day of December, about eight o'clock in the evening.

61

VIII. THE POPISH SAINTS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. It is known that man has from his parents implanted or hereditary evil, but in what it consists is known to few. It consists in the love of ruling, which is such, that as far as the reins are given it, so far it bursts forth, until it even burns with the lust of ruling over all, and at length of wishing to be invoked and worshiped as God. This love is the serpent, which deceived Eve and Adam, for it said to the woman: God knows, that in the day ye eat of the fruit of the tree, your eyes shall be opened, and then ye shall be as God (Gen. 3:4, 5). As far therefore as man rushes with loosened reins into this love, so far he turns himself away from God, and turns towards himself, and becomes an atheist; and then the Divine truths which are of the Word, may serve as means, but because dominion is the end, the means are in the heart only as they serve him. This is the reason why those who are in the mediate [middle level] and in the ultimate [lowest or outer most] degree of the love of ruling, are all in hell, for that love is the devil there; and in hell there are some of such a nature, that they cannot bear to hear any one speaking of God.

62. 
Those of the Papal nation have this love who have had dominion from the frenzy of its delight, and have despised the Word, and preferred the dictates of the Pope to it. They are utterly devastated [destroyed] as to externals, until they no longer know anything of the church, and then they are cast down into hell and become devils. There is a certain separate hell for those who wish to be invoked as gods, where such is their fantasy, that they do not see what is, but what is not. Their delirium is such as affects persons in a malignant [deadly] fever, who see things floating in the air and in the chamber, and on the covering of the bed, which do not exist...

63

Because man from heredity is such, that he wishes to rule, and as the reins are loosened, successively over more, and at length over all, and because the wish to be invoked and worshiped as God, is the inmost of this love of ruling, therefore all who have been made saints by the Papal bulls, are removed from the sight of others and hidden, and are deprived of all interaction with their worshipers. This is done, lest that worst root of evils should be excited in them, and they should be hurried into such fantastic deliriums as prevail in the above mentioned hell. In such deliriums are those who, when they lived in the world, have eagerly sought to be made saints after death, for the purpose of being invoked. [Call on a deity or spirit in prayer.]

64.

Many of the Papal nation, especially the monks, when they come into the spiritual world, seek the saints, each the saint of his own order; yet they do not find them, and therefore they wonder. But afterwards they are instructed by others, that they [the Roman Catholic saints] are either intermingled with those who are in the heavens, or with those who are in the hells, every one according to his life in the world; and that in whichsoever they are, they know nothing of the worship and invocation of themselves; and that they who know it, and wished to be invoked, are in that separate and delirious hell. The worship of saints is such an abomination in heaven, that whenever they hear of it they are horrified, because as far as worship is paid to any man, in so far it is withheld from the Lord, for thus He alone cannot be worshiped; and if the Lord is not alone worshiped, a discrimination is made, which destroys communion, and the felicity [joy] of life which flows from it.

 

                      Saint Francis Xavier


[Saint Francis Xavier, (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552), was a Navarrese Basque Roman Catholic missionary, born in Xavier, Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain), and a co-founder of the Society of Jesus... and one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre, Paris in 1534. -Wikipedia]

65

That I might know, for the sake of informing others, what kind of men the Popish saints are, as many as a hundred of them, who knew of their canonization, were brought up from the lower earth [which is between heaven and hell.] The greater part ascended from behind, and only a few in front, and I spoke with one of them, who they said was Xavier. While he talked with me, he was quite foolish, yet he was able to tell me, that in his place, where he remains confined, he is not so; but that he becomes foolish as often as he thinks that he is a saint. I heard a like murmur from those who were behind.

                               Mary mother of Jesus

66.

It is otherwise with the so-called saints who are in heaven; they know nothing at all of what is doing upon earth, nor have I spoken with them, lest any idea of this should enter their minds. Only once Mary, the mother of the Lord, passed by, and appeared over head in white raiment, and then, stopping awhile, she said that she had been the mother of the Lord, and that He was indeed born of her, but that He became God, and put off all the human from her, and that therefore she now adores Him as her God, and is unwilling that any one should acknowledge Him as her Son, because in Him all is Divine.

Life of St. Genevieve by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

[Saint Genevieve (c. 419/422 AD – 502/512 AD), is the patron saint of Paris in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. -Wikipedia]

67.

...A certain woman in splendid [shining] raiment and with saint-like countenance, occasionally appears in a middle altitude, to the Parisians who are in a society in the spiritual world, and tells them she is Genevieve. But as soon as any of them begin to adore her, then instantly her countenance is changed, and her raiment too, and she becomes like an ordinary woman, and chides them for wishing to adore a woman, who, among her companions, is in no more repute than a maid servant; wondering that men in the world are caught by such trifles. The angels said that she appears for the purpose of separating those there who worship man from those who worship the Lord.

True Christian Religion, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1771], tr. by John C. Ager [1906] at sacred-texts.com

825.

...It is said by those who serve them in the world, that the [Roman Catholic] saints reign in heaven in company with the Lord Jesus Christ; but this is a fiction and fabrication...