3. It is, however, a common saying that no one can comprehend spiritual or theological matters because they transcend human understanding. Yet spiritual truths are as comprehensible as natural ones. And if they are not clearly understood, still, when they are heard, it falls within its scope of the intellect to perceive whether they are true or not. This is especially the case with people who have an affection for truths.
I have been given to know this from much personal experience. I have been given to speak with ignorant people, with obtuse people, with stupid people, and even with people caught up in falsities and people caught up in evils, all of whom were born into the church and learned something about the Lord, faith and charity; and it has been granted me to discuss with them secrets of wisdom. And they understood and acknowledged them all. However, they then possessed an intellectual light which is possible to everyone, and were at the same time prompted by the conceit of believing themselves intelligent. But this I learned in conversation with spirits.
Many others with me were convinced by these experiences that spiritual matters are as comprehensible as natural ones, but only when they are heard or read. Otherwise they are comprehended with difficulty by a person on his own when thinking independently.
The reason spiritual matters are comprehensible is that a person’s intellect can be raised into the light of heaven, the light in which only spiritual matters are seen, which are the truths of faith. For the light of heaven is a spiritual light.
