2. Addition to True Christian Religion 338
[The subject of the memorable relation to which the following addition is made in the manuscript is respecting "connate ideas," which were discussed by a number of spirits, and regarding which they were enlightened by an angelic spirit, who, according to Swedenborg's original draft, made the following additional statement:]
Afterwards the angelic spirit spoke to them: "I will propound to you an additional problem, which you may consider and solve, viz., Is man an animal, that is, a living being, like the beasts, or can he become such an animal? In many things the two act alike, but altogether from a different origin. Man is formed from thought, but a beast from no thought; whence I conclude that man is not an animal, unless you call him a rational animal, while a beast is a brute animal, into which no rationality can ever be infused; I maintain therefore that man is not a brute animal, like the beasts." The same difference, he said, exists between these two as between a precious and a common stone, and a precious and a common metal, neither of which can be changed into the other. Further, the same distinction is between them as between the fruits of a superior and an inferior tree, and between the fungi or mushrooms growing out of damp ground, some of which are useful and others useless. Again, he said, the difference is as between oil and water, which cannot be mixed. After saying this he went away, and I returned home. I again watched the atmosphere overhead, where before there had been so many delusive phenomena, but I saw nothing, except some stripes and some shining places; which indicated that the spirits no longer reasoned on connate ideas as before; but simply inquired whether or not there were any connate ideas.
