52. The manifestation of the Lord, and admission into the spiritual world, surpass all miracles. This has not been granted to anyone since the creation, as it has been to me. The men of the golden age, indeed, conversed with angels; but it was not granted to them to be in any other than natural light; to me, however, it is granted to be at the same time both in spiritual and in natural light. By this means it has been granted to me to see the wonderful things of heaven, to be among angels as one of them, and at the same time to imbibe truths in light, and thus to perceive and teach them; consequently, to be led by the Lord. But as concerns miracles: they would have been nothing else than snares to lead astray, as the Lord says (Matt. xxiv 24); and as is related of Simon the sorcerer, that he "bewitched the people of Samaria," who believed that these things were done from "the great power of God" (Acts viii 9 et seq.). What else are the miracles among the Papists, than snares and deceptions? What else do they teach, than that they themselves ought to be worshipped as deities, and that men should give up the worship of the Lord? Have wonder-working images any other effect? Have the idols or dead bodies of saints throughout Popedom any other purpose? Those of Anthony of Padua, of the three wise men of Cologne, and of all the rest, whose miracles fill the monasteries? What have they taught concerning Christ? What concerning heaven and eternal life? Not a syllable.