TCR 186 - In Which Region of the Mind Do Theological Matters Occupy?

TCR 186

I was once engaged in thinking about
what region of the human mind theological matters occupy.
At first I supposed that such things,
being of a spiritual and celestial nature,
occupied the highest region.
For the human mind is divided into three regions,
as a house might be into three storeys,
and as the habitations of the angels
are divided into three heavens.
. . . At first I supposed such things
plated and perceived,
are situated beneath this in the second region,
because they communicate with spiritual things;
and below these in the first region
are matters relating to politics.
But matters of natural knowledge which are manifold,
and which can be classed into genera and species,
form the doorway leading to those higher things.
Those in whom things spiritual, moral, and political,
and also matters of natural knowledge,
are thus ordered,
always think and act from justice and judgment,
because the light of truth,
which is also the light of heaven,
illumines all that proceeds in order
from the highest region,
just as the light of the sun,
passing through the ethers and the air in order,
illumines the vision of men, beasts and fish.
It is otherwise, however,
with those who do not love truth for truth's sake,
but only for their own glory and reputation.
With them,
theological matters abide in the lowest region,
where are matters of natural knowledge;
and in the case of some men, these mingle,
but in the case of others, they cannot mingle.
Beneath these in the same region
are matters relating to politics,
and beneath these again, matters relating to morals.
Since the two higher regions of such men
are not opened on the right side,
they have no interior discernment of judgment,
nor any love of justice,
but only a certain ingenuity,
by virtue of which
they can talk on every subject
with a show of intelligence,
and prove whatever occurs to them
with an appearance of reason.
But the objects of reason which they love most
are falsities,
because these agree with the fallacies of the senses.