EU 48-49
They related that in the region of the planet
where they lived while in the world
there was a large population,
as large as the planet could feed.
The land was fertile
and abounded in all kinds of produce.
But people there did not wish
for more than was necessary to live.
They could not see the use
of what was not necessary,
and this was why the population was so large.
They said that their chief concern
was the bringing up of children,
whom they loved most tenderly.
They went on to tell me that they are divided
into tribes, families and households,
each of which live in separate groups
composed only of their own people.
As a result they associate only with their kinsfolk.
No one ever covets another's property,
so it never occurs to anyone
to desire anything which is another's,
much less to devise schemes for getting hold of it,
still less to seize and plunder it.
They regard this as a crime against human nature
and therefore repulsive.
When I wanted to tell them that in our world
we have wars, plundering and murders,
they turned their backs, and refused to listen.
I was told by angels that the earliest people
in this world lived in similar fashion,
divided into tribes, families and households.
They were then all content with their own property,
and it was unheard of
to get rich at the expense of others' property,
or selfishly to dominate others.
For this reason ancient times,
and especially the most ancient period,
were more pleasing to the Lord
than those which followed.
Since such was their state,
there was a reign of innocence coupled with wisdom.
Everyone then did good out of goodness
and honest deeds out of honesty.
They did not know what it was
to do good and honest deeds
for one's own reputation or advantage.
Then too they spoke nothing but the truth,
not so much for truth's sake
as because of goodness;
that is to say,
their motive came not from
the intellectual faculty acting alone,
but from the voluntary faculty
combined with the intellectual.
Such were ancient times,
so that angels could then mix with human beings,
and virtually lift their minds out of bodily thoughts
and carry them off into heaven.
In fact, they could take them touring around heaven,
showing off its magnificence and happiness,
sharing with them their own happiness and pleasures.
The ancient writers too knew about this period
and called it the Golden Age or the reign of Saturn.
The reason the period was like this was,
as I said, that they lived divided into tribes,
the tribes divided into families,
and these into households,
each household living by itself.
Then it never occurred to anyone
to seize another's inheritance
in order to acquire wealth from it or power.
Selfishness and love of the world were unknown.
Every one was happy with his own property,
and no less happy at other people's property.
But as time went on,
this scene changed and turned into its opposite,
when men's minds were seized with
the greed for power and great possessions.
Then to protect itself
the human race grouped itself
into kingdoms and empires.
Since the laws of charity and conscience,
which men had had inscribed on their hearts,
ceased to operate,
it became necessary to pass legislation
to control violent acts,
so as to reward observance
with honors and advantages
and disobedience with punishments.
This brought about so great a change
that heaven itself moved away from men,
retreating further and further down to the present age,
when people no longer know
whether heaven or hell exist,
and some actually deny their existence.
The purpose of these remarks
is to illustrate by a parallel
the condition of the people of the world of Jupiter,
and to show where
their uprightness and wisdom too come from.
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