1134# “说，祸哉，祸哉，巴比伦大城”表示对这教义和宗教的哀悼。这从“祸哉，祸哉”、“城”和“巴比伦”的含义清楚可知：“祸哉，祸哉”是指哀悼，尤指对破坏和毁灭的哀悼（对此，参看AE531节）；“城”是指教义（对此，参看AE223节）；“巴比伦”是指这种宗教或宗教说服，它因对教会的真理和良善的歪曲和亵渎而被称为“淫妇或妓女”、“地上的淫乱和可憎之物的母”。这清楚表明，“祸哉，祸哉，巴比伦大城”表示对教义和宗教或宗教说服的哀悼。
（关于《亚他那修信经》续，关于主）
神拥有一切能力，而人和天使根本没有任何能力，因为唯独神是生命，人和天使只是生命的接受者，生命是那作用者，而生命的接受者是那被作用者。人人都能看出，生命的接受者根本不能凭自己行动，它的行为必须来自生命，也就是神。然而，它能貌似出于自己行动，因为这是可以赋予它的，并且已经赋予它了，如前所述。如果人不是从自己那里活着，那么可推知，他不是从自己那里思考和意愿，也不是从自己那里说话和行动，而是从神那里如此行，唯独神是生命。情况就是这样，这一点看似一个悖论，因为人只感觉这些能力在自己里面，因而只由他自己来行使；然而，当他出于信说话时，他仍承认，一切良善和真理都来自神，一切邪恶和虚假都来自魔鬼，尽管一个人所思、所愿、所说、所行的一切都与良善和真理，或邪恶和虚假有关。因此，当一个人行善时，他会在自己里面说，或他的牧师会对他说，他被神引导，当他作恶时，则说他被魔鬼引导。凡讲道的人也祷告说，愿他的思维、话语和舌头被神的灵引导，有时在讲道结束后会补充说，他从灵说话；有些人在自己里面也有同样的感知。此外，我可以在世人前面亲自作证：我的思维和意愿的一切都是通过流注进入的，良善和真理经由天堂从主流入，邪恶和虚假从地狱流入；我已经被允许长时间地感知这种流注。
高层天堂的天使明显感觉到这种流注；他们当中最有智慧的人甚至不愿貌似出于自己思考和意愿。而另一方面，地狱的魔鬼和灵人完全否认它，当被告知事实就是如此时，他们就会发怒。然而，这一真理已经通过活生生的证据向许多人清楚证明了；但后来，他们感到愤怒。不过，由于这一点在许多人看来，似乎是一个悖论，所以重要的是，要从某种理解的观念来看到流注是如何发生的，好叫它可以被承认：它的确发生了。这个事情的本质如下：光和热从在天使天堂显为一轮太阳的主的神性之爱发出。这光是祂神性智慧的生命，这热是祂神性之爱的生命。这属灵之热，即爱，和这属灵之光，即智慧，流入作为生命接受者的主体，就像来自世上太阳的属世之热和属世之光流入非生命接受者的主体一样。虽然光只调整它所流入的物质，热只改变它们的状态，但仍可推知，这些主体若被激活了，就会感觉这些变化在自己里面，还会以为它们来自自己；然而，它们会随着太阳消退，也会随着太阳返回。正因主的神性智慧的生命是光，所以在圣言的许多经文中，主都被称为光，在约翰福音，经上说：
圣言与神同在，圣言就是神；生命在祂里头，这生命就是人的光。（约翰福音1:1–4）
由此清楚可知，神拥有无限能力，因为对所有人来说，祂就是全部。下文将说明，既然唯独神是生命，那么恶人是如何能思想、意愿、说和做恶事的。
1134. Saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon.- That this signifies lamentation over that doctrine and over that religion is evident from the signification of woe, woe, which denotes lamentation, particularly over the state of destruction and devastation, concerning which see above (n. 531); and from the signification of city, which denotes doctrine (concerning which see above, n. 123); and from the signification of Babylon, which denotes that religion which, from the falsification and profanation of the truth and good of the Church, is called a harlot and the mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth. It is therefore evident that these words, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, signify lamentation over doctrine and religion.
[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed and concerning the Lord.- The reason why all power belongs to God, and none whatever to men or angels, is, that God alone is life, and men and angels are only recipients of life, and that it is life which acts, the recipient of life being acted upon. Every one may see, that a recipient of life cannot at all act from itself, but that its action is from the life which is God; nevertheless, it can act as if from itself, for this can be given to it; that it also has been given, was said above. If man does not live from himself, it follows that he does not think and will from himself, neither does he speak and act from himself, but from God, who alone is life. That this is the case, seems like a paradox, because a man has no other feeling than that these powers are in himself, and thus are exercised by himself; but still he acknowledges, when he speaks from faith, that all good and truth are from God, and all evil and falsity from the devil; and yet, whatever a man thinks, wills, speaks, and acts, has reference to good and truth, or to evil and falsity. For this reason a man says within himself, or the priest says to him when he does good, that he was led of God, and when he does evil, that he was led of the devil. Preachers also pray that their thought, their discourse, and their tongues, may be led by the spirit of God, and sometimes also they say after preaching, that they have spoken from the spirit. Other men also have the same perception in themselves.
I can also, myself, testify before the world, that all things of my thought and will have entered by influx, goods and truths through heaven from the Lord, and evils and falsities from hell; I have been permitted to perceive this for a long time.
[3] The angels of the higher heavens have manifestly perceived the influx, and the wisest of them not being even willing to think and will as from themselves. But, on the other hand, infernal genii and spirits altogether deny it, and are angry when it is spoken of. But, nevertheless, it has been proved to many of them to demonstration, that such is the case, but they were afterwards indignant. But because this appears as a paradox to many, it is important that from some idea of the understanding it should be seen how the influx takes place, in order that it may be acknowledged that it does take place. The facts are as follows. From the Divine Love of the Lord, which appears in the angelic heaven as a sun, proceed light and heat. Light is the life of His Divine Wisdom, and heat is the life of His Divine Love. This spiritual heat which is love, and spiritual light which is wisdom, enter by influx into the subjects recipient of life, just as natural heat and natural light from the sun of the world enter into subjects not recipient of life. And because light merely modifies the substances into which it enters, and heat merely changes their state, it follows, that if those subjects were animated, they would perceive those changes in themselves, and would suppose them to be from themselves, when, nevertheless, they both recede and return with the sun. Now, since the life of the Divine Wisdom of the Lord is light, therefore the Lord in many passages of the Word is called light, and it is said, in John,
"The Word was with God, and the Word was God; in Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (1:1, 2, 3).
From these things it is now evident, that God has infinite power, because He is the all with all men (omnis apud omnes). But how an evil man can think, will, speak, and do evil, although God alone is life, will be shown in what follows.
1134. Saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, signifies lamentation over that doctrine and over that religion. This is evident from the signification of "woe, woe," as being lamentation, especially over destruction and devastation (See n. 531; also from the signification of "city," as being doctrine (See n. 223; also from the signification of "Babylon," as being that religious persuasion which, because of the falsification and profanation of the truth and good of the church, is called "a harlot" and "the mother of whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth." This makes clear that "Woe, woe, that great city Babylon," signifies lamentation over that religious persuasion.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith and respecting the Lord)
[2] God has all power, and men and angels have none at all, because God alone is life, and men and angels are only recipients of life, and life is that which acts, and the recipient of life that which is acted upon. Everyone can see that a recipient of life cannot act at all from itself, and that its action must be from the life that is God. Nevertheless, it can act as if from itself, for this can be granted to it; that it has been granted to it has been said above. If man does not live from himself it follows that he does not think and will from himself, neither does he speak and act from himself, but from God who alone is life. That this is so appears as a paradox, for man has no other feeling than that these things are in himself, and thus are done by himself; and yet when he speaks from faith he acknowledges that everything good and true is from God, and that everything evil and false is from the devil, although everything that a man thinks, wills, speaks or acts, has reference to what is good and true or to what is evil and false. For this reason when a man does good he says within himself, or his teacher says to him, that he was led by God, and when he does evil that he was led by the devil. Also every man who preaches, prays that his thought, his discourse, and his tongue, may be led by the spirit of God, and sometimes he adds after preaching that he has spoken from the Spirit; and some even have a perception of this in themselves. Moreover, I can myself testify before the world that all things of my thought and will have entered by influx, the goods and truths through heaven from the Lord, and the evils and falsities from hell. It has been granted me for a long time to perceive this.
[3] Angels of the higher heavens feel this manifestly; and the wisest of them do not wish to think and will even as if from themselves. On the other hand, infernal genii and spirits utterly deny this, and are angry when told that it is so. Yet to many the truth has been made evident by living proof; but afterwards they were indignant. Since, however, this seems to many to be a paradox, it is important that it should be seen from some idea of the understanding how this takes place, that it may be acknowledged that it does take place. The essence of the matter is as follows. From the Lord's Divine love, which appears in the angelic heaven as a sun, light and heat proceed. This light is the life of His Divine wisdom, and this heat is the life of His Divine love. This spiritual heat which is love, and this spiritual light which is wisdom flow into subjects that are recipient of life, as natural heat and natural light from the sun of the world flow into subjects not recipient of life. And although light simply modifies the substances into which it flows, and heat simply changes their state, yet it follows that if these were living subjects, they would feel these changes in themselves, and would suppose them to be from themselves; and yet they recede with the sun and return with the sun. It is because the life of the Lord's Divine wisdom is light that the Lord in many passages of the Word is called light, and it is said in John:
The Word was with God, and God was the Word. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:1-4.)
From all this it is now clear that God has infinite power because He is the all in all. But how an evil person can think, will, speak and do evil, when God alone is life, will be told in what follows.
1134. "Dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna Babylon." - Quod significet lamentationem super doctrinam et super religiosum, constat ex significatione "Vae, vae, quod sit lamentatio, imprimis super interitum et devastationem (de qua [supra] , n. 531 1
); ex significatione "urbis", quod sit doctrina (de qua [supra] , n. 223); et ex significatione "Babylonis", quod sit religiosum illud quod "meretrix", ac "mater scortationum et abominationum terrae", ex falsificatione et profanatione veri et boni ecclesiae, vocatur: inde patet quod per "Vae, vae, urbs magna Babylon", significetur lamentatio super doctrinam et super religiosum.
[2] (Continuatio de Fide Athanasiana, et de Domino.)
Quod omnis potentia sit Deo, et prorsus nulla homini aut angelo, est quia Deus solus est Vita, ac homo et angelus est modo recipiens vitae, et Vita est quae agit, et recipiens vitae quod agitur. Quisque videre potest quod recipiens vitae ne hilum possit agere ex se, sed quod agit, sit ex Vita quae Deus: at usque potest agere sicut ex se, hoc enim illi dari potest; quod etiam datum sit, supra dictum est. Si homo non vivit ex se, sequitur quod non cogitet et velit ex se, nec loquatur et faciat ex se, sed a Deo, qui solus est Vita. Quod ita sit, apparet ut paradoxon, quia homo non sentit aliter quam quod illa sint in se, et sic fiant a se; sed usque agnoscit id dum loquitur ex fide, quod omne bonum et verum sit a Deo, et omne malum et falsum sit a diabolo; et tamen quicquid homo cogitat, vult, loquitur et facit, se refert ad bonum et verum, aut ad malum et falsum: inde est quod homo dicat secum, aut antistes ad illum, quando bonum facit, quod ductus sit a Deo; et cum malum facit, quod ductus sit a diabolo: homo praedicator etiam orat, ut cogitatio ejus, sermo ejus, et lingua ejus ducatur a spiritu Dei; quandoque etiam dicit post praedicationem quod locutus sit ex Spiritu; aliqui etiam id in se percipiunt. Possum etiam ipse coram mundo testari quod omnia cogitationis et voluntatis meae influxerint, bona et vera per caelum a Domino, ac mala et falsa ab inferno; datum est mihi a multo tempore id percipere.
[3] Angeli superiorum caelorum id manifeste sentiunt, et sapientissimi illorum ne quidem volunt cogitare et velle sicut a se. Vicissim autem infernales genii et spiritus prorsus negant id, ac irascuntur cum dicitur; sed usque pluribus ad vivum ostensum est quod ita sit, at indignati postea. Sed quia hoc ut parodoxon multis apparet, interest ut ex aliqua intellectus idea videatur quomodo id fit, ut agnoscatur quod fiat. Res in se talis est: ex Divino Amore Domini, qui apparet in caelo angelico ut Sol, procedit lux et procedit calor; lux est Vita Divinae Sapientiae Ipsius, et calor est vita Divini Amoris Ipsius; spiritualis hic calor qui est amor, et spiritualis illa lux quae est sapientia, non aliter influunt in subjecta recipientia vitae quam influunt naturalis calor et naturalis lux e sole mundi in subjecta non recipientia vitae; et quia lux solum modificat substantias in quas influit, et calor solum mutat statum illorum, sequitur quod si subjecta illa forent animata, sentirent mutationes illas in se, et putarent illas esse a se, cum tamen recedunt cum sole, et redeunt cum sole. Nunc quia Vita Divinae Sapientiae Domini est lux, ideo Dominus multus in locis in Verbo vocatur "Lux"; et apud Johannem, dicitur,
"Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum;.... in Ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum" (1:1-3 [, 4]).
Ex his nunc patet quod Deo sit infinita potentia, quia est omnis apud omnes. Quomodo autem malus mala potest cogitare, velle, loqui et facere, cum solus Deus est Vita, dicetur in sequentibus.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.