895# “和耶稣信仰”表示主对真理的植入和对祂的承认。这从“耶稣信仰”的含义清楚可知，“耶稣信仰”是指主对真理的植入(参看AE813节)。它之所以还表示对主的承认，是因为真理无法被植入，除非主被承认，也就是说，祂的人身是神性，祂是天地之神。要知道，真理和信仰在本质上是一，因为信仰必须属于真理，真理必须属于信仰。因此，古人不谈论信，取而代之的是谈论真理；而当今的人却谈论信，而不是真理。原因在于，古人宣称，除了他们所看到为真实的东西，因而他们以理解力所明白的东西外，没有什么东西是可以相信的。而当今的人却声称，要相信一件事，即便他们没有看到它，或以理解力来明白它。这清楚表明，古时的信与当今的信之间的不同，就像被看到的东西与没有被看到的东西之间的不同；而事实上，被看到或被理解力明白的真理本身不应被称为信，只有没有被看到，或没有被理解力明白的东西才被称为信。这就是为何高层天堂的天使甚至不愿提及信，因为他们出于对良善的爱和来自主而在他们里面的真理之光看到真理；他们说，相信任何一个说必须信这个或那个，尽管理解力并不明白的人是愚蠢的，因为这就是认为一件事就是如此，无论它是真的还是假的；相信虚假是有害的。此外，被相信，却没有被看到的东西只进入记忆，因而不能归给他，或被他采用。
由此可推知，最好不要使用“信”这个词，代之以“真理”一词。然而，被相信，却没有被看到的东西可称为信，尽管这种信只是知识(或科学)。不过，一旦一个人变得属灵(当他那与天堂交流的内在被打开时，他就变得属灵)，那么被称为信的知识或科学就变成真理，因为这时，它凭天堂之光被看到了。要知道，所有天使和所有善灵看天堂的真理，就像肉眼看世上的物体一样；因为天堂的物体对那些属灵的人来说，就是真理。原因在于，他们的理解力就是他们的属灵视觉。之所以应该用真理这个词来取代信，是因为一切聪明和一切智慧都通过真理存在，而一切无知，也就是在属灵事物上的无知，都通过信存在，尤其通过分离之信存在。因此，当高层天堂的天使听见有人提到信时，他们就会转身离开。原因在于，他们的心智厌恶那些声称理解力应当服从信仰的人所思想的东西；并且看不到真理就等于熄灭了这些天使所在并在他们里面的天堂之光。此外，他们感到惊讶的是，有些人竟相信，理解的信，或理智的信不是属灵之信；事实上，这种信是真理；而不理解的信是历史的信，因为它来自另一个人，就本身而言，这种信只是知识(或科学)。
895. And the faith of Jesus. That this signifies the implantation of truth by the Lord, and the acknowledgment of Him is evident from the signification of the faith of Jesus, as denoting the implantation of truth by the Lord (concerning which see above, n. 813). The reason of its being the acknowledgment of the Lord is, that truths cannot be implanted unless the Lord is acknowledged, that is, that His Human is Divine, and that He is the God of heaven and earth.
It must be observed, that truth and faith are essentially one, because faith must be of truth, and truth must be of faith. Therefore the ancients used not to speak of faith, but instead of faith, truth, whereas the men of the present day, instead of truth, speak of faith. The reason is, that the former declared that nothing was to be believed but what they saw to be true, thus what they grasped with the understanding; whereas the latter say that a thing ought to be believed, even though they do not see it or grasp it with the understanding. It is evident, therefore, that the difference between the old faith and that of the present time is like that between what is seen and what is not seen; and, as a matter of fact, the truth seen, or apprehended by the understanding, is not to be called faith, but only that which is not seen or not understood. This is why the angels in the higher heavens do not wish even to mention faith; for they see truth from the love of good and from the light of truth, which is in them from the Lord; and they say that it is foolish to have faith in any one who says that this or that must be believed, although not apprehended by the understanding; for this would be to think a thing to be so, whether it is true or false; and to believe what is false is hurtful. Besides, what is believed and not seen enters the memory only, and, consequently, cannot be appropriated by him. It follows, therefore, that the term faith ought rather to be laid aside, and the word truth, used in place of it.
[2] But still what is believed and not seen may be named faith; still this faith is only knowledge. But as soon as a man becomes spiritual, as is the case when his internal which communicates with heaven is opened, then that scientific, which is called faith, becomes truth; for it is then seen by light from heaven.
It must be observed, that all angels and all good spirits see the truths of heaven, as the eye of the body sees the objects of the world; for the objects of heaven are truths to those who are spiritual. The reason is, that their understanding is their spiritual sight.
The reason why truth ought to be named instead of faith is, that by truths come all intelligence and wisdom; but by faith - especially by faith separated - comes all ignorance, that is to say, in spiritual things. Therefore the angels of the higher heavens turn themselves away, when they hear the word faith named. The reason is, that their mind is averse to what is thought by those who say that the understanding should be under obedience to faith. And not to see truths would be to extinguish the light of heaven, in which they are, and which is within them. They also wonder how it comes to be believed by some that intellectual faith is not spiritual, although that faith is truth, whereas faith not understood is historical faith, because it is from another; and consequently, considered strictly, is merely knowledge.
895. And the faith of Jesus, signifies the implantation of truth by the Lord, and acknowledgment of Him. This is evident from the signification of "the faith of Jesus," as being the implantation of truth by the Lord (See above, n. 813). It means also acknowledgment of the Lord because truths cannot be implanted unless the Lord is acknowledged, namely, that His Human is Divine, and that He is the God of heaven and earth. It is to be known that truth and faith in their essence are one, since faith must be of truth and truth must be of faith; consequently the men of old time did not speak of faith, but of truth instead of faith, while the men of the present day speak of faith instead of truth, and for the reason that the men of old time declared that nothing was to be believed except what they saw to be true, thus what they comprehended by the understanding. But the men of the present day declare that a thing must be believed even when they do not see it or comprehend it by the understanding. This makes clear how the old faith differed from the present faith, namely, as what is seen differs from what is not seen; but the very truth itself that is seen or comprehended by the understanding is not to be named faith, but only that which is not seen or not comprehended by the understanding. For this reason the angels in the higher heavens are unwilling even to mention faith, for they see truth from the love of good and the light of truth which are in them from the Lord; and they say that it is folly to have faith in anyone's saying that this or that must be believed when it is not comprehended by the understanding, for this would be to think a thing to be true whether it be true or false, and to believe what is false is hurtful. Moreover, what is believed and not seen enters into man no further than the memory, and this cannot be appropriated to him.
[2] From this it follows that it would be better to give up the use of the term "faith" and to use the expression "the truth" in its stead. And yet what is believed and is not seen may be called faith, although such a faith is mere knowledge [scientia]. But as soon as a man becomes spiritual, (and he becomes so when his internal which communicates with heaven is opened), then that which is known, which is called faith, becomes truth, for it is then seen from the light of heaven. It is to be known that all angels and all good spirits see the truths of heaven as the bodily eye sees the objects of the world, for the objects of heaven are truths to those who are spiritual, for the reason that their understanding is their spiritual sight. The term truth should be used in place of faith, because all intelligence and all wisdom exists by means of truths, while all ignorance, that is, in spiritual things, exists by means of faith, especially faith separated; consequently the angels of the higher heavens turn themselves away when they hear faith mentioned, because their mind is turned away from what is thought by them; which thought is that the understanding should be held captive in obedience to faith; also because not to see truths would be to extinguish the light of heaven, in which those angels are and which is in them. Moreover, they are surprised that some believe that the faith that understands is not spiritual faith, when in fact such faith is truth; while a faith that is destitute of understanding is historical faith, because it is from another, and this regarded in itself is mere knowledge [scientia].
895. "Et fidem Jesu." Quod significet implantationem veri a Domino et agnitionem Ipsius, constat ex significatione "fidei Jesu", quod sit implantatio veri a Domino (de qua supra, n. 813); quod etiam sit agnitio Domini, est quia implantari vera non possunt nisi agnoscatur Dominus, nempe quod Humanum Ipsius sit Divinum, et quod sit Deus caeli et terrae. Sciendum est quod verum et fides in sua essentia unum sint, quia fides erit veri, ac verum erit fidei; quare antiqui non dixerunt fidem, sed pro fide verum; hodierni autem pro vero dicunt fidem: causa est, quia antiqui non aliud dixerunt esse credendum quam quod videbant verum esse, ita quod intellectu ceperunt; hodierni autem quod credendum sit tametsi non vident seu non intellectu capiunt: inde patet quae differentia est inter antiquam fidem et hodiernam, nempe sicut inter id quod videtur et id quod non videtur; at re ipsa verum quod videtur seu intellectu capitur non nominanda est fides, sed quod non videtur aut non intellectu capitur; inde est quod angeli in superioribus caelis ne quidem nominare velint fidem, vident enim verum ex amore boni et ex luce veri, quae in illis est a Domino; et dicunt quod fatuum sit fidem habere alicui dicenti quod hoc aut illud credendum sit, et non intellectu capitur, nam hoc foret cogitare ita esse sive verum sit sive falsum; et credere falsum, damnosum est: praeterea quod creditur et non videtur, nec intrat hominem altius quam in memoriam, quod ei non potest appropriari.
[2] Inde sequitur quod potius omittenda sit vox fidei, et loco ejus dicenda veritas: sed usque quod creditur, et non videtur, hoc nominari potest fides, sed haec fides est modo scientia; ast ut primum homo fit spiritualis, quod fit dum internum ejus, quod communicat cum caelo, aperitur, tunc scientificum illud quod vocatur fides fit veritas, nam tunc ex luce e caelo videtur. Sciendum est quod omnes angeli et omnes spiritus boni videant vera caeli, sicut oculus corporis videt objecta mundi, nam objecta caeli sunt vera illis qui spirituales sunt; causa est quia intellectus illorum est visus spiritualis illorum. Quod veritas loco fidei nominanda sit, est quia per veritates est omnis intelligentia et sapientia; per fidem autem, imprimis per fidem separatam, est omnis ignorantia, nempe in spiritualibus; quapropter angeli superiorum caelorum avertunt se quando audiunt fidem; causa est, quia mens illorum aversatur quod ab illis cogitatur, nempe quod intellectus captivandus sit sub obedientia fidei; et non videre vera foret exstinguere lucem caeli in qua sunt, et quae apud illos: mirantur etiam quod credatur a quibusdam quod fides intellectualis non sit spiritualis, quando illa fides est veritas; cum fides absque intellectu ejus sit fides historica, quia ab alio, quae in se spectata est modo scientia.