224、对此，我补充以下难忘的事：
我看见一群灵人，他们都跪下祷告，求神派天使到他们这里来，好让他们能与天使面对面交谈，向他们敞开心扉。他们起身时，只见三位穿着白色细麻衣的天使站在他们面前，说：“主耶稣基督垂听了你们的祷告，所以派我们到你们这里来；请向我们敞开心扉吧。”
于是，他们回答说：“牧师告诉我们，在神学问题上，重要的是信仰，理解力毫无用处；在这些问题上，理智的信仰对任何人来说，都是没有用处的，因为它源于人。我们是英国人，从我们所相信的神圣事工中听到了许多事；但当我们与一些自称改革宗的人，一些自称天主教徒的人，同样与各个教派的人交谈时，他们似乎都很有学问，但在许多事上彼此却意见不一；然而，他们仍说‘相信我们’；其中一些人说：‘我们是神的牧师，我们知道。’可我们知道，被称为信之真理的神性真理，也就是教会的真理，不是任何人天生或遗传的产业，而是由神那里从天而降的；这些真理指示了通往天堂的道路，并与仁之良善一起进入生活，从而通向永生，所以我们很焦虑，就跪下来向神祷告。”
然后天使们回答说：“你们要阅读圣言，信靠主，就会看到构成你们信仰和生活的真理。在基督教界，所有人都从圣言中，如同从唯一的源泉中汲取他们的教义。”但这群人中有两个人说：“我们读过，但不明白。”
天使们回答说：“你们没有靠近主，又确认了虚假。”天使们进一步说：“没有光的信仰是什么呢？没有理解的思考又是什么呢？这不是人的。就连乌鸦和喜鹊也能在没有理解的情况下学会说话。我们可以向你们肯定地说，凡灵魂渴望真理的人，都能在光中看见圣言的真理；没有一种动物在看到适合自己生命的食物时不认识它，而人是一种理性和属灵的动物，只要他真的渴求生命的食物，并向主寻求它，就会看到它，不是他身体的食物，而是他灵魂的食物；这食物就是信之真理。凡在理解力中没有被接受的东西，就事物本身而言，都不会留在记忆中，仅就口头的话语而言留在其中，或说不会作为概念，只作为话语而留在记忆中。因此，我们从天堂俯瞰世界时，什么也看不见，只听见声音，大部分是不和谐的声音。
“不过，我们会列出神职人员中的一些学者从理解力中逐出的一些事，因为他们不知道有两条路通向理解力，一条来自世界，一条来自天堂，他们也不知道当主光照理解力时，祂会将理解力从世界中提升出来，或说使它从世界中退出。然而，如果理解力因宗教而关闭，那么从天堂通向它的道路就会关闭，在这种情况下，人就和瞎子一样在圣言中看不到任何东西。我们看到许多这样的人掉进坑里，再也爬不出来。举例说明：难道你们不能明白何为仁爱、何为信仰吗？不明白仁爱在于善待邻舍，信仰在于良好地思考神和教会的本质，因此，行事良好、思考良好，也就是说，生活良好、信仰良好的人就会得救吗？”对此，他们回答说，他们明白了。
天使们又说：“难道你们不明白要从罪中悔改，人才能得救吗？不明白人若不实实在在地悔改，就继续留在他所生在的罪中吗？悔改的工作在于不意愿邪恶，因为它们反对神，还在于一年检查自己一两次，看到自己的邪恶，在神面前忏悔它们，祈求帮助，停止它们，过一种新生活；并且他这样做，并信靠主到何等程度，他的罪就在何等程度上被赦免。”这时，这群人中的一些人说：“我们明白这些事，所以我们也明白什么是罪的赦免。”
然后，他们请求天使们给他们更多信息，这次是关于神，灵魂不朽，重生和洗礼的。对此，天使们回答说：“我们不会说你们不明白的话；否则，我们的讨论就像雨落在沙子上，落在那里的种子上，无论从天上如何浇灌，这些种子仍会枯萎、灭亡。”关于神，他们说：“所有进入天堂的人，在那里都照着他们对神的观念而拥有分配给他们的地方，从而拥有永恒的喜乐，因为神观在敬拜的一切细节中普遍掌权。对一位不可见的神的观念对任何人来说，都是不确定的，也不能用任何东西来定义，或说不会终止于任何人，因此，它会停止并灭亡。当一个灵被认为要么像以太，要么像风时，神是一个灵的观念就是一个空洞的观念；但神是一个人的观念才是一个恰当的观念，因为神是神性之爱和神性智慧，以及属于它们的一切品质，这些的主体是人，不是以太或风。在天堂里，对神的观念就是对主的观念。主是天地之神，如祂自己所教导的。倘若你们对神的观念与我们的一样，我们就会联系在一起。” 说完这些话，他们的脸变得光彩照人。
关于灵魂不朽，他们说：“人会活到永远，因为他能通过爱和信与神结合；这对每个人来说都是可能的。你若对此稍微深入思考一下，就会明白，这种可能性构成了灵魂的不朽。”
关于重生，他们说：“谁看不出，每个人都有思想神，或不思想神的自由，只要他被教导神存在，或有一位神？因此，每个人在属灵事物上都拥有自由，就像在文明道德的事物上拥有自由一样。主不断将这种自由赐给所有人；因此，人若不思想神，就有罪了。人之所以是人，正是由于这种能力；而动物之所以是动物，正是由于没有这种能力。因此，人能貌似凭自己改造和重生自己，只要他从心里承认这是靠着主。凡做悔改的工作，并信靠主的人都被改造和重生；人必须貌似凭自己做这两件事，但这“貌似凭自己”来自主。诚然，人对这个过程毫无贡献，一点也没有，但你们不是被造为雕像，而是被造为人，好叫你们可以从主那里貌似凭自己如此行。爱与信的这种回应，是主最希望人向祂所做的一件事。总之，凭你们自己做这件事，并相信你们是靠着主做它，因而貌似凭自己做它。”
但这时，英国人问，貌似凭自己行动是否自创造时就被赋予或植入人。一位天使回答说：“它不是被赋予或植入的，因为凭自我行动唯独是主的，或说属于独一的神，但它不断被赐下，也就是说，不断被附着或紧邻。然后，人在何等程度上貌似凭自己实行良善、相信真理，就在何等程度上成为一位天堂的使者；但他在何等程度上实行邪恶，从而相信虚假(这种事也是貌似凭他自己做的)，就在何等程度上成为一个地狱的使者。这也是貌似凭他自己，这会让你们感到惊讶，但当你们祷告，求自己得到保护，免受魔鬼伤害，以免魔鬼迷惑你们，进入你们，就像对待犹太那样，使你们充满罪孽，连灵魂带肉体都毁灭时，你们就会看到，事实就是如此。然而，凡认为自己凭自己做事，无论这事是善是恶的人，都会招来罪；而认为自己貌似凭自己做事的人不会招来罪。”
关于洗礼，他们说：“洗礼是属灵的洗涤，也就是改造和重生；小孩子长大成人后，就被改造和重生，他要做他的教父母为他承诺的事，就是这两件事：悔改和信神；因为他们首先承诺，他要弃绝魔鬼及其一切作为；其次承诺，他要信神。在天堂里，所有小孩子都被引入这两件事，但对他们来说，魔鬼是地狱，神是主。此外，在天使面前，洗礼是一个标志，表明一个人属于教会。”
听到这些话，这群人中的一些人说：“这个我们明白。”但只听见一旁有一个声音抱怨说：“我们不明白。”又有一个声音说：“我们不想明白。”于是就调查这些声音是从哪里发出来的，发现它们来自那些确认信之虚假，想被当作神谕来相信，从而受到崇拜的人。天使们说：“不要惊讶。如今像这样的人有很多。他们从天上在我们看来，就像雕像，制作得如此巧妙，以至于他们能驱动嘴唇，像器官一样发出声音，却不知道他们用来发出这些声音的呼吸是来自地狱，还是来自天堂，因为他们不知道一件事是假的，还是真的。他们推理了又推理，确认了又确认，却根本不看事情是否如此。然而，要知道，人性，或说人类的独创性能确认它想要的任何东西，甚至直到它看起来就是这样。因此，异端分子和恶人都能这样做；事实上，甚至连无神论者也能证明，没有神，只有大自然。”
后来，这群英国人充满对变得智慧的渴望，就对天使们说：“关于圣餐，可谓众说纷纭，请告诉我们真相是什么。”天使们说：“真相是：一个仰望主，并实践悔改的人，通过这最神圣的圣礼与主结合，并被引入天堂。”但这群人中的一些人说：“这是个秘密。”对此，天使们回答说：“这的确是个秘密，但仍是可以理解的。饼和酒不会产生这种效果，因为它们里面没有任何神圣的东西；但物质的饼和天上的饼相互对应，物质的酒和天上的酒也是如此；天上的饼是爱的神圣，天上的酒是信的神圣，这两者都来自主，并且都是主。这会产生主与人，并人与主的结合，不是与饼和酒的结合，而是与做了悔改工作的那个人的爱和信的结合；与主结合也是引入天堂。”后来，天使们又给了他们关于对应及其效果的一些教导，这群人中的一些人说：“现在我们第一次明白了。”当他们说，“我们明白”时，看哪，一团带着光的火焰从天而降，把他们与天使们联系在一起，他们彼此相爱。
224. To this I will add the following account:
I saw a gathering of spirits, all upon their knees, praying to God to send them angels they could speak with face to face and to whom they could disclose the thoughts of their heart.
Then when they arose, three angels appeared in white linen standing before them, and the angels said, "The Lord Jesus Christ has heard your prayers, and has therefore sent us to you. Disclose to us the thoughts of your heart."
[2] The spirits then replied, "Priests have told us that in theological matters it is not the intellect but faith that accomplishes anything, and that in such matters an intellectual faith is of no help to anyone, because it takes its origin from man.
"We are English, and we have heard many things from our sacred ministry which we believed. However, when we spoke with some other people who call themselves Reformed, and with some who call themselves Roman Catholics, and moreover with some Nonconformists, they all seemed to us learned, and yet in many matters not one of them agreed with another. But nevertheless they all said, 'Believe us.' And some said, 'We are God's ministers and we know.'
"Still we knew that the Divine truths that are called truths of faith and are the church's truths are no one's heritage by birth alone, or by heredity, but that they descend out of heaven from God. And because these show the way to heaven, and enter into one's life together with the good of charity and so lead to eternal life, we became anxious and prayed on our knees to God."
[3] At that the angels replied, "Read the Word and believe in the Lord, and you will see the truths that must be those of your faith and life. All in the Christian world draw their doctrinal teachings from the Word as from a single font."
[4] But two of the gathering of spirits said, "We have read it, but have not understood."
The angels replied, "You have not turned to the Lord, and you have also confirmed yourselves in falsities."
The angels also said further, "What is faith without light? And what is thinking without understanding? It isn't human. Ravens too and magpies can learn to speak without understanding. We can assure you that everyone whose soul longs for it can see the truths of the Word in a state of light. There is no animal that does not know the right food for its life when it sees it, and the human being is a rational and spiritual animal. If he hungers for it and seeks it from the Lord, the human being sees for his life not food for his body but food for his soul, which is the truth of faith. Moreover, whatever he does not receive with his intellect, also does not stick in his memory as a concept, but only as words. Consequently when we have looked down from heaven into the world, we have not seen anything, but have only heard sounds, mostly lacking in any harmony.
[5] "But we will list some truths that the learned of the clergy have banished from the intellect, not knowing that there are two paths to the intellect, one from the world and the other from heaven, and not knowing that the Lord raises the intellect from the world when He enlightens it. However, if the intellect is closed by religion, the path to it from heaven is closed, and a person then sees no more in the Word than a blind man sees. We have seen many of this sort fall into pits, from which they have not risen.
"Let examples serve to illustrate. You can understand what charity and faith are, can you not? That charity is to comport oneself well with the neighbor, and that faith is to think rightly about God and the essential constituents of the church? And therefore that anyone who behaves well and thinks rightly, that is, who lives rightly and believes rightly, is saved?"
In response to this the spirits said that they understood.
[6] The angels went on, "You understand, do you not, that to be saved a person must repent of his sins, and that unless a person repents, he remains caught up in the sins into which he was born? Moreover, that to repent means not to will evils because they are sins against God, and once or twice a year to examine oneself, see one's evils, confess them before the Lord, implore His aid, desist from them, and embark upon a new life? And that to the extent a person does this and believes in the Lord, his sins are forgiven?"
Then some of the gathering of spirits said, "This we understand, and so also what the forgiveness of sins is."
[7] At that the spirits then asked the angels to tell them something more, and specifically this time about God, the immortality of the soul, regeneration, and baptism.
To this the angels replied, "We shall say nothing but what you can understand. Otherwise what we say will fall like rain on sand, and however much they may be watered from heaven, any seeds there will still dry up and die."
Regarding God then they said, "People who enter heaven are all allotted a place there and accordingly come into eternal joy in accord with their idea of God, because this idea reigns universally throughout all aspects of worship.
"An idea of God as invisible is not focused on anyone, and so has no focus in anyone. Consequently it passes away and dies.
"An idea of God as a spirit, when one believes a spirit to be like the ether or a puff of wind, is an idea empty of content.
"But an idea of God as a man is a proper idea. For God is Divine love and wisdom, with every property of these, and their containing vessel is man, not ether or a puff of wind.
"The idea of God found in heaven is an idea of the Lord. He is God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught. Let your idea of God be like ours, and we will be comrades."
When the angels said this, their faces shone.
[8] Regarding the immortality of the soul the angels said, "A person lives to eternity because through love and faith he can be conjoined with God. This is possible for everyone. You can understand that the immortality of the soul results from this possibility if you think about it a little more deeply."
[9] Regarding regeneration they said, "Who does not see that everyone has the freedom to think about God or not to think about Him, provided he has been taught that God exists. Thus everyone has just as much freedom in spiritual matters as he does in civil and moral matters. The Lord gives this freedom to all people continually. Consequently it is his fault if he does not think about God. A person is human because of this ability [to think about God], while an animal is an animal because it lacks the ability. Therefore a person can reform and regenerate himself as though of himself, provided he acknowledges at heart that the ability comes from the Lord. Everyone who repents and believes in the Lord is reformed and regenerated. A person must do both as though of himself, but the "as though of himself" comes from the Lord.
"It is true that a person can contribute nothing to this end - nothing at all - but still you were not created sculpted forms, but were created human beings, in order that you might accomplish this from the Lord as though of yourselves. This reciprocation of love and faith is the one thing that the Lord above all wishes a person to do for Him.
"In a word, do it of yourselves, but believe that you do it from the Lord, thus doing it as though of yourselves."
[10] The spirits, however, then asked the angels whether doing things as though of oneself was not something with which a person was endowed from creation.
One of the angels replied, "It is not something with which a person is endowed, because to do something of oneself is God's alone, but He grants the ability to a person continually, that is to say, He attaches it to a person continually; and then to the extent that a person does good and believes truth as though of himself, he is an angel of heaven. But to the extent that he does evil and so believes falsity, which he does also as though of himself, he is to that extent an angel of hell. You are surprised to be told that he does this also as though of himself, but yet you see it when you pray to be protected from the devil, that he not lead you astray, lest he enter into you as he entered into Judas, fill you with all iniquity, and destroy both soul and body. 1
"Still, everyone makes himself responsible for an action if he believes that he does it of himself, be it good or evil, but does not make himself responsible for it if he believes that he does it as though of himself."
[11] Regarding baptism the angels said that it was a spiritual washing, which is reformation and regeneration, and that a little child is reformed and regenerated when he becomes an adult and does the things that his sponsors promised for him, of which there are two, namely, repentance and faith in God. For his sponsors promise first that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and second that he will believe in God. All little children in heaven are initiated into these two, though for them the devil is hell and God is the Lord.
"Moreover, baptism is a sign to angels that a person belongs to the church."
[12] Having heard this, some of the gathering of spirits said, "We understand it." But a voice from the side was heard crying, "We don't understand it." And another voice, "We don't want to understand it."
The spirits then inquired into whose voices they were, and they found that they belonged to people who had confirmed themselves in the falsities of their faith, and who wished to be credited as oracles so as to be revered.
The angels said, "Do not be astonished. Such is the character of very many people today. From heaven they look to us like sculpted forms, so skillfully made that they can move their lips and make organism-like sounds, but they do not know whether the breath they use to make sounds comes from hell or from heaven, because they do not know whether anything is false or true. They reason and reason, and defend and defend, but they do not see whether anything is so.
"You should know, however, that human ingenuity can defend whatever it wishes, even to the point that it appears to be the case. Heretics, therefore, can do this. So can the impious. Atheists indeed can make it appear that there is no God, but only nature."
[13] After this the gathering of English spirits, burning with a desire to become wise, said to the angels, "People say such different things about the Holy Supper. Tell us what the truth is."
The angels said, "The truth is that anyone who turns to the Lord and repents is, by that most holy act, conjoined with the Lord and introduced into heaven."
But some of that gathering said, "This is a mystery."
To which the angels replied, "It is a mystery, but yet of the sort that one can understand.
"The bread and wine do not create the conjunction. There is no holiness in them. But material bread and heavenly bread correspond to each other, and so do material wine and heavenly wine. Heavenly bread is the holiness in love, and heavenly wine is the holiness in faith, both originating from the Lord, and both being the Lord. This occasions a conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord - a conjunction not with the bread and wine but with the love and faith of a person who has repented - and conjunction with the Lord is also an introduction into heaven."
Then, after the angels taught them something about correspondence and its effect, some of the gathering said, "Now for the first time we understand."
And when they said, "We understand," suddenly something flame-like descending with its light from heaven affiliated the spirits with the angels, and they loved each other.
Footnotes:
1. A reference to the prayer recited before Anglican celebrations of Holy Communion, the English text of which is quoted in The Doctrine of Life 5, which concludes, "Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, or hinderer or slanderer of His word, or adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else come not to the Holy Table; lest after the taking of that Holy Sacrament the Devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and fill you with all iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul."
224. To these things I will add this MEMORABLE OCCURRENCE. I saw a group of spirits, all on their knees, praying to God to send them angels, with whom they might speak face to face and open up the thoughts of their hearts. And when they stood up, three angels in white linen were seen standing in full view of them. And the angels said, 'The Lord Jesus Christ has heard your prayers, and has therefore sent us to you. Open to us the thoughts of your hearts.'
[2] And they replied, 'The priests have told us that in theological matters it is not the understanding that counts, but faith; and that in those matters an intellectual faith is of no use to anyone, because it is derived from the man. We are Englishmen, and we have heard many things from our sacred ministry, which we have believed; but when we have spoken with some calling themselves the Reformed, and with others calling themselves Roman Catholics, and with dissenters as well, they all seemed to us to be learned, and yet in many things one did not agree with the other. Yet they all said, "Believe us," and some of them said, "We are God's ministers and we know." Because, however, we have come to know that the Divine truths that are called truths of faith, and are the truths of the Church, are not with anyone the result merely of birth, nor of what is hereditary, but are from God out of heaven; and because these truths show the way to heaven, and enter into the life together with the good of charity and so lead to eternal life, we have become anxious and have prayed to God on our knees.'
[3] Then the angels replied, 'Read the Word, and believe in the Lord, and you will see the truths that will be of your faith and life. In Christendom all draw their doctrinal tenets out of the Word as out of the one and only fountain.' But two of the group said, 'We have read but have not understood.'
[4] And the angels answered, 'You have not approached the Lord, and you have also confirmed yourselves in untruths.' And the angels said further, 'What is faith without light, and what is thinking without understanding? It is not human. Even ravens and magpies can learn to speak without an understanding. We can positively assert that any individual whose soul longs for it is able to see truths of the Word in the light; for there is not an animal that does not know its own life's food when it sees it, and a man is a rational and spiritual animal. Such an animal, if he hungers for it and seeks it from the Lord, sees the food not of the body but of the soul; and this is the truth of faith. Whatever is not being received also in the understanding, is not being lodged in the memory as regards the thing itself but only as regards the words. Therefore when we have looked down out of heaven into the world, we have not seen anything, but have only heard sounds, mostly disharmonious.
[5] However, we shall mention some things that the learned among the clergy have withdrawn from the understanding, not knowing that there are two ways into the understanding, one from the world and the other from heaven, and that the Lord, when He is enlightening it, lifts the understanding up out of the world. If, however, the understanding is closed up as a result of religion, the way from heaven is closed to it, and in that case a man sees in the Word no more than a blind person sees. We have seen many such who fell into pits, out of which they have not risen. Let there be examples for enlightenment. You are able, are you not, to understand what charity is, and faith, that charity is to act well with the neighbour, and that faith is to think well about God and the essentials of the Church, and consequently that he who acts well and thinks well, that is, lives well and believes well, is saved.' [In response] to these things, they declared that they did understand them.
[6] The angels said further, 'Do you not understand that a repentance from sins is to be practised in order that a man may be saved, and that unless the man practises repentance he continues in the sins into which he has been born; and that to practise repentance is not to will evils because they are sins against God, and to examine oneself once or twice a year to see one's own evils, to confess them in the presence of God, to pray earnestly for help, to desist from the evils, and enter on a new life; and that in the measure that he is doing this, and believing in the Lord, his sins are being remitted.' Then some of the group said, 'We understand these things, and so we also understand what the remission of sins is.'
[7] 'And then they asked the angels to give them further information, and this time about God, the immortality of the soul, regeneration, and baptism. To these requests the angels replied, 'We shall say nothing that you do not understand. Otherwise our discussion is falling as rain upon sand, and upon the seeds there, which, however watered from heaven, still wither away and perish. 'And concerning GOD they said, 'All who come into heaven are allotted a place there, and eternal joy, in accordance with an idea of God, because this idea reigns throughout us all things of worship. An idea of God [as] invisible is not directed to anyone, nor is it defined in terms of anything, and therefore it ceases and perishes. An idea of God as a Spirit, when a spirit is believed to be like ether or wind, is an empty idea: but an idea of God as a Man is a just idea, for God is Divine Love and Wisdom with every quality thereof, and the subject of these is a Man, and not ether or wind. In heaven the idea of God is an idea of the Lord. He Himself is the God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught. Let your idea of God be like ours, and we shall be associated together. 'When they had said these things their faces became radiant.
[8] Concerning THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL they said, 'A man lives to eternity, because he can be conjoined to God by means of love and faith. This is possible with each individual. If you think about this a little more deeply you can understand that this "possibility" brings about the immortality of the soul.'
[9] Concerning REGENERATION; 'Who does not see that every man has the freedom to think about God or not to think about Him, provided he has been instructed that God exists. So everyone has freedom in spiritual things, just as in things civil and moral. The Lord gives this continually to all, and therefore [a man] becomes guilty if he does not think. A man is a man as the result of his being able to do this, while a beast is a beast as the result of its inability to do so. A man, therefore, is able to reform and regenerate himself as from himself, provided he acknowledges at heart that it is from the Lord. Everyone who practises repentance and believes in the Lord is being reformed and regenerated; the man will do both as from himself, but the 'as from himself' is from the Lord. It is true that the man cannot contribute anything to this [process], nothing at all, nevertheless you have not been created statues, but you have been created men so that you might do this from the Lord as from yourselves. This is the one and only reciprocation of love and faith that the Lord expressly wills to be made to Him by a man. In a word, do it from yourselves, and believe that it is from the Lord. In this way you do it as from yourselves.'
[10] But then the Englishmen inquired whether to do as from oneself was imparted to the man from creation. An angel replied, 'It has not been imparted, because doing from Self is of the Only God, but it is being given continually, that is, being adjoined continually. And then in the measure that the man does good and believes what is true as from himself he is an angel of heaven, but in the measure that he does evil and believes what is untrue, this being also as from himself, he is an angel of hell. You are astonished that this also is as from oneself, but still you see it while you are praying that you may be protected from the devil, lest he should seduce you and enter into you as he did into Judas, fill you with all iniquity, and destroy both soul and body. Everyone becomes guilty, however, who believes that he is doing anything from himself, whether it is good or evil, but he who believes that he is doing it as from himself it does not become guilty.
[11] 'Concerning BAPTISM they said that it is a spiritual washing, which is reformation and regeneration, and that a little child will be reformed and regenerated when, having grown up, he does the things that his sponsors promised on his behalf, which are two, repentance and faith in God; for they promise first that he shall renounce the devil and all his works, and second that he shall believe in God. All the little children in heaven are being initiated into these two, but to them the devil is hell, and God is the Lord. Besides, baptism is a sign in the presence of angels that a man belongs to the Church.
[12] On hearing these things some of the group said, 'We understand'; but a voice was heard from one side complaining, 'We do not understand,' and another voice, 'We do not want to understand'; and an inquiry was made as to whom these voices came from, and it was discovered that they came from those who had confirmed themselves in untruths of faith, and who wanted to be believed as oracles, and so to be adored. The angels said, 'Do not be astonished. There are very many like this at the present day. From heaven they appear to us like graven images, so skilfully made that they can move the lips, and sound like organs, without knowing whether the breath causing them to sound is out of hell or heaven, because they do not know whether it is untruth or truth. They go on reasoning and confirming without seeing whether it is so at all. But you should realise that human nature is able to confirm whatever it wishes, even so that it appears as if it were so. Therefore heretics can do this. So can the wicked. Indeed even atheists [can prove] that there is no God, but nature only.'
[13] Afterwards the group of Englishmen, fired with a longing to become wise, said to the angels, 'So many diverse things are said concerning the HOLY SUPPER, tell us what the truth (veritas) is.' The angels said, 'The truth is that a man who has the Lord in view and practises repentance is conjoined with the Lord and introduced into heaven by means of that most holy [sacrament].' But some of the group said, 'This is a mystery'; and the angels replied, 'It is a mystery, but yet such as can be understood. The bread and wine do not bring this to pass, nor is there anything holy in them, but material bread and heavenly bread correspond one to the other, also material wine and heavenly wine; and heavenly bread is the holy of love, and heavenly wine is the holy of faith, each of them from the Lord, and each of them being the Lord. Resulting from this there is a conjunction of the Lord with the man, and of the man with the Lord, not with the bread and wine, but with the love and faith of the man who practises repentance; and conjunction with the Lord is also introduction into heaven.' And after the angels taught them something about correspondence and its effect, some of the group said, 'Now for the first time we understand.' And when they said, 'We understand,' behold a flame descending out of heaven with light associated them with the angels, and they loved each other.
224. To this I will add this Relation. I saw an assembly of spirits, all upon their knees, praying to God to send angels to them, that they might converse with them face to face, and open to them the thoughts of their hearts. And when they arose, there appeared three angels in fine linen, standing before them, and they said, "The Lord Jesus Christ has heard your prayers, and has therefore sent us to you; open unto us the thoughts of your hearts."
[2] And they answered, "We have been told by our priests, that in matters of a theological nature the understanding avails nothing, but only faith, and that in such things intellectual faith is of no service to anyone, because it is derived from man. We are Englishmen, and have heard many things from our sacred ministry, which we believed; but when we have conversed with others, who also called themselves the Reformed, and with others who called themselves the Roman Catholics, and likewise with sectaries, they all appeared to us learned, and yet, in many things, one did not agree with another, and still they all said, Believe us;' and some of them, We are God's ministers, and know. ' But as we know that the Divine truths, which are called truths of faith, and which appertain to the church, are not derived to anyone from his native soil, nor by inheritance, but out of heaven from God; and as these show the way to heaven, and enter into the life together with the good of charity, and so lead to eternal life, we became anxious, and prayed to God upon our knees."
[3] Then the angels answered, "Read the Word, and believe in the Lord, and you will see the truths which should constitute your faith and life; for all in the Christian world draw their doctrinals from the Word as from the only fountain." But two of the company said, "We have read, but did not understand."
[4] And the angels replied, "You did not approach the Lord, and you have also confirmed yourselves in falsities;" and the angels said further, "What is faith without light, and what signifies thinking without understanding? This is not human; even magpies and ravens can learn to speak without understanding. We can affirm to you, that every man whose soul desires it is capable of seeing the truths of the Word in the light; there does not exist an animal that does not know the food proper to its life when it sees it, and man is a rational and spiritual animal, who sees the food of his life, not that of his body, but of his soul, which is the truth of faith, provided indeed he hungers after it, and seeks it from the Lord; whatsoever is not received also in the understanding is not fixed in the memory in reality, but only verbally; therefore, when we have looked down out of heaven into the world, we have not seen anything, but have only heard sounds, that are for the most part dissonant.
[5] "But we will enumerate some things which the learned among the clergy have removed from the understanding, not knowing that there are two ways to the understanding, one from the world, and the other from heaven, and that the Lord withdraws the understanding from the world when He enlightens it; but if the understanding be closed by religion, the way into it from heaven is closed, and then man sees no more in the Word than a blind person. We have seen many such fall into pits, out of which they have never risen again. Examples must serve for illustration: are you not able to understand what charity is, and what faith is; that charity consists in doing well by your neighbor, and that faith consists in thinking well of God and of the essentials of the church, and therefore that he who does well and thinks well, that is, who lives well and believes well, is saved?" They replied, that they understood these things.
[6] The angels said further, "Do you not understand, that repentance from sins is to be performed, in order that man may be saved, and that, unless a man actually repents, he abides in the sins into which he was born, and that the work of repentance consists in not willing evils because they are against God, and in examining himself once or twice a year, in seeing his evils, in confessing them before the Lord, imploring assistance, desisting from them, and leading a new life, and as far as he does this, and believes in the Lord, so far his sins are remitted?" Then some of the company replied, "This we understand, and thence also what remission of sins is."
[7] And then they solicited the angels to give them further information, and especially concerning God, the immortality of the soul, regeneration and baptism. To this the angels replied, "We will not say anything but what you can understand, otherwise our discourse will fall like rain upon sand, and upon seeds therein, which although watered from heaven, still wither and perish." Concerning God they said, "All who come into heaven have their place allotted them there, and thence eternal joy, according to their idea of God, because this idea reigns universally in every particular of worship. The idea of an invisible God is not determined to anyone, nor does it terminate in any, therefore it ceases and perishes. The idea of God as Spirit, when a spirit is believed to be like ether or wind, is an empty idea; but the idea of God as Man is a just idea, for God is the Divine love and the Divine wisdom, with every quality belonging thereto, and the subject of these is man, and not ether or wind. The idea of God in heaven is the idea of the Lord. He is the God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught. Let your idea of God be like unto ours, and we shall be consociated together." On saying these words, their faces became resplendent.
[8] Concerning the Immortality of the Soul, they said, "Man lives to eternity, because he can be conjoined with God by love and faith, this indeed is possible with everyone. That this possibility constitutes the immortality of the soul you may understand, if you think of it a little more deeply."
[9] Concerning Regeneration;" "Who does not see that everyone is at liberty to think of God, or not to think of Him, provided he be instructed that there is a God; so that everyone has liberty in spiritual things, equally as in things civil and moral; the Lord gives this liberty to all continually; for which reason he becomes guilty, if he does not think of God. Man is man from this ability; but a beast is a beast from not having this ability; therefore man can reform and regenerate himself as from himself, provided he acknowledges in heart that it is from the Lord. Everyone who does the work of repentance, and believes in the Lord, is reformed and regenerated. Man must do both as from himself, but this 'as from himself' is from the Lord. It is true that man cannot contribute anything thereto, no not in the least, nevertheless you were not created statues, but you were created men, that you might do that from the Lord as from yourselves. This is the only reciprocal of love and faith, that it is altogether the Lord's will that it should be done by man unto Him. In a word, do it from yourselves, and believe that you do it from the Lord, thus do it as from yourselves."
[10] But then the Englishmen inquired, Whether to act as from oneself, is a faculty implanted in man from creation? The angel answered, "It is not implanted, because to act from Himself is the Lord's alone, but it is communicated continually, that is, adjoined continually, and then so far as man does good and believes what is true, as from himself, so far he is an angel of heaven; but so far as he does evil and thence believes what is false, which is done also as from himself, so far he is an angel of hell. That this also is as from himself surprises you, but still you see that it is so, when you pray that you may be preserved from the devil, lest he should seduce you, and enter into you, as he did into Judas, fill you with all iniquity, and destroy you, soul and body. But everyone incurs guilt who believes that he acts from himself, whether it be good, or whether it be evil; but he does not incur guilt, who believes that he acts as from himself."
[11] Concerning Baptism, they said, "That it is spiritual washing, which is reformation and regeneration; and that an infant is reformed and regenerated, when, on becoming an adult, he does the things which his sponsors promised for him, which are two, repentance and faith in God; for they promise first that he shall renounce the devil and all his works; and second, that he shall believe in God. All infants in heaven are initiated into these two, but to them the devil is hell, and God is the Lord. Moreover baptism is a sign before the angels that a man is of the church.
[12] On hearing these things, some of the assembly said, "This we understand." But a voice was heard from one side, exclaiming, "We do not understand;" and another voice, "We will not understand;" and inquiry was made from whence these voices proceeded, and it was found that they came from those who had confirmed themselves in falsities of faith, and who wished to be believed as oracles, and thus to be adored.
The angels said, "Be not surprised: there are very many such at this day; they appear to us from heaven like graven images, made with such art as to be able to move the lips, and utter sounds like organs, but without knowing whether the breath, by means of which they utter these sounds, comes from hell or from heaven, because they do not know whether a thing be false or true. They reason and reason; they confirm and confirm, nor do they ever see whether it is so. But know, that human ingenuity can confirm whatsoever one wishes, even until it appears to be so; therefore heretics and impious persons, yea atheists can confirm that there is no God, but nature only."
[13] Afterwards the assembly of Englishmen, enkindled with the desire of being wise, said to the angels, "So many various opinions are spoken of the Holy Supper, tell us what is the truth." The angels replied, "The truth is that the man who looks to the Lord and performs repentance, is conjoined with the Lord by means of that most holy sacrament, and is introduced into heaven." But some of the company said, "This is a mystery." To which the angels replied, "It is a mystery, but still such that it can be understood. The bread and wine do not produce this effect, for there is nothing holy in them, but material bread and heavenly bread correspond mutually to each other, and so do material wine and heavenly wine; and heavenly bread is the holy of love, and heavenly wine is the holy of faith, both from the Lord, and both the Lord. Thence there is a conjunction of the Lord with man, and of man with the Lord, not with the bread and wine, but with the love and faith of the man who had done the work of repentance; and conjunction with the Lord is also introduction into heaven." And after the angels had taught them something concerning correspondence and its effect, some of the company said, "Now for the first time we understand." And when they said, "We understand," behold a flame with light descending from heaven, consociated them with the angels, and they loved one another.
224. His adjiciam hoc MEMORABILE:
Vidi caetum Spirituum, omnes super genubus, orantes ad Deum, ut mitteret ad se Angelos, cum quibus loquantur ore ad os, et quibus aperiant cordis sui cogitata. Et cum surrexerunt, visi sunt tres Angeli in byssino stantes in conspectu eorum; et dixerunt, "Audivit Dominus Jesus Christus preces vestras, et ideo nos misit ad vos; aperite nobis cordis vestri cogitata."
Et responderunt, "Dixerunt nobis Sacerdotes, quod in rebus theologicis non valeat intellectus sed fides, et quod fides intellectualis in illis non alicui conducat, quia haec trahit ex homine: nos sumus Angli, et audivimus plura ex sacro nostro Ministerio, quae credidimus; sed cum locuti sumus cum aliis qui se etiam vocabant Reformatos, et cum aliis qui se vocabant Romano-Catholicos, et porro cum Sectariis, apparebant nobis omnes docti, et tamen in rebus multis non unus consensit cum altero, et usque omnes dixerunt, 'Credite nobis,' et aliqui, 'Sumus Ministri Dei et scimus.' At quia novimus, quod Divina Vera quae vocantur fidei et sunt Ecclesiae, non sint alicui ex solo natali nec ex haereditario sed e Caelo a Deo, et quia illa monstrant viam ad Caelum ac intrant Vitam una cum bono charitatis, et sic ducunt ad vitam aeternam, anxii facti sumus, et super genubus oravimus ad Deum."
Tunc responderunt Angeli; Legite Verbum, et credite in Dominum, ac videbitis vera, quae fidei et vitae vestrae erunt; omnes in Christiano Orbe ex Verbo ut ex unico Fonte hauriunt sua doctrinalia."
At duo ex caetu dixerunt, "Legimus sed non intelleximus."
Et responderunt Angeli. "Non adivistis Dominum, et quoque confirmavistis vos in falsis:" et porro dixerunt Angeli, "Quid fides absque luce, et quid cogitare absque intelligere; hoc non est humanum; corvi et picae etiam possunt discere loqui absque intellectu; possumus vobis asseverare, quod unusquisque homo, cujus anima desiderat, possit videre vera Verbi in luce; non datur animal, quod non scit suae vitae cibum, dum videt illum; et homo est Animal rationale et spirituale, hic videt suae vitae, non ita corporis sed animae cibum, qui est verum fidei, si esurit illum, et petit illum a Domino; quicquid non etiam recipitur intellectu, hoc nec inhaeret memoriae quoad rem, sed solum quoad voces; quare cum despeximus e Caelo in mundum, non vidimus quicquam sed modo audivimus sonos, plerosque disharmonicos. Sed enumerabimus aliqua, quae docti e Clero removerunt ab intellectu, non scientes quod binae viae ad intellectum sint, una e mundo et altera e Caelo, et quod Dominus subducat intellectum e mundo, dum illustrat illum; at si intellectus clauditur ex religione, clauditur ei via e Caelo, et tunc homo non plus videt in Verbo, quam caecus; vidimus plures tales cecidisse in foveas, e quibus non surrexerunt. Sint exempla illustrationi: annon intelligere potestis quid charitas et quid fides, quod charitas sit bene cum proximo agere, et quod fides sit bene de Deo et de essentialibus Ecclesiae cogitare, et inde quod qui bene agit et bene cogitat, hoc est, qui bene vivit et bene credit, salvetur."
Ad haec dixerunt quod intelligant.
Porro dixerunt Angeli. "Annon intelligitis, quod paenitentia a peccatis agenda sit, ut homo salvetur, et quod nisi homo paenitentiam agit, maneat in peccatis in quae natus est, et quod paenitentiam agere sit non velle mala quia sunt contra Deum, ac semel aut bis in anno scrutari se, videre sua mala, confiteri illa coram Domino, implorare opem, desistere ab illis, et vitam novam inire, et quantum hoc facit, et credit in Dominum, tantum peccata ejus remittantur."
Tunc dixerunt e caetu, "Haec intelligimus, et sic etiam quid remissio peccatorum." Et tunc rogaverunt Angelos ut informarent illos amplius et quidem nunc de Deo, de Immortalitate Animae, de Regeneratione, et de Baptismo.
Angeli ad haec respondebant "Non dicemus quicquam nisi quod intelligitis; alioquin cadit sermo noster, sicut pluvia in arenam, et in semina ibi, quae utcunque e Caelo irrigata, usque emarcescunt et pereunt." Et dixerunt de Deo, "Omnes qui in Caelum veniunt, ibi sortiuntur locum, et inde aeternum gaudium, secundum ideam Dei, quia haec idea universaliter regnat in omnibus cultus: idea Dei invisibilis non determinatur in aliquem, nec terminatur in aliquo, quare desinit et perit: idea de Deo ut Spiritu, dum spiritus creditur sicut aether aut ventus, est idea inanis; at idea de Deo ut Homine est idea justa, Deus enim est Divinus Amor et Divina Sapientia, cum omni quali eorum, et horum Subjectum est Homo, et non aether aut ventus: idea Dei in Caelo est idea Domini; Ipse est Deus Caeli et Terrae, ut Ipse docuit; sit vestra idea Dei similis nostrae, et consociabimur." Cum haec dixerunt, exsplenduerunt facies illorum. De Immortalitate Animae dixerunt," Homo vivit in aeternum, quia potest conjungi Deo per amorem et fidem; hoc potest unusquisque; quod hoc Posse faciat Immortalitatem Animae, potestis intelligere, si aliquantum altius de eo cogitatis." De Regeneratione: "Quis non videt, quod sit cuivis homini liberum cogitare de Deo, et non cogitare de Illo, modo instructus est quod Deus sit; ita liberum cuivis est in spiritualibus aeque ut in civilibus et moralibus; Dominus hoc dat continue omnibus; quare reus fit si non cogitat. Homo est homo ex posse hoc, at bestia est bestia ex non posse hoc. Quare homo se potest reformare et regenerare sicut a se, modo corde agnoscat quod sit a Domino. Omnis qui paenitentiam agit, et credit in Dominum, reformatur et regeneratur; utrumque faciet homo sicut a se, sed sicut a se est a Domino. Verum est, quod homo ad id non quicquam possit conferre, ne hilum; attamen non creati estis Statuae, sed creati estis Homines, ut faciatis id a Domino sicut a vobis; hoc unicum reciprocum amoris et fidei est, quod Dominus omnino vult ut fiat Ipsi ab homine. Verbo, facite a vobis, et credite quod a Domino; sic facitis sicut a vobis."
At tunc quaesiverunt Angli, "Num facere sicut a se, sit inditum homini a creatione."
Respondit Angelus, "Non inditum est, quia facere a Se est Solius Dei, sed datur continue, hoc est, adjungitur continue; et tunc quantum homo facit bonum et credit verum sicut a se, est Angelus Caeli; at quantum facit malum et inde credit falsum, quod etiam est sicut a se, tantum est Angelus Inferni. Quod hoc etiam sit sicut a se, miramini; sed usque videtis hoc, dum oratis ut a Diabolo custodiamini, ne vos seducat, ne intret in Vos sicut in Judam, impleat vos omni iniquitate, ac destruat et animam et corpus: sed omnis reus fit, qui credit quod faciat a se, sive sit bonum sive sit malum; sed non reus fit, qui credit quod faciat sicut a se." De Baptismo dixerunt, Quod sit Lavatio spiritualis, quae est Reformatio et Regeneratio; et quod infans reformetur et regeneretur, dum adultus factus facit illa quae patrini pro illo sposponderunt,quae sunt duo, Paenitentia et Fides in Deum; nam primo spondent, ut abdicet Diabolum et omnia ejus opera; et secundo, ut credat in Deum. Omnes infantes in Caelo in illa duo initiantur, sed his Diabolus est Infernum, ac Deus est Dominus. Praeterea, Baptismus est signum coram Angelis, quod homo sit ab Ecclesia.
His auditis dixerunt e caeto, "Haec intelligimus."
Sed audita est vox a latere, clamans, "Non intelligimus," et alia vox, "Non volumus intelligere;" et inquisitum a quibus illae voces, et Compertum quod ab illis qui se confirmaverunt in falsis fidei, et qui voluerunt credi ut oracula, et sic adorari.
Dixerunt Angeli, "Ne miremini; tales sunt hodie permulti; apparent nobis e Caelo sicut Sculptilia, tali arte facta, ut possint movere labia, ac sonare sicut organa; et non sciunt, num halitus, ex quo sonant, ex Inferno sit, vel num e Caelo, quia non sciunt num falsum sit vel num verum; ratiocinantur et ratiocinantur, tum confirmant et confirmant, nec vident quicquam num ita sit. Sed sciatis, quod ingenium humanum possit confirmare quicquid vult, usque ut appareat sicut ita sit; quare hoc possunt haeretici, hoc impii, imo athei, quod Deus non sit, sed Natura sola."
Post haec, caetus ille ex Anglis, accensus desiderio sapiendi, dixit ad Angelos, "Loquuntur tam varia de Sacra Caena, dicite nobis quid veritas." Dixerunt Angeli, "Veritas est, quod homo, qui spectat ad Dominum et paenitentiam agit, per sanctissimum illud conjungatur Domino ac introducatur in Caelum."
Sed dixerunt e caetu, "Hoc mysterium est."
Et responderunt Angeli, "Est mysterium, sed usque tale, ut possit intelligi. Panis et vinum hoc non faciunt; non aliquid sanctum est in illis; sed correspondent sibi mutuo panis materialis et Panis caelestis, ac vinum materiale et Vinum caeleste, et Panis caelestis est sanctum amoris, ac Vinum caeleste est sanctum fidei, utrumque a Domino, et utrumque Dominus. Inde conjunctio Domini cum homine et hominis cum Domino; non cum pane et vino, sed cum amore et fide hominis qui paenitentiam egerat; et conjunctio cum Domino est quoque introductio in Caelum."
Et postquam Angeli docuerunt illos aliquid de Correspondentia et ejus effectu, dixerunt e caetu, "Nunc primum intelligimus." Et cum dixerunt "Intelligimus," ecce flammeum e Caelo cum luce descendens consociavit illos cum Angelis, et amaverunt se mutuo.