159# 对此，我补充以下记事。记事一：
有一次，我在天堂与天使们共度时光时，在下面的一段距离处看见一团巨大的烟雾，不时地喷出火来。于是，我对正与我交谈的天使们说，这里很少有人知道，在地狱里看到的烟雾是由推理所确认的虚假产生的，而火是向那些持相反意见的人点燃的愤怒。对此，我补充说：“在这个世界，就像在我活在肉身的自然界一样，鲜有人知道火焰只是着火的烟雾。我经常通过试验证明，事实就是这样，因为我曾看到炉膛里的木头冒出几缕烟，当我用火柴点燃它们时，我看到它们变成了火焰，形状就像烟；因为单个的烟雾颗粒变成了一起燃烧的小火花，就像被点燃的火药一样。我们看到的下面的烟雾也是如此。它是由同等数量的虚假组成的，而那里爆发的像火焰一样的大火是对这些虚假的热情大爆发。”
然后天使们对我说：“让我们求主允许我们下去靠近那烟雾，我们就可以看到在那里的灵人中间如此冒烟并燃烧的虚假是什么。”获得许可后，我们周围立刻出现了一根光柱，一直延伸到那个地方。然后我们看到四群灵人，他们强烈主张要靠近和敬拜父神，因为祂是不可见的，不要靠近和敬拜祂出生在世上的儿子，因为祂是一个人，是可见的。我环顾四周，看到左边是一些学识渊博的神职人员，他们后面是一些没有学问的神职人员；右边是一些学识渊博的平信徒，他们后面是一些没有学问的平信徒；而他们和我们之间有一道不可逾越的巨大鸿沟。
我们把眼耳转向左边，那里是学识渊博的神职人员，他们后面是没有学问的神职人员。我们听见他们这样推理神：“我们教会关于神的教义在整个欧洲都是一样的，我们从中知道：要接近父神，因为祂是不可见的，同时也要靠近圣子神和圣灵神，他们也是不可见的，因为他们与圣父同永恒。我们还知道，父神是宇宙的创造者，因而存在于宇宙中，无论我们把目光转向哪里；每当我们向祂祷告时，祂都和蔼地垂听；接受了圣子的调解后，祂就差遣圣灵将祂儿子公义的荣耀植入我们内心，赐福给我们。我们这些已经被正式任命为教会博士的人在讲道时，胸中就感受到这种差遣的神圣运作，并从灵在我们心智的存在中吸入一种虔诚。因此，我们受到影响，因为我们将我们所有的感官都指向不可见的神，祂不是单独地在我们理解力的视觉中运作，而是通过祂差遣的灵在我们整个身心系统中普遍运作。敬拜一位可见的神，或一个作为一个人出现在我们心智面前的神，不会产生这样的效果。”
听到这些话，站在后面的没有学问的神职人员鼓掌并补充说：“神圣性来自哪里，不就是来自不可见和不可感知的神性吗？一听到有人提到这样的神性，或说它一触及我们耳朵的入口，我们的脸就舒展了，或说亮了起来，绽放出笑容；就像一阵芬芳的微风拂过一样，这个想法让我们感到振奋，我们还用力拍打胸脯。但对一位可见和可感知的神性来说，情况就不同了。当这样的神性进入我们的耳朵时，它就变成纯属世的，而不是神性。由于同样的原因，罗马天主教徒用拉丁语重复他们的弥撒，并从祭坛的神圣凹龛中取出并展示圣体，将某种神秘的神性属性归于它；于是，人们在圣体面前，就像在某种最神秘的东西面前一样下跪，并吸入神圣的气息。”
然后我们转向右边，那里站着学识渊博的平信徒，他们后面是没有学问的平信徒；我们从学识渊博的平信徒那里听到了以下内容：“我们知道，最有智慧的古人敬拜一位不可见的神，他们称其为耶和华；但后来在继他们之后的时代，人们从已故的统治者中为自己造了神，其中有萨杜恩、朱庇特、尼普顿、普鲁托、阿波罗，以及密涅瓦、狄安娜、维纳斯和西弥斯；他们为这些神建造圣殿，向他们献上神性敬拜。随着时间推移，这种敬拜逐渐退化，由此产生了偶像崇拜，最终整个世界都痴迷于偶像崇拜，由此充满疯狂。因此，我们完全同意我们的牧师和长老们的观点，即：自永恒以来就有，并且现在仍有三个神性位格，其中每一个都为神；对我们来说，他们是不可见的，这就足够了。”对此，他们后面没有学问的平信徒补充道：“我们同意。神不就是神，人不就是人吗？或说神是一回事，人是另一回事。然而，我们知道，如果有人提出‘神-人’的存在，或认为神是人，那么那些对神持有感官观念的普通人会同意的，或会接受它。”
说完这些话，他们的眼睛被打开了，他们看到我们在他们附近；因为我们听到了他们的话，他们很生气，立刻闭口不言了。但天使们凭赋予他们的力量关闭了他们从中说话的思维的外层或低层，打开了内层或高层，迫使他们出于内层或高层来谈论神。然后他们说：“神是什么？我们既没有看见祂的形状，也没有听见祂的声音。那么，神是什么，不就是在其最初和最后中的大自然吗？我们看见了大自然，因为她在我们眼里闪闪发光，或说在我们眼前是显而易见的；我们也听见了她，因为我们的耳朵听得见她的声音。”听到这些话，我们问他们说：“你们见过苏西尼吗？他只承认父神。你们见过阿里乌斯吗？他否认主我们救主的神性。或者，你们见过他们的任何追随者吗？”对此，他们回答说：“我们没有见过。”我们说：“他们就在你们下面的深渊里。”很快，他们中的一些人从那深渊里被召来，并被提问关于神的问题。他们说得和这些灵人一样，并补充道：“神是什么？我们可以随心所欲地造很多神。”
然后我们说：“与你们谈论生在世界上的神的儿子是没有用的；然而，我们仍要宣布：关于神的信仰，对祂的信仰和来自祂的信仰，在头两个时代就像飘在空中色彩艳丽的肥皂泡，因为没有人看见过祂；为了避免出于同样的原因，它在第三个时代和随后的时代化为乌有，耶和华神乐意降临，取了一个人身，从而使自己变得可见，说服人们相信，祂不是纯理性的虚构，或理性的产物，而是自身或自我，是昔在、今在、以后永在者，从永恒直到永恒；神（Elohim）不仅仅是一个三个字母的单词，而是从阿拉法到俄梅戛的一切或现实的全部；因此，祂是所有相信祂是可见之人的生命和拯救，但不是那些说他们相信一位不可见的神之人的生命和拯救。因为相信、看见和知道构成一体。因此，主对腓力说，凡看见并认识祂的，就看见并认识了父；在别处说：
父的意思是，人当信子，凡信子的人都有永生，不信子的人不得见永生，神的愤怒住在他身上。（约翰福音3:15-16，36; 14:6-15）”
听到这些话，这四群灵人中的许多人怒火中烧，以至于烟和火焰从他们的鼻孔中喷了出来。于是，天使们陪我回家后，就升到了他们自己的天堂。
159. 以下是一些關於本章一些觀點的經歷。
第一個經歷:
有一次我在天國, 與天人們一起, 看見下面有巨大雲煙,不時有火焰噴出。我跟正在與我談話的天人說:"其實很少人知道, 在地獄看到的煙,源自於地獄之靈支持偽謬的爭辨, 火則是他們向反對者爆發的怒氣。
"像在我所處的物質世界無人知道那樣, 心靈世界也不知道:火焰只是火上的煙。"我接著說:"我經常觀察這個, 當煙從壁爐的木頭升起時, 我用點著的蠟燭湊上去, 看到煙變成火焰了。火焰的形狀與煙的形狀一樣, 是煙的微粒變成火星, 眾多火星合在一起就發出火光, 就像火藥那樣。這種情形就類似我們看到下面的煙, 它由那麼多的偽謬組成, 從中冒出的火焰則是保護這些偽謬的熱情爆發。"
[2]天人對我說:"我們請求主讓我們下去靠近看看, 到底是什麼錯誤的觀念導致那樣的煙火。"我們的請求被應允了, 立即被一束光環繞著,徑直達到那個地方。
一到達, 就發現那裡有四組人, 正在激情澎湃地為此辯論:人必須轉向父上帝並敬拜祂, 因為祂不可見。人不可以轉向祂那生在人世的兒子並敬拜祂的兒子, 因為祂的兒子是人,且是可見的。
我環視一下, 發現左邊的是博學的聖職人員, 他們後面是一些普通的聖職人員。而右邊是一些有教養的平信徒, 在他們後面是一些沒怎麼受過教育的平信徒。然而, 我們和他們所有人之間有一條不可逾越的裂口。
[2]我們把目光投向左邊, 就是那些聖職人員所在的地方, 聽到他們在為此事爭論:"基於我們教會的教導——也是整個歐洲都遵循的教導, 我們必須轉向不可見的父上帝。藉此也就轉向了子上帝和聖靈上帝, 祂們也是不可見的, 因為祂們與父永遠共存。因為父上帝是宇宙的創造者, 因而在全宇宙之中, 無論我們的目光所及何處, 祂都在那裡。當我們向祂禱告, 祂都會和藹地聆聽我們的禱告。當接受了子的代求, 父就差遣聖靈去到我們這裡, 將祂兒子之義的榮耀放在我們心裡,使我們得祝福。
"我們作為教會的教師, 當講道時, 能感受到胸中有聖靈的進駐, 思想裡有祂的同在。我們有這樣的感覺, 是因為我們全身心地關注這位不可見的上帝, 祂不僅顯現在我們的認知之中, 而且藉著祂差遣的聖靈同在於我們全部的思想和身體之中。敬拜一個看得見的上帝, 一個我們想像僅為一個人的上帝, 達不到這樣的效果。"
[4]這樣的演講受到後面普通聖職人員的熱烈掌聲, 他們接著說:"如果不是從這位不可見與不可知的神性, 神聖還能從哪裡來呢？當一聽到,哪怕只是提及這樣的神性, 我們的面容即刻放鬆露出笑容。如同芳香的香氣撫過, 讓人精神抖擻。但若是想到那可見與可知的神性, 我們的反應就完全不同了。當這種概念一達到耳聽所及範圍, 就轉變成全然的屬世,不再神性了。
"因著類似的理由, 天主教以拉丁文來帶領他們的信徒。從聖壇的至聖之地取出聖餅, 聲稱其中有神性的奧秘。此時, 人們雙膝跪地,如同面臨極大的神秘, 虔誠地屏住呼吸。"
[5]之後, 我們轉向右邊, 是一些有教養的平信徒, 後面站著的是沒受過什麼教育的平信徒。我聽到那些受教育之人說:"我們知道, 古代智者敬拜一位不可見的上帝, 他們稱之為"耶和華"。在之後的世世代代, 人們卻把他們的統治者們神化, 包括薩杜恩,朱庇特,尼普頓,普路托,阿波羅, 還有密涅瓦,戴安娜,維納斯和西彌斯等, 為他們建造神殿, 敬拜他們如若神明。隨著時間發展一步步惡化, 那樣的敬拜淪為偶像崇拜, 最終遍及全世界。因此, 我們全體一致同意我們的祭司和長者的觀點, 那就是:從永遠就有三個神性位格, 每一位都是上帝。這三個位格超出我們想像的能力, 對此我們表示完全同意。"
他們身後的那些沒受過什麼教育的信徒們連聲附和:"我們同意！確實嘛, 上帝是上帝, 人是人, 完全兩碼事。不過我們知道, 若有人提出'神人'的說法, 那些普通老百姓因著他們對上帝的屬世觀念, 會樂意接受這個概念的。"
[6]然後, 這些靈的眼被打開, 看到我們在附近。因為我們聽到他們所說話, 他們變得有些惱怒, 便立即閉口不言了。天人用所賜的能力, 關閉了這些靈思想的外在或低級的層次, 之前所申明的內容來自於此。天人打開他們思想的內在或高級的層次, 迫使他們由此層次來談論對上帝的認識。
靈便開口說:"上帝是什麼？我們從未看過祂長什麼樣, 也沒聽過祂的聲音。上帝從頭到尾不就是自然嗎？自然, 我們看得見, 因為在我們眼前一目了然。自然, 我們也聽得見, 在我們耳中清清楚楚。"
聽到這裡, 我們對他們說:"你們見過那位只承認父上帝的索齊尼沒有？或者亞流, 否認我們拯救主的神性的那位？又或他們的跟隨者們？"
"沒有, 我們從未見過他們。"他們回答。
"在你們下面的深淵裡。"我們說。
然後, 我們繼續詢問其他靈是如何看待上帝的。他們的回答大同小異, 有的還加上這句:"上帝是什麼？只要願意, 我們可以造出很多個上帝來。"
[7]我們說:"跟你們談論生於人世的子上帝, 沒有任何作用。儘管如此, 我們還是要把該說的說完:信, 就像空氣中的氣泡, 在剛開始的第一和第二個階段絢麗多彩, 但在第三個階段及接下來的階段就有崩潰消散的危險, 因為再也無人明白上帝。因此, 為了保持這個關於上帝,在祂裡面,由祂而來的信仰, 耶和華上帝親自降臨,並取了人的樣式來顯現。祂這樣做, 是為了將祂自己顯明, 使我們確信:上帝並非我們的空想虛構。祂是,曾是,將是絕對的存在, 從永遠到永遠。上帝並非簡單的一個詞而已, 祂是從阿拉法到俄梅戛都是完全的真實。對於所有相信祂為真實可見上帝的人, 祂就是生命, 就是拯救。而對那些聲稱他們相信一位不可見的上帝, 祂不是生命, 也非拯救。因為相信,看見,承認是一脈相承。這就是為何主對腓力說:'看見我並認我的, 就是見到父並認父。'這也是為何主在其他地方說:'父的意思是叫他們信子。信子的有永生, 不信子的不得見永生, 上帝的震怒常在他們身上。'"(以上這些話出自約翰福音3:15-16, 36; 14:6-15)
聽到這些, 四群之中有許多靈被激怒了, 煙火從他們的鼻孔冒出來。天人陪我回到家, 就回去天國了。
159. To these points I will add the following memorable occurrences.
The first memorable occurrence. Once when I was spending some time with angels in heaven, in the distance below I saw a huge cloud of smoke with flames shooting out of it periodically. I said to the angels who were talking with me at that moment, "Although few up here know it, the origin of the smoke that one sees in hell is the hellish spirits' use of reasoning to support things that aren't true; and the origin of the fire seen in hell is their blowing up at others who speak against them.
"It is equally unknown in this spiritual world as it is in the world where I am physically alive that flame is nothing but smoke that is on fire," I added. "I have often observed this myself. I have watched the plumes of smoke rising from the logs in the fireplace. When I set fire to them with a match, I have seen that the plumes of smoke become flames. The flames have the same shape as the plumes of smoke had. The individual particles of smoke become little sparks that burn together. (The same thing happens when you set fire to gunpowder.) The situation is similar in the case of the smoke that we are seeing down below us now. It consists of a great number of things that aren't true. The flame shooting out of it is the intense passion the hellish spirits have to defend the things that aren't true. "
[2] The angels said to me, "Let's pray to the Lord to be allowed to go down and get near them in order to learn what their false beliefs are that are smoking and burning like that. "
It was granted. A column of light appeared around us that went all the way down to that place.
Once down there, we saw four sets of spirits in ranks. They were adamantly defending the idea that one must turn to God the Father and worship him, because he cannot be seen; one must not turn to his Son born in the world and worship him, because he is human and can be seen.
When I looked to the sides, to the left I saw learned clergy, and behind them regular clergy. To the right I saw educated laity, and behind them, uneducated laity. Between us, though, there was a gaping void that could not be crossed.
[3] We turned our eyes and ears to the left where the learned clergy were, with the regular clergy behind them. We heard them reasoning about God in the following way: "On the basis of the doctrine of our church - the single view of God shared by the entire European world - we know that we have to turn to God the Father, because he cannot be seen. By so doing we also turn to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, who likewise cannot be seen because they are coeternal with the Father. Because God the Father is the Creator of the universe and is therefore in the universe, wherever we turn our eyes he is present. When we pray to him he graciously hears us. After accepting the Son's mediation, the Father sends the Holy Spirit, who carries the glory of the Son's justice into our hearts and blesses us.
"Created as we were to be teachers of the church, when preaching we have felt in our chests the holy effect of that sending and we have inhaled a devoutness from its presence in our minds. We have been affected in this way because we have directed all our senses to a God who cannot be seen, who works not in a particular way in the sight of our intellect but in a universal way throughout the whole system of our mind and body through his emissary Spirit. Worshiping a God who can be seen, a God whom our minds can picture as a human being, would not yield such good results. "
[4] The regular clergy who were behind them applauded these points and added, "Where does holiness come from if not from a Divinity who is beyond our ability to picture or perceive? On first hearing even a mention of such a Divinity, our faces light up and broaden into a smile. Like the caress of some sweet-smelling breeze, the thought exhilarates us and we thump our chests with vigor. To the mention of a Divinity who is within our ability to picture and perceive, we react completely differently. When this comes within earshot it translates into something merely earthly and not divine.
"For the same reason the Roman Catholics conduct their mass in the Latin idiom; from the sanctuary of the altar they take the host, about which they utter divine and mystical things, and display it, and the people fall to their knees, as before the greatest of mysteries, and breathe in the holiness. "
[5] After that we turned to the right where the educated laity were, and behind them the uneducated laity. We heard the following statements coming from the educated laity.
"We know that the wisest people among the ancients worshiped a God who was beyond their power to picture, whom they called Jehovah. Later on in the age that followed, however, people deified their deceased rulers, among whom were Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Apollo, and Minerva, Diana, Venus, and Themis. People built temples for them and worshiped them as divinities. As the times worsened, that worship led to idolatry and eventually made the whole world insane. With unanimous consent, therefore, we agree with our priests and elders that there are three divine persons from eternity, each of whom was and is God. We are satisfied that these three are beyond our power to picture. "
The uneducated laity behind them added, "We agree. God is one thing and a human being is another. We are aware, though, that if someone proposes the existence of a human God, the common people with their sensory concept of God are going to welcome the idea. "
[6] Then the spirits' eyes were opened and they saw us nearby. Annoyed that we had heard them, they immediately stopped talking. The angels, with a power that had been given them, closed the outer or lower levels of the spirits' thought, which were the source of the statements they had just made. The angels opened instead the inner or higher levels of the spirits' thought and compelled them to speak about God from those levels.
The spirits then spoke and said, "What is God? We haven't seen the way he looks or heard his voice. What then is God except nature with all its levels? Nature we have seen, because it shines in our eyes. Nature we have heard, because it sounds in our ears. "
On hearing that, we asked them, "Have you ever seen Socinus, who acknowledged only God the Father, or Arius, who denied the divinity of the Lord the Savior, or any of their followers?"
"No, we haven't seen them," they answered.
"They are deep beneath you," we said.
Soon we summoned some of the spirits from down there and asked them about God. They said the same type of things as these spirits had been saying. The spirits from below also said, "What is God? We can make as many gods as we want. "
[7] We said, "It is pointless to talk to you about the Son of God born into the world, but we are going to do it nonetheless.
"Faith is like a bubble in the air. It was beautifully colored in the first and second ages, but was in danger of bursting in the third and following ages because no one saw God. Therefore to preserve our faith about him, faith in him, and faith from him, it pleased Jehovah God to come down and take on a human manifestation. He did this to bring himself into view and to convince us that God is not a figment of our imagination; he is the absolute being who was and is and will be from eternity to eternity. God is not a three-letter word; he is everything real from alpha to omega. Therefore he is the life and salvation of all who believe in him as a God who can be seen, although he is not the life and salvation of those who say they believe in a God who cannot be seen, because believing, seeing, and recognizing are one. This is why the Lord said to Philip, 'Those who see and recognize me, see and recognize the Father. ' This is also why the Lord says elsewhere, 'The Father's will is for them to believe in the Son. Those who believe in the Son have eternal life. Those who do not believe in the Son will not see life; in fact, God's anger remains upon them. '" (These words occur in John 3:15-16, 36; )
On hearing this, many in the four sets of spirits became so enraged that smoke and flame came out of their nostrils; so we went away. After the angels accompanied me to my home, they went back up to their heaven.
159. At this point I shall describe some more experiences, of which this is the first.
Once when I was in company with angels in heaven, I saw far below a huge cloud of smoke with fire bursting out of it from time to time. I remarked to the angels who were talking with me, that few people here know that the sight of smoke in the hells arises from arguments in favour of falsities, and that fire is an outburst of anger against those who contradict them. I added that this is as little known in that world, as it is in the world where I live in the body, that flame is nothing but ignited smoke. I have often observed this, when, seeing smoke rising from wood on a hearth on earth, I have applied a lighted taper to it and seen the smoke turn into flame; and the flames copied the shape of the smoke, for each particle of smoke becomes a spark, and they join to make a blaze, just as also happens with gunpowder. 'It is the same with the smoke we can see down here below. It is composed of so many falsities, and the fire bursting out as flames is the outburst of zeal in their favour.'
[2] Then the angels said to me: 'Let us beg the Lord to allow us to go down and come near, so as to find out what falsities they have that produce so much smoke and fire.'
Permission was granted, and at once a beam of light surrounded us and brought us down without a break to that place. There we saw four groups of spirits who were arguing vigorously that God the Father, because He is invisible, should be approached and worshipped, and not His Son who was born in this world, because He was a man and visible. On looking to either side I saw on the left the learned clergy, and behind them the unlearned clergy; and on the right the educated laymen, and behind them the uneducated. But between us and them yawned an unbridgeable gap.
[3] We turned our eyes and ears towards the left, where the clergy were with the learned ones in front and the unlearned behind, and heard them arguing about God in these terms. 'We know from the teaching of our church, which on the subject of God is one and the same throughout Europe, that one should approach God the Father, being invisible, and at the same time God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, who are also invisible, being co-eternal with the Father. Since God the Father is the creator of the universe, and consequently in the universe, He is present wherever we turn our gaze. When we pray to Him, He is graciously pleased to accept our prayers, and when the Son has mediated for us, He sends the Holy Spirit to put in our hearts the glory of His Son's righteousness and to make us blessed. We, who have been made doctors of the church, felt, when we preached, the holy working of the Spirit's mission in our breasts, and we breathed the devotion aroused by His presence in our minds. We feel these emotions because we direct all our senses towards the invisible God who works not in a single way on the sight of our understanding, but universally throughout our mental and bodily systems by means of His emissary, the Spirit. Such effects could not be produced by the worship of a visible God, or one apprehensible mentally as a man.'
[4] This speech was greeted with applause from the unlearned clergy, who stood behind them. 'What is the source,' they added, 'of holiness, if it is not from an invisible and imperceptible Divine? As soon as this idea crosses the threshold of our hearing, our faces break into smiles and we are cheered as by the soothing breath of an incense-laden breeze, and we also beat our breasts. It is quite different if we think of a visible and perceptible Divine; if this idea penetrates our ears, it is reduced to something purely natural and no longer Divine. It is for a similar reason that the Roman Catholics conduct their masses in the Latin language, and take the Host, the alleged subject of Divine mysteries, from repositories on the altar and display it. At this moment the people fall on their knees as if before the profoundest mystery and reverently hold their breath.'
[5] After this we turned to the right, where the educated, and behind them the uneducated, laymen stood. I heard the educated speak as follows: 'We know that the wisest of the ancients worshipped an invisible God whom they called Jehovah, but in the period which followed this they made themselves gods out of dead rulers, including Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Apollo as well as Minerva, Diana, Venus, and Themis, building temples to them and giving them Divine worship. This worship in the course of time led to idolatry, a madness which finally pervaded the whole world. We are therefore unanimous in assenting to the opinion of our priests and elders, that there were and are three Divine Persons from eternity, each of whom is God. It is enough for us that they are invisible.'
The uneducated behind them added: 'We agree. Surely God is God and man is man? But we know that if anyone proposed God-man, the common people, whose idea of God is only derived from the senses, will accept it.'
[6] At the end of this speech their eyes were opened and they saw us standing near them. Then they became angry that we had heard them and refused to say another word. But the angels used the power they had been given to shut off the exterior or lower levels of their thought, and open the interior or higher levels; so they compelled them to speak about God in this state. Then they said: 'What is God? We have not seen His appearance, nor have we heard His voice. God then must be merely nature in its first and last manifestations. Nature we have seen, because it is clear before our eyes, and nature we have heard, for its sounds are ever in our ears.'
On hearing this we said to them: 'Have you ever seen Socinus, who would acknowledge only God the Father? Or Arius, who denied the divinity of our Lord and Saviour? Or any of their followers?' 'No,' they replied. 'They are,' we said, 'in the depths below you.' Then some people were sent for from that place and questioned about God. They spoke in much the same way as the others had done, adding: 'What is God? We can make as many gods as we wish.'
[7] 'It is useless,' we said then, 'to talk to you about the Son of God born in the world, but this at least we shall say. To prevent faith about God, in Him and from Him, from becoming, merely because no one has seen Him, like a water-bubble floating in the air, full of beautiful colours in the first and second moments of its existence, but in the third and thereafter collapsing into nothing, it has pleased Jehovah God to come down and take upon Himself human form, thus putting Himself on view, and proving that God is no entity conceived by the faculty of reason, but That which was, is and shall be, from eternity to eternity. God is no three-letter 1 word, but the whole of reality from alpha to omega. Consequently He is life and salvation to all who believe in Him as a visible God, not to those who say that they believe in an invisible God. For believing, seeing and recognising make up a single act, which is why the Lord said to Philip:
He who sees and knows me sees and knows the Father.
and elsewhere that it is the Father's will that they should believe in the Son, and he who believes in the Son has everlasting life, but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God will rest upon him. (Both this and the previous passage are in John 3:15-16, 36; 14:6-15.)' On hearing this many of the four groups became so furious that smoke and fire came out of their nostrils. So we went away, and after escorting me home the angels went up to their own heaven.
Footnotes:
1. This is a puzzling expression, since God in Latin is Deus; but as the conversation took place in the spiritual world, it may refer to a word in the spiritual language.
159. To this I will add the following Memorable Relations. First:
Once when in company with the angels in heaven, I saw below at some distance a great smoke, and then fire breaking out from it; and I said to the angels talking with me that the smoke seen in the hells, as a few among them knew, arises from falsities confirmed by reasonings, and that the fire is burning anger against those who contradict; and I added, "In this world, as in mine where I live in the body, it is unknown that flame is simply smoke on fire. That such is the fact I have often proved by experiment; for I have seen streaks of smoke rising from wood on the hearth, and when I set fire to them with a brand I have seen them turn to flames, which assumed a shape like that of the smoke; for the separate particles of smoke become little sparks which blaze up together, like gunpowder when it is ignited. So is it with the smoke we see below. This consists of an equal number of falsities; and the fire breaking out like flames is the glow of zeal in behalf of those falsities."
[2] Then the angels said to me, "Let us ask the Lord for leave to go down and draw towards the smoke, that we may perceive what those falsities are that so smoke and blaze with those there."
This was granted; and lo, there appeared round about us a column of light reaching continuously to the place. And then we saw four crowds of spirits, who were strenuously maintaining that it is God the Father who should be approached and worshiped, because He is invisible, and not His Son born in the world, since He is a man and is visible.
Looking towards the sides I saw on the left some learned men of the clergy, and behind these the unlearned; and on the right the learned of the laity, and behind these the unlearned; while between us and these there was a yawning gulf which was impassable.
[3] But we turned our eyes and ears to the left, where were the learned of the clergy, and behind them the unlearned, and we heard them reasoning about God in this wise, "From the doctrine of our church respecting God which is the same everywhere in Europe, we know that God the Father ought to be approached, because He is invisible, and at the same time God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, who are also invisible, being co-eternal with the Father; also God the Father, being the Creator of the universe, and therefore in the universe, is present wherever we turn our eyes; and whenever we pray to Him He graciously listens, and after accepting the mediation of the Son He sends the Holy Spirit, who implants in our hearts the glory of His Son's righteousness and bestows blessedness upon us. We who have been made doctors in the church have felt in our breasts, when preaching, the holy operation of that sending, and from the presence of the Spirit in our minds have then breathed forth devotion. We are thus affected because we direct all our senses to the invisible God, who operates not singly upon the sight of our understanding, but universally upon our whole system, mental and corporeal, by the Spirit He sends. Such effects as these would not result from the worship of a visible God, that is, of a God conspicuously before the mind as a man."
[4] When this was said the unlearned of the clergy who stood behind the others applauded, and added, "Whence comes what is holy but from an invisible and imperceptible Divine? At this, the moment it touches the entrance to our ears, our features expand, and we are gladdened as by the sweetness of a fragrant aura, and we smite upon our breasts. But it is otherwise with a visible and perceptible Divine; when this enters our ears it becomes merely natural, and not Divine. For a like reason the Roman Catholics repeat their masses in Latin, and the host (to which they ascribe Divine mystical properties) they bring out from the recesses of the altar and hold up to sight; whereupon the people fall on their knees as before something most mysterious, and take in breaths of holiness."
[5] After this we turned to the right, where the learned of the laity stood, and the unlearned behind them; and from the learned we heard the following: "We know that the wisest of the ancients worshiped an invisible God whom they called Jehovah; but after them in the succeeding ages men made for themselves gods out of deceased rulers, among whom were Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Apollo, and also Minerva, Diana, Venus, and Themis; and to these they built temples and offered divine worship; and as in time this worship degenerated it gave rise to idolatry, from which at last the whole world became filled with insanity. We therefore agree unanimously with our priests and elders that there were and are three Divine persons from eternity, each one of whom is God; and it is enough for us that they are invisible."
To this the unlearned behind them added, "We agree. Is not God God, and man man? Still we know that if anyone should set before them a God-Man, the common people, who have a sensuous idea about God, would accept it."
[6] When they had said this their eyes were opened and they saw us near them; but being indignant because we had heard them they became silent. But presently the angels, from a power given them, closed the outer or lower things of their thoughts, from which they had been speaking, and opened the inner or higher things, and compelled them to speak from these about God. And speaking thus they said, "What is God? We have neither seen His shape nor heard His voice. What, then, is God but nature in its firsts and lasts. Nature we have seen, for she beams in our eyes; and we have heard her, for she sounds in our ears."
On hearing this we said to them, "Have you ever seen Socinus, who acknowledged God the Father only; or Arius, who denied the Divinity of the Lord our Savior, or have you seen any of their adherents?" To which they answered, "We have not."
We said, "They are in the deep beneath you." And shortly some of them were summoned from the deep and questioned about God; and they spoke as the others had done; and they added, "What is God? We can make as many gods as we like."
[7] And then we said, "It is useless to talk with you about the Son of God born in the world; yet we will say this much: Lest faith respecting God and faith in God and from God, which in the first two ages, from no one's having beheld God, had been like a beautifully colored bubble in the air, should for the same reason in the third and following age collapse to nothing, it pleased Jehovah God to descend and assume a Human and thus make Himself visible, and convince men that He is not a mere figment of reason, but the Itself, which was and is and will be, from eternity to eternity; also that God is not a mere word of three letters, but is the All of reality from Alpha to Omega, consequently the life and salvation of all who believe in Him as visible, but not of those who say that they believe in an invisible God. For believing, seeing, and knowing make one. Therefore the Lord said to Philip:
That whosoever sees and knows Him sees and knows the Father;(John 14:9) and elsewhere:
That it is the will of the Father that men should believe in the Son and that whosoever believes in the Son has eternal life, while he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 14:6-15).
Hearing this many of the four crowds were so enraged that smoke and flame issued from their nostrils; we therefore left them; and the angels, after accompanying me home, ascended to their heaven.
159. MEMORABILIA.
To these things I will add the following Memorabilia.
The first experience. Once, when I was in company with some angels in heaven, I saw at some distance below me a great smoke, from which fire burst forth at intervals. Thereupon I said to the angels who were conversing with me that few persons in that world know that the smoke seen in the hells arises from falsities confirmed by reasoning, and that the fire is anger kindled against those who maintain contrary opinions. To this I added that it is as little known in that world as in the natural world where I live in the body, that flame is nothing but smoke ignited. That such is the case I have often proved experimentally, by applying a lighted stick to the smoke rising from a wood-fire. Then I saw the smoke turn into flame of the same form, for all the separate particles of smoke become little sparks, which blazed up together, as also happens with gun-powder when ignited. It is the same, I said, with this smoke which we see below; it consists of as many falsities as there are smoke particles, and the fire that blazes out there is the heat of zeal for those falsities.
[2] The angels then said to me: "Let us pray the Lord for permission to go down and draw near that we may see what are the falsities which occasion such a smoke and blaze among the spirits there." This was granted, and forthwith there appeared around us a column of light extending down to the place. Then we saw four companies of spirits vehemently maintaining that God the Father, because He is invisible, ought to be approached and worshiped, and not His Son who was born in the world, because He is a man and visible. Further, on looking round, I saw on the left a number of learned clergy, and behind them some unlearned; and on the right a number of learned laymen, with some unlearned behind them; while between them and us was a yawning impassable gulf.
[3] We turned our attention to the left, where were the clergy, the learned and the unlearned; and we heard the learned reasoning concerning God in the following manner: "We know from the doctrine of our Church, which, so far as it relates to God, is unanimously received throughout the whole of Europe, that God the Father, because He is invisible, ought to be approached, and at the same time God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, who are also invisible, because they are co-eternal with the Father. We know also that God the Father is the Creator of the universe, and is therefore present in the universe wherever we turn our eyes, and graciously hearkens to our prayers; and, after accepting the Son's mediation, He sends the Holy Spirit, who pours into our hearts the glory of the Son's righteousness, and blesses us. We, therefore, who are duly appointed doctors of the Church, have felt in our bosoms, when preaching, the holy influence of that sending, and from its presence in our minds have breathed forth our devotion. We are thus affected because we direct all our senses towards the invisible God, who operates not merely in our intellectual sight but universally throughout our whole system of mind and body by the spirit He sends out. The worship of a visible God, or one presented to our minds as a man, would not produce such results."
[4] At these words the unlearned clergy, who stood behind, applauded and said: "Whence can holiness come but from the Divine, who is unseen and imperceptible? At the bare mention of such a God our countenances expand, we are gladdened as by a soothing, fragrant atmosphere, and we beat our breasts. The case is otherwise with a visible and perceptible Deity. When the mention of this enters our ears it becomes merely natural and not Divine. For a similar reason the Roman Catholics repeat their masses in Latin, bring out the host from the sacred recess of the altar and exhibit it, ascribing to it certain mystical divine properties, before which, as before the most profound mystery, the people fall on their knees, and breathe out the breath of sanctity."
[5] Thereupon I turned to the right where stood the learned laity with the unlearned behind them, and from the learned I heard the following: "We know that the wisest of the ancients worshiped an invisible God whom they called Jehovah; but after these, in the age which succeeded, men made gods of their deceased rulers, among whom were Saturn, 1 Jupiter, 2 Neptune, 3 Pluto, 4 Apollo, 5 and also Minerva, 6 Diana, 7 Venus, 8 Themis, 9 and erected temples to them, and paid them Divine worship. In course of time this worship degenerated, and from it idolatry arose, with which at length the whole world was obsessed. We, therefore, entirely agree with our priests and elders that there have been, and now are, three Divine Persons from eternity, each of whom is God; and it is enough for us that they are invisible." Thereupon the unlearned who stood behind, added: "We agree: is not God God, and man man? We know, however, that if any one should suggest that God is man, the common people, who entertain a sensual idea of God, would agree."
[6] After these words their eyes were opened, and they observed us near them; and then, angry because we had heard them, they were silent. But the angels, by a power given to them, closed the exterior or lower plane of their thoughts from which they had spoken, and opened the interior or higher plane, and from this induced them to speak of God; and then they said: "What is God? We have neither seen His shape nor heard His voice. What therefore is God but nature in her first and last principles? We have seen her, because she is apparent to our eyes, and we have heard her, for she is audible to our ears." On hearing this we enquired of them whether they had ever seen Socinus, 10 who acknowledged God the Father only, or Arius, 11 who denied the Divinity of the Lord the Savior, or any of their followers. They replied that they had not. "They are in the abyss beneath you," we said, and presently some of them were summoned thence, and questioned about God. They answered in similar terms to those who had just spoken adding, "What is God? We can make as many gods as we please."
[7] We then said: "It is useless to talk with you about the Son of God who was born in the world, but this we will declare: Lest faith respecting God, faith in Him, and faith from Him, which in the first and second age was like a beautifully colored bubble in the air, should, because no one ever saw Him, in the third and following age dissolve into the void, it pleased Jehovah God to descend and assume the Human, and in this way to make Himself visible to men, and convince them that He is not a product of the reason but the Self, who was, and is, and will be from eternity to eternity; and that God (Elohim) is not a mere word of three syllables, but that He is the all of everything from Alpha to Omega; consequently that He is the life and salvation of all who believe on Him as visible, and not of those who say that they believe on an invisible God. For to believe, to see, and to know make one; therefore the Lord said to Philip:
'He that seeth and knoweth me, seeth and knoweth the Father.'
Elsewhere He declared:
it is the will of the Father that men should believe on the Son, and that he who believes on the Son has eternal life, but he who believes not the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God abides on him. These things He says in John 3:15-16, 36; and John 14:6-15.
On hearing this many in the four companies burned so with anger that smoke and flame poured out of their nostrils. We therefore departed, and the angels, after accompanying me home, ascended to their own heaven.
Footnotes:
1. Saturnus, Saturn, earliest king of Latium, became Roman god of civilization.
2. Jupiter or Jove, son of Saturn.
3. Neptune, god of the sea.
4. Pluto, king of the lower world.
5. Apollo, god of divination, healing, poetry and music.
6. Minerva, daughter of Zeus, goddess of wisdom.
7. Diana, sister of Apollo, goddess of the chase.
8. Venus, goddess of love.
9. Themis, goddess of justice.
10. Socinians, members of a religious sect taking their name from Faustus Socinus, A.D. 1539-1604, and his uncle Laelius Socinus. They are antitrinitarians, denying the personality of the Holy Ghost and the Divinity of Christ. Early Socians believed in the miraculous conception and that Christ was entitled to Divine worship; but modern Socinians, chiefly Unitarians, deny both.
11. Arius, theologian of Alexandria, A.D 256-336; founder of Arianism, affirming that Christ was an originated Being. Excommunicated by bishops of Egypt for denying that Christ was made of the same substance (homo-ousion) of any previously existing substance. To settle the consequent dispute Constantine called the Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325. Athanasius successfully led the opposition to Arius; and Arius, with Eusebius, who also refused to accept the Athanasian position, was banished.
159. His adjiciam haec MEMORABILIA. PRIMUM: Quondam cum fui in consortio cum Angelis in Coelo, vidi ad distantiam infra magnum Fumum, et ex illo per vices erumpentem ignem, et tunc Angelis mecum confabulantibus dixi, quod pauci hic sciant, quod fumus in Infernis visus exoriatur ex falsis per ratiocinia confirmatis, et quod ignis sit ira excandescens contra illos qui contradicunt; quibus addidi, quod hoc tam ignotum sit in hoc Mundo, sicut est in meo, ubi corpore vivo, quod flamma non aliud sit quam incensus fumus; quod ita sit, saepius sum expertus, in foco enim vidi fumos ex lignis ascendentes, et cum eis intuli ignem per titionem, vidi fumos illos verti in flammas, et has in simili forma cum illis, singulae enim particulae fumi fiunt scintillulae, quae conjunctim flagrant, sicut etiam fit cum pulvere pyrio accenso: simile est cum hoc Fumo, quem infra videmus; hic consistit ex totidem falsis, et ignis erumpens ut flamma ibi est excandescentia zeli pro illis.
[2] Tunc mihi dixerunt Angeli, oremus ad Dominum ut liceat descendere et accedere, ut percipiamus quaenam falsa sunt quae apud illos ita fumant et flagrant, ac datum est; et ecce apparuit columna lucis circum nos continua ad locum illum; et tunc vidimus quatuor Turmas spirituum, qui strenue confirmabant quod Deus Pater, quia invisibilis, adeundus et colendus sit, et non Filius Ipsius 1 natus in Mundo, quia homo et visibilis: cum spectavi ad latera, ad sinistrum visi sunt Docti ex Clericis, et post illos indocti; et ad dextrum Eruditi ex Laicis, et post illos ineruditi; at inter nos et illos erat hians intercapedo, quae non transiri potuit:
[3] sed oculos et aures vertimus ad sinistrum, ubi erant Docti ex Clericis et post illos indocti, et audivimus de Deo ita ratiocinantes; novimus ex Doctrina nostrae Ecclesiae, quae una est de Deo in toto Europaeo Orbe, quod Deus Pater, quia invisibilis est, adeundus sit, et simul tunc Deus Filius et Deus Spiritus Sanctus, qui etiam invisibiles sunt, quia coaeterni cum Patre; et quia Deus Pater est Creator universi, et inde in Universo, quocunque vertimus oculos nostros, praesens est, et cum ad Illum oramus, gratiose exaudit, et post Mediationem a Filio acceptam, mittit spiritum sanctum, qui in corda nostra infert gloriam justitiae Filii sui, et nos beatificat; nos creati Doctores Ecclesiae, dum concionati sumus, sanctam missionis istius operationem in pectoribus nostris sensimus, et anhelavimus devotionem ex praesentia illius in mentibus nostris; ita afficimur, quia omnes sensus nostros dirigimus ad Deum invisibilem, qui non singulariter in visu intellectus nostri, sed universaliter in toto systemate mentis et corporis nostri per spiritum emissarium suum operatur; tales effectus non sisteret cultus Dei visibilis, seu coram mentibus conspicui sicut homo.
[4] His dictis indocti e Clericis, qui steterunt post illos, adplauserunt, et adjecerunt hoc, unde est Sanctum nisi a Divino inconspicuo et imperceptibili; ad hoc, ut primum tangit ostium auditus nostri, expandimus vultus facierum nostrarum, ac laetificamur sicut 2 ex mulcimine aurae odoriferae, et quoque plangimus pectora nostra; aliter ad perspicuum et perceptibile; hoc dum intrat aurem, fit mere naturale, et non Divinum: propter similem causam Romano-Catholici Missas suas latino idiomate exclamant, et hostias, de quibus Divina mystica edunt, ex adytis altarium depromunt et monstrant, ad quae, ut ad arcanissima, populus cadit super genua, et respirat sanctum.
[5] Post haec convertimus nos ad dextrum, ubi Eruditi et post illos ineruditi ex Laicis constiterunt, et ab Eruditis audivi haec; novimus quod sapientissimi ex Antiquis, Deum inconspicuum coluerint, quem vocaverunt Jehovam, at quod post hos in aevo quod successit fecerint sibi deos ex defunctis Monarchis, ex quibus erant Saturnus, Jupiter, 3 Neptunus, Pluto, Apollo, tum Minerva, Diana, Venus, Themis, et illis exstruxerint fana, et Divinum cultum addixerint, ex quo cultu, quum tempore descendit, exorta est idololatria, ex quo totus orbis tandem insanivit; nos ideo ad sacerdotium et presbyterium nostrum consensu unanimiter accedimus, quod tres Divinae Personae ab aeterno, quarum unaquaevis Deus, fuerint et sint; satis nobis est quod inconspicui sint: his ineruditi post illos adjecerunt, consentimus; numne Deus est Deus, et homo est homo; sed scimus, quod si quis proponit Deum hominem, Communio plebeja, cui sensualis idea de Deo est, accessura sit.
[6] Post haec dicta, aperti sunt oculi illorum, et viderunt nos prope se, et illi tunc ex indignatione quod audiverimus illos, obmutuerunt; at Angeli tunc ex potentia sibi data occluserunt exteriora seu inferiora cogitationum illorum, ex quibus loquuti sunt, et aperuerunt interiora seu superiora, et ex his adegerunt illos loqui de Deo, et tunc loquuti dixerunt, quid Deus; non vidimus speciem Ipsius, nec audivimus vocem Ipsius, quid itaque Deus nisi quam Natura in suis primis et ultimis; hanc vidimus, quia lucet in oculis nostris, et hanc audivimus quia sonat in auribus nostris: his auditis, diximus illis, num usquam videritis Socinum, qui solum Deum Patrem agnovit, aut Arium qui Divinum Domini Salvatoris negavit, aut aliquos asseclas illorum; ad quae responderunt, non vidimus; sunt, diximus, in profundo sub vobis, et mox inde aliqui arcessiti sunt, et quaesiti de Deo, similiter ac illi prius loquuti sunt, ac insuper, quid Deus; possumus facere deos, quotcunque volumus;
[7] et tunc diximus, incassum est cum vobis de Filio Dei nato in Mundo loqui, sed usque eloquemur hoc, quod ne fides de Deo, in Ipsum et ab Ipso, propterea quod nemo viderit Ipsum, et illa sic tanquam bulla aquea in aere in prima et secunda aetate pulchre colorata, et in tertia et sequente difflueret in nihilum, placuerit Jehovae Deo descendere et assumere Humanum, et sic Se in conspectum mittere, et convincere, quod Deus non sit Ens rationis, sed Ipsum quod Fuit, Est et Erit ab aeterno in aeternum, et quod Deus non sit vox trium syllabarum, sed quod sit omne rei ab Alphah ad Omegah, consequenter quod sit Vita et Salus omnium qui credunt in Ipsum visibilem, et non illorum qui dicunt se credere in Deum invisibilem, nam credere, videre et cognoscere, unum faciunt; quare dixit Dominus ad Philippum, qui videt et cognoscit Me, videt et cognoscit Patrem, et alibi; quod voluntas Patris sit, ut credant in Filium, et qui credit in Filium, habeat vitam aeternam, at qui non credit Filio, non videbit vitam, sed ira Dei super illum maneat, haec et illa dicit apud Johannem 3:15-16, 36; 14:6-15. His auditis, multi ex quatuor Turmis excanduerunt in tantum, ut fumus et ignis exiret ex naribus illorum; quare abivimus, et Angeli, postquam me comitati sunt domum, ascenderunt in suum Coelum.
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