404# 但当对世界或财富的爱构成头时，也就是说，当它成为主导爱时，人的状态就完全不同了；因为这时，天堂之爱从头部被逐出，降到身体中。处于这种状态的人更喜欢世界，而不是天堂；他的确敬拜神，但出于纯属世之爱来敬拜，纯属世之爱将功德置于一切敬拜中。他也向邻舍行善，但只是为了得到回报。对这些人来说，天上的事物就像衣服，他们穿着这衣服在世人眼前看似行走在光明中，但在天使眼前却显得模糊不清，因为当世界之爱占据内在人，天堂之爱占据外在人时，这爱就使得教会的一切都变得模糊，并把它们隐藏起来，如同蒙上一层面纱。对世界或财富的爱种类繁多。随着它倾向于贪婪，它变得更加有害，天堂之爱则变得更黑；如果它倾向于因自我之爱而凌驾于他人之上的骄傲和显赫，也是如此。然而，如果它倾向于挥霍浪费，情况就不同了；如果它关注的目的是世俗的辉煌，如漂亮的房子或豪宅、豪华的装饰、华丽的衣服、仆人、马匹和马车等等，那么它伤害较小。每一种爱的性质都取决于它所关注和努力达到的目的。对世界或财富的爱可以比作黑暗的水晶，它吸收光线，只微弱地反射出昏暗的颜色，或说窒息光线，只把它分解成昏暗和转瞬即逝的颜色。它也像挡住太阳光线的薄雾或乌云，或像未发酵的新酒，尝起来甜美，但会让胃不舒服。从天上观之，痴迷于这种爱的人看起来就像一个驼背，走路时低着头，眼睛盯着地面。如果他抬头仰望天空，他的肌肉就会拉伤，很快就又弯下腰来。教会里的古人称这些人为玛门，希腊人则称他们为普鲁托。
404. 然而, 若愛世界(或財富)構成頭部, 也就是成為主導之愛, 這類人的境況就截然不同了。這樣, 愛天國就被逐出頭部,移到身體。在這種狀態中的人將世界置於天國之先。他們當然敬奉上帝, 然而他們這樣做, 僅僅出於屬世之愛, 為了在每一個敬拜的行為中獲取應得的價值。他們也會向鄰舍行善, 不過是為了獲得相應的回報。
屬天之事對這類人而言, 就像穿在他們身上的衣裳, 在世人面前眩目招搖, 但在天人眼中卻是單調。當愛世界佔據內在人, 而愛天國居於外在, 對世界之愛便會使一切與教會相關的事情變得暗淡模糊, 並將它們掩藏起來如同蓋上布罩。
不過, 愛世界或愛財富呈現為多種形式。越傾向於吝嗇, 這種愛就變得越糟糕; 在此情形下, 對天國之愛就變得黑暗。如果這種愛傾向於自大,並由於自愛而傾向於控制他人, 一樣也會變得越糟糕。然而, 若傾向於揮霍浪費, 情況就稍不相同, 這樣的害處少一些。如果目的在於擁有世上的奢華, 害處就更少一點, 例如擁有豪華住宅,裝飾品,華衣,傭人,車馬等來做秀, 以及類似的事物。任何一種愛的性質如何, 由其專注和期盼達到的目標來決定。
這樣的愛還好比一塊黑色的水晶, 阻塞光線進入; 除了暗淡褪弱顏色, 無法通過它折射成彩色。它還像霧與雲, 減淡太陽的光輝。它還像未發酵的新酒, 嘗起來甜的, 卻傷胃。
從天上看, 這樣的人就像個駝背, 走路時頭快彎到地面。當他抬頭望天時, 扭傷了肌肉, 瞬間恢復到頭朝地面的狀態。古時教會中的人們稱這類人為"瑪門"(愛財之魔), 希臘人稱之為"普魯托"(陰間之神)。
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404. We take on a completely different condition if love for the world or for wealth constitutes the head, meaning that this is our dominant love. Then love for heaven leaves the head and goes into exile in the body. People who are in this state prefer the world to heaven. They do indeed worship God, but they do so from a love that is merely earthly, a love that leads them to take credit for all their acts of worship. They also do good things for their neighbor, but they do them to get something back in return.
In the case of people like this, heavenly things are like the clothes in which they strut about, garments that we see as shining but angels see as drab. When love for the world inhabits our inner self and love for heaven inhabits our outer self, then love for the world dims all things related to the church and hides them as if they were behind a piece of cloth.
Love for the world or for wealth comes in many forms, however. It gets worse the closer it approaches to miserliness. At the point of miserliness the love for heaven becomes dark. This love also gets worse the closer it approaches to arrogance and a sense of superiority over others based on love for oneself. It is not as detrimental when it tends toward wasteful indulgence. It is even less damaging if its goal is to have the finest things the world has to offer, like a mansion, fine furniture, fashionable clothing, servants, horses and carriages in grand style, and things like that. With any love, its quality depends on the goal that it focuses on and intends to reach.
Love for the world and for wealth is like a dark crystal that suffocates light and breaks it only into colors that are dull and faded. It is like fog or cloudiness that blocks the rays of the sun. It is also like wine in its first stages - the liquid tastes sweet, but it upsets your stomach.
From heavens point of view, people like this look hunchbacked, walking with their head bent down looking at the ground. When they lift their head toward the sky, they strain their muscles and quickly go back to looking downward. The ancient people who were part of the church called people of this kind "Mammons. " The Greeks called them "Plutos. "
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404. But a person assumes a totally different state, if the love of the world or wealth makes up the head, if, that is, this is the dominant love. For then the love of heaven is banished from the head and transfers itself to the body. A person in this state puts the world before heaven; he may worship God, but as the result of a purely natural love, which sees merit in every act of worship; he may also do good to the neighbour, but for the sake of what he gets in return. What belongs to heaven is to these people like robes, in which they walk in splendour to men's eyes, but in drab attire to the eyes of angels. For when the love of the world occupies the internal man, and the love of heaven the external, then the love of the world darkens everything to do with the church and hides it as if behind a veil.
[2] There is, however, a great deal of variation in this love. It is worse the more it tends to avarice; in this case the love of heaven turns black. It is much the same if it tends to pride and ambition to dominate others as the result of self-love. It is different, however, if it tends towards prodigality; this is less harmful, if it aims at worldly splendour, such as palaces, ornaments, fine clothes, servants, horses and carriages for show and such like. The quality of any love is determined by the end which is its aim and purpose.
This love can be likened to a blackened crystal which chokes the light, and does not break it up into colours, except dull and fleeting ones. It is also like mist and clouds, which take away the radiance of the sun. Or it is like new unfermented wine, which, for all its sweet taste is bad for the stomach. Such a person, seen from heaven looks like a hunchback, walking with his head bowed to the ground; and when he lifts it to the sky, he wrenches his muscles, and quickly reverts to his downward gaze. The ancients in the church called such people by the name of Mammon and the Greeks by the name of Pluto.
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404. But when love of the world or of wealth forms the head, that is, when it is the ruling love, man puts on a wholly different state; for then the love of heaven is exiled from the head and betakes itself to the body. The man who is in this state prefers the world to heaven; he worships God indeed, but from merely natural love which places merit in all worship; he also does good to the neighbor, but for the sake of recompense. To such, heavenly things are like clothing, clad in which they appear before the eyes of men to be walking in brightness, but before the eyes of angels they appear indistinct, for when love of the world possesses the internal man, and the love of heaven the external, the former makes all things belonging to the church obscure and hides them as under a veil. But this love is of great variety, worse in the degree that it verges toward avarice, in which the love of heaven grows black; so too if it verges toward pride and eminence over others from love of self. It is different if it verges towards prodigality, and is less hurtful if it has in view as an end the splendors of the world, as palaces, ornaments, magnificent clothing, servants, horses and carriages pompously arrayed, and other like things. The character of every love is determined by the end which it regards and intends. This love may be compared to blackish glass, which smothers the light and variegates it only in dark and evanescent hues. It is also like mists and clouds which take away the rays of the sun. It is also like new, unfermented wine, which tastes sweet but disturbs the stomach. Such a man when viewed from heaven looks like a hunchback, walking with his head down looking at the ground, and when he raises his head towards heaven he strains the muscles, and quickly drops it down again. The ancients in the church called such men Mammons, and the Greeks called them Plutos.
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404. The state of a man is entirely different, however, if the love of the world or of riches is the head, that is, if it is the ruling love; for then the love of heaven is banished from the head and relegated to the body. The man then prefers the world to heaven, and worships God indeed, but from merely natural love, which places merit in all worship. He also does good to the neighbor, but with a view to receive recompense. Such men assume the things of heaven as garments, which make them appear illustrious in the eyes of men, but obscure in the sight of angels. For when the love of the world possesses the internal man, and the love of heaven the external, the former love obscures all things of the Church, and hides them as under a veil.
There is much variety in the love of the world. It becomes more pernicious as it inclines to avarice, and to pride and pre-eminence over others from the love of self; for then the love of heaven grows black. It is different, however, if it is inclined to prodigality; for it is less hurtful when the end it regards is worldly splendor, as fine houses, luxurious surroundings, rich clothing, servants, horses and carriages in great style, and so on. The nature of every love is determined by the end which it regards and which it strives to attain.
The love of the world may be compared to a dark crystal which absorbs the light, only faintly reflecting dusky colors. It is also like a mist or a cloud which intercepts the rays of the sun; or like new unfermented wine, which is pleasant to the taste but disturbing to the stomach. When viewed from heaven, a man obsessed by this love appears like a hunchback, walking with bowed head and eyes fixed on the ground. If he lifts his head towards heaven, he strains his muscles, and quickly relapses into a stooping posture. Such men were by the ancients in the Church called Mammons, and by the Greeks Plutos. 1
Footnotes:
1. Pluto, king of the lower world.
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404. Sed homo prorsus alium statum induit, si Amor Mundi seu opum facit Caput, hoc est, si ille regnans Amor est, nam tunc Amor Coeli exulat e Capite, et se confert in Corpus; homo, qui in hoc statu est, praefert Mundum Coelo; colit quidem Deum, sed ex Amore mere naturali, qui in omni Cultu ponit meritum, et quoque bonum facit proximo, sed propter retributiones; his sunt illa quae Coeli sunt, sicut velamina, in quibus incedunt splendentes coram oculis hominum, sed fusci coram oculis Angelorum; nam dum Amor Mundi possidet Internum hominem, et amor coeli Externum, tunc ille obscurat omnia Ecclesiae, et occultat illa sicut sub velo.
[2] Verum hic Amor in multa varietate est, deterior eo gradu quo vergit ad avaritiam; in hac Amor Coeli nigrescit: similiter si vergit ad fastum et eminentiam super alios ex amore sui: aliter vero si vergit ad prodigalitatem: minus noxius est, si pro fine spectat splendida Mundi, sicut Palatia, Decoramenta, magnificos Amictus, Famulitia, Equos et Currus in pompa, praeter similia alia: qualitas cujusvis Amoris praedicatur ex fine, quem spectat et intendit. Hic Amor assimilari potest Chrystallo nigricanti, qui suffocat lucem, et non variegat illam in colores nisi pullos et evanidos. Et est sicut nimbus et nubes, quae auferunt radios solis. Est quoque sicut mustum vini infermentati, quod dulce sapit, sed ventrem infestat. Homo talis e Coelo spectatus apparet sicut homo gibbosus, incedens inclino capite spectans terram, et cum id elevat ad Coelum, retorquet musculos, et cito post in pronum suum relabitur. Hi ab Antiquis in Ecclesia dicti sunt Mammones, et a Graecis Plutones.