71# 对此，我补充三个记事。记事一：
有一次，我听到下面有像大海咆哮的声音；我问这是什么。有人告诉我说，这是那些聚集在低地的人之间爆发的骚乱，低地就在地狱之上。很快形成他们上面屋顶的地面就裂开了，看哪，成群的夜鸟从这个裂口飞出来，向左边散开；紧接着，蝗虫蜂拥而出，它们跳到草地上，所到之处都成了荒漠。过了一会儿，我听到那群夜鸟此起彼伏的尖叫声，一旁还传来仿佛林中幽灵发出的混乱哀嚎声。之后，我看到美丽的鸟儿从天上飞来，向右边散开。这些鸟的显著特征是它们上面点缀着银色条纹和斑点的金翅膀；其中一些鸟的头上长着皇冠状的羽冠。当我惊奇地注视着这一切时，突然，一个能化身为光明天使的灵人从发生骚乱的低地冒出来，大声喊道：“那个谈论并书写全能的神在人类身上使自己受限于秩序的人在哪里？我们在下面透过屋顶听到了这些话。”一跃上地面，他就沿着一条铺好的道路跑到我面前，立刻摆出一副天使的样子，以一种不属于他自己的做作的语气说话，说：“你就是那个思考并谈论秩序的人吗？请简要告诉我秩序是什么，以及关于它的一些事实。”
对此，我回答说：“关于秩序，我会给你一个概要，但不会给你细节，因为你无法理解这些细节。”接着我列出以下点：（1）神是秩序本身。（2）祂照着秩序，在秩序中并为了秩序而创造人，或说祂基于秩序，在秩序中创造人，并将人创造为秩序。（3）祂照着整个灵界的秩序创造人的理性心智，照着整个自然界的秩序创造他的身体；这就是为何古人称人为小天堂和小宇宙或小世界。（4）因此，这是一条秩序的律法：人必须从自己的小天堂或小灵界来掌管他的小宇宙或小世界，或小自然界，就像神从祂的大天堂或灵界来掌管大宇宙或大世界，或大自然界及其一切事物，无论总体还是细节一样。（5）随之而来的一条秩序律法是：人必须通过来自圣言的真理进入信仰，通过善行进入仁爱，从而改造和重生自己。（6）这是一条秩序的律法：人必须通过自己的努力和能力把自己从罪中洁净，而不是静止不动，相信自己的无能，期待神在一瞬间把他的罪洗净。（7）这也是一条秩序的律法：人必须用他的整个灵魂和整颗心来爱神，并爱邻如己，而不是等候和期待神会在一瞬间把这些爱放在他的心智和心里，就像面包从面包师那里可以直接放在他嘴里一样。这样的律法还有很多。”
听到这些话，这个撒但用含有诡诈的温和语气回答说：“你说的这是什么呀？难道人必须凭自己的能力通过遵守这些秩序的律法而进入秩序吗？难道你不知道人不在律法之下，而是在恩典之下吗？一切都白白赐给他了，他只能接受从天上赐给他的东西；在属灵问题上，人没有凭自己行动的任何能力，就像罗得妻子所化的盐柱，或非利士人在以革伦的偶像大衮一样。因此，对人来说，使自己称义是不可能的，因为这是通过信仰和仁爱来实现的。”对此，我只回答说：“这也是一条秩序的律法：人必须凭自己的努力和能力通过来自圣言的真理为自己获得信仰，然而又必须相信，真理一丁点也不来自他自己，只来自神。此外，人必须凭自己的努力和能力使自己称义，然而又必须相信称义一丁点也不来自他自己，只来自神。难道人不是被吩咐相信神，尽全力爱神，并爱邻如己吗？请想一想，然后告诉我，如果人没有服从并实行这些事的能力，神怎会吩咐它们呢？
当撒但听到这些话时，他脸色变了，起初明亮，后来变得蜡黄，很快就变黑了，从而用他漆黑的嘴说话，毫不掩饰地说：“你说了一个又一个的悖论。”于是他立刻朝自己的同伴们沉下去，消失不见了。左边的鸟和幽灵一起发出怪叫，跳进大海，这海在那里被称为红海。蝗虫们紧随其后；空气和地上都清除了这些野生生物；下面的骚乱也平息了，一切都变得宁静祥和。
71. 關於這些觀點, 補充三個親身經歷。
第一個經歷:
有一次我聽到下面有海浪的聲音。我詢問發生何事, 有人告訴我, 在地底下某個人群密集處發生騷亂。一會兒, 我們腳下之地開始越裂越開。然後, 令我驚訝的是, 看見一大片的夜鳥向上飛出那個裂口, 然後向左邊散開。一會兒, 又湧出大片的蝗蟲, 闖進草地, 把草地糟蹋成荒地。又過一會, 我聽到那群夜鳥此起彼伏的尖叫聲, 在它們遠處的另一邊傳出古怪的喧鬧聲, 仿佛樹中有許多鬼怪在叫。
接著, 我又看見許多美麗的鳥兒從天降下, 向右邊扇形散開。不一樣的景象, 特別是那些鳥兒有金色的翅膀, 點綴著銀色的線條和斑點。有些鳥兒的頭上有皇冠狀的羽冠。
正當我詫異這些現象時, 從地下騷亂正在發生的地方飛上來一個靈, 將自己扮得像個天人。他大聲喊叫:"是哪個說上帝的全能有局限, 還這樣寫出來？這些東西從屋頂傳下來時被我聽到。"
他一上到地面, 就沿著一條鋪砌的路朝我跑來, 一到我面前, 馬上假裝成個天人那樣, 改變自己的腔調, 對我說:"請問您就是那位正在思考和討論何謂聖規之人？請簡要地告訴我什麼是聖規, 再請說說跟聖規有關的幾件事吧。"
[2]"我只能給你個概要, 而非詳細說明, "我回答:"因為你無法明白。"
於是我說:"第一:上帝是聖規本身。第二:祂由聖規,在聖規中創造人類, 並將聖規建立在我們之中。第三:照著心靈世界中的聖規, 祂造了我們理性的心靈; 照著物質世界的聖規, 祂造了我們的身體。這就是為何古人稱一個人是微觀天國和微觀宇宙。第四:因此, 人這個微觀天國或縮小的心靈世界來管理著他的微觀宇宙或縮小的物質世界, 這是聖規的一條規則。第五:由此得出聖規的另一規則, 就是我們應當藉著聖言之理將自己帶進信的狀態,藉著善行將自己帶進義的狀態; 這就是我們如何自我改造與更新。第六:我們當利用自己的能力,行自己當做的事, 從罪惡中潔淨自己。不應當只是自認無能地站在那裡, 等候上帝奇跡般地塗抹這些罪惡, 這也是聖規的規則之一。第七:還有一個規則, 我們當以盡心盡力來愛主上帝,以及愛鄰舍如同自己。我們不要等著並期盼上帝瞬間將這樣的愛放進我們的心裡或思想裡, 就像從麵包師傅手裡拿個麵包放進嘴裡一樣。"
我還向他說了些相關類似的內容。
[3]聽完這些, 這撒旦心懷傲慢但表面柔和地說:"你說的是什麼呢？人能藉著遵守聖規的規則,靠自己的能力將自己帶入到聖規之中？難道你不知道, 我們不在律法之下, 乃在恩典之下嗎？一切恩賜是為了得自由, 除非是從天國來的,我們靠自己什麼也得不到。在屬靈的領域, 我們靠自己去行動的能力不比變成鹽柱的羅得之妻更強,或者不比非利士人在以革倫所拜的偶像大袞更強。讓自己稱義對我們來說是不可能的。稱義得以實現, 唯有通過信與義。"
對他所言, 我只是如此回答:"以下也是聖規一條規則:我們當靠自己的努力和能力,藉著聖言之理, 為自己獲得信。不過應當相信, 我們的信是從上帝而來,沒有一丁點來自於我們自己。同樣, 我們當靠自己的努力和能力, 以達到自己被稱義; 然而我們要相信我們的義來自於上帝,無絲毫來自於我們自己。我們不是被命令去相信上帝,全力去愛祂並愛鄰舍如同自己嗎？想一想再告訴我, 如果我們沒有能力去遵行這些誡命, 上帝怎麼會如此命令呢？"
[4]聽到這些, 這撒旦的臉色開始變化。從白變成通紅, 接著變成黑色。他張開那張黑色大口嚷著:"你說的都是似是而非, 自相矛盾！"
然後他朝著原來的地方直接沉入消失。左邊的夜鳥與發怪聲的幽靈們自行投進海裡——那裡被稱為"紅海"。蝗蟲們也跟著它們跳進去了。空中和陸地都乾淨了, 地下的騷亂也停止了, 一切回歸安靜平和。
71. To these points I will add three memorable occurrences.
The first memorable occurrence. Once I heard beneath me the sound of ocean waves. I asked what it was. Someone told me it was a riot that had broken out among the people gathered in the lower earth, a place just above hell. Soon the ground under our feet, which served as a roof over the people there, began to yawn wide. Then I was stunned to see huge flocks of night birds soaring out of the chasm. As they flew on they fanned out to the left. Immediately after them, locusts sprang up onto the grass and turned it all into a desert. A little later I began to hear night birds screeching back and forth to one another, and over to the side an incoherent wailing as if there were ghosts in the woods.
Afterward I saw beautiful birds from heaven fanning out to the right. The distinguishing features of those birds were their golden wings, which were irregularly streaked and spotted with something like silver. On the heads of some were crown-shaped crests.
As I was watching all this with amazement, suddenly a spirit flew up from the lower earth where the riot was going on. He possessed the power to change his form into that of an angel of light. He was shouting, "Where is the person who is talking and writing about the design God Almighty restricted himself to in relation to humankind? Down below we heard these things through the roof. "
When he reached the ground he hurried along a paved road. As at last he drew near me, he suddenly disguised himself as an angel of heaven.
Addressing me in a tone that was not his own he said, "Are you the one who is thinking and talking about the divine design? Tell me briefly what the divine design is, and say a few things about it. "
[2] "I'll give you a summary," I answered, "but I won't go into details, because you wouldn't understand. "
Then I said, "One: God is the divine design itself. Two: He created humankind on the basis of his design and in keeping with it, and built that design into us. Three: He created our rational minds in imitation of the divine design in the whole spiritual world, and our bodies in imitation of the divine design in the whole physical world. This is why the ancients called a person both a heaven in miniature and a world in miniature. Four: As a result, it is a law of the divine design that we are to rule our microcosm or physical-world-in-miniature from our microheaven or spiritual-world-in-miniature, just as God rules everything about the macrocosm or physical world from his macroheaven or spiritual world. Five: A law of the divine design following from this is that we are to bring ourselves into a state of faith by means of truths from the Word and bring ourselves into a state of goodwill by means of good actions; and this is how we reform and regenerate ourselves. Six: It is a law of the divine design that we are to use our own power and do our own work to purify ourselves from sins; we do not stand in impotent faith and wait for God miraculously to wipe them away. Seven: It is also a law of the divine design that we are to love God with all our soul and with all our heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are not to hang around and wait for God miraculously to put each love into our minds and hearts like putting bread from the baker in our mouths.
I said other things like that as well.
[3] To this the satan replied in a soothing voice that had pride behind it, "What are you saying? That on the basis of our own power we need to bring ourselves into the divine design by practicing its rules? Don't you know that we are not under the law but under grace? All things are given for free. We cannot take anything for ourselves unless it is given to us from heaven. In the spiritual arena we have no more ability to act on our own than Lots wife, the statue; or Dagon, the idol of the Philistines in Ekron. It is impossible for us to grant ourselves justification; justification can be achieved only through faith and goodwill. "
To the things he said I made only this one reply: "It is also a law of the divine design that by our own work and power we are to gain faith for ourselves by means of truths from the Word, yet we are to believe that our faith comes from God and not a grain of it from ourselves. Likewise, by our own work and power we are to become justified, yet we are to believe that our justification comes from God and not even a jot of it from ourselves. We have been commanded to believe in God, to love God with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Think about it and tell me how God could command these things if we had no ability to obey and do them?"
[4] At that the satans face changed. It went from white to a sickly yellow; then it soon turned completely black, and with a pitch-black mouth he said, "You're speaking paradoxes against our paradoxes!"
Then he immediately sank down toward his own people and disappeared. The birds on the left and the ghosts made strange sounds and then threw themselves into the sea that people there call the Reed Sea. The locusts hopped along after them. The air and the land were cleansed of those wild things, and the riot below came to a stop. All became calm and serene.
71. At this point I shall insert accounts of three experiences, of which this is the first.
Once I heard beneath me a roaring as of the sea, and asked what it was. Someone told me that it was a disturbance among the spirits gathered on the lower earth, which lies closest above hell. In a little while the ground which formed a roof over them split open, and through the gap birds of the night came pouring forth in hordes and spreading out to the left. They were immediately followed by a wave of locusts, which leapt upon the grass covering the ground, and turned it all into a desert. A little later I began to hear by turns a kind of wailing coming from those birds of the night, and to the side an inarticulate cry as if from ghosts in the woods. Later still I saw beautiful birds coming from heaven and spreading out towards the right. These birds were marked with what looked like wings of gold broken up by stripes and spots of silver; some had on their heads crown-shaped crests.
While I was gazing in wonder at all this, there suddenly emerged from the lower earth, where the disturbance was, a spirit who could take upon himself the appearance of an angel of light. 'Where is the man,' he shouted, 'who talks and writes about an order, to which almighty God has restricted Himself in His dealings with man? News of this has penetrated the roof and reached us down below.'
When he came to the ground level, he hurried along a paved road; and eventually he came up to me and at once pretended to be an angel from heaven. Then, speaking in an assumed tone of voice, 'Are you,' he said, 'the man who thinks and speaks about order? Give me a brief account of order and some examples of it.'
[2] 'I will give you,' I replied, 'a summary, but not the details, because these would be beyond your grasp.' I told him: (i) God is Order itself. (ii) He created man from order according to order and to be subject to order. (iii) He created his rational mind in accordance with the order of the whole spiritual world and his body in accordance with the order of the whole natural world, which is why the ancients called man a micro-heaven and a microcosm. (iv) It is therefore a law of order that man from his micro-heaven or little spiritual world should control his microcosm or little natural world, just as God from His macro-heaven or spiritual world controls the macrocosm or natural world in all its parts. (v) A consequential law of order is therefore that a person ought to enter into faith by means of truths from the Word, and into charity by means of good deeds, and so reform and regenerate himself. (vi) It is a law of order that a person should by his own efforts and ability cleanse himself from sins, and not stand idly confident of his inability to act, waiting for God to wipe away his sins in an instant. (vii) It is also a law of order that a person should love God with all his soul and all his heart, and his neighbour as himself, and not hang back waiting for God instantaneously to place either love in his mind and heart, like bread from the baker's in the mouth. I told him much more besides.
[3] When he heard this, the Satan replied in a polite tone which concealed his deceit: 'What is this you say? That a person by his own ability should enter into order by obeying its laws? Don't you know that man is not subject to the law, but to grace; and that everything is given freely and a person can take nothing for himself unless it is given him from heaven? Don't you know that in spiritual matters he can no more act of himself than Lot's wife when she was turned into a pillar, or Dagon, the idol worshipped by the Philistines in Ekron? So it is impossible for a person to justify himself, since this must be accomplished by means of faith and charity.'
To this I made only this reply: 'It is a law of order too that a person should by his efforts and ability acquire for himself faith by means of truths from the Word, while believing that not a grain of faith comes from himself, but from God; and that a person should by his efforts and ability aim to justify himself, but he is to believe that not a jot of justification comes from himself, but from God. Is it not commanded that a man should believe in God, and love God with all his strength, and his neighbour as himself? Reflect and tell me how God could have given these commandments, if man had not the ability to obey and perform them.'
[4] On hearing this the Satan's face underwent a change; from being white it first turned a lurid colour, and then pitch black. He spoke with his black mouth and said: 'All you have said is paradoxes to counter paradoxes.' Then at once he sank down to his own kind and vanished. The birds on the left together with the ghosts made an unusual noise, and threw themselves into the sea, which is there called the Sea of Suph 1 , and the locusts came hopping after them. Both air and land were thus cleared of those animals, the disturbance down below ceased, and all became peaceful and calm.
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew name for the Red Sea.
71. To this shall be added three Memorable Relations. First:
I once heard beneath me something like the roaring of the sea; and I asked what it was; and one said to me that it was a tumult among those assembled in the lower earth, which is just above hell. And presently the ground that formed a roof over them opened, and behold, birds of night flew forth through the opening in flocks, and spread themselves towards the left; and immediately after them there swarmed forth locusts, which leaped upon the grass and made a desert everywhere; and a little after I heard from those nocturnal birds a succession of screeches, and on one side a confused clamor, as if from specters in the woods. After this I saw beautiful birds from heaven, which spread themselves towards the right. These birds were distinguished by gold-like wings with silvery streaks and specks interspersed; and on the heads of some of them there were crests in the form of crowns.
When I saw and wondered at these things there rose up suddenly from the lower earth, where the tumult was, a spirit who could take the form of an angel of light; and he cried out, "Where is he who talks and writes about the order to which the Omnipotent has bound Himself respecting man? This we have been hearing below through the roof."
Once above ground he ran along a paved way and came to me, and instantly feigned himself an angel of heaven, and speaking in a tone not his own, said, "Are you the one who thinks and talks about order? Tell me briefly what order is, and some of the things pertaining to it."
[2] I replied, "I will give you the summaries of order, but not its particulars, because you would not understand them." And I said, "(1) God is order itself. (2) He created man from order, in order, and into order. (3) He created man's rational mind in accordance with the order of the whole spiritual world, and his body in accordance with the order of the whole natural world; and this is why man was called by the ancients a little heaven and a little cosmos. (4) Therefore it is a law of order that man from his little heaven or his little spiritual world should govern his little cosmos or little natural world, just as God from His great heaven or spiritual world governs the great cosmos or natural world in each thing and all things of it. (5) It is a resulting law of order that it is needful for man to lead himself into faith by means of truths from the Word, and into charity by means of good works, and so reform and regenerate himself. (6) It is a law of order that man by his own exertion and power should purify himself from sins, and not stand still, believing in his own impotency, and expecting God to wash his sins away in a moment. (7) It is also a law of order that man should love God with his whole soul and with his whole heart, and his neighbor as himself, and should not wait and expect that God will in an instant put these loves into his mind and heart, as bread from a baker may be put into his mouth." These with other like things.
[3] Having heard this, that satan with a soft voice within which there was craft, resumed, "What is that you say? That man must by his own power lead himself into order by keeping these laws of order? Do you not know that man is not under the law, but under grace; that all things are given him freely, and that he can receive only what is given him from heaven; and that in spiritual matters man has no more power to act from himself than the statue of Lot's wife, or than Dagon, the idol of the Philistines in Ekron; and that it is therefore impossible for man to justify himself; but this must be done by faith and charity?"
To this I merely replied, "It is also a law of order that man by his own exertion and power ought to acquire faith by means of truths from the Word, and yet believe that not a grain of truth is from himself, but from God only; moreover, that man by his own exertion and power ought to justify himself, and yet believe that not a single point of justification is from himself, but from God only. Is not man commanded to believe in God, and to love God with all his strength, and his neighbor as himself? Consider and say how this could have been commanded by God if man possessed no power to obey and do it."
[4] When the satan had heard this his countenance, from being bright at first, turned ghastly, and then black, and thus speaking from his own mouth he said, "You have uttered paradoxes on paradoxes;" and then instantly he sank down to his companions and was no more seen. The birds on the left, together with the specters, uttered strange cries and threw themselves into the sea, which is there called Suph; and the locusts leaped in after them; the air was cleansed, and the earth was cleansed of those wild creatures; the tumult below ceased, and all, became tranquil and serene.
71. MEMORABILIA.
To the above will now be added three Memorabilia. The first is as follows:
I once heard beneath me a sound like the roaring of the sea; and when I asked what it was, one informed me that it was a disturbance among spirits gathered in the lower earth which is just over hell. Presently the ground that formed a roof over them opened up, and there flew through the opening birds of night in flocks, spreading towards the left. Immediately after them rose swarms of locusts, lighting on the herbage of the earth and turning it everywhere into a desert. In a little while, coming in quick succession from the birds of night, I heard screamings, and on one side a confused clamor as if from spectres in the woods. Then I saw beautiful birds from heaven spreading towards the right, brilliant with wings like gold, streaked and spotted with silver, while on the heads of some were crests in the form of crowns. While I gazed at these things with wonder suddenly from the lower earth, where the disturbance was, a spirit arose who was able to assume the form of an angel of light, calling out: "Where is he who speaks and writes about the order to which the omnipotent God has bound Himself in relation to man? We have heard his views through the covering that is over us." Being now above that earth he hurried along a paved way, and approaching me, he instantly put on the appearance of an angel of heaven, and in an assumed voice said: "Are you the man who thinks and speaks about order? Tell me briefly what order is, and some facts concerning it."
[2] To this I replied: "I will tell you the general principles, but not particulars, because you cannot understand them," and I proceeded to enumerate them as follows:
(1) God is order itself.
(2) He created man from order, in order, and for order.
(3) He created man's rational mind according to the order of the whole spiritual world, and his body according to the order of the whole natural world. On this account man was called by the Ancients a heaven in little, and a world in little.
(4) Therefore it is a law of order that a man from his own little heaven or little spiritual world should govern his own microcosm or little natural world, just as God from His great heaven or spiritual world governs the macrocosm or natural world in all things in general and in particular.
(5) It is a consequent law of order that a man ought to enter into faith by truths from the Word, and into charity by good works, and so reform and regenerate himself.
(6) It is a law of order that a man should purify himself from sins by his labor and power, and not stand still, believing in his own impotence, and expecting God forthwith to wash away his sins.
(7) It is a further law of order that a man should love God with all his soul and with all his heart, and his neighbor as himself, and not wait in the expectation that these loves will be put into his mind and heart in an instant by God, just as bread from the baker's is put into his mouth. And there are many more laws like these."
[3] When the satan heard these things he replied in a bland voice infused with cunning: "What is this that you say? That a man by his own power must enter into order by the practice of its laws? Do you not know that a man is not under the law but under grace, that all things are given him of free grace, that he cannot acquire anything for himself unless it be given him from heaven, and that in spiritual matters of himself he has no more power of action than the pillar which was Lot's wife, or Dagon the idol of the Philistines in Ekron? Consequently that it is impossible for a man to justify himself, for this is accomplished by faith and charity?" To this I merely replied: "It is also a law of order that a man must, by his own labor and power, procure for himself faith by truths from the Word, and yet he must believe that not a particle of faith is from himself but from God. Also that a man must justify himself by his own labor and power, but in the belief that not even a jot of justification is from himself but from God. Has it not been commanded that a man must believe on God and love Him with all his strength, and his neighbor as himself? Think, therefore, and say how these things could have been commanded by God, if a man had not the power to obey and to do them?"
[4] When the satan heard this his appearance changed, and his countenance, which was bright at first, became sallow and quickly darkened, and speaking in undisguised tones he said, "You utter paradox upon paradox." Thereupon sinking down towards his own companions he disappeared. The birds on the left together with the spectres uttering their strange cries plunged into the sea which is there called Suph. The locusts in their flight followed them, and both air and land were cleared of these dire creatures, the disturbance below ceased and all became tranquil and serene.
71. His adjicientur tria MEMORABILIA, PRIMUM hoc: Quondam audivi sub me sicut strepitum maris, et quaesivi quid hoc, et dixit mihi quidam, quod esset tumultus inter Congregatos in Terra inferiore, quae proxime est super Inferno; et mox hiabat humus, quae faciebat tectum super illos, et ecce per hiatum evolabant in catervis aves noctis, quae se diffundebant ad sinistrum; et statim post illos exsurgebant locustae, quae super gramine humi saliebant, et ubivis fecerunt desertum, et post paulo alternis vicibus ex nocturnis illis avibus audiebam sicut ululatus, et ad latus, clamorem inconditum sicut ex spectris in sylvis. Post haec vidi aves pulchras e Coelo, quae se effundebant ad dextrum; aves illae insignitae fuerunt alis sicut aureis, cum interspersis striis et guttis sicut argenteis, et super quarundam capitibus erant cristae in forma coronarum. Haec cum vidi et miratus, subito ex Terra inferiore, ubi tumultus ille erat, se extulit spiritus, qui se in Angelum lucis efformare potuit, et clamabat, ubi ille, qui de Ordine, cui Deus Omnipotens se quoad hominem adstrinxit, loquitur et scribit; haec trans tectum infra audivimus; ille dum supra Terram illam erat, percurrit viam stratam, et tandem ad me venit, et statim finxit se Angelum Coeli, et loquens tono non proprio dixit; es tu, qui de Ordine cogitas et loqueris; dic mihi in summa quid ordo, et aliqua quae ordinis sunt;
[2] Et respondi, dicam tibi summaria, sed non particularia, quia haec non capis, et dixi. I. Quod Deus sit Ipse ordo. II. Quod Hominem ex Ordine, in Ordine et in Ordinem creaverit. III. Quod Mentem ejus rationalem creaverit secundum Ordinem totius Mundi spiritualis, et Corpus ejus secundum Ordinem totius Mundi naturalis, quapropter Homo ab Antiquis vocatus est MicroUranos et Microcosmus. IV. Quod inde Lex ordinis sit, ut homo ex suo MicroUrano seu Mundulo spirituali recturus sit suum Microcosmum seu Mundulum naturalem; sicut Deus ex suo MacroUrano seu Mundo spirituali regit Macrocosmum seu Mundum naturalem in omnibus et singulis ejus. V. Quod Lex ordinis inde sequens sit, quod oporteat hominem se introducere in fidem per veritates ex Verbo, et in charitatem per bona opera, et sic se reformare et regenerare. VI. Quod Lex ordinis sit, quod homo suamet opera et potentia se a peccatis purificet, ac non stet in fide impotentiae, et exspectet, ut Deus immediate ejus peccata abstergat. VII. Lex Ordinis etiam est, ut Homo Deum ex tota sua anima et ex toto suo corde amet, et proximum ut seipsum, et non moretur et exspectet, ut uterque ille amor in mentem et cor ejus, sicut panis e pistore in os, a Deo immediate inferatur; praeter similia plura.
[3] His auditis Satanas ille blanda voce, in qua intus erat astus, regessit, quid hoc quod dicis, quod homo se ex sua potentia introducturus sit in ordinem per facere illas ejus leges; numne scis quod homo non sub lege sit, sed sub gratia, quod omnia gratis donentur, et quod non possit sibi quicquam sumere nisi ei datum sit e Coelo, et quod in spiritualibus non possit ex se 1 plus agere quam statua uxor Lothi, aut non plus quam idolum Philisthaeorum in Ekrone, Dagon, et inde quod homini impossibile sit se justificare, quod fiet per Fidem et Charitatem; sed ad haec solum hoc respondi, Lex ordinis etiam est, ut homo sua opera et potentia sibi comparaturus sit fidem per veritates ex Verbo, et tamen credat, quod non granum fidei sit a semet, sed a Deo, tum etiam, quod homo sua opera et potentia se justificaturus sit, sed tamen credet, quod ne quidem punctum justificationis sit a semet, sed a Deo: nonne mandatum est, quod homo crediturus sit in Deum, et amaturus Deum omnibus suis viribus, et proximum ut seipsum; cogita et dic, quomodo haec potuerunt a Deo mandari, si homini nulla potentia obediendi et faciendi foret.
[4] His auditis Satanas 2 ille mutatus est quoad faciem, quae a candida primum facta est lurida, et mox atra, et ex hujus ore loquutus dixit, loquutus es paradoxa contra paradoxa; et illico tunc subsidit ad suos, et evanuit; ac aves a sinistris una cum spectris ediderunt sonos insolitos, et se in mare, quod ibi vocatur mare Suph, conjecerunt, et locustae sequebantur illos saltibus, et mundatus est aer, et mundata est terra a feris illis, ac tumultus infra cessavit, et factum est tranquillum et serenum.
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