第八节 灵性世界中的非洲人
835# 那些对主毫无认识的外邦民族，在灵性世界中显现于认识主者的外围；而且，只有那些完全拜偶像、并在此前的自然世界中崇拜太阳和月亮的人，才构成最外层的周边。至于那些承认一位上帝，并把诸如十诫中的诫命作为宗教、因而作为生活准则的人，则较直接地与中心地带的基督徒交流；因为这样的交流不会被穆罕默德信徒和教宗派阻隔。各外邦民族也按照其性情，以及他们通过诸天堂从主接受光的能力而彼此区分；因为他们当中有较内在的，也有较外在的。他们之所以或较内在、或较外在，部分由于气候，部分由于族裔来源，部分由于教育，也部分由于宗教。在这些外邦民族中，非洲人比其他民族更具内在性。
835# 在灵界，对主一无所知的外邦人出现在那些知道祂的人周围，然而是这样来安排的：最外层的社群或边界是由那些完全放弃偶像崇拜，在以前的世界拜太阳和月亮的人组成的。但那些承认一位神，将像十诫那样的戒律视为他们宗教和生活的戒律的人，会更直接地与中心的基督徒沟通；因为在这种情况下，他们的交流不会被伊斯兰教徒和天主教徒拦截。外邦人也照着他们的天赋和通过天堂从主那里接受光的能力来区分；因为在他们当中，有些人是内在的，有些人是外在的，这些区别部分来自气候，部分来自他们所属的种族，部分来自教育，部分来自宗教。非洲人比其他人更内在。
835. Africans, and Non-Christians in General, in the Spiritual World
In the spiritual world, the peoples who did not know anything about the Lord appear farther from the center than those who did know something about him. The people on the farthest outskirts are those who were utterly devoted to idolatry or worshiped the sun and the moon while they were in this world. The members of those populations who acknowledge one God, however, and follow principles such as those embodied in the Ten Commandments in their religious practices and lives have direct communication with the Christians who are at the center; that communication is not intercepted by the Muslims or the Catholics.
Those populations are also subdivided according to their disposition and their capacity for receiving light through the heavens from the Lord. Some among them are relatively shallow in nature and some are deep. How deep or shallow they are is attributable partly to climate, partly to their inherited nature, partly to their upbringing, and partly to the particular religion they practice. The Africans are by nature deeper than the rest.
835. The Africans in the spiritual world; also something about other nations.
The other nations who know nothing about the Lord are to be seen in the spiritual world further out than those who do. In fact the people who occupy the outermost fringes are those who were utter idolaters and in the previous world worshipped the sun and moon. Those, however, who acknowledge one God and are scrupulous in observing the kind of precepts that are in the Ten Commandments, and so in living in accordance with them, have closer contact with the Christians in the centre; for by this means contact is not interrupted by the Mohammedans and Roman Catholics. Nations are also kept apart in accordance with their characters and their ability to receive light from the Lord through the heavens. Some of them live further in, some further out; this is due partly to their climate, partly to the stock they belong to, partly to their education and partly to their religion. The Africans are further in than the rest.
835. THE AFRICANS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD; ALSO SOMETHING IN REGARD TO THE GENTILES.
The Gentiles who have known nothing about the Lord are seen in the spiritual world round about those who have known Him; yet so arranged that the outmost border is formed exclusively of those who are thorough idolaters, and who in the former world worshiped the sun and moon. But those who acknowledge one God, and who accept such precepts as the Decalogue contains as the precepts of the religion and consequently of their life, communicate more directly with the Christians at the center; for in this case the communication is not intercepted by the Mohammedans and Papists. The Gentiles are also distinguished according to their genius and their capacity to receive light through the heavens from the Lord; for there are among them some who are interior and some who are exterior, which difference comes partly from climate, partly from the stock from which they have sprung, partly from education, and partly from religion. The Africans are more interior than the others.
835. IX. THE AFRICANS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD; WITH A NOTE CONCERNING GENTILES.
In the spiritual world Gentiles who know nothing of the Lord appear beyond those who have some knowledge of Him. Thus the outermost societies are composed of those who are completely given up to idolatry, and who in the former world had worshiped the sun and moon. But those who acknowledge one God, and who make such precepts as the commandments of the Decalogue the precepts of their religion and life, communicate more directly with the Christians in the centre; for in this way their communication is not intercepted by the Mohammedans and Roman Catholics. Gentiles are also distinguished according to their genius and their capacity to receive light through the heavens from the Lord; for there are among them some of an interior and some of an exterior character, which they acquire partly from climate, partly from the race to which they belong, partly from education, and partly from religion. The Africans are more interior than the rest.
835. DE AFRICANIS IN MUNDO SPIRITUALI; ET QUOQUE ALIQUID DE GENTIBUS.
Gentes, quae non aliquid norunt de Domino, in Mundo spirituali apparent extra illos, qui norunt; usque ita, ut ultimas peripherias faciant non alii, quam qui prorsus Idololatrae sunt, ac Solem et Lunam in Mundo priori adoraverunt. Illi autem, qui Unum Deum agnoscunt, ac Praecepta, qualia sunt in Decalogo, religionis et inde vitae faciunt, immediatius communicant cum Christianis in Meditullio; nam communicatio sic non intercipitur a Mahumedanis et Pontificiis. Gentes etiam distinctae sunt secundum genios et facultates recipiendi lucem per Coelos a Domino: sunt enim ex illis Interiores et Exteriores, quod trahunt partim ex Climate, partim ex Stirpe e qua, partim ex Educatione, et partim ex Religione. Africani reliquis sunt Interiores.