十六、没有圣言的各族
16# 教会之外的各族和各民，他们没有圣言，因此不知道关于主和救赎的任何事。拥有圣言的人，相对于没有圣言的人来说，为数甚少。圣言只存在于欧洲，在那些被称为改革派的基督徒中间。天主教徒虽然也有圣言，但并不诵读。信奉天主教的国家有法国、西班牙、葡萄牙、意大利、德国的大半部分、匈牙利的大半部分，以及波兰。俄国人虽然相信圣言是神圣的，但也很少诵读。圣言被教导和宣讲的地方，仅在英格兰、荷兰、德国的某些公国、瑞典和丹麦。而在亚洲、非洲和印度群岛的各族中，圣言不为人知，他们的人数远多于改革派基督徒。
但为防止圣言失传，主早有安排，使拥有旧约圣言原文的犹太民族得以存留，散居在世界各地。这民族虽然否认主就是先知所预言的弥赛亚或基督，虽然内心邪恶，但他们诵读圣言仍能与天交流——因为对应产生交流，不管读经的人品性如何，只要他承认圣言是神圣的。如今如此，过去也是如此。当他们敬拜摩西、亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、大卫、以利亚以及圣言中提到的其他人如同神明时，天上所领悟的乃是主，并不知道那敬拜的神圣性源自世上某个特定的人。这便是天与人藉着圣言的连接。
16. 关于教会以外没有圣经、因而不认识主和救赎的民族与人民。
相对于没有圣经的人来说，拥有圣经的人是少数。圣经仅存于欧洲，在那些被称为归正信仰的基督徒手中。罗马天主教徒的确拥有圣经，但并不读经，信奉这个宗教的国家有法国、西班牙、葡萄牙、意大利、一半以上的德国人和匈牙利人，还有波兰。尽管俄国人仍相信圣经是神圣的，但读的人很少。在英格兰、荷兰以及德国的某些诸侯国、瑞典、丹麦，圣经被教导和宣讲 （并藉着圣经与天堂联系）。而在其他地方—亚洲、非洲、印度群岛等—圣经不为人知，但人数要比归正教会的信徒多很多。
为了避免圣经流失，主定规犹太人将散落世界各地，并持续生存，旧约圣经以原文形式在他们当中得以保存。尽管他们否认主就是先知书预言的弥赛亚或基督，尽管他们内心邪恶，然而，他们对圣经的诵读能与某些天堂产生交流—不论读经之人品性如何，只要他们认可圣经的神性，这种交流就会因对应而开通。这从古至今都是如此。当犹太人崇敬摩西、亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、大卫、以利亚以及圣经中提到的其它人并视其为圣时，天堂所领会到的不是这些人—而是主，因为天堂之人并不知道圣经中与神圣敬拜关联的这些人。天堂与人藉着圣经就是这样建立联系的。
16. Of Nations and Peoples Outside the Church, Who Do Not Have the Word and Who Therefore Know Nothing of the Lord and Redemption
People who have the Word are few in comparison to those who do not have it. The Word exists only in Europe, among Christians who are called Protestants. Roman Catholics, indeed, have the Word, but do not read it, and there are kingdoms devoted to that faith, such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, more than half of Germany, more than half of Hungary, and Poland. The Word is also little read in Russia, although the people still believe it to be holy. Communication [with heaven] by means of the Word exists only in England, Holland, in certain principalities in Germany, and in Sweden and Denmark, where the Word is taught and preached. Elsewhere, among the nations in Asia, Africa and the Indies, the Word is unknown, and the inhabitants of those regions are more numerous than Protestant Christians
To keep the Word from being lost, however, the Lord provided for the continued survival of the Jewish people, and for their living scattered over much of the earth, among whom the Word of the Old Testament remains in its original language. Although as a people they deny that the Lord is the Messiah or Christ foretold by the prophets, and although they are an evil-hearted people, nevertheless their reading of the Word has communication with certain heavens, for the correspondent forms communicate, whatever the character of the person doing the reading, provided he acknowledges the Word as Divine. It is the same today as in the past. For when Jews venerate Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, Elijah, and others named in the Word, regarding them as divinities, then instead of these the heavens perceive the Lord, unconscious of the person in the world from whom that worshipful reverence is coming. Such is the nature of the conjunction of heaven with mankind by means of the Word.
16. XVI. The races and peoples outside the church who have no Word and thus know nothing about the Lord and redemption.
The numbers of those who have the Word are small compared with those who do not have it. The Word exists only in Europe among what are called the Reformed Christians; among the Roman Catholics the Word certainly exists, but it is not read, and there are kingdoms devoted to this religion such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, more than half of Germany and also of Hungary, as well as Poland. The Word is also little read in Russia, but it is still believed to be holy. Only 1in England, Holland, certain duchies in Germany, and in Sweden and Denmark is the Word taught and preached. But the peoples of Asia, Africa and the Indies are ignorant of the Word, numerous as they are compared with the Reformed Christians.
However, the Lord saw to it that to prevent the Word being lost, the Jewish race, which possesses the Word of the Old Testament in its original language, should survive, and live scattered throughout much of the world. Although they deny the Lord to be the Messiah or Christ who was foretold by the Prophets, and although they are wicked at heart, still their reading of the Word creates communication with certain heavens. For correspondences open up communication, whatever sort of person the reader may be, so long as he acknowledges it as Divine. This continues today as in the past. For when they reverence as if minor deities Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, Elijah and many others who are named in the Word, then the heavens perceive instead the Lord, being unaware of the person in the world who is the origin of that holy element in their worship. That is how heaven is linked with people by means of the Word.
Footnotes:
1. At this point the manuscript adds in the margin That communication is by means of the Word', but it is not clear where this should be inserted or if it is correctly so read. -Translator
16. XVI. THE GENTILES, AND PEOPLES OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH, WHO HAVE NOT THE WORD, AND THEREFORE KNOW NOTHING OF THE LORD AND OF REDEMPTION.
They who have the Word are few as compared with those who have not the Word. The Word is found only in Europe with the Christians who are called the Reformed. The Word is indeed with the Roman Catholics, but it is not read, and the kingdoms devoted to that religion, as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, more than half of Germany, and also of Hungary, as well as Poland, do not read it. The Word is also but little read in Russia, but yet it is believed to be holy.
Communication through the Word. Only in England, Holland, certain duchies in Germany, and in Sweden and Denmark is the Word taught and preached; but in Asia, Africa, and the Indies, with the Gentiles, who are more numerous than the Reformed Christians, the Word is unknown. But that the Word might not be lost, it has been provided by the Lord that the Jewish nation, with whom is the Word of the Old Testament in its original tongue, should still survive and dwell dispersed through much of the earth.
Though this nation denies that the Lord is the Messiah or Christ, foretold by the prophets, and though it is evil in heart, yet the reading of the Word by them has communication with certain heavens; for correspondences communicate, whatever the quality of the person who reads, if only he acknowledges the Word to be Divine. This is the case today, as formerly; for when Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David, Elias, and many others named in the Word, are adored by them as deities, then the heavens perceive the Lord, instead of these persons, not knowing the person in the world from whom that holy of worship proceeds. Such is the conjunction of heaven with man by means of the Word.
16. De Gentibus et populis extra Ecclesiam, apud quos non [est] Verbum et [qui] inde non sciunt aliquid de Domino ac de Redemptione
Sunt pauci apud quos est Verbum respective ad illos, apud quos non est Verbum; Verbum modo est in Europa, apud Christianos qui vocantur Reformati; apud Catholico-Romanos, est quidem Verbum, sed non legitur, et [sunt] Regna illi religioni addicta, ut Gallia, Hispania, Portugallia, Italia, plus quam dimidium Germaniae, et quoque Hungariae, tum Polonia; Verbum etiam parum legitur in Russia sed usque creditur esse sanctum; communicatio per Verbum solum in Anglia, Hollandia, in quibusdam ducatibus in Germania, inque Suecia et Dania est [ubi] docetur et praedicatur Verbum: at in Asia, Africa et Indiis apud Gentes ignoratur Verbum, qui numerosi sunt prae Christianis Reformatis. Sed ne Verbum deperderetur, provisum est a Domino, ut Judaica Gens, apud quam est Verbum Veteris Testamenti in sua Lingua originali, adhuc superstes esset, ac dispersa per multum telluris habitaret, quae Gens tametsi negat Dominum esse Messiam seu Christum, a Prophetis praedictum, et tametsi mali cordis est, usque lectio Verbi ab illis communicationem habet cum quibusdam coelis, nam correspondentiae communicant, qualiscunque persona sit quae legit, modo id pro Divino agnoscit: ita hodie sicut olim: nam cum illi adorant Mosen, Abrahamum, Isacum et Jacobum, Davidem, Eliam, et plures in Verbo nominatos, sicut numina, tunc Coeli pro illis percipiunt Dominum, nescientes personam in mundo, e qua illud sanctum cultus procedit: talis est conjunctio Coeli cum homine per Verbum.