337、由于本章论述的主题是上古教会的堕落，或其教义的歪曲，以及随之而来的以该隐及其后代的名字来描述的异端邪说和教派，所以必须认识到，没有人能明白教义是如何被歪曲的，也就是说，明白该教会的异端邪说和教派是何性质，除非他正确认识到真正的教会是何性质。从真教会的性质能知道这些异端邪说和教派的性质。前面已经广泛论述了上古教会，并说明，该教会是属天人，只承认源于对主和对邻之爱的信。他们通过这爱从主获得信，也就是获得对属于信的一切事物的感知。因此，他们甚至不愿提及信，唯恐把它与爱分离，如前所示（200-203节）。
这就是属天人的性质，这种性质通过诗篇中的代表来描述，在那里，主被称作“王”，属天人被称作“王的儿子”：
求你将你的公平赐给王，将你的公义赐给王的儿子。大山小山必因公义为百姓带来平安。太阳还存，代代要在月亮面前畏惧你。在他们的日子，义人要发旺，大有平安，直到月亮不在。（诗篇72:1，3，5，7）
“太阳”表示爱；“月亮”表示信；“大山”和“小山”表示上古教会；“代代”表示大洪水之后的诸教会；经上之所以说“直到月亮不在”，是因为那时，信必成为爱。也可参看以赛亚书（30:26）。
这就是上古教会的性质，这就是它的教义的性质。而如今的情形却大不相同，因为现在信优先于仁。但主依然通过信植入仁，这时仁就成了首要事物。由此可知，在上古时代，当人们表白信，从而将它与爱分离时，教义就被歪曲了。那时，凡以这种方式歪曲教义，或将信与爱分离，或唯独表白信的人，都被称为“该隐”；这种事在上古之人看来，是极其可耻的。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]337. Inner Meaning
THE subject here is the deterioration of the earliest church, or the falsification of religious teachings. Heresies and sects are described under the names of Cain and his descendants. In connection with this, we need to understand that we can have no idea how the religion was falsified or what that church's heresies and sects were like unless we are thoroughly acquainted with the nature of the true church. With such acquaintance we can recognize how things stood.
The earliest church has already been discussed quite amply. I showed that it was in the form of a heavenly person [162:1, 200] and that its adherents did not acknowledge any other faith than one of love for the Lord and for other people [32:2, 202, 281]. Through that love they received faith from the Lord, or in other words, a perception of all that belongs to faith [104, 125]. They did not even want to use the word faith for fear it would be separated from love, as shown earlier (200-203).
[2] That is what a person of heavenly character is like, and David, in speaking of the Lord as monarch and of a heavenly person as royal offspring, uses the following images to represent that nature:
Give your judgments to the monarch, and your justice to the royal offspring. The mountains will bring peace to the people, as will the hills, in justice. Generation after generation will fear you in the lasting of the sun and before the face of the moon. In their days the upright individual will flourish, as will great peace, until there is no moon. (Psalms 72:1, 3, 5, 7)
The sun symbolizes love and the moon faith. The mountains and hills symbolize the earliest church. Generation after generation symbolizes the religions that came after the Flood. It says until there is no moon because faith will be love. See also what is said in Isaiah 30:26.
[3] This shows the nature of the earliest church and of its religious thought. Modern times, in which faith comes first, are completely different; but through faith the Lord endows us with charity, and then charity takes highest importance. It follows that religious teachings were falsified in earliest times when people declared their faith and in the process separated faith from love. Those who falsified the religion in this way, dividing faith from love (that is, championing faith alone), were at that time called Cain. To do as they did was scandalous to the earliest people.
Potts(1905-1910) 337
337. THE INTERNAL SENSE As this chapter treats of the degeneration of the Most Ancient Church, or the falsification of its doctrine, and consequently of its heresies and sects, under the names of Cain and his descendants, it is to be observed that there is no possibility of understanding how doctrine was falsified, or what was the nature of the heresies and sects of that church, unless the nature of the true church be rightly understood. Enough has been said above concerning the Most Ancient Church, showing that it was a celestial man, and that it acknowledged no other faith than that which was of love to the Lord and toward the neighbor. Through this love they had faith from the Lord, or a perception of all the things that belonged to faith, and for this reason they were unwilling to mention faith, lest it should be separated from love, as was shown above (n. 200, 203). [2] Such is the celestial man, and such he is described by representatives in David, where the Lord is spoken of as the king, and the celestial man as the king's son:
Give the king Thy judgments, and Thy righteousness to the king's son. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills in righteousness. They shall fear Thee with the sun, and toward the faces of the moon, generation of generations. In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, until there be no moon (Ps. 72:1, 3, 5, 7). By the "sun" is signified love; by the "moon" faith; by "mountains" and "hills" the Most Ancient Church; by "generation of generations" the churches after the flood; "until there be no moon" is said because faith shall be love. (See also what is said in Isaiah 30:26.) [3] Such was the Most Ancient Church, and such was its doctrine. But the case is far different at this day, for now faith takes precedence over charity, but still through faith charity is given by the Lord, and then charity becomes the principal. It follows from this that in the most ancient time doctrine was falsified when they made confession of faith, and thus separated it from love. Those who falsified doctrine in this way, or separated faith from love, or made confession of faith alone, were then called "Cain;" and such a thing was then regarded as an enormity.
Elliott(1983-1999) 337
337. THE INTERNAL SENSE Since the subject in this chapter is the degeneration of the Most Ancient Church - that is, the falsification of doctrine - and consequently the heresies and sects which the names of Cain and his descendants cover, it must be realized that nobody can begin to understand how doctrine was falsified, that is, understand the nature of the heresies and sects of that Church, unless he has a proper knowledge of the nature of the true Church. From the latter the nature of those heresies and sects can be recognized. The Most Ancient Church has been dealt with quite extensively already; and it has been shown that it was the celestial man, and that it acknowledged no other faith than faith that originated in love to the Lord and towards the neighbour. It was through that love from the Lord that they possessed faith, that is, a perception of everything that was a matter of faith. Consequently they were not even willing to mention faith for fear of separating it from love, as shown already in 200-203.
[2] Such is the nature of the celestial man, that nature being described also by means of representatives in David where the Lord is referred to as 'the King', and the celestial man as 'the King's son',
Give the King Your judgements, and the King's son Your righteousness. The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the hills, in righteousness. They will fear You with the sun and towards the facea of the moon, a generation of generations. In his days the righteous man will flourish, and much peace, until the moon will be no more. Ps 72:1, 3, 5, 7.
'The sun' means love, 'the moon' faith, 'mountains' and 'hills' the Most Ancient Church. 'A generation of generations' means the Church that came after the Flood. The statement 'until the moon will be no more' is made because faith will then be love. See also what is written in Isaiah 30:26.
[3] Such was the nature of the Most Ancient Church and such its doctrine. Nowadays things are altogether different, for now faith comes first. But by means of faith the Lord imparts charity, at which point charity becomes the chief thing. Consequently doctrine in most ancient times was falsified when people made profession of faith and in so doing separated faith from love. People who falsified doctrine in this way, or who separated faith from love, that is, made profession of faith alone, were at that time called 'Cain'; and such a thing with them was a gross error.
Latin(1748-1756) 337
337. SENSUS INTERNUSHIC quia de degeneratione Ecclesiae Antiquissimae, seu falsificatione doctrinae, et consequenter de haeresibus et sectis sub nominibus Caini et ejus descendentium, agitur, sciendum, quod nequaquam intelligi queat quomodo falsificata fuerit doctrina, seu quales fuerint haereses aut sectae illius Ecclesiae, nisi probe sciatur qualis vera Ecclesia; inde cognosci possunt. De Antiquissima Ecclesia prius satis multis actum est, et ostensum quod fuerit caelestis homo, et quod non agnoverit aliam fidem quam quae esset amoris in Dominum et erga proximum; per amorem illum a Domino habebant fidem seu perceptionem omnium quae erant fidei; quare nec voluerunt nominare fidem, ne separaretur ab amore, ut ostensum prius n. 200-203. Talis est caelestis homo; et quod talis, describitur per repraesentativa etiam apud Davidem ubi agitur de Domino, Qui dicitur 'Rex,' et de caelesti homine, qui 'filius Regis,' Judicia Tua Regi da, et justitiam Tuam filio Regis;...ferent montes pacem populo, et colles in justitia;...timebant Te cum sole, et ad facies lunae, generatio generationum;... florebit in diebus illius justus, et multa pax, usque dum non luna, Ps. lxxii 1, 3, 5, 7;
per 'solem' significatur amor; per 'lunam' fides; per 'montes et colles' Ecclesia Antiquissima; per 'generationem generationum' Ecclesiae postdiluvianae; 'usque dum non luna' dicitur quia fides erit amor; videantur quoque quae apud Esaiam xxx 26. Antiquissima Ecclesia fuit talis, et doctrina talis; hodie vero prorsus alia, nam fides hodie praecedit; sed per fidem charitas a Domino donatur, et tunc fit charitas principale; quare sequitur quod falsificata antiquissimo tempore fuit doctrina, cum confessi sunt fidem, et sic separarunt fidem ab amore: qui falsificarunt ita doctrinam, aut separarunt fidem ab amore, seu fidem solam confessi, ii tunc dicti 'Cain,' et erat tale apud eos enorme.