393、在解释这些话的内义之前，有必要了解信的情况。上古教会具有这种性质：它不承认任何信，除非是源于爱的信。事实上，他们甚至不愿提及信，因为他们能通过爱从主感知到属于信的一切。我们前面所说的属天天使也是这样。但由于预见到人类无法具有这种性质，而是会将信与对主之爱分离，使得信自成一个教义，所以就规定它们的确要分离；不过，是以这种方式分离的：通过信，也就是通过信的知识或认知，人们可以从主接受仁爱。所以知识、认知，或听闻首先到来，然后主通过知识、认知，或听闻赋予仁爱，也就是对邻之爱，以及怜悯；这仁爱不仅不可与信分离，还要构成信的主要成分。这时良心便取代了存在于上古教会中的感知；这良心是通过与仁联结的信获得的，它并不指示什么东西是真理，而是指明它们就是真理，之所以是真理，是因为主在圣言中就是这么说的。大洪水后的教会绝大部分都具有这种性质，主降临之后的初期或首个教会也是如此。属灵天使凭这个特征而区别于属天天使。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]393. Before I explain the symbolism of these things on the inner plane, the nature of faith needs to be understood.
The people of the earliest church were such that they acknowledged no other faith than faith from love, so much so that they did not even want to say the word faith. Everything involved in faith they subsumed under the idea of love from the Lord. Heavenly angels (described above [202]) are the same way.
It was foreseen, though, that the human race would not maintain this character but would split faith off from love for the Lord and make it into a doctrine of its own. So it was also provided that faith would indeed be split off but in such a way that through it, or through a knowledge of it, the Lord would give us a heart for charity. In this way, knowledge, or "hearing the message," would come first.{*1} Then through that knowledge or hearing the Lord would give us the gift of charity — that is, love for our neighbor, and mercy. The charity acquired by this means not only would be inseparable from faith but also would constitute faith's principal concern.
Afterward conscience took the place of the perception that the earliest church had enjoyed. Conscience, built up through the faith that is attached to charity, would speak from within, not explaining what was true but affirming that a particular thing was true, and this because the Lord had said so in the Word. For the most part, the churches that came after the Flood — including the early [Christian] church (the first church following the Lord's Coming) — adopted this character.
The same criterion distinguishes spiritual angels from heavenly angels.
Footnotes:
{*1} "Hearing the message" here is an allusion to Romans 10:17: "Therefore faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through God's word." [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 393
393. Before we proceed to elucidate the internal sense of the words before us, it is necessary to know how the case is with faith. The Most Ancient Church was of such a character as to acknowledge no faith except that which is of love, insomuch that they were unwilling even to mention faith, for through love from the Lord they perceived all things that belong to faith. Such also are the celestial angels of whom we have spoken above. But as it was foreseen that the human race could not be of this character, but would separate faith from love to the Lord, and would make of faith a doctrine by itself, it was provided that they should indeed be separated, but in such a way that through faith, that is, through the knowledges of faith, men might receive from the Lord charity, so that knowledge [cognitio] or hearing should come first, and then through knowledge or hearing, charity, that is, love toward the neighbor, and mercy, might be given by the Lord, which charity should not only be inseparable from faith, but should also constitute the principal of faith. And then instead of the perception they had in the Most Ancient Church, there succeeded conscience, acquired through faith joined to charity, which dictated not what is true, but that it is true, and this because the Lord has so said in the Word. The churches after the flood were for the most part of this character, as also was the primitive or first church after the Lord's advent, and by this the spiritual angels are distinguished from the celestial.
Elliott(1983-1999) 393
393. Before any explanation is given of the meaning of these words in the internal sense the situation with faith needs to be known. The Most Ancient Church was such that it did not acknowledge any faith except that which derived from love. Indeed they were unwilling even to mention faith, for everything that was a matter of faith they perceived by means of love from the Lord. Such also by nature are celestial angels, spoken of already. But because it was foreseen that the human race would not be able to receive such, and that people would separate faith from love to the Lord and would construct out of faith a doctrine standing on its own, provision was also made for it to be separated. Nevertheless it was separated in such a way that by means of faith, that is, by means of cognitions of faith, people might receive charity from the Lord. Consequently the experience of coming to know, that is, of listening, would now come first, and then, through coming to know or listening, charity, that is, love to the neighbour and compassion, would be conferred on them by the Lord. This charity would be not only inseparable from faith but also its primary constituent. That which now took the place of the perception which had existed with the Most Ancient Church was conscience. Once conscience had been acquired by means of faith allied to charity, it then dictated not what things were true but the fact that they were true - true because the Lord has in the Word said they were. Of such a nature did the Churches after the Flood become, for the most part; such was the Primitive Church, that is, immediately after the Lord's Coming. And this is the feature that distinguishes spiritual angels from celestial.
Latin(1748-1756) 393
393. Antequam explicatur quod in sensu interno illa significentur, sciendum quomodo se res habet cum fide. Antiquissima Ecclesia talis fuit ut nullam fidem agnoverit nisi quae ab amore, usque adeo ut ne quidem nominare vellent fidem; nam omnia quae fidei erant, percipiebant per amorem a Domino; tales etiam sunt angeli caelestes, de quibus prius. Sed quia praevisum quod genus humanum tale esse non posset et quod separarent fidem ab amore in Dominum, et ex fide singularem doctrinam facerent, provisum etiam est ut quoque separaretur; sed usque ita ut per fidem, seu per cognitiones fidei, acciperent a Domino charitatem, sic ut cognitio seu auditio praecederet, et per cognitionem seu auditionem donaretur a Domino charitas, hoc est, amor in proximum et misericordia, quae charitas non solum indivulsa esset a fide sed etiam principale fidei constitueret: successit tunc, loco perceptionis quae fuit apud Antiquissimam dictaret, non quid verum sed quod verum, et hoc quia Dominus ita Ecclesiam, conscientia, quae comparata per fidem adjunctam charitati locutus in Verbo; tales factae sunt Ecclesiae post diluvium, quoad multam partem; talis fuit Ecclesia primitiva, seu prima post Adventum Domini: angeli spirituales in eo distinguuntur ab angelis caelestibus.