----中文待译----
1054. (Verse 8) The beast, which thou sawest, was, and is not. That this signifies the Word, which, in the beginning, was received in the church and read, and afterwards taken away from the people and not read, is evident from the signification of the scarlet beast, as denoting the Word in the letter as to its holy things (concerning which see n. 1038); and from the signification of was, as denoting that in the beginning it was received in the church and read; and from the signification of, is not, as denoting that afterwards it was taken away and not read.
That such things are meant by these words is evident from this, that it was really the case with the Word, that, in the beginning, they acknowledged it as Divine, taught from it, and read it before the people, and afterwards, as they extended dominion over the church and over heaven, they acknowledged it indeed to be Divine, but ceased to teach from it as before; for they forbade the people to read it. And instead of doctrine from it, they delivered their doctrine from the Papal chair as Divine, and instituted Divine worship in masses not understood by the common people. They also preached the adoration of the Pope and of dead men, whom they call saints, instead of the Lord, whom before they had preached. It is therefore evident that it is the Word that is meant by the scarlet beast, which was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and go into perdition.
That Babylon in the beginning was a church which adored the Lord, and preached Divine truth from the Word; and afterwards indeed retained the adoration of the Lord, but the external, which is formal; while the internal, which is essential, they transferred to the Pope as His vicar, and, consequently, to the ministering body as vicars under him, may be seen above (n. 1029).
Continuation concerning the second kind of Profanation:-
[2] Those who are in this kind of profanation cannot but adulterate the goods of the Word, and falsify its truths, and so pervert the holy things of the church. For they do not agree with the end, which is the domination of man over them. For they are Divine things which cannot so serve. Hence it is, that from the necessity that the means should agree with the end, goods are turned into evils, truths into falsities, and thereby holy into profane things; and this in an increasing degree, as the dominion, which is the end, becomes enlarged.
[3] That this is the case is quite evident from Babylon at the present time, to which the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, are means, and domination is the end. For in proportion as they have enlarged their domination, they have weakened the sanctity of the Word, and actually exalted the sanctity of the Pope's dictates above it. They have claimed to themselves power over heaven, indeed, over the Lord Himself, and have instituted the idolatrous worship of men, both living and dead; and this, until they have caused nothing of Divine Good and Divine truth to be left.
[4] That the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship are so changed is of the Lord's Divine Providence. Not that it is of His Providence that it should so come to pass; but it is of His Providence that, because man wills to rule by means of holy Divine things, and also does rule, they should therefore adopt falsity in the place of truth, and evil in the place of good. Otherwise they would have defiled holy things, and have rendered them abominable before the angels; this is not done when they are no longer.
For example, as has been done with the Holy Supper instituted by the Lord, in their separating the bread and the wine, and giving the bread to the people, and drinking the wine themselves. For bread signifies the good of love to the Lord, and wine the truth of faith in Him; and good separated from truth is not good, nor is truth separated from good truth. For truth is truth from good, and good is good in truth. And so in other cases.
1054. Verse 8. The beast that thou sawest was and is not, signifies that the Word in the beginning was received in the church and read, and afterwards was taken away from the people and not read. This is evident from the signification of "the scarlet beast," as being the Word in the letter as to its holy things (See n. 1038); also from the signification of "was," as being that in the beginning it was received in the church and read; also from the signification of "is not," as being that afterwards it was taken away and not read. That this is the meaning of these words is evident from the fact that the Word was so treated, namely, that in the beginning they acknowledged it as Divine, taught from it, and read it before the people; but that afterwards, as they extended their dominion over the church and over heaven, while they acknowledged it to be Divine they no longer taught from it as before. For they interdicted the people from reading it, and instead of doctrine from it they put forth their doctrine from the Papal throne as Divine, they instituted Divine worship in masses not understood by the common people, and they preached the adoration of the Pope and of dead men whom they call saints, instead of the Lord whom they previously adored. All this makes clear that the Word is what is meant by "the scarlet beast, which was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and go into perdition." That Babylon in the beginning was a church that worshiped the Lord, and preached the Divine truth from the Word, but afterwards, while it retained an adoration of the Lord it was an external, that is, a formal adoration, and the internal which is the essential adoration they transferred to the Pope as the Lord's vicar, and consequently to the ministering body as vicars under him; this may be seen above (n. 1029).
(Continuation respecting the Second Kind of Profanation)
[2] Those who are in this kind of profanation cannot do otherwise than adulterate the goods of the Word and falsify its truths, and thus pervert the holy things of the church; for these are not in accord with the end, which is the domination of man over them, for they are Divine things that cannot be mere servants; therefore from necessity, that the means may be in accord with the end, goods are turned into evils, truths into falsities, and thus holy things into things profane, and this in an increasing degree as dominion, which is the end, is increased.
[3] That this is so can be clearly seen from the Babylon of the present day, to which the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, are means, and domination is the end. So far as they have amplified domination they have weakened the holiness of the Word, and have actually exalted above it the holiness of the Pope's decrees; they have claimed to themselves authority over heaven, and even over the Lord Himself, and they have instituted the idolatrous worship of men, both living and dead, and this until there is nothing left of Divine good and Divine truth.
[4] That the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, have been so changed is of the Lord's Divine Providence; not of His providence that this should be so done, but of His providence that when men wish to have dominion and do have dominion by means of holy Divine things, they should choose falsity in place of truth and evil in place of good, for otherwise they would defile holy things, and render them abominable before angels; but when holy things no longer exist this cannot be done. Take as an example what has been done with the Holy Supper instituted by the Lord; they have separated the bread and the wine, giving the bread to the people and drinking the wine themselves. For "bread" signifies the good of love to the Lord, and "wine" the truth of faith in Him; and good separated from truth is not good, nor is truth separated from good truth, for truth is truth from good, and good is good in truth. And so in other things.
1054. (Vers. 8.) "Bestia, quam vidisti, erat et non est." - Quod significet Verbum quod in initio fuit receptum in ecclesia et lectum, et postea populo ablatum et non lectum, constat ex significatione "bestiae coccineae", quod sit Verbum in littera quoad sancta ejus (de qua (supra), n. 1038); ex significatione "erat", quod sit quod in initio fuerit in ecclesia receptum et lectum; et ex significatione "non est", quod sit quod postea ablatum sit et non lectum: quod haec per illa verba intelligantur, patet ex eo, quod cum Verbo ita factum sit; nempe, quod illud in initio pro Divino agnoverint, ex illo docuerint, et id coram populo legerint; et quod postea, sicut dominium super ecclesiam et super caelum extenderunt, quidem illud pro Divino agnoverint, sed non ex illo, sicut prius, docuerint; populo enim interdixerunt lectionem ejus, et pro doctrina ex illo, doctrinam ex papali solio ut Divinam tradiderunt, ac cultum Divinum in missis a vulgo non intellectis instituerunt, et adorationem Papae, et hominum mortuorum, quos sanctos vocant, loco quod prius Dominum, praedicant: inde constare potest quod sit Verbum quod intelligitur per "bestiam coccineam, quae erat et non est, et futura est ascendere ex abysso, ac in interitum abire." Quod Babylonia in principio fuerit ecclesia, quae Dominum adoravit, et Divinum Verum ex Verbo praedicavit, et postea adorationem Domini quidem retinuit, sed externam quae est formalis, at internam quae est essentialis transtulerint in Papam ut vicarium, et inde in coetum ministrantium, ut vicarios sub illo, videatur supra (n. 1029).
[2] (Continuatio de secundo genere Profanationis.)
Illi qui in hoc genere profanationis sunt, non possunt aliter quam adulterare bona Verbi, et falsificare vera ejus, et sic pervertere sancta ecclesiae; non enim concordant cum fine, qui est dominatio hominis super illa, sunt enim Divina, quae non possunt servitia esse: inde est quod ex necessitate ut media cum fine concordent, bona vertantur in mala, vera in falsa, et sic sancta in profana; et hoc cum augmento, sicut amplificatur dominium, quod est finis.
[3] Quod ita sit, manifeste constare potest ab hodierna Babylonia, cui sancta Verbi, ecclesiae et cultus sunt media, et dominatio est finis; illi sicut amplificaverunt dominationem, ita infirmaverunt sanctitatem Verbi, et sanctitatem dictaminum Papae supra illam actualiter evexerunt, vindicaverunt sibi potestatem super caelum, immo super Ipsum Dominum, ac cultum hominum viventium et quoque mortuorum idololatricum instituerunt, et hoc usque dum nihil Divini Boni ac Divini Veri residuum fecerint.
[4] Quod sancta Verbi, ecclesiae et cultus ita mutata sint, est ex Divina providentia Domini; non ex providentia Ipsius quod ita fieret; sed ex providentia Ipsius, quia homo per sancta Divina vult dominari, et quoque dominatur, ut falsum loco veri et malum loco boni adoptarent: aliter sancta conspurcavissent, et illa coram angelis abominabilia reddidissent; quod non fit dum non amplius sunt. Pro exemplo, sicut factum est cum Sancta Cena a Domino instituta, quod separaverint panem et vinum, et panem dent populo, et ipsi vinum bibant; "panis" enim significat bonum amoris in Dominum, ac "vinum" verum fidei in Ipsum, et bonum separatum a vero non est bonum, nec verum separatum a bono est verum; nam verum est verum ex bono, et bonum est bonum in vero. Similiter in reliquis.