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1106. And I heard another voice out of heaven, saying.- That this signifies exhortation to those who are in truths and in good of life to beware of them, is evident from the signification of a voice out of heaven, as denoting exhortation to those who are in the truths of faith and in the goods of life, to beware of them. That this is the meaning of a voice from heaven is evident from what follows, for it is said, "Come out from her, my people, lest ye become partakers of her sins, and lest ye receive of her plagues," with other things besides afterwards there is also a description of the quality of the wares of Babylon, and the quality of their state. It is therefore clear that a voice out of heaven denotes exhortation. The reason why a voice was heard out of heaven is, that this means from the Lord by means of the Word, for everything that a man takes from the Word is a voice out of heaven; and the Word instructs every one what the quality of Babel is, as is evident from the passages which have been quoted from the Word concerning Babel (n. 1029).
[2] The reason why it is said, another voice, is, that the former voice was that of the angel crying aloud, "Fallen is Babylon, and is become a habitation of demons"; here, therefore, follows the exhortation to all, both to those who are within Babylon, and have any affection for truth, and are in the life of good, to come out from her, and place no faith in her witchcrafts and incantations; and to those who are outside of Babylon, not to suffer themselves to be led astray by these things. For such is the character of that nation, that they persuade by means of the delight of every one's love, and in this way close up the understanding, and induce men to believe everything they say.
That such is the character of that Babylonish nation has been made known to me from much experience. For they enter into the delights of a man's life, and in this way they take possession of his mind, and thus as it were insinuate themselves and enter into it, until they control his life, and by this means lead him as one blind and powerless, wherever they choose, as soon as he embraces their blind faith. And they do this by removing from the understanding all light in matters of a theological nature, in order that the ends for which they act may not appear, and these ends are, that they may be rulers not only over the interiors of man which belong to his mind, but also over the exteriors which belong to his body; rulers over the interiors belonging to his mind, by dominion over everything pertaining to the church and heaven, thus over souls; and rulers over the exteriors which belong to the body, by dominion over their wealth. In a word, the ends of their actions are that they themselves alone may be rulers, and the rest servants. For thus, if not in open words, yet in tacit acknowledgment, they are worshipped as gods, this being their ultimate end, which is concealed from men, but is manifest before the angels in heaven. That this is their ultimate end is perfectly evident from this fact, that they have taken from the Lord Himself all power of saving, by ascribing this to the Pope, and from him to his ministers; while notwithstanding it is the very Divine of the Lord that saves man, and he who can do this is not man, but God. But more will be said upon this subject in the following pages.
[3] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Faith.- It has been shown that the doctrine of faith, which takes its name from Athanasius, leaves when read a clear idea that there are three persons, and therefore that there are three co-ordinate Gods, and an obscure idea that God is one, and so obscure that it does not remove the idea of three Gods. It has also been shown that the same doctrine leaves a clear idea that the Lord has a Divine and a Human, or that the Lord is God and Man, but upon the question whether the Divine and Human of the Lord are one person, and whether His Divine is in His Human as the soul in the body, an obscure impression is left. It has been also said that nevertheless everything contained in that doctrine, from beginning to end, both what is clear and what is obscure, agrees and coincides with the truth, if instead of saying that God is one in essence and three in person, it is believed that God is one both in essence and in person, for this is the fact. There is a trinity in God, and there is also a unity. That there is a trinity is evident from those passages in the Word where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned; and that there is a unity, from those passages in the Word where it is said that God is one. The unity in which is the trinity, or the one God in whom is a trine, does not exist in the Divine which is called the Father, nor in the Divine which is called the Holy Spirit, but in the Lord alone; for in the Lord is a trine, that is to say, the Divine called Father, the Divine Human called Son, and the proceeding Divine which is the Holy Spirit, and this trine is one, because it is of one person, and may be called a triune.
The agreement of everything in the Athanasian doctrine with that which is here asserted will be shown in what follows: 1. Concerning the trinity; 2. concerning the unity of person in the Lord; 3. it will be shown that this doctrine was so formulated of the Divine Providence that although it seems to disagree with the truth, yet it agrees with it; then it shall be proved in general that there is a trine in the Lord, and afterwards specifically, that the Divine which is called the Father, is He, that the Divine which is called the Son, is He, and that the Divine which is called the Holy Spirit, is He.
1106. Verse 4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, signifies exhortation to those who are in truths and in the good of life to beware of such. This is evident from the signification of "a voice from heaven," as being exhortation to those who are in the truths of faith and in the goods of life to beware of such. That this is what is meant by "a voice from heaven" is evident from what follows, for it is said, "Come forth out of her, my people, that ye become not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues," with other things besides; and after this is described what the wares of Babylon are, and what their state is; which makes clear that "a voice from heaven" means exhortation. There was heard "a voice from heaven," because it means from the Lord through the Word; for everything that a man imbibes from the Word is a voice from heaven, and the Word teaches everyone what Babylon is, as is evident from the passages quoted from the Word respecting Babylon (n. 1029).
[2] It is said "another voice," because the former voice was that of the angel crying out that "Babylon had fallen, and was become the habitation of demons;" so this is an exhortation to all, both to those within Babylon who are in some affection of truth and in some life of good, that they should come forth out of her and have no faith in her witchcrafts and enchantments; and also to those who are out of Babylon, that they do not permit themselves to be led away by such. For it is the character of that nation to persuade by the delights of each one's love, and thus close up the understanding, and thereby lead man into a belief in every thing they say. That the Babylonish nation is such has been made known to me by much experience; for they enter into the delights of each one's life, and thereby captivate minds; and thus they as it were spread the bait, and ensnare, until they get into one's life; and thus they lead him like one blind and powerless wherever they wish, leading him first to accept a blind faith by removing all light from the understanding in theological matters, in order that their ends may not become evident, which are that they may be lords not only over man's interiors that pertain to his mind but also over the exteriors that pertain to the body; over the interiors pertaining to the mind by dominion over all things of the church and of heaven, thus over souls, and over the exteriors pertaining to the body by dominion over their wealth. In a word, their ends are that they may themselves alone be lords and all others servants, for thus are they worshipped as gods, if not by open words, yet in silent acknowledgment; and this is their final end, which is concealed from men but is manifest to the angels in heaven. That this is their final end is clearly evident from this, that they have taken away from the Lord Himself all power to save, by transferring it to the Pope and from him to his ministers; and yet the saving of man is the Lord's Divine itself; and he who is able to do this is not a man but God. But more will be said upon this subject in what follows.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)
[3] It has been shown that the doctrine of faith that has its name from Athanasius, leaves a clear idea, when it is read, that there are three Persons, and thus that there are three unanimous Gods, and an obscure idea that God is one, so obscure that the idea of three Gods is not removed. And again, this doctrine leaves a clear idea that the Lord has the Divine and the Human, that is, that the Lord is God and Man, but an obscure idea that the Divine and the Human of the Lord are one Person, and that His Divine is in His Human as the soul is in the body. It has been also said that all things in that doctrine from beginning to end, both such as are clear and such as are obscure, nevertheless agree and coincide with the truth, if only instead of saying that God is one in essence and three in Person, it is believed, as the truth really is, that God is one both in essence and in Person.
[4] There is a Trinity in God and there is also a unity. That there is a Trinity is evident from the passages in the Word where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned; and that there is a unity, from the passages in the Word where it is said that God is one. The unity in which there is the Trinity, or the one God in whom there is a trine, does not exist in the Divine that is called the Father, nor in the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit, but in the Lord alone. In the Lord alone there is a trine, namely, the Divine which is called Father, the Divine Human which is called the Son, and the Divine proceeding which is the Holy Spirit; and this trine is one because it is of one Person, and may be called triune. In what follows the agreement with this of all things of the Athanasian doctrine will be seen, First, respecting the Trinity; Secondly, respecting the unity of Person in the Lord; Thirdly, that from the Divine providence it has come to pass that the doctrine was so written that while it disagrees with the truth it nevertheless agrees with it. Afterwards it will be established in general, that the trine is in the Lord; and next in particular, that the Divine that is called the Father is the Lord, that the Divine that is called the Son is the Lord, and that the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit is the Lord.
1106. [Vers. 4.] "Et audivi aliam vocem e caelo dicentem." - Quod significet exhortationem ad illos qui in veris et in bono vitae sunt, ut sibi caveant ad illis, constat ex significatione "vocis e caelo", quod sit exhortatio ad illos qui in veris fidei et in bonis vitae sunt, ut caveant ab illis; quod hoc per "vocem e caelo" intelligatur, patet a sequentibus; nam sequitur, "Exite ex illa, popule mi, ne participes fiatis peccatorum ejus, et ne recipiatis ex plagis ejus", praeter plura; postea etiam describitur quales Babylonis merces sunt, et qualis status illorum; inde patet quod "vox e caelo" sit exhortatio. Quod vox e caelo audita sit, est quia intelligitur a Domino per Verbum; nam omnia quae homo haurit ex Verbo, sunt vox e caelo, et Verbum instruit unumquemvis qualis Babel est, ut patet ex illis quae de Babele (n. 1029), ex Verbo allata sunt.
[2] Quod dicatur "alia vox", est quia prior vox fuit angeli clamantis quod "Babylon ceciderit, et facta sit habitaculum daemoniorum"; hic itaque exhortatio ad omnes; tam qui intra Babyloniam in aliqua affectione veri et in vita boni sunt, ut exeant ab illa, et ne fidem habeant praestigiis et incantationibus ejus; et quoque ad illos qui extra Babyloniam sunt, ne sinant se ab illis seduci; nam gens illa talis est ut per jucunda amoris cujusvis persuadeant, et per id claudunt intellectum, et sic adducunt hominem in fidem omnium quae dicunt. Quod gens illa Babylonica talis sit, a multa experientia mihi notum factum est; intrant enim in jucunda vitae cujusvis, ac per id captant animos, ac ita se quasi inescant et inviscant, usque dum in vita ejus sint, et sic ducunt illum sicut caecum ac sicut sui impotem quocunque volunt; ac primum ut fidem caecam amplectatur, removendo omnem lucem ab intellectu in theologicis, ne fines eorum pateant, qui sunt, ut domini sint, non modo super interiora hominis quae mentis ejus sunt, sed etiam super exteriora quae corporis ejus sunt; super interiora quae mentis sunt per dominium super omnia ecclesiae et quoque caeli, ita super animas; super exteriora quae corporis sunt per dominium super opes illorum; verbo, sunt fines illorum ut ipsi soli sint domini, et omnes reliqui sint servi; sic enim, si non voce aperta, usque tacita agnitione coluntur ut dii; hoc finis eorum ultimus est, qui coram hominibus latet, sed coram angelis in caelo patet. Quod ille finis illorum ultimus sit, constat manifeste ex eo, quod Ipsum Dominum deprivaverint omni potestate salvandi, per translationem ejus in papam et ab illo in ministros suos; et tamen salvare hominem est ipsum Divinum Domini, et qui hoc potest, is non homo est, sed Deus. Plura de his in sequentibus dicentur.
[3] (Continuatio de Fide Athanasiana.)
Ostensum est quod Doctrina fidei ab Athanasio vocata, dum perlecta est, relinquat ideam claram quod tres Personae sint, et inde quod tres dii unanimes sint, ac ideam obscuram quod Deus unus sit, et tam obscuram ut ideam trium deorum non removeat. Tum etiam, quod eadem doctrina relinquat ideam claram quod Domino Divinum sit et Humanum, seu quod Dominus sit Deus et Homo, sed ideam obscuram quod Divinum et Humanum Domini sint una Persona, et quod Divinum Ipsius in Humano Ipsius sit sicut anima in corpore. At quoque dictum est quod usque omnia quae in illa doctrina sunt a principio ad finem, tam clara quam obscura, cum veritate concordent ac coincidant, dummodo pro hoc, quod Deus unus sit essentia, et trinus personis, credatur, sicut ipsa veritas est, quod Deus unus sit tam essentia quam persona.
[4] Est trinitas in Deo, et est quoque unitas; quod sit trinitas, constare potest ex locis in Verbo ubi Pater; Filius et Spiritus sanctus nominantur; et quod sit unitas, ex locis in Verbo ubi dicitur quod Deus unus sit. Unitas in qua trinitas, seu unus Deus in quo trinum, non datur in Divino quod Pater vocatur, nec in Divino quod Spiritus sanctus, sed in solo Domino; in Domino trinum est, nempe, Divinum quod vocatur Pater, Divinum Humanum quod vocatur Filius, ac Divinum procedens quod Spiritus sanctus, et hoc trinum est unum quia est unius Personae, et vocari potest triunum. In nunc sequentibus videbitur cum hoc concordantia omnium Doctrinae Athanasianae, Primo, de Trinitate: Secundo, de Unitate Personae in Domino: Tertio, quod ex Divina providentia factum sit quod doctrina illa ita scripta sit, ut tametsi discordat usque cum veritate concordet. Postea, in genere confirmabitur trinum in Domino: et deinde, in specie, quod Divinum quod Pater vocatur sit Ipse, quod Divinum quod Filius vocatur sit Ipse, et quod Divinum quod Spiritus sanctus vocatur sit Ipse.