----中文待译----
1180. Because God hath judged your judgment concerning her.- That this signifies because of their rejection, is evident from the signification of judging a judgment, as denoting to repay according to deeds, thus to cast down into hell those meant by Babylon, consequently to cast them out from the places in which they were before.
Continuation.- The Lord provides for every nation a universal medium of salvation. It is evident from what was said above that in whatever religion a man lives, he is able to be saved. For he is acquainted with the evils, and from evils with the falsities that are to be shunned, and when he shuns them, he becomes acquainted with the goods which ought to be done, and the truths which ought to be believed. The goods which he does, and the truths which he believes, before he has shunned evils, are not goods and truths in themselves, because they are from man and not from the Lord. The reason why they are not goods and truths in themselves before this, is that they do not live in man. The man who is acquainted with all the goods and truths that can possibly be known, and does not shun evils, knows nothing; for his evils absorb them and cast them out, and he becomes foolish, not in the world, indeed, but afterwards. But the man who is acquainted with few goods and truths, and shuns evils, knows the former, adds many others to them and becomes wise, if not in the world, yet afterwards.
Since therefore every one of any religion whatever is acquainted with the evils, and from evils with the falsities, which ought to be shunned, and, as he shuns them, becomes acquainted with the goods which ought to be done, and with the truths which ought to be believed, it is evident that a universal medium of salvation has been provided by the Lord in the case of every nation possessing a religion.
[2] This medium exists in all fullness with Christians; it exists also, although not in fullness, with Mahometans and heathens; all other things, which make a distinction between them, are either matters of ceremony, in themselves indifferent, or they are goods which may be done or not done, or truths which may be believed or not believed, and yet a man be saved.
A man sees what the quality of goods and truths is, after evils are removed; the Christian seeing it from the Word, the Mahometan from the Koran, and the heathen from his religion. The Christian sees from the Word that God is one; that the Lord is the Saviour of the world; that all good and truth, really such in themselves, are from God, and nothing from man; that there are Baptism and the Holy Supper; that there are a heaven and a hell; that there is a life after death, and that he who does good enters heaven, and he who does evil goes to hell. These things he believes from truth, and does them from good, if he is not in evil. All other things, which are not in agreement with these and the Decalogue, he may omit. The Mahometan sees from the Koran that God is one; that the Lord is the Son of God; that all good is from God; that there are a heaven and a hell; that there is a life after death, and that the evils named in the commandments of the Decalogue are to be shunned. If he acts according to the latter, and believes the former, he is also saved. The heathen sees from his religion, that there is a God, that He is to be hallowed and worshipped, that good is from Him; that there are a heaven and a hell; that there is a life after death; that the evils named in the Decalogue are to be shunned. If he acts according to the latter, and believes the former, he is saved. And because most of the heathen perceive God as a man, and God-Man is the Lord, therefore also after death, when they are instructed by angels, they acknowledge the Lord, and afterwards receive truths from Him of which they were before ignorant. That they have neither Baptism, nor the Holy Supper, is not a ground of condemnation, these being intended for those alone who possess the Word, from which the Lord is known; for they are symbols of His church, and the testifications and assurances that those who believe and live according to the Lord's commandments in the Word will be saved.
1180. For God hath judged your judgment upon her, signifies on account of their rejection of these, as is evident from the signification of "judging a judgment" as being to recompense according to deeds, thus to cast into hell those meant by "Babylon," consequently to cast them out of the places where they had been before.
(Continuation)
3. For every nation the Lord provides a universal means of salvation. From what has been said above it is clear that in whatever religion a man may live he can be saved; for he knows the evils and the falsities from evils that must be shunned, and having shunned them he knows the goods that must be done and the truths that must be believed. The goods he does and the truths he believes before he has shunned evils are not in themselves goods and truths, because they are from man and not from the Lord. Before that they are not goods and truths in themselves because in the man they then have no life. A man who knows all goods and all truths, as many as can be known, but does not shun evils, knows nothing. His goods and truths are swallowed up or cast out by the evils, so that he becomes foolish, not in the world but afterwards; while the man who knows few goods and few truths, but shuns evils, knows those goods and truths and learns many more and becomes wise, if not in the world yet afterwards. Since, then, everyone in every religion knows the evils and falsities from evils that must be shunned, and having shunned them knows the goods that must be done and the truths that must be believed, it is clear that this is provided by the Lord as the universal means of salvation with every nation that has any religion.
[2] With Christians this means exists in all fullness; it also exists, though not in fullness, with Mohammedans and Gentiles. The remaining things, by which they are distinguished, are either ceremonials which are of little consequence, or are goods that may be done or not done, or truths that may be believed or not believed, and yet man be saved. What these things amount to man can see when evils are removed. A Christian sees this from the Word, a Mohammedan from the Koran, and a Gentile from his religious principle. A Christian sees from the Word that God is one, that the Lord is the Savior of the world, that all good that is good in itself, and all truth that is true in itself, is from God, and nothing of it from man; that there must be Baptism and the Holy Supper, that there is a heaven and that there is a hell, that there is a life after death, and that he who does good comes into heaven, and he who does evil into hell. These things he believes from truth and does from good when he is not in evil. Other things that are not in accord with these and with the Decalogue he may pass by. A Mohammedan sees from the Koran that God is one, that the Lord is the Son of God, and that all good is from God, that there is a heaven and that there is a hell, that there is a life after death, and that the evils forbidden in the commandments of the Decalogue must be shunned. If he does these latter things he also believes the former and is saved. A Gentile sees from his religious principle that there is a God, that He must be regarded as holy and be worshiped, that good is from Him, that there is a heaven and that there is a hell, that there is a life after death, that the evils forbidden in the Decalogue must be shunned. If he does these things and believes them he is saved. And as many Gentiles perceive God to be Man, and as God-Man is the Lord, so after death when they are instructed by angels they acknowledge the Lord, and afterwards receive truths from the Lord that they had not before known. They are not condemned because of their not having the ordinances of Baptism and the Holy Supper; the Holy Supper and Baptism are for those only who are in possession of the Word, and to whom the Lord is known from the Word; for they are symbols of that church, and are attestations and certifications that those who believe and live according to the Lord's commandments in the Word are saved.
1180. "Quia judicavit Deus judicium vestrum de illa", - Quod significet propter rejectionem illorum, constat ex significatione "judicare judicium", quod sit rependere secundum facta, ita conjicere illos qui per "Babylonem" intelliguntur in infernum; proinde rejicere illos e locis ubi prius fuerunt.
(Continuatio.)
(3.) Quod Dominus provideat cuivis genti universale medium salutis. – Ex supradictis patet quod homo, in quacunque religione vivit, possit salvari; scit enim mala et ex malis falsa quae fugienda; et cum fugit illa, scit bona quae facienda, et vera quae credenda; bona quae facit, et vera quae credit, antequam fugerat mala, in se non sunt bona, et in se non sunt vera, quia ab homine et non a Domino; quod non bona et vera in se sint antea, est quia illa apud hominem non vivunt. Homo qui scit omnia bona et omnia vera, quotcunque sciri possunt, et non fugit mala, nihil scit; mala absorbent illa et ejiciunt illa, et fit fatuus, in mundo non, sed postea; at homo qui scit pauca bona et pauca vera, et fugit mala, is scit illa, et superaddit plura, ac fit sapiens, si non in mundo, usque postea. Cum itaque unusquisque in omni religione scit mala et ex illis falsa, quae fugienda sunt, et dum fugit illa, scit bona quae facienda, et vera quae credenda, patet quod a Domino provisum sit id ut universale medium salutis apud omnem gentem cui est religio.
[2] Hoc datur in omni plenitudine apud Christianos; et quoque datur, tametsi non in plenitudine, apud Mahumedanos, ut et apud Gentiles: reliqua, quae faciunt discrimen, sunt vel ceremonialia, quae adiaphora, vel sunt bona quae possunt facere aut non facere, vel sunt vera quae possunt credere aut non credere, et tamen salvari. Homo videt illa qualia sunt, postquam remota sunt mala; Christianus videt illa ex Verbo, Mahumedanus ex Alcorano, et gentilis ex suo religioso. Christianus videt ex Verbo quod Deus unus sit, quod Dominus Salvator mundi sit, quod omne bonum in se bonum, et omne verum in se verum, a Deo sit, et nihil ab homine; quod Baptismus sit, quod Sancta Cena sit, quod caelum et infernum sint, quod vita post mortem sit, et quod qui bonum facit in caelum veniat, et qui malum in infernum; haec credit ex vero et facit ex bono, dum in malo non est; reliqua quae cum his et cum decalogo non concordant, potest omittere. Mahumedanus videt ex Alcorano quod Deus unus sit, quod Dominus Filius Dei sit, quod omne bonum sit a Deo, quod caelum et infernum sint, quod vita post mortem sit, et quod fugienda sint mala quae in praeceptis decalogi; si haec facit, etiam illa credit, et salvatur. Gentilis videt ex suo religioso quod Deus sit, quod Ille sanctificandus et colendus sit, quod bonum sit ab Ipso, quod caelum et infernum sint, quod vita post mortem sit, quod mala, quae in decalogo sunt, fugienda sint; si haec facit, et illa credit, salvatur. Et quia plerique gentiles percipiunt Deum ut Hominem, et Deus Homo est Dominus, ideo etiam post mortem, dum informati sunt ab angelis, agnoscunt Dominum, et a Domino postea recipiunt vera, quae prius non noverunt. Quod illis non Baptismus sit, et non Sancta Cena, non condemnat; Sancta Cena et Baptismus sunt pro illis solis apud quos Verbum est, et ex illo Dominus notus; sunt enim symbola illius ecclesiae, ac sunt testificationes et certificationes quod salventur qui credunt et vivunt secundum praecepta Domini in Verbo.