----中文待译----
815. (Verse 11) And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. That this signifies confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of faith separated from life, and thence falsifications of the truth of the church, is evident from the signification of the two beasts treated of in this chapter, as denoting what confirm those things that are signified by the dragon, for by the dragon is chiefly signified faith alone (as may be seen above, n. 714). And by the beast ascending out of the sea are signified reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life (as may be seen also above, n. 774). By this beast therefore are signified confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of faith separate from life, and thence falsifications of the truth of the church. That the dragon is further described by these two beasts is evident from verses 2, 4, 11, of this chapter.
There are also two means by which any heretical dogma may be confirmed - reasonings from the natural man, and confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word; these two means therefore are signified by these two beasts. The reason why by the former beast are signified reasonings from the natural man is, that by the sea, out of which that beast ascended, is signified the Natural of man; but the reason why by this beast are signified confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word is, that by the earth, out of which he ascended, is signified the church where the Word is. That the falsifications of the Word are also signified by this beast is, that the Word can never confirm any false dogma, unless it be itself falsified. For all things in the Word are truths; therefore all truths can be confirmed from the Word, but falsities not at all; as is very evident from what has been said above, and will be evident from what remains to be said in this chapter.
[2] Because above (n. 785), passages have been quoted from the Word where works, deeds, working, and doing, are mentioned, we will now bring forward passages where faith and believing are mentioned, but these from the Gospels only, and not from the Epistles of the Apostles, because in the Gospels are the Lord's own words, all of which contain a spiritual sense, by which there is immediate communication with heaven; but in the writings of the Apostles there is no such sense, although they are books that are useful to the church.
[3] The passages where faith and believing are mentioned in the Gospels are the following:
In Matthew:
There came a centurion to the Lord, saying, "Lord, I am not fit that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. Jesus hearing, wondered, and said to them that followed him, Verily, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. And he said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, be it done unto thee; and his servant was healed in that hour" (8:8, 10, 13).
The reason why the Lord healed this person and others according to their faith was, that the first and primary [thing] of the church then to be established was, that they should believe the Lord to be God Almighty, for without that belief no church could have been established. For the Lord was the God of heaven and the God of earth with whom no conjunction is possible except by the acknowledgment of His Divinity, which acknowledgment is faith. That the centurion acknowledged the Lord as God Almighty is evident; for he said, "I am not fit that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed."
[4] In the same:
"A woman labouring with an issue of blood, touched the hem of" Jesus' "garment; for she said within herself, If I may only touch the hem of his garment, I shall be healed. Jesus turning about and seeing her, said, Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole; and she was healed in that hour" (9:20-22).
Again:
"They brought unto him a paralytic lying upon a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the paralytic, Be of good comfort, thy sins are remitted; arise, take up thy bed, and go to thine house" (9:2-7; Luke 5:19-25).
In the same:
"Two blind men cried, saying, Have mercy upon us, thou Son of David; Jesus said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto him, Yea, Lord; then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you; and their eyes were opened" (9:27-29).
By this faith, whereby the sick were healed, no other faith is meant than that which is called historical, this being also at that time miraculous. By that faith therefore many then performed miracles. The faith was, that the Lord was Almighty because He was able to perform miracles of Himself; therefore He also allowed Himself to be worshipped, which was not the case with the prophets of the Old Testament, who were not worshipped. But this historical faith in all cases precedes before it becomes saving faith. Historical faith becomes saving in a man, when he learns truths from the Word, and lives according to them.
[5] In the same:
A woman of Canaan, whose daughter was troubled by a demon, "came and worshipped" Jesus, "saying, Lord help me; Jesus said unto her, Great is thy faith; be it unto thee as thou wilt; and her daughter was healed" (15:22-28).
In John:
"A ruler, whose son was sick," entreated Jesus to heal his son before he died. "Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth; and the man believed in the word which Jesus said unto him, and his servants met him, saying, Thy son liveth; therefore he believed, and his whole house" (4:46-53).
In the same:
"Jesus finding the man born blind, whom he healed, said unto him, Believest thou then in the Son of God? He answered him and said, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? He said unto him, Thou also hast seen him, and he who speaketh with thee, is he; he said, Lord, I believe; and he worshipped him" (9:35-38).
In Luke:
Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, whose daughter was dead, "Fear not, only believe, and she shall be made whole," and she rose up (8:50, 55).
In the same:
One of the ten lepers that were healed by the Lord returned, he was a Samaritan, and fell upon his face at the feet of Jesus; and Jesus "said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole" (17:19).
In the same:
Jesus said to the blind man, "Thy faith hath made thee whole; and immediately his sight was restored" (18:42, 43).
In Mark:
Jesus said to the disciples when they were unable to heal a certain man's son who had a dumb spirit; to whom Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth; the father of the child crying out with tears, said, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief"; and he was healed (9:17, 23, 24).
There were three reasons why faith in the Lord healed them. The first was that they acknowledged His Divine Omnipotence, and that He was God. The second was, that faith is acknowledgment, and from acknowledgment comes intuition; and all intuition from acknowledgment causes another to be present, which is a common thing in the spiritual world. In this case, therefore, the intuition was from the acknowledgment of the Lord's Omnipotence. And it was from this acknowledgment that they were first of all to have an intuition of the Lord, when a new church was to be established by Him. Hence it is evident, what is meant there by faith. The third reason was, that all the diseases which the Lord healed, represented and thence signified spiritual diseases, to which natural diseases correspond; and spiritual diseases cannot be healed except by the Lord, and indeed by looking to His Divine Omnipotence, and by repentance of life. Therefore also He sometimes said,
"Thy sins are forgiven thee; go and sin no more."
This faith was also represented and signified by their miraculous faith. But the faith whereby spiritual diseases are healed by the Lord, is only possible by truths from the Word, and by a life according to them, the truths themselves and the life according to them constituting the quality of the faith. Upon this subject, however, more will be said in what follows.
[6] In John:
The sister of Lazarus, who was now dead, said to Jesus, Lord, by this time he stinketh; Jesus saith unto her, "Said I not unto thee, if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God" (11:39, 40).
In Luke:
"Jesus said to the woman who was a sinner, and who made his feet wet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, which she also anointed with oil, Thy sins are remitted thee; thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace" (7:38, 48, 50).
From these words also it is evident, that faith in the Lord's Omnipotence healed them, and also that the same faith remitted, that is, removed, their sins. The reason was that the woman not only had faith in the Lord's Divine Omnipotence, but also loved Him; for she kissed His feet, and therefore the Lord said, Thy sins are remitted thee; thy faith hath made thee whole. For faith causes the Divine of the Lord to be present, and love conjoins. For it is possible for the Lord to be present and not conjoined; it is evident therefore that faith from love saves.
[7] Again:
Jesus said to the disciples in the ship, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith; then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm" (Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:39, 41; Luke 8:24, 25).
Peter, at the bidding of Jesus, descended out of the ship, and walked upon the waters; but when the wind became boisterous, "he feared greatly, and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and said, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:28-31).
When the disciples could not heal the lunatic, Jesus said unto them, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?" And Jesus healed him. And he told the disciples, that they could not heal him by reason of their unbelief (Matthew 27:14, and following verses).
Jesus came into his own country, and they were there "offended in him, he said, A prophet is not without honour save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:57, 58).
The reason why the Lord called the disciples men of little faith when they could not perform miracles in His name, and why He could not perform miracles in His own country on account of their unbelief was, that the disciples did indeed believe the Lord to be the Messiah or Christ, the Son of God, and the prophet of whom it was written in the Word. They did not yet, however, believe in Him as God Omnipotent, and that Jehovah the Father was in Him; and so far as they believed Him to be a man, and not at the same time God, His Divine, to which Omnipotence belonged, could not be present with the disciples by faith. For faith causes the Lord to be present, as said above; but faith in Him, as a man only, does not cause His Divine Omnipotence to be present. This also is the reason why those cannot be saved, who, at this day in the world, look to His Human only and not at the same time to His Divine; as is the case with Socinians and Arians.
[8] It was for a similar reason that the Lord could not perform miracles in His own country, for they there saw Him from infancy, as any other man; and therefore they could not attach to this the idea of His Divinity; and if this idea is not present, the Lord is indeed present in a man, but not with Divine Omnipotence; for it is faith that causes the presence of the Lord in man according to the nature of the perception concerning Him. Other things a man does not acknowledge, and so he rejects them. For, in order that the Lord may accomplish any thing in man by faith, His Divine must be present in man, and not out of Him.
In John:
"Many of the people believed on" Jesus; "and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" (7:31).
In Mark:
"These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (16:17-20).
[9] That it is a miraculous and not a saving faith which is there meant is evident also from this fact, that the Jewish nation believed in Jehovah only on account of His miracles. For they were external men; and these are moved to Divine worship only by external things, such as miracles, and these strike their minds. A miraculous faith was also the primary faith with those among whom a new church was to be established; and it is also the primary faith with all in the Christian world at this day, therefore the miracles performed by the Lord were described, and are also preached. For the primary faith with all is a historical faith, which afterwards becomes saving when a man by his life becomes spiritual. For it is first of all to be believed, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite, and one with the Father. It is necessary that these things should be known; and so far as they are mere knowledge, they are historical; and historical faith causes the Lord to be present, because it is an intuition of the Lord from the nature of His Divinity. But still that faith does not save, until a man lives the life of faith, which is charity; for he then wills and does what he believes. And to will and to do pertains to the love; and Him whom faith causes to be present love conjoins. What those miracles which the disciples were to do signified, and those which were done by them in the beginning of the church, as the casting out of demons, speaking with new tongues, and others, may be seen above (n. 706).
[10] In Matthew:
"Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (405, 510); and that the fig-tree, or sycamine, signifies the natural man as to the goods and truths therein; and, in the opposite sense, the same as to evils and falsities, may be seen above (n. 403).
[11] So far concerning miraculous faith. It remains now to adduce some passages from the evangelists concerning saving faith, which is the faith of truth from love to the Lord.
In John:
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so also must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. He who believeth in him, is not judged, but he who believeth not, is already judged, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (3:14-19).
In the same:
"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand; he who believeth in the Son hath eternal life, but he who believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him" (3:35, 36).
In the same:
"Unless ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins (8:24).
In the same:
"They said unto" Jesus, "What shall we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answering said, This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom the" Father "hath sent. I am the bread of life; he who cometh to me shall not hunger, and he who believeth in me shall never thirst. This is the will of him who sent me, that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. No one hath seen the Father, save he who is with the Father, He hath seen the Father; verily I say unto you, he who believeth in me, hath eternal life; I am the bread of life " (6:28, 29, 33, 35, 36, 40, 46-48).
In the same:
Jesus said, "He who heareth my word and believeth him who sent me, hath eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death into life; verily I say unto you, that the hour cometh, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live; even as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself" (5:24-26).
In the same:
"Jesus cried saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink; whosoever believeth in me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; these things said he of the spirit, which they who believe in him should receive" (John 7:37-39).
In the same:
"Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; but whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die" (11:25-27).
In the same:
"Jesus cried and said, He who believeth in me, believeth not in me but in him that sent me; I am come a light into the world, that every one who believeth in me may not abide in darkness; and if any one hear my words, and yet believe not, I do not judge him; he who despiseth me; and doth not receive my words, hath one that judgeth him, the word which I have spoken, shall judge him at the last day" (12:44-48).
In the same:
"As long as ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light" (12:36).
In the same:
"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me" (14:1).
In the same:
"As many as received Jesus, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name" (1:12).
In the same:
"Many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did" (2:23).
In the same:
"These things are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name" (20:31).
In Mark:
Jesus said unto his disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned" (16:15, 16).
In these and other passages saving faith is described, which is to believe in the Lord; and to believe in Him is also to believe in the Father; because He and the Father are one. By believing in the Lord is signified not only to adore and worship Him, but also to live from Him. And a man lives from Him when he lives according to the Word which is from Him. Therefore, to believe in Him is to believe that He regenerates man, and gives eternal life to those who are regenerated by Him.
[12] What is signified by believing in Him is also signified by believing in His name. For the name of the Lord signifies all the quality of faith and love by which He is to be worshipped, and by which man is saved by Him. The reason why this is signified by His name is, that no other names are given to persons in the spiritual world than those that are expressive of the quality of their affection and life; whence the quality of every one is known from his name alone. Hence when the name of any one is pronounced by another, and the quality which is understood by the name is loved, he then becomes present, and they are conjoined as companions and brethren. But the quality of the Lord is everything of faith and love, by which He saves man; for this quality is the essence which proceeds from Him. Consequently, when this quality is thought of by man, the Lord is then present with him, and when it is loved, the Lord is then conjoined to him. This is why those who believe in His name have eternal life. It is evident therefore how necessary it is that a man should know the quality of faith and love, which is the Lord's name; and should love that quality; this is effected by the doing of those things which the Lord commanded.
The names Jesus and Christ also involve that quality. For Jesus signifies salvation, and Christ or Messiah signifies Divine truth; which comprehends everything of faith and love as to knowledges, doctrine, and life. When therefore those names are mentioned, their quality should be thought of, and the life framed according thereto. This is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:
Jesus said, "If two of you shall agree in my name upon earth concerning any thing whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in the heavens; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (18:19, 20).
The presence of the Lord is indeed with all, and also His love is towards all; but still a man cannot be led and saved by the Lord, except according to his reception of the Lord, by love and faith towards Him.
[13] From these things also it is further evident, how necessary it is for a man to know the quality of that faith and love which is the name of the Lord, and also to love that quality; for the Lord cannot be loved except through His quality. That the Lord and not the Father, is to be approached, and is to be worshipped, according to the quality of the faith and love which is laid down in the Word, the Lord Himself teaches, saying,
That no one hath ever seen the Father, but that the Son brings him forth to view (John 1:18).
Then that no one cometh to the Father but by him (John 14:6).
As also because the Father and he are one (John 10:30).
Wherefore to approach the Father and not the Lord, is to make two out of one, and so to worship the Divine outside the Lord, which notwithstanding is in Him. In this way, also, the idea of the Lord's Divinity perishes with man. From these things the truth is again evident,
"That he who believeth in the Son hath eternal life" (John 3:36).
[14] That to believe in the Lord is to believe in the Father, the Lord Himself also teaches in John:
"He who believeth in me, believeth not in me but in him that sent me; and he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me" (12:44, 45).
By these words is meant, that he who believes in the Lord, does not believe in Him separate from the Father, but also in the Father; therefore it is added, "He who seeth me, seeth him that sent me."
Also in another passage in John:
"Believe in God, believe in me" (John 14:1).
In the same:
Believest thou not, Philip, "that I am in the Father and the Father in me? believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; verily I say unto you, he that believeth in me, the works which I do, he shall do also, because I go to my Father" (14:10-12).
In the same:
"In that day ye shall ask in my name; and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you. For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; and again, I leave the world and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, By this we believe that thou camest forth from God" (16:26-28, 30).
To come forth from the Father signifies to be conceived of Him; and to go to the Father signifies to be fully united to Him. That to come forth from the Father denotes being conceived of Him, is quite clear from what is said in Matthew concerning the Lord's conception (1:18-25); and in Luke (1:34, 35). And that to go to the Father denotes being fully united to Him, is clear from the glorification of His Human by the passion of the cross, of which we have spoken above. Therefore it is said,
"In that day ye shall ask in my name," and no more in the name of the Father.
[15] In the same:
Jesus said unto Thomas, "Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that do not see, and believe." And Thomas said, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28, 29).
Because the Lord was now fully united to the very Divine which is called the Father, therefore Thomas calls him his Lord and his God.
Similarly elsewhere in the same:
"Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not; although ye believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father" (10:36-38).
That the Jews did not believe, is clear in John 5:14-47; 10:24-26; 12:37-49; Matthew 21:31, 32. The reason of their incredulity was, that they wanted a Messiah who should exalt them to glory above all the nations of the earth, and because they were altogether natural and not spiritual; also because they had falsified the Word, especially where it treats of the Lord and themselves. That these were the causes of their unbelief is also evident from the faith of the Jews at this day, who are altogether natural, and scarcely know, or wish to know, anything about the Lord's kingdom in the heavens. That neither would they in the Christian world at this day believe that the Lord is one with the Father, and thence the God of heaven and earth, is meant by the Lord's words in Luke:
"When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (18:8).
But on this subject, the Lord willing, we shall treat elsewhere.
815. Verse 11. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, signifies confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favor of faith separated from life, and the consequent falsifications of the truth of the church. This is evident from the signification of "the two beasts" treated of in this chapter, as being the confirmation of those things that are signified by "the dragon," for "the dragon" signifies especially faith alone (See above, n. 2, 4, 11 of this chapter. There are moreover two means by which any heretical dogma may be confirmed, namely, by reasonings from the natural man and by confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word; and these two means are what are signified by these two "beasts." The former "beast" signifies reasonings from the natural man, because the "sea" out of which that beast came up signifies the natural of man, while this "beast" signifies confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word, because the "earth" out of which it came up signifies the church where the Word is. This "beast" signifies also falsifications of the Word, because the Word unless it is falsified can never confirm a false dogma, since all things of the Word are truths; consequently all truths can be confirmed from the Word, but by no means falsities, as can be clearly seen from what has been said above and also from what follows in this chapter.
[2] As passages from the Word have been cited above n. 785 in which "works," "deeds," "working," and "doing" are mentioned, I will now cite passages where "faith" and "believing" are mentioned, but only from the Gospels, and not from the Epistles of the Apostles, and for the reason that the Gospels contain the words of the Lord Himself, all of which have concealed in them a spiritual sense, through which immediate communication with heaven is granted, while the writings of the Apostles contain no such sense, although they are nevertheless useful books for the church.
[3] The passages of the Word where "faith" and "believing" are mentioned are the following. In Matthew:
There came a centurion to the Lord, saying, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof; but say the word only, and my boy shall be healed. Jesus hearing, marveled and said to them that followed Him, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. And He said unto the centurion, Go thy way, and as thou hast believed be it done unto thee; and his boy was healed in that hour (Matthew 8:8, 10, 13).
The Lord healed this person and others according to their faith, because the first and primary thing of the church then to be established was to believe that the Lord is God Almighty, for without that faith no church could have been established. For the Lord was the God of heaven and the God of earth, with whom no conjunction is possible except by an acknowledgment of His Divinity, which acknowledgment is faith. The centurion evidently acknowledged the Lord to be God Almighty, for he said, "I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof; but say the word only, and my boy shall be healed."
[4] In the same:
A woman afflicted with an issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus' garment; for she said within herself, If I shall but touch His garment I shall be healed. Jesus turning and seeing her, said, Daughter be of good cheer, thy faith hath made thee whole; and she was healed in that hour (Matthew 9:20-22).
In the same:
They brought unto Him one sick of the palsy lying on a bed; Jesus seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven. Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house (Matthew 9:2-7; Luke 5:19-25).
In the same:
Two blind men cried, saying, Have mercy on us, Thou Son of David. Jesus said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto Him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you; and their eyes were opened (Matthew 9:27-30).
No other faith than that which is called historical, which at that time was a miraculous faith, was meant by this faith whereby the sick were healed; consequently by this faith many wrought miracles at that time. This faith was, that the Lord was Almighty, because He was able to do miracles of Himself; for this reason He also allowed Himself to be worshiped, which was not the case with the prophets of the Old Testament, who were not worshiped. But there must always be this historical faith before it becomes a saving faith; for a historical faith becomes a saving faith with man by his learning truths from the Word, and living according to them.
[5] In the same:
A woman of Canaan, whose daughter was vexed by a demon, came and worshiped Jesus, saying, Lord, help me. Jesus said unto her, Great is thy faith; be it done unto thee as thou wilt; and her daughter was healed (Matthew 15:22-28).
In John:
A ruler whose son was sick besought Jesus to heal his son before he died. Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth; and the man believed in the word that Jesus spake unto him. And his servants met him, saying, Thy son liveth. Therefore he believed, and his whole house (John 4:46-53).
In the same:
Jesus finding the man born blind whom He healed, said unto him, Believest thou, then, on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I may believe on Him? He said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him and He it is that speaketh with thee. He said, Lord, I believe; and he worshiped Him (John 9:35-38).
In Luke:
Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, whose daughter was dead, Fear not, only believe, and she shall be made whole; and the daughter was raised up again (Luke 8:50, 55).
In the same:
One of the ten lepers that were healed by the Lord, who was a Samaritan, returned and fell upon his face at the feet of Jesus; and Jesus said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole (Luke 17:15, 16, 19).
In the same:
Jesus said to the blind man, Thy faith hath saved thee; and immediately he was able to see (Luke 18:42, 43).
In Mark:
Jesus said to the disciples, when they were unable to heal a certain man's son 1who had a dumb spirit; to whom Jesus said, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth; the father of the boy crying out with tears, said, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief; and he was healed (Mark 9:17, 23, 24).
There were three reasons why faith in the Lord healed these; first, because they acknowledged His Divine omnipotence, and that He was God; secondly, because faith is acknowledgment, and from acknowledgment intuition; and all intuition from acknowledgment makes another to be present; this is a common thing in the spiritual world. So now, when a New Church was to be established by the Lord, it was this intuition from an acknowledgment of the Lord's omnipotence from which they were first to look to the Lord; and from this it is clear what is here meant by faith. The third reason was, that all the diseases healed by the Lord represented and thus signified the spiritual diseases that correspond to these natural diseases; and spiritual diseases can be healed only by the Lord, and in fact by looking to His Divine omnipotence and by repentance of life. This is why He sometimes said, "Thy sins are forgiven thee; go and sin no more." This faith also was represented and signified by their miraculous faith; but the faith by which spiritual diseases are healed by the Lord can be given only through truths from the Word and a life according to them; the truths themselves and the life itself according to them make the quality of the faith. But more about this in what follows.
[6] In John:
When Lazarus was dead, his sister saith, Lord, by this time he stinketh. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, If thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God? (John 11:39, 40).
In Luke:
Jesus said to the woman who was a sinner, and who made His feet wet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet, which she also anointed with oil, Thy sins are forgiven thee; thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace (Luke 7:38, 48, 50).
From this it is clear that it was faith in the Lord's omnipotence that healed them, and that the same faith remitted, that is, removed, sins. The reason of this was that this woman not only had faith in the Divine omnipotence of the Lord, but also loved Him, for she kissed His feet. Wherefore the Lord said, "Thy sins are forgiven thee, thy faith hath saved thee," because faith makes the Divine of the Lord to be present, and love conjoins. It is possible, however, for the Lord to be present and not be conjoined; from which it is evident that it is faith from love that saves.
[7] Again:
Jesus said to the disciples in the boat, Why are ye fearful, O ye men of little faith? Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the sea, and there came a great calm (Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:39-41; Luke 8:24, 25).
Peter, at the Lord's command, went down out of the boat and walked upon the waters; but when the wind became strong he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus took hold of his hand and said, O man of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt (Matthew 14:28-31).
When the disciples could not heal the lunatic, Jesus said unto them, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? and Jesus healed him; and He said to the disciples that they could not heal him by reason of their unbelief (Matthew 17:14, seq.).
Jesus came into His own country, and there they were offended in Him; and Jesus said, A prophet is not without honor save in his own country and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:57, 58).
The Lord called the disciples "men of little faith" when they were unable to do miracles in His name, and He was unable to do miracles in His own country because of their unbelief, for the reason that while the disciples believed the Lord to be the Messiah or Christ, also the Son of God, and the prophet of whom it was written in the Word, yet they did not believe that He was God Almighty, and that Jehovah the Father was in Him; and yet so far as they believed Him to be a man, and not at the same time God, His Divine to which omnipotence belongs could not be present with the disciples by faith. For faith presents the Lord as present, as has been said above; but faith in Him as a man only does not present His Divine omnipotence as present. For the same reason those in the world at the present day who look to His Human alone and not at the same time to His Divine, as the Socinians and Arians do, cannot be saved.
[8] And for a like reason the Lord could not do miracles in His own country, for there they had seen Him from infancy like another man; and therefore they were unable to add to that idea the idea of His Divinity; and when that idea is not present while the Lord is present, He is not present in man with Divine omnipotence; for faith presents the Lord as present in man according to the quality of the perception of Him. Other things man does not acknowledge and therefore rejects; for in order that the Lord may operate anything with man by faith the Lord's Divine must be present in man, and not outside of him.
John:
[9] In John:
Many of the multitude believed on Jesus, and said, When the Christ shall come, will He do more signs than those which this one hath done? (706.
[10] In Matthew:
Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (405, 510; and that a "fig-tree," or a "sycamine tree," signifies the natural man in respect to its goods and truths, and in the contrary sense the same in respect to evils and falsities, see above, n. 403.
[11] So much respecting miraculous faith. Passages from the Gospels respecting saving faith, which is faith in truth from love to the Lord, shall now follow. In John:
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life. He that believeth in Him is not judged; but he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God (John 3:14-19).
In the same:
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand; he that believeth in the Son hath eternal life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God abideth on him (John 3:35, 36).
In the same:
Except ye believe that I am He ye shall die in your sins (John 8:24).
In the same:
They said to Jesus, What shall we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answering said, This is the work of God, that ye believe in Him whom the Father hath sent. I am the bread of life; he that cometh to Me shall not hunger, and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst. This is the will of Him that sent Me, that everyone that seeth the Son and believeth in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Not that anyone hath seen the Father save He that is with the Father; 2He hath seen the Father. Verily I say unto you, he that believeth in Me hath eternal life. I am the bread of life (John 6:28, 29, 35, 40, 46-48).
In the same:
Jesus said, He that heareth My word and believeth Him that sent Me hath eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, but shall pass from death into life. Verily I say unto you, that the hour shall come when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Even as the Father hath life in Himself so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself (John 5:24-26).
In the same:
Jesus cried out, saying, If anyone thirst let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. These things He said of the Spirit which those believing in Him were to receive. (John 7:37-39).
In the same:
Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he die yet shall he live; but everyone who liveth and believeth in Me shall not die to eternity (John 11:25-27).
In the same:
Jesus cried out and said, He that believeth in Me believeth not in Me but in Him that sent Me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in Me may not abide in the darkness. And if anyone hear My words and yet believe not, I judge him not; he that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My words hath one that judgeth him, the word that I have spoken shall judge him at the last day (John 12:44-48).
In the same:
While ye have the light believe in the light, that ye may be sons of light (John 12:36).
In the same:
Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me (John 14:1).
In the same:
As many as received Jesus, to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe in His name (John 1:12).
In the same:
Many believed in His name, beholding His signs (John 2:23).
In the same:
These are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life in His name (John 20:31).
In Mark:
Jesus said to the disciples, Going into all the world, preach ye the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned (Mark 16:15, 16).
These and other passages describe saving faith, which is to believe in the Lord; and to believe in Him is also to believe in the Father, because He and the Father are one. "To believe in the Lord" signifies not only to adore and worship Him, but also to live from Him, and one lives from Him when he lives according to the Word which is from Him; therefore "to believe in Him" is to believe that He regenerates man, and gives eternal life to those who are regenerated by Him.
[12] "To believe in His name" has a similar signification as "to believe in Him," since the Lord's "name" signifies every quality of faith and love by which He is to be worshiped, and by which He saves man. This is signified by "His name," because in the spiritual world names that are given to persons are always in accord with the quality of their affection and life, and in consequence the quality of each one is known from his name alone. So when anyone's name is pronounced, and the quality that is meant by the name is loved, that one becomes present, and the two are united as companions and brethren. The quality of the Lord however is everything of faith and love by which He saves man, for that quality is the essence proceeding from Him; therefore when that quality is thought of by man the Lord becomes present with him, and when this quality is loved the Lord is conjoined to him. Thence it is that those who believe in His name have eternal life. This shows how necessary it is that man should know the quality of faith and love, that is, the Lord's "name;" also how necessary it is to love that quality, which comes by doing those things that the Lord has commanded. The names "Jesus" and "Christ" moreover involve this same quality, since "Jesus" means salvation, and "Christ" or "Messiah" Divine truth, which is everything of faith and love as to knowledges, doctrine, and life. When, therefore, these names are mentioned their quality must be thought of and they must live according to it. This is what is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:
Jesus said, If two of you on earth shall agree in My name respecting anything that they shall ask it shall be done for them by My Father who is in the heavens. For where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:19, 20).
There is, indeed, a presence of the Lord with all and also a love towards all; and yet man cannot be led and be saved by the Lord except in the measure of his reception of the Lord by faith in Him and love to Him.
[13] This shows how necessary it is for man to know the quality of faith and love, that is, the Lord's name, also to love it, since the Lord can be loved only through His quality. That the Lord, and not the Father, must be approached and must be worshiped in accordance with the quality of the faith and love that is prescribed in the Word the Lord Himself teaches, saying:
That no one has seen the Father at any time but that the Son brings Him forth to view (John 1:18);
Also that no one cometh to the Father except through Him (John 14:6);
Since the Father and He are one (John 10:30).
Therefore to approach the Father and not the Lord is to make two out of one, and thus to worship apart from the Lord the Divine that is in Him. And this destroys in man the idea of Divinity in respect to the Lord, which again makes evident the truth:
That he that believeth in the Son hath eternal life (John 3:36).
[14] That to believe in the Lord is to believe in the Father, the Lord Himself teaches also in John:
He that believeth in Me believeth not in Me but in Him that sent Me; and he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me (John 12:44, 45).
This means that he that believes in the Lord believes in Him not separate from the Father, but in the Father; and it is therefore added, "He that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me." So elsewhere in John:
Believe in God, believe in Me (John 14:1).
In the same:
Philip, believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? Believe Me, that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. Verily I say unto you, He that believeth in Me, the works that I do he shall do also, because I go to My Father (John 14:10-12).
In the same:
In that day ye shall ask in My name; and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; and I go unto the Father. The disciples say, In this we believe that Thou camest forth from God (John 16:26-30).
"To come forth from the Father" signifies to be conceived of Him, and "to go to the Father" signifies to be fully united to Him. That "to come forth from the Father" means to be conceived of Him is clearly evident from His conception (Matthew 1:18-25; and in Luke 1:34, 35). That "to go to the Father" means to be fully united to Him is evident from the glorification of His Human by the passion of the cross, which has been spoken of above; and therefore He says, "In that day ye shall ask in My name," and no more in the name of the Father.
[15] In the same:
Jesus said unto Thomas, Because thou hast seen Me thou hast believed; happy are they that have not seen and yet have believed. And Thomas said, My Lord and my God (John 20:29, 20:28).
It was because the Lord was now fully united to the Divine Itself, which is called the Father, that Thomas called Him his Lord and his God. So elsewhere in the same:
Say ye of Him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of My Father believe me not; though ye believe not Me believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I in the Father (John 10:36-38).
That the Jews did not believe is evident in John 5:14-17; 10:24-26; 12:37-39; Matthew 21:31-32. The cause of their unbelief was their wish for a Messiah who would exalt them to glory above all the nations in the world; also that they were wholly natural and not spiritual; also that they had falsified the Word, especially where it treats of the Lord and also of themselves. That such were the causes of their unbelief is evident also from the faith of the Jews at this day, who are altogether natural, and know or wish to know scarcely anything about the Lord's kingdom in the heavens. That neither would those in the Christian world at the present day believe that the Lord is one with the Father, and is therefore the God of heaven and earth, is meant by the Lord's words in Luke:
When the Son of man cometh shall He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8).
But on this subject, the Lord willing, more will be said elsewhere.
Footnotes:
1. The photolithograph has "filiam" "daughter," for "filium," "son. "
2. The Latin has "Father" for "God."
815. [Vers. 11.] "Et vidi aliam bestiam ascendentem e terra." Quod significet confirmationes ex sensu litterae Verbi pro fide separata a vita, et inde falsificatione veri ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "duarum bestiarum" de quibus in hoc capite, quod sint quae confirmant illa quae per "draconem" significantur; per "draconem" enim significatur imprimis sola fides (videatur supra, n. 714); et per "bestiam ex mari ascendentem" significantur ratiocinia ex naturali homine confirmantia separationem fidei a vita (videatur etiam supra, n. 774); per hanc itaque "bestiam" significantur confirmationes ex sensu litterae Verbi pro fide separata a vita, et inde falsificationes veri ecclesiae: quod "draco" per has binas "bestias" ulterius describatur, patet ex vers. 2, 4, 11, hujus capitis. Sunt etiam duo, per quae dogma aliquod haereticum potest confirmari; nempe, sunt ratiocinia ex naturali homine, et sunt confirmationes ex sensu litterae Verbi; haec duo itaque per duas has "bestias" significantur. Quod per "priorem bestiam" significentur ratiocinia ex naturali homine, est quia per "mare", ex quo ascendit illa bestia, significatur naturale hominis; quod autem per hanc "bestiam" significentur confirmationes ex Verbi sensu litterae, est quia per "terram", e qua ascendit, significatur ecclesia ubi est Verbum: quod 1
falsificationes Verbi etiam per hanc "bestiam" significentur, est quia Verbum nusquam potest confirmare dogma falsum, nisi falsificetur: omnia enim Verbi sunt vera; quare omnia vera possunt ex Verbo confirmari, et neutiquam falsa, ut manifeste constare potesta supradictis, et quoque a sequentibus in hoc capite.
[2] Quoniam supra (n. 785) e Verbo allata sunt loca ubi "opera", "facta", "operari" et "facere" dicuntur, velim hic afferre loca ubi "fides" et "credere" nominantur, sed modo loca ex Evangelistis, non autem ex Epistolis Apostolorum; causa quod solum ex Evangelistis, est quia ibi sunt Ipsius Domini verba, quae omnia in se sensum spiritualem recondunt, per quem immediata communicatio cum caelo datur; Apostolorum autem scriptis non talis sensus inest; sunt usque libri utiles ecclesiae.
[3] Loca ubi "fides" et "credere" in Verbo dicuntur, sunt sequentia:
Apud Matthaeum,
Venit centurio ad Dominum, dicens, "Domine, non sum idoneus ut sub tectum meum subeas, sed tantum dic verbum, et sanabitur puer meus. .... Audiens..Jesus admiratus est, et dixit sequentibus Se, Amen dico vobis, non in Israele tantam fidem inveni:.... et dixit centurioni, Vade, et sicut credidisti, fiat tibi, et sanatus est puer ejus in hora illa" (8:8, 10, 13):
quod Dominus hunc et reliquos sanaverit secundum fidem eorum, erat causa, quia primum et primarium ecclesiae instaurandae erat ut crederent Dominum esse Deum omnipotentem; nam absque illa fide non aliqua ecclesia potuit instaurari; erat enim Dominus Deus caeli et Deus terrae, cum quo non datur aliqua conjunctio quam per agnitionem Divinitatis Ipsius, quae agnitio est fides: quod centurio agnoverit Dominum pro Deo omnipotente, patet; dixite enim, "Non sum idoneus ut sub tectum meum subeas, sed tantum dic verbum, et sanabitur puer meus."
[4] Apud eundem,
"Mulier profluvio sanguinis laborans..., tetigit fimbriam indumenti" Jesu, "nam dixit in se ipsa, Si modo tetigero indumentum Ipsius, sanabor; Jesus..conversus illam videns, dixit, Filia, confide; fides tua te salvam fecit: et sanata est in hora illa" (9:20-22):
apud eundem,
"Obtulerunt paralyticum super lecto jacentem; videns Jesus..fidem eorum, dixit paralytico, Confide, ...remissa sunt...peccata tua;.... surgens tolle lectum tuum et abi in domum tuam" (9:2-7; Luca 5:19-25):
apud eundem,
"Duo caeci clamantes et dicentes, Miserere nostri, fili Davidis:.... dixit illis Jesus, Creditisne quod possim hoc facere? Dicunt illi, Immo Domine; tunc tetigit oculos illorum, dicens, Juxta fidem vestram fiet vobis; et aperti sunt eorum oculi" (Matth. 9:27-29 [, 30]):
per hanc fidem, per quam sanati fuerunt aegroti, non intelligitur alia fides quam quae vocatur historica, quae etiam eo tempore fuit miraculosa; quapropter multi per eam fidem eo tempore miracula fecerunt: fides erat quod Dominus esset omnipotens, quia ex Se potuit miracula facere; quare etiam admisit in Se adorationes, secus ac prophetae Veteris Testamenti, qui non adorati sunt. Sed haec fides historica omnino praecedet, antequam eadem fit salvifica; nam tunc fides historica apud hominem fit salvifica, quando homo vera ex Verbo addiscit, et secundum illa vivit.
[5] Apud eundem,
Mulier Cananaea, cujus filia a daemonio agitata fuit, "venit et adoravit" Jesum, "dicens, Domine adjuva me;.... dixit illi Jesus, ..Magna est fides tua, fiat tibi sicut vis; et sanata est filia ejus" (15:22-28)
apud Johannem,
"Regius, cujus filius aegrotabat" rogabat Jesum, ut sanaret filium suum antequam moreretur; "dixit illi Jesus, Abi, filius tuus vivit; et credidit homo verbo quod dixit illi Jesus:...et servi occurrerunt illi, ...dicentes, Filius tuus vivit;.... ideo credidit ille, et tota domus ejus" (4:46-53):
apud eundem,
Jesus inveniens caecum natum, quem sanavit, dixit illi, "Tune credis in Filium Dei? Respondit ille et dixit, Quis est, Domine, ut credam in Illum? Dixit illi.., Et vidisti Ipsum, et qui loquitur tecum Ipse est. Ille..dixit, Credo, Domine, et adoravit Ipsum" (9:35-38):
apud Lucam,
Jesus dixit ad archisynagogum, cujus filia mortua est, "Ne timeto, crede modo, tum servabitur"; et resuscitata est filia (8:50, 55):
apud eundem,
Unus ex decem leprosis a Domino sanatis, reversus, qui erat Samarita, cecidit super faciem suam, ad pedes Jesu, "et dixit illi" Jesus, "Surge, abi, fides tua sanum te fecit" (17 [Luc. 15, 16,] Luc. 19):
apud eundem,
Jesus ad caecum dixit, "Fides tua salvum te fecit, et extemplo videre potuit" (Luc. 18:42, 43):
apud Marcum,
Jesus dixit ad discipulos, cum non sanare potuerunt alicujus filiam habentem spiritum mutum; cui Jesus dixit, "Si possis credere, omnia possibilia sunt credenti:..exclamans pater pueri cum lachrymis dixit, Credo Domine; juva meam incredulitatem"; et sanatus est (Marc. 9:17, 23, 24).
Quod fides in Dominum sanaverit illos, erant tres causae: prima, quod agnoverint Divinam Ipsius omnipotentiam, et quod esset Deus: secunda erat, quia fides est agnitio, et ex agnitione intuitio; ac omnis intuitio ex agnitione sistit alium sibi praesentem, quod in mundo spirituali commune est; hic itaque intuitio ex agnitione omnipotentiae Domini, quae erat ex qua primum intuituri Dominum erant, quum nova ab Ipso ecclesia institueretur; inde constare potest quid per fidem ibi intelligitur: tertia causa erat, quod omnes morbi, quos Dominus sanavit, repraesentaverint et inde significaverint morbos spirituales morbis illis naturalibus correspondentes; ac morbi spirituales non possunt sanari nisi quam a Domino, et quidem per intuitionem in Divinam Ipsius omnipotentiam, ac per paenitentiam vitae; quare etiam aliquoties dixit, "Remissa sunt tibi peccata, abi et non pecca amplius"; haec fides etiam per fidem hanc miraculosam repraesentabatur et significabatur; sed fides, per quam a Domino sanantur morbi spirituales, non datur nisi quam per vera ex Verbo, et per vitam secundum illa; ipsa vera et vita secundum illa faciunt quale fidei: sed de hac plura in sequentibus:
[6] Apud Johannem,
Dicit soror Lazari jam dum mortui, "Domine jam olet;...dicit illi Jesus, Nonne dixeram tibi, [quod] si crederes, visura esses gloriam Dei?" (11:39, 40):
apud Lucam,
Jesus dixit mulieri peccatrici, quae madefecit lachrymis pedes Ipsius, et capillis capitis abstersit, et osculata pedes, quos etiam oleo unxit, .... "Remissa sunt tibi peccata tua, .... fides tua te salvam facit, abi in pacem" (7:38, 48, 50):
ex his quoque patet quod fides omnipotentiae Domini sanaverit illos, et quoque quod eadem fides remiserit, hoc est, removerit, peccata; causa erat, quia mulier illa non solum fidem Divinae omnipotentiae de Domino habuit, sed etiam Ipsum amavit, nam osculata est pedes Ipsius; quare dixit Dominus, "Remissa sunt tibi peccata tua, fides tua te salvam facit"; fides enim sistit Divinum Domini sibi praesens, et amor conjungit; potest enim Dominus praesens sisti sed non conjungi; inde patet quod fides ex amore salvet.
[7] [Et alibi, ]
Jesus dixit discipulis in navi, "Quare timidi estis, exiguae fidei homines? Tunc erexit Se, et reprehendit ventum et mare, et facta est tranquillitas magna" (Matthaeus 8:26; Marcus 4:39-41; Luca 8:24, 25):
Petrus ex jussu Domini descendit e navi, et ambulavit super aquis; verum cum veniret ventus fortis, "extimuit, et incipiens demergi clamavit, ..Domine, serva me; Jesus..statim apprehendens manum ejus, dixit.., Exiguae fidei homo, quare dubitabas?" (Matthaeus 14:28-31):
Quum discipuli non potuerunt sanare lunaticum, Jesus dixit illis, "Generatio incredula et perversa, quousque ero vobiscum?" et Jesus sanavit eum; et dixit ad discipulos quod non potuerint sanare eum, propter incredulitatem eorum (Matthaeus 17:14, seq.):
Jesus venit in patriam suam, et ibi "scandalizati sunt in Ipsum; et Jesus dixit.., Non est propheta minus honoratus quam in patria sua, et in domo sua; ideo non fecit ibi virtutes multas propter incredulitatem eorum" (Matthaeus 13:57, 58):
quod Dominus vocaverit discipulos "homines exiguae fidei", cum non potuerunt miracula in nomine Ipsius facere, et quod non potuerit miracula facere in patria sua propter incredulitatem eorum, erat causa, quia discipuli quidem credebant Dominum esse Messiam seu Christum, tum Filium Dei, et Prophetam, de quo scriptum est in Verbo, sed usque nondum crediderunt Ipsum Deum omnipotentem, et quod Jehovah Pater esset in Ipso; et tamen quatenus crediderunt Ipsum hominem, et non simul Deum, non potuit Divinum Ipsius, cui omnipotentia est, sisti discipulis praesens per fidem: fides enim sistit Dominum praesentem, ut supra dictum est; sed fides in Dominum ut hominem solum, non sistit omnipotentiam Divinam Ipsius praesentem; quae etiam causa est, quod non salvari possint qui hodie in mundo solum spectant ad humanum Ipsius, et non simul ad Divinum Ipsius, ut faciunt Sociniani et Ariani.
[8] Ex simili causa fuit quod Dominus non potuerit miracula facere in patria sua, quia ibi viderunt Ipsum ab infantia sicut alium hominem; quare non potuerunt isti ideae adjicere ideam Divinitatis; et quando haec non adest, quidem Dominus est praesens sed non cum Divina omnipotentia in homine, nam fides sistit Dominum praesentem in homine secundum quale perceptionis de Ipso; reliqua homo non agnoscit et sic rejicit; ut enim Dominus aliquid operetur per fidem apud hominem, erit praesentia Divini Domini in homine, et non extra illum.
[9] Apud Johannem,
"Multi..de turba crediderunt in" Jesum, "et dixerunt, quod Christus quando venerit, numquid plura signa is faceret, quam quae Hic fecit?" (7:31):
apud Marcum,
"Signa..credentes haec sequentur; in nomine meo daemonia ejicient, linguis loquentur novis, serpentes tollent, etiamsi letale quid biberint, non illis nocebit; super infirmos imponent manus, et bene habebunt:.... illi..exeuntes praedicarunt ubique, Domino cooperante et verbum confirmante per subsequentia signa" (16:17-20).
Quod fides miraculosa, et non salvifica sit, quae ibi intelligitur, constare etiam potest ex eo, quod Judaica gens solum crediderit in Jehovam propter miracula; erant enim externi homines, et hi solum ad cultum Divinum per externa quae animos percellunt, qualia sunt miracula, moventur. Etiam miraculosa fides erat prima fides apud illos apud quos nova ecclesia instauranda erat: etiam illa fides est prima fides apud omnes in Christiano orbe hodie; quare miracula a Domino facta, descripta sunt, et quoque praedicantur: nam fides prima apud omnes est fides historica, quae postea fit salvifica quando homo per vitam fit spiritualis; nam omnium primo credendum est quod Dominus sit Deus caeli et terrae, ac quod sit omnipotens, omnipraesens, omnisciens, infinitus, ac unus cum Patre; haec scienda sunt, et quatenus modo sciuntur, sunt historica, et fides historica sistit Dominum praesentem, est enim illa fides intuitio Domini ex quali Divinitatis Ipsius; sed usque illa fides non salvat, priusquam homo vivit vitam fidei, quae est charitas; nam tunc vult et facit quae credit, ac velle et facere est amoris, et amor conjungit Ipsum quem fides sistit praesentem. Quid miracula illa, quae discipuli facturi erant, et quae ab illis facta sunt initio Ecclesiae Christianae, ut quod "daemonia ejicerent", "linguis novis loquerentur", et plura, significaverunt, videatur supra (n. 706 [c]).
[10] Apud Matthaeum,
"Jesus dixit, .... Amen dico vobis, si habueritis fidem sicut granum sinapis, dicetis monti huic, Transi illuc, tunc transibit, et nihil impossibile erit vobis" (17:14-20):
apud Marcum,
"Habete fidem Dei; amen. .dico vobis, quod quicunque dixerit monti huic, Tollere, ..projice te in mare, nec dubitaverit corde suo, sed crediderit quod quae dicit futura sint, fiet illi quod dixerit: propterea dico vobis, omnia quaecunque precantes petitis, credite quod accepturi sitis, tunc fiet vobis" (11:22-24):
apud Matthaeum,
"Jesus dixit" discipulis..."Si habueritis fidem, et non dubitaveritis, non tantum id quod in ficu factum est facietis: sed etiam si monti huic dixeritis, Tollere, ..projice te in mare [, fiet] ; immo omnia quae petieritis...credentes" in Me, "accipietis" (21:21, 22):
apud Lucam,
"Si habeatis fidem sicut granum sinapis, et dixeritis sycomoro huic, Eradicare et plantare in mari, utique obediet vobis" (17:6).
Quod haec aliter intelligenda sint quam secundum verba, constare potest ex eo, quod dictum sit ad discipulos, "Si fidem haberent sicut granum sinapis, quod montem et sycomorum potuissent loco suo evellere et projicere in mare", tum quod "omnia quae peterent accepturi essent"; cum tamen non ex Divino ordine est ut quisque acciperet quod petit, si modo fidem haberet; tum quod evellerent montem et arborem ex suo loco, et projicerent in mare: sed per "fidem" hic intelligitur fides a Domino; quare etiam vocatur "fides Dei"; et qui in fide a Domino est, nihil aliud petit quam quod regno Domini et sibi ad salutem conducit; reliqua non vult; dicit enim corde, Cur petenda quae non talis usus sunt? Quare non potest aliquam fidem Dei seu fidem a Domino habere in petendo quam quod a Domino ei petere datur. Immo angelis caeli impossibile est aliud velle, ita aliud petere; si aliud, non possunt fidem habere quod accepturi sunt. Quod Dominus comparaverit talem fidem valori et potentiae projiciendi montem aut sycomorum in mare, erat quia Dominus hic ut alibi locutus est per correspondentias; quare illa verba etiam spiritualiter intelligenda sunt: per "montem" enim significatur amor sui et mundi, ita amor mali; et per "sycomorum" significatur fides illius amoris, quae est fides falsi ex malo; et per "mare" significatur infernum; quare per "montem evellere et projicere in mare per fidem Dei", significatur amores illos, qui in se diabolici sunt, ejicere in infernum, similiter fidem falsi ex malo; hoc fit per fidem a Domino. Quod comparatio valoris et potentiae fidei a Domino facta sit cum evulsione et projectione montis et sycomori, est etiam quia in mundo spirituali actualiter ita fit: amores illi mali quandoque ibi apparent sicut montes, ac fides falsi ex malo sicut sycomorus, ac utrumque ab angelo per fidem a Domino potest eradicari et projici in infernum. (Quod per "montem" significetur amor in Dominum, ac in opposito sensu amor sui, videatur supra, n. 405, 510: et quod "ficus" aut "sycomorus" significet naturalem hominem quoad bona et vera ibi, ac in opposito sensu eundem quoad mala et falsa, supra, n. 403.)
[11] Haec de fide miraculosa. Sequuntur nunc loca ex Evangelistis de fide salvifica, quae est fides veri ex amore in Dominum: Apud Johannem,
"Sicut Moses exaltavit serpentem in deserto, ita oportet exaltari Filium hominis, ut omnis qui credit in Ipsum, non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam. Adeo namque dilexit Deus mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum dederit, ut omnis qui credit in Ipsum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam. .... Qui credit in Ipsum, non judicatur; qui autem non credit, jam judicatus est, quia non credidit in nomen unigeniti Filii Dei" (3:14-19):
apud eundem,
"Pater amat Filium, et omnia dedit in manum Ipsius; qui credit in Filium, habet vitam aeternam; qui Vero non credit Filio, non videbit vitam, sed ira Dei manet super illum" (3:35, 36):
apud eundem,
"Nisi credideritis quod Ego sim, moriemini in peccatis vestris" (8:24):
apud eundem,
"Dixerunt..ad" Jesum, "Quid faciemus ut operemur opera Dei? Respondens Jesus dixit, Hoc est opus Dei, ut credatis in Ipsum quem misit" Pater. .... "Ego sum panis vitae; qui venit ad Me, non esuriet, et qui credit in Me, non sitiet unquam. .... Haec..est voluntas Ipsius qui misit Me, ut omnis qui videt Filium, et credit in Ipsum, habeat vitam aeternam, et resuscitem illum in extremo die. .... Non Patrem vidit quis, nisi qui est apud 2
Deum, Hic vidit Patrem: amen. .dico vobis, qui credit in Me, habet vitam aeternam: Ego sum panis vitae" (6 3
apud eundem,
Jesus dixit, "Qui verbum meum audit, et credit Ipsi qui misit Me, habet vitam aeternam, et in judicium non veniet, sed transcendet e morte in vitam: amen. .dico vobis, quod veniet hora, ...quando mortui audient vocem Filii Dei, et qui audient, vivent: quemadmodum..Pater vitam habet in Se Ipso, ita dedit Filio vitam habere in Se Ipso" (5:24-26):
apud eundem,
"Jesus clamavit, dicens, Si quis sitiverit, venito ad Me et bibito; quisquis credit in Me, sicut dixit scriptura, flumina e Ventre illius fluent aquae viventis: haec..dixit de spiritu, quem accepturi erant, credentes in Ipsum" (7:37-39):
apud eundem,
"Jesus..dixit, Ego sum resurrectio et vita; qui credit in Me, etsi moriatur, vivet; omnis vero qui vivit, et credit in Me, non morietur in aeternum" (11:25-27):
apud eundem,
"Jesus..clamavit et dixit, Qui credit in Me, non credit in Me, sed in Ipsum qui misit Me. .... Ego lux in mundum veni, ut omnis qui credit in Me, in tenebris non maneat: et si quis audiverit mea verba, non tamen crediderit, Ego non judico illum;.... qui spernit Me, et non accipit mea verba, habet qui judicet illum, verbum, quod locutus sum, ..judicabit illum extremo die" (12:44-48):
apud eundem,
"Quousque lucem habetis, credite in lucem, ut filii lucis sitis" (12:36):
apud eundem,
"Non turbator cor vestrum; credite in Deum, et credite in Me" (14:1):
apud eundem,
"Quotquot..receperunt" Jesum, "dedit illis potestatem ut filii Dei essent, credentibus in nomen Ipsius" (1:12):
apud eundem,
"Multi crediderunt in nomen Ipsius, videntes signa Ipsius" (2:23):
apud eundem,
"Haec..scripta sunt, ut credatis quod Jesus sit Christus Filius Dei, et ut credentes vitam habeatis in nomine Ipsius" (20:31):
apud Marcum,
Jesus dixit discipulis, "Euntes in mundum universum, praedicate Evangelium omni creaturae; qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit, salvabitur; qui vero non crediderit, condemnabitur" (16:15, 16):
in his et in aliis locis describitur fides salvifica, quod credendum sit in Dominum, et quod credere in Ipsum sit etiam credere in Patrem, quia Ipse et Pater unum sunt. Per "credere in Dominum" significatur non modo adorare et colere Ipsum, sed etiam vivere ab Ipso; et vivitur ab Ipso cum vivitur secundum Verbum, quod ab Ipso; quare "credere in Ipsum" est credere quod Ipse regeneret hominem, et quod regeneratis ab Ipso det vitam aeternam.
[12] Simile quod per "credere in Ipsum" significatur per "credere in nomen Ipsius"; "nomen" enim Domini significat omne quale fidei et amoris, per quod Ipse colendus est, et per quod homo ab Ipso salvatur: causa, quod id per "nomen Ipsius" significetur, est quia non alia nomina dantur personis in mundo spirituali, quam secundum quale affectionis et vitae eorum; unde quisque cognoscitur, qualis est, ex solo nomine ejus; inde cum nomen ejus enuntiatur, ac amatur id quale quod intelligitur per nomen, tunc sistitur ille praesens, et conjunguntur sicut socii aut fratres: quale autem Domini est omne fidei et amoris per quod homo ab Ipso salvatur, nam id quale est essentia procedens ab Ipso; quare cum cogitatur id quale, tunc sistitur Dominus praesens apud illum, et cum amatur id quale, tunc conjungitur ei Dominus; inde est, quod qui credunt in nomen Ipsius vitam aeternam habeant. Inde patet quam necessarium sit homini scire quale fidei et amoris, quod est "nomen Domini", tum amare illud quale, quod fit per facere illa quae a Domino praecepta sunt. Etiam nomina "Jesus" et "Christus" involvunt id quale, nam Jesus significat salvationem, et Christus seu Messias significat Divinum Verum, quod est omne fidei et amoris quoad cognitiones, doctrinam et vitam; inde cum nominantur illa nomina, quale eorum cogitandum est, et secundum id vivendum. Hoc intelligitur per verba Domini apud Matthaeum,
Jesus dixit, "Si duo ex vobis consenserint in nomine meo super terra de omni re, quamcunque petierint, fiet illis a Patre meo qui in caelis est; ubi enim sunt duo aut tres congregati in nomine meo, ibi sum in medio eorum" (18:19, 20).
Est quidem praesentia Domini apud omnes, et quoque amor erga omnes; sed usque non potest homo duci et salvari a Domino quam secundum receptionem Domini in homine per fidem et amorem in Ipsum.
[13] Ex his patet quam necessarium est homini scire quale fidei et amoris, quod est nomen Domini; tum amare illud quale, nam Dominus non amatur nisi quam per quale suum. Quod Dominus adeundus sit, et secundum quale fidei et amoris, quod praescribitur in Verbo, colendus sit, et non Pater, Ipse Dominus docet, dicens,
Quod nemo Patrem viderit unquam, sed quod Filius exponat [ (Johannes 1:18)] ;
Tum quod nemo veniat ad Patrem, nisi per Ipsum [ (Johannes 14:6)] ;
Ut et quia Pater et Ipse unum sunt [ (Johannes 10:30)] :
quare "adire Patrem", et non Ipsum, est ex uno duos facere, et sic colere illud Divinum extra Dominum quod in Ipso est; per quod etiam perit homini idea Divinitatis de Domino: ex his iterum patet veritas,
Quod qui credit in Filium, vitam aeternam habeat [ (Johannes 3:36)] .
[14] Quod credere in Dominum sit credere in Patrem, etiam docet Ipse Dominus apud Johannem,
"Qui credit in Me, non credit in Me, sed in Ipsum qui misit Me; et qui videt Me, videt Ipsum qui misit Me" (12:44, 45):
per haec intelligitur, quod qui credit in Dominum non credat in Ipsum separatum a Patre, sed etiam in Patrem; quare adjicitur, "Qui videt Me, videt Ipsum qui misit Me." Tum alibi apud Johannem,
"Credite in Deum, ..credite in Me" ( 4
14:1);
apud eundem,
Philippe, "nonne credis quod Ego in Patre, et Pater in Me?.... Credite Mihi quod Ego in Patre et Pater in Me:.... amen. .dico vobis, qui credit in Me, opera quae Ego facio, ille etiam faciet, .... quia Ego ad Patrem meum abeo" (14:10-12);
apud eundem,
"In ista die in nomine meo petetis; et non dico vobis quod Ego petiturus sim Patrem pro vobis; Ipse..Pater amat vos, quod vos Me amaveritis et credideritis quod Ego a Deo exiverim; exivi a Patre, et veni in mundum, ...et vado ad Patrem: dicunt..discipuli, .... In hoc credimus quod a Deo exiveris" (16:26-28, [29,] 30):
"exire a Patre" significat conceptum ab Ipso; et "vadere ad Patrem" significat plenarie uniri Ipsi;
quod "exire a Patre" sit quod conceptus sit ab Ipso, constat manifeste a conceptione Ipsius (Apud Matthaeum, cap. 1:18-25; et apud Lucam cap. 1:34, 35);
et quod "vadere ad Patrem" sit plenarie uniri Ipsi, patet a glorificatione Ipsius Humani per passionem crucis (de qua prius); quare dicit, quod "In ista die in nomine meo petetis", et non amplius in nomine Patris.
[15] Apud eundem,
Jesus dixit ad Thomam, "Quia vidisti Me, ..credidisti; beati qui non vident et credunt:".... "et dixit Thomas.., Domine mi, et Deus mi" (Johannes 20:29, 28):
quia Dominus nunc plene unitus fuit Ipso Divino quod "Pater" vocatur, ideo Thomas vocat Ipsum suum Dominum, et suum Deum. Similiter alibi apud eundem,
"Quem Pater sanctificavit, et misit in mundum, vosne dicitis, quod blasphemes, quia dixi, Filius Dei sum? Si non facio opera Patris mei, ne credite Mihi; [si vero facio,] si utique Mihi non credatis, operibus credite, ut cognoscatis et credatis quod Pater in Me, et Ego in Patre" (10:36-38).
Quod Judaei non crediderint, patet Apud Johannem, cap. 5:14-47; 10:24-26; 12:37-49; Matthaeus 21:31, 32:
causa incredulitatis eorum fuit, quia voluerunt Messiam qui evecturus esset illos in gloriam super omnes gentes in mundo; et quia prorsus naturales fuerunt, et non spirituales; et quia Verbum, imprimis ubi agitur de Domino et quoque de ipsis, falsificaverunt: quod ideo non crediderint, patet a fide Judaeorum etiam hodie; qui prorsus naturales sunt, illi vix aliquid sciunt ac volunt scire de regno Domini in caelis. Quod nec hodie in Christiano orbe credituri sint quod Dominus sit unus cum Patre, et inde Deus caeli et Deus terrae, intelligitur per Domini verba apud Lucam,
"Filius hominis veniens, num inveniet fidem super terra?" (18:8):
sed de hac re, volente Domino, alibi plura.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
3. The editors made a correction or note here.
4. The editors made a correction or note here.