426.启9:4.“并且吩咐它们说，不可伤害地上的草和各样青物，并一切树木，惟独要伤害额上没有神印记的人”表主的圣治或天命规定，除了诸如没有处于仁，因而没有处于信的那类人外，他们不能夺走其他任何人的任何信之真理与良善，以及对它们的任何情感和领悟。“吩咐它们说”表示主的圣治或天命，因为这话是从天上说的；“不可伤害地上的草和各样青物”表示不能夺走任何信之真理与良善；“草”表示信之真理，它是人里面首先生发之物（401节）；“青物”表示源自良善的信之活物（401节）；“不可伤害一切树木”表示不能夺走对真理和良善的情感和领悟；因为“树”表示在这些事物方面的人（400节）；“额上没有神印记的人”表示那些没有处于仁，因而处于信的人；因为“额”表示爱与仁（347节）；“有印记”表示知道他们并将其与其他人区分开（345节）。
那些确认唯信，甚至确认唯信称义与得救这个奥秘的人之所以无法从他们，以及除了那些未处于仁之信的人外，无法从其他任何人那里夺走任何信之真理与真理，也无法夺走对它们的情感和领悟，是因为除了教导和传讲它们的教会显要人物外，几乎没有人理解这些奥秘。平信徒虽然听到这些东西，但也是左耳进、右耳出。
喜欢这些奥秘的牧师本人肯定是知道的，因为他们一成年就花费一切天赋精力来吸收它们，后来又在随后一段时期内持守它们，还因为他们凭此而自认学识渊博。那么，那些简单地相信源自仁之信的平信徒在听到这些秘密后会是什么反应吗？由此可见，唯信称义是神职人员的信仰，而非平信徒的信仰，除了那些在生活上掉以轻心的人外。后者从前者的奥秘中仅得到这些信息：唯信拯救人，他们不能靠自己行善，不能成全律法，基督为他们受难，此外还有一些类似性质的信条。
426. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (9:4) This symbolizes the Lord's Divinely providing that they be unable to take away any truth or good of faith, or any affection for or perception of these, from any others than people lacking in charity and so having no faith.
Their being told symbolizes the Lord's Divinely providing, because they were told from heaven. Their not harming the grass of the earth, or any green thing, symbolizes their inability to take away any truth or good of faith; for grass symbolizes the truth of faith that is born first in a person (no. 401), and a green thing symbolizes the life force in faith, which springs from goodness (no. 401). Their not harming any tree symbolizes their inability to take away any affection for or perception of truth and goodness; for a tree symbolizes a person in respect to these (no. 400). Those men not having the seal of God on their foreheads symbolize people lacking in charity and so having no faith; for the forehead symbolizes love and charity (no. 347), and having the seal means, symbolically, to know them and distinguish them from others (no. 345).
[2] People who have affirmed faith alone to the point of embracing the mysteries of justification and salvation by it are unable to take away any truth or good of faith, or any affection for or perception of these, from any others than people lacking the faith that accompanies charity, because scarcely anyone comprehends them other than the prelate who teaches and preaches these. The layman hears them, but they fly in one ear and out the other, as the mystery-preaching priest himself may know for certain from the fact that he himself spent the whole force of his genius on learning them in his youth, and afterward on retaining them in his later age, and from the fact that he reckons himself especially well-educated on account of them. What then does the layman comprehend who, when he hears these mysteries, thinks in simplicity of the faith accompanying charity?
It can be seen from this that a justifying faith alone is the faith of the clergy, and not of the laity, except in the case of those who live heedlessly. The latter learn from the clergy's mysteries only that faith alone saves, that they cannot do good of themselves, that neither can they fulfill the law, and that Christ suffered for them, along with a few other general tenets like these.
426. [verse 4] 'And it was said to them that they should not hurt the grass of the land, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only those men who did not have the seal of God upon their foreheads' signifies the Lord's Divine Providence that they are not able to take away any truth and good of faith, nor the affection and perception thereof, from any others than those who are not in charity and consequently not in faith. By 'it was said to them' is signified the Lord's Divine Providence, because it was said out of heaven. By 'not hurt the grass of the land, nor any green thing' is signified not to be able to take away anything true and good of faith, for by 'grass' is signified the truth of faith that is born first with a man (401), and by 'green thing' is signified what is living of the faith that is derived from good (401). By not hurting 'any tree' is signified not to be able to take away the affection and perception of truth and good, for by 'tree' is signified a man as to these (400). By 'those who did not have the seal of God upon their foreheads' are signified those who are not in charity and consequently not in faith, for 'forehead' signifies love and charity (347), and 'to have the seal' signifies to have a knowledge of those and distinguish them from others (345).
[2] The reason why those who have confirmed faith alone even as far as to the mysteries of justification and salvation thereby cannot take away any truth and good of faith, nor the affection and perception [of them], from any others than those who are not in the faith of charity, is because scarcely anyone comprehends those mysteries except the church dignitary who teaches and preaches them. The layman hears them, but they go in at one ear and out at the other, which the mystery-loving priest himself can know for sure by reason of the fact that he himself has spent all the force of his genius in absorbing them in his early manhood, and afterwards in retaining them in the period following, also the fact that on their account he appraises himself as supremely learned. What then [must it be in the case of] the layman who thinks in a simple manner of a faith derived from charity, when he is hearing of these mystical matters? In consequence of these considerations it can be seen that faith alone justifying is a faith of the clergy and not of the laity, except of those who live unconcernedly. The latter derive out of the mysteries of the former only these things: that faith alone saves, that they cannot do good from themselves, that neither can they fulfil the law, and that Christ suffered on their behalf besides a few universals similar to these.
426. Verse 4. And it was said to them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing; nor any tree; but only the men who had not the seal of God in their foreheads, signifies the Divine providence of the Lord, that they should not be able to take away any truth and good of faith, nor affection and perception of them, from any others than such as are not in charity and thence not in faith. By "it was said to them," is signified the Lord's Divine providence, because it was said from heaven; by "not hurting the grass of the earth nor any green thing," is signified not to be able to take away any truth and good of faith; for by "grass" is signified the truth of faith, which is what first springs up in man, (401); and, by "green thing," is signified the living principle of faith, which is from good, (401); by "not hurting any tree," is signified not to be able to take away the affection and perception of truth and good; for by "a tree" is signified man as to these, (400); by "those who had not the seal of God in their foreheads" are signified those who are not in charity, and thence in faith; for "the forehead" signifies love and charity, (347); and "to have the seal," signifies to know and distinguish them from others, (345).
[2] The reason why they who have confirmed faith alone, to the very arcana of justification and salvation by it, cannot take away any truth and good of faith, nor the affection and perception of them, from any but those who are not in the faith of charity, is, because they are scarcely comprehended by anyone but the prelate who teaches and preaches them. The layman hears them, but they enter in at one ear and go out at the other; which the mystery-teaching priest himself, who utters those arcana, may know of a certainty from this circumstance, that he himself spent the whole force of his genius in acquiring a knowledge of them in his youth, and afterwards in retaining them in the following age, likewise from his considering himself as a man of extraordinary learning on account of them. What then must be the case with a layman, who simply thinks of faith from charity, when he hears these mysteries? From what has been said, it may be seen that faith alone justifying is the faith of the clergy, and not of the laity, except of those who live unconcernedly, who imbibe no more from their arcana than that faith alone saves; that they cannot do good from themselves, nor fulfil the law, that Christ suffered for them; besides some other universals of a similar nature.
426. (Vers. 4.) "Et dictum illi, ne laederent gramen terrae, neque ullum viride, neque ullam arborem, nisi homines solos, quicunque non haberent sigillum Dei in frontibus suis," significat Divinam Domini Providentiam, quod non possint auferre aliquod verum et bonum fidei, nec affectionem et perceptionem illorum, aliis quam qui non in charitate et inde non in fide sunt. - Per "dictum illis" significatur, Divina Domini Providentia, quia dictum est e Caelo; per "non laedere gramen terrae, neque ullum viride," significatur non posse auferre aliquod verum et bonum fidei, per "gramen" enim significatur verum fidei quod primum nascitur apud hominem (401), et per "viride" significatur vivum fidei, quod est ex bono (401); per "non laedere ullam arborem" significatur non posse auferre affectionem et perceptionem veri et boni, per "arborem" enim significatur homo quoad illas (400); per illos qui "non habent sigillum Dei in frontibus suis" significantur qui non in charitate et inde fide sunt, "frons" enim significat amorem et charitatem (347), et "habere sigillum" significat illos nosse et distinguere ab aliis (345).
Quod illi qui confirmaverunt solam fidem usque in arcana justificationis et salvationis per illam, non possint auferre aliquod verum et bonum fidei, nec affectionem et perceptionem, aliis quam qui non in fide charitatis sint, est causa, quia vix ullus praeter antistitem qui docet et praedicat, comprehendit illa; laicus audit, sed involant per unam ejus aurem et evolant per alteram; quod ipse sacerdos arcanista pro certo scire potest ex eo, quod ipse impenderit omnem ingenii vim ad hauriendum illa in sua adolescentia, et postea ad retinendum illa in sequente aetate, tum quod se ex illis praedoctum aestimet; quid tunc laicus qui simpliciter cogitat de fide ex charitate, cum mystica illa audit: ex his videri potest, quod fides sola justificans sit fides clericorum, et non laicorum, nisi illorum qui secure vivunt; hi ex arcanis illorum solum haec hauriunt, quod sola fides salvet, quod non possint facere bonum a se, quod nec possint implere legem, quod Christus passus sit pro illis; 1praeter universalia illis similia pauca.
Footnotes:
1. illis pro "illo"