BE57.我预见到被灌输了如此信仰中似是而非之说的很多人如今会说：“理性如何能明白神学之事？神学不是超越理性的属灵之事吗？因此，如果你可以，那就请解释一下救赎和称义的奥秘吧，以便让理性可以看清并顺从。”这个奥秘因此被披露如下：谁不知道上帝是独一的，除他以外没有别的上帝；上帝是爱本身和智慧本身，或者他是善本身和理本身；正是这位上帝自己——在关于神性之理，也就是道（Word）方面——降临并呈现为人，来驱除诸地狱，因而从人身上除去被罚入地狱的惩罚，他是通过争战并获胜来征服魔鬼，也就是征服地狱，因为地狱在当时侵犯并在灵性上杀戮每一个来到世上的人；之后，他通过将神性之理与神性之善在他的人（HisHuman）里面的结合而荣耀了他的人，因而回到他从其所出的父那里？人若理解这些，《约翰福音》中的以下话语就能被领受：道与上帝同在、道就是上帝、道成了肉身（约翰福音1:1，14）；我从父出来、到了世界、我又离开世界、往父那里去（约翰福音16:28）；从这些陈述中可以明显地看出，如果没有主的降临，就不会有世人得救，而那些信他并过良善生活者得救。如此信仰在圣经的启发下如同在光天化日中清晰可见；这是新教会信仰的形式（如n.116，117所示，其中说明了新天和新教会信仰的普遍和具体形式）。
57. I foresee that very many people at this day, imbued with the paradoxes of this faith, will say, "How can theological matters be perceived by the understanding? Are they not spiritual things which transcend it? Explain, therefore, if you can, the mystery of redemption and justification, so that reason may view it and acquiesce therein." This mystery shall therefore be disclosed as follows.
Who does not know that God is one, and that beside Him there is no other God; that God is Love itself and Wisdom itself, or that He is Good itself and Truth itself; that the self-same God descended as to Divine Truth, which is the Word, and assumed the Human in order to remove hell, thus damnation from man; that He accomplished this by combats with, and victories over, the devil, that is, over the hells which at that time were infesting and spiritually slaying every man coming into the world; that afterwards He glorified His Human by uniting in it Divine Truth with Divine Good and thus returned to the Father from Whom He came forth? When these things are perceived the following passage in John can be understood:
The Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . and the Word was made flesh. John 1:1, 14.
Also this passage in the same Evangelist can then be understood:
I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father. John 16:28.
From these statements it is evident that, without the Advent of the Lord into the world, no mortal could have been saved, and that they are saved who believe on Him and live well. This view of faith appears clearly as in the day to the sight enlightened by the Word; and this is the form of the Faith of the New Church, as may be seen below, nos. 116-117, where the Faith of the New Heaven and of the New Church in its universal and particular forms is given.
57. I foresee that very many at this day, tinctured with the paradoxes of this faith, will say, how can theological things be perceived by the understanding? are they not spiritual which transcend it? Explain, therefore, if you can, the mystery of redemption and justification, that reason may see it and acquiesce. This mystery then shall be opened in the following manner. Who does not know that God is one, and that besides Him there is no other, and that God is love itself, and wisdom itself, or that He is good itself, and truth itself; and that the very God Himself as to Divine truth, which is the Word, descended and assumed the Human to remove the hells, and consequently damnation from man, which he effected by combats with, and victories over the devil, that is, over all the hells, which at that time infested and spiritually slew every man coming into the world; and that afterwards He glorified His Human, by uniting in it the Divine truth with Divine good, and thus He returned to the Father from whom He came forth? When these things are perceived, then the following passages in John may be understood:
The Word was with God, and God was the Word, and the Word became flesh (John 1:1, 14).
And also the following in the same:
I went forth from the Father, and came into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father (John 16:28-29).
Hence also it is evident, that without the coming of the Lord into the world, no mortal could have been saved, and they are saved who believe in Him, and live well. This face of faith presents itself as clear as the day to those who are enlightened by the Word, and it is the face of the faith of the New Church. See the FAITH OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND OF THE NEW CHURCH IN ITS UNIVERSAL AND IN ITS PARTICULAR FORM, below (n. 116-117).
57. Praevideo quod hodie permulti paradoxis fidei istius impraegnati, dicturi sint, quomodo possunt Theologica percipi intellectu, suntne Spiritualia quae transcendunt; aperi itaque si potes mysterium Redemptionis et Justificationis, ut ratio id videat, et acquiescat: Hoc ergo aperietur ita; Quis non scit, quod Deus unus sit, et non praeter Ipsum alius, et quod Deus sit Ipse Amor et Ipsa Sapientia, seu quod sit Ipsum Bonum et Ipsum Verum; et quod Ipse ille Deus quoad Divinum Verum, quod est Verbum, descenderit et assumserit Humanum ad removendum Inferna, et sic damnationem ab homine; et quod hoc peregerit per pugnas, et per victorias super diabolum, hoc est, super omnia inferna, quae tunc infestabant ac spiritualiter occidebant omnem hominem venientem in Mundum; et quod postea glorificaverit Humanum suum, per quod in Illo univerit Divinum Verum Divino Bono, et sic rediverit ad Patrem ex Quo exivit; his perceptis intelligitur hoc apud Johannem "Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum; et Verbum caro factum est," Cap. 1:1, 14. Et quoque hoc apud Eundem. "Exivi a Patre, et veni in. Mundum, et iterum relinquo Mundum, et vado ad Patrum," Cap. 16:28. [29] Ex his etiam patet, quod absque Adventu Domini in Mundum, nullus mortalium salvari potuerit, et quod salventur qui credunt in Ipsum, et bene vivunt. Haec facies fidei apparet coram visu per Verbum illustrato in die, et est facies fidei Novae Ecclesiae: Vide FIDEM NOVI CAELI ET NOVAE ECCLESIAE IN FORMA UNIVERSALI, ET IN FORMA PARTICULARI, infra n: 116, 117.