BE93.我有时在灵界与那些固执于唯信称义之人交谈，我跟他们说这种信仰是错误的，也是荒谬的；它会导致在属灵之事上带来麻木、盲目、休眠和黑夜，从而导致灵魂的死亡；因此，我劝他们放弃。不过得到的回复是：“我们为什么要放弃它？神职人员比平信徒在学识上的优越性不就是取决这样的信仰吗？”于是我回答说：“在那种情况下，他们关注的不是灵魂的救赎，而是他们自己的显赫；当他们将圣经的真理应用到自己的错误原则，因而玷污真理时，他们就是无底坑的使者，被称为亚巴顿和亚玻伦（启示录9:11）；以此代表那些对圣经全然歪曲来毁灭教会的人们（请参阅《揭开启示》n.440，以及附录的见闻n.566）。但是他们回答：“你这是什么话？我们不是因为对该唯信称义之奥秘的了解而成为传达神谕者吗？我们不是如同从圣所那样从这个教义给出答案吗？因此，我们不是亚巴顿，而是亚波罗。”我对这些话感到愤慨，并说：“如果你们是亚波罗，那么也是利维坦。你们中间为首的是曲行的利维坦，稍次的是快行的利维坦，上帝必用他坚硬锐利的大刀施行刑罚（以赛亚书27:1）。”但他们对此大笑。在《揭开启示》中可以看到他们被刑罚和被刀剑灭亡的象征意义（AR52）。
93. I have sometimes conversed in the spiritual world with those who justify men by faith alone, and I have said that their doctrine is erroneous, and also incongruous; that it leads to unconcern, blindness, sleep, and night in spiritual things, and thereby to the death of the soul; and I have exhorted them to abandon that doctrine. But the answer I received was: Why should we abandon it? Does not the superiority of the learning of the clergy in the sight of the laity depend upon this doctrine? But I replied that in that case they do not regard the salvation of souls, but their own eminence; and that, as they have applied the truths of the Word to their own false principles, and so have adulterated them, they are angels of the abyss, called Abaddons and Apollyons, Revelation 9:11; by whom are signified those who destroy the Church by a total falsification of the Word see the explanation in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 440, and the memorable experience, THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 566. But they answered: What of that? Are we not oracles on account of our knowledge of the mysteries of that doctrine? And from that doctrine do we not give answers as from a shrine? Wherefore, we are not Apollyons, but Apollos. I was indignant at these words and said If you are Apollos, you are also Leviathans. The chief among you are crooked Leviathans, the lesser are piercing Leviathans, whom God will visit with His hard and great sword; Isaiah 27:1. But they laughed at this. What is signified by being visited, and by perishing by the sword, may be seen in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 52.
93. I have sometimes in the spiritual world spoken with the justifiers of men by faith alone, and I said that their doctrine is erroneous, and likewise absurd, that it brings on security, blindness, sleep, and night in spiritual things, thereby death to the soul, thus exhorting them to desist from it. But I have received for answer, Why should we desist? Does not the preeminence of the clergy above the laity, in point of erudition, depend upon this doctrine? To which I replied, that thus they do not regard the salvation of souls, but their own preeminence; and that because they had applied the truths of the Word to their own false principles, and thereby had adulterated them, they were angels of the abyss, called "Abaddons" and "Apollyons" (Revelation 9:11); by whom are signified the destroyers of the church by a total falsification of the Word. See the explanation thereof (n. 440), and the Relation (n. 566), in The Apocalypse Revealed. But they answered, What is this? Are we not, by our knowledge of the mysteries of that doctrine, oracles? And do we not from that doctrine give answers as from the sanctuary? wherefore we are not Apollyons, but Apollos. Being indignant at this I said, If ye are Apollos, ye are also Leviathans, the first class of you are crooked Leviathans, and the second class of you are oblong Leviathans, whom God will visit with His hard and great sword (Isaiah 27:1). But they laughed at these things. What is meant by "being visited and perishing by the sword," may be seen in (The Apocalypse Revealed 52).
93. Aliquoties in Mundo Spirituali loquutus sum cum Justificatoribus hominum per solam fidem, et dixi quod Doctrina illorum sit erronea, et quoque absona, quodque inducat securitatem, caecitatem, somnum et noctem in rebus spiritualibus, et inde letum 1animae, exhortans ut ab illa desistant; sed responsum tuli, quid desistere, numne excellentia eruditionis Clericorum prae Laicis ab illa dependet; sed retuli quod sic non spectent salutem animarum sed suam excellentiam; et quod quia falsis suis principiis applicuerunt vera Verbi, et sic adulteraverunt illa, sint Angeli Abyssi, vocati Abaddones et Apollyones, Apocalypsis 9:11, per quos significantur perditores Ecclesiae per totalem falsificationem Verbi, videatur Explicatio ibi n. 440, et MEMORABILE, n. 566: sed responderunt, quid hoc, sumusne per scientiam mysteriorum illius Doctrinae Oracula, et ex illa ut ex adyto reddimus responsa, quare non sumus Apollyones, sed Apollines: his indignatus dixi, si estis Apollines, estis etiam Leviathanes, primi vestrum Leviathanes tortuosi, et secundi vestrum Leviathanes oblongi, quos Deus gladio suo duro et magno visitabit, Esaias 27:1; sed ad haec riserunt: quid significat visitari ac perire gladio, videatur in APOCALYPSI REVELATA, n. 52.
Footnotes:
1. letum pro lethum.