412、孩子主要通过适应和适合其秉性的代表接受教导。世人几乎难以相信，这些代表何等美丽，同时又充满内在智慧。在此我举两个代表的例子，通过它们能形成对其它代表的概念。有一次，他们描绘主从坟墓里复活，同时将祂的人身与神性联结起来。首先，他们表现出坟墓的概念，同时却没有表现出主的任何概念；除非以极其遥远的方式，以致人若不从远处，几乎感觉不到那就是主。这是因为坟墓概念里有某种葬礼的意味，他们便以此方式除去这种意味。后来，他们巧妙地允许某种大气进入坟墓；然而，这种大气看似精妙的蒸汽。他们同样从极远处以此来表示洗礼中的属灵生命。然后，我看到他们描绘主下到坑中被掳的人那里，并且主与他们一起升入天堂。一个婴幼儿特有的细节是，他们放下极为柔软纤细、几不可见的绳索，在主上升时用它提升主。这个细节始终保持神圣的敬畏，以免图像中有某种东西触及非天堂的任何事物。此外还有其它代表；通过这些代表，如同通过吸引婴幼儿心智的游戏，小孩子同时被带入对真理的觉知和对良善的情感。主通过贯穿第三层天堂的纯真将小孩子引向这些及类似活动。属灵的概念就这样被引入他们的情感和由此而来的柔嫩思维，以致孩子们只知道他们凭自己做这类事，并自发想到它们。他们的理解力便以此方式开始发展。
412、小孩子会看到表演、表演十分美，并且其中充满世间少见的智慧。在此我举两个例子。
有一次小孩子表演主从坟墓中复活，主的人性与神性的结合。他们首先展现一个坟墓，但并非同时联系到主，只是让人感到那似乎是主。因为坟墓与死亡有关，所以他们淡化了这点。之后他们轻轻地让一股象水雾般的气流流入墓中，这象征着洗礼中的精神意义。
后来我还看到小孩子表演主降临去救那些被关在监狱中的人并将他们一起带入天国。以一种典型的小孩子的形式，他们放下好多细得几乎看不到的线，以便用来将主提升上来。他们恐怕表演中有一点不属于天国的东西。
我还可以举更多的例子。小孩子通过与他们心灵发展相适应的形式象游戏般地掌握了真理，并对主充满感情。
主通过类似的活动和纯真将精神性的因素传入到小孩子的心中，小孩子所感到的是他们在自己做事情，自己在思考，这样子孩子的理解能力就成长起来。
412. Children are taught principally by representations adapted and suited to their characters. It is almost impossible in the world to believe how beautiful and at the same time full of inner wisdom these are. I may report here two examples of representations, which will give an idea of the rest.
On one occasion they pictured the Lord rising from the tomb, and at the same time uniting His humanity with His divinity. First they presented the idea of a tomb, but without any idea of the Lord; it was so remote that it could hardly be grasped that it was the Lord, except from a distance. This was because the idea of a tomb has some connotation of a funeral, which they thus removed. Afterwards they carefully allowed into the tomb some kind of atmosphere which looked like a fine vapour. By this they indicated, again at a decent distance, spiritual life in baptism. Later I saw pictured by them the Lord's descent to the captives, and His ascent with them into heaven. A childish detail was that they let down very soft and thin threads, which were almost invisible, to lift up the Lord as He rose, always taking holy care that nothing in the picture should touch on anything that was not heavenly.
There are also other representations by means of which children are brought at the same time to know about truth and to feel affection for good, as it were by games which appeal to children's minds. Children are guided by the Lord towards these and similar things by means of the innocence which passes through the third heaven. Spiritual ideas are thus introduced into their affections and the tender thoughts that come from them, so that the children do not know that they are not doing such things themselves, and thinking of them of their own accord. This is how their intellect develops.
412. Little children are instructed chiefly through representations accommodated and suited to their natures, of such beauty and at the same time so full of interior wisdom as can scarcely be believed in the world. I can cite two of these representations here, from which conclusions may be drawn in regard to the rest.
Little children once represented the Lord rising from the tomb, and together with it the union of His Humanity with the Divine. They presented first an idea of the tomb, but not at the same time an idea of the Lord, except so remotely that one scarcely perceived that it was the Lord, and then only as though at a distance, the reason being that in the idea of a tomb there is something funereal, which they thus removed. Afterwards they carefully let into the tomb some sort of atmosphere, yet having the appearance of a thin watery mist, by which they symbolized, also by an appropriate remoteness, the spiritual life in baptism.
Later I saw represented by them the Lord's going down to those who were bound, and His ascent with the bound into heaven. 1And, in typically childlike fashion, they let down delicate and fine little threads, almost invisible, by which to raise the Lord in His ascent, governed always by a holy fear lest anything in the representation touch on any point in which there was not something heavenly.
I could mention other representations besides, by which, as by games compatible with their infantile minds, little children are brought simultaneously into concepts of truth and affections for good.
Little children are led by the Lord to these and similar activities by the innocence passing through the third heaven, and spiritual elements are thus insinuated into their affections and consequent tender thoughts, in such a way that the little children do not know but that they do and think these things on their own, by which their understanding begins.
Footnotes:
1. This reflects, apparently, the belief held by many Christians that after His death, Christ descended in spirit to a state or place in the nether world to rescue the souls of pre-Christian people who were waiting to be redeemed. It is based on such Biblical passages as 1 Peter 3:18-20 and Isaiah 42:7, among others. The descent of Christ into hell appears as an article of belief in creeds dating from the 4th century.
412. Children are taught mainly by representations adjusted and suitable to their talent. In the world it is almost impossible to believe how beautiful and full of inner wisdom the representations are. I can bring in two representations here, which will give an idea about others.
Once they represented the Lord rising out of the tomb and at the same time the unity of His Humanity with His Divinity. First they brought out the idea of a tomb, but not an idea of the Lord at the same time, except so remotely that you could hardly tell it was the Lord, except as if in the distance, because the idea of a tomb has something of a corpse about it, which they removed in this way. Afterwards they skillfully introduced into the tomb something like an atmosphere that all the same seemed delicately watery. This stood for the spiritual life in baptism - also appropriately remote.
Afterwards I saw a representation by them of the Lord's coming down to those who were bound and going up to heaven with them. And in a childlike way they let down very pliant, very delicate, almost invisible cords to help the Lord go up - always in holy fear not to have anything in the representation border on something with no heavenly quality in it. I also saw other representations that bring them to an acquaintance with truth and at the same time an affection for good as by games suitable for children's minds.
The Lord leads the children to these and similar things by the innocence passing through the third heaven, and so spiritual things are brought into their feelings and from there into their tender thoughts in such a way that the children do not know but what they do and think such things by themselves. This gives their intellect a start.
412. Infants are instructed especially by representations adapted and suitable to their genius. In the world it can hardly be believed how beautiful these are, and also how full of interior wisdom. Here it is allowed to introduce two representations, and from them conclusion can be made as to the others.
Once they presented the appearance of the Lord rising from the sepulchre, and at the same time the unition of His Human With the Divine. First they presented the appearance of a sepulchre, but not at the same time any appearance of the Lord, unless so remotely that it would scarcely be perceived that it was the Lord except from afar, as it were. This is because in the idea of a sepulchre there is something funereal which in this way they removed. Afterwards they skillfully admitted into the sepulchre an atmospheric something which yet appeared to be subtly aqueous, whereby, as also by its becoming remoteness, they signified the spiritual life in baptism.
Later I saw represented by them the descent of the Lord to those bound in the pit, and His ascent with them into heaven; and, what was infantile, they let down slender cords, almost invisible, very delicate and of the utmost fineness, with which they would make it easier for the Lord in His ascent, being ever in holy fear lest anything in the representation should border upon that wherein the heavenly was not present; besides other representations by which infants are introduced into the knowledges of truth and at the same time into the affections of good, as by sports harmonious with the infantile mind. To these and like things infants are led by the Lord by means of innocence passing through the third heaven. In this way spiritual things are so insinuated into their affections and thence into their tender thoughts, that the infants know no other than that they do and think such things of themselves. By this means their understanding is initiated.
412. Children are instructed especially by means of representatives adapted and suited to their natures, of such beauty and at the same time so replete with interior wisdom that the world can hardly credit it. I may cite two representations here from which others can be imagined. Teachers once represented the Lord's rising from the tomb, and at the same time the union of His human with the Divine. First they presented an idea of a tomb, but no idea at the same time of the Lord except a remote one, so that it was scarcely perceived that it was the Lord except as it were at a distance, for the reason that there is in the idea of a tomb something funereal which they thus removed. Afterwards they discreetly let into the tomb a certain atmospheric something, yet appearing like a fine watery something, by which they signified, again in seemly remoteness, the spiritual life in baptism. Afterwards I saw them represent the Lord's descent to those who were bound, and His ascent with them into heaven. And what was childlike, they lowered slender cords, almost invisible and very delicate and soft, as if to aid the Lord in His ascent, always devoutly fearful lest anything in the representative might border on what had nothing heavenly in it. There are other representations besides by which children are borne into knowledges of truth and affections of good, as by games agreeable to their infant minds. Children are predisposed by the Lord to these and like representatives through the innocence which comes to them from the third heaven. Spiritual things are thus insinuated into their affections and hence into their tender thoughts in such a way that the children know no otherwise than that they make up and think up such things themselves, and as a result their understanding grows.
412. Infants are instructed especially by representatives, suitable and adapted to their genius. And how full of beauty, and at the same time of interior wisdom they are can scarcely be believed in the world. Two representatives may here be adduced, from which a conclusion may be drawn as to the rest. At one time they represented the Lord rising from the sepulcher, and at the same time the unition of His Human with the Divine. They first presented the idea of a sepulcher, but not an idea of the Lord at the same time, unless so remotely that it would scarcely be perceived that it was the Lord except as a long way off; for the reason that in the idea of a sepulcher there is a something funereal which in this way they removed. Afterwards they cautiously admitted into the sepulcher something atmospheric, yet appearing as limpid water, by which they signified, also with suitable remoteness, the spiritual life in baptism.
After that I saw represented by them the descent of the Lord to them that are bound, and His ascent with the bound into heaven; and what was infantile, they let down slender cords almost invisible, very soft and tender, with which they might aid the Lord in His ascent-always in holy fear lest something in the representation should touch something that did not contain anything heavenly. Besides other representations, by which infants are brought at the same time into cognitions of truth and affections of good, as by plays suited to the minds of infants. To these and like things infants are led of the Lord by the innocence passing through the third heaven; and thus spiritual things are insinuated into their affections; and thence into their tender thoughts, in such wise that the infants do not know but that they themselves do and think such things of themselves, by which means their understanding is initiated.
412. Infantes instruuntur imprimis per Repraesentativa geniis illorum adaequata 1et conformia, quae quam pulchra et simul sapientiae interioris plena sunt, in Mundo vix credi potest: binas Repraesentationes hic licet afferre, ex quibus concludi potest ad reliquas. Quondam repraesentabant Dominum e sepulchro ascendentem, et simul Humani Ipsius unitionem cum Divino; sistebant primum ideam sepulchri, sed non simul ideam Domini, nisi ita remote, ut vix perciperetur quod Dominus nisi quasi e longinquo, ex causa quia ideae sepulchri inest aliquid funeris, quod sic removebant: postea admittebant prudenter in sepulchrum quoddam athmosphaericum, apparens usque ut tenue aqueum, quo significabant, etiam per remotionem decentem, vitam spiritualem in baptismo. Postea vidi repraesentatum ab illis Domini descensum ad vinctos, et ascensum cum vinctis in Coelum; et, quod infantile erat, funiculos fere inconspicuos, molliusculos, et tenerrimos demittebant, quibus Dominum allevarent in ascensu, semper in sancto timore, ne quicquam in repraesentativo tangeret aliquid, in quo non esset coeleste. Praeter alias repraesentationes, per quas simul in cognitiones veri et affectiones boni, sicut per ludos animis infantum consentaneos, feruntur. Ad haec et similia ducuntur infantes a Domino per Innocentiam transeuntem Coelum tertium, ac ita spiritualia insinuantur affectionibus et inde teneris cogitationibus illorum, ut infantes non sciant aliter, quam quod ipsi faciant et cogitent talia ex se, per quod intellectus illorum initiatur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: ad aequata