416、此后，两位天使看见我在旁边，就对旁观者说：“我们知道这个人写过关于神和自然界的著作，让我们听听他会说些什么。”于是，他们靠近我，问可否将关于神和自然界所写的读给他们听。我便从中读了以下内容：“那些相信神的运作可见于自然界的每一个细节之人，从自然界中所看到的无数事物，同样能确认赞成神性，甚至比那些（否认神）确认赞成自然界的人容易得多。因为那些确认赞成神性的人会注意到在动植物繁殖时所发现的奇事。如植物的繁殖：把一粒小种子丢进土里，它就会发出根来，根又会长出茎，然后依次开枝散叶，开花结果，如此下去，直到最后结出新种子，就好像这种子知道自己借以重新开始的先后次序或发展过程。凡有理性者，谁会以为纯然是火的太阳知道这一切？或这太阳能通过它的热和光传送这类效果？或能在这些效果中产生神奇的形式，设计它们的功用？看到并反思这些事实，凡理性能力得到提升的人，必认为它们来自拥有无限智慧者，因而来自神。此外，凡承认神性存在的人都能看到并想到这一点。而那些不承认的人则不然，因为他们不愿这样做。于是，他们任由自己的理性能力降至感官层；而感官层从身体感官所在的昏暗之光汲取其一切观念，他们确认这些感官谬论，甚至说，难道你没看到这太阳凭它的热和光产生这些效果吗？看不到的东西算什么？毫无疑问，它什么也不是。
“那些确认赞成神性的人会注意到在动物繁殖中所发现的奇事。在此我仅提一下发生在蛋卵里面的奇事。在其种子或初始中的胚胎，连同到它孵化时所需的一切，以及孵化后成长直到变成一只飞鸟，或自己父母形式的飞行物所需的一切，都在这些蛋卵中。还有，人若注意它们的形成，深入思索，就会情不自禁地进入一种惊奇状态。例如，无论最小的生物还是最大的生物，事实上，无论不可见的生物还是可见的生物，也就是无论小昆虫还是大型飞禽或走兽，都有服务于视、听、嗅、味、触的感觉器官，还有服务于它们飞翔或行走的运动器官，也就是肌肉；以及围绕心肺的内脏，它们都受大脑支配。甚至低级昆虫也享有这些，这从某些调查者对其解剖结构的描述可以得知，最有名的就是斯瓦默丹（荷兰生物学家Swammerdam，有译施旺麦丹）所著的《自然圣经》。
“诚然，那些将一切归于自然界的人也看到了这些事，但仅仅把它们当作事实来思考，并声称是自然界产生它们。他们之所以这样说，是因为他们心里不再思想神性。那些不思想神性的人，一看到自然界的奇迹，就无法理性思考，更不用说属灵地思考了，只是感官和物质地思考。于是，他们在自然界之内出于自然界，而不是超越自然界进行思考，和地狱里的人如出一辙。他们与动物的区别仅在于：他们享有理性，也就是说，能理解，并且他们若愿意，也可以不这么想。
“那些看到自然界的奇迹后，心里不再思想神性，由此变得感官化的人，永远不会停下来想一想，肉眼的视觉如此粗糙，以致它将大量小昆虫看成一个黑点。然而，它们当中的每一个都具有感觉和运动器官，因而具有纤维和血管，纤细的心脏、肺管、内脏、大脑。这些由自然界最纯粹的物质构成，并且这些结构对应于某种生命，其最细微的部位分别受这生命驱使。肉眼的视觉如此粗糙，以至于将大量这类生物，连同每一个里面的无数部位，看成一个小黑点；然而，那些依赖感官的人竟据此思考和判断，可见他们的心智何等迟钝，他们由此在属灵之事上陷入何等黑暗。”
416、在我走近了后，两个天使对站在旁边的精灵们说：“我们知道这个人曾写过关于神和自然的书。来听一下他怎么说。”
于是他们走过来请我读一下我所写的关于神和自然的内容，我读了以下内容：
相信神运作在自然万物中的人能从自然中的许多事物中看到神的存在。因为这样的人会注意到种到土中的一粒小小的种子会生根、长出枝干，开花，结果并形成新的种子。似乎是小小的种子知道该如何更新自己。
人怎么会想到太阳会有这样的本领呢？它会将自己的光和热传入植物中并产生以上效果，创造出奇迹。
任何能在高一层进行思维的人都会知道这来自于拥有无限智慧的神。
相信神的人会这样认为，而不信神的人则不愿这样认为。他们会基于肢体的感觉而思考。他们会争论：“难道你看不到是太阳的光和热产生了这样的效果吗？哪还有什么你看不到的东西？”
相信神的人还会看到动物繁衍中存在的奇妙——在此讲一下蛋。蛋中有胚胎和孵化中所需的一切营养，经过一段时间，蛋就会孵化同一个鸟或与蛋的父母一样的会飞的生物。人若仔细想一下就不能不感到奇妙。比如，在最小和最大的生物中，在不可见和可见的生物中，他们都有听、味、触觉器官、运动器官、肌肉、以及心脏、肺脏。甚至低等昆虫也有以上不同的组织正如荷兰生命学家Swammerdam在《生物史》中所写的。
而相信自然的人看到这些奇迹却只会认为它们的存在是自然的产物。他们脱离神而思考，这样的人就只会看到自然，而不能在精神的思考，地狱中的人就是这样，他们与动物的区别就在于他们若愿意，会有理性。
自然倾向的人会将小昆虫看做单一的没什么惊人之处的物体。但事实上每个个体都是有数个组织，由最精密的元素交织在一起构成的，这些结构与某种生命活动相对应。
眼睛的视觉是如此的粗糙，会将结构复杂的生命看成一个简单的个体。而只相信知觉的人的头脑则更狭隘，他们对于精神之物是处于黑暗之中。
416. After this the two angels seeing me nearby said this about me to the bystanders, 'We know that this man has written about God and nature; let us hear what he has to say.' So they came to me and asked me to read to them what I had written about God and nature. What I read was as follows. 1
'Those who believe that God's workings are to be seen in the details of nature can find very many facts about nature to convince themselves that they are of Divine origin, as many, or rather more than those who convince themselves that their origin is nature. For those who convince themselves of Divine origin pay attention to the remarkable facts to be observed in the production of both vegetable and animal species. In the production of vegetables, a seed cast into the ground produces a root, the root produces a stalk, and in due sequence leaf-buds, leaves, flowers, fruits and so on until finally new seeds. It is exactly as if the seed knew the order in which these succeed and develop, so as to renew itself. Can any rational person believe that the sun, which is undiluted fire, can know this? Or that it can transmit such effects through its heat and light, or could achieve such wonderful forms in them, and plan their purpose? Anyone with his rational faculty raised cannot help, on seeing and reflecting on these facts, thinking that they arise from Him whose wisdom is infinite, that is, from God. Those who acknowledge the existence of the Divine also see this and think like this. But those who do not, do not see this or think like this, because they do not want to do so. Thus they depress their rational faculty to the level of the senses; and this makes them gather all their ideas from the dim light provided by the bodily senses, and makes them strengthen their belief in their fallacies, saying, "Surely you can see that the sun produces these results by its heat and light. What is something you cannot see? Surely it is nothing."
[2] Those who convince themselves of the Divine origin pay attention to the remarkable facts to be observed in the reproduction of animals. Here for instance I may mention only what happens in eggs. The chick is concealed in the egg in its seed or rudiment together with everything it needs up to the time of hatching. It also has what it needs after hatching, until it becomes a bird or flying creature resembling its progenitor. If anyone pays attention to its formation, he can hardly help, if he thinks deeply, coming into a state of amazement. For instance, the smallest creatures as the largest, even those that are invisible as well as those that are visible, insects, that is, as well as birds or large animals have sense organs for sight, [hearing], 2smell, taste and touch, as well as organs of motion, muscles to enable them to fly or walk, and viscera surrounding heart and lungs, controlled by a brain. It is well known that even lowly insects enjoy such organs, as has been shown by descriptions of their anatomy, especially those published by Swammerdam 3in his nature books.
[3] Those who ascribe everything to nature can indeed observe such facts, but they think of them merely as facts and say that nature produces them. They say this because they have set their minds against thinking about the Divine; and those who do this, on seeing the wonders of nature, cannot think rationally, much less spiritually, about them. Their thinking is based on sense-impressions and material ideas, so that they think from nature within nature, and not above that level; as do those who are in hell. Their only difference from animals is their rationality; that is to say, they can understand and think differently if they wish.
[4] Those who have set their minds against thinking about the Divine, and thus become subservient to their senses, never stop, when they see the wonders of nature, to consider that the sight of the eye is so coarse that it sees a number of tiny insects as one dark mass. Yet each one of them is provided with organs to enable it to feel and to move, and is therefore equipped with fibres and vessels, small hearts, lung-tubes, viscera and brains; and that these are constructed of the purest substances in nature, and that these constructions correspond to some sort of life by which the smallest parts of them are individually impelled. Since the sight of the eye is so coarse as to see a number of such objects, together with the countless parts in each, as a small dark mass, and yet those who rely on the senses base their thought and judgment on this, it is obvious how undiscriminating their minds are, and so how unilluminated they are in spiritual matters.
422 is repeated with some changes from Divine Love and Wisdom 351-357.
416. Afterwards, seeing me close by, the two angels said with respect to me to the spirits standing around, "We know that this man has written about God and nature. Let us hear what he has to say."
So they came over and asked me to read to them what I had written about God and nature; and I read therefore the following: 1
People who believe that the Divine operates in every single thing of nature, can, from the many things which they see in nature, confirm themselves on the side of the Divine, just as well as and even more than those who confirm themselves on the side of nature. For people who confirm themselves on the side of the Divine pay heed to the marvels which they see in the propagations of both plants and animals.
In the propagations of plants, they note how a tiny seed cast into the ground produces a root, by means of the root a stem, and then in succession branches, leaves, flowers and fruits, culminating in new seeds - altogether as though the seed knew the order of progression or the process by which to renew itself. What rational person can suppose that the sun, which is nothing but fire, has this knowledge? Or that it can impart to its heat and its light the power to produce such effects, and in those effects can create marvels and intend a useful result?
Any person having an elevated rational faculty, on seeing and considering these wonders, cannot but think that they issue from one who possesses infinite wisdom, thus from God.
People who acknowledge the Divine also see and think this; but people who do not acknowledge the Divine do not see and think it, because they do not want to. Therefore they allow their rational faculty to descend into their sensual self, which draws all its ideas from the light in which the bodily senses are, and which defends the fallacies of these, saying, "Do you not see the sun accomplishing these effects by its heat and its light? What is something that you do not see? Is it anything?"
[2] People who confirm themselves on the side of the Divine pay heed to the marvels which they see in the propagations of animals - to mention here only those in eggs, as that in them lies the embryo in its seed or inception, with everything it requires to the time it hatches, and with everything that develops after it hatches until it becomes a bird or flying thing in the form of its parent. Also that if one gives attention to the form, it is such that, if one thinks deeply, one cannot help but come into a state of amazement - seeing, for example, that in the smallest of these creatures as in the largest, indeed in the invisible as in the visible (i.e., in tiny insects as in large birds or animals), there are sensory organs which serve for sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch; also motor organs, which are muscles, for they fly and walk; as well as viscera surrounding hearts and lungs, which are actuated by brains. That even lowly insects possess such component parts is known from their anatomy as described by certain investigators, most notably by Swammerdam 2in his Biblia Naturae 3.
[3] People who attribute all things to nature see these wonders, indeed, but they think only that they exist, and say that nature produces them. They say this because they have turned their mind away from thinking about the Divine; and when people who have turned away from thinking about the Divine see wonders in nature, they are unable to think rationally, still less spiritually, but think instead in sensual and material terms. They then think within the confines of nature from the standpoint of nature and not above it, in the way that those do who are in hell. They differ from animals only in their having the power of rationality, that is, in their being able to understand and so think otherwise if they will.
[4] People who have turned away from thinking about the Divine when they see wonders in nature, and as a result become sense-oriented, do not consider that the sight of the eye is so crude that it sees a number of tiny insects as a single, indistinct mass, and yet that each of them is organically formed to be capable of sensation and movement, thus that they have been endowed with fibers and vessels, including little hearts, air passages, viscera and brains; that these have been woven together out of the finest elements in nature; and that these structures correspond to some activity of life, by which even the least of these are individually actuated.
Since the sight of the eye is so crude that a number of such creatures, each with countless components in it, looks to it like a small, indistinct mass, and yet people who are sense-oriented think and judge in accordance with that sight, it is apparent how obtuse their minds have become, and thus in what darkness they are in respect to spiritual matters.
Footnotes:
1. From Divine Love and Wisdom, nos. 351-357, 350.
2. Jan Swammerdam, 1637-1680, Dutch anatomist and entomologist.
3. Published posthumously under Dutch and Latin titles, Bybel der Natuure; of, Historie der insecten.../Biblia Naturae; sive Historia Insectorum... (A Book of Nature; or, History of Insects...), with text in Latin and Dutch in parallel columns, Leyden, 1737 (vol. 1), 1738 (vol. 2).
416. After this the two angels, seeing me nearby, said to the people standing around me, "We know that this man has written about God and nature. Let's listen."
They came up and asked for what had been written about God and nature to be read to them, and I read the following things [Divine Love and Wisdom 351-357]:
"Those who believe that Divinity is at work in the small details of nature can reassure themselves in favor of Divinity from all the many things they see in nature, just as well as - in fact, better than - those who confirm themselves in favor of nature.
For those who confirm themselves in favor of Divinity heed the wonders that stand out in what vegetables produce as well as what animals do.
"In the products of vegetables: A root goes out from a little seed sown in the ground. Out of the root comes a stem, and, one by one, branches, leaves, flowers, fruit - all the way to new seeds just as if the seed understood the steps to follow, or the process, for it to renew itself. What reasonable person can think that the sun, which is pure fire, understands this, or that it can put the knowledge of how to do things like that into its heat and light, and then that it can regulate the marvels in these things and intend something useful? When a person whose reason is lifted up sees these things and considers them, he cannot help thinking that they come from the One who is infinite wisdom, which is to say from God. Those who acknowledge Divinity see and think it, too, but those who do not acknowledge do not see and think it, because they do not want to. And they lower their reason to the sensory level, so that all their ideas come out of the light that the bodily senses are in, and they confirm their fallacies by saying,
'Don't you see the sun doing these things by its heat and its light?
What is a thing that you don't see? Is it anything?'
"Those who are confirmed for Divinity heed the wonders that stand out in the products of animals. To mention only eggs here, a chicken lies hidden in each - in its seed or beginning - with all it requires until it hatches, and also during the whole process after it hatches until it becomes a bird, or a flying creature, put together like its parent. And when you consider the way an animal is made, it is such that you cannot help being astounded if you think deeply.
For example, in the smallest of them, as in the greatest, in fact, in the invisible ones as in the visible, that is, in tiny insects as in birds or large animals, there are organs of sense that are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and organs of motion, which are muscles, for they fly and walk. There are also viscera around the heart and lungs, controlled by brains. You know from anyone's description of their anatomy - especially Swammerdam's in his Book of Nature - that even insects have these organs.
"Those who attribute everything to nature certainly see things like this, but they only think 'there they are' and say that nature produces them. They say this because they have turned their minds away from thinking about Divinity, and people who have turned away from thinking about Divinity cannot think rationally, much less spiritually, when they see the marvels in nature, but they think sensorily and materialistically, and then they are thinking in nature and from nature, and not above it, just as the people who are in hell do. They only differ from animals in that they have the power of reason - that is, they can understand - and so they can think differently if they want.
"When those who have turned away from thinking about Divinity see wonders in nature and it makes them sense - oriented, they do not consider that eyesight is so gross that it sees many tiny insects as one blur, and yet each of them is organized for sensing and moving, so it is furnished with fibers and vessels, and a little heart, windpipes, tiny viscera, and a brain, and these are woven together from the purest things in nature, and the weavings correspond to some life that makes the tiniest of them act with precision. If eyesight is so gross that many things, with innumerable things in each one, seem to it like a little blur, and those who are sense - oriented still think and judge from sight, it shows how gross their mind has become and therefore what darkness they are in about spiritual things.
416. After this the two angels, seeing me near them, said to the bystanders, "We know that this man has written about God and nature; let us hear him." And they approached me and asked that what had been written respecting God and nature might be read to them. I then read therefrom 1the following.
"From the innumerable things which they see in nature, those who believe in a Divine operation in every single thing of nature can equally well, nay, far more easily, confirm themselves in favor of the Divine, than those who [deny God can] confirm themselves in favor of nature. For those who confirm themselves in favor of the Divine take note of the marvels which are observed in the production both of plants and of animals--in the PRODUCTION OF PLANTS, in that from a small seed cast into the ground comes a root; by means of the root a stem, and then in succession branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, even to new seeds, exactly as though the seed knew the order of succession or the process by which it was to renew itself. What rational man can think that the sun, which is pure fire, knows this? or that it can so endow its heat and light as to produce such effects? that in those effects it can produce marvelous forms and can intend a use? Seeing such things and reflecting upon them, a man whose rational is elevated cannot think otherwise than that they are from Him who has infinite wisdom, thus from God. Moreover, those who acknowledge the Divine, do see this and think it. Not so those who do not acknowledge the Divine, for they do not wish thus to see and think. Thus, letting their rational down into the sensual, which draws all its ideas from the lumen 2in which are the senses of the body, they confirm the fallacies of the senses, saying, Do you not see the sun performing these operations by its heat and light? What is that which you do not see? Is it anything?
[2] "Those who confirm themselves in favor of the Divine take note of the marvels which are observed in the PRODUCTIONS OF ANIMALS. Here I make mention merely of their production in eggs. In these, the chick is latent in its seed or initiament together with every requisite until the time of hatching, and also with every requisite during its progress after the hatching, until it becomes a bird or winged creature in the form of its genitor. And if one gives heed to their form and thinks deeply [he will see] that it is of such a nature that he cannot but come into a state of amazement. As, for example, that in the tiniest creatures as in the largest, yea, in the invisible as in the visible, that is, in little insects as in large birds or beasts, are organs of the senses, namely, sight, smell, taste, touch, and, inasmuch as they fly and walk, organs of motion, namely, muscles; also viscera surrounding their hearts and lungs, which are put in motion by their brains. That these are enjoyed by lowly insects is known from the anatomy of such insects as described by authors, especially by Swammerdam in his Biblia Naturae.
[3] "Those who ascribe all things to nature do indeed see these things, but think simply that they are, and say that nature produces them, saying this because they have turned their mind away from thinking of the Divine. When they see the marvels in nature, those who have turned away from thinking of the Divine cannot think rationally, still less spiritually, but think sensually and materially. They then think, not above nature, but from her and in her, in like manner as do those who are in hell. They differ from beasts only in this, that they enjoy rationality, that is, are able to understand, and so can think differently if they will.
[4] "Those who turn away from thinking of the Divine, when they see the marvels in nature and thereby become sensual, do not consider that the sight of the eye is so gross that it sees a number of little insects as a single dark speck; that yet each one of them is organized for sensation and motion, and is therefore furnished with fiber and vessels and also with little hearts, pulmonary tubes, viscera, and brains; that these are woven of the purest things in nature, and that the weavings correspond to some life by which their minutest parts are distinctly actuated. Since the sight of the eye is so gross that to it many such creatures, With the innumerable things within each, appear as dark specks and yet those who are sensual think and judge from that sight, the grossness of their mind and so the darkness in which they are in respect to things spiritual, becomes evident.
Footnotes:
1. That is, from DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM, nos. 350, 351-357.
2. Lux and lumen both mean light, but in the Writings luxis used to signify the light of the spiritual sun or of the natural, while lumen is used generally to signify spiritual light in the natural mind. Thus the eye sees in natural lux; angels see in spiritual lux. The natural man, whether good or evil, sees in lumen. See ARCANA COELESTIA n. 854; DIVINE PROVIDENCE n. 166, and SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES n. 4627.
416. After this the two angels, seeing me near, said of me to the bystanders, "We know that this man has written about God and nature; let us hear him."
They came and asked me to read to them what I had written about God and nature. I read the following selections: 1
"Those who believe in Divine activity in the details of nature are able by very many things they see in nature to confirm themselves in favor of the Divine as fully as others confirm themselves in favor of nature, indeed more fully.
[2] Those who confirm themselves in favor of the Divine consider the wonders to be noted in the production both of plants and of animals. In the production of plants: how out of a small seed cast into the earth a root goes forth, a stem by means of the root, and branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit in succession, even to new seeds, just as if the seed knew the order of succession and the process by which it is to renew itself. Can any rational man think that the sun which is mere fire has this knowledge? Or that it can empower its heat and light to effect such things? And that it can form the wonderful things within them and intend use? A man whose rational mind is elevated cannot but think, on seeing and contemplating these things, that they are from Him who has infinite wisdom, that is, from God. So also do they see and think who acknowledge the Divine. But those who do not acknowledge, do not see and think so, because they will not. They let the rational mind so far down into the sensuous that it derives all its ideas from the light in which the bodily senses are and confirms the fallacies of the senses, and then they say, 'Do you not see the sun accomplishing these things by its heat and light? What is that which you do not see? Is it anything?'
"Those who confirm themselves in favor of the Divine, consider also the wonders to be observed in the production of animals. To speak here of eggs only: within them lies hidden a chick in its seed or inception, with everything it needs until it is hatched from the shell and also for its development after it leaves the shell until it becomes a bird or flying thing in the form of its parent. If one takes notice of the form, it is such that it must excite amazement if one thinks deeply. For in the least form of life as well as in the greatest, indeed in the invisible as in the visible, that is, in the minutest insects as in the large birds and beasts, there are organs of sense, of sight, smell, taste and touch; and organs of motion which are muscles, for they fly and walk; and viscera also around the heart and lungs which are set in action by brains. The fact that even common insects enjoy such organs is known from their anatomy as described by some writers, especially by Swammerdam in his Biblia Naturae.
[3] Those who ascribe all things to nature see these things, of course, but only think that they exist, and say that nature produces them. They say this because they have turned their mind away from thinking of the Divine, and those who have done this, when they behold the wonderful things in nature cannot think rationally, much less spiritually; they think sensuously and materially. Thus they think in nature from nature and not above it, in like manner as do those who are in hell. They differ from the animal only in having the power of rationality, that is, in being able to understand and therefore to think otherwise if they choose.
[4] "They who have turned away from thought of the Divine, and thereby have become sensuous, on beholding wonderful things in nature, fail to reflect that the sight of the eye is so gross that it sees many minute insects as one indistinct object, when yet each of these is organized to feel and to propel itself, and so is provided with fibers and vessels and a little heart and pulmonary tubes and minute viscera and brains, woven together out of the purest things in nature; they fail to reflect that these structures correspond to the life by which the minutest of them are severally actuated. Since the sight of the eye is so gross that many such creatures, with the innumerable things in each, look like a small indistinct object, and yet it is this vision by which the sensuous think and judge, it is manifest how gross their mind has become, and hence in what thick darkness they are about spiritual things.
Footnotes:
1. From Divine Love and Wisdom, n. 351-357; also used in True Christian Religion 12.
416. After this the two angels, seeing me near, said of me to those standing by, 'We know that this man has written about God and about nature; let us hear him.'
And they came and asked that what had been written respecting God and nature might be read to them; and I read therefrom the following: 1
'They who believe in Divine operation in the single things of nature can confirm themselves in favor of the Divine by very many things that they see in nature, equally with, yea, better than those who confirm themselves in favor of nature. For those who confirm themselves in favor of the Divine consider the wonders that are visible in the production both of vegetables and animals. In the Productions of Vegetables, how that from a small seed cast into the earth there comes forth a root, by means of the root a stem, and successively branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit, even to new seeds, just as if the seed knew the order of succession or procession by which it is to renew itself. Can any rational man think that the sun which is pure fire knows this? Or that it can put it into its heat and light to effect such things? And that it can form the wonderful things within them and purpose use? A man whose rational is elevated when he sees and contemplates these things cannot but think that they are from Him who has infinite wisdom, that is from God. They also who acknowledge the Divine see and think this. But those that do not acknowledge do not see and think this, because they will not, and thus let their rational so far down into the sensual that it derives all its ideas from the light in which the senses of the body are and confirms their fallacies, saying, 'Do you not see the sun operating these things by its heat and light? What is that which you do not see? Is it anything?
'They that confirm themselves in favor of the Divine consider also the wonders that are observable in The Production of Animals. To mention here only with respect to eggs, that within them lies hidden a chicken in its seed or inception, with every requisite until it is hatched from the shell, and also for its progression after it leaves the shell until it becomes a bird or flying thing in the form of its parent. And if one takes notice of the form, it is such that it cannot but excite amazement if he thinks profoundly; for that in the least as well as in the greatest of them, yea, in the invisible as in the visible, that is, in the minutest insects as in the large birds and beasts, there are organs of the senses, of sight, smell, taste, and touch; and organs of motion which are muscles, for they fly and walk; and viscera also around the heart and lungs which are actuated by brains. That even poor insects rejoice in such organs is known from their anatomy described by some, especially by Swammerdam in his Biblia Naturoe. They who ascribe all things to nature indeed see such things but think only that they exist, and say that nature produces them, and they say this because they have turned their mind away from thinking of the Divine, and those who have turned away from thought of the Divine, when they behold the wonderful things in nature cannot think rationally, much less spiritually, but think sensually and materially, and then think in nature from nature and not above it, in like manner as do those who are in hell, with only this difference from beasts, that they have the power of rationality, that is, that they can understand and so can think otherwise if they will.
'They who have turned themselves away from the thought of the Divine when they behold the wonderful things in nature, and thereby become sensual, do not reflect that the sight of the eye is so gross that it sees many minute insects as one obscure object, and yet that each one of these is organized to feel and to move itself, and so is provided with fibers, and vessels, and a little heart, and pulmonary tubes, and minute viscera, and brains, and that these are woven together out of the purest things in nature, and that these contextures correspond to some life by which the minutest of them are distinctly actuated. Since the sight of the eye is so gross that many such creatures, with the innumerable things in each, appear to it as one little obscure thing, and yet they who are sensual think and judge from that sight, it is manifest how their mind has become gross, and hence in what thick darkness they are as to spiritual things.
Footnotes:
1. From Divine Love and Divine Wisdom 351-357.
416. Post haec duo illi Angeli videntes me prope, dicebant ad circumstantes de me, "scimus quod hic vir de Deo et de Natura scripserit; audiamus;" et accesserunt et rogaverunt, ut illa quae de Deo et de Natura scripta sunt, coram illis legerentur, et legi inde haec sequentia. "Illi qui credunt Divinam operationem in singulis naturae, possunt ex permultis quae in Natura vident, se confirmare pro Divino, aeque, imo plus, quam illi qui se confirmant pro Natura: illi enim qui se confirmant pro Divino, attendunt ad mirabilia, quae conspiciuntur in Productionibus tam Vegetabilium quam Animalium. In Productionibus Vegetabilium, quod ex seminulo jacto in terram exeat radix, per radicem caulis, ac successive frondes, folia, flores, fructus, usque ad nova semina; prorsus sicut semen sciret ordinem successionis, aut processum, quo se renovaturum sit: quis rationalis cogitare potest, quod Sol, qui est purus ignis, hoc sciat; aut quod possit indere calori suo et luci suae, ut talia efficiat, tum quod possit formare mirabilia in illis, ac intendere usum: homo, cui Rationale elevatum est, cum illa videt et expendit, non potest aliter cogitare, quam quod sint ab Ipso, Cui Infinita Sapientia est, ita a Deo: illi qui agnoscunt Divinum, id quoque vident et cogitant; at illi qui non agnoscunt, id non vident et cogitant, quia non volunt, et sic demittunt Rationale suum in sensuale, quod omnes ideas suas trahit ex lumine, in quo sunt sensus corporis, ac fallacias illorum confirmat, dicendo, 'numne vides Solem per calorem suum et lucem suam haec operantem; quid est id quod non vides; num est aliquid.'
[2] Illi qui se confirmant pro Divino, attendunt ad mirabilia, quae conspiciuntur 1in Productionibus Animalium, ut hic solum memorem in Ovis, quod in illis lateat pullus in suo semine seu inchoamento cum omni requisito usque ad exclusionem, et quoque cum omni progressione post exclusionem, usque ut fiat avis aut volatile in forma genitoris; et si attendit ad formam, quod talis sit, ut non possit, si alte cogitat, quam venire in stuporem; ut quod in minimis illorum ut in maximis, imo in invisibilibus sicut in visibilibus, hoc est, in insectulis sicut in alitibus aut bestiis magnis, sint organa sensuum, quae sunt visus, [auditus,] odoratus, gustus, tactus, tum organa motuum, quae sunt musculi, volant enim et gradiuntur, ut et viscera circum corda et pulmones, quae actuantur a Cerebris; quod vilia insecta etiam talibus gaudeant, notum est ab Anatome illorum a quibusdam descripta, imprimis a Swammerdamo in ejus Bibliis Naturae.
[3] Qui omnia Naturae adscribunt, illi quidem vident talia, sed cogitant modo quod sint, et dicunt quod Natura producat; et hoc dicunt, quia averterunt mentem a cogitando de Divino, et qui averterunt se a cogitando de Divino, dum vident mirabilia in natura, non possunt rationaliter, minus spiritualiter, cogitare, sed cogitant sensualiter et materialiter, et tunc cogitant in natura ex natura, et non supra illam, similiter ut faciunt illi qui in Inferno sunt; solum cum differentia a bestiis, quod rationalitate polleant, hoc est, quod possint intelligere, et sic aliter cogitare si velint.
[4] Illi qui averterunt se a cogitando de Divino, cum vident mirabilia in Natura, et per id fiunt sensuales, non cogitant, quod visus oculi tam crassus sit, ut plura insectula videat sicut unum obscurum, et tamen quod unumquodvis eorum organizatum sit ad sentiendum, et ad se movendum, et sic quod praeditum sit fibris et vasis, tum corculis, fistulis pulmonicis, viscerulis, ac cerebris, et quod haec contexta sint ex purissimis in natura, et quod contextus illi correspondeant alicui vitae, e qua minutissima eorum distincte aguntur. Cum visus oculi tam crassus est, ut plura talia, cum innumerabilibus in unoquovis, appareant ei sicut parvum obscurum, et tamen illi qui sensuales sunt, ex illo visu cogitant et judicant, patet quam incrassata est mens illorum, et inde in qua caligine sunt de spiritualibus.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: conspicuuntur