418、“透过自然界的可见事物，谁都能确认赞成神性。如当他观察毛虫时：毛虫出于某种欲望的快乐，追求并向往从地上的状态变为类似天上的状态。为此它们爬到某个地方，在那里可以说将自己包裹在一个子宫里，以便重生；又在那里逐渐蜕变成茧、蛹、幼虫，最后成蝶；经过这样的变形后，它们各按其类，着上美丽的翅膀飞入空中，犹如进入它们的天堂，并在那里欢快玩耍，婚配，产卵，供养后代；然后从花朵中汲取甘甜美味的食物滋养自己。凡通过观察自然界确认赞成神性的人，谁看不出幼虫期就是人的尘世状态的某种形像，而蝴蝶期是人的天堂状态的某种形像？然而，那些确认赞成自然界的人的确看到这些事实，却将人的天堂状态从自己的脑海逐出，称其为纯粹的自然本能。”
418、人们从毛毛虫变成花蝴蝶的过程中看到毛毛虫似乎在尽力使自己变得高层点，更有天国性一点。它会从毛毛虫变成蛹，然后变成长有美丽翅膀并能吃到花粉的花蝴蝶。
能从自然现象中看到神性的人会从毛毛虫变成蝴蝶的现象中看到人世俗性的一面，还能看到人的精神性的一面。而相信自然的人却会认为以上现象是自然本性。
418. 'Anyone can convince himself in favour of Divine origin by observing nature, when he looks at larvae, which are impelled by the pleasure of some desire to seek and long for a change in their terrestrial condition to one which is as it were an analogue of the heavenly condition. For this reason they creep into places where they can, so to speak, put themselves into a womb so as to be reborn, there turning into chrysalises, pupae, nymphs and finally butterflies. After undergoing this metamorphosis and putting on the lovely wings typical of their species, they fly up into the air, as into their own heaven, and engage there in agreeable play, mate, lay eggs and provide for their posterity; then too they take agreeable, sweet nutriment from flowers. Can anyone, who has convinced himself in favour of the Divine by observing nature, fail to see that the larval stage is a kind of picture of a person's earthly condition, and that of a butterfly of his heavenly condition? Those, however, who have convinced themselves in favour of nature, observe these facts, but because they have banished from their minds the heavenly condition of a person, they call these just natural instincts.
418. Everyone can, from the visible phenomena in nature, confirm himself on the side of the Divine when he observes caterpillars, which to gratify some urge, seek and aspire to change the state of their earthly existence into a state more analogous to a heavenly one; which therefore creep into places and wrap themselves as though in womb in order to be reborn, and there become chrysalises, pupae..., nymphs, and finally butterflies; and having undergone this metamorphosis and put on wings in accordance with their species, fly away into the air as though into their heaven, where they play amiably, mate, lay their eggs, and provide themselves a posterity, and then sustain themselves on pleasant and sweet nourishment from flowers.
What person, who, from the visible phenomena of nature, confirms himself on the side of the Divine, does not see a kind of image of man's earthly state in these creatures as caterpillars, and an image of man's heavenly state in them as butterflies? People who confirm themselves on the side of nature, however, see these phenomena, indeed, but because they have rejected from their minds any concept of man's heavenly state, they call them mere instincts of nature.
418. "Anyone can confirm himself in favor of Divinity by things seen in nature, when he sees caterpillars that enjoy a certain desire to try to achieve a change from their earthbound state to something comparable to a heavenly state, and so they creep into places and put themselves into a kind of womb to be reborn, and there they become chrysalids, aurelias, nymphs, and finally butterflies. And after this metamorphosis they wear the beautiful wings of their species, fly into the air as if into their heaven and happily play there, mate, lay eggs, and provide themselves a posterity, and all the while nourish themselves with delightful sweet food from flowers. What person who confirms himself in favor of Divinity from the things seen in nature fails to see some representation of man's earthly state in them as caterpillars and a representation of a heavenly state in them as butterflies? Those who have confirmed themselves for nature, however, certainly do see those things, but they say they are just natural instincts, because they have banished the heavenly state of man from their minds.
418. "From the things visible in nature, every one can confirm himself in favor of the Divine when he sees those worms which, from the delight of some desire, strive after and aspire to a change of their earthly state to a state analogous to the heavenly, and for this purpose creep into places where they put themselves into a womb, as it were, to be born again, and there become chrysalises, aurelias, nymphs, and at last butterflies; and after undergoing this metamorphosis, then, clothed with beautiful wings according to the species, fly off into the air as into their heaven and there engage in genial sport, mate, lay eggs, provide for themselves a posterity, and then nourish themselves on delectable and sweet food drawn from flowers. What man is there, if from the visible things of nature he confirms himself in favor of the Divine, who does not see in these creatures as worms, some image of man's earthly state, and in them as butterflies, some image of his heavenly state? Those who confirm themselves in favor of nature do indeed see these operations, but having rejected man's heavenly state from their mind, they call them mere instincts of nature.
418. "Any one can confirm himself in favor of the Divine from things to be seen in nature, when he sees larvae, in response to a certain impulse longing and aspiring to exchange their terrestrial state for one analogous to the heavenly state; to that end creeping into hiding-places and entrusting themselves as it were to a womb to be born again; and there becoming chrysalises, aurelias, nymphs and at length butterflies. When this metamorphosis is completed, and they have been arrayed with pretty wings according to their species, they fly Off into the air as into their heaven, where they disport joyfully, pair, lay eggs and provide themselves a posterity, nourishing themselves the while with pleasant, sweet food from the flowers. Who that confirms himself in favor of the Divine from things to be seen in nature does not see some image of man's earthly state in these creatures as larvae, and an image of his heavenly state in the same creatures as butterflies? Those who confirm themselves in favor of nature look on the very same things; but as they have rejected from their minds any heavenly state of man, they call them mere instincts of nature.
418. 'Anyone can confirm himself in favor of the Divine from the visible things of nature, when he considers the caterpillars (vermes), which, from the delight of a certain longing, affect and aspire to a change of their terrestrial state for one having some analogy to the heavenly state; and to that end creep into hiding-places and commit themselves as it were to a womb that they may be born again; and there become chrysalids, aurelias, nymphs, and at length butterflies. And when this metamorphosis is passed, and according to their species they are invested with beautiful wings, they fly away into the air as into their heaven, and there disport genially, pair together, lay eggs, and provide for themselves a posterity, and nourish themselves the while with pleasant and sweet food from the flowers. Who that confirms himself in favor of the Divine from the visible things of nature does not see some image of the earthly state of man in these creatures as caterpillars? And an image of his heavenly state in them as butterflies? But those who confirm themselves in favor of nature see them indeed; but as they have rejected out of their mind the heavenly state of man, they call them mere instincts of nature.
418. "Quisque ex visibilibus in Natura potest se pro Divino confirmare, dum videt vermes, qui ex jucundo cujusdam cupidinis affectant et spirant mutationem status sui terrestris in statum quendam analogum status coelestis, et propterea repunt in loca, ac mittunt se sicut [in] uterum ut renascantur, et ibi fiant chrysallides, aureliae, nymphae, et demum papiliones, et cum hanc metamorphosin passi, et secundum speciem pulchris induti alis, evolant in aerem sicut in suum Coelum, ac ibi genialiter ludunt, agunt connubia, ponunt ova, ac prospiciunt sibi posteritatem; et tunc victu amaeno et dulci ex floribus se nutriunt. Quis 1qui pro Divino ex visibilibus naturae se confirmat, non videt aliquam imaginem terrestris status hominis in illis ut vermibus, et imaginem status coelestis in illis ut papilionibus: at illi qui pro natura se confirmant, vident quidem illa, sed quia coelestem hominis statum rejecerunt ex animo, vocant illa meros naturae instinctus.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Quis non