344、我曾听到英国皇家学会的两位前会长，汉斯·斯隆爵士和马丁·福克斯爵士在灵界彼此谈论地上种子和卵的存在，以及它们的产出。前者将这些现象归因于自然界，声称，自然界自创造时就被赋予通过太阳的热产生这类效果的能力和力量。而后者认为，自然界中的这种力量不断来自神造物主。为解决这场争端，一只美丽的鸟儿出现在汉斯爵士面前，他被要求检查这只鸟，看看它和地上的鸟儿有无丝毫不同之处。汉斯爵士把它拿在手中，仔细检查了一下，说，没有什么区别。他被要求这样做，是因为他知道，这只鸟只是某位天使的情感，该情感在此天使之外呈现为一只鸟，这鸟会随着天使的情感消失而消失，并且这一幕的确发生了。
这次经历使汉斯爵士确信，自然界对动植物的产生毫无贡献，它们完全是由从灵界流入自然界之物产生的。他说，如果用地上相应的物质材料将这只鸟填满，连它最细微的成分都填满，从而赋予它固定形式，那么它就会成为一只长存的鸟儿，和地上的鸟没什么两样；由地狱所产生的那类事物同样如此。对此，他补充说，要是他早知道他现在所知道关于灵界的这些事，就不会归因于自然界，除了这一事实：自然界服务于来自神的属灵成分，以固定不断流入自然界的事物。
344. In the spiritual world, I once heard two presidents of the British [Royal] Society, Sir Sloane and Sir Folkes, discussing the origin of seeds and eggs and their propagations on earth. The first attributed all this to nature, saying that from creation they were gifted with a power and energy for propagation by means of the sun's warmth. The second said that this force was continually coming from God the Creator into nature. To resolve the disagreement, Sir Sloane was shown a lovely bird and told to examine it closely to see whether it was at all different from similar birds on earth. He held it in his hand and examined it carefully and said that there was no difference. He knew that it was simply the feeling of a particular angel that was being portrayed outwardly as a bird and that it would vanish or go out of existence along with that feeling, which then happened.
This experience convinced Sir Sloane that nature contributed nothing whatever to the propagation of plants and animals. It is simply what flows into nature from the spiritual world. He said that if that particular bird had been filled in with appropriate earthly matter down to the last detail and so had become stable, it would have been a lasting bird just like our earthly birds, and that the same held true for things that came from hell.
He went on to say that if he had known what he now knew about the spiritual world, he would not have attributed anything to nature except the service it provides to spiritual reality from God, for giving stability to the forces that are constantly flowing into nature.
344. I heard two former presidents of the English Royal Society, Sir Hans Sloane 1 and Sir Martin Folkes, 2 conversing with each other in the spiritual world about the existence of seeds and eggs on earth and the productions arising from them. The first ascribed these phenomena to nature, saying that nature had been endowed from creation with the power and ability to produce by means of the sun's warmth such effects. The other said that nature has this ability in it continually from God the Creator.
To settle the argument, a beautiful bird appeared to Sir Hans, and he was told to examine it to see whether it differed in any least particular from a similar bird on earth. Sir Hans held it in his hand, examined it, and said that there was no difference. He was told to do this, because he knew that it was only the affection of some angel in his vicinity represented as a bird, and that it would vanish or cease to exist along with the angel's affection, as also happened.
[2] As a result of this experiment Sir Hans was convinced that nature contributes nothing whatever to the productions of plants and animals, but that they are attributable solely to that which flows from the spiritual world into the natural one. He said that if that bird had been filled in respect to its least constituents with corresponding substances from the earth and thus given fixed form, it would be an enduring bird, as birds are on earth, and that the same is the case with phenomena arising from hell.
He said in addition that if he had known then what he knows now about the spiritual world, he would have ascribed to nature no more than the fact that it served a spiritual component from God to give fixed form to things continually flowing into nature.
Footnotes:
1. Sir Hans Sloane, 1660-1753, British physician and naturalist. Elected one of the two secretaries of the Royal Society in 1693. President of the Royal Society, 1727-1741, succeeding Sir Isaac Newton upon the latter's death. His bequest to the British nation of an extensive library and collection of manuscripts, pictures, coins and curiosities led to the founding of the British Museum, which was opened to the public in 1759.
2. Martin Folkes, 1690-1754, British antiquarian. Vice President of the Royal Society, 1722-1741. President of the Royal Society, 1741-1752, succeeding Sir Hans Sloane. No evidence exists of his having had conferred upon him either a baronetcy or knighthood entitling him to be addressed as Sir.
344. I heard two presidents of the English Royal Society, Sir Hans Sloane and Martin Folkes, conversing together in the spiritual world about the existence of seeds and eggs, and about productions from them on the earth. The former ascribed them to nature, and said that nature was endowed from creation with a power and force to produce such things by means of the sun heat. The other declared that this force is in nature unceasingly from God the Creator. That the controversy might be settled, a beautiful bird appeared to Sir Hans Sloane, and he was asked to examine it to see whether it differed in the least particular from a similar bird on earth. He held it in his hand, examined it, and declared that there was no difference. For he knew that it was nothing but an affection of some angel represented outside him as a bird, and that it would vanish or cease with the affection that produced it. And this indeed happened. By this experience, Sir Hans Sloane was convinced that nature contributes nothing whatever to the production of vegetables and animals, but that they are produced solely by what flows into the natural world out of the spiritual world. He said that, if that bird were to be infilled in its minutest parts with corresponding matters from the earth, and thus fixed, it would be a lasting bird like the birds on earth; and that it is the same with such things as are from hell. To this he added that if he had known what he now knew of the spiritual world, he would have ascribed to nature no more than this, that it serves the spiritual which is from God, in fixing those things which inflow unceasingly into nature.
344. I heard two presidents of the English Royal Society, Sir Hans Sloane and Martin Folkes, conversing together in the spiritual world about the existence of seeds and eggs, and about productions from them in the earths. The former ascribed them to nature, and contended that nature was endowed from creation with a power and force to produce such effects by means of the sun's heat. The other maintained that this force is in nature unceasingly from God the Creator. To settle the discussion, a beautiful bird appeared to Sir Hans Sloane, and he was asked to examine it to see whether it differed in the smallest particle from a similar bird on earth. He held it in his hand, examined it, and declared that there was no difference. He knew indeed that it was nothing but an affection of some angel represented outside of the angel as a bird, and that it would vanish or cease with its affection. And this came to pass. By this experience Sir Hans Sloane was convinced that nature contributes nothing whatever to the production of plants and animals, that they are produced solely by what flows into the natural world out of the spiritual world. If that bird, he said, were to be infilled, in its minutest parts, with corresponding matters from the earth, and thus fixed, it would be a lasting bird, like the birds on the earth; and that it is the same with such things as are from hell. To this he added that had he known what he now knew of the spiritual world, he would have ascribed to nature no more than this, that it serves the spiritual, which is from God, in fixing the things which flow in unceasingly into nature.
344. Audivi binos Praesides Societatis [Regalis] Anglicanae[,] Sr. Sloan 1 et Sr. Fock[,] 2 in Mundo spirituali inter se colloquentes de existentia seminum et ovorum, et de productionibus ex illis, in terris; prior adscripsit illa naturae, et [dixit] quod illi a Creatione indita sit potentia et vis medio solis calore producendi talia; alter dixit, quod illa vis continua sit a Deo Creatore in natura: ut lis illa dirimeretur, visa est Sr. Sloan Avis pulchra, et dictum illi est, ut lustraret illam, num in aliquo minimo 3 differret a simili ave in terra[;] tenebat illam manu, lustrabat, et dixit quod non esset discrimen; [hoc dictum illi est,] sciebat enim quod illa non esset aliud quam affectio cujusdam Angeli extra illum repraesentata sicut avis, et quod evanesceret seu desineret cum affectione ejus, quod etiam factum est.
[2] Sr. Sloan ex hac experientia convictus est, quod natura nihil prorsus conferret ad productiones vegetabilium et animalium, sed solum id quod e spirituali Mundo influit in naturalem; dixit, si illa avis in minimis suis foret impleta materiis correspondentibus ex tellure, et sic fixata, quod foret avis perdurans, sicut sunt aves in terris; et quod simile sit cum illis quae ab Inferno sunt. Addidit dicendo, quod si novisset illa quae nunc novit de Mundo spirituali, non plus adscripsisset naturae, quam quod inserviret spirituali quod a Deo, pro figendo illa quae continue in naturam influunt.
Footnotes:
1. Sir Hans Sloane, 1660-1753, Praeses Societatis Regalis, 1727-1741.
2. Martin Folkes, 1690-1754, Praeses Societatis Regalis, 1741-1752.
3. Prima editio: nimino