349、大多数人照着表象说，凡他们在平原、田野、草地、花园和森林里所看到的东西，都是由太阳通过它的热和光产生的；还说，太阳通过它的热从卵中孵化出幼虫，并使地上的走兽和空中的飞鸟繁殖；它甚至将生命赋予人类。那些只是照着表象说话的人，即便不将这些事归因于自然界，也能这样说，因为他们没有思想这个问题。例如，那些谈论日升日落，由此创造了天数和年数，或太阳时而在这个高度，时而在那个高度的人，就是照着表象以这种方式谈论，即便没有将这些事归因于太阳，也能这样谈论，因为他们没有思想太阳静止不动，而地球不停旋转。但那些坚信太阳通过它的热和光产生了地上所出现的事物之人，最终会将一切事物，甚至包括宇宙的创造，都归因于自然界，从而成为自然主义的信徒，最后沦为无神论者。然后，这些人可能还会说，神创造了自然界，并赋予她产生这些事物的能力；但他们这样说，是因为害怕丧失自己的好名声；他们所说的神造物主还是指自然界，其中有些人指的是自然界的至内在元素，那时他们认为教会教导的神性事物是毫无意义的。
349. What we can see in the created universe bears witness to the fact that nature has brought forth nothing and brings forth nothing. Divinity brings forth everything from itself, and does so through the spiritual world. Many people in our world take events at face value and say that the sun produces the things that we can see in our meadows, fields, gardens, and forests by its warmth and light, that the sun hatches grubs from eggs by its warmth and makes the beasts of the earth and the birds in the sky reproduce, and even that it brings us to life. People can talk this way if they are simply talking in terms of appearances but are not really ascribing these powers to nature. They are not actually thinking about it. It is like people talking about the sun, saying that it rises and sets and makes days and years, that it is now at one height or another. They are likewise talking in terms of appearances, and they can do so, without thinking about the sun as stationary and the earth as revolving.
People who prove to themselves that the sun does produce the things we see on earth by its warmth and light end up giving nature credit for everything, even the creation of the universe. They become materialists and ultimately atheists. They can later say that God created nature and endowed it with the ability to do all this, but they say this out of fear of harm to their reputation. All the while, by "God the Creator" they really mean nature--for some of them, its inmost essence--and completely trivialize the divine qualities that the church teaches.
349. Visible phenomena in the created universe attest that nothing has been or is produced by nature, but everything by the Divine from itself, and this through the spiritual world. Most people in the world speak in accordance with the appearance that the sun by its heat and light produces whatever they see in fields, meadows, gardens and forests; that the sun by its warmth hatches grubs from eggs and causes beasts of the earth and birds of the sky to reproduce; indeed, even that it gives life to mankind.
People who only speak in this way because of the appearance can do so even though they do not ascribe these things to nature, because they are not thinking about it. For example, people who speak of the sun as rising and setting and creating days and years, or as being now at this or that height, speak in this way in accordance with the appearance, and can do so, even though they do not ascribe these things to the sun, because they are not thinking about the sun's stationary position and the revolution of the earth.
On the other hand, people who confirm themselves in the notion that the sun by its heat and light produces the phenomena that appear on the earth, eventually ascribe all things to nature, including as well the creation of the universe, and they become adherents of naturalism and at last atheists. After that they may indeed say that God created nature and endowed it with the power of producing such phenomena, but they say so for fear of losing their reputation. At the same time, however, by God the Creator they mean nature, and some of them the inmost element of nature, and they then regard as of no account any Divine tenets that the church teaches.
349. THE VISIBLE THINGS IN THE CREATED UNIVERSE TESTIFY THAT NATURE HAS PRODUCED NOTHING, AND DOES PRODUCE NOTHING, BUT THAT THE DIVINE PRODUCES ALL THINGS OUT OF ITSELF, AND THROUGH THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
Very many people in the world speak from the appearance. They say that the sun by its heat and light produces whatever is to be seen in plains, fields, gardens, and woods; also that the sun by its heat hatches worms from eggs, and makes beasts of the earth and fowls of the air prolific, indeed, even gives life to man. Those who speak so from appearance only, may do so without ascribing these things to nature for they do not think about it: like those who speak of the sun rising and setting, making days and years, and being in this or that altitude; these likewise speak from the appearance, and can do so, although they do not ascribe these effects to the sun; for they are not thinking of the sun's standing still and the earth's turning round. But those who confirm themselves in the idea that the sun produces the things that appear on the earth by means of its heat and light, in the end ascribe all things to nature, even the creation of the universe, and become believers in naturalism and, finally, atheists. These can indeed say afterwards that God created nature and endowed her with the power of producing such things, but they say this for fear of the loss of reputation. They still, by God the Creator, mean nature, and some the inmosts of nature; and then the Divine things taught by the Church count for nothing with them.
349. THE VISIBLE THINGS IN THE CREATED UNIVERSE BEAR WITNESS THAT NATURE HAS PRODUCED AND DOES PRODUCE NOTHING, BUT THAT THE DIVINE OUT OF ITSELF, AND THROUGH THE SPIRITUAL WORLD, HAS PRODUCED AND DOES PRODUCE ALL THINGS.
Speaking from appearances, most men say that the sun by heat and light produces whatever is to be seen in plains, fields, gardens, and forests; also that the sun by its heat hatches worms from eggs, and makes prolific the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the air; and that it even gives life to man. Those who speak from appearances only may speak in this way without ascribing these things to nature, because they are not thinking about the matter; as there are those who speak of the sun as rising and setting, and causing days and years, and being now at this or that altitude; such persons speak from appearances, and in doing so, do not ascribe such effects to the sun, because they are not thinking of the sun's fixity or the earth's revolution. But those who confirm themselves in the idea that the sun produces the things that appear upon the earth by means of its heat and light, end by ascribing all things to nature, even the creation of the universe, and become naturalists and, at last, atheists. These may continue to say that God created nature and endowed her with the power of producing such things, but this they say from fear of losing their good name; and by God the Creator they still mean nature, and some mean the innermost of nature, and then the Divine things taught by the church they regard as of no account.
349. QUOD VISIBILIA IN UNIVERSO CREATO TESTENTUR, QUOD NATURA NIHIL PRODUXERIT, ET NIHIL PRODUCAT, SED QUOD OMNIA DIVINUM EX SE, ET PER MUNDUM SPIRITUALEM. Plerique in Mundo ex apparentia loquuntur, quod Sol per calorem et lucem producat id quod conspicitur in campis, agris, hortis et sylvis; tum quod Sol per calorem suum ex ovis excludat vermes, et quod bestias terrae et aves coeli faciat prolificare, imo etiam quod hominem vivificet: illi qui solum ex apparentia ita loquuntur, possunt ita loqui, attamen usque non illa adscribunt naturae, non enim cogitant de eo: sicut qui loquuntur de Sole, quod oriatur et occidat, ac faciat dies et annos, et quod nunc in illa aut illa altitudine sit, illi similiter ex apparentia loquuntur, et possunt ita loqui, et tamen non illa adscribunt Soli, non enim cogitant de Solis statione et telluris circumversione. At illi qui se confirmant in eo, quod Sol per calorem et lucem producat illa quae super tellure apparent, illi tandem adscribunt omnia naturae, et quoque creationem Universi, et fiunt naturalistae, et tandem athei: hi quidem postea possunt dicere, quod Deus creaverit naturam, ac indiderit ei potentiam producendi talia; sed hoc dicunt ex timore jacturae famae; at usque per Deum Creatorem intelligunt naturam, et quidam ejus intimum, et tunc Divina, quae Ecclesia docet, nihili faciunt.