356、自然事物能以功用为目的，并将功用排列成系列和形式吗？除了有智慧的那一位外，没有人能做到这一切；除了拥有无限智慧的神以外，没有人能赋予宇宙以秩序和形式。还有谁，或还有什么，能预见并提供人类衣食所需的一切？这些衣食就来自土地的出产和动物。我们所看到的奇迹之一是：像蚕那样微不足道的生物，会以丝绸为衣，华美地装扮男男女女，上至王后国王，下至女仆男仆；像蜜蜂那样的低等昆虫则会提供照明用的蜂蜡，使得圣殿和庭院光辉灿烂。这些和更多奇迹都是显而易见的证据，证明主从祂自己通过灵界产生了出现在自然界中的一切事物。
356. Can anything earthly have useful functioning as a goal and arrange functions in sequences and forms? Only someone wise can do this, and only God, who has infinite wisdom, can arrange and form the universe in this way. Who else--or what else--can foresee and make available all the things that serve for our food and clothing, food from the fruits of the earth and from animals, and clothing from both as well?
It ranks among the miracles that the humble insects called silkworms provide splendid, beautiful silken clothing for both women and men from queens and kings to maids and servants, and that the humble insects called bees provide wax for the candles that lend their brilliance to temples and courts. These and many other facts are clear evidence that the Lord produces everything that happens in nature from himself through the spiritual world.
356. Can anything natural have as an end a useful purpose, and dispose useful endeavors into patterns and forms? No one can do this but one who is wise; and no one can so order and form the universe but God, who has infinite wisdom. Who else, or what else, can foresee and provide all those things which serve mankind for food and clothing - food from the fruits of the earth and from animals, and clothing from the same sources?
Among the wonders we see is that those lowly larvae we call silkworms should clothe and magnificently adorn with their silk both women and men, from queens and kings to maidservants and menservants; and that lowly insects such as bees should supply wax for the lights by which temples and courts are filled with a radiant splendor.
These wonders and more are visible proofs that it is the Lord acting from Himself through the spiritual world who produces all the phenomena which occur in nature.
356. Is it possible for anything natural to have use as an end and to dispose uses into their orders and forms? It is impossible except with one who is wise; and none but God, Whose Wisdom is Infinite, can so give order to the universe and form it. Who else, or what else, can foresee and provide all those things that are food and clothing for men-food from the fruits of the earth and from animals, and clothing from the same sources? It is among the wonders of creation that those insignificant worms, called silkworms, should clothe in silk and magnificently adorn both women and men, from queens and kings even to maid-servants and man-servants; and that insignificant insects like bees should supply in abundance wax for the candles by which temples and courts are made brilliant. These and many other things are convincing evidence that the Lord makes all things that exist in nature, from Himself, through the spiritual world.
356. Can anything natural regard use as an end and dispose uses into series and forms? No one can do this unless he be wise; and no one but God, whose wisdom is infinite, can so give order and form to the universe. Who else or what else is able to foresee and provide all things needful for the food and clothing of man, - food from the fruits of earth and from animals, and clothing from the same? How marvelous that so insignificant a creature as the silk-worm should clothe in silk and splendidly adorn both women and men, from queens and kings to maidservants and menservants, and that insignificant insects like the bees should supply wax for the candles by which temples and palaces are made brilliant. These and many other things are manifest proofs that the Lord from Himself by means of the spiritual world, brings about everything that comes into existence in nature.
356. Num aliquod naturale pro fine potest habere usum, ac disponere usus in ordines et in formas; hoc non potest nisi quam Sapiens; ac universum ita ordinare et formare, non potest nisi Deus, Cui Infinita Sapientia est: quis alius, aut quid aliud[,] potest praevidere et providere omnia illa quae victus et amictus sint hominibus, victus ex fructibus terrae et ex animalibus, ac vestitus ex iisdem. Inter mirabilia est, quod viles illi vermes, qui vocantur bombyces, serico vestirent, et magnifice ornarent et foeminas et viros a Reginis et Regibus usque ad ancillas et famulos: et quod viles vermes, qui sunt apes, suppeditarent ceras pro luminaribus, ex quibus Templa et Aulae in splendore sunt. Haec et plura sunt auctoramenta exstantia, quod Dominus a Se per Mundum spiritualem operetur omnia quae in natura existunt.