130、⑴没有人能因神迹奇事被改造，因为它们强迫人。前面（103，119节）说明，人有思维的一个内在和一个外在，主通过人思维的内在流入他思维的外在，从而教导并引领他；还说明，按照主的圣治，人要出于自由照着理性行动。如果有神迹发生，人由此被迫去相信，那么人里面的这些能力都会毁灭。这是真的，我们可以按下列方式理性看出来：不可否认，神迹会诱发一种信仰，强有力地说服人确信行神迹的那个人所说所教导的都是真的。一开始，这种确信如此占据人的外在思维，以至于可以说捆绑并迷住了它。然而，这却剥夺了人的两种官能，就是我们所说的理性和自由，因而剥夺了出于自由照着理性行动的能力。这时，主无法再通过他的内在思维流入他的外在思维，只能让人通过他的理性确认他通过神迹所信仰的东西。
人的思维状态具有这样的性质：它能使人通过内在思维观看，并如在一种镜子中那样看到他外在思维中的东西；因为如前所述（104节），一个人能看到自己的思维，但若不通过一种更内在的思维，这是不可能的。当人如在一面镜子中那样看到某种东西时，他能左右转动它，并塑造它，直到在他看来，它显得很美丽；他看到的东西若是真实的，就好比漂亮、活泼的少男少女。然而，如果人不能左右转动它，并塑造它，只能简单地出于神迹所诱发的说服而相信它，那么它即便是真的，也好比石雕木刻的少男少女，其中毫无生命。它还好比不断出现在眼前的一个物体，我们只是看到这个物体，而它两侧和后面的东西却都掩藏了。或者它好比不断在耳中响起的声音，这声音夺去了对许多声音组成的和声的感知。这种聋与瞎就是由神迹给人类心智造成的。一切事物在被确认之前若未经某种理性查看，都是这样。
130. (1) No one is reformed by miracles and signs, because they compel. We showed above that a person has an internal level of thought and an external one, and that the Lord flows in through the internal level of thought in a person into the external one, and so teaches and leads him. We showed, too, that it is of the Lord's Divine providence that a person act in freedom in accordance with his reason. Both of these elements would perish in a person if miracles were to occur and the person were forced by them to believe.
The reality of this can be rationally seen as follows. No one can deny that miracles induce belief and strongly persuade that what ever the miracle-worker says and teaches is true, and that at the outset this so occupies the external level of a person's thought as to virtually bind and enthrall it. But this deprives a person of his two faculties called rationality and freedom, thus of his ability to act in freedom in accordance with his reason, and the Lord cannot then flow in through the internal level of his thought into the external one, except to leave to the person the ability to confirm with his rationality that which has become a matter of his faith as a result of the miracle.
[2] The circumstance of a person's thought is such that from the internal level of his thought he views the subject in the external level of his thought as in a kind of mirror; for, as we said above, a person can see his thought, which would not be possible without the existence of a more interior thought. And when viewing the matter as in a kind of mirror, he can also turn it this way and that, and shape it, to the point that it appears to him attractive.
If the subject is a truth, it may be likened to a maiden or youth comely and alive. But if the person is unable to turn the matter this way and that, and shape it, but can believe it only because of a persuasion induced by some miracle, then, if it is a truth, it may be likened to a maiden or youth sculpted out of stone or wood, which is without any life. It may also be likened to an object that remains continually before the eyes, which is the only thing seen and which hides everything on either side of it and behind it. It may be likened as well to a constant sound in the ear, which takes away any perception of the harmony arising from a number of sounds. Such is the blindness and deafness induced on the human mind by miracles.
It is the same with everything affirmed that is not examined with any rationality before it is affirmed.
130. 1. No one is reformed by miracles and signs, because they compel. I have already explained [103, 119] that we have inner and outer processes of thought and that the Lord flows through our inner thought processes into the outer, this being the way he teaches and guides us. I have also explained [71-99] that it is the intent of the Lord's divine providence that we act in freedom and in accord with reason. Both of these abilities in us would be destroyed if miracles happened and we were forced into belief by them.
We can see the truth of this rationally as follows. We cannot deny that miracles induce faith and that they persuade us convincingly that what the miracle-worker says and teaches is true. To begin with, this conviction takes over the outer processes of our thought so completely that it virtually constrains and bewitches them. However, this deprives us of the two abilities called freedom and rationality and therefore of our ability to act in freedom and in accord with reason. Then the Lord cannot flow in through our inner thought processes into the outer ones; all he can do is leave us to convince ourselves by rational means of the truth of anything that has become a matter of faith for us because of the miracle.
[2] The basic state of our thought is that we look from our inner thinking and see things in our outer thinking in a kind of mirror, because as already noted [104] we can look at our own thinking, which can be done only by a deeper level of thinking. When we look at something in this mirrorlike way, we can turn it this way and that and shape it so that it seems attractive to us. If what we are looking at is something true, we could compare it to a good-looking, vibrant young woman or young man. However, if we cannot turn it this way and that and shape it but only believe it at second hand, influenced by a miracle, then even if it is true it is like a young woman or young man carved of stone or wood, with no life in it. We might also compare it to something that is constantly before our eyes, something that is all we look at, hiding whatever is on either side of it and behind it. Or we could compare it to a sound that is constantly in our ears, robbing us of any perception of the harmony of multiple sounds. This kind of blindness and deafness is imposed on our minds by miracles.
The same holds true for any conviction that is not looked at rationally before it becomes a conviction.
130. I. NO ONE IS REFORMED BY MIRACLES AND SIGNS, BECAUSE THEY COMPEL. It was shown above that man has an internal and an external of thought, and that the Lord flows through the internal of thought with man into its external, and thus teaches and leads him; and also that it is of the Divine Providence of the Lord that man should act from freedom according to reason. All this would perish in man if miracles were wrought and man were driven by them to believe. That this is so may be rationally seen from the following considerations. It cannot be denied that miracles induce a belief and a strong persuasion that what is said and taught by him who performs the miracles is true, and that this at first so occupies the external of man's thought as to hold it spell-bound. Man, however, is thereby deprived of his two faculties called rationality and liberty, and thus of his ability to act from freedom according to reason; and then the Lord cannot flow in through the internal into the external of his thought, except merely to leave the man to confirm from his rationality what has become an object of his faith because of the miracle.
[2] The state of man's thought is such that from the internal of his thought he sees a thing in the external of his thought as in a kind of mirror; for, as was said above, a man is able to see his own thought, and this is only possible from a more interior thought. When he sees the thing as in a mirror, he can also turn it this way and that, and shape it until it appears to him to be a thing of beauty. If this is a truth it may be compared to a maiden or a youth, beautiful and living. If, however, the man cannot turn it this way and that and shape it, but can only believe it from the persuasion induced by a miracle, it may be compared, if it is then a truth, to a maiden or a youth carved from stone or wood, in which there is no life. It may also be compared to an object that is constantly before the sight and, being alone seen, hides from view everything that is on either side of it and behind it. Again, it may be compared to a continual sound in the ear that takes away the perception of harmony arising from many sounds. Such blindness and deafness are induced on the human mind by miracles. It is the same with everything that is confirmed which is not seen with some degree of rationality before being confirmed.
130. (1) No one is reformed by miracles and signs, because they compel. It has been shown above that man has an internal and an external of thought, and that the Lord flows into man through the internal of thought into its external, and thus teaches and leads him; also that it is of the Lord's Divine providence that man should act from freedom in accordance with reason. Both of these would perish in man if miracles were wrought and man were thereby driven to believe. That this is true can be seen rationally in this way. It cannot be denied that miracles induce a belief and powerfully persuade that what is said and taught by him who does the miracles is true, and that this at first so occupies man's external thought as to bind and fascinate it, as it were. But by this man is deprived of his two faculties called rationality and liberty, and thus of the ability to act from freedom in accordance with reason; and then the Lord can no longer flow in through the internal into the external of his thought, except merely to leave the man to confirm by his rationality what he has been made through the miracle to believe.
[2] The state of man's thought is such as to enable him from the internal of his thought to see any matter in the external of his thought as in a sort of mirror; for, as has been said above, a man is able to see his own thought, which would not be possible except from a more internal thought. And when he thus sees a matter as in a mirror he can turn it this way and that, and shape it until it appears to him beautiful; and if the matter is a truth it may be likened to a virgin or a youth, beautiful and living. But when one cannot turn it this way and that, and shape it, but can simply believe it from the persuasion induced by the miracle, it may be likened, if it is a truth, to a virgin or a youth carved from stone or wood, in which there is no life. It may also be likened to an object that is constantly before the sight, and being alone seen conceals every thing that is on either side of it and behind it. Or it may be likened to a sound continually in the ear that takes away the perception of harmony from many sounds. Such blindness and deafness are induced on the human mind by miracles. It is the same with every thing confirmed that is not looked into with some rationality before it is confirmed.
130. I. Quod nemo reformetur per miracula et signa, quia cogunt. Quod homini sit internum et externum cogitationis, et quod Dominus influat per internum cogitationis in externum ejus apud hominem, et sic doceat et ducat illum, supra ostensum est; tum quod ex Divina Domini Providentia sit, ut homo ex libero secundum rationem agat: utrumque hoc apud hominem periret, si miracula fierent, et homo per illa adigeretur ad credendum. Quod ita sit, rationaliter sic videri potest: non negari potest, quin miracula inducant fidem ac fortiter persuadeant 1quod id sit verum, quod ille, qui miracula facit, dicit et docet; et quod hoc in initio ita occupet externum cogitationis hominis, ut id quasi vinciat et fascinet: sed homo per id deprivatur binis suis facultatibus, quae vocantur Rationalitas et Libertas, ita quod possit ex libero secundum rationem agere, et tunc non potest Dominus influere per internum in externum cogitationis ejus, nisi solum relinquere homini ex rationalitate sua confirmare illam rem, quae per miraculum fidei ejus facta est. 2
[2] Status cogitationis hominis talis est, ut ab interno cogitationis videat rem in externo cogitationis suae sicut in quodam speculo, nam, ut supra dictum est, homo potest videre suam cogitationem, quod non dari potest nisi a cogitatione interiore; et cum videt rem sicut in speculo, potest etiam illam versare huc illuc, et formare illam, usque ut sibi appareat pulchra: quae res, si veritas est, comparari potest virgini aut juveni pulchris et vivis; at si homo rem illam non potest versare huc illuc, et formare illam, sed modo illam credere ex persuasione inducta per miraculum, si tunc veritas est, comparari potest virgini aut juveni sculptis ex lapide aut ligno, in quibus non vivum est: et quoque comparari potest objecto, quod jugiter coram visu est, quod solum spectatur et abscondit omne id quod utrinque a latere, et quod post illud est; tum comparari potest sono in aure continuo, qui aufert perceptionem harmoniae ex pluribus: talis caecitas et surditas inducitur menti humanae per miracula. Simile est cum omni confirmato, quod non spectatur ex aliqua rationalitate antequam confirmatur.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: persvadeant
2 Prima editio: est (absque interpuncto)