153、我常常在想，尽管整个基督教界都承认必须避恶如罪，否则他们不得赦免，他们若不得赦免，就没有救恩；然而，明白这一点的人，却不及千分之一。对此，在灵界曾作过调查，结果发现的确如此。在基督教界，每个人都从读给领受圣餐者的训词中知道这一点，因为这在训词中已经公开声明了；然而，当被问及是否知道这一点时，他们却回答说不知道，并且一直不知道。这是因为他们没有思想过它，其中大多数人只想到信和唯信得救。我也在想，唯信如此关闭眼目，以至于当那些确认唯信的人阅读圣言时，他们看不见圣言论到爱、仁和行为的任何话。仿佛他们用信涂抹了圣言的一切，如同一个人把红颜料抹在一部手稿上，以致它下面的东西无法显现；或即便有东西显现，它也被信吸收了，并被宣称为信。
153. I have often marveled that although the entire Christian world knows that evils are to be shunned as sins, that otherwise they are not forgiven, and that unless sins are forgiven there is no salvation, still scarcely one out of thousands is aware of this. Inquiry into this was made in the spiritual world, and it was found to be so.
Indeed everyone in the Christian world knows this from the prayers recited before those who attend the Holy Supper, for it is openly declared in these; and yet when people are asked whether they are aware of it, they reply that they are not and have not been. The reason is that they have not thought about it, and most say that they have thought only of faith and of salvation by it alone.
I have also marveled as well that faith alone has so closed their eyes that when people who have confirmed themselves in that faith read the Word, they see nothing that is said there about love, charity and works. It is as though they have painted their faith over all the contents of the Word, like one who paints a manuscript with tempera, so that nothing that lies underneath appears, or if something does appear, it is swallowed up by their faith and said to be faith.
153. I have often been struck by the fact that even though the whole Christian world recognizes that evils are to be avoided as sins and that otherwise they are not forgiven, even though Christians recognize that if sins are not forgiven there is no salvation, still there is scarcely one in a thousand who actually knows this for a fact. I have made inquiries in the spiritual world and found that this is true. Everyone in the Christian world is aware of it because of the prayers that are read to people who come to the Holy Supper, because these things are very clearly stated then; yet when you ask whether people know this for a fact, they say that they do not now and did not in the past. This is because they have not thought about it, most of them thinking only about faith and about salvation because of their faith alone.
I have also been struck by the fact that faith alone closes the eyes so completely that when people who are convinced of it read the Word, they do not see anything that it says about love, caring, and doing. It is as though they painted a coating of faith over the whole Word like someone who paints a manuscript over with crimson so that nothing shows through from underneath; and if anything does show through, it is swallowed up by faith and becomes identified with it.
153. I have often wondered that although the whole Christian world acknowledges that evils must be shunned as sins, and that otherwise they are not remitted, and unless they are remitted there is no salvation, yet scarcely one in a thousand understands this. Inquiry was made about this in the spiritual world, and it was found to be so. Everyone in the Christian world acknowledges it, from the exhortations read before those who come to the Holy Supper, for it is openly declared in these; and yet when they are asked whether they understand this, they answer that they do not, and that they have never understood it. The reason is that they have not given it any thought, most of them thinking only about faith and about salvation by faith alone. I have also wondered that faith alone has so closed the eyes that when those who have confirmed themselves in it are reading the Word they see nothing that is said there about love, charity and works. It is as though they had smeared over all things in the Word with faith, as one smears over a piece of writing with red paint so that nothing underneath it appears; and if anything does appear, it is absorbed by faith and declared to be faith.
153. I have often wondered, that although it is known by the whole Christian world that evils must be shunned as sins, and that otherwise they are not remitted, and unless they are remitted there is no salvation, yet this is known by scarcely one among thousands. Inquiry was made about this in the spiritual world, and it was found to be so. This is known by everyone in the Christian world from the exhortations read before those who come to the Holy Supper, for it is openly declared in these; nevertheless when they are asked whether they know this, they answer that they do not, and that they have never known it. This is because they have not thought about it, and because most of them have thought only of faith, and of salvation by it alone. I have also wondered that faith alone so closes the eyes that when those who have confirmed themselves in it are reading the Word they see nothing that is there said about love, charity, and works. It is as if they had daubed faith over all things of the Word, as one might so smear a manuscript with red lead that nothing underneath it would appear. Or if anything does appear, it is absorbed by faith and is said to be faith.
153. Saepius miratus sum, quod tametsi universus Orbis Christianus novit, quod fugienda sint mala ut peccata, et quod alioquin non remittantur, et si peccata non remittuntur, nulla sit salvatio, usque tamen inter millenos vix unus hoc sciat; inquisitum est hoc in Mundo spirituali, ac ita inventum est: quisque enim in Orbe Christiano novit id ex Orationibus praelectis coram illis qui sanctam Coenam obeunt, nam id in illis aperte dicitur, et tamen cum quaeruntur num sciant hoc, respondent quod non sciant, et quod non sciverint; causa est quia non cogitaverunt de eo, et plerique quod modo cogitaverint de fide, et de salvatione per illam solam. Et quoque miratus sum, quod sola fides ita occluserit oculos, ut qui in illa se confirmaverunt, dum legunt Verbum, nihil videant quae ibi de Amore, Charitate et Operibus dicuntur; est sicut illiverint fidem super omnia Verbi, quemadmodum qui minio illinit scripturam, ex quo non patet aliquid quod subter est, et si aliquid patet, absorbetur a fide, et dicitur quod illa sit.