175、不信神意的属世人，或说唯物主义者私下里会想：“当坏人晋升高位时，当他们的努力获得的回报比好人更多时，当不信神意的人在许多方面比信的人更成功时，神意算什么呢？无信和不敬虔的人不仅能对有信和敬虔的人造成伤害、损失、不幸，有时甚至用恶毒的阴谋杀害他们。”所以他最终认为：“我凭自己的亲身经历难道不能如在白昼那样清楚看到，只要我们巧妙地使诡计显得诚实和公义，这些诡计就会击败诚实和公义吗？除了在其中看不见神意的一丝痕迹的必需品，结果和机遇外，还剩下什么呢？必需品不是属于自然界吗？结果不是来自属世或文明秩序的原因吗？机遇不是要么来自未知原因，要么根本没有原因吗？”属世人或唯物主义者就是这样思考的，他将一切都归于自然界，丝毫不归于神；因为不将任何东西归于神的人，也不会将任何东西归于圣治；毕竟，神和神意或圣治构成一体，是不可分割的。
但属灵人心里的想法或说法却不同，尽管他在思维上对圣治的运作没有感知，或没有亲眼看见它，但仍知道并承认它。由于前面提到的表象和随之而来的谬见或幻觉使理解力变瞎，而理解力无法获得任何视觉，除非使它变瞎的谬见或幻觉和蒙蔽它的虚假被驱散，又由于这一切只能通过天生就具有驱散虚假能力的真理实现，所以我需要披露这些真理，为清楚起见，现按下列顺序来披露：
⑴人若觉察并感受到圣治的运作，就不会出于自由照着理性行动；他会觉得没有什么东西是真正属于他的或来自他自己。如果他知道将来的事，情况也是这样。
⑵人若清楚看见圣治，就会干扰它行进的秩序和进程，败坏并毁掉它。
⑶人若清楚看见圣治，就要么否认神，要么把自己当成神。
⑷人被允许从背后，而不是面对面看见圣治；并且是在一种属灵状态下，而非一种属世状态下看见它。
175. It Is a Law of Divine Providence That a Person Not Perceive or Sense Anything of the Operation of Divine Providence, but Still Know about And Acknowledge it
The natural person who does not believe in Divine providence thinks to himself, "What is Divine providence when evil people are raised to higher positions of honor and acquire more wealth than good people, and when those who do not believe in Divine providence meet with many more like successes than those who do believe? Indeed, when faithless and impious people are able to inflict injuries, losses and misfortunes, and sometimes death on faithful and pious people, and this by cunning and malicious arts?"
And so he thinks, "Do I not see from actual experience, as though in the clear light of day, that crafty schemes prevail over faithfulness and justice, if only one has the clever skill to be able to make them appear trustworthy and just? What are any other happenings but inevitabilities, consequences, and chance events, in which we see no evidence of Divine providence? Are not inevitabilities due to nature? Are not consequences due to a cause, flowing from it in accordance with natural or civil order? And are not chance events due either to causes unknown, or to no causes at all?"
Such are the thoughts entertained by the natural person who ascribes nothing to God but everything to nature. For one who attributes nothing to God attributes nothing to Divine providence either, as God and Divine providence are inseparably connected.
[2] That is not, on the other hand, what a spiritual person says and thinks to himself. Even though he does not in thought perceive Divine providence in its progress or see it with the sight of his eye, still he knows about it and acknowledges it.
Now, because the aforementioned appearances and resulting misconceptions have blinded the intellect, and because the intellect cannot recover any sight unless the misconceptions that induced the blindness and the falsities that induced the thick darkness are dispelled, and this can be done only through truths that have the power to dispel the falsities, therefore these truths must be disclosed, but for the sake of clarity, under the following series of headings:
(1) If a person were to perceive and sense the operation of Divine providence, he would not act in freedom in accordance with his reason, nor would anything appear to him to spring from him. So, too, if he were to foreknow events.
(2) If a person were to clearly see Divine providence, he would inject himself into the order and course of its progression, and upset and destroy it.
(3) If a person were to clearly see Divine providence, either he would deny God or he would make himself God.
(4) It is granted a person to see Divine providence from behind and not from in front, and in a spiritual state and not in a natural state.
175. It Is a Law of Divine Providence That We Should Not Sense or Feel Anything of the Working of Divine Providence, but That We Should Still Know about It and Acknowledge It
Materialists who do not believe in divine providence think privately, "What is divine providence when evil people are promoted to high office, when their efforts are rewarded more than those of good people, when so many things go better for people who do not believe in divine providence than for people who do? Not only that, faithless and irreverent people can wreak harm, do damage, and cause misfortune to faithful and reverent people, and sometimes even murder them with their vicious schemes." So they wind up thinking, "Can't I see as clear as day from my own experience that as long as we use our subtle skills to make our devious plots seem honest and fair, they will defeat honesty and fairness? What is left but necessity, consequences, and chance, with no visible trace of divine providence? Is necessity anything but a characteristic of the material world? Are consequences anything more than causal chains that flow from physical or civil order? Is chance anything more than unknown causes or no cause at all?" This is how materialists think, people who attribute everything to the material world and nothing to God; because people who ignore God ignore divine providence as well. After all, God and divine providence are inseparable.
[2] Spiritual people think and speak differently, though, within themselves. Even though they do not sense the ongoing workings of divine providence in their thoughts or see it with their eyes, they still know and acknowledge it.
The superficial views and consequent illusions I have just mentioned blind our discernment, and our discernment cannot gain any sight unless the illusions that blind it and the distortions that becloud it are dispelled. This cannot be accomplished except by means of truths that have the inherent power to dispel distortions. For these reasons, I need to disclose these truths now, and to do so in the following sequence if they are to be clear.
1. If we sensed and felt the working of divine providence, we would not act freely and rationally, and nothing would seem to be really ours. The same would hold true if we knew what was going to happen.
2. If we saw divine providence clearly, we would interfere with the orderly sequence of its processes and corrupt and destroy it.
3. If we saw divine providence clearly, we would either deny God or make ourselves God.
4. We are allowed to see divine providence from behind but not face to face, and when we are in a spiritual state, not in a materialistic state.
175. 5. IT IS A LAW OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE THAT MAN SHOULD NOT PERCEIVE AND FEEL ANYTHING OF THE OPERATION OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE, BUT STILL THAT HE SHOULD KNOW AND ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
The natural man who does not believe in Divine Providence thinks within himself, "What is Divine Providence when the wicked are advanced to honours and acquire wealth more than the good, and when many such things fall to those who do not believe in a Divine Providence beyond the lot of those who do? Indeed, the unbelieving and the impious can inflict injuries, loss, misfortunes, and sometimes death, upon the believing and the pious, and this by cunning and malice." Therefore he thinks, "Do I not see from actual experience as in clear daylight that crafty devices, if only a man by skilful cunning can make them appear to be trustworthy and just, prevail over fidelity and justice? What, then, is left but necessities, consequences and things of chance, in which nothing of Divine Providence appears? Do not necessities belong to nature? Are not consequences causes flowing out from natural or civil order? And do not things of chance come from causes which are not known, or from no cause at all?" Such are the thoughts of the natural man who ascribes nothing to God but all things to nature; for he that attributes nothing to God attributes nothing to the Divine Providence, since God and the Divine Providence make one.
[2] The spiritual man, on the other hand, speaks and thinks within himself quite differently. Although he has no perception in his thought, and is not sensible by his eyesight, of the Divine Providence in its course, still he knows and acknowledges it. Now since the appearances and consequent fallacies mentioned above have blinded the understanding, and this can receive no sight unless the fallacies which induced the blindness and the falsities which induced the darkness are dispelled, and since this cannot be done except by truths which have in them the power of dispelling falsities, therefore these truths shall be disclosed; and for the sake of distinctness this shall be done in the following order:
I. If a man perceived and felt the operation of the Divine Providence he would not act from freedom according to reason; nor would anything appear to him to be as from himself. It would be the same if he foreknew events.
II. If man saw clearly the Divine Providence he would interpose in the order and tenor of its course, and would pervert and destroy that order.
III. If man saw clearly the Divine Providence he would either deny God or make himself God.
IV. It is granted to man to see the Divine Providence in the back and not in the face; and this in a spiritual state and not in a natural state.
175. IT IS A LAW OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE THAT NOTHING OF THE OPERATION OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE SHOULD BE EVIDENT TO MAN'S PERCEPTIONS OR SENSES, BUT THAT HE SHOULD, NEVERTHELESS, KNOW ABOUT IT AND ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
The natural man who does not believe in Divine providence thinks to himself, "What is Divine providence, when the wicked are advanced to honors and acquire riches more than the good, and when those who do not believe in a Divine providence are more successful in many like respects than those who do? And still further, the unbelieving and impious can inflict injuries, wrongs, and misfortunes, and sometimes death, upon the believing and pious, and this by means of deceptions and tricks." Therefore he thinks, "Do I not see from actual observation as in clear daylight that crafty devices, when by ingenious shrewdness they can be made to seem trustworthy and just, prevail over fidelity and justice? What else is there, then, except necessities, consequences, and things of chance, in which nothing from a Divine providence is manifest? Do not necessities belong to nature? Are not consequences the causes that flow from natural or civil order? And are not things of chance either from unknown causes or from no cause?" Thus the natural man thinks to himself, ascribing nothing to God, but all things to nature; for he that attributes nothing to God attributes nothing to Divine providence; since God and Divine providence make one.
[2] But the spiritual man speaks or thinks to himself differently. Although he has in his thought no perception of the Divine providence in its progress, nor is made sensible of it by the sight of the eye, still he knows about it and acknowledges it. Since, then, the appearances and consequent fallacies above mentioned have blinded the understanding, and this can receive no sight until the fallacies that have blinded it and the falsities that have darkened it are dispelled, and since this cannot be done except by truths, which have in them the power to dispel falsities, therefore these truths shall be disclosed, and for the sake of distinctness, in the following order:-
(1) If the operation of the Divine providence were made evident to man's perceptions and senses he would not act from freedom in accordance with reason; nor would anything appear to him to be from himself. It would be the same if he foreknew events.
(2) If man clearly saw the Divine providence he would intrude himself into the order and tenor of its course and would pervert and destroy it.
(3) If man clearly saw the Divine providence either he would deny God or he would make himself to be God.
(4) It is granted man to see the Divine providence in the back and not in the face; also to see it in a spiritual state and not in a natural state.
175. Quod Lex Divinae Providentiae sit, ut homo
Non percipiat et sentiat aliquid de Divinae
Providentiae operatione, sed ut usque
Sciat et agnoscat illam
Homo naturalis qui non credit Divinam Providentiam cogitat secum, quid Divina Providentia, cum mali evehuntur ad honores, et lucrantur opes prae bonis, et multa similia succedunt illis, qui non Divinam Providentiam credunt prae illis qui credunt; imo, quod infideles ac impii 1inferre possint injurias, damna et infortunia, et quandoque neces fidelibus et piis, et hoc per astutias et malitias; et sic cogitat, annon ab ipsa experientia sicut in clara die video, quod dolosae machinationes, modo homo ex ingeniosa calliditate possit facere, ut appareant sicut fidae et justae, fidelitati et justitiae praevaleant: quid reliqua nisi quam necessitates, consequentiae, et fortuita, in quibus nihil ex Divina Providentia apparet; annon necessitates sunt naturae, consequentiae sunt causae, fluentes ex ordine naturali aut civili, et fortuita vel ex causis quae ignorantur, vel ex nullis causis. Talia secum cogitat naturalis homo, qui non aliquid Deo, sed omnia naturae, addicat, nam qui non aliquid Deo, nec aliquid Providentiae Divinae, attribuit, Deus enim et Divina Providentia 2unum faciunt.
[2] Aliter vero secum dicit aut cogitat homo spiritualis; hic tametsi non cogitatione percipit, nec visu oculi sentit, Divinam Providentiam in sua progressione, usque scit et agnoscit illam. Nunc quia apparentiae et inde fallaciae supramemoratae occaecarunt intellectum, et hic non aliquem visum potest recipere, nisi discutiantur fallaciae quae caecitatem, et falsa quae caliginem, induxerunt, 3et hoc non fieri potest, nisi quam per veritates, quibus potentia discutiendi falsa inest, ideo hae aperiendae sunt, sed ut distincte, erit in hoc ordine.
I. Quod si homo perciperet et sentiret Divinae Providentiae operationem, non ex libero secundum rationem ageret, nec aliquid ei appareret sicut ex se. Similiter si praesciret eventus.
II. Quod si homo manifeste videret Divinam Providentiam, inferret se ordini et tenori progressionis ejus, ac perverteret et destrueret illum.
III. Quod si homo manifeste videret Divinam Providentiam, vel negaret Deum, vel faceret se Deum.
IV. Quod detur homini videre Divinam Providentiam a tergo et non a facie; tum in statu spirituali et non in statu naturali.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: imprii
2 Prima editio: Providentia,
3 Prima editio: induxerunt;