221、在基督教界，人们知道，主愿意拯救所有人，也知道祂是全能。许多人由此得出以下结论：主能拯救每个人，拯救那些祈求祂的怜悯之人，尤其那些按公认信仰的模式祈求它的人；这公认的信仰就是：父神为了儿子而发怜悯；如果他们同时祷告他们会接受这信，尤其如此。然而，事实完全不是这样，这一点可见于本书最后一章；那里解释了，主不能违背祂的圣治律法行动，因为违背这些律法就是违背祂的神性之爱和神性智慧，因而违背祂自己。在那里我们还将看到，如此直接的怜悯是不可能的，因为拯救人是通过方法实现的；只有愿意拯救所有人，并且是全能的那一位，因而只有主才能按照这些方法引导人。主用来引导人的方法被称为圣治的律法；其中一条是这样：人不允许从内在进入智慧之真理和爱之良善，除非他能被保持在它们里面，直到生命结束。但为了理性明白这一点，有必要按以下顺序来解释：
⑴人能被允许进入关于属灵事物的智慧，还能进入对它们的爱，却无法被改造。
⑵他若后来远离它们，并转向对立面，就会亵渎圣物。
⑶亵渎的种类有很多，但这种是最糟糕的。
⑷因此，主允许人从内在进入智慧之真理，同时进入爱之良善，只要他能保持在其中，直到生命结束。
221. A Person Is Admitted No More Interiorly into Truths of Faith and Goods of Charity than the Extent to Which He Can Be Maintained in Them to the End of His Life
In the Christian world people know that the Lord wills the salvation of all, and moreover that He is omnipotent. Many therefore conclude from this that the Lord can save everyone, and that He saves those who implore His mercy, especially those who implore it using the formula of the accepted faith, that God the Father may have mercy for the sake of the Son, particularly if they implore Him at the same time to grant them that faith.
But the case is quite different, as will be seen in the final chapter of this treatise, where we will explain that the Lord cannot act contrary to the laws of His Divine providence, because to act contrary to them would be to act against His Divine love and against His Divine wisdom, thus against Himself. We will see there that such mercy apart from means is not possible, because a person's salvation is accomplished through means, and a person can be led in accordance with these means only by one who wills the salvation of all and who is at the same time omnipotent, thus the Lord.
The means by which a person is led by the Lord are what we call laws of Divine providence, and among them is this one, that a person is not admitted more interiorly into truths of wisdom and goods of love than the extent to which he can be maintained in them to the end of his life. But to make this apparent to reason, we need to explain it in accordance with the following outline:
(1) A person may be admitted into wisdom regarding spiritual matters and also into a love for them and yet not be reformed.
(2) If the person afterward turns away from these and goes off in the opposite direction, he profanes things that are sacred.
(3) There are many kinds of profanation, but this kind is the worst of all.
(4) Therefore the Lord admits a person no more interiorly into truths of wisdom and at the same time goods of love than the extent to which he can be maintained in them to the end of his life.
221. We Are Not Granted Inner Access to the Truths That Our Faith Discloses and the Good Effects of Our Caring Except As We Can Be Kept in Them to the End of Our Life
In the Christian world, people know that the Lord wants everyone to be saved. They also know that the Lord is omnipotent. As a result, many of them conclude that he can save everyone and does save those who beg for his mercy--especially if they do so with the formula of the standard faith, namely, that God the Father may have mercy for the sake of the Son, and especially if they also ask to be granted this faith. However, in the closing section of the present work [331-340] we shall see that the actual situation is very different indeed. There I will explain that the Lord cannot violate the laws of his divine providence, because violating them would be violating his own divine love and his own divine wisdom, actually violating himself. We shall see there that this kind of instant mercy is impossible because our salvation is accomplished by specific means. No one can lead us by these means except one who both intends the salvation of everyone and is omnipotent, namely, the Lord.
The means by which the Lord leads us are what we are calling "the laws of divine providence." One of them is this: that we are not granted inner access to the truths that wisdom discloses and the good that love does except as we can be kept in them to the end of our life. To demonstrate this rationally, though, I need to lay it out in the following sequence.
1. It is possible for us to be granted wisdom about spiritual matters and even a love for them and still not be reformed.
2. If we then backslide from them and go against them, we profane what is holy.
3. There are many kinds of profanation, but this is the worst of all.
4. This is why the Lord does not grant us inner access to the truths that wisdom discloses and the good that love does except as we can be kept in them to the end of our life.
221. MAN IS ADMITTED INTERIORLY INTO THE TRUTHS OF FAITH AND INTO THE GOODS OF CHARITY ONLY SO FAR AS HE CAN BE KEPT IN THEM RIGHT ON TO THE END OF HIS LIFE
It is well known in the Christian world that the Lord wills the salvation of all, and also that He is Almighty. Therefore many conclude from this that He is able to save everyone, and that He saves those who implore His mercy; especially those who implore it using the formula of the received faith, that God the Father may be merciful for the sake of the Son; and especially if at the same time they pray that they may receive that faith. That it is altogether otherwise, however, will be seen in the last chapter of this treatise, where it will be explained that the Lord cannot act contrary to the laws of His Divine Providence, because to act against these would be to act contrary to His Divine Love and His Divine Wisdom, thus against Himself. It will also be seen there that such immediate mercy is not possible, because the salvation of man is effected by means; and man can be led in accordance with these means only by Him who wills the salvation of all and is at the same time Almighty, thus by the Lord. The means by which man is led by the Lord are what are called the laws of the Divine Providence; and among these is this, that man is admitted interiorly into the truths of wisdom and into the goods of love only so far as he can be kept in them right on to the end of his life. To make this clear to the reason, however, it must be explained in the following order:
I. A man may be admitted into the wisdom of spiritual things, and also into the love of them, and yet not be reformed.
II. If a man afterwards departs from these, and turns aside into what is contrary, he profanes holy things.
III. There are many kinds of profanation, but this kind is the worst of all.
IV. Therefore the Lord admits man interiorly into the truths of wisdom and at the same time into the goods of love only so far as he can be kept in them right on to the end of his life.
221. MAN IS ADMITTED INTERIORLY INTO TRUTHS OF FAITH AND INTO GOODS OF CHARITY ONLY SO FAR AS HE CAN BE KEPT IN THEM UNTIL THE END OF HIS LIFE.
It is admitted in the Christian world that the Lord wills the salvation of all, and that He is almighty; and from this many conclude that He is able to save every one, and that He saves those who implore His mercy; especially those who implore it after the formula of the received faith, that God the Father will be merciful for the sake of the Son; and particularly if they pray at the same time that they may receive that faith. But that it is altogether otherwise will be seen in the last chapter of this work, where it will be explained that the Lord cannot act contrary to the laws of His Divine providence, because to act against these would be to act contrary to His Divine love and His Divine wisdom, thus contrary to Himself. It will also be seen there that such immediate mercy is impossible, because the salvation of man is effected by means, and only He who wills the salvation of all, and is at the same time almighty, in other words, the Lord, is able to lead man in accordance with these means. The means whereby man is led by the Lord are what are called the laws of the Divine providence; and among these is this, that man is admitted interiorly into the truths of wisdom and into the goods of love only so far as he can be kept in them until the end of his life. But to make this clear to the reason it shall be explained in the following order:-
(1) A man may be admitted into the wisdom of spiritual things, and also into a love for them, and yet not be reformed.
(2) If he afterwards recedes from them, and passes over into the opposite, he profanes holy things.
(3) There are many kinds of profanation, but this is the worst kind of all.
(4) Therefore the Lord admits man interiorly into the truths of wisdom and at the same time into the goods of love only so far as he can be kept in them until the end of his life.
221. Quod homo non interius immittatur in vera fidei,
Et in bona charitatis, nisi quantum in illis
Potest teneri usque ad finem vitae
In Christiano Orbe notum est, quod Dominus velit omnium salutem, et quoque quod Omnipotens sit, quare multi ex eo concludunt, quod unumquemque possit salvare, et quod illos salvet qui implorant misericordiam Ipsius, imprimis illi qui implorant illam per formulam fidei receptae, ut Deus Pater misereatur propter Filium, imprimis si simul implorant ut fidem illam recipiant: sed quod prorsus aliter sit, videbitur in Articulo ultimo hujus Transactionis, ubi explicabitur, quod Dominus non possit agere contra leges Divinae suae Providentiae, quia agere contra illas, foret agere contra Divinum Amorem suum et contra Divinam Sapientiam suam, ita contra SeIpsum; ubi videbitur, quod talis immediata Misericordia non dabilis sit, quia salvatio hominis fit per media, secundum quae ducere hominem non potest alius quam qui vult omnium salutem, et simul Omnipotens est, ita Dominus. Media per quae homo a Domino ducitur, sunt quae vocantur leges Divinae Providentiae, inter quas etiam est haec, quod homo in vera sapientiae et in bona amoris non interius immittatur, nisi quantum in illis potest teneri usque ad finem vitae. Sed ut hoc coram ratione pateat, explicandum est in hoc ordine. 1. Quod homo immitti possit in sapientiam rerum spiritualium et quoque in amorem illarum, et usque non reformari. 2. Quod si homo postea ab illis recedit, et in contrarium abit, prophanet sancta. 3. Quod plura genera prophanationum sint, sed quod hoc genus omnium pessimum sit. 4. Quod ideo Dominus non interius immittat hominem in vera sapientiae et simul in bona amoris, nisi quantum homo in illis potest teneri usque ad finem vitae.