65、关于他们的神性敬拜，其主要特点是：他们承认我们的主是至高无上者，统治天与地，并称祂为独一无二的主。他们活在肉身时就承认并敬拜祂，故死后寻求祂，并找到祂；祂和我们的主是一样的。我问他是否知道独一主是一个人。他们回答说，他们都知道祂是一个人，因为在他们星球，祂作为一个人被许多人看见过；祂教导他们真理、保护他们，并赐永生给那些出于良善敬拜祂的人。他们又说，祂向他们揭示当如何生活，当信什么。所揭示的这一切从父母传给孩子，以致这种教导扩散到所有家族，由此扩散到出于一个先祖的整个民族。他们补充说，在他们看来，他们似乎拥有写在他们心上的教义。他们从以下事实得出这个结论：他们能立刻觉察，并自动承认别人所说关于人属天生命的话是不是真的。
他们不知道，他们那独一无二的主在我们地球出生为一个人；他们说，这不是他们感兴趣的，他们只想知道祂是一个人，是宇宙的统治者。当我告诉他们说，在我们地球，祂叫耶稣基督，基督表示受膏者或王，耶稣表示救主；他们说，他们不将祂作为王来敬拜，因为国王身份带有世俗的意味，而是把祂作为救主来敬拜。这一次，我们地球来的一些灵人注入一种怀疑，即他们唯一的主和我们的主是不是同一个；但他们驱散了这种怀疑，因为他们想起，他们曾看见祂在太阳中，并承认祂就是他们曾在自己星球所看到那一位(参看40节)。
还有一次，与我同在的木星灵对他们独一无二的主与我们的主是同一个有片刻的怀疑。但这片刻的怀疑一瞬间就被驱散了。这怀疑是从我们地球来的一些灵人流出的；这时，令我惊讶的是，他们因这片刻的怀疑而感到如此惭愧，以致他们叫我不要发表它，免得他们被指控有某种程度的不信，尽管事实上，如今他们对此比别人知道得更清楚。
当这些灵人被告知，独一无二的主是唯一的人，所有人都从祂获得自己的人性；我们只在我们是祂的形像时才为人，也就是说，在我们爱祂，并爱我们的邻舍，因而在我们处于良善状态的范围内而为人，因为爱与信的良善就是主的形像时，他们非常感动和喜乐。
65. As for their worship of God, it is all based on the acknowledgment of our Lord as the Highest, the one who rules heaven and earth. They call him “the Only Lord,” and since they acknowledge and worship him during their physical lives they seek him and find him after death. This is the same Lord we worship.
I asked them whether they know that the Only Lord is human. They have replied that they all know he is human because in their world many people have seen him as a human, who teaches them about truth, protects them, and gives them eternal life if they worship him by doing what is good. 1
They said further that he has revealed to them how they should live and what they should believe, and that what he has revealed to them has been handed on from parents to children. A body of teaching flows from this to all their families and to a whole people who are descendants of the same ancestor.
They added that it seemed to them as though they had that body of teaching written on their minds. What makes them think this is that they perceive immediately and recognize seemingly instinctively whether what others are saying about heaven’s life within humankind is true or not.
[2] They did not know that their Only Lord was born as a human on our planet; but they said that knowing this does not matter to them-only that he alone is human and governs the universe. When I said that on our planet he is called Christ Jesus, “Christ” meaning “Anointed One” or “King” and “Jesus” meaning “Savior,” they said that they do not worship him as their King, because the notion of kingship feels too worldly to them, but that they do worship him as their Savior.
When some spirits from our planet challenged the idea that their Only Lord was the same as our Lord, the spirits from Jupiter removed all doubt by recalling that they had seen him in the sun [of the spiritual world] and had recognized him as the one they had seen on their planet (see 40 above).
[3] On one [earlier] occasion some doubt suddenly flowed into some spirits from Jupiter who were with me, doubt as to whether their Only Lord was the same as our Lord; but this doubt that flowed in for a moment was also dispelled in a moment. It was flowing in from some spirits from our planet. Then (which surprised me) the spirits felt such shame at having doubted this for even a moment that they blushed and asked me not to tell anyone, so that they would not be accused of any disbelief when in fact they knew this better than anyone else.
[4] These spirits were deeply moved and delighted to hear it said that their Only Lord is in fact the only human and that all people are referred to as human only because of what comes from him. We are human to the extent that we are images of him, that is, to the extent that we love him and love our neighbor, and therefore to the extent that we are devoted to doing what is good, since good that is done out of love and faith is the image of the Lord.
Footnotes:
1. In the parallel passage in Secrets of Heaven 8541, the text does not say that the Lord gives people eternal life “if they worship him by doing what is good”; instead it says that the Lord gives eternal life “to those . . . who believe in him.” Swedenborg may have edited the passage thus in transcribing it from Secrets of Heaven in order to avoid any suggestion that faith alone is sufficient for salvation. A similar effort was made at the end of Other Planets 169:3, where material was added during the edit to expand upon the reason for not accepting the doctrine of faith alone, which Swedenborg strongly opposed. For more on this doctrine, see New Jerusalem 121[1-2] and Last Judgment 36-37, and notes in New Jerusalem 4 and Last Judgment 37. [SS]
65. As regards their Divine worship, its principal tenet is the acknowledgment of our Lord as the Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. They call Him the One and Only Lord. Since while living in the body they acknowledge and worship Him, they seek Him after death, and find Him; He is the same as our Lord. I asked them whether they knew that their One and Only Lord was a man. They answered that everyone knows He is a man, because many people on their planet have seen Him as a man. He teaches them about truth, preserves them, and confers everlasting life on those who out of goodness worship Him. They said further that He has revealed to them how they ought to live and what they ought to believe. This revelation is handed on from parents to children, so that the teaching spreads to all families, and thus to the whole tribe who have a single ancestor. They went on to say that it seems to them as if they had that teaching engraved on their minds. They reach this conclusion from the fact that they instantly perceive and acknowledge, as it were spontaneously, whether what others relate about a person's heavenly life is true or not.
[2] They do not know that their One and Only Lord was born as a man in our world. They remarked that this was of no interest to them, only that He was a man and the ruler of the universe. When I said that in our world He is called Christ Jesus, and that Christ means the Anointed or King, and Jesus Saviour, they said they do not worship Him as King, because kingship smacks of worldly affairs, but they do worship Him as Saviour. Some spirits from our world cast doubt on the identity of their Lord with ours; they dispelled this doubt by recalling that they had seen Him in the sun, and recognised Him as the one they had seen in their world (see 40 above).
[3] On another occasion spirits from Jupiter felt a momentary doubt of the identity of their One and Only Lord with ours. But the momentary doubt was dispelled in a moment; it was due to some spirits from our world. Then to my surprise they were so ashamed of having doubted this for a moment that they told me not to publish this, for fear of being accused of some degree of disbelief, though in fact they know this better than others.
[4] These spirits were very much affected and pleased when they were told that the One and Only Lord is the only man, and it is from Him that we all derive our humanity; that we are men to the extent that we are images of Him, in so far, that is, as we love Him and love our neighbour, so that we are in a state of good. For the goodness of love and faith is the image of the Lord.
65. As to what concerns their Divine worship, it is a principal characteristic thereof, that they acknowledge our Lord as the Supreme, who rules heaven and earth, calling Him the only Lord; and because they acknowledge and worship Him during their life in the body, they hence seek Him after death and find Him; He is the same with our Lord. They were asked, whether they know that the only Lord is a Man. They replied that they all know that He is a Man, because in their world He has been seen by many as a Man; and that He instructs them concerning the truth, preserves them, and also gives eternal life to those who worship Him from good. They said further, that it is revealed to them from Him how they should live, and how they should believe; and that what is revealed is handed down from parents to children, and hence there flows forth doctrine to all the families, and thereby to the whole nation which is descended from one father. They added, that it seems to them as if they had the doctrine written on their minds, and they conclude so from this, because they perceive instantly, and acknowledge as of themselves, whether it be true or not what is said by others concerning the life of heaven with man. They do not know that their only Lord was born a man on our earth; they said that they care to know only that He is Man, and rules the universe. When I informed them that on our earth He is named Christ Jesus, and that Christ signifies Anointed or King, and Jesus, Savior, they said that they do not worship Him as a King, because royalty savors of what is worldly, but that they worship Him as the Savior. On this occasion a doubt was injected from the spirits of our earth, whether their only Lord was the same with our Lord; but they removed it by the recollection that they had seen Him in the sun, and had acknowledged that it was He Himself whom they saw on their earth (see above, n. 40). Once also with the spirits of Jupiter who were with me, there flowed in for a moment a doubt whether their only Lord was the same with our Lord; but this doubt, which flowed in for a moment, was also in a moment dispersed. It inflowed from some spirits of our earth; and then, what surprised me, they were so ashamed for having doubted this, though but for a moment, that they requested me not to publish it, lest they should be charged with incredulity, when yet they now know it more than others. These spirits were very much affected and rejoiced when they heard it declared that the only Lord is alone Man, and that all have from Him what entitles them to be called men; but that they are only so far men as they are images of Him, that is, as far as they love Him, and love their neighbor, thus, so far as they are in good; for the good of love and faith is the image of the Lord.
65. Quod cultum eorum divinum attinet, principale est, quod agnoscant Dominum nostrum pro Supremo, Qui regit Coelum et Terram; illum vocant Unicum Dominum; et quia in vita corporis Ipsum agnoscunt et colunt, inde Ipsum quaerunt post mortem, ac inveniunt; est idem cum nostro Domino. Interrogati sunt, num sciant quod Unicus Dominus sit Homo; responderunt, quod sciant omnes quod Homo sit, quia in orbe illorum a multis visus est ut Homo; et quod Ille instruat illos de veritate, conservet illos, et quod det vitam aeternam illis, qui ex bono colunt Ipsum. Dicebant amplius, quod ab Ipso illis revelatum sit, quomodo vivent, et quomodo credent: et quod id quod revelatum est, a parentibus tradatur liberis, et inde emanet doctrina ad omnes familias, et sic in totam gentem quae ab uno patre. Addebant, quod videatur illis sicut habeant doctrinam mentibus suis inscriptam; quod concludunt ex eo, quia percipiunt illico et agnoscunt sicut ex se, num verum sit vel non quod ab aliis de vita coeli apud hominem dicitur. Non sciunt, quod unicus illorum Dominus natus sit Homo in nostra Tellure; dicebant, quod id scire non illis curae sit, modo quod Ipse Homo sit, et regat universum. Cum dicebam, quod in nostra Tellure nominetur Christus Jesus, et quod Christus significet Unctum seu Regem, et Jesus Salvatorem, dicebant quod Ipsum non colant ut Regem, quia Regium sapit ex mundano; sed quod colant Ipsum ut Salvatorem. Quia e nostrae Telluris spiritibus injiciebatur dubium, num unicus illorum Dominus esset idem cum nostro Domino, removebant illud per id, quod recordati sint, quod viderint Ipsum in Sole, et quod agnoverint quod Ipse esset quem viderunt in sua Tellure: (videatur supra 40). Quondam etiam apud Spiritus Jovis, qui apud me, momento influebat dubium, num Unicus illorum Dominus esset idem cum nostro Domino; sed dubium hoc, quod momento influebat, momento etiam dissipabatur; influebat ex aliquibus spiritibus e nostra Tellure; et tunc, quod miratus sum, tanto pudore, solum quod momento de hoc dubitaverint, suffusi sunt, ut dicerent ad me, ne hoc propalarem, ne ideo insimularentur alicujus incredulitatis; cum tamen nunc illi id sciant prae aliis. Spiritus illi maxime afficiebantur et gavisi sunt, cum audirent dictum, quod unicus Dominus sit Solus Homo, at quod omnes ab Ipso habeant ut homines dicantur; at quod tantum sint homines, quantum Ipsius imagines sunt, hoc est, quantum amant Ipsum, et amant proximum, ita quantum in bono sunt; nam Bonum amoris et fidei est imago Domini.