Faith31.先于信仰的真理和良善的知识或认知在有些人看来，似乎与信仰或真信念有关，然而并非如此。他们所相信的思想和言论并不能证明他们真的相信，也不能证明这些知识或认知与信仰有关；因为它们唯独在于事情就是如此的思维，而不在于对它们是真理的一种内在承认；相信它们是真理，却不知道它们的确是真理，是一种与内在承认相距甚远的说服。不过，一旦仁爱被植入，这些知识或认知就会变成信仰的原则，但前提是信仰里面有仁爱。在第一个状态下，就是仁爱被感知到之前，信仰在这些人看来似乎占据第一位，仁爱占据第二位；但在第二个状态下，就是当仁爱被感知到时，信仰便排在了第二位，仁爱则排在第一位。第一个状态被称为改造，第二个状态被称为重生。在后一种状态下，一个人每天增长智慧，良善每天使真理倍增，并使它们结出果实。此时，这个人就像一棵结果子的树，果实里面贮存着种子，新树就从这种子产生，最终一个花园得以形成。那时，他就成为一个真正的人，死后则成为一位天使；在他里面，仁爱构成生命，信仰构成形式，该形式的美丽取决于仁爱的品质；不过，此时他的信仰不再被称为信仰，而是被称为聪明。由此明显可知，信仰的全部和实质都来自仁爱，丝毫不来自它自身；而且，仁爱产生信仰，不是信仰产生仁爱。先前的真理的知识或认知就像储存在谷仓里的粮食；除非一个人感到饥饿，并从中取出粮食，否则这些粮食并不能养活他。
31. The knowledge of what is true and good that we have before we have faith might be seen by some people as constituting faith, but in actuality it is not faith. Our thinking and saying we believe does not mean that we actually do believe, or that we have faith — it is just that we think we do. The things we know do not spring from an inner recognition that they are truths; and a faith that things are true when we do not actually know whether they are or not is a kind of bias quite remote from any inner acknowledgment. However, as soon as caring takes root, this knowledge becomes part of our faith—though only to the extent that there is caring within it.
In the first stage, before there is a sense of caring, it seems to us that faith is primary and caring secondary. In the second stage, though, when there is a sense of caring, faith becomes secondary and caring primary. The first stage is called “reformation” and the second is called “regeneration.” When we are in this latter stage, day by day our wisdom grows, and day by day goodness causes our truths to multiply and bear fruit. Then we are like a tree that is bearing fruit and developing seeds in the fruit that will yield new trees and eventually an orchard.
Then we become truly human, and after death we will be angels, whose life is an embodiment of caring and whose form is an embodiment of faith. That form will be as beautiful as our faith. But our faith will no longer be called faith: it will be called an understanding.
This shows us that every bit of faith comes from caring and nothing from faith itself. It also shows us that caring produces faith, but faith does not produce caring. The knowledge of truth that comes first is like grain stored in a cellar, which does not nourish us at all until we want to make some food with it and we take some out.
31. Concepts of truth and goodness that precede faith appear to some people as being ones of faith, and yet they are not. People’s supposing and saying they believe does not mean that they therefore believe or that their concepts are ones of faith. For the concepts are matters of simply the thought that this or that is so, but are not ones of any internal acknowledgment of their being truths. And believing that they are truths without really knowing that they are is a type of persuasion far removed from an internal acknowledgment. However, as soon as charity is implanted, the same concepts become then ones of faith, but no more so than the charity present in it.
In the first state, before any feeling of charity, faith appears to people to hold first place, and charity second. But in the second state, when charity is felt, faith holds second place and charity first.
The first state is called one of reformation, and the second state one of regeneration. When a person is in this second state, wisdom then grows in him daily, and goodness daily increases the number of truths and causes them to bear fruit. The person is then like a tree bearing fruit, with seeds in the fruit from which grow new trees, and finally a garden. He becomes then truly human, and after death an angel, whose life is formed by charity, and by a charity given expression through faith, beautiful in accordance with the character of that faith. But his faith then is no longer called faith, but intelligence.
It can be seen from this that faith in its entirety springs from charity, and nothing of it independently. Also, that charity produces faith, and not the reverse. The concepts of truth that come first are altogether like a store of grain in a granary, which do not feed a person unless he is hungry and to satisfy his hunger takes some of the grain from it.
31. The cognitions of truth and good which precede faith appear to some persons as though they were related to faith; but yet they are not. Their thinking and saying that they believe is no proof that they do believe, nor that these cognitions are related to faith; for they consist only in the thought that it is so, but not in an internal acknowledgment that they are truths; and the belief that they are truths, while it is not known that they are, is a kind of persuasion far removed from internal acknowledgment. But as soon as charity is implanted then those cognitions become principles of faith, but only so far as charity is in the faith.
In the first state, before charity is perceived, faith appears to such persons as in the first place, and charity in the second; but in the next state, when charity is perceived, faith ranks in the second place and charity in the first. The first state is called reformation, and the second regeneration. When a man is in this latter state, wisdom grows in him daily, and good daily multiplies truths and makes them fruitful. The man is then like a tree which bears fruit, and in its fruit lays up seeds from which new trees are produced, and at length a garden is formed. He then becomes truly a man, and after death an angel, in whom charity constitutes the life and faith the form, which is beautiful according to the quality of the charity; but his faith is then no longer called faith, but intelligence.
From these considerations it may be evident that the all of faith is from charity, and nothing of it from itself; and also that charity produces faith, and not faith charity. The cognitions of truth which precede are precisely like provisions stored in a barn, which do not nourish a man unless, in his desire for food, he takes out the grain.
31. Knowledges [cognitiones] of good and truth that precede faith appear to some to be things of faith (or real belief), but still are not so. Their thinking and saying that they believe is no proof that they do so, and neither are such knowledges things of faith, for they are matters of mere thought that the case is so, and not of any internal recognition that they are truths; and the faith or belief that they are truths, while it is not known that they are so, is a kind of persuasion quite remote from inward recognition. But as soon as charity is being implanted, these knowledges become things of faith, but no further than as there is charity in the faith. In the first state, before charity is felt, faith appears to them as though it were in the first place, and charity in the second; but in the second state, when charity is felt, faith betakes itself to the second place, and charity to the first. The first state is called Reformation, and the second Regeneration. In this latter state a man grows in wisdom every day, and every day good multiplies truths and causes them to bear fruit. The man is then like a tree that bears fruit, and inserts seeds in the fruit, from which come new trees, and at last a garden. He then becomes truly a man, and after death an angel, in whom charity constitutes the life, and faith the form, beautiful in accordance with the quality of the faith; but his faith is then no longer called faith, but intelligence. From all this it is evident that the whole sum and substance of faith is from charity, and nothing of it from itself; and also that charity brings forth faith, and not faith charity. The knowledges of truth that go before are like the store in a granary, which does not feed a man unless he is hungry and takes out the grain.
31. Cognitiones veri et boni, quae praecedunt fidem, apparent quibusdam quod fidei sint, sed usque non sunt; quod opinentur et dicant se credere, non ideo credunt; et nec illae sunt fidei, sunt enim solius cogitationis quod ita sit, sed non sunt agnitionis internae, quod veritates sint; ac fides quod veritates sint, dum nescitur quod sint, est species persuasionis remotae ab agnitione interna. Ut primum autem charitas implantatur, tunc cognitiones illae fiunt fidei, sed non plus quam charitas in illa est. In primo statu, antequam charitas percipitur, apparet illis fides sicut primo loco sit, et charitas secundo; sed in altero statu, cum charitas percipitur, fit fides secundo loco, et charitas primo. Primus status vocatur reformatio, alter status vocatur regeneratio. Cum homo in hoc statu est, tunc apud illum indies crescit sapientia, ac indies bonum multiplicat vera, et fructificat illa. Est homo tunc sicut arbor, quae fructum fert, et in fructu ponit semina, ex quibus novae arbores, et tandem hortus. Fit tunc vere homo, et post mortem angelus, cujus vitam facit charitas, et fides formam, pulchram secundum quale ejus; at fides tunc non amplius vocatur fides, sed intelligentia. Ex his constare potest quod omne fidei sit ex charitate, et nihil ejus ex se; tum etiam quod charitas producat fidem, et non fides charitatem: sunt cognitiones veri quae praecedunt, prorsus sicut penuarium in horreo, quod non nutrit hominem, nisi appetens victum inde frumentum desumit.