592、除非主同时掌管天堂和地狱，否则就不会有平衡；如果没有平衡，就没有天堂和地狱；因为宇宙中的一切事物，也就是说，在尘世和灵界中的一切事物，都是通过平衡长存的。每个理性的人都能感知这是真的。如果一方占优势，而另一方没有抵抗力，双方不都会毁灭吗？如果良善不与邪恶对抗、不断地抑制它的暴乱，灵界就会发生这种情形。除非上帝独自成就这一切，否则天堂和地狱都要毁灭，整个人类也会随之灭亡。之所以说“上帝独自成就这一切”，是因为每个人的自我，无论是天使、灵人还是世人的，无非都是邪恶（参看第591节），因此，无论是天使还是灵人都丝毫抵制不了不断地从地狱呼出来的邪恶，因为出于他们的自我，他们都倾向地狱。很明显，除非主独自掌管天堂和地狱，否则没有人能得救。此外，所有的地狱都行如一体，因为地狱的邪恶都相互关联的，正如良善在天堂里相互关联一样；唯有从主发出的神性能抵制所有的地狱，这些地狱不计其数而且共同行动对抗天堂和其中的天使。
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592. 若非主既掌管天堂, 也掌管地狱, 平衡就不会存在; 平衡不存在, 天堂或地狱也就不存在. 因为宇宙中的一切事物, 无论自然界中的一切事物, 还是灵界中的一切事物, 都靠平衡而得以存续. 凡理性之人都能看出这是真的. 若一方占优势, 而另一方没有抵抗力, 二者岂不一道灭亡? 若良善不反作用于邪恶, 不断压制它的反抗, 这种情形就会在灵界发生. 除非这一切由神性本身来成就, 否则, 天堂和地狱都要灭亡, 而人类则与它们一道灭亡. 之所以说“除非这一切由神性本身来成就”, 是因为每个人的自我, 无论天使的, 还是灵人和世人的, 无非是邪恶(参看591节). 这意味着无论天使还是灵人, 都丝毫抵制不了不断从地狱散发出来的邪恶, 因为他们由于自我都倾向地狱. 由此可见, 若非唯独主既掌管天堂, 也掌管地狱, 便无人得救. 此外, 所有地狱都行如一体; 因为地狱的邪恶都是相互关联的, 正如良善在天堂是相互关联的; 只有唯独从主发出的神性能抵制所有地狱, 这些地狱不计其数, 且一致行动, 对抗天堂和那里的所有人.
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592. 主若不同時掌管天國和地獄, 平衡就不會存在。平衡若不存在, 天國和地獄也就不會存在。理性之人不難領會這一點:宇宙間的一切, 包括物質世界與心靈世界的一切, 全都依平衡而立。一方若占絕對優勢, 另一方卻毫無抵抗能力, 兩者豈不一併毀滅？在心靈世界, 若非善一刻不息地抵制惡, 若非上帝的大能親自掌管這一切, 天國和地獄必要一併毀滅, 整個人類也必隨之而滅。我說"若非上帝的大能親自掌管這一切,"因為每個人(包括天人, 靈, 世人)的"自我"全然是惡。無論天人還是靈, 都絲毫抵制不了從地獄不斷湧出的邪惡勢力, 因為"自我"使得他們全都趨向地獄。由此可見, 若非主同時掌管天國和地獄, 就沒有人能啟得救。
不僅如此, 所有地獄是協作一致的。因為地獄的惡勢力是交織在一起的, 正如天國的善勢力是交織在一起的。只有主所發的神聖大能才能抵制這無數地獄對天國和其中天人的聯合攻擊。
592. If the Lord were not in control of both the heavens and the hells, there would be no equilibrium; and if there were no equilibrium, there would be no heaven or hell. Absolutely everything in the universe, everything in both the natural world and the spiritual world, is constituted by an equilibrium. Any rational person can grasp this. Let one side outweigh the other, with no resistance offered, and will not both be destroyed? This is what would happen in the spiritual world if the good did not react against the evil and constantly suppress its rebellions. Unless the divine power, and nothing else, did this, heaven and hell would perish, and the whole human race along with them. I refer to the "divine power and nothing else" because the selfhood of every angel, every spirit, and every one of us is nothing but evil (see above, 591). This means that no angel or spirit can ever resist the evil influences that are constantly breathed out of the hells since we all incline toward hell because of our self-concern. We can see from this that if the Lord alone were not in control of both the heavens and the hells, there would be no salvation for anyone.
Not only that, all the hells act in unison because the evil energies of the hells are all interconnected the way the good energies are in the heavens; and nothing but the only divine power can resist all the countless hells acting in concert against heaven and everyone there. That one divine power emanates from the Lord.
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592. Unless the Lord ruled both the heavens and the hells there would be no equilibrium; and if there were no equilibrium there would be no heaven or hell; for all things and each thing in the universe, that is, both in the natural world and in the spiritual world, endure by means of equilibrium. Every rational man can perceive that this is true. If there were a preponderance on one part and no resistance on the other, would not both perish? So would it be in the spiritual world if good did not react against evil and continually restrain its uprising; and unless the Divine did this by Itself alone, both heaven and hell would perish, and with them the whole human race. It is said unless the Divine did this by Itself alone, because the proprium of everyone, whether angel, spirit, or man, is nothing but evil (see above, 591); consequently, neither angels nor spirits are able in the least to resist the evils continually exhaling from the hells, since from the proprium they all tend towards hell. It is clear from these considerations that unless the Lord alone ruled both the heavens and the hells no one could ever be saved. Moreover, all the hells act as one; for evils in the hells are connected as goods are in the heavens; and the Divine alone, which goes forth solely from the Lord, is able to resist all the hells, which are innumerable, and which act together against heaven and against all who are in heaven.
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592. Unless the Lord ruled both the heavens and the hells there would be no equilibrium; and if there were no equilibrium there would be no heaven or hell; for all things and each thing in the universe, that is, both in the natural world and in the spiritual world, endure by means of equilibrium. Every rational man can see that this is true. If there were a preponderance on one part and no resistance on the other would not both perish? So would it be in the spiritual world if good did not react against evil and continually restrain its uprising; and unless this were done by the Divine Itself both heaven and hell would perish, and with them the whole human race. It is said unless the Divine Itself did this, because the self of everyone, whether angel, spirit, or man, is nothing but evil (see above, 591); consequently neither angels nor spirits are able in the least to resist the evils continually exhaling from the hells, since from self they all tend towards hell. It is evident, then, that unless the Lord alone ruled both the heavens and the hells no one could ever be saved. Moreover, all the hells act as one; for evils in the hells are connected as goods are in the heavens; and the Divine alone, which goes forth solely from the Lord, is able to resist all the hells, which are innumerable, and which act together against heaven and against all who are in heaven.
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592. Nisi Dominus regeret tam caelos quam inferna, non foret aliquod aequilibrium; et si non aequilibrium, non foret caelum et infernum; omnia enim et singula in universo, hoc est, tam in mundo naturali quam in mundo spirituali consistunt ex aequilibrio. Quod ita sit, omnis rationalis homo potest percipere: da modo superpondium ab una parte, et nihil resistentiae ab altera, annon periret utrumque? Ita foret in spirituali mundo, si non reageret bonum contra malum, ac insurrectionem ejus jugiter coerceret nisi hoc unice Divinum faceret, periret et caelum et infernum, et cum his totum genus humanum: nisi hoc unice Divinum faceret, dicitur, quia proprium cujusvis tam angeli, quam spiritus, et hominis, non est nisi quam malum (videatur supra, 591); quare nusquam aliqui angeli et spiritus resistere possunt malis continue exhalatis ab infernis, quoniam ex proprio tendunt omnes ad infernum. Ex his patet, quod nisi solus Dominus regeret tam caelos quam inferna, nusquam foret alicui salus. Praeterea omnia inferna unum agunt, nam mala in infernis connexa sunt, sicut bona in caelis ac resistere omnibus infernis, quae innumera sunt, et quae simul agunt contra caelum, et contra omnes qui ibi sunt, non potest nisi solum Divinum, quod unice procedit ex Domino.