38.这就是当今教会的状态，也就是说，它没有信，因为它没有仁。没有仁，就没有任何属灵良善，因为属灵良善唯独从仁存在，或说仁是属灵良善的源头。我从天上被告知，有些人仍有良善，但这良善不能被称为属灵良善，只能被称为属世良善，因为对他们来说，神性真理本身仍处于模糊或黑暗之中。正是神性真理将人引向仁爱，因为它们教导仁爱，视其为自己的目的和目标。所以仁爱无法存在，除非有真理把人引到那里。教会教义所源于的神性真理只关注信（这就是为何它们被称为信之教义），不关注生活；只关注信，不关注生活的真理无法使人变得属灵。只要在生活之外，它们就只是属世的，仅仅像某种遥远的东西那样被知晓和思想而已。这就是为何如今没有属灵良善，只有某些人所拥有的属世良善。
此外，每个教会起初都是属灵的，因为它始于仁爱；但随着时间推移，它逐渐从仁转向信。结果，它从一个内在教会变成了一个纯外在的教会。一旦变成纯外在的教会，它就走到尽头，因为这时，它将一切都置于知识，很少或丝毫不置于生活。因此，只要人从内在变得外在，属灵之光就在他里面变暗，直到他不再从真理本身，也就是天堂之光看见神性真理，因为神性真理就是天堂之光；相反，他仅仅从属世之光看见它，而属世之光具有这种性质：当唯独它本身，没有被属灵之光光照时，可以说它在夜间观看神性真理，视它为真理仅仅因为它被领袖或教会权威称为真理，并被普通大众接受。正因如此，他们的理解力无法被主光照，因为属世之光在理解力中发光到何等程度，属灵之光就模糊或黯淡到何等程度。当人爱世俗、肉体和地上的事物胜过属灵、属天和神性事物时，属世之光就在理解力中发光；并且人照着这种情况的发展程度而为外在、肤浅的个体。
38. That is what the state of the church is like these days-there is no faith here because there is no caring; and where there is no caring there is nothing that is spiritually good, since the only spiritual good that can be done comes from caring. I have been told by a heavenly source that there is still some goodness among some people but that it cannot be called spiritual goodness-only earthly goodness, because for them, real divine truths remain in darkness. It is divine truths that lead us to caring, teach us what it is, and focus us on it as the goal of our striving. So caring cannot arise except to the extent that there are truths to lead us there. The divine truths, though, on which the teachings of the various churches are based focus only on faith (which is why they are called teachings of faith) and do not focus on life; 1and truths that focus solely on faith and not on life cannot make us spiritual. As long as they are on the outside of our lives they are only earthly-they are learned and thought about only as something remote. That is why there is nothing spiritually good these days, only the earthly good that some people do.
[2] Further, every church is spiritual at first. That is, it begins with a focus on caring; but as time goes by it strays away from caring toward faith. As a result, from being an internal church it becomes a church that is merely external. Once it becomes a merely external church, it is at its end, since it then puts the whole stress on what we know and little or no emphasis on how we live. As we individuals in that church become external rather than internal, spiritual light is dimmed for us, even to the extent that we do not see divine truth on the basis of truth itself-that is, in heaven's light, since heaven's light is divine truth. 2We see it only in an earthly light, and when this is by itself and not illuminated by spiritual light, we are in effect looking at divine truth in the night. Then the only grounds we have for regarding it as true is the word of some ecclesiastical authority and its acceptance by the common crowd. As a result, our understanding cannot be enlightened by the Lord, since to the extent that earthly light shines brightly in our understanding, spiritual light is dimmed; and earthly light shines brightly in our understanding when we love worldly, bodily, and earthly things more than spiritual, heavenly, and divine ones. 3To the extent that this is the case, we are superficial individuals.
Footnotes:
1. The accusation that the current church focuses on faith rather than life is another formulation of the point Swedenborg is making here in Last Judgment 33-39: that it is an error to rely on mere faith in the Lord to save ourselves, in contrast to actually living by Christian practices such as loving one's neighbor. Swedenborg returns to this idea throughout his works, and in detail in Faith, one of several works he published in 1763, as well as in chapter 6 of True Christianity (336-391). [SS]
2. For more on the light of heaven as divine truth, see the chapter “Light and Warmth in Heaven” in Heaven and Hell 126-140. See also Secrets of Heaven 3222-3224; New Jerusalem 49. For more on those who do not live by the truth, and the darkness that results when the light of heaven flows into them, see Secrets of Heaven 2441, 3224, 7506, 9577, 10156; Heaven and Hell 481, 553:4, 584; Divine Love and Wisdom 254; Divine Providence 167. For references to passages on the appearance of objects in the light of heaven, see note 2 in New Jerusalem 24. [LSW]
3. Although Swedenborg's use of these categorizations is not consistent throughout his works, in general they can be defined as follows: “Worldly things” have to do with achieving status, wealth, and possessions as well as the pleasures that come from love for oneself and love for material things (Secrets of Heaven 6210, 10775; New Jerusalem 126, 269). “Bodily things” have to do with physical cravings and pleasures as well as sensory pleasures and perceptions (Secrets of Heaven 911:3, 1412), though sometimes they, too, include worldly honors (Secrets of Heaven 8993:3; Marriage Love 49). “Earthly things” in the ordinary sense means simply all the objects and events in the material world (Heaven and Hell 104, 172; Divine Love and Wisdom 158). But on a more psychological level they have to do with self-love and love of material gain (Secrets of Heaven 3413). “Spiritual things” have to do with the human soul and its salvation, and with matters of spiritual understanding and truth (Secrets of Heaven 1887, 4965, 9391). “Heavenly things” have to do with love and kindness (Secrets of Heaven 1887, 2333, 9391). “Divine things” have to do with the Lord and the Lord's love for the entire human race, and with the true things in faith and with the good that is a consequence of actions performed out of love. These “divine things” are received by humans from the Lord and returned to the Lord (Secrets of Heaven 4220, 10069). For more on the concepts of “worldly things” and “bodily things,” see note 3 in New Jerusalem 9. [LSW, SS]
38. Such is the state of the church to-day; it has no faith because it has no charity. Where there is no charity, neither is there any spiritual good, for charity is the sole source of that good. I have been told from heaven that some people still have good, but it cannot be called spiritual good, only natural good. This is because real Divine truths are obscured, and it is these which lead to charity, teaching it and looking to it as the end in view. There is no other way charity can come into existence than by truths being present as its source. The Divine truths on which the church's teachings are based are concerned with faith alone; so they are called the teachings of faith, and they are not concerned with life. Truths which are concerned only with faith and not with life cannot make a person spiritual; and so long as they are not part of his life, they are merely natural truths, merely known and thought about like other matters. That is why spiritual good does not exist to-day, but only in certain people natural good.
[2] Moreover, every church is spiritual to begin with, since it starts from charity. But in course of time it turns aside from charity to faith, and then becomes an external instead of an internal church. When it becomes external, it reaches its end since then all importance is attached to knowledge and little if any to life. As a person becomes external instead of internal, so proportionately is spiritual light darkened for him, until he is unable to see Divine truth from truth itself, that is, in the light of heaven, the light of heaven being Divine truth, but only in natural light. This is such that, when it is alone and not accompanied with spiritual light, he sees Divine truth as it were at night-time, and he has no other way of recognising whether it is truth than from its being preached by a prelate and generally received by its hearers. That is why their intellectual faculty could not be enlightened by the Lord; for the brighter natural light shines in the intellect, the more spiritual light is dimmed. Natural light shines brightly in the intellect, when worldly, bodily and earthly concerns are loved more than spiritual, heavenly and Divine ones; and to that extent a person is external.
38. Such is the state of the church at this day, namely, that in it there is no faith because there is no charity; and where there is no charity, there is no spiritual good, for that good exists from charity alone. It was said from heaven that there is still good with some, but that it cannot be called spiritual, but natural good, because Divine truths themselves are in obscurity, and Divine truths introduce to charity, for they teach it, and regard it as their end and aim; whence no other charity can exist than such as the truths are which form it. The Divine truths from which the doctrines of the churches are derived, respect faith alone, on which account they are called the doctrines of faith, and do not look to life; and truths which only regard faith and not life, cannot make man spiritual; for so long as they are out of the life they are only natural, being merely known and thought of like other things. Hence it is that spiritual good is not given at the present day, but only natural good with some. Moreover every church in the beginning is spiritual, for it begins from charity; but in the course of time it turns aside from charity to faith, and then from being an internal church it becomes an external one, and when it becomes external its end is, since it then places everything in knowledge, and little or nothing in life. Thus also as far as man from being internal becomes external, spiritual light is darkened within him, until he no longer sees Divine truth from truth itself, that is from the light of heaven, for Divine truth is the light of heaven, but only from natural light; which is of such a nature, that when it is alone, and not illumined by spiritual light, it sees Divine truth as it were in night, and recognizes it as truth for no other reason than that it is so called by the leader, and is received as such by the common assembly. Hence it is, that their intellectual faculty cannot be illustrated by the Lord, for as far as natural light shines in the intellectual faculty, in so far spiritual light is obscured. Natural light shines in the intellectual faculty, when worldly, corporeal, and earthly things are loved in preference to spiritual, celestial, and Divine things; so far also man is external.
38. Talis status est ecclesiae hodie, quod nempe ibi non fides sit quia non charitas; et ubi non est charitas ibi nec est aliquod bonum spirituale, nam id bonum unice est ex charitate: dictum est e caelo, quod apud aliquos adhuc sit bonum, at quod id non dici queat bonum spirituale, sed bonum naturale, ex causa quia ipsa Divina vera in obscuro sunt, et Divina vera introducunt ad charitatem, docent enim illam, et spectant illam ut finem ad quem; inde charitas non alia existere potest, quam prout sunt vera ex quibus: Divina vera, ex quibus doctrinae ecclesiarum, spectant solam fidem, quapropter vocantur doctrinae fidei, et non spectant vitam; et vera quae modo spectant fidem et non vitam, non possunt facere hominem spiritualem; et quamdiu extra vitam sunt, modo naturalia sunt, sciuntur enim et cogitantur modo sicut res aliae: inde est, quod hodie non detur bonum spirituale, sed apud quosdam modo bonum naturale. Praeterea omnis ecclesia in principio est spiritualis, inchoat enim a charitate; sed temporis successu deflectit a charitate ad fidem, et tunc ab interna ecclesia fit externa; et quando fit externa, tunc finis ejus est, quoniam tunc in scientia ponitur omne, ac parum si quicquam in vita: et quantum homo ab interno fit externus, tantum caligatur apud illum lux spiritualis, usque ut non videat Divinum verum ex ipso vero, hoc est, ex luce caeli, lux caeli enim est Divinum verum, sed solum ex luce naturali; quae talis est, cum sola et non illustrata a luce spirituali, ut videat Divinum verum sicut in nocte, nec cognoscit aliunde num verum sit, quam quia ita dictum est ab antistite, ac receptum a communi coetu: inde est, quod intellectuale eorum non illustrari a Domino potuerit; nam quantum splendet lux naturalis in intellectuali, tantum obtenebratur lux spiritualis. Lux naturalis in intellectuali splendet, quando mundana, corporea, et terrestria amantur prae spiritualibus, caelestibus, et Divinis; tantum etiam homo externus est.