316、牧师绝不可以声称自己有掌管人们灵魂的任何权柄，因为他们不知道人们的内层处于什么样的状态；尤其是绝不可以声称自己有打开和关闭天堂的权柄，因为这个权柄唯独属于主。
316、牧师不应宣称他们对人的灵魂有任何权柄，因为事实上他们并不知道一个人的内在光景；更为重要的是，他们不应宣称有权柄打开和关闭天堂，因为此权柄只属于主。
316. Priests must not claim to have power over people's souls, because in actuality they do not know the state of people's inner selves. It is even more important for priests not to claim the power to open and close heaven, since that power belongs to the Lord alone. 1
Footnotes:
1. This is a reference to Roman Catholic doctrine, which holds that Jesus entrusted the church, through his apostle Peter, with specific authority to govern members of the church, including the power to absolve them of sins-in effect, to open heaven to them. The Roman Catholic Church bases this authority on Matthew 16:18-19, where Jesus says to Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (New Revised Standard Version). (See also Matthew 18:18; John 20:21-23, and compare Isaiah 22:22.) Swedenborg condemns this interpretation in Secrets of Heaven 9410[2-4]; Revelation Unveiled 768, 798. For further discussion of the pope as the vicar of Christ, see note 3 in Last Judgment 55. [RS, SS]
316. Ministers should not claim any power over people’s souls, because they do not know what people are like inside. They should especially never claim to have the power to open and close heaven to people, since only the Lord has that power.
316. Priests must not claim for themselves any power over people's souls, because they do not know the condition of a person's interiors. Much less must they claim the power of opening or closing heaven, since the Lord alone has that power.
316. Priests ought not to claim to themselves any power over the souls of men, since they do not know in what state are the interiors of men; much less ought they to claim to themselves the power of opening and shutting heaven, because that power belongs to the Lord alone.
316. Priests ought not to claim to themselves any power over the souls of men, because they do not know in what state the interiors of a man are; still less ought they to claim the power of opening and shutting heaven, since that power belongs to the Lord alone.
316. Sacerdotes non sibi aliquam potestatem super animas hominum vindicabunt, quia non sciunt in quo statu sunt interiora hominis; minus sibi vindicabunt potestatem aperiendi et claudendi caelum, quoniam ea potestas est solius Domini.