169.关于宇宙的至高神和创造者：那些不承认弥赛亚神为中保的人。我与灵人谈论那些不承认弥赛亚神，被其欲望冲昏头脑，陷入错误生活中的人能否承认至高无上的耶和华，我们救主的父为至高无上的创造者。然后，我十分清楚地意识到，除了某个完全的世俗神明之外，他们不可能承认任何其他神明为宇宙的创造者；他们所以为的神明会自诩为至高无上者，因而是某个大言不惭的恶魔。我从活生生的经历得知，这种恶魔的确存在，因为他们以为并吹嘘自己是宇宙的创造者，以这种方式骗了许多人。不过，要描述他们这些夸大的话和所犯的许多错事，太过冗长乏味了。我只说一件：就在我几乎要相信他们如自己所声称的那样伟大之后，他们匍匐在我脚下，对我说了如此多胡言乱语的话，以致我哑然失笑。因此，这种恶魔便是那些因欲望的迷惑过着颠倒次序的生活，然后与承认自然界为一切事物的创造者之人为伍的人所崇拜的神。对他们来说，超越自然界是不可能的，因为他们的理解力陷入黑暗，其品性又极为粗鄙。这些事是当着灵人的面写的。这就是为何外邦人或异教徒承认并崇拜如此多神明的原因，这些神明都表示自然界的事物；他们当中最堕落者敬拜偶像，不过也有的敬拜各种生活在古代的人。
169. About the most High God and creator of the universe as seen by those who do not acknowledge God the Messiah as the Mediator
I spoke with spirits about whether any can acknowledge the Supreme Jehovah, Parent of our Savior, as the supreme Creator, who do not acknowledge God the Messiah, and who are carried away by cupidity into wrong living; and then it came to me quite vividly that they cannot acknowledge any other as the creator of the universe except some entirely earthly God, who boasts himself to be the supreme one - thus some demon speaking grandiose words.
That this kind of demons do exist, I have learned from actual experience with some who supposed and boasted themselves to be the creators of the universe, and in this way were deceiving many. But it would be too much to describe their boastful words, and the many things perpetrated by them. I will only mention this, that after I had almost come to believe they were as great [as they claimed], they were then thrown down at my feet, and in speaking with me said so much drivel, that I really could not keep from laughing.
So demons of this kind are gods whom those adore who, led astray by cupidity, live in an upside-down order, and then have joined company with those who acknowledge nature as the creator of all things; for they find it impossible, due to the darkness of their understanding and the grossness of their character, to penetrate beyond nature. These things were written in the presence of spirits. 1747, 24th of August.
Now this is why the pagans acknowledged and adored so many gods, who all symbolized things in nature, and those who had sunk the lowest, idols, but others, different human beings who once lived; etc. etc.
169. CONCERNING THE SUPREME GOD AND CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE: THEY WHO DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE GOD MESSIAH AS THE MEDIATOR
I spoke with spirits as to whether they who do not acknowledge God Messiah, and who are carried away by their cupidities into perverse order, are able to acknowledge the Supreme Jehovah, the Parent of our Savior, as the Supreme Creator. And it then quite vividly entered my mind that they could not acknowledge any other as the Creator of the universe than some altogether natural god who vaunts himself as Supreme, thus one of the genii speaking great things. I know from living experience that there are such genii, for they supposed and boasted that they were the creators of the universe, and thus deceived many; but it would be tedious to relate their boastful words, and the many things perpetrated by them. I will only say this: after I had almost believed that they really were so great, they were later scattered beneath my feet, and spoke such a lot of nonsense to me that indeed I could not restrain my laughter. Such, therefore, are the gods which those adore who, being carried away by their cupidities, live in inverted order, and who then, perhaps, acknowledge nature as the creator of all things; for it is impossible for them to penetrate beyond nature, on account of the thick darkness of their understanding, and the grossness of their genius. These things [were written] in the presence of the spirits. 1747, Aug. 24.
mThis, now, is the reason that the gentiles acknowledged and worshipped so many gods, all of whom signified natural things; and the most degraded of them worshipped idols, but others worshipped various men who had lived in olden times, etc., etc.n
169. De Summo Deo et creatore universi eorum qui non agnoscunt Deum Messiam pro Mediatore
Cum spiritibus loquutus sum, num agnoscere possunt Supremum Jehovam Salvatoris nostri Parentem pro supremo Creatore, qui Deum Messiam non agnoscunt, et qui cupiditatibus auferuntur in perversum ordinem; et tunc subiit satis vive, quod nullum alium pro creatore universi agnoscere possent, quam aliquem Deum prorsus naturalem, qui se jactat pro supremo, sic aliquem genium magna loquentem; quod tales genii sint, ab experientia viva novi, nam se creatores universi putabant et jactabant, et sic multos decipiebant, sed eorum jactabunda verba, prolixum est describere, et plura, quae ab iis patrata sunt, hoc solum, quod postquam fere crediderim, quod essent tam magni, pedibus meis postea substrati sunt, et mecum tot vana loquuti sunt, ut ne quidem risum tenere potuissem. Tales itaque sunt dii, quos adorant ii qui cupiditatibus abducti inversum vivunt ordinem, et facti qui tunc naturam agnoscunt pro omnium rerum creatore, nam iis impossibile est, prae caligine eorum intellectus et crassitie ingenii, ultra naturam penetrare; haec in praesentia spirituum. 1747, 24 Aug. 1
Ea jam causa est, quod gentiles tot deos agnoverint et adoraverint, qui omnes naturalia significabant, et dejectissimi idola, alii 2
autem homines diversos olim in vita; etc. etc.
Footnotes:
1. The following sentence is written in the margin of the manuscript.
2. The Manuscript has idola alii