SS56.人们可能以为，纯正真理的教义可以利用通过对应知识而来的圣言灵义获得。但教义不是通过灵义获得的，只是被照亮并证实。因为如前所述（26节），没有人能通过对应进入圣言的灵义，除非他首先因教义而专注于纯正的真理。一个人若不首先专注于纯正真理，就会利用他所熟悉的一些对应，通过把它们联系在一起并解释它们，以便证实由于他的某种先入之见而粘附于其头脑的东西来歪曲圣言。此外，若不由主来赐予，圣言的灵义无法赐予任何人；主守护灵义，如同守护天堂，因为天堂在它里面。因此，人应当优先研究字义上的圣言；教义唯独源于字义。
56. People may believe that a body of genuinely true teaching can be acquired by the use of the spiritual meaning of the Word, the meaning that comes through a knowledge of correspondences. This is not how we develop a body of teaching, though. It is only how we illustrate and reinforce it, since, as already noted in 26, no one gains access to spiritual meaning through correspondences without first being focused on genuine truths as a result of a body of teaching. People who are not first focused on genuine truths can distort the meaning of the Word by the use of a few familiar correspondences, connecting and interpreting them with a view to supporting whatever is lodged in their minds as a result of their preconceptions.
Not only that, the spiritual meaning is not granted to anyone unless it is granted by the Lord alone; and it is guarded by him the way he guards heaven, because heaven is within it. Priority, then, should be given to the study of the Word in its literal meaning. It is the only ground for a body of teaching.
56. One may believe that a doctrine of genuine truth can be acquired by means of the Word’s spiritual sense, which is obtained through a knowledge of correspondences. But doctrine is not acquired by means of that sense, but is only illustrated and corroborated by it. For as we said in no. 26 above, no one arrives at the spiritual sense through correspondences unless he first possesses genuine truths from doctrine. If he does not possess genuine truths first, a person may falsify the Word by applying some correspondences that he knows and connecting them and interpreting them to support something lodged in his mind from a preconceived premise.
In addition, the spiritual sense is granted to a person only by the Lord, and He protects it, as He protects heaven, inasmuch as heaven is present in it.
It is better, therefore, for a person to study the Word in its literal sense. That alone is the source of doctrine.
56. It may be supposed that the doctrine of genuine truth can be acquired by means of the spiritual sense of the Word which is obtained through a knowledge of correspondences. Doctrine, however, is not acquired by such means, but only illustrated and corroborated. For as was stated above in No. 26 no one comes into the spiritual sense of the Word by means of correspondences unless he is first in genuine truths from doctrine. If a man is not first in genuine truths, he may falsify the Word by means of some correspondences he may know, by connecting them together and explaining them to confirm what is firmly held in his mind from some principle which he has adopted. Moreover, the spiritual sense is not communicated to anyone except by the Lord alone; and He guards it as He guards heaven, for heaven is within it. It is important then that a man should study the Word in the sense of the Letter: from that sense only is doctrine derived.
56. It might be believed that the doctrine of genuine truth could be procured by means of the spiritual sense of the Word which is furnished through a knowledge of correspondences. But doctrine is not procured by means of that sense, but is only lighted up and corroborated. For as said before (n. 26), no one comes into the spiritual sense of the Word by means of correspondences unless he is first in genuine truths from doctrine. If a man is not first in genuine truths he may falsify the Word by means of some correspondences with which he is acquainted, by connecting them together and interpreting them so as to confirm that which cleaves to his mind from some principle previously received. Moreover the spiritual sense of the Word is not given anyone except by the Lord alone, and it is guarded by Him as heaven is guarded, for heaven is in it. It is better therefore for man to study the Word in the sense of the letter; from this alone is doctrine furnished.
56. Credi potest quod doctrina genuini veri comparari possit per sensum spiritualem Verbi qui datur per scientiam correspondentiarum; at doctrina per illum non comparatur, sed modo illustratur et corroboratur; nam (ut prius, 26 dictum est,) in sensum spiritualem Verbi per correspondentias nemo venit, nisi prius in genuinis veris ex doctrina sit: si non in genuinis veris prius est, potest homo Verbum per aliquot correspondentias notas falsificare, conjungendo et explicando illas ad confirmandum id quod menti ex principio capto inhaeret. Praeterea, sensus spiritualis non datur alicui nisi a solo Domino, et custoditur ab Ipso sicut custoditur caelum, nam caelum est in illo. Praestat itaque ut homo studeat Verbo in sensu litterae; ex illo solo datur doctrina.