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《真实的基督教》 第112节

（一滴水译，2017）

　　112.记事三：
　　有一次，我在黎明时分醒来，便来到房前的花园中，观看日出的辉煌。只见有光环围绕太阳，起初很模糊，后来则无比清晰，并且金光闪闪。光环边缘下面有升起的云朵，这云朵因太阳的光芒而闪耀如红宝石。这让我想起上古之人的寓言，这寓言以银翅膀、金面容来描绘曙光。当我的心思沉浸在这些冥想的快乐里时，我进到灵里，听见有些灵人彼此交谈，他们说：“我们可以找那位将纷争的苹果扔到教会领袖当中的革新者谈一谈；很多平信徒追着这个苹果，还把它拾起来，拿到我们面前。”他们所说的苹果是指那本名为《新教会教义概论》的小册子。他们说：“这定是前人从未思想过的新教义，旨在分裂教会。”然后，我听见其中一位大声说：“的确是分裂，这是异端！”但他旁边一些人说：“嘘！管住你的舌头！它不是异端。作者从圣言引用了大量说法，我们那些刚刚接受宗教信仰的人，也就是所谓的平信徒，都注意并赞同这些说法。”
　　听到这里，我因在灵里，于是就上前说：“我在这里，有什么问题吗？”其中有一位德国人（后来我听说他是萨克森人），立刻用命令的口气说：“你怎敢颠覆基督教界已建立如此多世纪的敬拜？我们不是要将父神当成宇宙的创造者，将祂的儿子当成中保，将圣灵当成作工者来呼求吗？你正在排除来自三位格的三一体的第一个和最后一个神，尽管主自己说：‘你们祷告时，要这样祷告：我们在天上的父，愿人都尊您的名为圣，愿您的国降临。’这不是教导我们要呼求父神吗？”说完一阵沉默。他的所有支持者就象战舰上看见敌军的勇武水兵那样站着，预备大声叫喊：“让我们战斗吧，胜利必属于我们！”
　　于是，我起身发言，说：“你们当中有谁不知道神从天上降下来，并成为肉身。”然后，我观察那些新教徒，而刚才向我说话的那位发号施令者就在他们当中。我说：“你们当中有谁不知道在童女玛利亚所生的基督里面，神为人，人为神？”会众闻言一阵喧哗，我又说：“难道你们不知道这一点？这符合你们所认可的教义，也就是所谓的《协和信条》，这一点在那里得到确认和充分证实。”然后，那位发号施令者转向会众，问他们是否清楚这一点。他们回答：“我们几乎没注意到这本书针对基督位格说了些什么，不过，我们在唯信称义方面下了很大功夫。若书中真是这么写的，我们也认同。”这时，其中一位想起来了，说：“书上的确是这么说的，它还进一步说，基督的人性被提升至神的威荣，及其一切属性；而且就人性而言，基督坐在父的右手边。”
　　他们闻言陷入沉默。由于这是无可争议的，所以我再次发言，说：“既然如此，父不就是子，子不就是父吗？”然而，这句话刺到了他们的耳朵，于是，我继续说：“听听主是怎么说的，如果你们以前没注意，那现在请留心听：‘我与父为一；我在父里面，父在我里面；父啊，凡我的都是你的，凡你的也都是我的；人看见了我，就看见了父’。这些话是什么意思？不就是说父在子里面，子在父里面，他们为一，如同灵魂与身体为一，因而他们是一个位格吗？这难道不是你们的信仰？因为你们所信的亚他那修信经里面几乎有同样的话。关于主，我刚才所引用的经文中有这样一句：‘父啊，凡我的都是你的，凡你的也都是我的’。这句话是什么意思？不就是说父的神性属于子的人性，子的人性属于父的神性，因此在基督里面，神为人，人为神，因而他们为一，如同灵魂与身体为一吗？
　　人人都能把这些话用到自己的灵魂与身体上，也就是说，凡我的都是你的，凡你的也都是我的；你在我里面，我在你里面；人看见了我，就看见了你；我们在位格中为一，拥有一个生命。原因在于，灵魂就在这个人里面，充满他的整个和每一部分，因为灵魂的生命就是身体的生命，这二者之间存在一种相互关系。所有这一切清楚表明：父的神性就是子的灵魂，子的人身就是父的身体。儿子的灵魂若非来自其父，还能来自哪里？儿子的身体若非来自其母，又能来自哪里？我们说父的神性，其实是指父自己，因为祂与祂的神性是同一个。这神性也是一，是不可分割的。天使迦百列对玛利亚所说的话证实了这一真理，即‘至高者的能荫庇你，圣灵要临到你身上；所要生的圣者必称为神的儿子’。就在刚才，主被称为‘至高者的儿子’，在别的地方被称为‘独生子’。但你们若称祂为玛利亚的儿子，就会摧毁其神性的观念；然而，只有饱学的神职人员和有学问的信徒才会摧毁这种观念。因为当这些人将其思维提升至属于其身体的感官事物之上时，他们关注的是自己的名望荣耀；这不仅会投下阴影，还会熄灭光，而神的荣耀只能通过这光才能进入。
　　让我们回到主祷文，主祷文里说：‘我们在天上的父，愿人都尊您的名为圣，愿您的国降临。’你们这些在场的人将这些话理解为父唯独在祂的神性中，而我却理解为父在祂的人身中。而且这人身就是父的名；因为主说：‘父啊，荣耀你的名’，也就是说，荣耀祂的人性；当这一切成就时，神的国就到来了。如今，我们被教导要这样祷告，其原因是显而易见的，即为了让我们可以通过祂的人性靠近父神。主还说：‘若不藉着我，没有人能到父那里去’；在先知书：‘有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，祂名称为奇神、勇士、永恒的父’；还有，‘耶和华阿，你是我们的父，从万古以来，你名称为我们的救赎主’；此外，在很多其它地方，主，我们的救主被称为耶和华。这才是对主祷文中这些话的正确解读。”
　　说完这番话，我看着他们，发现他们的表情随着其心态的变化而变化。有的赞同我并注视我，有的则不赞同，并将脸扭过去。这时，我看见右边有白云，左边有乌云，两种云都看似有阵雨落下。从乌云降下的雨如同深秋之雨；而从白云降下的雨则如同早春滴落的露水。忽然间，我从灵里进入肉身，因而从灵界回到尘世。

真实的基督教 #112 （火能翻译，2015）

112. 第三個經歷:

有一次, 黎明時分醒起, 我走進屋前的花園, 來觀賞太陽升起的壯觀場面。有光環圍繞太陽, 由窄漸漸拓寬, 金光閃閃。在光環下端, 有一朵雲往上升來, 被太陽紅光照耀, 如同紅寶石。

這讓我想起遠古人們的傳說, 形容曙光為銀色的翅膀,口銜黃金的景象。想到這裡, 心感歡快, 隨後進入我的靈裡。

我聽到一些靈在討論什麼, 說:"我們應當找那位將紛爭的蘋果扔在教會各領袖中的標新立異者理論一番, 現今許多平信徒跟從那一位, 還揀起來在我們眼前炫耀呢。"

他們所說的"蘋果"指的是那本『新教會教義概論』。

"是個前人從未提及的全新教義, 這是故意在分裂教會啊。"他們說。我聽到其中有一位大叫:"確定是分裂, 是異端！"

一些旁觀者說:"先安靜！並非異端, 因為它從聖言中引用了大量的經文, 教會中有些外行人(指平信徒們)意識到這一點, 並且還支持呢。"

[2]聽到這些, 由於我在靈裡, 於是就走上前, 說:"我在這, 有什麼問題嗎？"

他們當中有個人(後來我才知道, 他是德國薩克森本地人)帶著氣勢淩淩的語調, 立刻對我說:"你哪來的權力來顛覆幾百年來整個基督徒世界建立的敬拜模式, 就是敬拜父上帝為宇宙創造者,祂兒子為其中保,聖靈為施行者？你從頭到尾地廢棄了我們所信的三位一體的上帝。主自己說:'當你們禱告, 當如此禱告:我們在天上的父, 禰的名為聖, 禰的國降臨。'不是教導我們向父上帝祈求嗎？"

當話音落下, 一片寂靜, 支持者們站在他那邊, 如同勇敢的鬥士站在軍艦上, 看到敵艦出現, 做好戰鬥準備並大喊:"準備戰鬥, 我們必勝！"

[3]於是我站起來說:"你們都知道上帝從天降下並成為人, 因為我們讀到:'道與上帝同在, 道就是上帝, 道成肉身。'還有, 你們都知道, "我看著那幫路德宗信徒, 其中包括剛才氣勢洶洶對我說話的那位, 說:"在基督裡——就是童女瑪利亞所生的, 上帝是人,人是上帝。"

對此, 人群一陣騷動, 於是我說:"你們不知道這些？這與你們稱為《協同信條》中的教義相一致啊, 那裡不但如此聲明, 還列舉了大量證據來支持。"

那個人轉向人群, 詢問他們是否知道這些。他們回答:"我們沒太在意那本書所論到的基督的位格, 只是專注於唯信稱義那部分。儘管如此, 倘若確是這樣說的, 我們表示同意。"

他們之中有一個記起, 說:"是的, 確實是這樣說的。另外還說到, 基督的人性升至神性的威嚴以及神性所具備的所有屬性, 就基督的人性而言, 祂坐在祂父親的右手邊。"

[4]當聽到這些, 他們沉默了。為了進一步使他們同意這點, 我說:"倘若這樣, 除開子,父還是什麼, 除開父,子還是什麼呢？"

因為這對他們而言非常刺耳, 於是我繼續說:"聽聽主怎麼說吧。如果你之前未曾注意到這些話, 現在留意聽。祂說:'父和我是一; 父在我裡面,我在父裡面; 父啊, 禰所有的都是我的, 我的都是禰的; 看見我,就是看見了父。'父在子裡面,子在父裡面, 祂們是一,如同靈魂與身體於一個人, 因此祂們是一位, 除非這樣, 你們又是如何理解這些話呢？你們會發覺, 這也是你們所信的一部分, 假如你們相信『亞他尼修信經』, 其中有一部分與此非常相似。

"我剛才引用的經文中, 有一句主是這樣說的:'父, 凡我所有的,都是禰的; 禰所有的,都是我的。'這意味著什麼, 不是說父的神性屬於子的人的人性, 子的人性屬於父的神性嗎？因此, 在基督裡, 上帝是人,人是上帝, 如同一個人的靈魂和身體, 祂們成為一了。

[5]"每個人能夠從自己的靈魂和身體來看出同樣的結果。每個人可以說:'凡你所有的,都是我的; 我所有的,都是你的。你在我裡面,我在你裡面。看見我就看見你, 我們是一個人,有同一生命。'為什麼可以這樣說呢？因為靈魂遍佈一個人的全部和每一部分, 靈魂的生命就是身體的生命, 由靈魂和身體共同佔有。

"於是很清楚, 父的神性是子的靈魂, 子的人性是父的身體。子的靈魂若非從父而來, 還能來自哪裡？祂的身體若非從祂的母親而來, 還能來自哪裡？當我們說父的神性時, 我們是指父自己, 因為祂和祂的神性是一回事, 這也是一,且無法分開。

"這個真理可從天人迦百列對瑪利亞的話明顯得知:'至高者的能力將蔭庇你, 聖靈將降在你身上; 聖者將由你而生, 將被稱為上帝之子'(路加福音1:35)。這之前主還被稱為'至高者的兒子'(路加福音1:32), 另處還稱'獨生子'(約翰福音3:16;約翰福音4:9)。

"然而, 你們若只稱祂為"瑪利亞之子", 就將祂神性的概念摧毀了。而這樣做的人, 恰恰是飽學的神職人員和有學問的平信徒們, 當他們將思想提升到肉體感官之上時, 只是關注到自身名望的榮耀。這不僅將他們的榮耀遮蔽, 甚至扔在光明之外, 而上帝的榮耀只有通過光明進入。

"讓我們回到主的禱告, 這要說的:'我們在天上的父, 願禰的名為聖, 願禰的國降臨'(馬太福音6:9-10)。你們認知這些話, 僅僅理解為在其神性之中的父。而我理解為在祂人身顯現之中的父, 這也是父的名。因為主說:'父啊, 榮耀禰的名'(約翰福音12:28), 就是指祂的人身顯現。當這些發生後, 上帝的國度就降臨。教導我們如此禱告,就是為了此時, 也就是人們可以通過祂的人身顯現來接近上帝。

"實際上, 主還說:'除非藉著我, 沒有人能到父那裡去'(約翰福音14:6)。在『以賽亞書』中, 還說:'有一嬰孩為我們而生, 一子要賜給我們, 祂的名字是上帝,永在的父'(以賽亞書9:6)。別處還說:'禰, 耶和華, 是我們的父; 我們永遠的救贖者是禰的名'(以賽亞書63:16)。還有千百次的地方, 主我們的拯救者被稱為"耶和華"。這是主禱文的那些話真正的解釋。"

[7]講完之後, 我看著他們。我注意到他們的臉色隨著心思的變化而改變。有些同意我所說的並看著我, 一些不同意的則把臉轉開。

接著, 我看見左方出現一片白雲, 左邊則出現一片烏雲, 兩者之間有雨水落下。從烏雲降下的雨如同深秋之雨; 而從白雲, 則如同早春之雨。

忽然間, 我從靈回到肉身之中, 也就從心靈世界回到物質世界中了。

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True Christianity #112 (Rose, 2010)

112. The third memorable occurrence. Once I woke up just after first light. I went out into the garden in front of my house and watched the sun rising in its splendor. There was a halo around it, at first very subtle, but later on more definite, shining as though it was made of gold. Beneath the sun's rim I saw a cloud rising up. Mirroring the flame of the sun, it gleamed like a ruby.

At that point I fell into a meditation based on the myths of the most ancients, reflecting on how they pictured Aurora, the Dawn, as having silver wings and carrying gold in her mouth. Mentally taking great pleasure in these sights, I came into my spirit.

I heard some spirits in a discussion saying, "I would love an opportunity to talk to that innovator who has tossed an apple of discord among the leaders of the church. Many lay people have rushed to that apple, picked it up, and set it before our eyes. "

The "apple" they meant was the little volume titled Survey of Teachings for the New Church.

"It is something genuinely schismatic that no one has thought of before," they said.

I heard one of them cry out, "Schismatic? Its heretical!"

Some by his side retorted, "Be quiet! It isn't heretical. It cites many statements from the Word that the strangers in our midst (meaning our lay people) pay attention to and support. "

[2] When I had heard all that, I went to them (since I was in my spirit) and said, "Here I am. What's your concern?"

One of them - I heard later that he was a German, a native of Saxony - speaking with the tone of authority, immediately said, "Where did you get the audacity to overturn the worship that has been established in the Christian world for so many centuries, the practice of calling on God the Father as Creator of the universe, his Son as its Mediator, and the Holy Spirit as its Effecter? You remove the first and the last God from our concept of personhood. Yet the Lord himself says, 'When you pray, pray like this: "Our Father who is in the heavens, your name must be kept holy; your kingdom must come. "' We are commanded then to call on God the Father. "

After he had spoken it became quiet. All who sided with him stood like mighty soldiers on warships who have spotted the enemy fleet and are about to shout, "Now to battle! The victory is sure!"

[3] Then I stood up to speak. "Surely you are all aware," I said, "that God came down from heaven and became a human being. We read, 'The Word was with God and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh. ' Again, surely you all know" - and I looked at the Lutherans, including the tyrant who had just spoken to me - "that in Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary, God is human and a human is God. "

The crowd objected loudly to this, so I said, "Don't you know this? It accords with the point of view in your confession called the Formula of Concord, where this statement is made and extensively supported. "

The tyrant turned to the crowd and asked whether they had known this. They replied, "We haven't paid much attention to what that book says about the person of Christ, but we have sweated over the article there on justification by faith alone. Still, if that is what it says, we will grant you that. "

Then one of them remembered and said, "It does say that. It goes on to say that Christ's human nature was raised to divine majesty and all the attributes that go with it, and that Christ in his human nature sits at the right hand of his Father. "

[4] When they heard that they kept quiet. With that point resolved, I spoke again and said, Since that is so, is the Father then anything other than the Son, and is the Son anything other than the Father?

Because this too sounded harsh to their ears, I went on to say, "Hear the actual words the Lord said. If you haven't paid attention to them before, pay attention to them now. He said, 'The Father and I are one. The Father is in me and I am in the Father. Father, all that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is mine. Those who see me see the Father. ' What else do these words mean except that the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father, and they are one like the soul and the body in a human being, so they are one person? This has to be part of your faith if you believe the Athanasian Creed, where statements just like this occur.

"Of the passages I quoted, just take this saying of the Lord's: 'Father, all that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is mine. ' Surely this means that the Father's divine nature belongs to the Son's human nature and the Son's human nature belongs to the Father's divine nature; and therefore in Christ God is human and a human is God and they are one as the soul and the body are one.

[5] "We can all say the same thing of our own soul and body: 'All that is yours is mine and all that is mine is yours. You are in me and I am in you. Those who see me see you. We are one individual and we have one life. ' Why? Because the soul exists throughout us and in every part of us. Our souls life is the life in our body. It is something the soul and the body share.

"Clearly then, the divine nature of the Father is the Son's soul, and the human nature of the Son is the Father's body. Where does a son's soul come from except from his father? Where does his body come from except from his mother? When I say 'the divine nature of the Father' what I mean is 'the Father himself,' since he is the same as his nature; his nature is one undivided thing.

"The truth of this is clear from the angel Gabriel's words to Mary: 'The power of the Highest will cover you, and the Holy Spirit will descend upon you; and the Holy One that will be born from you will be called the Son of God' [Luke 1:35]. Just before that the Lord is called 'the Son of the Highest' [Luke 1:32], and elsewhere he is called 'the only begotten Son' [John 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9].

"Those of you, however, who call him only 'the Son of Mary' lose the idea of his divinity. The only people who lose that, though, are learned clergy and scholarly laity whose only goal in lifting their thoughts above their physical senses is to gain glory for their own reputation; but that glory does not merely overshadow, it actually extinguishes, the light that brings the glory of God.

[6] "Let's go back to the Lord's prayer. There it says, 'Our Father who is in the heavens, your name must be kept holy; your kingdom must come' []. You who are here understand these words as referring solely to the Father in his divine nature. I, however, understand them as referring to the Father in his human manifestation, which is in fact the Father's name. The Lord said, 'Father, glorify your name' [John 12:28], that is, your human manifestation. When this takes place, then God's kingdom comes. This prayer was commanded for this time, that is, when people are going to God the Father through his human manifestation.

"In fact, the Lord says, 'No one comes to the Father except through me' [John 14:6]. And in the prophet, 'A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us, whose name is God, Hero, Father of Eternity' [Isaiah 9:6]. Elsewhere it says, 'You, Jehovah, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is your name' [Isaiah 63:16]. There are also a thousand other passages where the Lord our Savior is called Jehovah. This is the true interpretation of the words of that prayer. "

[7] After I had said all that I looked at them. I noticed that their faces changed as they changed their minds. Some were agreeing with me and looking at me; some were disagreeing and turning away from me.

Then to the right I saw a cloud the color of an opal, and to the left a dark cloud, and precipitation below each of them. Under the dark cloud the precipitation was like a hard rain in late fall; under the opalescent cloud it was like dew falling at the beginning of spring.

Suddenly I came from my spirit into my body and returned from the spiritual world to the physical one.

True Christian Religion #112 (Chadwick, 1988)

112. The third experience.

I once woke up around dawn and went out into the garden in front of my house. I watched the sun rising in its splendour, and around it I saw a halo, first of all narrow and later projecting further, shining as if made of gold, and under its lower edge a cloud coming up, which glittered with the sun's fire like a ruby. This then led me to think about how the earliest people had legends which described the Dawn as having wings made of silver feathers and carrying gold in her mouth.

While my mind was taking pleasure in these thoughts, I passed into the spirit, and heard some people talking to one another. 'I wish,' they were saying, 'we could talk with that original thinker who has thrown the apple of Strife among the leaders of the church; many laymen have run after it, picked it up and held it before our eyes.' They meant by that apple my little book entitled: A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW CHURCH. 'It is a new doctrine never before thought up, designed to divide the church,' they said. I heard one of them cry out: 'Divisive indeed, it is heretical!' But some of the bystanders answered: 'Be quiet, hold your tongue; it is not heretical. It quotes a large number of sayings from the Word which those who live with us - we mean laymen - pay attention to and support.'

[2] On hearing this, since I was in the spirit, I went up to them and said: Here I am. What is the trouble?'

At once one of them, a German as I learned later, a native of Saxony, said in an authoritative tone of voice: 'How have you the nerve to upset the mode of worship established for so many centuries throughout the Christian world, namely, the invocation of God the Father as the Creator of the universe, and of His Son as Mediator, and of the Holy Spirit as Worker? You are banishing the first and the last God from our Trinity of Persons, although the Lord Himself says: "When you pray, pray like this: Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come." Is this not an instruction to us to invoke God the Father?'

This speech produced silence, and all his supporters took up their stand like the brave fighters on warships when the enemy fleet comes into view, ready to shout: 'Now let us fight, victory is surely ours.'

[3] So I began my speech by saying: 'You all know that God came down from heaven and became man, because we read: "The Word was with God and the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh." You know all of you,' and here I looked hard at the Evangelical party, to which the spokesman who had addressed me belonged, 'that in Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary God is man, and man is God.' There was an uproar from the assembly at this, so I said: 'Do you not know this? It is in accordance with the doctrine of your sect called the Formula of Concord; it states this and adds many proofs in support of it.'

Then the spokesman turned to the assembly and asked whether they knew this. They replied: 'We paid too little attention to what that book says about the Person of Christ; but we worked hard at the section on justification by faith alone. Still, if that is what it says, we are content.' Then one who could remember it said: 'Yes, it does say that; and it adds further that Christ's human nature was raised to Divine majesty and all its attributes, and also that Christ is seated in Divine majesty at the right hand of His Father.'

[4] When they heard this, they fell silent. So having got them to agree to this, I said: 'If this is so, is not the Father then the Son, and the Son also the Father?' But since this again offended their ears, I went on: 'Listen to the Lord's actual words, and if you paid no heed to them before, do so now. He said: "The Father and I are one; the Father is in me and I in the Father; Father, all things of mine are yours, and all of yours are mine; He who sees me sees the Father." How can you understand these sayings, except as meaning that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father, and that they are one like soul and body in man, so they are one Person? You will find that this is part of your faith too, if you believe the Athanasian Creed, which says something very much like this. But take from what I have quoted just this one utterance of the Lord: "Father, all things of mine are yours, and all of yours are mine." What does this mean, if not that the Father's Divine belongs to the Son's Human, and the Son's Human to the Father's Divine? Consequently in Christ God is man and man is God, and thus they make one as soul and body make one.

[5] Everyone can say the same things about his soul and body. Each person can say: all things of yours are mine, and all of mine are yours; you are in me and I in you; he who sees me sees you, we are one in person and have one life. The reason is that the soul pervades the whole and every part of the person, for the life of the soul is the life of the body, and is possessed by them in common. It is plain from this that the Father's Divine is the Son's soul, and the Son's Human is the Father's body. Where can a son's soul come from, if not from his father, and where can his body come from, if not from his mother? When we say the Father's Divine we mean the Father Himself, since He and His Divine are the same; this is also one and indivisible. The truth of this is established by the words with which the angel Gabriel addressed Mary: "The power of the Most High will overshadow you, and the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the holy thing that shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God." Shortly before He is called "the Son of the Most High," and elsewhere "the only-begotten Son." You, however, who call Him only the Son of Mary, destroy the idea of His divinity; but the only ones who do this are some of the learned clergy and well-educated laymen, who, when they lift their thoughts above the level of the bodily senses, have in view the enhancement of their reputations. This not only casts a shadow, but actually puts out the light, through which the glory of God comes in.

[6] 'But let us go back to the Lord's Prayer, which says: "Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come." Those of you who are present here understand by these words the Father in His Divine alone; but I understand Him in His Human, and this too is the Father's name. For the Lord said: "Father, glorify your name," that is, your Human. When this happens, the kingdom of God comes. The instruction to use this prayer has been given us for the present time, that is, so that God the Father may be approached through His Human. The Lord also said: "No one comes to the Father except through Me," and the prophet said: "A child is born for us, a Son is given to us, whose name is God, Hero, the everlasting Father;" and elsewhere: "You, Jehovah, are our Father, your name is our Redeemer from of old." There are thousands of other passages where the Lord our Saviour is called Jehovah. This is the true explanation of those words in the Lord's Prayer.'

[7] On finishing this speech I looked at them and noticed that their faces had changed in accordance with the change in their mental state. Some of them supported me and were watching me; some did not, and they turned their faces away. Then I saw on the right a pearly-coloured cloud, and on the left a murky cloud, from both of which rain was falling. The rain from the dark cloud was like a shower in late autumn, that from the other like dew in early springtime. Then suddenly I passed from the spirit into the body, and so returned from the spiritual world into the natural one.

True Christian Religion #112 (Ager, 1970)

112. Third Memorable Relation:

Awaking once soon after daybreak, I went out into the garden in front of my house, and saw the sun rising in his glory, and round about him a halo, at first faint, but afterwards more distinct, and beaming like gold, and beneath its border was a rising cloud, which from the sun's rays glowed like a carbuncle. It set me thinking about the fables of the most ancient people which depicted Aurora with wings of silver and countenance of gold.

With my mind immersed in the delights of these meditations, I came into the spirit; and I heard certain spirits conversing, who said, "O that we might be permitted to talk with the innovator who has thrown among the leaders of the church that apple of discord after which so many of the laity have been running, and which they have picked up and held up for us to look at." By that apple they meant the little work, entitled, A Brief Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church. And they said, "It is certainly a schismatical writing, such as no man ever before conceived of." And then I heard one of them exclaim, "Schismatical? It is heretical!" But some of those beside him said, "Hush! Hold your tongue! It is not heretical; he gives an abundance of quotations from the Word; and to these our neophytes, by whom we mean the laity, give heed and assent."

[2] Hearing this I came forward, being in the spirit, and said, "Here I am; what is the matter?"

At once one of them, a German, as I afterwards heard, a native of Saxony, said in an authoritative tone, "How dare you turn upside down the worship established in the Christian world for so many centuries, which teaches that God the Father should be invoked as the Creator of the universe, His Son as the Mediator, and the Holy Spirit as the Operator? Moreover, you divest the first and the last God of the personality we ascribe to them, although the Lord Himself says, 'When ye pray, pray thus, Our Father who art in the heavens; hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come.' Therefore are we not commanded to invoke God the Father?"

After this there was silence, and all who favored the speaker stood like brave seamen on their warships when they sight the enemy, and stand by to shout, "Now, have at them; victory is sure."

[3] Then I rose to speak; and said, "Who among you is not aware that God came down from heaven and became Man? For we read, 'The Word was with God, and God was the Word, and the Word became flesh.'" Then, looking towards the Evangelicals, among whom was that dictator who had just addressed me, I said, "Who among you does not know that in Christ, who was born of Mary the Virgin, God is Man and Man is God?" But at this the assembly made a great noise; therefore I said, "Do you not know this? It is according to the doctrine of your confession which is called the Formula Concordioe, where this is affirmed and fully corroborated."

Then the dictator turned to the assembly and asked if they were aware of this; and they answered, "As to the person of Christ we have given the book very little study, but we have worked hard at the part on Justification by Faith Alone; if, however, it is so written in that book, we acquiesce." Then one of them remembering, said, "That is the way it reads; and it says furthermore that the Human nature of Christ has been exalted to Divine majesty and all its attributes; also that in that nature Christ sits at the right hand of the Father."

[4] Hearing this they were silent; and as it was undisputed I spoke again, and said, "This being so, what then is the Father but the Son, and what is the Son but the Father also?" Yet as this again offended their ears, I continued, "Hear the very words of the Lord and attend to them now, if you never have before; for He said, 'I and My Father are one;' 'I am in the Father and the Father in Me;' 'Father, all Mine are Thine and Thine are Mine;' 'He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.' What do these things mean, but that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father, and that they are one as the soul and body in man are one, and thus that they are one person? And must not this be your belief, if you believe in the Athanasian creed, where nearly the same things are said? But from the passages quoted take this one saying of the Lord, 'Father, all Mine are Thine, and all Thine are Mine.' What else does this mean than that the Divine of the Father belongs to the Human of the Son, and the Human of the Son to the Divine of the Father, consequently that, in Christ, God is Man and Man is God, and thus that they are one as soul and body are one?

[5] Every man may say the same of his own soul and body, namely, 'All mine are thine, and all thine are mine; thou art in me and I in thee; he that seeth me, seeth thee; we are one in person and in life.' This is because the soul is in the man, both in the whole and in every part of him, for the life of the soul is the life of the body, and between the two there is a mutuality. All this makes clear that the Divine of the Father is the soul of the Son, and the Human of the Son the body of the Father. From where does the soul of an offspring come unless from its father, and its body unless from its mother? The expression is the Divine of the Father; but the Father Himself is what is meant, since He and His Divine are the same; and this Divine is one and indivisible. That this is true is evident also from the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, 'The power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, and the Holy Spirit shall come upon thee; and the Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.' And just above He is called 'the Son of the Most High,' and elsewhere 'the only-begotten Son.' But you, who call Him merely the Son of Mary, destroy the idea of His Divinity; yet it is only the learned among the clergy and the scholars among the laity who destroy this idea, for these, when they raise their thoughts above the sensual things pertaining to their bodies, regard the glory of their reputation; and this not only obscures but extinguishes the light whereby the glory of God enters.

[6] But let us return to the Lord's Prayer, where it says, 'Our Father who art in the heavens; hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come.' By these words you who are present understand the Father in His Divine alone but I understand the Father in His Human. Moreover, this Human is the name of the Father; for the Lord said, 'Father, glorify Thy name,' that is, Thy Human; and when this is done the kingdom of God comes. And the reason why this Prayer was commanded for the present time is evident, namely, that through His Human an approach may be had to God the Father. The Lord also said, 'No man cometh unto the Father but by Me;' and in the Prophet, 'Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and His name is God, Mighty, Father of Eternity;' and elsewhere, 'Thou, Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer, from everlasting is Thy name;' besides many other places where the Lord our Savior is called Jehovah. This is the true explanation of the words of that Prayer."

[7] When I had said all this, I looked at them and noted the changes in their countenances according to changes in the states of their minds, some favoring me and looking toward me, and some not favoring and turning themselves away. And then on the right I saw a cloud of opal color, and on the left a dusky cloud, and under each the appearance of a shower. That under the dusky cloud was like a rain at the close of autumn, and that under the opal cloud was like the fall of dew in early spring.

Then suddenly I came out of the spirit into the body, and thus returned from the spiritual world into the natural world.

True Christian Religion #112 (Dick, 1950)

112. The third experience. Awaking once just after dawn, I went into the garden in front of the house, and saw the sun rising in its splendor. Round it was a circle, faint at first but afterwards becoming clearer, resplendent as of gold. Under the edge of this was a rising cloud, which gleamed fiery red in the flaming sun. Then I fell into meditation on the fables of the Ancients, how they represented Aurora borne on wings of silver with a countenance of gold. While I was enjoying these fancies, I found myself in the spirit, and heard some persons in conversation saying: "Would that we might speak with the innovator who has thrown the apple of discord among the leaders of the Church, after which many of the laity have run, and which they now hold up before our eyes." By that apple they meant the little work entitled, "A Brief Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church;" and they said: "It is a schismatical thing, such as never before entered into any man's head." Then I heard one of them exclaim: "Schismatical? It is heretical;" but some who stood by checked him, saying: "Hush! hold your tongue. It is not heretical. It adduces many passages from the Word, to which the strangers among us, by whom we mean the laity, give their attention, and their assent."

[2] When I heard this, being in the spirit, I approached them and said: "Here I am. What is the matter?" Immediately one of them, who I afterwards learned was a German, a native of Saxony, said in an authoritative tone: "How dare you overturn the worship which has been established in the Christian world for so many centuries, and which is founded on the teaching that God the Father should be invoked as the Creator of the universe, His Son as the Mediator, and the Holy Ghost as the Operator? And you divest the first and the last God of our personality, although the Lord Himself says, 'When ye pray, say, "Our Father who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come."' Are we not here commanded to invoke God the Father?" At these words there was silence, and all who agreed with him stood like brave soldiers on board men-of-war, ready to cry out when they see the enemy's fleet: "Now let us fight: victory is sure."

[3] Then I began to speak, and I said: "Which of you does not know that God came from heaven, and became Man? For it is written, 'The Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh.' Moreover, which of you does not know,"-and here I looked at the Evangelicals among whom was that dictatorial one who had addressed me-"that in Christ, who was born of the virgin Mary, God is Man, and Man is God?" Upon this the company murmured; so I said: "Do you not know this? It is according to the doctrine of your own Confession, called the Formula Concordiae, ¹ where this is stated and confirmed by many proofs." Then the dictator, turning to the company, asked if they knew this. They replied: "We have not given much attention to what is said in that Book concerning the Person of Christ, but we have spent much labor studying the Article on Justification by Faith Alone. However, if it is so written in that Book, we agree." Hereupon one of them, recalling it to memory, said: "It is so written; and furthermore, that Christ's Human Nature with all its attributes, has been exalted to Divine Majesty, and also that Christ in that Nature sits at the right hand of His Father."

[4] When they heard this they were silent. After this confirmation I continued saying, "Since this is the case, what then is the Father but the Son, and the Son but the Father?" As this, however, again offended their ears, I proceeded: "Hear the very words of the Lord. If you would not attend to them before, attend to them now. He said: 'I and the Father are one; the Father is in me, and I am in the Father; Father, all mine are thine, and all thine are mine; and, he that seeth me, seeth the Father.' What else do these words mean but that the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father? Also that they are one, like the soul and body in a man, and therefore that they are one Person? This also must be your belief if you believe the Athanasian Creed ² where the same things are stated. However, from the passages just quoted take this declaration of the Lord's: 'Father, all mine are thine, and all thine are mine.' What else does this mean but that the Divine of the Father belongs to the Human of the Son, and the Human of the Son to the Divine of the Father; consequently that in Christ God is Man, and Man is God, and thus that they are one, as the soul and body are one?

[5] Similarly every man may say of his own soul and body, that all thine are mine, and all mine are thine; thou art in me, and I am in thee; he that seeth me, seeth thee; we are one with regard both to person and life. The reason of this is, that the soul is in the whole and every part of a man; for the life of the soul is the life of the body, and there is a mutual relation between them. From this it is plain that the Divine of the Father is the soul of the Son, and that the Human of the Son is the body of the Father. Whence has a son his soul but from his father, and his body, but from his mother? We speak of the Divine of the Father, and by this we mean the Father Himself, since He and His Divine are the same thing, the Divine being one and indivisible. It is also evident that this is the case from these words of the angel Gabriel to Mary: 'The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God'; and a little before He is called 'The Son of the Highest,' and in another place 'The only-begotten Son'; but you, who call Him only the Son of Mary, destroy the idea of His Divinity. This idea, however, is destroyed only among the learned clergy and the erudite laity who, when they raise their thoughts above the things of bodily sense, regard the glory of their own reputation, which not only obscures but even extinguishes the light by which the glory of God enters.

[6] "Let us now return to the Lord's Prayer, where it is said: 'Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come.' You that are here present understand by these words the Father in His Divine alone; whereas I understand them as relating to Him in His Human. By the latter term is also meant the name of the Father; for the Lord said, 'Father, glorify thy name,' that is, Thy Human; and when this is done, then the kingdom of God comes. This prayer was enjoined for the present time, in order that God the Father might be approached by means of His Human. The Lord has also declared: 'No man cometh unto the Father but by me'; and it is written in the Prophet: 'Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and His name shall be called... The mighty God, The everlasting Father'; and in another place: 'Thou, JEHOVAH, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting'; and in numerous other places, where the Lord our Saviour is called JEHOVAH. This is the true explanation of the words of that prayer."

[7] After I had said this, I looked upon them, and noted the changes in their countenances according to the changes in the states of their minds; and I observed some assenting and looking towards me, and some dissenting and turning away from me. Then towards the right I saw a cloud opaline in colour, and a dark cloud towards the left. Under each was, as it were, a falling shower, that under the latter being like rain in the late Autumn, while that under the former was like dew in the early Spring time. Then suddenly, from being in the spirit, I was in the body again, and so I returned from the spiritual to the natural world.

Footnotes:

Vera Christiana Religio #112 (original Latin,1770)

112. TERTIUM MEMORABILE.

Quondam ¹ post diluculum evigilatus exivi in hortum ante domum, et vidi orientem Solem in suo jubare, et circum circa illam cincturam primum tenuem et postea exstantiorem sicut ex auro splendentem, et sub limbo ejus ascendentem nubem, quae pyropi instar, a flamma solis coruscabat; et tunc incidi in meditationem ex fabulis vetustissimorum, quod finxerint Auroram alatam pennis argenteis in ore ferentem aurum. Cum Mens deliciabatur in his, factus sum in spiritu, et audivi aliquos inter se loquentes, et dicentes, utinam daretur loqui cum Novatore, qui pomum Eridis inter Antistites Ecclesiae projecit, ad quod cucurrerunt multi ex Laicis, et desumptum obtulerunt oculis nostris; per pomum illud intellexerunt Codicillum inscriptum, SUMMARIA EXPOSITIO DOCTRINAE NOVAE ECCLESIAE; et dixerunt est sane schismaticum a nemine hactenus cogitatum; et audivi tunc unum ex illis clamantem, quid Schismaticum, est Haereticum; sed aliqui a latere ejus regerebant, tace, obmutesce, non est Haereticum, allegat copiam dictaminum Verbi, ad quae peregrini nostri, per quos intelligimus laicos, attendunt et adstipulantur.

[2] Cum haec audivi, quia in spiritu eram, accessi, et dixi, adsum; quid rei; et statim unus ex illis, qui, ut postea audivi, fuit Germanus, nativus ex Saxonia, et tono auctoritatis loquutus dixit, unde tibi audacia invertendi Cultum in Orbe Christiano per tot saecula constabilitum, qui fuit, quod Deus Pater ut Creator Universi, et ejus Filius ut Mediator, et Spiritus sanctus ut Operator, invocarentur, et tu Primum et Ultimum Deum ex Personalitate nostra separas, cum tamen Ipse Dominus dicit, quando oratis, orate ita, PATER NOSTER, QUI EST IN COELIS, SANCTIFICETUR NOMEN TUUM, VENIAT REGNUM TUUM, itane mandatum est, ut invocaremus Deum Patrem: his dictis silentium factum est, et omnes, qui illi favebant, steterunt sicut fortes milites super Navibus bellicis cum vident Classem hostilem, clamaturi, pugnemus nunc, certa est victoria;

[3] et tunc exorsus sum loqui, et dixi, quis vestrum non scit, quod Deus de Coelo descenderit, et factus sit homo, nam legitur, Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum, et Verbum Caro factum est; tum quis vestrum non scit, et spectavi ad Evangelicos, inter quos erat Dictator ille, qui me alloquutus est, quod in Christo ex Maria Virgine nato, Deus sit Homo et Homo Deus; sed ad haec Caetus obstrepuit, quare dixi, scitisne hoc, est secundum doctrinam confessionis vestrae, quae vocatur FORMULA CONCORDIAE, ubi hoc dicitur, et multis corroboratur; et tunc Dictator ille se convertit ad Caetum, et quaesivit ² num nossent hoc, et responderunt, nos parum studuimus in Libro illo de PERSONA CHRISTI, sed sudavimus ibi in Articulo de JUSTIFICATIONE per solam fidem; at usque si illud ibi legitur, acquiescimus; et tunc unus ex illis ³ recordatus dixit, legitur, et plus adhuc, quod Humana Christi Natura ad Divinam Majestatem et ad omnia ejus attributa, exaltata sit, et quoque quod Christus in Illa sedeat ad dextram sui Patris.

[4] His auditis conticuerunt; post hunc consensum iterum loquutus sum, dicens, quum ita est, quid tunc Pater nisi Filius et Filius nisi etiam Pater, sed quia hoc iterum obstrepuit auribus illorum, continuavi dicens; audite ipsa verba Domini, ad quae si non prius attenderitis, attendite nunc, dixit enim, Pater et Ego unum sumus; Pater in Me est et Ego in Patre; Pater omnia Mea tua sunt et omnia Tua Mea; qui videt Me videt Patrem, quid illa aliud, quam quod Pater in Filio sit et Filius in Patre, et quod unum sint sicut Anima et Corpus in homine, et sic quod sint una Persona; hoc quoque erit fidei vestrae, si creditis Symbolo Athanasiano, ubi consimilia dicuntur: sed assumite ex allatis solum hoc effatum Domini, Pater, omnia Mea Tua sunt et omnia Tua Mea, quid hoc aliud, quam quod Divinum Patris sit Humani Filii, et Humanum Filii Divini Patris, consequenter quod in Christo Deus sit Homo et Homo Deus, et sic quod unum sint sicut anima et corpus unum sunt:

[5] simile etiam potest omnis homo de sua anima et suo corpore dicere, videlicet, omnia tua mea sunt et omnia mea tua, tu in me es et ego in te, qui videt me videt te, nos unum sumus quoad personam et quoad vitam; causa est, quia anima est in toto et in omni parte hominis, vita enim animae est vita corporis, et mutuum est inter illos: ex his patet, quod Divinum Patris sit anima Filii, et quod Humanum Filii sit corpus Patris; unde anima filii nisi a patre, et unde corpus ejus nisi a matre; dicitur Divinum Patris, ac intelligitur Ipse Pater, quoniam Ipse et suum Divinum est idem, hoc etiam est unum et individuum; quod ita sit, constat etiam ex his Angeli Gabrielis verbis ad Mariam, Virtus Altissimi obumbrabit te, et Spiritus Sanctus superveniet te, et sanctum quod nascetur ex te, vocabitur Filius Dei, et mox supra vocatur Filius Altissimi; et alibi, Filius Unigenitus; vos autem, qui solum nominatis Ipsum Filium Mariae, deperditis ideam Divinitatis Ipsius, sed hanc non perdunt alii, quam Docti e Clericis ac Eruditi e Laicis, qui dum elevant cogitationes supra sensualia corporis sui, spectant gloriam famae suae, quae non modo adumbrat, sed etiam exstinguit lucem, per quam intrat gloria Dei.

[6] Sed redeamus ad Orationem Dominicam, ubi dicitur, Pater noster qui est in Coelis, sanctificetur ⁴ Nomen tuum, veniat Regnum tuum; vos, qui hic estis, intelligitis per illa Patrem in Solo Divino suo, ego autem Ipsum in Humano suo, et Hoc quoque est Nomen Patris, nam Dominus dixit, Pater glorifica Nomen tuum, hoc est, Humanum tuum; et quando hoc fit, tunc venit Regnum Dei, et haec Oratio mandata est pro hoc tempore, videlicet, ut Deus Pater adeatur per Humanum suum; dixit etiam Dominus, Nemo venit ad Patrem nisi per Me: et apud Prophetam, Puer natus est nobis, Filius datus est nobis, cujus Nomen DEUS, Heros, PATER AETERNITATIS; et alibi, Tu Jehovah Pater noster, Redemptor noster a saeculo nomen tuum, et millies alibi, ubi Dominus Salvator noster vocatur Jehovah. Haec est vera explicatio verborum istius Orationis.

[7] Postquam haec dicta sunt, inspexi illos, et animadverti mutationes vultuum secundum mutationes status mentis illorum, quosdam faventes et me intuentes, quosdam non faventes et a me se avertentes: et tunc ad dextrum vidi Nubem opalini coloris, et ad sinistrum Nubem fuscam, et sub utraque sicut depluvium, et sub hac sicut imbris tempore ⁵ seri autumni, et sub illa sicut roris tempore primi veris; et subito tunc a spiritu factus sum in corpore, et sic e Mundo spirituali redivi in Mundum naturalem.

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