15.⑻对承认数位神，而非一位神的人而言，教会根本无法被凝聚起来。凡承认信一位神，并发自内心敬拜祂的人都处于地上圣徒和天堂天使的团契中。这些人被称为“团契”，也的确是团契，因为这些人在一位神里面，这一位神也在他们里面。此外，他们还与整个天使天堂结合，我敢说，是与其全部和每一个居民结合。因为他们全都如同一位父亲的孩子和后裔。他们的性情、举止、特征都相似，他们凭此识别彼此。天使天堂按照对良善之爱的多样性而和谐排列为各个社群，这些多样性以一个普遍之爱为中心，就是对神的爱。凡承认相信并发自内心敬拜一位神，就是宇宙的创造者，救世主和再造者之人，都是从这爱而生的。
但对于那些靠近并敬拜数位神明、而非一位神的人，以及那些嘴上说一位、心里想三位的人，如当今教会中那些将神分割为三个位格、并声称每一位自身都是神，将有别于其它位格的特定品质或属性归给各个位格的人来说，情况则截然不同。由此不仅造成神一体性的解体，还导致神学本身的解体，同样造成专注于此的人类心智的解体。除了纠缠于有关教会事物的支离破碎的想法外，还能有什么结果？本书附录将证明，这就是当今教会的状态。事实是，将神或神性本质分裂为三个位格，其中每个位格都单独或本身是神，就等于否认神。这就象是有人进了神殿去敬拜，却发现祭坛的牌位上画有一位如古时的神，一位如大祭司的神，和如飞行风神的第三位神，并且底下注明说：“这三个是一位神”。或象他看到的是由三个头一个身子，或三个身子顶着一个头的人所代表的一体和三位一体。这种观念是骇人的，若有人抱着这种想法进入天堂，他必会一头栽下来，即便他声称这个头或三个头是指本质，这个身子或三个身子是指不同的属性。
15. (8)凡認多神而非接受一位上帝者, 與教會無半點關連。
人相信,接受並心裡敬拜獨一上帝, 既與地上聖徒在一團契中, 也與天上天人在一團契中。稱為"團契", 真的是團結契合為一, 因為這些人在獨一上帝之中並且獨一上帝在他們之中。此外, 他們還與整個天人的天國聯合。關於這點, 我敢說, 是與天國全部及其每個居民的結合。因為他們全都如同一位父親的孩子和後裔。他們的性情,習慣,特徵類似, 憑此他們彼此識別。天人的天國按照對良善之熱愛的多樣性而和諧排列為無數個社區。這些多樣性以一個普遍的愛為中心, 就是對上帝的愛。由如此之愛而誕生信, 並內心接受和敬拜獨一之上帝, 這上帝集創世者,救贖者和更新者於一身。
[2]但對於那些接受並敬拜幾位神明,而非一位上帝者; 以及那些口上說一位,腦子想三位的人(正如現今教會中將上帝分割為三個位格,並聲稱每一位自身都是上帝, 將特定的,不屬於其他位格的屬性歸於各個位格。由此引起的不僅是上帝的唯一性的瓦解,還有神學自身的崩潰), 除了困惑與分裂, 這些還能給教會帶來什麼呢？
每一個位格自身是上帝(父是上帝,子是上帝,聖靈是上帝), 只會引發對上帝的否認。這樣的情形, 如同一個人進到一間聖殿敬拜, 看到聖壇上面的供奉著:一位如同古時的上帝, 另一位像大祭司, 第三位如同飛行中的鴿子, 並有銘文寫道:"這三位是一位上帝"。又如同以一身三頭或一頭三身的某某來描述上帝的唯一和三一, 這只會是只怪物。如果任何人帶著這樣的思想進入天國, 定被轟出天國, 哪怕他聲稱說一頭或一身表示同一本質, 三頭或三身表示不同的屬性。
15. 8. Nothing about the church is integrated in people who acknowledge many gods rather than one. People who acknowledge one God in their belief and worship one God in their heart are in the communion of saints on earth and the communion of angels in the heavens. Each of these groups or communions is called a partnership, and is a partnership, because there is one God among its people, and they are in the one God. These same people also have a partnership with the entire angelic heaven. I would even go so far as to say they have a partnership with each and every one in heaven. For they are all like children and descendants of one parent, with such similar minds, mannerisms, and looks that they recognize each other as relatives. The angelic heaven is laid out in communities on the basis of all the varieties of love for what is good. All these kinds of love aim at one most universal love: love for God. All people who direct the acknowledgment of their faith and the worship of their heart to one God who is the Creator of the universe and also the Redeemer and the Regenerator are descended from that love.
[2] Exactly the opposite is true of people who adore, and seek help from, many gods instead of one. The opposite is also true of those who say one God but think three. This is the practice of people in the church today who divide God into three persons and hail each person as a God in his own right, and who attribute different qualities or properties to each one that the others do not have. This leads to actual divisions not only in the unity of God but also in [Christian] theology itself, and even in the human mind in which that theology has to live. What other result could there be except confusion and discontinuity in the teachings of the church? In the appendix at the end of this work I will show that this is the state of the church today.
The truth is that dividing God or the divine essence into three persons, each of whom is individually a god in his own right, causes denial of God. It is like someone entering a church for worship and seeing a triptych above the altar with one god portrayed as the ancient of days, another god as a high priest, and a third god as Aeolus flying in the air, with an inscription reading, These Three Are One God. Or perhaps it is like the same person seeing a painting above the altar that portrays God's unity and trinity as a deformed person with three heads protruding from one body or three bodies sharing a single head. If people enter heaven with this as their picture of God, they will definitely be thrown out headfirst, even if they plead that the head or heads stand for God's essence and the body or bodies stand for God's distinctly different properties.
15. (viii) THE CHURCH CANNOT HOLD TOGETHER AT ALL IN THE CASE OF A PERSON WHO ACKNOWLEDGES NOT ONE GOD, BUT SEVERAL.
The man who acknowledges in his belief one God and worships Him in his heart is in the communion of saints on earth, and of angels in the heavens. These are called communions, and they really are, because they are in the one God, and the one God is in them. The same people are also linked with the whole of the heaven of angels, and, I dare assert, with each and every one there. For they are all like sons and descendants of a single father, whose minds, manners and faces are similar, so that they can recognise one another. The heaven of angels is organised into communities in accordance with the varieties of the love for good, but all these varieties aim at a single most general love, that is, love to God. From this love are descended all who acknowledge in their belief, and worship in their heart, one God the Creator of the universe, and at the same time the Redeemer and the Regenerator.
[2] But far different is the case of those who approach and adore not one God, but several; or if it happens that they worship one God with their lips but three in their thinking, as those do in the church to-day who divide God into three persons, and declare each person by himself to be God, and attribute to each person different, qualities or peculiarities not shared with another. This produces an actual division not only in the oneness of God, but also in their theology, and likewise human minds that are devoted to it. What can be the result but a tangle of incoherent ideas about church matters? It will be proved in an Appendix to this book that this is the state of the church to-day. The truth is that to divide God or the Divine Essence into three persons, each of which severally or by itself is God, is tantamount to denying God. It is as if someone goes into a church to worship, and sees represented in a painting over the altar one God as the Ancient of Days, another as High Priest, and a third flying like Aeolus, and a label underneath saying 'These three are one God.' Or perhaps it is as if he were to see the Oneness and the Trinity represented as a man with three heads on one body or with three bodies topped by a single head; that is a monstrous idea, and if anyone were to enter heaven with that in his mind, he would certainly be flung out head first, even if he said that the head or heads stand for the essence, and the body or bodies separate properties.
15. (8) With men who acknowledge several Gods instead of one there is no coherence in the things relating to the church. He who in his belief acknowledges and in his heart worships one God is both in the communion of the saints on earth and in the communion of the angels in heaven. These are called "communions," and are communions, because such are in the one God and the one God is in them. Moreover, they are in conjunction with the entire angelic heaven, and, I might venture to say, with all and each of its inhabitants, for they are all like the children and descendants of one father, whose dispositions, manners, and features are similar, whereby they recognize each other. The angelic heaven is harmoniously arranged in societies in accordance with all the varieties of the love of good, and these varieties center in one universal love, which is love to God; from which love all are born who in belief acknowledge and in heart worship the one God, who is both the Creator of the universe and the Redeemer and Regenerator.
[2] But it is a wholly different matter with those who approach and worship several gods instead of one, and with those who talk of one and think of three, as do those in the church at this day who divide God into three persons, and declare that each person by himself is God, and attribute to each one special qualities or properties that do not belong to the others. From this arises a disintegration not only of the unity of God but of theology itself, and still further of human thought, to which theology belongs. And what can follow from this but perplexity and incoherency in things of the church? That such is the state of the church at this day will be shown in the Appendix to this work. The truth is that the division of God, or of the Divine essence, into three persons, each one of whom by Himself or singly is God, induces a denial of God. It is as if a man should enter a temple to worship, and see painted on a tablet over the altar one God as the Ancient of days, another as the great High Priest, and the third as a flying Aeolus, with the inscription: "These three are one God;" or like seeing there the unity and trinity depicted as a man with three heads on one body, of three bodies under one head, which would be monstrosities. If anyone should enter heaven with such an idea he would certainly be cast out headlong, even if he should declare that the head or heads mean the essence, and the body or bodies its different properties.
15. (8) WITH THE MAN WHO DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ONE GOD, BUT SEVERAL, NO PRINCIPLE OF THE CHURCH REMAINS.
He who in faith acknowledges, and in heart worships, one God is in the communion of saints on earth, and in the communion of angels in heaven. These are called communions, and in reality they are so; because they are in one God, and one God is in them. They are also in conjunction with the whole angelic heaven, and, I venture to say, with all and every one there; for they are all like the children and offspring of one father, similar in mind, character and features, so that they mutually recognize each other. The angelic heaven is arranged into societies according to all the varieties of the love of good, which are directed towards one universal love, the love of God. From this love all derive their origin who in faith acknowledge and in heart worship one God, the Creator of the universe, and at the same time the Redeemer and Regenerator.
[2] It is quite otherwise with those who approach and worship not one God but several, or who profess one with the lips and yet think of three; as do those in the Church to-day who divide God into three Persons, and declare each Person by Himself to be God, and attribute to each Person separate qualities or properties not possessed by another. Thus it happens that not only is the unity of God actually divided, but also theology itself, and likewise the human mind in which it should reside. What can result from this but perplexity and incoherence in the things of the Church? That such is the state of the Church to-day will be shown in the Appendix to this work. The truth is that the division of God, or of the Divine Essence, into three Persons, each of whom by Himself or singly is God, leads to a denial of God. It is as though a man were to enter a temple to worship, and should see over the altar one God depicted as the Ancient of Days, another as the High Priest and a third as a flying Aeolus, 1 with this inscription: "These three are one God," or as if he were to see the Unity and the Trinity depicted as a man with three heads, or with three bodies under one head, which is the form of a monster. If any one should enter heaven with such an idea he would assuredly be cast out headlong, even though he were to say that the head or heads signified Essence, and the body or bodies distinct properties.
Footnotes:
1. Aeolus, god of the winds.
15. VIII. QUOD APUD HOMINES, QUI NON AGNOSCUNT UNUM DEUM, SED PLURES, NIHIL ECCLESIAE COHAEREAT. Qui unum Deum fide agnoscit et corde colit, ille in communione Sanctorum in terris est, et in communione Angelorum in coelis; illae dicuntur communiones, et sunt, quia in uno Deo sunt et unus Deus in illis: iidem etiam in conjunctione sunt cum Universo Coelo Angelico, et ausim dicere, cum omnibus et singulis ibi, sunt enim omnes sicut filii et posteri ex uno Patre, quorum animi, mores et facies similares sunt, a quibus se mutuo cognoscunt. Coelum Angelicum coordinatum est in Societates secundum omnes varietates amoris boni, quae varietates ad universalissimum unum Amorem collimant, qui est in Deum; ex hoc Amore propagati sunt omnes, qui Deum unum Creatorem universi, et simul Redemptorem, et Regeneratorem, fide agnoscunt et corde colunt.
[2] Sed aliter prorsus illi, qui non unum, sed plures Deos adeunt et adorant, sive hoc fiat, quod unum ore et tres cogitatione, ut faciunt illi in hodierna Ecclesia, qui Deum in tres personas distinguunt, et unamquamque Personam declarant Deum per se, et cuique separatas qualitates, seu proprietates quae non alterius sunt, attribuunt; inde fit, quod unitas Dei non modo actualiter dividatur, sed etiam ipsa Theologia, et quoque Mens humana in qua illa erit, similiter; quid inde nisi perplexum et non cohaerens in rebus Ecclesiae resultat; quod talis sit status Ecclesiae hodiernae in Appendice post hoc Opus, demonstrabitur: hoc veritas est, quod divisio Dei, aut Essentiae Divinae in tres Personas, quarum quaelibet per se aut singulatim est Deus, inducat negationem Dei; est sicut quis in Templum ad adorandum intrat, et in Tabula super Altari videt pictum unum Deum sicut Antiquum dierum, Alterum sicut Pontificem maximum, et Tertium sicut Aeolum volantem, et subscriptum, hi tres sunt Unus Deus: aut forsan sicut ibi videret Unitatem et Trinitatem pictas sicut hominem cum tribus Capitibus super uno corpore, aut cum tribus corporibus sub uno Capite, quae forma monstrosa est, cum qua idea si quis intraret Coelum, certe praeceps dejiceretur, tametsi diceret, quod Caput aut Capita significarent Essentiam, et Corpus aut Corpora Proprietates distinctas.