176.人怎能信赖教会的会议呢？因为他们并未直接靠近教会的神。教会不是主的身体，主是它的头吗？身体没了头，有什么用呢？有三个头在上面，并且接受讨论并传达指令的三个头的引导，这是什么样的身体呢？那么，启示（当唯独出于主时，它是属灵的，主是天堂与教会的神，同时是圣言的神）岂不变得越来越属世，最终变得感官化了吗？然后，它一嗅到具有内在形式的纯正神学真理，就会立刻将其逐出理性理解力的思维，就象扬场机将谷糠扬到空中一样。在这种状态下，谬误便取代真理，黑暗则取代光线。于是，这些人仿佛站在洞穴里，鼻梁上架着眼镜，手里拿着蜡烛，面对天堂之光中的属灵真理时就闭上眼帘，面对属肉体感觉的虚幻之光的感官印象时则睁开双眼。读圣言时也是如此，那时，头脑对着真理昏昏欲睡，对着虚假则完全清醒，就象启示录所描述的从海里升上来的野兽：口像狮子的口，形状像豹，脚像熊的脚（启示录13:2）。
在天堂，据说，当尼西亚公会达到目的时，主向门徒所预言的事就发生了：
日头变黑了，月亮也不放光，众星要从天上坠落，天势都要震动。（马太福音24:29）
实际上，使徒教会曾像星空闪耀的一颗新星。但是，两次尼西亚会议之后，这个教会最终和后来的星辰一样，逐渐变暗、直至消失。根据天文学家的观测，这种事在世上时有发生。我们在圣言中读到：耶和华神住在不能靠近的光里（提摩太前书6:16）。所以，谁能靠近祂呢？祂不是住在不能靠近的光里，也就是说，祂不是降下来给自己取了人的样式，以此成为这世界的光了吗（约翰福音1:9；12:46）？
谁看不出，靠近在自己光里的父神，就象乘上黎明的翅膀飞向太阳那样不可能？或像靠阳光而不靠食物活着那样不可能？又或像鸟儿在太空飞翔，或雄鹿在空中奔跑那样不可能？
176. 他們並非直接轉向教會的上帝, 我們怎能相信『尼西亞信經』的內容呢？教會不是主的身體, 主不是教會的頭嗎？身體沒了頭, 有什麼用呢？一個身子三個頭,身子聽從這三個頭的指引和決定, 這是什麼情形呢？唯有從主來的光照才是屬靈的, 因為祂是天國和教會的上帝, 也是聖言的上帝。當那些信經並非直接靠近上帝, 光照只會變得越來越屬世,甚至達到僅僅感官的地步。然後, 當人一嗅到任何真正的神學真理時, 會立即被拒絕, 如同風箱鼓出糠秕。這種情況下, 偽謬便佔據了真理的位置, 黑暗取代了光明。於是, 這些人就像在洞穴之中, 鼻上架付眼鏡, 手持蠟燭, 眼睛向著天國之屬靈之光就閉著, 向著昏弱的,僅憑身體感官的迷惑之光卻睜開著。當讀聖言時, 會發生類似的事情:面對真理時, 思想就睡著了; 面對偽謬時, 思想就醒過來了。如同對海裡上來之獸的描述:"它的口像獅子之口, 身體像豹子之身, 腳像熊之腳"(啟示錄13:2)。
在天國有天人說, 當『尼西亞信經』完成時, 主向門徒們預言之事發生了:"日頭將變黑, 月亮也不發光, 眾星要從天上墜落, 天勢都要震動(馬太福音24:29)。
實際上, 使徒教會曾像一顆新星閃耀在空中。但是, 在兩次尼西亞會議之後, 這顆星逐漸變暗,直至消失(按照天文觀察, 這個現象在自然界的確發生過)。
我們在聖言中讀到:"耶和華上帝住在不能靠近的光裡"(提摩太前書6:16)。誰能接近祂, 除非祂在能靠近的光裡？除非祂降世取了人的樣式, 這樣祂成了世界的光(約翰福音1:9; 12:46), 人不可能在父上帝的光中接近祂, 誰看不出來呢？就像取了黎明的翅膀, 套上並飛向太陽那樣不可能; 或像小鳥在太空中飛行, 又或一隻鹿在空中飛奔那樣不可能。
176. How much trust should we put in councils when they do not go directly to the God of the church? The church is the body of the Lord. He is its head. What good is a body without a head? What kind of a body has three heads, under whose direction the people constituting that body develop plans and make decisions? Enlightenment is spiritual when it comes from the Lord alone, who is the God of heaven and the church, and who is also the God of the Word. When councils do not go directly to God, enlightenment becomes more and more earthly and even mindlessly physical. Then if we catch a whiff of any genuine theological truth in its inner form we immediately reject it from the thinking of our rational mind like chaff tossed into the air from a winnowing basket. In that case, false perspectives come in to replace the truth, and darkness comes in instead of rays of light. Then we are standing in a cave with glasses on our nose, candle in hand, closing our eyes to spiritual truths that are in the light of heaven and opening them to input from the faint, deceptive light of our physical senses. Later a similar thing happens when we read the Word: our mind falls asleep to what is true and wakes up to what is false. We become like the description of the beast from the sea: we develop the mouth of a lion, the body of a leopard, and the feet of a bear (Revelation 13:2).
There is a saying in heaven that when the Council of Nicaea finished, the followings things happened that the Lord had predicted to his disciples:
The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Matthew 24:29)
In fact, the apostolic church had been like a new star appearing in the sky. The church after the two Nicene councils was like the same star dimming and disappearing (a phenomenon that has in fact happened several times in the physical world, according to astronomers' observations).
We read in the Word that Jehovah God dwells in inaccessible light [1 Timothy 6:16]. Who then could turn to him unless he dwelt in accessible light, that is, unless he came down, took on a human manifestation, and in it became the Light of the world (John 1:9; 12:46)? Surely anyone can see that turning to Jehovah the Father in his own light is as impossible as taking Dawn's wings from her and using them to fly to the sun, or feeding off the sun's rays instead of proper food. It would be like a bird flying in the ether or a deer running through the air.
176. How can one trust Councils, when they do not directly approach the God of the church? Is not the church the Lord's body, and is He not its head? What use is a body without a head? And what sort of body is it that has three heads on it, under the guidance of which they debate and pass decrees? Surely then enlightenment, which, coming from the Lord alone, who is God of heaven and the church and at the same time God of the Word, is spiritual, becomes more and more natural until it finally reaches the level of the senses. Then it cannot scent out any real theological truth in its inward form without it being instantly expelled from the thinking of the rational understanding, like chaff being scattered to the winds from a winnowing shovel. In that state fallacies then take the place of truths and darkness the place of light rays. Then these people stand as it were in a cavern with spectacles on their noses, candle in hand, and keep their eyelids shut against spiritual truths illuminated by heavenly light, and open them to sense impressions illuminated by the deceptive light of the bodily senses. What happens when the Word is read is much the same; the mind then goes to sleep confronted with truths, and is wide awake confronted with falsities, becoming like the description of the beast from the sea, 'its mouth like a lion's, its body like a leopard's, and its feet like a bear's' (Revelation 13:2).
[2] It is said in heaven that when the Council of Nicaea finished its work, there took place simultaneously the things the Lord foretold to the disciples:
The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, Matthew 24:29.
In fact the Apostolic church was like a new star appearing in the starry sky; but the church after the two Nicene Councils became like the same star later dimming and vanishing, an event recorded a number of times in the natural world according to astronomical observations. We read in the Word that 'Jehovah God dwells in inaccessible light' [1 Timothy 6:16]. So who could approach Him, did He not dwell in accessible light, that is, had He not come down, taken upon Himself human form, and in this become the Light of the World (John 1:9; 12:46)? Can anyone fail to see that approaching God the Father in His light is as impossible as taking the wings of the morning and using them to fly to the sun? Or living on sunlight rather than material food? Or for a bird to fly in the ether, or a stag to run through the air?
176. What confidence is to be had in councils when they do not go directly to the God of the church? Is not the church the Lord's body, and He its head? What is a body without a head? And what sort of a body is that upon which three heads have been put, under the auspices of which men hold consultations and pass decrees? Does not enlightenment (which is spiritual when it is from the Lord alone, who is the God of heaven and the church, and also the God of the Word) then become more and more natural and at length sensual? And then not a single genuine theological truth in its internal form is perceived without being instantly cast out of the thought of the rational understanding, and like chaff from a winnowing machine blown into the air. In this state fallacies steal into the mind instead of truths, and darkness instead of rays of light; and men stand as if in a cave with spectacles on the nose and torch in hand, shutting their eyes to spiritual truths, which are in the light of heaven, and opening them to sensual truths belonging to the fatuous light of the bodily senses. And it is the same afterwards when the Word is read; the mind is then asleep to truths and awake to falsities, and becomes like the beast described as rising up out of the sea:
With a mouth like that of a lion, a body like that of a leopard, and feet like those of a bear (Revelation 13:2).
It is said in heaven that when the Nicene Council had finished its work, that had come to pass which the Lord foretold to His disciples:
The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matthew 24:29);
and in fact the Apostolic church was like a new star appearing in the starry heaven. But the church after the two Nicene councils became finally like the same star darkened and lost to view, as has sometimes happened, according to the observation of astronomers, in the natural world. We read in the Word that:
Jehovah God dwells in light unapproachable (1 Timothy 6:16).
Who, then, can approach Him, unless He take up His abode in light that is approachable, that is, unless He come down and assume a Human, and in it become the light of the world (John 1:9; 12:46)? Anyone can see that to get near to Jehovah the Father in His own light is as impossible as to take the wings of the morning and fly on them to the sun, or to feed upon the sun's rays instead of material food, or as for a bird to fly in the ether, or a stag to run on air.
176. What confidence can be placed in councils when they do not directly approach the God of the Church? Is not the Church the Lord's body, and He its head? And what is a body without a head? And what kind of a body is that on which have been placed three heads, under the guidance of which counsel is taken and decrees are made? Does not enlightenment which is spiritual, coming from the Lord alone, the God of heaven and of the Church, and also of the Word, become in that case more and more natural, and finally sensual? Then it does not perceive any genuine theological truth in its internal form; rather is such truth at once cast out from the thought of the rational understanding, as chaff is dispersed into the air by the winnowing fan. In this state fallacies take the place of truths and darkness the place of radiant light. Then men stand as in a cave, with spectacles on nose and candle in hand, closing their eyes to spiritual truths which are in the light of heaven, and opening them to sensual truths which are in the delusive light of the bodily senses. Something similar happens to them when they hear the Word read. Their minds are asleep to truths but awake to falsities; and they become like the Beast described as rising out of the sea,
with a mouth like a lion, a body like a leopard and feet like a bear. Revelation 13:2.
[2] It is said in heaven that at the conclusion of the Council of Nice those things happened which the Lord foretold to His disciples:
"The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken" Matthew 24:29.
In fact the Apostolic Church was like a new star appearing in the starry heaven; but the Church, after the two Nicene Councils, was like the same star obscured and rent asunder, as has sometimes happened in the world of nature, according to the observations of astronomers. In the Word it is written:
Jehovah God dwells in light inaccessible.
Who then could approach Him unless He dwelt in light accessible, that is, unless He descended, and assumed the Human, and in it became the Light of the world? John 1:8; 12:46. Every one may see that to approach Jehovah the Father in His own light is as impossible as to take the wings of the morning and on them fly to the sun, or to feed on the sun's rays instead of material food, or for a bird to fly in the ether, or a stag to run in the air.
176. Quid fidendum est Conciliis, dum non immediate adeunt Deum Ecclesiae; estne Ecclesia Corpus Domini, et Ipse ejus Caput; quid Corpus absque Capite, et quale est Corpus cui imposita sunt tria Capita, sub quorum auspicio consulta ineunt, et decreta faciunt; annon tunc Illustratio, quae a Solo Domino, qui est Deus Coeli et Ecclesiae, et simul Deus Verbi, est spiritualis, fit plus et plus naturalis, et tandem sensualis, et tunc non odoratur aliquod genuinum verum Theologicum in ejus forma interna, quin illico e cogitatione intellectus rationalis ejiciatur, et sicut palea e ventilabro in aerem disjiciatur; in quo statu tunc loco veritatum subeunt fallaciae, et loco radiorum lucis tenebrae, et tunc stant sicut in caverna, cum perspicillis super naribus, et cum candela in manu, et occludunt palpebras ad Vera spiritualia, 1 quae in luce Coeli sunt, at aperiunt illas ad sensualia, quae in luce fatua sensuum Corporis sunt; similiter postea fit dum legitur Verbum, tunc Mens obdormit ad vera, ac evigilat ad falsa, et fit sicut describitur Bestia a mari, quoad os sicut leo, quoad corpus sicut pardus, et quoad pedes sicut ursus, Apocalypsis 13:2.
[2] In Coelo dicitur, quod dum Concilium Nicaenum peractum est, coinciderint haec, quae Dominus praedixit Discipulis, Sol obscurabitur, et Luna non dabit lumen suum et Stellae cadent de Coelo, et Virtutes coelorum commovebuntur, Matthaeus 24:29 et actualiter Ecclesia Apostolica fuit sicut Stella nova apparens in Coelo astrifero, at Ecclesia post duo Concilia Nicaena, facta est sicut eadem Stella postea opacata et disparata, quemadmodum etiam in Mundo naturali secundum observationes Astronomorum aliquoties evenerat. In Verbo legitur, quod Jehovah Deus habitet 2 in Luce inaccessibili [1 Timotheus 6:16], quis ergo potest Ipsum adire, nisi habitaret in luce accessibili, hoc est, nisi descenderit, et assumserit Humanum, et in hoc Lux Mundi factus sit, Johannes 1:9; 12:46; quis non videre potest, quod adire Jehovam Patrem in sua Luce, tam impossibile sit, sicut est sumere sibi alas ex Aurora, et per illas volare ad Solem, aut pascere se ex radiis Solis et non ex cibo elementari, aut est Avi volare in aethere, ac Cervo currere in aere.
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