178.无论哪个教会，其信都象一粒种子，由此生出它的一切信条。它好比一棵树的种子，由此长出树的各个部分，包括它的果实；它还好比人类的精子，由此生育一代又一代的后裔和家族。因此，若了解教会为首的信条，就是因其主导地位而被视为得救所必需的信条，就能了解这个教会的性质。下面这个例子有助于说明这一点。假如这信是：自然是宇宙的创造者。那么由此可推知，宇宙就是所谓的神，自然是它的本质；以太是至高无上的神，古人称其为朱庇特，空气是女神，古人称其为朱诺，并以她为朱庇特的妻子；海洋是低一等的神明（god），古人称其为海神尼普顿；由于自然的神性直达地心，所以那里也有一个神明，古人称其为冥府之神普路托；太阳是众神明的议事厅，当朱庇特召集会议时，他们就在这里聚集；此外，火是来自神的生命，于是，鸟类在一个神明内飞翔，走兽在一个神明内行走，鱼类又在一个神明内游弋；还有，思维不过是以太的变化，就象表达思想的言语是空气的变化一样；爱的情感是由阳光辐射冲击它们所引起的状态变化。这信还包含这样的观念：死后的生命，连同天堂和地狱，都是神职人员为追求名利而杜撰出来的传说；不过，这仍是一个有用的传说，不可拿来当众取笑，因为它能服务于公共利益，约束普通百姓的思想，使他们严格服从地方官。然而，那些沉迷于宗教信仰的人却与现实脱节，其思维成了天马行空的幻想，其行为荒诞可笑，他们成了牧师的奴仆，去相信那看不到的一切，因为这些事超出了他们的思想范围。
所有这些，以及更多此类后果，都包括在这信中，即“自然是宇宙的创造者”。并且当这信被摊开时，这些后果就从它显现出来。在此论证这一切，是为了叫人们知道，当今教会的信，就是表面信一神，内在信三神之信，就包含了一连串的错误。由此提取出的虚假，如同雌蜘蛛所产之卵中的小蜘蛛一样多。凡在主的启示下，心智具有真正的理性之人，谁不明白这一点？但是，当通向那信的大门及其分支被“理性探究信的秘密是不合法的”这样的禁令所关闭和闩上时，谁又能看清它呢？
178. 任何教會之信如同一粒種子, 由此生發出一切的教理。就好比一棵樹的種子, 長出樹的所有枝幹葉, 甚至果子。好比人的種子生育出後裔, 一代又一代的家庭。
因此, 如果你知道某教會之信的基本內容, 就是他們聲稱讓你得救的決定性內容, 你就可以明白這個教會的性質。
下面這個例子可以說明, 假設信的內容認為自然創造了宇宙, 由此信仰可派生許多:稱為上帝的, 實際就是宇宙, 自然是他的本質。宇宙之靈氣是最大的神,古人稱為宙斯(朱庇特)。空氣是古人稱為朱諾的神, 成為朱庇特的妻子。海洋之神稍低等一些, 古人稱海神(尼普頓)。因為自然的神性可以直達地心, 那裡也有一位神, 按古人稱呼為冥王(普路托)。當宙斯召集眾神開會時, 太陽是眾神的集合處。火是來自上帝的生命。鳥類在此神之中飛翔, 走獸在彼神之上行走, 魚類在另一神之中遊弋。思想只是靈氣的轉變, 正如表達思想的講話只是空氣的調節。愛的各種感覺只是陽光射在人身上引起的狀態改變。此信也涉及到死後的生活, 以及天國和地獄, 但認為這只是聖職人員們編造來謀取榮譽和財富的故事而已。不過是有用的故事, 不應當公開嘲笑, 因為這有利於約束平民百姓, 順服掌權者。不過那些癡迷宗教者遠離現實, 他們的思想盡是胡亂臆想, 行為怪誕荒唐, 都是祭司的奉承者, 盡信一些不能見之物, 想明白那些遠超思想所及範圍之事。
以上這些派生出來的信以及其它類似之信, 都包含在這個起源之信當中:自然創造了宇宙。當此信所暗示與牽涉的內容被探索時, 派生之物就呼之而出。
我如此列明, 是為了認你能知道, 現今教會之信(就是裡面信三位上帝, 外表死撐是一位上帝)有何等多的偽謬於其中。從中派生的偽謬之多, 如同雌蜘蛛產的卵, 產出何等多的幼蛛。
任何由主光照而有真理性思想之人, 誰都能看得明白這些道理。然而, 當有禁令規定, 用理性去探究其中奧秘, 被列為不合法。此時, 通往信仰的大門因此被閂上, 人怎能明白呢？
178. The faith of any church is like a seed from which all its dogmas grow. It is like the seed of a tree that generates all the tree's features including its fruit. It is like human seed that generates descendants and families one after the other.
If you know a church's primary faith - the one they say is so crucial that it will bring you salvation - then you comprehend the nature of that church.
The following example may illustrate this point: Imagine a faith or belief that says nature created the universe. From that belief come many other beliefs: what we call God is really the universe; nature is its essence; the ether is the highest god the ancients called Jupiter; the air is the goddess the ancients called Juno, the one they made into a spouse for Jupiter; the ocean is a god below the others whom we, like the ancients, could call Neptune; and because nature's divinity extends even to the center of the earth, there is a god there whom we, like the ancients, could call Pluto; the sun is a royal hall for all the gods to meet in when Jupiter calls a council; fire is life from God; birds fly in God, animals walk on God, fish swim in God; thoughts are only modifications in the ether, just as speaking those thoughts involves modulations in the air; and different types of love are just incidental changes in our mental condition caused by the rays of the sun flowing into them. Among these beliefs there is also the view that life after death, heaven, and hell are myths made up by the clergy to win honor and wealth; but although they are myths, they are nevertheless useful and should not be openly ridiculed, because they serve the public by putting simple minds on a leash so that they obey their civic leaders. Still, those who are captivated by religion are unrealistic people, their thoughts are delusions, their actions are amusing, and they are subservient to the clergy in that they believe in things they do not see and see things that lie outside their mental range.
These derivative beliefs and many others like them are contained in the original belief that nature created the universe. They come out when the full implications of that belief are explored.
I have listed all this so you may know that the modern-day church's faith (which in its inner form is a faith in three gods, but in its outer form is a faith in one God) has squadrons of falsities inside it. There are as many falsities to be brought out as there are baby spiders in the egg case produced by a mother spider.
Anyone with a mind made truly rational by light from the Lord sees this. No others are going to see it, though, when the door to that faith and its offspring has been bolted shut by the principle that it is wrong for reason to examine its mysteries.
178. The faith of any church is like a seed, from which spring all its dogmas. It may be compared to the seed of a tree, from which grow all its parts up to and including its fruit; and to the human seed from which are procreated offspring and, generation by generation, families. Therefore if one knows what is the leading faith, which is from its dominant role called necessary for salvation, one can know what kind of church it is. The following example will serve to illustrate this.
Suppose the faith is that nature is the creator of the universe. it follows from this that the universe is what is called God, and that nature is its essence; that the ether is the supreme God, whom the ancients called Jupiter, and the air is a goddess, whom the ancients called Juno, and made Jupiter's wife; that the ocean is a god of lower rank, who following the ancients can be called Neptune; and because the divinity of nature reaches right to the centre of the earth, that there is a god there too, who following the ancients can be called Pluto; that the sun is the meeting-house of all the gods, where they assemble when Jupiter summons a council; moreover, fire is life from God, and thus birds fly in a god, animals walk in a god, and fishes swim in a god;
[2] further, thoughts are mere modifications of the ether, just as the speech which expresses thoughts is a modulation of the air; and the affections of love are changes of state occasioned by the radiation of sunlight impinging on them. This also involves the idea that life after death, together with heaven and hell, is a tale devised by the clergy in pursuit of honours and profit, but it is none the less a useful tale, not to be made fun of in public, because it serves the civic need to keep the minds of ordinary people rigidly obedient to the magistrates. Yet those who are hooked on religion are out of touch with reality, their thoughts are wild imagination, their behaviour ridiculous, and they are lackeys of the priests, believing what they cannot see and seeing things far beyond the reach of their minds. All these consequences, and many more of the same sort, are contained in that faith that nature is the creator of the universe, and emerge from it when it is laid open. This demonstration has been given so that people may know that the faith of the present-day church which is inwardly in three Gods, though outwardly in one, contains battalions of falsities. From this can be extracted as many falsities as there are tiny spiders in one ball produced by a female spider. Is there anyone, whose mind has become truly rational under the enlightenment the Lord gives, who does not see this? But how can anyone else see it, when the door leading to that faith and its offshoots is barred by the rule that it is unlawful for the reason to enquire into its mysteries?
178. The faith of every church is like the seed from which all its dogmas spring. It may be compared to the seed of a tree, out of which grows everything belonging to the tree, even to its fruit; and also to the seed of man, from which offspring and families are begotten in successive series. Therefore as soon as its leading tenet, which from its predominance is called saving, is known, the character of a church is known. This may be illustrated by the following example. Suppose the faith to be that nature is the creator of the universe; it will follow from this faith that the universe is called God, that nature is its essence, that the ether is the supreme Deity whom the ancients called Jove, that the air is the goddess they called Juno and made the wife of Jove; that the ocean is a god below these, which after the manner of the ancients may be called Neptune; and as the Divinity of nature reaches to the earth's very center, there is a god there also, who, as with the ancients, may be called Pluto; that the sun is the court of all the gods, where they meet whenever Jupiter calls a council; moreover, that fire is life from God; and thus the birds fly in God, the beasts walk in God, and the fishes swim in God. It follows also that thoughts are merely modifications of the ether, as the words flowing from them are modulations of air; and that love's affections are occasional changes of state caused by the influx into them of the sun's rays; and along with these notions, that the life after death, together with heaven and hell, is a fable concocted by the clergy for the purpose of acquiring honors and wealth, which, although a fable, is useful, and not to be ridiculed openly, since it serves the public interest by keeping simple minds in the bonds of obedience to magistrates; but those that are inveigled by religion are in fact often devoted to abstractions, their thoughts are fantasies, their actions ludicrous, and they themselves drudges of the priests, believing in what they see not, and seeing what transcends the sphere of their minds. The belief that nature is the creator of the universe includes these consequences, and many more like them, and they proceed from that belief when it is laid open. They are presented here to show that within the faith of the present church, which in its internal form is a faith in three Gods and in its external form a faith in one, there are swarms of falsities, and that as many falsities can be drawn out of it as there are little spiders in the egg-sac of a single spider. Who that has a mind truly rational does not see this by light from the Lord; and how can any other mind see it so long as the door to that faith and its offshoots is shut and bolted by the decree that it is unlawful for reason to look into its mysteries?
178. The faith of every Church is, as it were, the seed from which all its dogmas spring, and it may be compared to the seed of a tree from which grow all its parts, even to the fruit; and also to the seed of man, from which are begotten children and families in successive series. When, therefore, the fundamental faith, which from its predominant nature is called a saving faith, is known, the character of the Church is perceived. This may be illustrated by the following example. Suppose the faith to be, that nature is the creator of the universe. From this it follows that the universe is what is called God; that nature is its essence; that the ether is the supreme god, whom the Ancients called Jupiter; 1 that the air is a goddess, whom the Ancients called Juno, and made her the wife of Jupiter; that the ocean is a deity inferior to these, who according to the Ancients is called Neptune; 2 and since the divinity of nature reaches even to the centre of the earth, that there also is a god, who according to the Ancients is called Pluto; 3 that the sun is the palace of all the gods, where they assemble when Jupiter summons a council; moreover, that fire is life from God, and thus that birds fly, beasts walk and fishes swim in God. Further it follows that thoughts are merely modifications of the ether as words from them are modulations of the air; and that the affections of love are changes of state brought about as occasions arise by the influx of the sun's rays into them. In addition to these things it also follows that life after death, together with heaven and hell, is a fiction invented by the clergy with a view to procuring honors and wealth; but still a useful fiction, and one not to be openly ridiculed, because it performs a public service in keeping the simple minded under the yoke of obedience to their rulers. Nevertheless it follows that those who are attracted by religion are dreamers, whose thoughts are hallucinations, whose actions are mummery, and who, at the bidding of the priests, believe what they do not see, and see what is above their comprehension. These consequences, and many more of a like nature, are involved in the belief that nature is the creator of the universe, and issue forth from it as it develops. All this has been said that it may be known that the faith of the Church of the present day, which in its internal form is a belief in three gods, but in its external form a belief in one, involves numerous falsities, and from it as many may be drawn as there are young ones in a spider's ball of eggs. This may be seen by any one whose mind has become truly rational by light from the Lord; but how will any other see it when the door to that faith and its offspring is closed and barred by the decree, that it is unlawful for reason to look into its mysteries?
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178. Fides cujusvis Ecclesiae est sicut semen, ex quo omnia dogmata ejus exoriuntur, et comparari potest semini arboris ex quo omnia ejus usque ad fructus enascuntur, et quoque semini hominis, ex quo proles et familiae in successiva serie progignuntur; quare dum scitur Fides primaria, quae ex praedominio salvifica vocatur, cognoscitur Ecclesia qualis est: hoc illustrari potest per hoc exemplum; sit Fides, quod Natura sit creatrix Universi; ex hac sequuntur haec, quod Universum sit quod 1 vocatur Deus; quod Natura sit ejus Essentia; quod Aether sit Deus supremus, quem antiqui vocaverunt Jovem; quod Aer sit 2 Dea, quam antiqui vocaverunt Junonem, et fecerunt Jovis conjugem; quod Oceanus sit Deus infra illos, qui cum antiquis vocari potest Neptunus; et quia Divinitas Naturae pertingit etiam ad Centrum Terrae, quod ibi etiam sit Deus, qui cum Antiquis vocari potest Pluto; quod Sol sit omnium deorum Curia, in qua conveniunt, dum Jupiter Concilium convocat;
[2] ac insuper quod Ignis sit vita a Deo; et quod sic Aves volent in Deo, Bestiae gradiantur in Deo, et Pisces natent in Deo: et porro, quod cogitationes sint solum modificationes aetheris, sicut loquelae ex illis sunt modulationes aeris; et quod Affectiones amoris sint mutationes status occasionales ex influxu radiorum solis in illas; inter haec, quod Vita post mortem, una cum Coelo et Inferno, sit fabula a Clero ad aucupandum honores et lucra, efficta, sed tametsi est fabula quod usque utilis sit, et palam non subsannanda, quia inservit Publico ad continendum animos simplicium in vinculo obedientiae erga Magistratus; sed quod usque illi, qui inescati sunt religioni, sint homines abstracti, cogitationes illorum phantasmata, et actiones illorum ludicrae, et quod sint mediastini sacerdotum, qui credunt quae non vident, et vident quae excedunt sphaeram mentis eorum. Haec consectaria, et plura alia similia, continentur in Fide illa, quod Natura sit creatrix universi, ac procedunt ex illa dum aperitur. Haec allata sunt, ut sciatur, quod in Fide hodiernae Ecclesiae, quae in Interna sua forma est in Tres Deos, in Externa in unum, insint falsitates in turmis, et quod inde protrahi possint totidem, quot araneolae 3 sunt in glomere ab una arachnipara; quis, cui Mens e luce a Domino vere rationalis facta est, hoc non videt; sed quomodo alius id visurus est, dum janua ad illam fidem et ejus propagines, obice occlusa est, per statutum quod illicitum sit rationi in mysteria ejus introspicere.
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