20.⑵这独一神是实质本身和形式本身，天使和世人是来自祂的实质和形式；他们越在祂里面，祂在他们里面，他们越是祂的形像和样式。
神既是存在，那么也是实质。存在若非实质，它就是想象的实体，因为实质就是持续存在的实体。凡是实质者必也是形式，因为没有形式的实质是想象的实体。故实质和形式这二者皆可指称神，但条件是，神是独一无二，是真正的、最初的实质和形式。《圣爱与圣智》（1763年发表于阿姆斯特丹）一书已证实：这形式是人的真形式，也就是说，神是真人，祂的一切属性都无限的；同样，天使和世人是被造的、组织有序的形式，以便接受经由天堂而来的神性流注。因此缘故，在创世记中，他们被称为“神的形像和样式”（创世记1:26，27）；在别处还被称为“祂的众子”和“祂所生的”。整本书还充分证实，人越顺应神性指引生活，即越使自己被神引领，他就越来越内在地成为神形像。
人的心智若不形成以下观念，即神是最初的实质与形式，祂的形式是人的真形式，那么对于神祂自己、人的起源和创世，就很容易落入梦幻、幽灵般的观念中。他们不可避免地视神为宇宙的原始自然，因而视其为它的扩张，或仿佛是真空、虚无。他们认为人的起源就象一堆原子偶然汇聚而形成这样的形式；而创世则是由于它的实质和形式先是起源于几何点，然后又起源于几何线条，而它们本身并不存在，因为它们没有任何属性。对这类人而言，关乎教会的一切就象冥河，或地狱底下的深渊那样暗无天日。
20. (2)這獨一上帝是實質自身和形式自身, 天人和人是從祂而來的實質和形式; 以至於他們在祂裡面,祂在他們裡面, 直至他們成為祂的形像和樣式。
由於上帝是根本, 因此祂亦是實質。因為如果根本不是實質, 那麼這個根本就只是一種虛構假想。成為實質才是真實的根本。是實質的,必定也是形式。因為實質若沒有形式, 那也只是另一種虛構假想。因此二者可用來表達上帝:祂是唯一,真正,最初的實質與形式。在『聖仁和聖智』(1763年發表於阿姆斯特丹)中還證實, 上帝的形式是人的形式自身。也說是說, 上帝是人, 此"人"的一切屬性都是無限的。照樣地, 天人和人是實質和形式, 如此被造和安排是為了接收從天國而來神性流注。因著這個緣故, 他們在創世記中被稱為"上帝的形像和樣式"(創世記1:26-27)。在其它地方還被稱為"祂的眾子"和"祂所生的"。只要人順應神性的指引——也就是, 順從上帝,被上帝帶領, 他就越來越內在地成為上帝的形像。
[2]上帝是最初的實質與形式, 祂的形式是人的真正形式。若非如此思想上帝, 人的思想就容易幽靈般,幻像般來思考上帝自身,人的起源,世界被造等問題。視人的起源只不過是各樣元素彙聚一處偶然變成人的形式。視宇宙的創造, 認為宇宙的實質與形式起源於點, 接著是幾何線條, 實際上無任何意義, 因為根本無法形容。這樣思想狀態下, 所有屬於教會之事就會處於冥河般幽暗。
20. 2. The one God is substance itself and form itself. Angels and people are substances and forms from him. To the extent that they are in him and he is in them, to that extent they are images and likenesses of him. Because God is the underlying reality, he is also substance. Unless the underlying reality becomes substance it is a figment of the imagination; but as a substance it becomes an entity. And one who is substance is also form, for substance without form is another figment of the imagination. We can attribute both of these to God, provided he is seen as the sole, the only, and the archetypal substance and form.
The work Divine Love and Wisdom, published in Amsterdam in 1763, demonstrates that God's form is the human form itself, that is, that God is the Human Being, and all God's attributes are infinite. That work also shows that angels and people are substances and forms that have been created and arranged to receive divine qualities flowing into them through heaven. In the Book of Creation they are called images and likenesses of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Elsewhere they are called God's children and people born of God.
As the sequence of topics in this book will show in many ways, the more we live under divine guidance, meaning the more we submit to God's leading, the more and more deeply we become an image of God.
If human minds do not form an idea of God as the archetypal substance and form, and of God's form as the Human Form itself, they render themselves highly susceptible to delusions and speculations about God, about the development of the human race, and about the creation of the world. Their thought of God is restricted to a thought of the expanse of nature underlying the universe, or else a thought about emptiness or nothing at all. The development of the human race they think of as a lucky coincidence - elements just happened to come together in this form. As for the creation of the world, they see its substances and forms as originating in geometry's points and then lines; and because these are nondimensional and one-dimensional they are actually nothing. In such minds, everything that has to do with the church is like the river Styx or the thick darkness in Tartarus.
20. (ii) THE ONE GOD IS SUBSTANCE ITSELF AND FORM ITSELF, AND ANGELS AND MEN ARE SUBSTANCES AND FORMS DERIVED FROM HIM; TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE IN HIM AND HE IN THEM, SO FAR ARE THEY IMAGES AND LIKENESSES OF HIM.
Since God is Being, He is also substance, for unless being is substance, it is an imaginary entity, for substance is a subsisting entity. One who is substance must also be form, for substance without form is an imaginary entity. Both can therefore be predicated of God, but on condition that He is the sole, very and prime substance and form. It was proved in THE WISDOM OF THE ANGELS ON THE DIVINE LOVE AND THE DIVINE WISDOM (published at Amsterdam in 1763) that this form is the very form of man, that is, God is very man, and all of his attributes are infinite; and likewise that angels and men are substances and forms created and ordered so as to receive the Divine influences reaching them through heaven. In the Book of Creation they are therefore called images and likenesses of God (Genesis 1:26-27); elsewhere they are called His sons and begotten of Him. It will be proved at length in the course of this book that in so far as a man lives under Divine guidance, that is, allows himself to be led by God, so far does he become, more and more inwardly, an image of God.
[2] If the minds of men did not form the idea that God is prime substance and form, and that His form is the very form of man, they would easily fall into fantastic, ghost-like, ideas about God Himself, the origin of man and the creation of the world. They could not avoid thinking of God as the primeval nature of the universe, and consequently as its expanse, or as it were a void or nothingness. They would think of the origin of man as if it were a fortuitous concourse of atoms to make, such a form; of the creation of the world as owing its substances and forms to geometric points and lines, which since they lack attributes are in themselves non-existent. In the case of such people everything relating to the church is like the river Styx or the thick darkness of Tartarus.
20. (2) This One God is Substance itself and Form itself and angels and men are substances and forms from Him, and so far as they are in Him and He in them are images and likenesses of Him. As God is Esse He is also Substance; for unless Esse is substance it is a figment of the reason; for substance has subsistent being. Moreover, one who is a substance is also a form; for unless a substance is a form it is a figment of the reason. Wherefore both substance and form may be predicated of God, but in the sense that He is the only, the very, and the primal Substance and Form. That this Form is the verily Human Form, that is, that God is verily Man, infinite in every respect, has been shown in Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, published at Amsterdam in 1763; where it is also shown that angels and men are substances and forms created and organized for receiving what is Divine flowing into them through heaven. For this reason they are called in the Book of Creation "images and likenesses of God" (Genesis 1:26, 27); and elsewhere "His sons," and "born of Him." In the course of this work it will be fully shown that so far as man lives under Divine direction, that is, suffers himself to be led by God, so far he becomes an image of God more and more interiorly. Unless an idea is formed of God as the primal Substance and Form, and of His Form as the verily Human Form, the human mind may easily involve itself in spectral fancies about God Himself, the origin of man, and the creation of the world. It would then have no other conception of God than as the nature of the universe in its first principles, that is, as its expanse, or else as emptiness or nothingness; nor any other conception of man's origin than as a flowing together of elements into that form by mere chance; nor of the creation of the world than that its substances and forms originated in points, and afterwards in geometrical lines, which are essentially nothing, because nothing can be predicated of them. In such minds everything belonging to the church is like the Styx or like Tartarean darkness.
20. (2) THE ONE GOD IS SUBSTANCE ITSELF AND FORM ITSELF, AND ANGELS AND MEN ARE SUBSTANCES AND FORMS FROM HIM; AND AS FAR AS THEY ARE IN HIM, AND HE IN THEM, SO FAR ARE THEY IMAGES AND LIKENESSES OF HIM.
Since God is Being (Esse), He also is Substance, for unless Being is Substance it is only a figment of the mind. For substance is an entity that subsists; and He who is a substance is also a form, for unless a substance is also a form, it is only a figment of the mind. Therefore both substance and form can be predicated of God, but in such a way that He is the only, the very, and the first Substance and Form. That this Form is the very Human Form, that is, that God is very Man, in whom are all things in an infinite degree, is shown in the work entitled, THE ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, published at Amsterdam, in the year 1763. It is also shown there that angels and men are substances and forms created and organized to receive Divine things flowing into them through heaven; therefore in the Book of Genesis they are called images and likenesses of God, Genesis 1:26-27; and in other places, "His sons," and "born of Him." In the course of this work it will be fully demonstrated that, as far as a man lives under the Divine guidance, that is, as far as he suffers himself to be led by the Lord, so far he becomes, more and more interiorly, an image of Him. Unless the idea were formed of God that He is the first Substance and Form, and that His Form is the very Human Form, the minds of men would readily acquire for themselves vague, fantastic ideas concerning God Himself, the origin of man, and the creation of the world. They would regard God as nature in her first principles, as the expanse of the universe, or as an empty unreality. They would think of the origin of men as a concatenation of elements fortuitously adopting the human form; and of the creation of the world as a combination of substances and forms derived from points and geometrical lines, which, as nothing can be predicated of them, are in themselves nothing. With such minds, everything of the Church is, as it were, involved in Stygian 1 darkness, or gloom of Tartarus. 2
Footnotes:
20. II. QUOD UNUS ILLE DEUS SIT IPSA SUBSTANTIA ET IPSA FORMA, ET QUOD ANGELI ET HOMINES SINT SUBSTANTIAE ET FORMAE EX IPSO; ET QUOD QUANTUM 1 ILLI IN IPSO SUNT, ET IPSE IN ILLIS, TANTUM SINT IMAGINES ET SIMILITUDINES IPSIUS. Quoniam Deus est Esse, etiam est Substantia, nam Esse nisi sit substantia, est ens rationis, substantia enim est ens subsistens; 2 et qui est substantia, etiam est forma, nam substantia nisi sit forma, est ens rationis; quare de Deo praedicari potest utraque, sed ita, quod sit Substantia et Forma unica, ipsa, et prima: quod haec Forma sit ipsa Humana, hoc est, quod Deus sit Ipse Homo, cujus omnia Infinita sunt, 3 in SAPIENTIA ANGELICA DE DIVINO AMORE ET DIVINA SAPIENTIA, Amstelodami Anno MDCCLXIII, vulgata, demonstratum est; similiter quod Angeli et Homines sint substantiae et formae creatae et organizatae ad recipiendum Divina per Coelum influentia in se; quare in Libro creationis vocantur Imagines et Similitudines Dei, Genesis 1:26-27, et alibi, quod sint filii Ipsius et nati ab Ipso; at quod quantum homo sub auspicio Divino vivit, hoc est, patitur se duci a Deo, tantum fiat Ipsius imago interius et interius, in serie hujus Operis, multis demonstrabitur.
[2] Nisi de Deo formetur idea, quod sit prima Substantia et Forma, et de Forma Ipsius quod sit ipsa Humana, Mentes humanae sibi facile inducerent phantasias sicut spectra de Ipso Deo, de exortu hominum, et de Creatione Mundi; de Deo non aliam notionem sibi sumerent, quam sicut de Natura universi in suis primis, ita sicut de ejus Expanso, aut sicut de inani aut nihilo; de exortu hominum, sicut de confluxu elementorum in talem formam ex fortuito; de Creatione 4 Mundi, quod origo substantiarum et formarum ejus sit ex punctis et dein lineis geometricis, quae quia nullius praedicationis, ita in se non aliquid sunt; apud tales est omne Ecclesiae sicut Styx 5 aut caligo in Tartaro. 6
Footnotes:
1. Sic 18. ET QUOD QUANTUM ubi in prima editione ET QUANTUM.
2. Sic Errores Typographici.
3. Prima editio: suat.
4. Primo editio: Creationae.
5. Prima editio: styx.
6. Prima editio: tartaro.