254. 在上面已說明, 若無教義聖言無法被理解, 教義如同明燈令到純正真理顯明可見, 這是因為聖言皆由純粹的對應形式寫成。因此, 聖言中的許多內容是真理的表象, 而非赤裸的真理。並且許多內容是按著屬世之人的理解來書寫; 如此書寫, 可讓簡單的人簡單地理解, 聰明人理智地理解, 智慧人智慧地理解; 這就是聖言的屬性。這些被包裹著的聖言表象會被當作赤裸的真理, 當進一步確證時, 它們就會變成偽謬, 其本質都是錯誤。由此, 那被當作純正真理並被進一步確證的表象真理已蔓延到所有的異端邪說中——基督徒世界中曾經存在的和現存的異端邪說。異端邪說本身並不詛咒人, 人們被詛咒是因為他們引用聖言來確證異端邪說, 並憑著推理來確證異端邪說中的錯誤, 且因此過邪惡的生活。每個人出生于國家或父母的宗教信仰, 孩童時起就受此信仰的薰陶, 後來會繼續持有如此信仰; 又因為屬世事務, 以及人們探究真理的無力, 以至於無法從偽謬中自拔。不過, 使人受詛咒的是邪惡的生活以及對偽謬的確證, 以至於摧毀純正的真理。人若持守其信仰, 相信上帝, 在基督教國家中的人們若視聖言為聖, 並虔誠地按十誡而生活, 就不會陷自己於偽謬之中。當他聽到真理, 能以自己的方式來領受真理, 能接受真理, 因而亦能從偽謬中解脫出來。然而, 對那些想方設法證實自己宗教所教導的偽謬者, 情況就不是這樣了。偽謬一經確證, 就會紮根,無法拔除。因為經確證後的偽謬就如同某人向偽謬效忠, 特別是當這些偽謬還粘附著利己之欲與自作聰明的驕傲。
254. 10. We May Derive Heretical Ideas from the Word's Literal Meaning, but We Are Condemned Only If We Become Adamant about Those Ideas
I have already shown [226-228] that the Word is impossible to understand without a body of teaching, and that a body of teaching is like an oil lamp for making genuine truths visible. This is because the Word was written entirely in correspondences. As a result, many things in the Word are apparent truths, not naked truths. Many things in it were written to be understood by people who are merely earthly. Yet these things were written in such a way that simple people can understand them simply, intelligent people intelligently, and wise people wisely.
Since the Word is like this, its apparent truths, which are clothed truths, can be taken for naked truths. If apparent truths become convictions, however, they turn into mistaken ideas that are actually false. In Christianity all the heresies that have existed and that are currently in existence were born as a result of apparent truths being taken for genuine truths and being reinforced as such.
Our heretical ideas themselves do not condemn us; but using the Word and reasoning from our own lower self to reinforce the false ideas in the heresy and living in evil ways do condemn us. We are all born into the religion of our country or our family. We are initiated into it from early childhood. We retain that religion and cannot rid ourselves of its falsities, because of our interactions in the world and also our own intellectual inability to scrutinize truths that we have inherited in this way. Living in evil ways does condemn us, however, and so does becoming adamant about falsities to the point of destroying genuine truth. If people stay in their religion and believe in God, or - if Christians - they believe in the Lord, regard the Word as holy, and follow the Ten Commandments for religious reasons, then they simply will not swear allegiance to things that are false. Therefore, when they hear truths and see them in their own way they are able to embrace those truths and be led away from false notions. This is not true of people who have become adamant about false teachings in their religion. A false teaching that is adamantly believed is permanent. It cannot be uprooted. A false concept that people have reinforced in themselves is like something they have sworn allegiance to, especially if it ties in with their love for themselves or their pride in their own intelligence.
254. X. Heresies can be extracted from the literal sense of the Word, but confirming them leads to damnation.
It was demonstrated above that the Word cannot be understood without doctrine, and that doctrine resembles a lantern which allows genuine truths to be seen; and that this is because the Word is entirely written by means of correspondences [226-228]. That is why many things in it are appearances of truth and not bare truths, and why many things are written to be intelligible to purely natural people, and yet in such a way that the simple can understand it simply, the intelligent intelligently and the wise wisely. Seeing the Word is like this, the appearances of truth, which are truths wrapped up, can be taken for bare truths; and when these are confirmed, they become fallacies, which in themselves are falsities. It is the taking and confirming of appearances of truth for genuine truths which have given rise to all the heresies, which there ever have been and still exist in the Christian part of the world. But what damns people is not the heresies themselves, but drawing on the Word and using reasonings on the part of the natural man to confirm the falsities contained in the heresy, and living a wicked life.
For everyone by birth acquires the religion of his country or his parents. From childhood he is introduced to it and afterwards retains it; nor can he extricate himself from its falsities, both on account of his worldly business and on account of the weakness of the understanding in sighting truths of that description. But living a wicked life, and confirming falsities to the point that genuine truth is destroyed, this is what brings damnation. For the person who stays with his religion, believes in God, and if he is in Christian countries believes in the Lord, regards the Word as holy, and lives conscientiously according to the Ten Commandments - he does not swear allegiance to falsities. So when he hears truths and perceives them in his own fashion, he can embrace them and so be extricated from falsities. But this is not the case with the person who has confirmed the falsities taught by his religion, for falsity once confirmed remains and cannot be rooted out. For when it has been confirmed, falsity is as if one had sworn allegiance to it, especially if it has stuck fast to it self-love or pride in one's own intelligence.
254. X. HERESIES MAY BE DRAWN FROM THE SENSE OF THE LETTER OF THE WORD BUT TO CONFIRM THEM IS HURTFUL.
It has been shown above, that the Word cannot be understood without doctrine, and that doctrine is like a lamp to make genuine truths visible, and this because the Word is written by pure correspondences; consequently, many things in the Word are appearances of truth, and not naked truths; and many are written according to the understanding of the merely natural man, and yet are so written that the simple may understand them simply, the intelligent intelligently, and the wise wisely. Such being the nature of the Word, these appearances of truth, which are truths clothed, may be taken for naked truths; and when confirmed they become fallacies, which in essence are falsities. From this, that appearances of truth have been taken for genuine truths and confirmed, have sprung all the heresies that have existed and still exist in the Christian world. Heresies themselves do not condemn men. Men are condemned by their confirming from the Word, and by means of reasonings from the natural man, the falsities that are in heresy, and by living wickedly. For everyone is born into the religion of his country or parents and is initiated into that religion from infancy, and afterward he holds to it; and because of worldly business, and the weakness of his understanding in the investigation of truths of that kind, he is unable to withdraw himself from its falsities. But what condemns a man is living wickedly and confirming falsities to such an extent as to destroy genuine truths. For he who holds to his religion, who believes in God (or if within the Christian church believes in the Lord), who regards the Word as holy and from a religious motive lives according to the commandments of the Decalogue, does not commit himself to falsities, and therefore when he hears truths, and in his own way has a perception of them, he is able to embrace them, and thereby be delivered from falsities. But it is not so with one who has confirmed the falsities of his religion; since confirmed falsity is permanent and cannot be rooted out. For falsity after confirmation is as if one had sworn to it, especially when it adheres to his love of self or to the pride of his own intelligence.
254. X. HERESIES MAY BE FORMULATED FROM THE SENSE OF THE LETTER OF THE WORD, BUT IT IS HURTFUL TO CONFIRM THEM.
It was shown above that the Word cannot be understood without doctrine, and that doctrine is like a lamp to make genuine truths visible. This is because the Word is written by pure correspondences; consequently many things in it are appearances of truth, and not unveiled truths. Many of these are adapted to the comprehension of the merely natural man, yet in such a way that the simple may understand them in simplicity, the intelligent intelligently, and the wise in wisdom. Now since the Word is of this nature, appearances of truth, which are truths veiled, may be taken for unveiled truths; and when these are confirmed, they become fallacies, which in themselves are falsities. All the heresies, both past and present, in the Christian world have arisen because men have taken appearances of truth for genuine truths, and have confirmed them.
Heresies themselves do not condemn men; but men are condemned by confirming from the Word falsities which are inherent in heresy, by reasoning from the natural man, and by an evil life. For every one is born into the religion of his native country or of his parents, and is initiated into it from his infancy. He later adheres to it, nor can he of himself get rid of its falsities, because of his business connections in the world and because of his inability to perceive religious truths. What does condemn is living an evil life, together with the confirmation of falsities to the utter destruction of genuine truth. That man is not sworn to falsity who adheres to his own form of religion and believes in God; and, if a Christian, who believes in the Lord, regards the Word as holy, and from religious principles lives according to the Commandments of the Decalogue. Therefore, when he hears the truth and perceives it according to his capacity, he can accept it, and thus be rid of his falsity. It is otherwise with the man who has confirmed the falsities of his religion; as a falsity confirmed remains, and cannot be eradicated. For after confirmation, a falsity is as though a man has sworn to it, especially if it agrees with his self-love, or with the pride of his own intelligence.
254. X. Quod Haereses ex Sensu literae Verbi captari possint, sed quod confirmare illas damnosum sit.
Supra ostensum est, quod Verbum non possit intelligi absque Doctrina, et quod Doctrina sit sicut Lucerna, ut genuina Vera videantur; et hoc ex causa, quia Verbum per meras Correspondentias conscriptum est; inde est, quod plura ibi Apparentiae veri sint, et non nuda vera; et plura ad captum mere naturalis hominis scripta, et tamen ita, ut simplices illud simpliciter possint intelligere, et intelligentes intelligenter, ac sapientes sapienter. Nunc quia Verbum tale est, possunt Apparentiae veri, quae sunt vestita vera, pro nudis veris captari, quae dum confirmantur, fiunt fallaciae, quae in se sunt falsa. Ex eo, quod Apparentiae veri, pro genuinis veris captae et confirmatae sint, enatae sunt omnes Haereses, quae in Christiano Orbe fuerunt, et adhuc sunt. Ipsae Haereses non damnant homines, sed confirmationes falsitatum, quae in Haeresi sunt, ex Verbo, et per ratiocinia ex naturali homine, et vita mala, damnant. Quisque enim nascitur in Religionem Patriae suae aut Parentum suorum, ab infantia initiatur in illam, et postea retinet illam, nec potest semet ipsum educere ex falsis ejus, tam propter negotia in Mundo, quam propter imbecillitatem intellectus in perspiciendis veris illius prosapiae; sed vivere male, et confirmare falsa usque ad destructionem genuini veri, hoc damnat: nam qui manet in sua Religione, et credit in Deum, ac intra Christianismum credit in Dominum, et Verbum sanctum habet, et secundum praecepta Decalogi ex religione vivit, is non jurat in falsa, quare dum audit vera, et suo modo percipit illa, potest illa amplecti, et sic a falsis educi; non autem ille, qui falsa Religionis suae confirmaverat, nam falsum confirmatum manet, et non potest exstirpari; est enim falsum post confirmationem, sicut quis juraverit in illud, imprimis si cohaeret cum amore sui, aut cum fastu propriae intelligentiae.