256.我们举例说明这一点。在圣言的许多地方，生气、发怒、报仇都被归于神；经上说祂惩罚人，把他扔进地狱，试探他，诸如此类。人若像孩子那样简单地相信这一切，并因此敬畏神，小心翼翼不去犯罪，以免得罪祂，就不会因持守简单的信仰而受到诅咒。但是，人若确信这些事，以至于相信生气、发怒、报仇，以及恶人的类似行为能归于神，并且祂惩罚人们，将其扔进地狱，那么他就会因摧毁纯正真理而受到诅咒。这纯正真理就是：神是爱本身，怜悯本身和良善本身；这样的存在或具备所有这些属性的那一位不可能生气、发怒、报仇。在圣言中，这些事之所以归因于神，是因为表面上看是这样。这些是真理的表象。
256. 還是舉例來說明此理:
聖言中許多地方將生氣,發怒和報仇等屬性歸於上帝, 還說祂懲罰人,扔人進地獄,試探人, 以及其它類似的事情。若人像孩子那般簡單地相信這些, 因此而敬畏上帝, 避免犯罪而得罪祂, 這人因如此簡單的信仰而免受詛咒。然而, 如果有人自己進一步去證實這些源自邪惡的生氣,發怒,報仇以及類似的事情確實存於上帝之中, 並證實上帝懲罰人, 且因生氣,發怒和報仇而將人扔進地獄, 這人就會受詛。因為他已摧毀了純正的真理, 那就是:上帝是絕對的仁愛,絕對的慈悲,絕對的良善, 融所有這些屬性於一身的這位上帝不會生氣,發怒,有報復心。在聖言中, 將生氣,發怒,報仇
的屬性歸於上帝, 只是看起來如此, 這些只是表象的真理。
256. Let me illustrate this with an example. Many passages in the Word attribute anger, wrath, and revenge to God; many passages say that God punishes people, throws them into hell, tempts them, and many other things like that. People who believe this in a simple, childlike way, and who therefore fear God and take care not to sin against him, are not condemned for having this simple belief. People are condemned, however, if they reinforce this idea in themselves to the point of believing that God has anger, wrath, and revenge, and therefore has evil traits, and that God angrily, wrathfully, and vengefully punishes us and throws us into hell. The reason these people are condemned is that they have done away with the real truth, which is that God is absolute love, absolute mercy, and absolute goodness, and someone who is all these things cannot be angry, wrathful, or vengeful. The Word attributes these qualities to God because this is the way it seems. Things like this are apparent truths.
256. Let us take an example to illustrate this point. In many passages of the Word anger, wrath and vengeance are attributed to God; and He is said to punish, cast into hell, tempt people and so forth. Anyone who believes this in his simplicity and like a child, and therefore fears God and takes care not to sin against Him, is not damned for holding that simple faith. But if anyone so convinces himself of these things as to believe that anger, wrath and vengeance, and so actions characteristic of a wicked person, can be attributed to God, and that He punishes people and casts them into hell, he is damned for destroying a genuine truth. This is that God is Love itself, Mercy itself and Good itself; and one who is all these cannot be angry or wrathful or demand vengeance. These things are ascribed to God in the Word, because this is how it appears; such things are appearances of truth.
256. But let this be illustrated by an example: In many places in the Word anger, wrath, and vengeance are attributed to God and He is said to punish, to cast into hell, to tempt, and other like things. He who believes this in simplicity like a child, and in consequence fears God and avoids sinning against Him, is not condemned for that simple belief. But he who so far confirms these things in himself as to believe that anger, wrath, vengeance, and all like things that proceed from evil, are in God, and that God punishes man and casts him into hell from anger, wrath, and vengeance-he is condemned, because he has destroyed the genuine truth, which is, that God is Love itself, Mercy itself, and Good itself, and such a Being cannot be angry, wrathful, or vengeful. These things are attributed to God in the Word, because such is the appearance. These are appearances of truth.
256. This may be illustrated by an example. In many passages in the Word anger, wrath and revenge are attributed to God; and it is said that He punishes, casts into hell, tempts and does many other things of a similar nature. He who believes this in childlike simplicity, and therefore fears God and takes care not to sin against Him, is not condemned for this simple faith. He, however, is condemned whose confirmed belief is that anger, wrath, revenge, thus such things as originate in evil, exist in God; and that He punishes men and casts them into hell from anger, wrath and revenge. Such a man is condemned because he has destroyed the genuine truth, which is that God is Love itself, Mercy itself, and Goodness itself; and being these that He cannot be angry, wrathful, and revengeful. These things are attributed to God in the Word, because that is the appearance: such things are appearances of truth.
256. Sed hoc illustretur per Exemplum: in Verbo multis in locis tribuitur Deo ira, excandescentia, vindicta, et quod puniat, dejiciat in Infernum, tentet, et plura similia; qui hoc simpliciter et sicut infans credit, et propter ea 1 timet Deum, et sibi cavet a peccare contra Ipsum, ille propter simplicem illam fidem, non damnatur. Sed qui apud se confirmat illa eo usque, ut credat, quod ira, excandescentia, vindicta, et sic talia quae mali sunt, apud Deum sint, et quod ex ira, excandescentia et vindicta hominem puniat, ac in infernum dejiciat, ille damnatur, quia genuinum verum destruxit; quod est, quod Deus sit ipse Amor, ipsa Misericordia, et ipsum Bonum, et Qui est illa, non potest irasci, excandescere, et vindicare; quod illa in Verbo tribuantur Deo, est quia ita apparet; talia sunt apparentiae veri.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: proptera.