258.确认圣言中的真理表象是有害的，这会导致谬论的产生，从而导致隐藏在这些表象中的神圣真理遭到毁灭。其根本原因在于，圣言字义的每一个细节都与天堂相通。因为如前所述，其字义的每一个细节都包含一个属灵之义，这属灵之义在从人上达天堂的过程中被打开。属灵之义中的一切事物都是纯正真理；所以，当人处在虚假中，并将字义用于这些虚假时，这些虚假就会潜入属灵之义；它们一进入，真理就被驱散，这种事发生在从人到天的路上。这好比一个装满胆汁的闪光皮囊被抛向另一人，在到达那人之前皮囊在空中爆裂，胆汁四射。对方随即闻到被胆汁污染的空气，于是转身离开，闭上嘴巴，免得胆汁落到舌头上。或好比用香柏树的枝条包着的皮革瓶，里面所盛的醋满了虫子，这瓶子在路上碎了，它的臭味被另一人闻到了，结果他恶心想吐，急忙扇走，免得臭味进到鼻孔里。
这还好比一个杏仁壳，里面不是杏仁，而是一条新生的蛇，这壳被敲碎，这条小蛇似乎被风吹进另一人的眼里，显然，这人会转身避开它。当具有虚假信仰的人阅读圣言，并用字义里的某些事物来确认他的虚假时，情况也一样。这时，圣言在上达天堂的路上会遭到拒绝，免得有任何这类事物流进来侵扰众天使。因为当虚假触及真理时，就好比针尖触到神经纤维或眼睛的瞳孔；众所周知，神经纤维会立即卷缩成螺旋状，退回到自己里面，眼睛一触及就会闭上眼睑。所有这一切清楚表明，被歪曲的真理会剥夺与天堂的联系，关闭天堂。这就是为何确认任何异端邪说是有害的。
258. 為何確證聖言中的真理表象,從而成為偽謬, 因此隱藏在表象中的神性真理會被摧毀呢？最根本的原因在於聖言文字意義中的每個與所有事物都與天國相連接。因為之前曾說過, 聖言文字意義中的每個與所有事物都有其屬靈意義, 這層意思在從地到天的過渡中被打開。屬靈意義的所有事物都是純正的真理; 所以當人處於偽謬之中並將聖言的文字意義適用於這些偽謬時, 偽謬就會潛入聖言的屬靈意義, 當偽謬進入,真理就被驅散, 這會發生在人由地往天的過程中。這好比一個裝滿膽汁閃閃發光的皮囊扔向他人, 在到達那人之前皮囊在空中爆裂, 膽汁四射, 落到那人身上。當他聞到空中的膽汁味時, 就轉過身去, 閉上嘴巴, 免得膽汁落到舌上。又或好比松條綁著的瓶子砸爛在路上, 裡面裝的爬滿蛆蟲的醋全撒出來, 周圍的人聞到臭氣沖天, 噁心想吐, 急忙煽走避開, 免得鼻子聞到。
[2]也好像一個杏仁殼, 裡面取代杏仁的是條新生的毒蛇, 當杏殼破開, 小蛇出現, 並隨風吹到某人眼前, 顯而易見, 他會跑走避開它。與此相同, 當某個人身在偽謬中的人讀聖言時, 他會將聖言的文字意義應用到他的偽謬之中。在往天國的通道中, 他們的讀經會遭到抵制, 以免湧入來攻擊天人。因為當偽謬觸及真理時, 就如同針尖碰到神經纖維或眼睛的瞳孔, 神經纖維會立即蜷縮收回在自己裡面, 還沒等碰到眼睛, 就會立即閉上眼瞼。
從這些比喻可以明顯看到, 對真理的歪曲會打破與天國的連接並關上天國之門。這就是為何進一步確證任何異端邪說的害處。
258. Becoming adamant about apparent truths in the Word leads us to damnation because it takes those apparent truths in the wrong way and destroys the divine truth they have inside. The reason for this is that each and every thing in the Word's literal meaning communicates with heaven. As I have shown above [196-200, 248-253], within each and every detail of the literal meaning there is a spiritual meaning. The spiritual meaning opens as the literal meaning passes from us to heaven. Everything in the spiritual meaning is genuinely true. For this reason, when we have false ideas and apply the literal meaning to them, then our reading becomes entangled in false ideas; and when false ideas come in, true ideas are lost along the way between us and heaven.
For an analogy to this interaction, imagine someone throwing a balloon full of bile toward you, but before it reaches you the balloon bursts in midair and the bile goes in all directions. Aware that there is bile in the air, you turn away and shut your mouth so the bile will not touch your tongue.
Or imagine traveling with a jar that is cushioned by boughs of cedar. Inside the jar there is vinegar that is full of worms. During the journey, the jar breaks. Another passenger catches a whiff of it and, feeling nauseous, immediately grabs something to fan the smell away before it becomes overwhelming.
Or imagine an almond shell that has a tiny newborn snake inside it instead of an almond. Someone breaks open the shell and the wind carries the tiny snake right toward your eyes. Clearly, you would try to turn away before it hit you.
Similar things happen when the Word is read by people who have false ideas and who apply statements from the Word's literal meaning to those false ideas. En route to heaven, their reading is rejected to prevent it from flowing in and assaulting the angels. When falsity touches truth, it is like the point of a needle touching a fibril of your nervous system or the pupil of your eye. Science knows that the fibril of a nerve will immediately recoil and bunch up. In a similar way, as soon as something touches your eye, your eyelid closes. Clearly then, truth that has been falsified breaks and closes the channel of communication with heaven. This is why it is damning to become adamant about some heretical falsity.
258. The reason why it is injurious to confirm the appearances of truth in the Word, thus leading to the creation of a fallacy and so the destruction of the Divine truth hidden within it, is precisely because every detail of the literal sense of the Word communicates with heaven. For, as was shown above, every detail of its literal sense contains a spiritual sense, which is revealed in passing from man to heaven. Everything in the spiritual sense is a genuine truth. Therefore, when a person with false beliefs applies the literal sense to confirm them, then there are falsities in it; and when falsities come in, the truths are scattered, as happens on the passage from man to heaven. This may be compared to a shiny bladder full of gall being tossed to another person, but before reaching him it bursts in the air and the gall is sprinkled around; on this happening, when the other person becomes aware of the air being polluted with gall, he turns away and shuts his mouth to prevent it touching his tongue. Again it is like a leather bottle bound with cedar twigs containing vinegar full of worms; and if the bottle is shattered on the road and another person smells the stench, it immediately makes him feel sick and he fans the air to prevent the stench entering his nostrils.
[2] Again it is like an almond in its shell, but instead of an almond there is a newly hatched viper inside; when the shell is broken open, the tiny viper seems to be blown by the wind into another person's eyes, but he turns away to prevent this happening. This is self-evident. It is similar when the Word is read by a person with false beliefs, who applies some things in its literal sense to confirm his falsities; then the Word is rejected on the way to heaven, to prevent anything of the kind affecting the angels and distressing them. For when falsity comes into contact with truth, it is like the point of a needle touching the fibril of a nerve, or the pupil of the eye. It is well known that the nerve fibril immediately curls up and retreats into itself; and likewise the eye as soon as it is touched covers itself with the eyelids. These comparisons make it plain that the falsification of truth breaks communication with heaven and shuts it off. This is why it is injurious to confirm any heretical falsity.
258. The essential reason why it is hurtful to confirm the appearances of truth that are in the Word, which thereby become fallacies, and thus the Divine truth concealed within the appearances is destroyed, is that each thing and all things of the sense of the letter of the Word, communicate with heaven. For it has been shown above that within each thing and all things of the sense of the letter there is a spiritual sense, and this sense is opened in passing from man to heaven. All things of the spiritual sense are genuine truths; so when man is in falsities and applies the sense of the letter to those falsities, the falsities enter into that sense, and when they enter truths are dissipated, which is done on the way from man to heaven. This may be compared to a shining bladder filled with gall which is thrown towards another, and which bursts in the air before reaching him, and the gall is scattered about; whereupon the other, when he smells the air infected with the gall, turns away, and shuts his mouth lest it should touch his tongue. Or it may be compared to a leather bottle girt with wicker-work of cedar and containing vinegar full of worms, and the bottle bursts on the way, and its stench is perceived by the other, who is nauseated by it and instantly fans it away that it may not enter his nostrils. It is also like an almond shell, within which instead of an almond is a newly-born snake, and the shell being broken, the little serpent appears to be carried by the wind towards the eyes of another, who obviously would turn away to avoid it. It is the same when the Word is read by a man who is in falsities, and who adapts to his falsities something of the sense of the letter of the Word, in which case it is rejected on the way to heaven, lest any such thing should flow in and infest the angels. For when falsity touches truth, it is like the point of a needle touching the fibril of a nerve or the pupil of the eye; it is known that the fibril instantly coils itself up spirally and withdraws within itself and that the eye at the first touch covers itself with its lids. All this makes clear that truth falsified takes away communication with heaven and closes heaven. This is why it is hurtful to confirm any heretical falsity.
258. It is hurtful to confirm the appearances of truth in the Word, since fallacy thereby results, and in this way also the Divine Truth which lies within them is destroyed. The reason is that all things in the sense of the Letter of the Word, both in general and in particular, communicate with heaven; for as was shown above there is in every detail of the sense of the Letter a spiritual sense, which is opened up as it passes from man to heaven; and all the contents of the spiritual sense are genuine truths. When therefore a man is principled in falsities, and applies the sense of the Letter to confirm them, then falsities permeate that sense; and when these enter, truths are dissipated. This takes place on the way from man to heaven. It is as if a shining bladder filled with gall is thrown by one person to another, and bursts in the air before it reaches him, and scatters the gall. Thereupon when he smells the air tainted with gall, he turns away and shuts his mouth lest it should touch his tongue. It may also be compared to a leather bottle bound with cedar twigs, containing vinegar full of worms, which bursts on the way. Nauseated by the odor, the other instantly fans it away to prevent the stench from entering his nostrils. It may further be compared to an almond shell, within which, instead of the almond, there is a newly born serpent. On the shell being broken, this is carried by the wind towards the eyes of the other, who naturally turns aside to avoid it. So it is with the reading of the Word by one who is principled in falsities, and who applies any portion of the sense of the Letter of the Word to confirm them. The Word is then turned back on the way to heaven lest any contamination should enter and distress the angels. For when falsity comes into contact with truth, it is like the point of a needle touching the fibril of a nerve, or the pupil of the eye. As is well-known the fibril at once coils itself into a spiral, withdrawing within itself; and the eye, at the first touch of the needle, covers itself with its lids. From these examples it may be evident that truth falsified destroys communication with heaven, and closes it. This is the reason why it is hurtful to confirm any heretical falsity.
258. Quod damnosum sit confirmare 1 apparentias veri, quae in Verbo sunt, quoniam per id fit fallacia, et sic Divinum Verum, quod intus latet, destruitur, ipsa causa est, quia omnia et singula Sensus literae Verbi communicant cum Coelo, nam ut supra ostensum est, omnibus et singulis sensus literae ejus inest sensus spiritualis, et hic aperitur dum transit ab homine ad coelum; ac omnia Sensus spiritualis sunt genuina vera; quare dum homo in falsis est, et applicat sensum literae ad illa, tunc inibi falsa sunt, et dum intrant falsa, dissipantur vera; quod fit in via ab homine ad coelum; et hoc fit comparative sicut vesica nitida felle repleta, projicitur ad alterum, quae antequam ad illum venit, in aere frangitur, et fel circumspargitur, ad quod, dum alter aerem felle infectum sentit, se avertit, et quoque occludit os, ne tingat linguam ejus; et est sicut Uter cinctus termitibus cedri, in quo acetum vermiculis plenum est, ac uter in via rumpitur, ac nidor ejus sentitur ab altero, qui tunc illico ex nausea, nidorem ejus, ne influat in nares ejus, quodam ventilabro dissipat.
[2] Est quoque sicut amygdalum 2 in crusta, intra quam loco amygdali est coluber recens natus, et crusta illa evellitur, et colubellus ille apparet vento ferri in oculos alterius, quod hic se avertat, ne id fiat, ex se patet. Simile est cum lectione Verbi ab homine, qui in falsis est, et ad falsa sua applicat aliqua sensus literae Verbi, quod tunc rejiciatur in via ad Coelum, ne tale quid influat, ac Angelos infestet; falsum enim dum tangit verum, est sicut acumen acus dum tangit fibrillam nervi, aut pupillam oculi; quod fibrilla nervi se illico revolvat in spiram et se in se recipiat, notum est; similiter quod oculus ad primum tactum ejus palpebris se obvolvat. Ex his patet quod verum falsificatum auferat communicationem cum Coelo, et claudat illud. Haec causa est, quod confirmare aliquod falsum haereticum, damnosum sit.
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