26.听完这番话，天使发觉我正在思想盛行在基督教会的那些神观，如三位一体和一体三位，以及神儿子自永恒而生。于是，他们说：“你在想什么？你这不是在通过属世之光思考吗？这光与我们的属灵之光不一致。所以，如果你不摒弃这些观念，我们只好向你关闭天堂，然后离开。”不过，我回应说：“请更深地进入我的思维，或许你们会发现我们是一致的。”他们照做了，然后明白，我将三个位格理解为从神发出的三种属性，即创造、救赎和重生，这三者是那一位神的属性；将神儿子自永恒的出生理解为自永恒所预见的祂的出生，并适时成就；认为自永恒从神所生的儿子对我来说，并非超越自然和理性，而是违背自然和理性；而认为适时经由童女玛利亚从神而生的儿子是神唯一的儿子，是独生子，就截然不同了。不相信这一点而相信别的，是一个巨大的错误。
然后，我告诉他们，我的有关三位一体及其一体性，以及神儿子自永恒出生的属世思想取自名为亚他尼修信经的教会信之教义。天使说：“很好。”并让我按他们的要求说，人若不靠近天地之神祂自己，就无法进入天堂；因为正是独一真神使得天堂成为天堂，这独一真神就是耶稣基督，祂就是主耶和华，永恒的创造者，及时的救世主和永恒的再生者。因此，祂同时也是父、子、圣灵。他们说，这才是当传的福音。此后，之前所看到的上面开口处的天堂之光又回来了，并从那里逐渐降下来，充满我心智的内层，启示我对于神的三位一体和一体性的观念。然后，我看到我原先对于这些主题所形成的纯属世的观念被分离出去，如同糠秕被转动的风扇从麦子分离出去，被风刮到天堂的北边，直到它们消失不见。
26. 當我聽完這些, 天人們感知到我思想裡關於上帝的概念——就是流行於基督徒教會中的,關於三位一體和一體三位的概念, 還有關於上帝之子從永遠出生的概念。於是他們說:"你的想法是什麼呢？你是不是按屬世之光思考, 並不與我們屬靈之光相符？因此, 除非你摒棄這些念頭, 我們必向你關閉天國並離開。"
我說:"我懇求你們, 更深入我的思想, 或許你們會看到我們之間有共識。"於是他們這樣做了, 他們看到我所認知的三位乃是三個屬性:創造,救贖,更新, 這些是一位上帝的三種屬性。而我對上帝兒子從永遠生出的認知, 是從永遠就預見祂的出生並在時間內成就。還有, 認為子由父從永遠生出, 對我來說不僅是超越自然和理性, 而是違背自然和理性。而認為在時間內, 子通過童女瑪利亞,作為上帝的唯一兒子或獨生的,由上帝所生, 就完全不同了。除此以外的想法將會是個可怕的錯誤。然後我告訴他們, 關於三個位格的三位一體, 以及上帝兒子從永遠生出, 這些屬世想法來源於當今教會以亞他尼修為名的教義(即『亞他尼修信經』)。
然後, 天人們說:"很好！"於是邀請我跟他們同去。只有親近天地之真上帝的人方可進入天國, 因為天國是從那真上帝而來的天國。這真上帝是耶穌基督, 祂就是主耶和華。祂從永遠創造,在時間內救贖,將永遠更新, 是創造者,救贖者和更新者於一身, 祂同時是父,子,聖靈。他們說, 這才是當傳講的福音。
然後, 之前所見的在天開之處上方的天國之光又重新回來了, 漸漸降下並充滿我思想深處, 光照我對於上帝的三一的想法。然後看到我之前形成的關於這些主題的概念, 如同糠秕被飛吹散,麥粒與皮殼分開, 被吹向天空北方, 然後消散無影。
26. Then the angels became aware that my thoughts included common Christian ideas of God: ideas of a trinity of persons in unity, and a unity of persons in the Trinity, and also of the Son of God's birth from eternity. At that point they said, "What are you thinking? Surely you are thinking those thoughts from an earthly light that is incompatible with our spiritual light. We are closing heaven to you and leaving unless you get rid of the ideas that go with that point of view. "
So I said, "Please go deeper into my thinking. Perhaps you will see a compatibility. "
They went deeper and saw that three persons to me meant three emanating divine activities: creating, redeeming, and regenerating, which are activities of the one only God. The birth of a Son of God from eternity to me meant his birth foreseen from eternity and carried out in time. To think of some son actually born of God from eternity seemed to me not to transcend but to oppose what is natural and rational. It is another thing altogether to view the Son of God born to the Virgin Mary in time as the sole and only begotten Son of God - in fact, believing anything else is a monstrous error.
Then I explained that my earthly thoughts about the trinity and the unity of persons and about the eternally begotten Son of God were based on the church's statement of faith that was named after Athanasius.
The angels then said, "Good. "
They asked me to pass on a statement from them: "Anyone who does not seek help from the absolute God of heaven and earth cannot come into heaven, because heaven is heaven from the one only God. The absolute God is Jesus Christ, who is the Lord Jehovah, Creator from eternity, Redeemer in time, and Regenerator to eternity. He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit combined. This is the gospel that needs to be preached. "
Afterward the heavenly light I had seen above the opening came back. It came down bit by bit and filled the inner reaches of my mind, enlightening my ideas of the trinity and the unity of God. Then I saw my former merely earthly ideas being separated out, just as husks are shaken off wheat tossed in a winnowing basket. I saw my old notions carried off as if by a wind to the north of heaven and scattered.
26. When I had listened to this, the angels perceived that I was thinking about the generally held ideas of the Christian church concerning a Trinity of Persons in One God, and the oneness of these Persons in a Divine Trinity; as well as about the birth of the Son of God from eternity. Then they said: 'What is this that you are thinking? Surely these ideas are derived from natural enlightenment, which is at variance with our spiritual enlightenment? So if you do not rid yourself of the ideas you are thinking, we shall close heaven to you and go away.'
But I replied: 'Please penetrate further into my thinking, and you may find there agreement.' They did so, and saw that by three Persons I understood the three attributes which proceed from God, Creation, Redemption and Regeneration, and that these are the attributes of the one God: that by the birth of the Son of God from eternity I understood His birth foreseen from eternity, and provided for in time; to think that there is any Son of God born from eternity is not superior, but contrary to the natural and rational faculties, but rather the Son born of God by the Virgin Mary in time is the single and only-begotten Son of God; to believe otherwise is a huge mistake.
[2] I then told them that my natural thought about the Persons of the Trinity and their Oneness, as well as about the birth of the Son of God from eternity, was taken from the Church's doctrine of faith, which bears the name of Athanasius.
'Good,' said the angels, and asked me to say at their dictation that if anyone does not approach the God of heaven and earth Himself, he cannot enter heaven, because it is that one God who makes heaven to be heaven, and that same God is Jesus Christ, who is Jehovah the Lord, the Creator from eternity, the Redeemer in time, and the Regenerator for eternity to come. Thus He is at once Father, Son and Holy Spirit; this is the Gospel to be preached.
After this the heavenly light which I had seen before returned to above the opening, and by stages came down from there filling the interiors of my mind and illuminating my ideas about the Trinity and the Oneness of God. Then I saw that the ideas I had originally formed on these subjects, which were purely natural, were separated, as chaff is separated from the wheat by the movement of a winnowing fan, and carried away as by a wind to the north of heaven, until they were lost to view.
26. When I had heard this the angels perceived in my thought those ideas of God that prevail in the Christian Church respecting a trinity of persons in unity and a unity of persons in a trinity; also respecting a birth of the Son of God from eternity; and they said, "What is your thought? Are you not thinking from natural light, which is not in accord with our spiritual light? Unless, therefore, you dismiss these ideas we must shut up heaven against you and depart."
But I said, "Enter, I pray you, more deeply into my thought, and you will see, perhaps, that there is an agreement between us." This they did; and they saw that by three persons I understood three Divine attributes going forth, Creation, Redemption, and Regeneration, and that these are attributes of one God; also that by the birth of the Son of God from eternity I understood His birth foreseen from eternity and provided in time; (also that to think of the Son born of God from eternity would, to me, be not above nature and reason but contrary to nature and reason; while to think of the Son born of God in time through the virgin Mary as the only Son of God, and the only-begotten, is very different; and to believe otherwise than this would be a monstrous error. I then told them that the source of my natural thought about a trinity and unity of persons, and the birth of a Son of God from eternity, was the doctrine of faith in the church which has its name from Athanasius.
Then the angels said, "Very well," and asked me to say from them that only those who approach the very God of heaven and earth can enter heaven, because heaven is heaven from that only God, and that this God is Jesus Christ, who is the Lord Jehovah, from eternity the Creator, in time the Redeemer, and to eternity the Regenerator, thus who is at once Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and this, they said, is the gospel to be preached.
After this the heavenly light which had been seen before over the opening returned, and gradually descended and filled the interiors of my mind, and enlightened my ideas on the trinity and unity of God; and the ideas which I had first formed on these subjects, and which had been merely natural, I then saw separated as chaff is separated from wheat by winnowing, and carried away as by a wind to the north of heaven, and scattered
26. As I heard these things, the angels perceived in my thought the ideas common in the Christian Church concerning the Trinity of Persons in unity, and of their unity in the Trinity relating to God; and also concerning the birth of the Son of God from eternity. Then they said to me, "What thoughts are these that you entertain? They arise from natural light with which our spiritual light is not in accord. Unless therefore you remove such ideas from your mind we shall close heaven to you and depart." But I replied: "Enter, I beseech you, more deeply into my thought, and perchance you will see agreement." They did so and perceived that by three Persons I understood three proceeding Divine attributes, Creation, Redemption and Regeneration; that they are the attributes of one God, and that by the birth of the Son of God from eternity I understood His birth foreseen from eternity and provided in time; that it is not above what is natural and rational, but contrary thereto, to suppose that a Son was born of God from eternity; but not so to think that the Son, born of God by the Virgin Mary in time, is the only Son of God, and the only Begotten; and that to suppose otherwise is a great error. I then told them that I derived my natural ideas concerning the Trinity and Unity of Persons, and concerning the birth of the Son of God from eternity, from the Church's doctrine of faith which takes its name from Athanasius. 1 The angels said, "It is well," and bade me declare upon their testimony that if anyone does not approach the God of heaven and earth Himself, he cannot enter heaven, because heaven is heaven from the only God; and that this God is Jesus Christ, who is the Lord Jehovah, from eternity the Creator, in time the Redeemer, and to eternity the Regenerator, who is thus at the same time Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and that this is the Gospel which must be preached. Thereupon the heavenly light, which I had before seen over the opening, returned and by degrees descending thence, filled the interiors of my mind and enlightened my ideas concerning the Trinity and Unity of God. Then I perceived that the merely natural ideas about those things which I had originally entertained were separated as chaff is separated from wheat by the winnowing fan, and, borne away as by a wind to the northern parts of heaven, were there dispersed.
Footnotes:
1. Athanasius, born at Alexandria, A.D. 296-373. He became bishop there and early displayed those powers of mind and determination which established him as the recognized champion of orthodoxy. Banished and reinstated several times as the influence of Arius rose and declined, he finally regained his position, and the Creed that bears his name became the principal standard of orthodox Christianity.
26. His auditis perceperunt Angeli in cogitatione mea ideas communes Ecclesiae Christianae de Personarum Trinitate in Unitate, et illarum Unitate in Trinitate de Deo; tum etiam de Nativitate Filii Dei ab aeterno: et tunc dixerunt, quid cogitas, cogitasne illa ex Luce naturali, cum qua Lux nostra spiritualis non concordat, quare nisi removes illius cogitationis ideas, occludimus tibi Coelum, et abimus. Sed tunc dixi, intrate, quaeso, penitius in cogitationem meam, et forte videbitis concordantiam; et fecerunt ita, et videbant, quod per tres Personas intelligam Tria Attributa Divina procedentia, quae sunt CREATIO, REDEMPTIO, ET REGENERATIO, et quod illa Attributa sint Unius Dei; et quod per Nativitatem Filii Dei ab aeterno, intelligam Nativitatem Ipsius ab aeterno praevisam, et in tempore provisam; et quod non supra naturale et rationale, sed contra naturale et rationale sit cogitare, quod aliquis Filius a Deo natus sit ab aeterno; aliter vero, quod Filius a Deo per Virginem Mariam natus in tempore sit Filius Dei Unicus, et Unigenitus; et quod aliter credere, sit immanis error.
[2] Et tunc narravi, quod naturalis mea cogitatio de Personarum Trinitate et Unitate, et de Nativitate Filii Dei ab aeterno, fuerit mihi ex Doctrina fidei Ecclesiae, quae ab Athanasio nomen habet: tunc dixerunt Angeli, Bene; et rogaverunt, ut ex ore illorum dicam, quod si quis non adit Ipsum Deum Coeli et Terrae, non possit in Coelum venire, quia Coelum est Coelum ex Unico illo Deo, et QUOD ILLE DEUS SIT JESUS CHRISTUS, QUI EST JEHOVAH DOMINUS AB AETERNO CREATOR, IN TEMPORE REDEMPTOR, AC IN AETERNUM REGENERATOR, ita Qui simul est Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus, et quod hoc sit Evangelium, quod praedicandum est. Post haec, Lux coelestis prius visa super aperturam rediit, et successive se inde demisit, et implevit interiora mentis meae, ac illustravit ideas meas de Trinitate et Unitate Dei; et vidi tunc ideas de illis initio captas, quae fuerant mere naturales, separatas, sicut separantur paleae a tritico ex ventilabro agitato, et ablatas sicut vento in Septentrionem Coeli, et disparatas.