276.那些相信靠自己的聪明就能获得关于神、天堂与地狱，以及与教会相关的属灵观念之人没有意识到，就本身而言，属世人反对属灵人；因此，属世人想根除进入其心智的属灵观念，或将其卷入谬论中。这些谬论如同吞食蔬菜和谷物根部的蛆虫。这种人好比做白日梦的人，想象自己骑在老鹰背上翱翔于高空，又或骑着带翅膀的马从帕纳索斯山飞到赫利孔。事实上，他们就像地狱中的路西弗，在那里仍自称早晨之子（以赛亚书14:12）。他们还像那些在示拿地平原建造一座塔、塔顶通天的人（创世记11:2，4）；又像信靠自己的歌利亚，不料他们会像哥利亚一样，被一颗投石击中前额而仆倒。我会描述死后等待他们的命运：一开始，他们变得如同醉酒之人，然后仿佛发疯，最后变成白痴，坐在黑暗中。因此要谨慎，免得变得如此疯狂。
276. 那些相信依靠自己的聰明就能獲得關於上帝,天國與地獄以及關於教會屬靈方面的知識, 他們意識不到屬世人的自我認識其實與屬靈人截然相反。人的屬世自我要麼試圖去根除,要麼試圖用偽謬來掩蓋進入其思想的任何屬靈事物。這些偽謬如同蛆蟲蠶食蔬菜和穀物的根。此類人就好比夢中人想像自己坐在鷹背上高飛, 又或坐在飛馬之上越過帕拿蘇斯山到埃利孔山。事實上, 他們則如同地獄中的路西弗, 在那裡仍自稱為光明之子(以賽亞書14:12)。他們如同那些在示拿平原建造通天塔的人(創世記11:2, 4)。他們自滿如歌利亞, 怎樣都預想不到, 自己會被一顆小甩石擊中前額而僕地死亡。死後等待他們的命運:最初, 所有這樣的人變得如同酒醉之人, 然後變得愚蠢, 最後成了白癡, 坐在黑暗之中。因此要謹慎, 免得變得如此瘋狂。
276. People who think their own intelligence could develop concepts of God, heaven and hell, and the spiritual things that the church teaches do not realize that our earthly self is intrinsically opposed to our spiritual self. Our earthly self tries either to uproot any spiritual things that come in or else to cover them in false concepts that are like grubs that devour the roots of vegetables and grains.
People like this could be compared to people who dream that they are sitting on eagles and soaring on high, or sitting on Pegasuses and flying over Mount Parnassus toward Mount Helicon, while they are actually like Lucifers in hell who nevertheless still call themselves children of the dawn (Isaiah 14:12).
They are like the people of the valley in the land of Shinar who set out to build a tower whose top would reach to heaven (Genesis 11:2, 4). They are as confident in themselves as Goliath, not foreseeing that they could be laid out, as he was, by a single stone driven by a sling into their forehead.
I should say what outcome awaits them after death. They first become like drunks, then silly, and finally brainless, and they sit in the dark. Be wary therefore of insanity like this.
276. Those who believe that their own intelligence can enable them to acquire knowledge about God, heaven and hell, and the spiritual ideas relating to the church, are unaware that the natural man considered in himself is opposed to the spiritual man; and consequently he wants to root out or entangle in fallacies the spiritual ideas which enter his mind. These fallacies resemble the worms which devour the roots of vegetables and grain-crops. Such people can be compared to dreamers who imagine they are mounted on eagles and soaring high; or on winged horses flying over the hill of Parnassus to Helicon. In fact they are like Lucifers in hell, who even there still call themselves the sons of the dawn (Isaiah 14:12). They are also like those in the valley of the land of Shinar, who set out to build a tower, the top of which should reach heaven (Genesis 11:2, 4). They are as self-confident as Goliath, little foreseeing that, like him, they could be laid low by a sling-stone striking their forehead. I will describe the fate which awaits them after death: first of all they become as if drunk, then as if out of their minds, and finally idiots, sitting in darkness. Let them beware therefore of such a madness.
276. Those who believe that a knowledge of God, of heaven and hell, and of the spiritual things pertaining to the church, can be gained from their own intelligence, do not know that a natural man, viewed in himself, is opposed to the spiritual, and therefore desires to extirpate the spiritual things that enter, or to involve them in fallacies, which are like the worms that consume the roots of herbs and grain. Such may be likened to men who dream that they are seated upon eagles and are borne up on high, or are mounted on Pegasus and are flying over Mount Parnassus to Helicon; while actually they are like the Lucifers in hell, who still call themselves there "sons of the morning" (Isaiah 14:12). They are also like the men in the valley of the land of Shinar, who attempted to build a tower, the head of which should reach to heaven (Genesis 11:2-4); and like Goliath they trust to themselves, not foreseeing that like him they might be prostrated by a sling-stone buried in the forehead. I will tell what lot awaits such after death. At first they become as if drunk, then like fools, and at last they become stupid and dwell in darkness. Therefore let men beware of such madness.
276. Some men imagine they can, from their own intelligence, acquire for themselves conceptions of God, heaven and hell, and the spiritual things of the Church. They do not know that the natural man is essentially opposed to the spiritual man; and therefore any spiritual principles that may enter his mind, he desires to extirpate or involve in fallacies, which are like grubs, devouring the roots of vegetation. Such people may be likened to men who dream they are borne aloft on eagles' wings, or fly on winged horses over Mt. Parnassus 1 to Helicon; 2 but in reality they are like Lucifers 3 in hell, who even there still call themselves sons of the morning, Isaiah 14:12. They are also like the men in the valley of the land of Shinar, who essayed to build a tower whose top should reach to heaven. Genesis 11:2-4; and they are full of self-confidence like Goliath, not foreseeing that, like him, they may be struck down by a sling-stone hurled against their forehead. Let me describe the fate which awaits them after death; they are first like drunken men, then like fools, and finally as idiots they dwell in darkness. Let every one, therefore, beware of such madness.
Footnotes:
1. Parnassius, belonging to Parnassus, 276; subst. Parnassium, hill near Athenaeum, the city in the spiritual world of the Greek sages.
2. Heliconeus, belonging to Helicon. Subst. Heliconeum, hill near Athenaeum, the city in the spiritual world of the Greek sages.
3. Lucifer, fabled son of Aurora, or of Jupiter, morning star, day.
276. Illi qui credunt posse ex propria intelligentia comparare sibi cognitiones de Deo, de Coelo et Inferno, et de Spiritualibus quae Ecclesiae sunt, non sciunt quod Naturalis homo in se spectatus sit contra Spiritualem, et quod ideo spiritualia quae intrant, velit exstirpare, aut involvere fallaciis, quae sunt sicut vermes, qui radices olerum et segetum consumunt. Assimilari possunt illis, qui somniant quod sedeant super Aquilis et ferantur in altum; aut super Pegasis et volent 1 super collem Parnassum ad Heliconem: et sunt actualiter sicut Luciferi in Inferno, qui ibi adhuc se vocant filios aurorae, Esaias 14:12. 2 Et sunt sicut illi in Valle terrae Schinear, qui aggressi sunt aedificare turrim, cujus caput in Coelo, Genesis 11:2, 4; et confidunt sibi sicut Goliath, non praevidentes quod possint sicut ille a lapide fundae fronti impacto prosterni. Dicam qualis sors illos post mortem manet, primum fiunt sicut ebrii, postea sicut fatui, et demum stupidi, et sedent in tenebris: Caveant itaque sibi a tali delirio.
Footnotes: