320.虚假和异端邪说的教导者，说服普通百姓相信这些东西是真理和正统，尽管他们也读圣言，能从中知晓何为假、何为真。还有人以谬论确证宗教的虚假，从而勾引人们。这些人好比骗子及其各种骗局。因为就属灵之义而言，这类骗局本质上就是偷窃。这种人好比造假者，他们造出假币，给它们镀金或涂上金色，把它们当真的转出去。还好比那些知道如何巧妙雕琢水晶，使其硬化，然后把它们当成钻石来卖的人。又好比那些将类人猿或猴子打扮成人样，在它们脸上蒙上面纱，让它们骑在马或骡子上，带着它们穿街过市，声称它们是名门望族的贵人之人。他们还好比那些以涂有各种颜色的假面具遮盖自然、鲜活的面容，从而隐藏其美丽的人；还好比那些展示好似金银制成的闪闪发光的透明石膏和云母，试图把它们当成出于珍贵矿脉之物来出售的人；又好比那些用戏剧表演引诱人们远离神圣敬拜，或把他们从教堂带向戏院的人。那些支持各种虚假，认为真理一文不值，或履行牧师之职仅仅为了名利之人，其实就是属灵的盗贼。他们好比那些携带钥匙的窃贼，想开哪家门都行。他们还好比眼光锐利的猎豹和老鹰，四处搜寻最肥的猎物。
320. 教導偽謬與異端邪說的教師們, 努力去說服百姓相信這些是真理和正統。儘管他們也讀聖言, 能夠從中知曉什麼是偽什麼是真。還有人利用謬論來支援其錯誤的宗教觀念, 領人入歧途。這些人好比施展各種騙術的騙子。因為以上所述行徑就屬靈意義而言, 實際上就是偷竊。他們就像造假金幣的騙子, 給它們鍍金或塗上金色, 把它們當真的來交易。又好比人知道如何精巧地切割水晶並給水晶上色, 並能使其硬化, 以便把水晶當鑽石來賣。又或人們將街上的狒狒或猴子裝扮成人樣, 臉部蓋上帕子, 扶它騎上馬或驢子穿過街市, 聲稱它是某名門望族的貴人。
他們還好比一些人戴上塗上彩色的面具, 以遮蓋原本面目。他們還好比人將如金銀般閃光的雲母拿出來展示, 當作貴重金屬來出售。又好比人們上演各樣舞臺演出來誘人由神聖敬拜墮入迷途, 把他們從教堂帶向戲院。
支持各樣的偽謬, 無視真理的價值之人, 又或那些利用祭司職務獲利求榮者, 其實就是屬靈意義的盜賊, 如同擁有主人鑰匙的賊, 想開哪家門都行。這等人還像眼光敏銳的獵豹和老鷹, 四處搜尋可捕獵物。
320. There are people who teach false and heretical things and convince the public that these things are true and theologically correct, and yet they read the Word and are therefore able to know what is false and what is true. There are also people who use errors to support false religious beliefs and lead people astray.
These people can be compared to con artists who perpetrate acts of fraud of every kind. Because the things just mentioned are actually thefts in a spiritual sense, these people can be compared to con artists who mint counterfeit coins, gild them or color them gold, and trade them as pure. They can also be compared to people who know skillful ways to cut and polish rock crystals, harden them, and sell them as diamonds. They can also be compared to people who would dress baboons and apes in human clothing with veils over their simian faces and lead them through town on horses or mules, claiming that they are nobles of an old and distinguished family.
They are also like people who would put masks covered in makeup over their own natural faces to hide their good looks. They are like people who would display selenite or mica, which gleam like gold and silver, and sell them as ore containing precious metals. They are like people who would put on theatrical performances to divert others from true divine worship and to lure those others away from church buildings to theaters.
People who support falsities of all kinds and care nothing for the truth, who play the part of priests solely for financial benefit or status and are therefore spiritual thieves, are like thieves who have master keys with which they can open the doors of any home. These people are also like leopards and eagles that look around with sharp eyes for areas that are rich in prey.
320. Teachers of false and heretical beliefs, who persuade the common people that these are true and orthodox, although they read the Word, so that they can know from it what is false and what is true - as well as those who support false religious ideas by fallacies that lead people. astray - these can be compared with impostors and every sort of trickery. Since these actions are in essence thefts in the spiritual sense, they can be compared with impostors who coin false money, gild the coins or apply a gold colour to them, and pass them off as genuine. Or with those who know how to cut and polish crystals cunningly, and to harden them, so that they can be sold as diamonds. Or with those who take around the towns baboons or monkeys dressed up as human beings, with veils over their faces, and mounted on horses or mules, proclaiming them noblemen of ancient stock. They are also like those who cover their natural, living faces with masks painted in colours, thus hiding their beauty. They are also like those who display selenites and mica, which glitter as if made of gold and silver, and put them up for sale as veins of valuable minerals. They can also be likened to those who use theatrical performances to lead people astray from the true Divine worship, enticing them out of churches and into play-houses. Those who support falsities of every kind, putting no value on truth, and who use their priestly office for the sake of profit or the pursuit of honours, so that they are spiritual thieves, these can be likened to thieves who carry keys that will open the doors of any house; or to leopards and eagles, who turn their sharp gaze in all directions to spy out the richest prey.
320. Those who teach what is false and heretical and persuade the common people that it is true and orthodox, although they read the Word, and from it may know what is false and what is true, also those who by fallacies confirm falsities of religion and seduce men thereby, may be compared to impostors and their impostures of all kinds; and because such impostures are in the spiritual sense essentially thefts, such persons may be compared to counterfeiters who strike false coins and gild them or give them outwardly the color of gold, and pass them for pure coins; then again to those who know how to cut and polish crystals skillfully and harden them, and who sell them for diamonds; also to men who carry apes or monkeys, clothed like men and with veiled faces on horses or mules through cities, and proclaim that these are noblemen of an ancient stock. They are also like those who put on false faces smeared with paints of various colors, over the living and natural face, concealing its beauty; and they are also like men who exhibit selenite and mica, which shine as if from gold and silver, and try to sell them as coming from veins that are very precious. They may also be likened to those who by theatricals lead men away from true Divine worship, or from churches to playhouses. Those who establish all kinds of falsity, regarding truths as of no moment, and who discharge priestly functions solely for gain and a lust for honor, being thus spiritual thieves, may be likened to those thieves who carry keys wherewith they can open the door of any house; also to leopards and eagles, that with sharp eyes search for the fattest prey.
320. Those who teach what is false and heretical, and persuade the people that it is true and orthodox, although they read the Word and may know from it what is false and what is true; and those also who confirm the falsities of religion by fallacies, and lead people astray, may be compared to impostors and deceivers of every kind. As their acts in their essential nature are theft in the spiritual sense, they may be compared to those who make counterfeit coins, gild them or make them look like gold, and pass them off as genuine. They may also be compared to those who have the art of skillfully cutting, polishing and hardening crystals, and who pass them off as diamonds; and to those who, on horses and mules, lead about through cities, apes or monkeys dressed up as men, but with their faces veiled, proclaiming that these are noblemen of ancient lineage. They are also like those who wear over their faces painted masks, and so conceal their native beauty. They resemble those who display selenite and quartz which have the glitter of gold and silver, and who sell them as having veins of the precious metals. They may further be likened to those who by theatrical show draw men from the true worship of God, away from the Church to the play-house. Those who, regardless of truth, confirm falsities of every kind, and discharge their duties as priests merely for the sake of gain and honor, and are thus spiritual thieves, may be compared to those thieves who carry keys for opening the doors of any house. They are, moreover, like leopards and eagles, searching around with their sharp eyes for the best prey.
320. Illi qui falsa et haeretica docent, et vulgo persuadent quod sint vera et orthodoxa, et tamen Verbum legunt, et inde possunt scire quid falsum et quid verum; tum qui falsa religionis per fallacias confirmant et seducunt, comparari possunt cum impostoribus et imposturis omnis modi, quae quia in se sunt Furta in spirituali sensu, comparari possunt cum impostoribus qui falsas Monetas cudunt, inaurant illas, aut illis colorem auri inducunt, et venditant pro puris: tum etiam cum illis, qui sciunt dextre secare et expolire Chrystalla, ac indurare illa, et vendunt illa pro adamantibus: ut et cum illis, qui sphinges aut simias vestitas ut homines, et velatas quoad facies, super equis aut mulis per urbes circumferunt, et clamant quod sint nobiles ex antiquo stemmate. Sunt etiam similes illis qui facies lusorias coloratis fucis inunctas applicant faciebus vivis et nativis, et illarum pulchritudines abscondunt. Et sunt similes illis, qui selenites et lapides speculares, qui nitent sicut ex auro et argento, ostentant, et pro venis pretiositatis venditant. Assimilari etiam possunt illis, qui per theatralia abducunt a vero Cultu Divino, et a templis ad domos ubi sunt ludi scenici. Illi qui confirmant omnis generis falsa, nihili pendentes vera, et qui modo propter lucrum et honoris ambitum, sacerdotio funguntur, ac ita sunt fures spirituales, assimilari possunt illis furibus, qui portant claves, per quas omnium domuum fores possunt aperire: tum etiam pardis et aquilis, qui acutis oculis circumspiciunt ubi sunt opimae praedae.