352.⑶信会随着真理的丰富和连贯而得以完善。这一点从前面所述可推知。对那些能有条有理地探究复杂结构在交织为一体所产生的效果之人来说，这一点也是显而易见的。因为这时，一个系列会强化并巩固另一个系列，它们一起构成一个形式，当这个形式开始行动时，它的各个部分也会完成一个动作。由于就其本质而言，信是真理，故可知，它会随着真理的丰富和连贯程度而越来越变得完全属灵，因而越不属世感官化。因为它被提升到心智的更高区域，从此处往下看到自然界中大量支持它的证据。大量仿佛连贯成一束的真理会使真正的信更加明朗、更易于察觉、也更显着和清晰。这信还变得更容易与各种仁之善结合，从而更容易远离邪恶，并逐渐从眼目的诱惑和肉体的情欲中解脱出来，因而本身变得更快乐。特别是，它抵制恶与假的力量日益增强，它因此越来越有活力，更能有助于救赎。
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352. (3)信的提升與完善, 取決於真理的數量及其組合得如何。
從上述內容可得出這一點。此外, 任何人只要系統地研究這些結構體的功能如何緊密結合,如同為一體時, 就能得到啟發:每一個結構鞏固並支撐另一結構; 它們組合成一種形式; 當這樣的形式起作用時, 其組成部分就完成某個動作。
因為信的本質就是真理, 也就可得出, 照著人擁有真理的數量以及它們粘合的程度的比例, 信變得越來越趨向完美屬靈, 越來越遠離屬世肉欲, 因為此信已上升到思想的更高區域。由此角度往下看, 見到物質世界中存在大量的證據來鞏固和支持這樣的信。真正
的信, 因著大量的真理聚合,如同打包成捆, 變得更加開明,更易於接受,更加顯著和清晰。而且還容易與屬於義的各樣良善相結合, 結果更容易自由地疏遠邪惡, 逐步遠離眼目的誘惑與肉體的渴求, 因而變得真正的喜樂。尤其是, 更有能力對付邪惡與偽謬, 因而更有活力,更助益於得救。
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352. [c] Our faith improves depending on the quantity of truths we have and how well they fit together. This follows from what I said before. Furthermore, it is revealed to anyone who methodically investigates how complex structures function when they are interwoven as one thing: each part strengthens and supports the next; together they make one form; and when that form becomes active, its parts accomplish one action.
Since faith in its essence is truth, our faith becomes more spiritual, and more perfectly spiritual, depending on the quantity of truths we have and how well they fit together. That is, our faith becomes less and less sense-oriented and earthly, because it then rises up into a higher region of our mind. From that perspective it sees below itself a host of things in the nature of the world that strengthen and support it. True faith, achieved through a quantity of truths that fit together like strands in a cable, also becomes more enlightening, perceivable, obvious, and clear. True faith also becomes more easily united with acts of goodwill, and therefore more alienated from evils and progressively more remote from the enticements of the eye and the cravings of the flesh. Therefore faith becomes more truly happy. Above all, it becomes more powerful against evils and falsities, and therefore more and more living and empowered to save.
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352. (iii) It follows from what has been said above that faith is brought to perfection in proportion to the volume and coherence of the truths. This is demonstrated in the case of everyone who assembles the reasons, and perceives the effectiveness of multiple groups, when they cohere as one. For then one strengthens and confirms another, and they compose a form which, in action, performs a single act. Now since faith in its essence is truth, it follows that in proportion to the volume and coherence of truths faith becomes more and more perfectly spiritual, and so less and less natural-sensual. For it is raised into the higher region of the mind, from where it sees below itself rank upon rank of proofs of itself in the natural world. A great volume of truths cohering as it were in a bundle makes true faith more enlightened, more easily perceived, more outstanding and clear. It also becomes more easily linked to the various kinds of good belonging to charity, and consequently more easily freed from evils, and by stages less subject to the enticements of the eye and the longings of the flesh, thus becoming essentially happier. In particular its resistance to evils and falsities is increased, and so it becomes more and more alive and conducive to salvation.
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352. (3) According to the Abundance and Coherence of Truths Faith is perfected. This follows from the preceding statements, and is evident to everyone who collects reasons, and observes carefully what multiplied series of them effect when they cohere as a unit; for then one series strengthens and confirms another, and together they constitute a form which when put in action is manifested as a single act. Since then faith in its essence is truth, it follows, that according to the abundance and coherence of truths it becomes more and more perfectly spiritual, therefore less and less sensual-natural; for it is raised up into a higher region of the mind, from which it sees beneath it troops of confirmations or itself in the nature of the world. True faith by an abundance of truths cohering as if in a bundle also becomes more lustrous, more perceptible, more evident, and clearer; and, becomes also more capable of conjunction with the goods of charity, consequently more capable of alienation from evils, and gradually more removed from the allurements of the eye and the lusts of the flesh, therefore in itself happier. Especially does it become more powerful against evils and falsities, and thus more and more living and saving.
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352. (3) Faith is perfected according to the number and coherence of truths. This follows from what was said above, and is obvious to every one who takes a rational view of the subject, and who perceives what is effected by a number of series cohering as one. For then one series strengthens and confirms another, and together they arrange themselves in a form which acts as one. Now, since faith in its essence is truth, it follows that faith becomes more and more perfectly spiritual and consequently less and less sensual-natural, in proportion to the number and coherence of truths. For it is exalted to a higher region of the mind, from which it sees below it numerous facts confirming it in the nature of the world. True faith, by means of such a number of truths cohering as in a group, becomes more and brilliant, intelligible, evident and clear. It also becomes more capable of conjunction with the goods of charity, and consequently more capable of alienation from evils, more and more removed from the allurements of the eye and the lusts of the flesh, and therefore happier in itself. Especially does it become more powerful against evils and falsities and thus more and more a living and saving faith.
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352. QUOD SECUNDUM COPIAM ET COHAERENTIAM VERITATUM PERFICIATUR FIDES, sequitur ex supradictis, et manifestat se coram omni qui colligit rationes, et perspicit, quid series multiplicatae, dum cohaerent ut unum, efficiunt, nam tunc unum firmat et confirmat alterum, et faciunt simul formam, quae dum agitur, unum actum sistunt; Nunc quia fides in sua essentia est veritas, sequitur quod illa secundum veritatum copiam et cohaerentiam, fiat plus et perfectius spiritualis, ita minus et minus naturalis sensualis, exaltatur enim in superiorem mentis regionem, unde sub se videt cohortes confirmationum sui in natura Mundi: Fides vera per copiam veritatum sicut in fasce cohaerentium fit etiam illustrior, perceptibilior, evidentior et clarior: fit quoque conjungibilior cum bonis Charitatis, et inde abalienabilior a malis, et successive remotior ab illecebris oculi et a concupiscentiis carnis, proinde in se felicior; fit imprimis potentior contra mala et falsa, et inde plus et plus viva et salvifica.