362. 首先要提及一些至今學術界,以致于教職人員都未知的事情, 這些事情已被埋藏, 如同被埋在地下。然而它們是盛滿智慧的寶箱, 除非被挖掘並示於公眾, 否則人們無法獲得關於上帝,信與義的正解; 更不知道當如何為了永生的狀態來調控自己的生活並為此預備自己。
這些未知之事是:人只是接收生命的器官。生命及其一切所需來自天國的上帝——祂就是主。人有兩種能力用來接收使命:意志與認知。意志是接收仁(愛)的容器, 認知是接收智(慧)的容器。因此, 意志也是接收義的容器, 認知也是接收信的容器。
[2]人一切所意志與所認知的源自於外部; 善(屬於仁與義的範疇)與理(屬於智與信的範疇)從主而來; 另一方面, 一切與此相反的, 來自於地獄。在主的安排之下, 從外部流入到人裡面的, 讓人自己感覺到仿佛屬於自己, 為了讓人覺得可以從自己產生善與理, 如同是自己的, 儘管沒有一丁點屬於自己。不過, 讓人可以這樣認為, 是為了意志與認知的能力享有自由的選擇, 並且獲取何為善與理的知識, 藉此來自由選擇哪些對現世或永恆的生命有益處。
[3]人若以斜視的眼光來看待這些事實, 或許會由此總結出許多荒唐的結論。但若正視這些事實, 就能由此達成許多智慧的結論。為了能達到後者的狀態, 而不是前者, 就有必要將關於上帝與聖三一的信條首先說明, 接下來還有關於信與義,自由選擇,改造與更新,歸算,悔改,受洗與聖餐等, 以此作為達到目的之途徑。
362. 6. The Lord, Goodwill, and Faith Form a Unity in the Same Way Our Life, Our Will, and Our Intellect Form a Unity; If We Separate Them, Each One Crumbles like a Pearl That Is Crushed to Powder
First I must mention some things that till now have been unknown in the scholarly world and therefore also unknown to the clergy. These things have been as hidden, in fact, as things that are buried in the ground. Yet they are treasure chests full of wisdom. Unless they are dug up and presented to the public, people will struggle in vain to develop a just concept of God, faith, and goodwill; we will not know how we ought to manage and prepare the state of our life now for the state of eternal life.
The things that have been unknown are these: We are nothing but an organ that receives life. Everything belonging to life flows into us from the God of heaven, who is the Lord. There are two faculties in us that receive life: they are called the will and the intellect. The will is a vessel for love and the intellect is a vessel for wisdom. Therefore the will is a vessel for goodwill and the intellect is a vessel for faith.
[2] All our willing and all our understanding flow in from outside us. The good impulses that relate to love and goodwill and the true insights that relate to wisdom and faith flow in from the Lord. All the things that oppose these flow in from hell. The Lord has provided that we feel inside us, as if they were our own, the things that flow in from outside. As a result, we produce from ourselves good impulses and true insights as if they were our own, although none of them is actually ours. They are nonetheless attributed to us as our own in order to give us free choice in willing and thinking, and to grant us concepts of what is good and what is true from which we can freely select whatever suits our temporal and eternal life.
[3] If you look askance or through squinting eyes at what I have just presented, you might draw many insane conclusions from it; but if you look at it squarely, you will be able to draw many wise conclusions from it. To help you look at it squarely, I needed first to present judgments and crucial teachings related to God and the divine Trinity. Later in the work I will lay out judgments and crucial teachings related to faith and goodwill, free choice, reformation and regeneration, and the assignment of spiritual credit or blame, as well as repentance, baptism, and the Holy Supper as means to an end.
362. VI. The Lord, charity and faith make one, just as in a person life, will and understanding do; if they are separated, each of them is destroyed, like a pearl collapsing into dust.
We shall begin by relating some facts which have up to now been unknown to the learned world, and so to the ecclesiastical establishment. They are as unknown as if they had been buried in the earth, although they are treasuries of wisdom, and unless they are dug up and made public, men seek in vain to arrive at a proper knowledge of God, faith, charity, and of the state of their own lives; they do not know how to control it and to prepare for the state of everlasting life. The following facts are unknown. A person is nothing but an organ of life. Life together with all it entails flows in from the God of heaven, who is the Lord. There are two faculties which give men life, called the will and the understanding, the will being a receiver for love, the understanding a receiver for wisdom. The will is also thus a receiver for charity and the understanding a receiver for faith.
[2] Everything a person wills and everything he understands flow in from outside; the kinds of good which belong to love and charity, and the truths which belong to wisdom and faith come from the Lord; but on the other hand everything opposed to these comes from hell. It has been arranged by the Lord that what flows in from outside is felt by the person in himself as if it belonged to him, so that he can bring it forth from himself as if it were his own, although nothing of it belongs to him. However, it is reckoned as his on account of the free will enjoyed by his faculties of will and thought, and on account of the knowledge of good and truth granted to him, from which he can freely choose whatever is for the benefit of his temporal or everlasting life.
[3] Anyone looking at these facts crookedly or askance can reach many crazy conclusions from them. Anyone who looks at them straight in the eye can reach many wise conclusions from them. So as to achieve the latter instead of the former result, it has been necessary to state as a premise judgments and dogmas about God and the Divine Trinity, and after this to establish judgments and dogmas about faith, charity, free will, reformation and regeneration, and about imputation, as well as about repentance, baptism, and the Holy Supper, which act as means.
362. VI. THE LORD, CHARITY, AND FAITH, MAKE ONE, LIKE LIFE, WILL, AND UNDERSTANDING IN MAN; AND IF THEY ARE DIVIDED, EACH PERISHES LIKE A PEARL REDUCED TO POWDER.
Some things shall first be stated that have been heretofore unknown in the learned world, and consequently among the ecclesiastics, as much so as things buried in the earth, and yet they are treasures of wisdom, and unless they are dug up and given to the public, man will toil in vain to arrive at any correct knowledge of God, faith, charity, and the state of his own life, as to the manner in which he should direct it and prepare it for the state of eternal life. The things heretofore unknown are as follows: That man is a mere organ of life; that life with everything belonging to it flows in from the God of heaven, who is the Lord; that in man there are two faculties of life, which are called the will and understanding, the will the receptacle of love, and the understanding the receptacle of wisdom; so, too, the will is the receptacle of charity, and the understanding the receptacle of faith;
[2] that everything that man wills and everything he understands flows into him from without the goods pertaining to love and charity, and the truths pertaining to wisdom and faith, from the Lord, and the opposites of these from hell; that it is provided by the Lord that man should feel in himself as his own whatever flows in from without, and should consequently bring it forth from himself as his own, although nothing of it is his; that nevertheless such things are imputed to him as his on account of his freedom of choice in which are his willing and thinking, and on account of the knowledges of good and truth given him, which enable him to choose freely whatever conduces to his temporal and his eternal life.
[3] The man who looks askance at these truths, or with half an eye only, may draw from them many insane conclusions; but he who looks at them with a straight and direct eye may draw from them many wise conclusions. That this and not the other may be done it was necessary to put forth first decisions and tenets respecting God and the Divine Trinity, and afterward to establish others respecting Faith and Charity, Freedom of Choice, and Reformation and Regeneration, as also Imputation; and then as means, Repentance, Baptism, and the Holy Supper.
362. VI. THE LORD, CHARITY AND FAITH, MAKE ONE, LIKE LIFE, WILL, AND UNDERSTANDING IN MAN; AND IF THEY ARE DIVIDED, EACH PERISHES LIKE A PEARL REDUCED TO POWER.
In the first place some truths shall be stated which have hitherto been unknown in the learned and consequently in the ecclesiastical world; they are as unknown as things buried in the earth, although they are treasures of wisdom. If they are not dug up and given to the public, man will labor in vain to attain a just knowledge of God, faith, charity and the state of his own life, and how he ought to regulate it, and prepare it for a state of eternal life. These truths are as follows: A man is a mere organ of life. Life, with all pertaining to it, enters by influx from the God of heaven, who is the Lord. There are two faculties of life in man, called the will and the understanding; the will is the receptacle of love, and the understanding the receptacle of wisdom; and thus also the will is the receptacle of charity, and the understanding the receptacle of faith.
[2] Whatever a man wills, and whatever he understands, enter into him by influx from without; the goods of love and charity, and the truths of wisdom and faith enter from the Lord, and everything contrary to these from hell. The Lord has provided that a man may inwardly feel as his own what thus enters from without, and consequently give it forth from himself as his own, although nothing of it is his. Nevertheless, it is imparted to him as his own on account of his Free Will, in which reside his will and thought, and also on account of the knowledge of good and truth imparted to him; for from these he can freely choose whatever is conducive to his temporal and to his eternal life.
[3] A man who regards these matters with unsteady or clouded vision may draw from them many irrational conclusions; but a man who considers them fairly and clearly, may draw from them wise conclusions. For this reason it was necessary to set forth at the beginning of this work certain conclusions and teachings concerning God and the Divine Trinity, and afterwards to establish others relating to Faith and Charity, Free Will, and Reformation and Regeneration, and also Imputation, as well as to Repentance, Baptism, and the Holy Supper, as means.
362. VI.
Quod Dominus, Charitas et Fides, unum faciant, sicut Vita, Voluntas, et Intellecus in homine; et quod si dividuntur, unumquodvis pereat, sicut unio dilapsa in pollinem.
Primum memorabuntur aliqua, quae in Orbe Erudito et inde in Ordine Ecclesiastico hactenus ignota fuerunt, et tam ignota, sicut quae infossa terrae sunt, cum tamen sunt Thesauri sapientiae, qui nisi effodiuntur, et donantur Publico, frustra homo satagit venire in aliquam justam cognitionem de Deo, de Fide, de Charitate, deque suae vitae Statu, quomodo illum moderaturus sit et praeparaturus ad statum vitae aeternae. Ignota illa sunt haec; Quod homo sit merum Organum vitae: Quod vita cum omnibus ejus influat a Deo Coeli, qui est Dominus: Quod duae Facultates vitae sint in homine, quae vocantur Voluntas et Intellectus; et quod Voluntas sit receptaculum amoris, ac Intellectus receptaculum sapientiae; et sic etiam quod Voluntas sit receptaculum Charitatis, ac Intellectus receptaculum Fidei:
[2] Quod omnia quae homo vult, et omnia quae intelligit, ab extra influant; bona quae amoris et charitatis sunt, ac vera quae sapientiae et fidei sunt, a Domino, at omnia quae contra illa sunt, ab Inferno: Quod provisum sit a Domino, ut homo illa quae ab extra influunt, sentiat in se sicut sua, et inde producat illa a se sicut sua, tametsi ex illis nihil ejus sunt: Quod tamen illa imputentur ei ut ejus, propter Liberum arbitrium, in quo est Velle et Cogitare ejus, et propter datas cognitiones boni et veri, ex quibus libere potest eligere quicquid ejus Vitae temporali et Vitae aeternae conducit.
[3] Homo qui haec allata obliquo oculo seu hirquis intuetur, potest ex illis concludere plura quae insaniae sunt, at homo qui illa recto oculo seu pupilla intuetur, potest ex illis concludere plura quae sapientiae sunt; ut hoc fiat, et non illud, necessum fuit praemittere judicia et dogmata de Deo et de Divina Trinitate, et post illa stabilire judicia et dogmata de Fide et Charitate, de Libero Arbitrio, deque Reformatione et Regeneratione, ut et de Imputatione; et quoque de Poenitentia, de Baptismo, deque Sancta Coena, ut mediis.