375.⑵仁与信若不尽可能付诸行动，并共存于其中，就只是易逝的精神概念而已。人岂不是有头有身体，它们通过脖子连接起来？头脑岂不包含能意愿和思维的心智，身体岂没有操作和实施的力量？所以，若人只有善愿，或出于仁爱的思维，却不行善、做出有用的行为来作为仁爱的果效，他岂不就象孤零零的头或心智，缺失躯体，无法继续存活？由此谁看不出，仁与信若只停留在头脑或心智中，而不在身体里，就不是仁与信？这时，它们就象鸟儿在空中漫无边际地飞翔，在地面上找不到可栖息之地；还象飞鸟准备下蛋，却没有鸟巢，于是只好在空中或树枝上产蛋，这些蛋必会掉到地上摔烂。心智中没有一物不在人体中拥有一个对应部分，这个对应部分可称为它的化身。所以，若仁与信只居于心智中，它们在这人里面就没有化身，好比那些叫做幽灵的空中幻影，还好比古人所描绘的头戴桂冠、手拿丰饶角（又名丰饶羊角）的阿玛耳忒亚。由于是这样的幽灵，但仍能思想，所以他们必被幻想搅扰，这些幻想是由推理通过各种诡辩造成的，几乎与沼泽地里的芦苇被风摇动，芦苇下面的水底是贝壳，水面蛙鸣一片的情形没什么两样。谁看不出，这就是仅从圣言知道关于仁与信的事，却不去实践它们的写照？主也说过：
凡听见我这话就去行的，好比一个聪明人，把房子盖在磐石上。凡听见我这话不去行的，好比一个无知的人，把房子盖在沙土上。（马太福音7:24，26；路加福音6:47－49）
仁与信及其虚拟的观念若不付诸实践，就好比空中飞舞的蝴蝶，麻雀一看见，就俯冲下来，将其吃掉。主还说：
有一个撒种的出去撒种；撒的时候，有落在路旁的，飞鸟来吃尽了（马太福音13:3，4）。
375. (2)義與信只不過是多變的精神層面的概念而已, 除非有機會轉變成行為, 並且體現在行為中。
脖子連接頭與身體。用來意志與認知的思想在於頭, 行為動作的實現能力在於身。偌若一個人只有善念, 或者只有源自於義的想法, 而沒有行任何善與履行有用的行為來作為結果, 就像缺少身體而孤立的頭, 無法自行存在。誰看不出來, 義與信若只是停留在頭腦與思想裡而不通過身體行出來, 義與信並非義與信。它們就像地上無家可棲息的飛鳥在空中漫無邊際地飛翔。它們還像產卵的飛鳥沒有鳥窩, 後來下在空中或樹枝上, 掉在地上摔成稀爛。
思想中的一切, 在身體中都有個對應的部分, 這個對應的部分可稱為該思想的體現。因此, 若義與信只是在思想之中, 在身體中沒有體現, 就好比幽靈般的空中幻影, 正如古人描述的頭戴桂冠手持豐收之角的法馬。因為它們是這般的幽靈, 儘管仍能夠思考, 但卻控制不住被一些虛幻的觀念糾纏, 各樣詭辯的推理也會導致這樣的結果。這就好比沼澤地裡的蘆葦被風搖動, 蘆葦的水底處遍佈貝殼, 水面蛙鳴一片。有誰看不出來, 這就是只知聖言中關於義與信的知識卻不去實踐的寫照？
事實上, 主也說過:"凡聽見我這話就去行的, 好比一個聰明人, 把房子蓋在磐石上。凡聽見我這話不去行的, 好比一個無知的人, 把房子蓋在沙土上"(馬太福音7:24, 26;路加福音6:47-49)。只是知道義與信以及相關的概念, 卻不付諸於行動, 也好比空中飛翔的蝴蝶, 被麻雀看見, 麻雀俯衝下來, 將蝴蝶吃了。主還說:"有一個撒種的出去撒種; 撒的時候, 有落在路旁的, 飛鳥來吃盡了"(馬太福音13:3-4)。
375. (b) Goodwill and faith are transient and exist only in our minds unless, when an opportunity occurs, they culminate in actions and become embodied in them. We have both a head and a body. They are joined by the neck. The mind that wills and thinks is found in our head, and the power that acts and carries out is found in our body. If therefore we had only benevolence, or thoughts based on goodwill, but we did not do anything good or produce anything useful as a result, we would be like a head by itself or a mind by itself, which could not continue to exist on its own without a body. Surely everyone can see from this that goodwill and faith are not goodwill and faith when they are only in our head and our mind but not in our body.
Under those circumstances goodwill and faith are like birds flying in the sky that have no home of their own on the ground. They are like birds that are about to lay eggs but have no nests; the eggs slip out of the birds into the air or onto a twig of some tree and then fall and smash on the ground.
All things in our mind have a corresponding element in our body. The corresponding thing could be called an embodiment. Therefore when goodwill and faith are only in our mind, they are not embodied in us. Under those circumstances we could be compared to the airy human figures known as ghosts, as Fama was depicted by the ancients, with a laurel wreath on her head and a horn of plenty in her hand. Because we would then be ghosts and yet would still be able to think, we could not help being constantly hounded by mental images (a problem also caused by false inferences based on various kinds of sophistry). We would be much like swamp reeds blown around by the wind that have shells at their base underwater and frogs croaking at the surface. Surely we can see that things like this happen when people merely know some ideas from the Word about goodwill and faith but do not practice them.
In fact the Lord says, "Everyone who hears my words and does them I will compare to a prudent man who built his house on a rock. But everyone who hears my words and does not do them will be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand" or "on the ground without a foundation" (Matthew 7:24, 26; Luke 6:47-49). Goodwill and faith and made-up ideas about them, when we do not put them into practice, can also be compared to butterflies in the air that a sparrow sees, flies toward, and eats. Likewise, the Lord says, "A sower went out to sow. Some seeds fell on hard ground, and the birds came and ate them" (Matthew 13:3-4).
375. (ii) Charity and faith are merely unstable mental concepts unless, when possible, they are realised in deeds and come into existence together in them.
Does not man possess a head and a body, which are linked by a neck? Does not the head contain a mind which wills and thinks, and the body a potentiality which performs and executes actions? So if a person merely had a good will, or thought from charity without doing good and performing useful deeds as a result of charity, would he not be like an isolated head or mind, which lacking a body could not continue in existence alone? Who from this can fail to see that charity and faith are not charity and faith, so long as they are only in the head and mind, and not in the body? Then they are like birds flying through the air without anywhere to rest upon the ground; and also like birds carrying eggs without nests to lay them in, so that their eggs would be discharged into the air or on a branch of a tree, and so would fall to the ground and be broken.
[2] There is nothing in the mind which does not have a corresponding part in the body, and this corresponding part can be called the embodiment of what is in the mind. Charity and faith therefore, so long as they are in the mind, have no embodiment in the person, and they can then be likened to an airy phantom, what is called a ghost, much as Fame was depicted by the ancients with a laurel wreath around her head and a horn of plenty in her hand. Since they are such ghosts, though still able to think, they cannot help being excited by fantastic ideas, a result also produced by reasoning from various sophistries; very much as reeds in marshes are shaken by the wind, while on the bottom below them lie shells and on the surface frogs croak. Can anyone fail to see that such are the results of merely knowing some things from the Word about charity and faith without practising them? The Lord also says:
Everyone who hears my words and acts upon them, I will compare to a prudent man, who built his house upon a rock; but everyone who hears my words and does not act upon them will be compared to a foolish man, who built his house upon sand or on ground without a foundation, Matthew 7:24, 26; Luke 6:47-49.
Charity and faith together with their invented ideas, when a person does not put them into practice, can also be compared with butterflies on the wing, which a sparrow on seeing swoops on and swallows. The Lord also says:
A sower went out to sow; and some seeds fell on the hard path, and the birds came and ate them up, Matthew 13:3-4.
375. (2) Charity and faith are only mental and perishable things, unless they are determined to works and coexist in them when possible. Has not a man a head and a body which are joined together by a neck? And in the head is there not a mind that wills and thinks, and in the body is there not power that performs and executes? Therefore if man merely wills well, or thinks from charity, and does not do good and thus perform uses, is he not like a head only, and thus like a mind only, which apart from a body cannot continue to exist? From this is not anyone able to see that charity and faith are not charity and faith so long as they are merely in the head and its mind but not in the body? For they are then like birds flying in the air without any resting-place on the earth, or like birds ready to lay, but having no nests, in which case they would drop their eggs in the air or upon the branch of some tree, and the eggs would fall to the ground and be destroyed. There can be nothing in the mind that does not have some correspondent in the body, and its correspondent may be called its embodiment. So when charity and faith occupy the mind only, they have no embodiment in the man, and may be likened to those aerial beings called specters, like Fame as painted by the ancients with a laurel about her head and a horn in her hand. Being such specters, and still being able to think, they must needs be disturbed by fantasies, which are caused by reasonings from various kinds of sophistry, almost as reeds in marshes are shaken by the wind, while beneath them shells lie at the bottom and frogs croak on the surface. Who cannot see that such things come to pass when men merely know from the Word some things about charity and faith, but do not practice them? Moreover, the Lord says:
Everyone who heareth My words and doeth them I will liken to a prudent man who built his house upon a rock, and everyone who heareth My words and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand, or upon the ground without a foundation (Matthew 7:24, 26; Luke 6:47-49). Charity and faith with their factitious ideas when not put in practice may be compared to butterflies in the air, which a sparrow darts upon and devours as soon as he sees them. The Lord also says:
The sower went forth to sow; and some fell upon the hard way, and the birds came and devoured them up (Matthew 13:3, 4).
375. (2) Charity and faith are merely fleeting mental abstractions unless, whenever it is possible, they are expressed in works, and exist together in them. A man has a head and a body, and these are joined by the neck. There is in his head a mind which wills and thinks, and in his body, power to perform and execute. If, then, a man were only to will what is good, or think from charity, and not do good, and thus perform uses, he would be like a head and mind only; but these can have no existence without a body. Every one can see that charity and faith are not charity and faith as long as they are only in the head and mind, and not in the body. They are then like birds flying in the air with no resting-place on the ground; or like birds about to lay, which, having no nests, must drop their eggs in the air, or on the branch of some tree, from which they would fall to the ground and be broken. There is nothing in the mind that does not correspond to something in the body, which may be called its embodiment. Therefore charity and faith, while existing only in the mind, are not embodied in the man, and may be likened to an airy, ethereal being, such as the ancients depicted Fame, with laurel wreath on her head and horn in her hand.
Men with minds so unreal, and yet able to think, must needs be disturbed by fanciful ideas and reasonings from various sophistries, as reeds are shaken by the wind in marshes, in the depths of which lie sounding shells, while frogs croak an the surface. Any one may see that such things come to pass with those who merely know something from the Word about charity and faith, but who do not practice them. Moreover, the Lord says:
"Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock... And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand," or upon the ground, without a foundation, Matthew 7:24, 26; Luke 6:47-49.
Charity and faith, with all the factitious ideas about them, when they are not practised by a man, may also be compared to butterflies in the air, which a sparrow darts upon and devours, as soon as it catches sight of them. The Lord also says:
"A sower went forth to sow... and some seeds fell by the way-side, and the fowls came and devoured them up" Matthew 13:3-4.
375. II. QUOD CHARITAS ET FIDES SINT MODO RES MENTALES ET CADUCAE, NISI, DUM FIERI POTEST, DETERMINENTUR IN OPERA, ET IN ILLIS COEXISTANT. Estne homini Caput et Corpus, et conjunctio illorum per Cervicem; estne in Capite Mens quae vult et cogitat, et in Corpore potentia, quae facit et exsequitur; si itaque homo solum bene vellet, seu cogitaret ex Charitate, et non benefaceret, et ageret usus inde, foretne homo sicut solum Caput et sic sicut sola Mens, quae sola absque corpore non subsistere possunt; quis inde non videt, quod Charitas et Fides non sint charitas et fides, dum solum in 1 capite et ejus mente sunt, et non in corpore; sunt enim tunc sicut aves volantes in aere absque aliqua sede super terra; et quoque sicut aves impraegnatae ovis absque nidis, ex quibus ova elaberentur in aerem, aut super ramusculum alicujus 2 arboris, ac deciderent in terram, et cassarentur.
[2] Non datur aliquid in Mente, cui non correspondet aliquid in corpore, et hoc quod correspondet, vocari potest illius corporatura, quare Charitas et Fides dum solum in mente sunt; non sunt incorporatae homini, et tunc assimilari possunt homini aereo, qui dicitur Larva, qualis a veteribus picta est Fama cum lauru circum caput, et cornucopia in manu; qui quia tales Larvae sunt, et usque possunt cogitare, non possunt non exagitari ex phantasiis, quod etiam fit per ratiocinia ex variis sophisticis, vix aliter quam cannae palustres ex Vento, sub quibus in fundo jacent conchae, et in superficie crocitant ranae; quis non videre potest quod talia fiant, dum modo sciunt aliqua ex Verbo de Charitate et Fide, et non faciunt illa; dicit etiam Dominus, OMNIS QUI AUDIT VERBA MEA, ET FACIT ILLA, comparabo viro prudenti, qui aedificavit domum suam super petra; at OMNIS AUDIENS VERBA MEA ET NON FACIENS ILLA, comparabitur 3 viro stulto, qui aedificavit domum suam super arena, aut super humo absque fundamento, Matthaeus 7:24, 26; Luca 6:47-49. Charitas et Fides cum illarum ideis factitiis, dum homo non operatur illas, comparari etiam possunt cum papilionibus in aere, quos ad visos passer advolat et deglutit; dicit etiam Dominus, Exivit seminans ad seminandum, et alia ceciderunt super viam duram, et venerunt Aves et comederunt ea, Matthaeus 13:3-4.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: et [symbol].
2. ramusculum alicujus ubi in prima editione ramasculum alieujus.
3. Prima editio: camparabitue.