383.⑴恶人无信，因为恶属于地狱，信属于天堂。恶属于地狱，因为那是一切恶的源头；信属于天堂，因为构成信的一切真理来自天堂。人只要活在世上，就被保持并行走在天堂与地狱中间，在那里处于属灵的平衡，以便赋予他自由意志。地狱在他脚下，天堂在他头上。凡从地狱升上来的，都是恶与假，凡从天堂降下来的，都是善与真。人处在这两个对立面中间，同样处于属灵的平衡，能自由选择、接受这个或那个，然后归为己有。若选择恶与假，他就与地狱相联；若选择善与真，则与天堂相联。
由此不仅清楚可知恶属于地狱，信属于天堂，还可知这二者无法共存于同一个主体中，即同一个人中。否则，这人会被扯向不同的方向，仿佛有两根绳子系在他身上，一根向上拉他，一根往下拽他，因此，他就象是悬在半空中。他还像一只上下翻飞的乌鸫：向上飞时敬拜神，向下飞时敬魔鬼。谁都能看得出，这其实是亵渎。没有人能事奉两个主，除非恶这个或爱那个，正如主在马太福音（6:24）所教导的。
哪里有恶，哪里无信。这一点可通过各种对比来说明，如：恶就像火（地狱之火无非是恶欲），像烧麦秸那样烧毁、削减信，直到将它及其所属的一切都化为灰烬。恶居于黑暗，信居于光明；恶藉着假灭绝信，好比黑暗灭绝光明。恶黑如墨，信白如雪、清如水；恶抹黑信，如同墨染黑雪和水。还有，恶无法与信之真结合，好比恶臭无法与芳香混合，或尿液无法与美酒混合；这二者无法共存，否则就好比发臭的死尸和活人躺在同一张床上；它们无法共居，否则，好比狼住进羊圈，鹰栖在鸽房，狐狸宿在鸡舍。
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383. (1)惡者無信, 因為惡屬於地獄,信屬於天國。
惡屬於地獄, 因為那是一切惡的源頭; 信屬於天國, 因為構成信的所有真理來自于天國。人只要活在世上, 他被保持行走在天國與地獄間的中途上, 處於屬靈的平衡, 讓他得以自由的選擇。地獄在他腳下, 天國在他頭上。從地獄升上來的是惡與偽, 由天國降下的為善和理。人處在這兩個對立面之間, 處於屬靈的平衡中, 能自由地對這個或那個進行選擇,採納以及歸於己有。倘若他選擇惡與偽, 他就將自己與地獄相連; 倘若他選擇善與理, 他就將自己與天國相連。這些事實不僅明確說明惡屬於地獄,信屬於天國, 而且這二者無法共存於某個物件或某個人之中。如果惡與信一同呈現於一人, 此人會被拆分, 如同兩根繩子系在他身上, 一根往上扯, 一根往下拽, 以致於他發現自己在空中懸掛搖擺著。他還像一隻畫眉鳥, 忽上忽下在空中飛。當往上飛時, 他將敬拜上帝; 當往下飛時, 敬奉魔鬼。任何人能看得出, 這其實是褻瀆。沒有人能事奉兩個主, 除非惡這個或愛那個, 正如主在(馬太福音6:24)中教導。
各樣的比方可用來描述這樣的事實:哪裡有惡, 哪裡無信。例如, 惡如同火(地獄之火就是惡欲), 像燒麥秸那樣將信燒毀, 將信以及與信相關的一切事物燒為灰燼。
惡住在濃密的黑暗當中; 信住在光明之中。惡運用偽謬來消滅信, 正如黑暗對光明。惡黑如墨, 信白如雪,清如水。
還有一些比較, 惡無法與構成信的真理相容, 如同惡臭無法與清香相容, 尿液無法與美酒相容。還好比棺材裡發臭的死屍與躺在床上的活人, 好比狼與羊無法相處, 如同鷹在鴿房, 狐狸在雞窩。
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383. (a) Evil people have no faith, because evil relates to hell and faith relates to heaven. Evil relates to hell because everything evil comes from hell. Faith relates to heaven because everything true that is related to faith comes from heaven. As long as we are alive in the world, we are kept walking midway between heaven and hell in the spiritual equilibrium engendered by our own free choice. Hell is under our feet and heaven is over our head. Whatever comes up from hell is evil and false. Whatever comes down from heaven is good and true. Because we are between these two opposites and in spiritual equilibrium, we are freely able to choose, adopt, and incorporate into ourselves either the one or the other. If we choose evil and falsity, we unite ourselves to hell. If we choose goodness and truth, we unite ourselves to heaven.
The statements just made show not only that evil relates to hell and faith relates to heaven but also that evil and faith cannot be together in one object or one human being. If evil and faith were together, they would tear us apart as if we had been bound with two ropes, one of which was pulling us up and the other down. We would be like someone suspended in the air. We would be flying like a blackbird, now up, now down; when we were flying up, we would be worshiping God; when we were flying down, we would be worshiping the Devil. Anyone can see that this would be profane. No one can serve two lords without hating one and loving the other, as the Lord teaches in Matthew 6:24.
Various comparisons can illustrate the fact that there is no faith where evil exists. For example, evil is like fire. Hellfire is nothing but a love for evil. Evil consumes faith as if it were straw, and reduces it and everything related to it to ash.
Evil dwells in pitch darkness. Faith dwells in light. Evil uses falsities to extinguish faith, just as pitch darkness extinguishes light. Evil is as black as ink. Faith is as white as snow and as clear as water. Evil blackens faith the way ink blackens snow or water.
Here are other comparisons: evil cannot be united to truth that is related to faith any more than a rotten smell can be an ingredient in a sweet perfume, or urine can be an ingredient in a flavorful wine. Evil and faith cannot coexist any more than a reeking corpse and a living person can share the same bed. Evil and faith cannot live with each other any more than a wolf can live in a sheepfold, a hawk in a dovecote, or a fox in a henhouse.
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383. (i) The wicked have no faith because evil belongs to hell and faith to heaven.
Evil belongs to hell, because that is the source of all evil; faith belongs to heaven, because every truth that makes up faith is from heaven. So long as a person lives in the world, he is held and walks midway between heaven and hell, and is there in spiritual equilibrium, which gives him free will. Hell is beneath his feet, heaven is above his head, and whatever rises from hell is evil and falsity; but whatever comes down from heaven is good and truth. A person, being midway between these two opposites, and at the same time in spiritual equilibrium, can freely choose, adopt and make his own one or other. If he chooses evil and falsity, he links himself with hell; if good and truth, he links himself with heaven. These facts not only make it plain that evil belongs to hell and faith to heaven, but also that those two cannot exist together in one subject or one person. For if they were present together, the person would be pulled apart as if he had two ropes tied round him, one pulling him upwards, the other downwards, so that he would find himself swinging in the air. He would be like a blackbird, flying now up, now down. When he flew up, he would worship God, when he flew down, the devil. Anyone can see that this is irreligious. No one can serve two masters, but must hate the one and love the other, as the Lord teaches in Matthew 6:24.
[2] There are various comparisons which can illustrate the fact that where there is evil there is no faith. For example: evil is like fire (the fire of hell is nothing but the love of evil) and consumes faith like straw, reducing it and everything connected with it to ashes. Evil dwells in thick darkness, faith in light; and evil through falsities extinguishes faith, just as thick darkness does light. Evil is black like ink, faith is white like snow, and clear like water; and evil blackens faith, as ink does snow or water. Again, evil and the truth of faith cannot be linked except as a stench can with a sweet smell, or as urine with a fine wine. They can no more be together than a foul-smelling corpse with a living person in one bed. They can no more dwell together than a wolf in a sheepfold, or a hawk in a dovecote, or a fox in a chicken-run.
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383. (1) The evil have no faith, since evil belongs to hell and faith to heaven. Evil belongs to hell, because all evil is from hell; faith belongs to heaven, because all truth that pertains to faith is from heaven. So long as man is living in the world he is kept and walks midway between heaven and hell, and there he is in spiritual equilibrium, which is his freedom of choice. Hell is under his feet and heaven above his head; and what ever comes up from hell is evil and false, while whatever comes down from heaven is good and true. Because man is midway between these two opposites, and at the same time in spiritual equilibrium, he is able to choose, adopt, and appropriate to himself from freedom either the one or the other. If he chooses evil and falsity he connects himself with hell; if he chooses good and truth he connects himself with heaven. From this it is clear not only that evil belongs to hell and faith to heaven, but also that the two cannot be together in the same subject, that is, the same man. For if they were together, the man would be drawn in different directions, as if two ropes were tied around him and he were drawn upward by one and downward by the other; and so he would become like a thing suspended in the air. Or he would be as one flying like a blackbird, now upward and now downward, in the former case adoring God, in the latter the devil. Anyone sees that this is profanation.
That no man can serve two masters, but will rather hate the one and love the other, the Lord teaches in Matt. (6:24).
That where evil is there is no faith, may be illustrated by various comparisons, such as the following: Evil is like fire (infernal fire is nothing but love of evil), and it consumes faith like stubble, reducing it and all that pertains to it to ashes. Evil dwells in darkness and faith in light; and evil by means of falsities extinguishes faith, as darkness extinguishes light. Evil is black like ink, while faith is white like snow, and clear like water; and evil blackens faith, as ink does snow or water. Moreover, evil and the truth of faith can be joined together only as what is fetid may be mixed with what is fragrant, or urine with flavorous wine; nor can the two exist together except as a noisome corpse in the same bed with a living man; and they can no more dwell together than a wolf can dwell in a sheepfold, a hawk in a dovecote, or a fox in a henhouse.
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383. (1) The evil have no faith, because evil is of hell, and faith is of heaven. Evil is of hell, because all evil comes from hell; and faith is of heaven, because all the truth of faith comes from heaven. While a man lives in the world he is kept, wherever he goes, midway between heaven and hell. He is thus in spiritual equilibrium, which is his Free Will. Hell is beneath his feet, and heaven is above his head; whatever ascends from hell is evil and false, and whatever descends from heaven is good and true. A man, being midway between these two opposites and at the same time in spiritual equilibrium, can freely choose, adopt, and make his own, either the one or the other. If he chooses evil and falsity, he conjoins himself with hell; but if he chooses goodness and truth, he conjoins himself with heaven. From this it is plain not only that evil is of hell and faith of heaven, but also that these two cannot exist together in one subject, that is, in one man. For if they were present at the same time the man would be drawn in opposite directions. He would be like one tied about the body with two ropes, one of which drew him upwards and the other downwards, the consequence being that he would remain suspended in mid-air. It would be as if he flew like a blackbird, now upwards and now downwards; and when upwards he would worship God, and when downwards, the devil; and this, as any one may see, would be profanation.
That no man can serve two masters, but will hate the one and love the other, the Lord teaches in Matthew 6:24.
That faith does not exist where there is evil may be illustrated by various comparisons. For instance, evil is like fire (infernal fire is nothing but the love of evil), and consumes faith like stubble, reducing it, and all that belongs to it, to ashes. Evil dwells in darkness, such faith in light; and evil, by means of falsities, extinguishes faith, as darkness does the light. Evil is black like ink, and faith white like snow, and clear like water; and evil blackens faith, as ink does snow and water. Moreover, evil and the truth of faith can no more be combined than the fetid and the sweet-smelling, or urine and well-flavored wine. They can no more exist together than can a noisome corpse and a living person, or a wolf in a sheepfold, a hawk in a dove-cote, or a fox in a hen-house.
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383. I. QUOD MALIS NULLA FIDES SIT, QUIA MALUM EST INFERNI, ET FIDES EST COELI. Quod malum sit Inferni, est quia omne malum inde est; quod fides sit Coeli, est quia omne verum quod fidei est, e Coelo est; homo quamdiu in Mundo vivit, in medio inter Coelum et infernum tenetur et ambulat, et ibi in aequilibrio spirituali, quod est Liberum ejus arbitrium; Infernum est sub pedibus ejus, et Coelum est supra caput ejus, et quicquid ex Inferno ascendit, est malum et falsum, at quicquid e Coelo descendit, est bonum et verum; homo, quoniam in medio inter duo illa opposita est, et simul in aequilibrio spirituali, potest eligere, adoptare et sibi appropriare unum aut alterum ex libero; si malum et falsum, conjungit se cum Inferno; at si bonum et verum, conjungit se cum Coelo; ex his non modo patet, quod malum sit Inferni et fides coeli, sed etiam quod duo illa non possint simul esse in uno subjecto seu homine, si enim simul forent, distraheretur homo tanquam circumligatus duobus funibus, et traheretur ab uno sursum, et ab altero deorsum, et sic fieret sicut 1 pendulus in aere: et hoc foret tanquam volaret, sicut merula, nunc sursum et nunc deorsum, et cum sursum, adoraret Deum, et cum deorsum adoraret Diabolum; quod hoc profanum sit, quisque videt; Quod nemo possit duobus Dominis servire, quin unum odio habeat, et alterum diligat, docet Dominus apud Matthaeum 6:24.
[2] Quod ubi malum, non sit fides, illustrari potest per varias comparationes, ut per has; malum est sicut ignis, ignis infernalis nec aliud est quam amor mali, ac consumit fidem sicut stipulam, et redigit illam et omnia ejus in cinerem: Malum habitat in caligine, ac fides in luce, et malum per falsa exstinguit 2 fidem, sicut caligo lucem: Malum est nigrum sicut atramentum, et fides est alba sicut nix, et candida sicut aqua, ac malum denigrat fidem, sicut atramentum nivem et aquam: Porro malum et verum fidei non possunt conjungi aliter quam putidum cum aromatico, quam lotium cum vino saporis, et non possunt simul esse, quam sicut mortuus graveolens cum vivo in uno lecto; et non possunt commorari, plus quam sicut lupus in caula ovium, et sicut accipiter 3 in columbario, et sicut vulpis in gallinario.
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