388.记事四：
我曾与启示录中龙所指的一些人对话，其中一个人对我说：“跟我来，我会向你展示娱乐我们眼目和心灵的表演。”于是他带我穿过一片黑暗的树林，爬上一座小山冈，我由此可以观看龙的娱乐。我看见一座环状圆形露天剧场，四周是一圈圈的阶梯座位，观众都坐在上面。从远处看，那些坐在最下面的人就像萨梯（希腊与罗马的森林之神，色欲极强）和普利阿普斯（希腊与罗马的男性生殖神）；有些人所穿的衣服仅遮蔽下体，有些人则没穿衣服，赤身露体。这些人上面坐着嫖客和妓女；我从他们的姿势看出他们是这类人。然后，龙对我说：“现在，你将看到我们的表演。”然后，我仿佛看到牛犊、公羊、母羊、小山羊和羊羔被放进了马戏团的竞技场；它们进来后，大门开了，好象有少壮狮子、美洲豹、老虎和狼冲了进来。这些猛兽残暴地攻击这些牲畜，将其撕成碎片，残杀它们。血腥杀戮之后，萨梯们将沙子洒在它们被杀的地方。
然后，龙对我说：“这些就是令我们赏心悦目的表演。”“滚开，你这个恶魔！”我回应说，“你很快就会看到这个剧场变成硫磺的火湖。”他闻言笑了笑走开了。事后，我开始思考，为何主会允许这样的事发生？我心里得到一个答复：只要这些人还在灵界，这种事是可以的；但是，一旦他们在那里的日期满了，这类戏剧场景就会转化为地狱的折磨。
我所看到的一切景象都是那龙想象的结果。因此它们并非真的牛犊、公羊、母羊、小山羊和羊羔，而是他们使所憎恨的教会各样真正良善和真理所显出的形像。狮子、美洲豹、老虎和狼则是那些看似萨梯和普利阿普斯之人的欲望所取的形像。仅遮蔽下体的人是那些以为罪恶不会显现在神面前的人；而穿衣服的人则是那些以为罪恶会显现，但只要有信，就不会受它们诅咒的人。嫖客和妓女则是那些歪曲圣言真理的人，因为通奸表示对真理的歪曲。在灵界，从远处看，一切事物都看似它的对应物，并且当这些对应物显为可见形式时，它们就被称作具有类似尘世事物的物体形式的属灵事物的代表物。
后来，我见他们从树林里出来了，那龙在萨梯和普利阿普斯们中间，后面跟着仆人和营妓，就是那些嫖客和妓女。一路上，他们的队伍不断壮大，这时，我听见他们彼此的讨论。他们说，他们发现草地上有一群绵羊和羊羔。这表明不远处有一座耶路撒冷城，它的主要特征是仁爱。他们说：“我们去攻打那城，赶出里面的居民，夺走他们的财物。”于是，他们靠近那城，可它四周有城墙，城墙上还有天使把守。他们只好商量说：“我们不如用计夺城，派一个能言善辩的人，他能颠倒黑白，给一切事物涂上任意色彩。”于是，他们找了一个精通形而上学的人，他能把真实的观念转换成术语概念，用各种公式掩盖事实真相，然后像翅膀下夹着猎物的鹰一样飞走。此人还被指教和这些市民当说的话，即他们在宗教信仰上是同伴，他们希望被准许进城。他来到城门前敲门，门开了，他说，他想和这城里最有智慧的人对话。他进去后被引见给一个人，他对此人说了这样一番话：“我的弟兄们都在城外，请求准许进城。他们在宗教信仰上和你是同伴。我们与你一样，都认为信与仁是宗教信仰的两个要素。唯一不同之处在于：你们说仁是首要的，信出自仁；而我们说信是首要的，仁出自信。只要这二者我们都相信，谁在前谁在后又有什么关系呢？”
城中的这位智者说：“我们俩就别单独讨论这个话题了，还是当着众人的面谈论吧，好让他们做个评委和裁判。要不然，我们没法下结论。”很快就召集起更多的人，这位龙使者将先前的话又向他们重述了一遍。然后，智者作出以下答复：“你刚才说，只要认同仁与信是构成教会及其宗教信仰的要素，至于哪一个在教会中是首要的则无关紧要。然而，这二者之别犹如在先者与在后者，原因与结果，主因与工具因，本质与形式之别。我用这些术语是因为，我发现你精通形而上学，我们将这样的学问称为纯粹的诡辩术，而有些人则称之为巫术。不过，我们先把这些术语放到一边。这二者之别还犹如在上者与在下者之别。或确切地说，若你肯相信的话，就象这个世界中那些住在高层之人的心智和那些住在低层之人的心智之别。因为首要的构成头和胸，而它的衍生物则构成脚和脚底。不过，首先要看看，我们在仁与信的定义方面是否达成一致。仁就是为了神、救赎和永生的缘故而对邻行善的爱之情感；信则是源于对神、救赎和永生的信靠的思维。
龙使者回应说：“我同意信的定义，也同意仁是为了神的缘故而行善的情感，因为这是祂的诫命，但却不是为了救赎和永生的缘故。”在他部分认同又部分不认同之后，智者说：“难道情感或爱不是首要的？难道思维不是由此衍生的？”龙使者说：“这个，我否认。”不过，智者回答：“你无法否认这一点。人难道不是出于某种爱而思考吗？若拿走爱，他还能思考吗？这就象将声音从言语那里拿走一样。倘若拿走，你还能讲话吗？而且，声音属于爱的某种情感，而言语属于思维，因为正是爱发声，正是思维讲话。这还象火与光。若拿走火，光岂不会消失？仁与信也一样，因为仁属于爱，信属于思维。难道这样你还不明白首要事物是次要事物的全部，就象火与光吗？由此还清楚可知，若不将首要事物摆在首要位置，你就无法得到次要事物。所以，若你将属于第二位的信摆在了第一位，那么在天堂，你必象一个倒立的人，脚朝上而头朝下，或象倒立身子、用手掌行走的小丑。若这就是你在天堂的形像，那么你的善行，就是行为中的仁爱又会是什么样呢？岂不像是那小丑用双脚所做的那类事，因为他无法用手来做？这就是为何你们的仁爱是属世的，而非属灵的，因为它是颠倒的。”
龙使者理解这一点，因为所有魔鬼在听闻真理时都能理解。但他无法保持在记忆中，因为对邪恶的情感（本质上是肉体的情欲）会回过头来将真理的思维驱逐出去。后来，智者以各种方式说明，信若被视为首要的，纯粹是属世的，是缺乏属灵生命的信念，因而根本不是信。他补充说：“我几乎可以说，你们的信，就和有关莫卧儿帝国、其中的钻石矿、那个帝王的宝库或宫廷的思维一样，里面没有任何灵性。”闻听此言，龙使者怒气冲冲地走了，向城外的同伴报告。当他们听说，仁爱是为了救赎和永生的缘故而对邻行善的爱之情感时，全都大声叫嚷：“这简直是个谎言！”龙自己也大喊：“多么离谱啊！所有仁爱的行为若是为了救赎的缘故而做出的，岂不是在寻求功德？”
然后，他们彼此商量说：“我们不如召集更多人马，围攻这城，把这些仁爱的典范赶出去。”但就在他们试图行动时，火光突然从天而降，烧灭了他们。不过，天上的火是一种表象，显示出他们对城中百姓的愤怒和仇恨，因为这些人将信的位置从第一位丢到了第二位，确切地说，把它搁在了仁之下的最末位，还声称这样的信不是信。他们看似被火吞噬，是因为他们脚下的地狱打开了，他们全都被吞没了。在最后审判之日，类似事件在很多地方发生。这也是启示录中这段经文的含义：
龙要出来迷惑四方的列国，叫他们聚集争战。他们上来地面，围住圣徒的营与蒙爱的城，就有火从天降下，烧灭了他们（启示录20:8，9）。
388. 第四個經歷:
我曾與一些人談論『啟示錄』中"龍"為何意。其中一位對我說:"跟我來, 我帶你去看場表演。"於是他帶我穿過一片黑乎乎的森林, 來到一座山上, 在此我能看到龍自以為樂的所作所為。我見到一座露天劇場般建築, 圓環狀, 一圈圈的長椅沿階梯擺設, 觀眾們正坐在椅子上。坐在前排椅子上的觀眾, 隔著一段距離看去, 像薩梯(希臘與羅馬的森林之神, 色欲極強)和普利阿普斯(希臘與羅馬的男性生殖神), 他們中有一些用遮羞布遮著私處, 有的則完全裸露。在他們身後長椅上坐著的, 是一些通姦與出賣色相的男男女女。(從他們所做的姿勢提示我。)
然後, 龍對我說:"現在, 你將看到我們的表演。"
我見到有一些看起像牛犢,公羊,綿羊,山羊與羊羔的動物被放進圓形劇場。當它們全進去後, 有個門被打開了, 一些看起來像壯獅,獵豹,猛虎和豺狼般的動物闖進來。它們狂暴地攻擊這些牲畜, 把它們撕成碎片。在血腥殺戮後, 薩梯們將沙子灑在它們被殺之地。
[2]然後, 龍對我說:"這就是我們的消遣, 我們非常滿意。"
"走開, 你這個魔鬼！"我回答:"你將很快看到這個劇場將變成烈火與硫磺之海。"
對此他不屑一顧, 笑了笑便走開了。
事後, 我開始思考:為何主許可這樣的事情發生？在內心, 我得到答覆:只要那些人還在靈界, 這樣的事情是被允許的; 在那裡的時間滿了, 這樣的戲劇場面就會轉變成地獄的痛苦。
[3]我所見的一切景象都是那龍想像的結果。因此它們並非真的牛犢,公羊,綿羊,山羊與羊羔。龍將關於教會的一切真正的良善與真實的事物(龍所憎恨的)想像成這些形象。壯獅,獵豹,猛虎和豺狼, 是像薩梯和普利阿普斯之類的人們欲望的表現。那些私處裸露的觀眾, 表示那些相信自己的邪惡不會向上帝顯露。那些纏著遮羞布的靈, 認為他們的邪惡會顯露, 然而他們相信, 只要自己有信, 就不會受詛咒。通姦者與出賣色相者指那些歪曲聖言真理者, 因為通姦表示對真理的竄改與歪曲。
心靈世界中的一切事物, 隔著一定距離觀看時, 按其對應都有某種外在的表象。當這些對應顯為具體的形式時, 被稱為屬靈事物的代表的寫照, 以物質世界中相似的物體來描寫。
[4]之後, 我見這些靈離開樹林。龍在薩梯和普利阿普斯之類中間。他們的僕人與走卒(通姦者與出賣色相者)跟隨其後。他們的隊伍邊走邊壯大。
此時, 我聽到他們在交頭接耳, 原來他們見到一處草地上有群綿羊和羊羔。這是一個標誌, 表示附近有眾多耶路撒冷城的其中一座, 義是該城的最主要的特徵。
他們說:"走, 我們奪了這座城, 將居民趕出來, 占了他們的財產。"於是, 他們接近那城, 然而有城牆包圍, 城牆上的天人看守。於是他們說:"我們不如用計奪城。先遣一名擅於詭辯之人進去, 他要能把黑說成白,白說成黑, 能給任何東西塗上想塗的顏色。"
於是他們找到一位專於理論哲學方面的行家, 能將真實的概念轉變為術語, 將事實掩藏在這些套話之下, 然後像老鷹將獵物藏在翅下飛走了。他還被告知, 該和城裡的人說起什麼, 要說他們與城裡居民在信仰上是同盟關係, 這樣就能被放進城。
於是, 他走近城門敲門。當門打開時, 他便說他想和城中最有智慧之人談話。他被放進來, 帶到城中某個人面前。
對這位智者, 他說:"我的弟兄們在城外, 正在請求進城。在信仰上, 他們是你的同盟。我們與你一樣, 都認為信與義是信仰的兩個要素。你我之間唯一的不同點在於:你們將義放在首要, 信由義出; 而我們將信放在首要, 義由信出。反正我們相信它們二者, 誰在前在後, 有何分別呢？"
[5]城中這位智者回答:"我們倆不單獨討論這個話題。不如在眾人面前討論, 讓他們來做評委與裁判吧。要不然, 我們自己無法作決斷。"
很快便將人召集一起, 這位龍的來使將之前所表達的意思向眾人傳達了。然後, 城中這位智者回答:"你剛才說, 只要認同義與信是組成教會及其信仰的要素, 至於在教會中不管哪個放在首要, 都沒什麼分別。
"然而, 它們的分別就像在前與在後的分別, 如同原因與結果之間的分別, 也像主要的事物與輔助的事物之間的分別, 本質的事物與形式上的事物之間的分別。我用這些用語, 因為我注意到你是理論哲學方面的專家, 我們有些人稱之為'故弄玄虛', 有些人稱之為'念咒'。
"不過, 讓我們把這些術語先放在一邊吧。其實它們的分別就好比在上面的和在下面的之間的分別。事實上, 如果你肯相信的話, 之間的分別就如同心靈世界中住在上面的靈的思想與住在下面的靈的思想之間的差別。
"首要的, 構成頭部與胸部; 由此而出的, 構成腿以及往下直到腳趾的部分。
"然而, 我們首先當定義何為義與信。義, 就是因著上帝,拯救與永生的緣故而熱愛對鄰舍行善的情感。信, 是基於對上帝,拯救和永生的信靠而進行的思維。"
[6]但這位來使說:"我同意這就是信的定義, 也同意義就是因著上帝的緣故而熱愛行善的情感, 因為這是因著祂的誡命而行出來, 然而並非為了得救與永生。"
在他部分認同又部分不認同之後, 城中的這位智者說:"難道不是情感與熱愛為首要, 思維由此才產生嗎？"
龍的使節說:"這個, 我否認。"
這位智者回答:"你無法否認這一點！任何人的思維都是某些情感的結果。將其中的情感拿走, 人還能思考什麼呢？這確實就如同你將聲音從話語中拿走; 如果拿走聲音, 你還能說什麼呢？聲音是某些熱愛的情感的產物, 言語是思維的產物; 因為情感產生聲音, 思維形成話語。
"火焰與光亮是另一個例子。如果將火焰取走, 光亮就不復存在了。義與信也是如此, 因為義是愛(或情感)的產物, 信是思維的產物。於是, 你一定能理解:首要的事物是次要事物最重要的成分, 正如火焰是光亮的本質。
"由此明顯可看出, 你若不將首要成分擺在第一位, 就無法得出第二成分。如果你將屬於第二位置的信放在第一位置, 在天國裡, 你看起來就像某個倒立的人, 腳朝上頭朝下, 像小丑扮演倒立行走。當你在天國中看起來是這樣時, 你的善行(也就是義的行為)看起來會像什麼呢？就像小丑用腳在做某些事情, 因為無法再用手做事。這就是為何你們的義是屬世的, 而非屬靈的, 因為它完全顛倒了。"
[7] 這位來使能理解這點, 因為任何魔鬼聽到真理時, 都能理解。只是不能保持在記憶中, 因為對邪惡的喜愛(本質上就是肉體的欲望)會回過頭來將一切真理的思想驅逐出去。
然後, 城中的這位智者舉了許多例子來說明, 若將信擺在第一位, 信會如何。他說:"那將會純粹屬世,缺乏任何屬靈生命的說服而已, 因此不是信。我幾乎可以說, 在你的信仰中沒有什麼屬靈的成分存在。"
聽到這些, 這位龍靈生氣地走了。他將所發生的事情報告給城外的同夥們。當他們聽到有人將義定義成為了得救與永生而熱愛向鄰舍行善的情感時, 他們全都大叫起來:"那是個謊言！"
龍自己說:"呵, 簡直在犯罪！行任何義行若是為了被得拯救, 豈不是在為自己尋求功勞？"
[8]然後他們互相商討:"我們不如召集更多人馬, 攻城！將這些所謂的'義'趕出城。"當他們正在準備行動時, 有火從天上顯現, 降下來燒毀他們。從天上來的火, 是他們對城中百姓怒氣與恨意的顯現, 因為城中的人們將信的位置從第一位挪到第二位, 遠在義之下, 還說要不然就不是信。看起來他們好像都被火燒滅了, 因為他們腳下的地獄開了, 他們全被吞沒了。
在最後審判的日子期間, 類似的事件在各個地方經常發生。這們的事件也是『啟示錄』這段話所表示的意思:
龍要出來迷惑四方的列國, 叫他們聚集爭戰。他們上來地面, 圍住聖徒的營與蒙愛的城, 就有火從天降下, 燒滅了他們(啟示錄20:8-9)。
388. The fourth memorable occurrence. I was talking with some of the people meant by "the dragon" in the Book of Revelation. One of them said, "Come with me. I'll show you what entertains our eyes and hearts. " He led me through a dark forest onto a hill from which I could watch the dragon's form of entertainment. I saw an amphitheater built in the round with seating rising at an angle in every direction, on which the spectators were sitting. The spectators sitting in the front row looked to me at a distance like satyrs and priapuses, some with a loincloth covering their genitals and some who were completely naked. Sitting in the seats behind them there were promiscuous men and women. (Their movements suggested to me that that is what they were.)
Then the dragon said to me, "Now you are going to see our form of entertainment. "
I saw what looked like bull calves, rams, sheep, goats, and lambs released into the arena. After they had all come in, a gate opened up and what looked like young lions, panthers, tigers, and wolves came rushing in. These animals attacked the others in a rage, tore them to pieces, and slaughtered them. After the gory slaughter, satyrs went out and sprinkled sand over the area where the kill had taken place.
[2] Then the dragon said to me, "This is our entertainment. It gives our minds great satisfaction. "
I said, "Go away, you demon! It won't be long before you see this amphitheater turned into a lake of fire and sulfur. "
He laughed at what I had said and went away.
Afterward, I was wondering to myself why the Lord allows things like that. In my heart I received an answer. Events like that are allowed as long as those people are in the world of spirits. After their time in that world is finished, theatrical displays like that are turned into dreadful, hellish scenes.
[3] The whole spectacle had been conjured up by the dragon's ability to project images. The bull calves, rams, sheep, goats, and lambs did not in fact exist. The dragon spirits had taken all the genuinely good and true things about the church that they hate and made them look like those animals. The lions, panthers, tigers, and wolves were manifestations of the lusts of the people who looked like satyrs and priapuses. The spirits who wore nothing over their genitals believed that their evil is not apparent before God. The spirits who wore a loincloth believed that their evil is apparent but that they are not damned by it, provided they have faith. The promiscuous men and women were people who falsify the truths of the Word. (Promiscuity stands for falsification of truth.)
Everything in the spiritual world, when seen from a distance, has an external appearance that is based on correspondences. When these correspondences assume particular forms, they are called representations of spiritual things in objects like those in the material world.
[4] Later on I saw the spirits leaving the forest. The dragon left among the satyrs and priapuses. Their servants and lackeys, who were the promiscuous men and women, went along behind them. The crowd became larger as it went along.
At that point I could hear what they were saying to each other - that they had seen a flock of sheep and lambs in a meadow. This was a sign that they were near one of the many Jerusalem cities where goodwill is primary.
They said, "Let's go capture the city, drive out its inhabitants, and loot their possessions. "
They came closer to the city, but there was a wall around it, with angel guards on the wall. So they said, "Let's use deceit to capture it. Let's send in someone who is skilled in double-talk, who can whiten what is black, blacken what is white, and color the reality of any subject. "
They managed to find someone who was an expert in theoretical philosophy. He could turn concepts based on reality into mere terminology, hide realities behind formulas, and then fly away like a hawk with its prey beneath its wings. They taught him how he should address the people in the city. He should say that his companions were the citizens' allies in religion and should be allowed in.
He came to the gate of the city and knocked. When the gate opened, he said that he wanted to speak to the wisest person in the city. He was allowed to enter and was taken to someone in the city.
In speaking to the wise person, he said, "My people are outside the city. They are asking to be let in. They are your allies in religion. Both you and we consider faith and goodwill the two essentials of religion. The only difference between us is that you say goodwill is primary and faith comes from it, while we say faith is primary and goodwill comes from it. What difference does it make if this or that is labeled primary, as long as we all believe in them both?"
[5] The wise person from the city replied, "You and I shouldn't discuss this alone. We should discuss it before a number of people acting as referees and judges. Otherwise we couldn't come to a decision. "
Soon the referees and judges were summoned, and the dragon spirit addressed them using much the same language he had used before. Then the wise man from the city replied, "You have stated that it makes no difference whether goodwill or faith is taken to be primary in the church as long as there is agreement that both constitute the church and its religion.
"But it does make a difference - as much of a difference as there is between what is prior and what is posterior, between cause and effect, between something principal and something instrumental, and between something essential and something merely formal. I frame it in these philosophical terms because I am aware that you are an expert in the theoretical philosophy that we call 'double-talk' and others call 'incantation. '
"But let's leave philosophical terminology aside. There is as much difference between considering faith primary and considering goodwill primary as there is between something superior and something inferior. In fact, if you are willing to believe it, there is as much difference as there is between the minds of spirits who live up high in this world and the minds of spirits who live down low.
"What is primary constitutes the head and the torso, so to speak. What comes from it constitutes the legs down to the soles of the feet.
"First of all, however, we should define goodwill and faith. Goodwill is a loving desire to do what is good for our neighbor on account of God, salvation, and eternal life. Faith is thought that is based on confidence in God, salvation, and eternal life.
[6] "I grant you your definition of faith, the delegate said, and I also grant that goodwill is that loving desire to act on account of God, because it is acting on account of his commandments; but it is not acting on account of salvation and eternal life. "
After this agreement and disagreement, the wise man from the city said, "Surely desire or love is primary, and thought comes from it. "
The dragon's delegate said, "I deny that. "
The wise man replied, "You cannot deny it! People do their thinking based on some love. Take away the love: can they think anything at all? It is exactly the same as taking the sound out of speech. If you take away the sound, can you say anything at all? In fact, sound comes from a desire related to some love, and speech comes from thought, since love makes the sound, and thought speaks.
"Another example is a flame and light. If you take away the flame, the light ceases to exist. It is the same with goodwill and faith, since goodwill relates to love and faith relates to thought. Surely you can understand, then, that the primary thing is the most important ingredient of the secondary thing, as in the case of flame and light.
"It is clear from this that if you don't make the primary element primary, you don't have the secondary element either. If you take faith, which belongs in the second place, and put it in the first place, in heaven you will look just like someone upside down, whose legs are up in the air and whose head is down below, like acrobats that walk on the palms of their hands. And since that is how you appear in heaven, your good actions, your acts of goodwill, are like the kinds of things acrobats do with their feet because their hands are not available. Your goodwill is earthly, not spiritual, because it is upside-down. "
[7] The delegate comprehended this - all devils can understand truth when they hear it. They just cannot retain it, because their desire for evil, which is actually a craving belonging to their flesh, comes back into play and thrusts out any thought of the truth.
Afterward, the wise man of the city used many examples to show what faith is like when it is taken to be the primary thing: "It is merely earthly. It is a conviction without any spiritual life. Therefore it is not faith. I could almost say that there is no more spirituality in your faith than there would be in a faith that consisted of thinking about the country of Mongolia, a diamond mine there, and the royal treasure of the Mongolian emperor. "
Angry at hearing this, the dragon spirit went away. He reported back to his people outside the city. When they heard that someone had defined goodwill as a desire to do good to one's neighbor on account of salvation and eternal life, they all shouted, "That's a lie!"
The dragon himself said, "It is criminal! Surely when people perform acts of goodwill for the sake of their own salvation they are hoping to earn merit. "
[8] Then they said to each other, "We should call together even more of our people, besiege this city, and throw these 'goodwills' out. "
Yet as they were working on this, fire appeared to come down from heaven and devour them! The fire was in fact a manifestation of their own rage and hatred against the people in the city for demoting faith from first place to second, placing it far beneath goodwill, and saying otherwise it would not be faith. It looked like they were devoured by fire, because hell opened under their feet and swallowed them up.
Things like this happened in many places at the time of the Last Judgment. These events were also meant by the following passage in the Book of Revelation:
The dragon will go out to lead astray the nations that are in the four corners of the earth to gather them for war. They climbed up onto the plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. (Revelation 20:8-9)
388. The fourth experience.
I talked with some of those who are meant in Revelation by the dragon, and one of them said: 'Come with me, and I will show you what delights our eyes and hearts.'
So he took me through a dark wood and up a hill, from which I could watch the pleasures of the dragons. I saw an amphitheatre constructed in the shape of a ring surrounded by benches running up in tiers, on which the spectators were sitting. Those sitting on the lowest benches looked to be from a distance like satyrs and priapi 1 ; some had clothing to conceal their private parts, and some without it were totally naked. On the benches above them sat fornicators and prostitutes, as it appeared to me by the gestures they made.
Then the dragon said to me: 'Now you will see our sport.' I saw let into the space in the ring what looked like calves, rams, ewes, kids and lambs; and when they were inside, a gate was opened and in rushed what looked like young lions, panthers, tigers and wolves. These furiously attacked the cattle, tore them in pieces and massacred them. After this bloody slaughter the satyrs sprinkled sand over the place where they had been killed.
[2] Then the dragon said to me: 'These are the sports which delight our minds.' 'Away with you, demon,' I replied, 'in a short while you will see this amphitheatre turned into a lake of fire and brimstone.' He laughed at this and went away. But afterwards I began to reflect why such things are permitted by the Lord. I received a reply in my heart, that they are permitted so long as people are in the world of spirits; but once their time in that world is up, such theatrical scenes are turned into the torments of hell.
[3] Everything which I saw had been the product of the dragon's imagination. So they were not really calves, rams, ewes, kids and lambs, but they made the genuine kinds of good and truth in the church, which they hated, appear in this form. The lions, panthers, tigers and wolves were the forms taken by the desires of the people who looked like satyrs and priapi. The ones with no clothing around their private parts were those who believed that evils were not manifest to God; those who had some clothing were those who believed that evils were manifest, but did not damn a person so long as he had faith. The fornicators and prostitutes were those who falsify the truths of the Word, for fornication means the falsification of truth. In the spiritual world everything at a distance looks like what it corresponds to, and when these take visible form they are called representations of spiritual things in the form of objects resembling those in the natural world.
[4] Later on I saw them emerging from the wood, the dragon in the midst of satyrs and priapi, with servants and camp-followers, who were the fornicators and prostitutes, coming after them. The column they formed grew as they went, and then I heard what they were discussing.
They were saying they had seen in a meadow a flock of sheep with lambs, and this was a sign that close by was one of the Jerusalem cities, where charity is the leading characteristic. 'Let us go,' they said, 'and capture that city, expel the inhabitants and plunder their property.' So they approached, but there was a wall around it, and angels on the wall to guard it. So then they said: 'Let us capture it by a trick. Let us send them someone skilled in sophistry, who can make black appear white and white black, and put a colourable gloss on anything.'
So they found someone who was an expert in metaphysics, able to turn real ideas into terminological ones, conceal the facts under forms of words, and so fly off like a hawk with its prey beneath its wings. He was told what to say to the people in the city, that they were co-religionists and should be let in. He went up to the gate and knocked, and when it was opened he said that he wished to speak with the wisest person in the city. He went in and was taken to someone, whom he addressed in these words: 'My brethren are outside the city, begging to be admitted. They-are your co-religionists, for you and we both make faith and charity the two essentials of religion. The only difference is, that you put charity first and derive faith from it, and we put faith first and derive charity from it. What does it matter which is put first, when we believe in both?'
[5] The wise citizen replied: 'Let us not discuss this subject by ourselves, but in the presence of a larger audience who can act as umpires and judges. Otherwise we shall not reach a decision.' So more people were soon summoned, and they were addressed by the dragon's ambassador in similar words to those he had previously used.
Then the wise citizen made his reply: 'You have said that it is much the same whether charity or faith is regarded as the leading matter in the church, so long as there is agreement that either of them constitutes the church and its religion. Yet the difference is like that between prior and posterior, cause and effect, principal and instrumental, and essential and formal. I use these terms because I notice that you are an expert on metaphysics, a subject we call mere sophistry, and some people call magic formulas. But let us drop these terms. The difference is like that between what is above and what is beneath. Or rather, if you will believe me, it is the difference between the minds of those in this world who live on the upper level and the minds of those on the lower level. For the leading point constitutes the head and chest, and what is derived from it the feet and the soles of the feet. But first of all let us agree on the definition of charity and faith. Charity is the affection of the love of doing good to the neighbour for the sake of God, salvation and everlasting life; and faith is thinking from a trust in God, salvation and everlasting life.
[6] But the ambassador said: 'I agree that this is the definition of faith, and I also agree that charity is that affection for the sake of God, because it is for the sake of His commandment, but not for the sake of salvation and eternal life.' After this partial agreement and partial disagreement, the wise citizen said: 'Is not affection or liking the leading point, and thought derived from it?' The dragon's ambassador said: 'This I deny.'
But he was answered: 'You cannot deny it. Surely anyone thinks as the result of some liking. Take away the liking, and can he think at all? It is exactly as if you removed the sound from speech; if you took away the sound, could you say anything? Sound too is the product of the affection of some love or other, and speech is the product of thought, for love makes a sound and thought puts it into words. It is also like a flame and light; if you take away the flame, is not the light extinguished? It is much the same with charity, because this is the product of love, and with faith, because this is the product of thought. Can you not thus grasp that the leading point is all-important for the secondary, exactly as the flame is for the light? It is obvious from this that if you do not put the leading point first, you cannot have the second either. Therefore, if you put faith, which is in the second place, in first place, you cannot fail to appear in heaven as upside down, with your feet uppermost and your head down, or like a clown who walks upside down on the palms of his hands. When you look like this in heaven, what then will your good deeds look like, which are charity in action? They can only be the sort of things the clown does with his feet, since he cannot do them with his hands. That is why your charity is natural rather than spiritual, since it is upside down.'
[7] The ambassador understood this, since every devil can understand truth when he hears it; but he is unable to keep it in his memory, because the affection for evil, which is essentially the longing of the flesh, on its return expels thought of the truth. Afterwards the wise citizen showed at some length what is the nature of faith when. it is taken as the leading point, namely, that it is purely natural, a conviction devoid of any spiritual life, and in consequence no faith at all. 'And I can almost say that there is no more spirituality in your faith, than there is in thinking about the Mogul empire, the diamond mine in it, and the treasury or court of that emperor.' On hearing this the dragon's man went off in anger and reported to his companions outside the city. When they heard it had been said that charity is the affection of the love of doing good to the neighbour for the sake of [God,] 2 salvation and everlasting life, they all shouted: 'This is a lie!', and the dragon himself cried: 'Ah, what a crime! Surely all charitable deeds if they are done for the sake of salvation, are merit-seeking?'
[8] Then they said to one another: 'Let us summon still more of our people, and lay siege to this city, and let us expel these paragons of charity.' But when they attempted this, a sudden flash of fire from heaven consumed them. But the fire from heaven was a manifestation of their anger and hatred directed against the people in the city, since they had cast down faith from first to second place, or rather to the lowest place beneath charity, since they claimed that it was no faith. The reason they appeared to be consumed by fire was that hell opened up beneath their feet, and they were swallowed up. Similar events to this occurred in many places on the day of the Last Judgment; this too is the meaning of the following passage in Revelation:
The dragon will come forth to lead astray the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, to assemble them for war; and they went up on the surface of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. But fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them, Revelation 20:8-9.
Footnotes:
388. Fourth Memorable Relation:
I have spoken with some of those who are meant in the Apocalypse by the "dragon," and one of them said, "Come with me, and I will show you the delights of our eyes and hearts."
And he led me through a gloomy forest and to the top of a hill, from which I could witness the delights of the dragonists, and I saw an amphitheater built in the form of a circus, with seats round about gradually rising from the front, on which the spectators were sitting. Those sitting upon the lowest seats appeared to me at a distance like satyrs and priapi, some having a slight covering over the parts that ought to be concealed, and others wholly naked. On the seats above these sat whoremongers and harlots; such they appeared to me from their gestures.
The dragonist then said to me, "Now you shall see our sport." And I saw, as it were, calves, rams, sheep, kids and lambs let into the arena of the circus; and when these had been let in, a door was opened, and in rushed, as it were, young lions, panthers, tigers, and wolves, which attacked the other animals with fury, tearing them and slaughtering them. After this bloody slaughter, the satyrs sprinkled sand over the place of the slaughter.
[2] Then the dragonist said to me, "These are our sports, which delight our minds."
I answered, "Begone, demon! after a while you will see this amphitheater turned into a lake of fire and brimstone."
At this he laughed and went away. Afterward I was thinking to myself why such things are permitted by the Lord; and I received in my heart the answer that they are permitted so long as these spirits are in the world of spirits, but when their stay in that world is ended such theatrical scenes are turned into infernal horrors.
[3] All this that had been seen was induced by the dragonist by means of fantasies; thus there had been no calves, rams, sheep, kids, or lambs, but they caused the genuine goods and truths of the church, which they hated, to so appear. The lions, panthers, tigers, and wolves were appearances of the cupidities of those who seemed like satyrs and priapi. Those without a covering about the parts that ought to be concealed, were such as believed that evils do not appear in the sight of God; while those with a covering were such as believed that evils appear but do not damn provided they have faith. The whoremongers and harlots were falsifiers of the truths of the Word, for whoredom signifies the falsification of the truth. In the spiritual world all things appear at a distance in accordance with correspondence, and when they appear in forms they are called representations of spiritual things in objects resembling natural things.
[4] After this I saw them going out of the forest, the dragonist in the midst of the satyrs and priapi, and behind them their camp-followers, who were the whoremongers and harlots. The crowd increased on the way, and then I heard what they were saying to one another.
They said that they saw a flock of sheep with lambs in a meadow, and that this was a sign that one of the Jerusalemite cities, where charity is the chief thing, was not faraway. And they said, "Let us go and capture that city, and cast out its inhabitants, and plunder their goods."
They approached the city; but there was a wall around it, with angel guards upon the wall.
They then said, "Let us take it by stratagem. Let us send someone skilful in wily speaking, who can make black white and white black, and give to everything whatever color he chooses."
And they found one versed in the art of metaphysics, who was able to change ideas of things into ideas of terms, concerning the things themselves under formulas, and thus flying away with them like a hawk with its prey under its wings. He was instructed what to say to the citizens, that they were companions in religion, and that they wished to be admitted.
He went to the gate and knocked, and when it was opened he said that he wished to speak with the wisest man of the city. He entered and was conducted to a certain person, whom he addressed as follows: "My brethren are outside the city and beg to be admitted; they are companions with you in religion; with you we make faith and charity the two essentials of religion; the sole difference is that you say that charity is primary and from it comes faith, while we say that faith is primary and from it comes charity. What matters it which is called primary, so long as both are believed in?"
[5] The wise man of the city answered, "Let us not talk of this matter alone, but in the presence of others who may be arbiters and judges; otherwise we arrive at no decision." And at once some were summoned to whom the dragonist said the same things as before.
Then the wise citizen answered, "You have said that it is the same whether charity is assumed to be the first principle of the church, or faith, provided it is agreed that the two constitute the church and its religion. But there is a difference like that between the prior and the posterior, between cause and effect, the principal and the instrumental, the essential and the formal. I use these terms, because I notice that you are skilled in the art of metaphysics, an art that we call wily speaking [mussitatio] and some call sorcery. But let us drop the terms. The difference is like that between what is above and what is below; or, if you will believe it, it is even like the difference between the minds of those who dwell in the higher and those who dwell in the lower parts of this world. For what is primary constitutes the head and breast, and what is from that constitutes the feet and their soles. But let us see first whether we agree as to what charity is and what faith is, namely, that charity is an affection of the love of doing good to the neighbor for the sake of God, salvation and eternal life, and that faith is thought derived from trust respecting God, salvation and eternal life."
[6] The emissary replied, "I grant that this is faith, and I also grant that charity is an affection for doing this for God's sake, because He has commanded it, but not for the sake of salvation and eternal life."
After this agreement and disagreement the wise citizen said, "Is not the affection or the love primary, and is not thought derived therefrom?"
But the messenger of the Dragon said, "That I deny."
The other answered, "You cannot deny it. Does not man think from some love? Take away love, and can he think at all? It is precisely the same as taking away sound from speech. If you do that can you speak at all? The sound, moreover, belongs to some affection of the love, while speech belongs to thought, for it is the love that sounds and the thought that speaks. It is also like flame and light. If you take away the flame does not the light perish? It is the same with charity, because charity belongs to love, and with faith, because faith belongs to thought. Can you not thus comprehend that the primary is the all in the secondary, precisely like flame and light? From all this it is clear that if you do not make primary that which is primary, you are not in the other. Consequently, if you put faith, which belongs to the second place, in the first place, you will always appear in heaven like an inverted man with his feet upward and his head downward, or like a gymnast with inverted body walking on the palms of his hands. If such is your appearance in heaven, what kind of works are your good works, which are charity in act, except such as that gymnast might do with his feet, because he can not use his hands? Therefore your charity, being an inverted charity, is natural and not spiritual."
[7] This the emissary understood, for every devil can understand truth when he hears it, but he cannot retain it because affection for evil, which in itself is the lust of the flesh, banishes, when it returns, the thought of truth.
Then the wise citizen showed in various ways that faith when accepted as the primary is merely natural, a persuasion destitute of spiritual life, and consequently is not faith. And he added, "I might almost say that in your faith there is no more spirituality than in thought about the kingdom of the Great Mogul, about the diamond-mine there, and the treasury or court of that emperor."
When the dragonist heard this he went away angry and reported to his companions outside of the city; and when they heard that it had been said that charity is an affection of the love of doing good to the neighbor for the sake of salvation and eternal life, they all exclaimed, "It is a lie!" And the dragonist himself said, "Oh how outrageous! Are not all works that pertain to charity, and that are done for the sake of salvation, made worthy of merit?"
[8] Then they said to one another, "Let us call together still more of our people, and besiege this city and expel these charities."
But when they tried to do that, lo, there was an appearance of a fire out of heaven which consumed them. But the fire out of heaven was an appearance of their anger and hatred against those who were in the city, because they had cast faith down from the first place to the second, and even to the lowest place, beneath charity, since they had said that such faith is no faith.
They appeared to be consumed with fire, because a hell was opened under their feet, and they were swallowed up.
Similar things happened in many places at the time of the last judgment, which is also meant by the following in the Apocalypse:
The dragon shall go forth to lead astray the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, to gather them together to war. And they went up on the plain of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city but fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them (Revelation 20:8, 9).
388. The fourth experience. I was once in conversation with certain of those meant by the dragon in the Revelation; and one of them said, "Come with me and I will show you some of the things that please our eyes and delight our hearts." He then led me through a gloomy wood to the top of a hill, from which I could witness the spectacles in which they delighted. I saw an amphitheater built like a circus, with rows of benches one above another, on which the spectators were seated. Those on the lowest seats appeared to me at a distance like satyrs and Priapi, 1 some wearing such clothing as decency required and some wearing none. On the seats above them were fornicators and courtesans, as was evident from their behavior. Then the draconian spirit said to me, "Now you shall see our pastime." I seemed to see bullocks, rams, sheep, kids and lambs driven into the arena; and when they were inside, a door was opened, and there rushed in young lions, panthers, tigers and wolves, which with great fury attacked the flocks and herds, and tearing them to pieces destroyed them. Thereupon satyrs scattered sand over the place of slaughter.
[2] The spirit then said to me, "These are our sports in which we delight." I replied, "Begone, demon; soon you will see this amphitheater turned into a lake of fire and brimstone." At this he laughed and went away. Afterwards I pondered why such things are permitted by the Lord; and I received in my heart the answer, that they are permitted so long as there are such dragons in the world of spirits; but when their time in that world comes to an end, such displays are turned into infernal horrors.
[3] Everything that was seen was an appearance induced by the dragon's power of illusion. Thus the bullocks, rams, sheep, kids and lambs were not real; but the dragons caused the genuine goods and truths of the Church, which are objects of hatred to them, to assume these appearances; while the lions, panthers, tigers and wolves were appearances of the lusts ruling in those who resembled satyrs and Priapi. 1 Those whose secret parts were unclothed were such as believed that evils do not appear in the sight of God; while those who were clothed believed that evils are indeed seen by Him, but do not condemn those who have faith. The fornicators and courtesans were falsifiers of the truths of the Word; for fornication signifies the falsification of truth. In the spiritual world all things, at a distance, appear according to correspondences; and such appearances are called representations of spiritual things in natural forms.
[4] After this I saw them going out of the wood. The draconian spirit was surrounded by the satyrs and lewd spirits, followed by the fornicators and courtesans as their servants and attendants. Their company increased as they went along, and I overheard their conversation. Some were saying they could see in a meadow a flock of sheep with lambs, and that this indicated that they were near one of the cities of the Jerusalemites, where charity is held in the first place. Hereupon they said: "Let us go and take that city, cast out its inhabitants and spoil them of their goods." They accordingly drew near, but the city was surrounded by a wall, guarded by angels. Then they said: "Let us take it by stratagem; let us send some one skilled in sophistry, who can make black appear white, and white black, and who can give to any object whatever color he pleases." So they found one versed in metaphysics who could turn ideas of realities into ideas of terms, concealing realities under the cloak of formulas, and thus fly away with them, like a hawk with its prey under its wings.
He was instructed how to treat with the citizens, to say that they were of the same religion, and wished to be admitted within the walls. Approaching the gate, he knocked; and when it was opened, he said he wished to speak with the wisest man in the city. He then entered, and was conducted to one of the citizens whom he thus addressed: "My brethren are outside the city, and wish to be admitted. They are of the same religion as yourselves; both you and we regard faith and charity as the two essentials of religion. The only difference is that you call charity the primary, and faith the derivative, whereas we say that faith is the primary and charity the derivative; but what does it matter which is called the primary or which the derivative, provided there is belief in both?"
[5] The wise man of the city replied: "Let us not talk alone on this matter, but in the presence of others, who shall act as arbiters and judges; otherwise we shall come to no decision." Forthwith others were summoned, and to these the draconian spirit addressed the same words as before. Then the wise man of the city replied: "You have stated that it is the same thing, whether charity or faith is regarded as the first essential of the Church, provided it is agreed that both constitute the Church and its religion; and yet the difference is the same as between prior and posterior, between cause and effect, between principal and instrumental, and between the essential and the formal. I use this language because I have perceived that you are versed in metaphysics, an art which we call sophistry, and which some call sorcery. Let us drop these terms. The difference is like that between what is above and what is below; in fact, if you are disposed to believe it, the difference is like that between the minds of those who dwell in the higher and lower regions of this world; for what is primary constitutes the head and the breast; and what is derived from it, the feet and the soles of the feet. However, let us first come to an agreement on what charity and faith are, namely, that charity is the affection of the love of doing good to the neighbor, for the sake of God, salvation and eternal life; and faith is thought, grounded in confidence, respecting God, salvation and eternal life."
[6] Thereupon, the emissary said: "I grant that this is faith, and I grant also that charity is the love of doing good for the sake of God, because He has commanded this, but not for the sake of salvation and eternal life." In reply to his agreement, qualified by this difference, the wise man of the city said: "Is not love or desire primary, and thought derived from it?" But the dragon's emissary said, "I deny that." The other replied: "You cannot deny it. Does not a man think from some desire? Take away desire, could he think at all? It would be like taking away sound from speech; could you then speak at all? Sound has relation to love, and speech to thought; for love expresses itself in sound, but thought in words. It is the same with flame and light; if the flame is taken away, the light also is extinguished. So it is with charity and faith, because charity has relation to love, and faith to thought. Can you not then understand that the primary is wholly in the secondary, just as the flame is in light? From these considerations it is clear that if you do not regard as primary that which is primary, you are not principled in the other. Therefore, if you put faith in the first place, when in reality it is in the second, you will appear in heaven like a man inverted, with feet up and head down, exactly like a mountebank, upside down, walking on his hands. That being so, then your good works, or charity in act, will resemble what the mountebank performs with his feet, because he cannot use his hands. Your charity, therefore, is natural and not spiritual, because it is inverted."
[7] The emissary understood this, for every devil can understand the truth when he hears it, but he cannot retain it; for the recurring affection of evil, which is the lust of the flesh, casts out the thought of truth. After this, the wise man of the city explained at some length the nature of faith when it is regarded as the first essential of religion, showing that it is merely natural, a persuasion devoid of spiritual life, and consequently not faith at all; and he added "I might almost say that in your faith there is no more spirituality than in thought concerning the Mogul's empire, with its diamond mines and the treasure of the emperor and his palace." On hearing this the draconic spirit went away in a rage, and reported everything to his companions outside the city. When they heard it stated that charity is the love of doing good to the neighbor for the sake of salvation and eternal life, they all exclaimed, "It is a lie;" and the dragon himself cried out, "What wickedness! Are not all the works of charity done for the sake of salvation, merit-seeking works?"
[8] Then they said to one another: "Let us summon more of our men, and lay siege to this city, and cast out these impersonations of charity." When, however, they proceeded to do so, there appeared as it were fire from heaven, which consumed them. This fire was a representation of their anger and hatred against the inhabitants of the city, who had relegated faith from the first to the second place, in fact to the lowest place beneath charity, declaring their faith to be no faith at all. They appeared to be consumed by fire, because hell opened under their feet, and they were swallowed up. Incidents similar to these happened in many places at the time of the Last Judgment, and this is what is meant by the following passage in the Revelation: The dragon "shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth... to gather them together to battle... and they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them" Revelation 20:8-9.
Footnotes:
1. Priapus, god of procreation, lewd spirit or god.
388. QUARTUM MEMORABILE, Loquutus sum cum quibusdam, qui in Apocalypsi intelliguntur per draconem; et unus ex illis dixit, veni mecum, et jucunditates oculorum et cordium nostrorum 1 ostendam; et duxit me per sylvam opacam, et super collem, e quo potui spectare draconum jucunda, et vidi Amphitheatrum in Circi formam erectum cum scamnis circum circa oblique sursum structis, super quibus spectatores sedebant; illi, qui sedebant super scamnis infimis, apparebant mihi e longinquo sicut Satyri et Priapi, quidam cum velamine tegente pudenda, et quidem nudi absque illo; in scamnis supra illos sedebant scortatores et meretrices, tales mihi ex gesticulationibus illorum apparebant: et tunc dixit Draco ad me, nunc videbis Ludum nostrum, 2 et vidi in Aream Circi tanquam juvencos, arietes, oves, haedos, et agnos immissos, et postquam illi immissi sunt, aperiebatur porta, et irruebant tanquam leones juvenes, pantherae, tigrides, et lupi, et cum furore invadebant gregem, ac dilaniabant et mactabant illos: et 3 Satyri post cruentam illam caedem spargebant arenam super locum mactationis.
[2] Tunc dixit mihi Draco, hi sunt nostri Ludi, qui jucundant animos nostros: et respondi, abi Daemon; post aliquod tempus videbis Amphitheatrum hoc conversum in stagnum ignis et sulphuris: ad haec ille risit et abivit: et postea mecum cogitabam, cur talia a Domino permittuntur, et tuli responsum in corde meo, quod permittantur quamdiu in Mundo spirituum sunt, sed postquam tempus illorum in illo Mundo peractum est, vertuntur tales Scenae theatrales in diras infernales.
[3] Omnia illa quae visa sunt, inducta fuerunt a Dracone per phantasias: quare non erant juvenci, arietes, oves, haedi et agni, sed fecerunt ut ita apparerent genuina bona et vera Ecclesiae, quae odio habebant; leones, pantherae, tigrides et lupi, erant apparentiae cupiditatum apud illos, qui visi sunt sicut satyri et priapi; hi absque velamine circum pudenda erant, qui crediderunt quod mala non apparerent coram Deo, et qui cum velamine, erant qui crediderunt quod appareant, sed non damnent, modo sint in fide; scortatores et meretrices erant falsificatores veritatum Verbi, scortatio enim significat falsificationem veri: in Mundo spirituali omnia apparent secundum correspondentias e longinquo, quae cum apparent in formis, vocantur repraesentationes spiritualium, in objectis naturalium similibus.
[4] Postea videbam illos exeuntes e sylva; Draconem in medio satyrorum et priaporum, et calones et lixae, quae erant scortatores et meretrices, post illos; augebatur agmen in via, et tunc audivi quid inter se loquebantur; dicebant, quod viderent in prato gregem ovium cum agnis, et quod hoc signum sit, quod una Urbs ex urbibus Hierosolymitanis, ubi charitas primarium est, prope adesset; et dixerunt, eamus et capiamus illam urbem, et ejiciamus habitatores, et depraedemur bona illorum; accesserunt, sed erat murus circum illam, et angeli custodes super muro; et tunc dixerunt, capiamus illam per dolum; mittamus quendam peritum mussitationis, qui potest dealbare nigrum et denigrare album, et infucare rem cujusvis objecti; et inventus est unus gnarus artis methaphysicae, qui potuit vertere ideas rerum in ideas terminorum, ac ipsas res occultare sub formulis, et sic avolare sicut accipiter cum praeda sub alis. Ille instructus quomodo cum Urbanis loqueretur, quod essent consocii in Religione, et immitterentur. Ille accedens ad portam pulsavit, qua aperta dixit, quod cum sapientissimo illius urbis vellet loqui; ac intravit, [et] 4 deductus est ad quendam; et tunc ad illum loquebatur, dicens, 5 sunt mei fratres extra urbem, et petunt ut recipiantur; sunt consocii in Religione; vos et nos facimus Fidem et Charitatem duo essentialia Religionis; discrimen solum est, quod vos dicatis Charitatem esse primariam et inde Fidem, et nos dicimus Fidem esse primariam et inde charitatem; quid refert si unum aut alterum dicatur primarium, cum utrumque creditur.
[5] Sapiens urbis respondit, non loquamur de hac re soli, sed in praesentia plurium, qui sint arbitri et judices; alioquin non fit decisio; et mox arcessiti sunt, ad quos Draconicus similia verba, quae prius, loquebatur; et tunc respondit Vir sapiens urbis, dixisti, quod simile sit, sive Charitas sumatur primarium Ecclesiae sive Fides, modo consensus sit, quod utraque faciat Ecclesiam et ejus Religionem, et tamen discrimen est, quale inter prius et posterius, inter causam et effectum, inter principale et instrumentale, et inter essentiale et formale; talia dico, quia animadverti quod sis artis Metaphysicae gnarus, quam artem nos vocamus mussitationem, et aliqui incantationem; sed relinquamus illos terminos; est discrimen sicut inter id quod supra est, et id quod infra est, imo, si vis credere, est discrimen sicut inter Mentes illorum qui habitant in superis, et Mentes illorum qui in inferis in hoc Mundo; nam quod Primarium est, hoc facit Caput et Pectus, et quod inde est, hoc facit Pedes et horum plantas: sed conveniamus primum, quid Charitas et quid Fides, quod Charitas sit affectio amoris faciendi bonum proximo propter Deum, salutem et vitam aeternam, et quod Fides sit cogitatio ex fiducia de Deo, salute et vita aeterna:
[6] sed dixit Emissarius, concedo quod hoc sit Fides, et quoque concedo, quod Charitas sit illa affectio propter Deum, quia propter mandatum Ipsius, non autem propter salutem et vitam aeternam; post hanc conventionem et dissensionem, dixit Sapiens urbis, annon affectio seu dilectio est primarium, et cogitatio inde; at missus a Dracone dixit, hoc nego; sed responsum tulit, non potes id negare; annon homo cogitat ex quadam dilectione; aufer dilectionem, Numeri cogitare potest quicquam; est prorsus sicut auferres sonum de loquela; si auferres sonum, num poteris loqui quicquam; 6 sonus etiam est affectionis cujusdam amoris, et loquela est cogitationis, nam amor sonat et cogitatio loquitur: et quoque est, sicut flamma et lux, si aufers flammam annon perit lux; simile est cum Charitate, quia haec est amoris, et cum Fide, quia haec 7 est cogitationis; numne 8 sic potes capere, quod primarium sit omne in secundario, prorsus sicut flamma et lux; ex quibus patet, quod si non facis primarium id quod primarium est, non sis in altero; quare si Fidem, quae est in secundo loco, ponis in primo, non appariturus es aliter in Coelo, quam sicut inversus homo, cujus pedes stant sursum, et caput deorsum, aut sicut hariolus qui inverso corpore ambulat super palmis manuum; quum tales apparetis in Coelo, qualia tunc sunt vestra bona Opera, quae sunt Charitas actu, nisi qualia facturus esset hariolus ille suis pedibus, quia non potest manibus; inde est, quod Charitas vestra sit naturalis, et non spiritualis, quia est inversa.
[7] Emissarius intellexit hoc, nam omnis diabolus potest intelligere verum, cum illud audit, sed non potest retinere, quia affectio mali, quae in se est concupiscentia carnis, cum redit, ejicit cogitationem veri: et postea sapiens urbis ostendit multis, qualis est Fides, quando acceptata est pro primario, quod sit mere naturalis, et quod sit persuasio absque ulla vita spirituali, consequenter quod non sit fides: ac paene dicere possum, quod in Fide vestra non plus spirituale sit, quam in cogitatione de Regno Mogolis, de Fodina adamantina ibi, deque Imperatoris illius Thesauro aut Aula. His auditis Draconicus iratus abivit, et renuntiavit suis extra Urbem, et cum audiverunt quod dictum sit, quod Charitas sit affectio amoris faciendi bonum proximo propter [Deum,] 9 salutem, et vitam aeternam, clamaverunt omnes, hoc mendacium est, et ipse Draco, heu facinus; nonne omnia Opera, quae sunt Charitatis, propter salutem, sunt meritoria.
[8] Tunc inter se dixerunt, convocemus adhuc plures ex nostris, et obsideamus hanc Urbem, [faciamus scalas, ascendamus murum, ac irruamus noctu,] 10 et ejiciamus Charitates illos: at cum hoc moliti sunt, ecce apparuit sicut ignis e Coelo qui consumsit illos; sed ignis e Coelo fuit apparentia irae et odii contra illos qui in Urbe erant, quoniam Fidem e primo loco in secundum, imo in infimum sub Charitate, quia dixerunt quod non esset fides, dejecerunt; quod apparerent sicut igne consumi, erat quod sub pedibus eorum aperiretur infernum, et deglutirentur. His similia contigerunt in pluribus locis die ultimi Judicii, quod etiam 11 per hoc intelligitur in Apocalypsi, Exibit Draco ad seducendum Gentes, quae in quatuor angulis terrae, ut congreget eos in bellum; et ascenderunt super planitiem terrae, et circumdederunt castra sanctorum, et Urbem dilectam; sed descendit ignis a Deo e Coelo, et consumsit illos, Cap. 20:8-9.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: nestrorum.
2. Prima editio: mostrum.
3. Prima editio: at.
4. Sic in margine exemplaris scriptoris et Apocalypsis Revelata 655.
5. Prima editio: dieens.
6. Prima editio: quiequam.
7. Prima editio: haet.
8. Prima editio: numme.
9. Sic in margine exemplaris scriptoris, Apocalypsis Revelata 655 et supra 388[5].
10. Sic Apocalypsis Revelata 655.
11. Prima editio: ctiam.