389.记事五：
我曾看见一份文档从天上降到精灵界的一个社群，那里有两个主教，还有下级教士和长老。这份文档劝诫他们承认主耶稣基督为天地之神，如祂所教导的（马太福音28:18），并放弃“唯信称义、无需律法所规定的行为”的教义，因为它是错误的。很多人阅读并复制了这份文档，还有很多人认真思考并明智谈论了其中的内容。但领受之后，他们又彼此说：“我们去听听主教的意见吧。”于是，他们去听取两位主教的意见，但主教却反对并拒绝它。因为这个社群的主教由于在世时所吸收的虚假而已变得心硬。因此，简短地商讨之后，他们将这份文档送回它所来的天堂。做完这事，有些人小声嘀咕一阵后，绝大多数平信徒就放弃之前要接受的打算，然后，他们原本明亮的在属灵问题上的判断之光忽然熄灭了。再次劝诫徒劳无用后，我看到这个社群沉了下去，尽管我无法看到有多深，但它却沉没在那些单单敬拜主、反对唯信称义之人的视线之外了，
几天后，我看见约一百人从这个小区所沉入的低地上来了。他们靠近我，其中一位说：“请听听这次非同寻常的经历。我们沉下去后，就发现一个看似沼泽样的地方，很快又像干地，后来变成一个小镇，很多人在里面找到自己的家。第二天，我们聚在一起商讨该做些什么。许多人说，我们应当去教会的两位主教那里，礼貌地指出：由于他们将文档退回它所来的天堂，才导致这种事临到我们。我们还选出几个人作为代表去找主教（与我说话的这位就是其中之一）。其中一位颇有智慧的人对主教说了这样一番话：‘我们一直以为，比起其他人，教会和宗教信仰更与我们同在，因为我们听到有人说，我们享有最强烈的福音光照。但我们当中有些人从天上得到启示，这启示伴随着这样的理解力：如今的基督教界再没有一个教会，因为没有了宗教信仰。’
主教说：‘你说的这都什么呀？教会不就在有圣言、知道基督救主、举行圣礼的地方吗？’对此，我们的发言人回答说：‘它们属于教会，因为它们构成教会。但它们是让教会在人里面，而不是在人外面。’他继续说：‘教会能存在于敬拜三位神的地方吗？教会能存在于整个教导基于保罗所说的一句被错解的话，而不是基于圣言的地方吗？若不靠近这个世界的救主，就是教会的神祂自己，教会还能存在吗？谁会否认宗教就是避恶、行善？有哪种宗教会教导唯信拯救，而不是信与仁一起拯救？有哪种宗教会教导从人发出的仁爱仅仅是道德和文明的仁爱？谁看不出这种仁爱中没有宗教信仰？唯信里面有行为或作工吗？然而，宗教信仰就在于行。全世界有哪个民族会将一切救世美德排除在仁爱行为，即善行之外？事实上，整个宗教信仰就在于良善，整个教会就在于教导真理，并藉着真理教导良善的教义。如果我们发自内心欣然接受从天上传下来的文档，我们的命运将何等荣耀！’
“然后，主教说：‘你的话定位太高了。行为中的信，就是完全称义和得救的信，难道不是教会？状态中的信，就是能发出并完善的信，难道不是宗教信仰？你必须认识到这一点，我的孩子。’然而，我们智慧的发言人说：‘前辈啊，请听！照你的信条，人在想象行为中的信时，岂不类似一块木头？一块木头能被复活，从而成为一个教会吗？照你的想法，状态中的信不就是行为中的信之延续和发展吗？照你的信条，既然一切拯救力在于信，丝毫不在于来自人的仁之善，那么宗教信仰在哪里？’这时，主教回答说：‘朋友，你这样说，是因为你不了解唯信称义的奥秘。人们不了解其中的奥秘；凡不解这些奥秘的人都无法内在地知道救赎的方法。你的方法是外在的，只适合普通百姓。若你愿意，随你便吧。不过，要知道，一切良善来自神，丝毫不来自人，因此，在属灵的事务上，人凭自己没有丝毫能力。那么，人如何凭自己行出系属灵之善的良善呢？’
“对此，我们的发言人愤慨地回复道：‘对于你所说的唯信称义的奥秘，我不比你知道的少！坦白告诉你，我在你所谓的奥秘中，除了幽灵外，没有看见任何内在的东西。宗教信仰不是要承认神、避开并憎恶魔鬼吗？神是善之本，魔鬼是恶之本，不是这样吗？全世界但凡有宗教信仰的人，谁不知道这一点？因为善是神的、来自神而行善不就是承认并热爱神吗？因为恶是魔鬼的、来自魔鬼而停止作恶不就是避开并憎恶魔鬼吗？换一种方式说：你们行为中的信，就是你们称之为称义并得救的信，或换句话说，你们唯信称义的行为教导你们去行出属于神并来自神的善行吗？或教导你们避开邪恶，因为它属于魔鬼并来自魔鬼吗？根本就没有！因为你们固执地认为，这二者当中都没有救恩。你所说状态的信，就是你称之能发出并完善的信，是什么，不是和行为中的信是一回事吗？你将人貌似凭自己所行的一切善都排除在外，因你在自己的奥秘中声称，救恩是白白赐给的，人怎能凭自己所行之善而得救，既如此，那么这信如何得到完善呢？此外你还说，人所行之善还有不邀功的吗？而事实上，一切功德属于基督。因此，为了救赎而行善就是将唯独属于基督的东西归于自己，因而是渴望自己称义与拯救。你又说，圣灵会成就一切，无需人的协助，在这种情况，人如何能行出一件善事？既然来自人的一切善本质上根本不是善，那么何必要有人的额外良善呢？诸如此类。
“‘还有很多其它问题。这些不就是你们的奥秘吗？但在我眼里，它们只是诡辩和哄骗，旨在除掉好行为，也就是仁爱善行，以便牢固确立你们唯信的教义。因为你们在关乎信，以及总体上关乎属于教会和宗教的一切事物上都是这样做的，所以你们把人看成木头，或无生命的雕像，而不是照神形像所造的人。而人已经被赋予并不断被赋予完全貌似凭自己去理解力和意愿，以及信和爱、言和行的能力，尤其在属灵的事务上，因为使一个人成为人的，正是它们。如果人在属灵事务上不貌似凭自己思考和行动，那么圣言、教会和宗教，以及敬拜成什么了？你们知道，出于爱向邻行善就是仁爱。然而，你们却不知道何为仁爱。可是，仁却是信的灵魂和本质。既然仁是信的灵魂和本质，那么脱离仁之信岂不成了死信？死信纯粹是幽灵。我之所以称其为幽灵，是因为雅各声称，没有好行为的信不仅是死的，甚至是苦毒的（雅各书2:14－26；3:13－15）。’
“这时，其中一位主教一听到他的信被称为死的、恶毒的，是幽灵，勃然大怒，扯下教冠扔在桌子上，说：‘我不再戴上这教冠，直到向我们教会信仰的仇敌报了仇。’然后，他边晃着脑袋边嘟囔：‘那个雅各！那个雅各！’教冠前面有一个盘子，上面刻着：‘唯信称义’。这时，有一个怪兽突然从地面冒出来，它有七头，脚如熊，身如豹，嘴如狮，和启示录（13:1，2）所描述的那只兽一模一样，还像被造来叫人拜的兽像（13:14，15）。这个怪兽将教冠从桌子上抢过来，扯了扯帽檐，把它戴在七头上。接着，它脚下的这个地面裂开了，这怪兽沉了下去。看到这一幕，这个主教大叫起来：‘暴行，暴行！’于是，我们离开了他们，看哪，我们面前出现了台阶。我们便拾级而上，回到地上，进入天堂之光，就是我们先前所在的地方。”这就是与那一百个同伴从低地上来的精灵告诉我的故事。
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389. 第五個經歷:
我曾見到一份文檔從天降下, 落在靈界的一個社群之中, 那裡有兩個人管理著此處的教會, 在他們下面, 有眾職事和長老們。這份文檔的意思是熱切地請求那裡的人們承認主耶穌基督為天地之上帝, 正如主自己教導(馬太福音28:18), 並放棄"唯信稱義,無需律法規定的行為"的教導, 因為這個教導是錯誤的。
很多人讀了,還複印了那份文檔, 各人按自己的見識來思考和談論其中的內容。不過, 在接受它之後, 他們彼此說:"我們聽聽教會領袖的意見吧。"於是他們去徵求兩位領袖的意見 。只不過他們持反對意見, 不贊同這份文檔的觀點。其實這個社群的領袖因著在世時所吸納的偽謬, 心硬如石。因此, 經過簡單總結後, 他們將這份文檔送回所來之天國。
在這之後, 人們有些小聲抱怨, 但許多平信徒就此停止了思想的轉變。那些平信徒才點起的一點屬靈亮光, 就此扼殺了。
在他們被再次告誡而徒勞無用後, 我見那社區往下沉降, 只是我看不到沉到多深處。不過, 已經離開那些單單敬奉主,拒絕"唯信稱義"之人的視線。
[2]幾天後, 我看見大約一百來人從這個社區所沉之地上來。他們向我走來。其中一位對我說:"請聽聽我們非同尋常的經歷:當我們沉下去時, 看見那裡如同一個湖泊, 接著又像幹地。後來, 變成一個小鎮, 我們許多人便有了住所。
"第二天, 我們聚在一起商討該做些什麼。許多人說, 我們應當去教會的兩位領袖那裡, 禮貌地指出:將天國而來的文檔退回去導致了如今這些事情的發生。"
他們真的選了幾個人作為代表, 與我說話的這位就是其中之一。
"然後, "他接著說:"我們其中一位頗有智慧者對領袖說:'我們相信教會與信仰的確在我們之中, 甚至勝過許多其他人, 因為聽說我們曾享有福音至強的光照。可是, 我們當中有些人得到天上來的啟示, 因而感知到:教會不再存在於基督徒世界當中, 因為基督徒世界裡再也沒有信。'
[3]"教會領袖說:'你說的是什麼啊？哪裡有聖言, 哪裡知道基督救主, 哪裡有聖事舉行, 就是教會所在之地, 難道不是如此嗎？'
"我們的發言人回復此點, 說:'它們屬於教會, 因為它們構成教會。然而教會的構成在人裡面,而非在人外面。'
"我們的發言人繼續說:'教會能存在於敬奉三位上帝的地方嗎？教會能存在於全部的教導以一句被錯解的保羅之語為基礎,勝過以聖言為基礎的地方？人們不接近世人的拯救者,祂是教會自身的上帝, 教會能存在於其中？
"'誰會否認信仰就是為了避惡與行善？有哪樣的信仰會教導單單信就拯救, 而不是與義一起？哪樣的信仰會教導人們所行之義僅僅是道德和文明之義？有誰看不出來, 這樣的義並不包含任何信仰的成分？信仰存在於行動之中, "唯信"涉及任何行動和行為嗎？世上任何地方有哪個民族不將拯救的能力歸因於義之良善, 也就是善行呢？信仰的全部, 存在於善行之中, 教會的全部, 存在於教導真理並運用真理去行各樣良善之中。我們只要歡迎天國所發文檔中的教導, 我們的命運將何等精彩！'
[4]"於是, 這位領袖說:'你的話題定位太高了。教會就是信的啟動, 這就是得救與稱義之信。信仰是關於信進行的狀態, 就是從上帝發出使我等完全的信。你要認識到這一點, 我的孩子。'
"然而我們的智者說:'前輩啊, 請聽！照你所說的教條, 人們如同一塊木頭那樣沒有任何能力來啟動他們的信。一塊木頭能被賦予生命且由它們構成教會？如你剛才所講的, 信進行的狀態是信啟動後的繼續與前進。這樣, 照你的教導, 一切拯救能力皆在信之中, 人這方面的義舉對於得救毫無貢獻, 那麼信仰落在何處？'
"於是教會領袖說:'朋友, 你這樣說, 是因為你不瞭解唯信稱義的奧秘。人們不瞭解其中的奧秘, 也就無法知道內中的拯救之路。你所說的得救之法是外在的, 只適合普通百姓。如果你喜歡, 歡迎嘗試。但是你當知道, 一切良善來自上帝, 沒有半點從人而來; 因此在屬靈事務上, 人自己沒有絲毫能力。那麼, 人如何靠自己行出屬靈之善行呢？'
[5]"當聽到這些, 我們的發言人憤慨地回復道:'對於你所說的唯信稱義之奧秘, 我不比你知道的少！坦白告訴你, 在你所指的奧秘中, 除了虛幻縹緲, 我沒有看見任何內在的內容。信仰不是在於承認上帝,避開與憎惡魔鬼嗎？上帝是善之本, 魔鬼是惡之本, 不是這樣嗎？世上凡有信仰之人, 不知道這些嗎？承認並愛上帝就是行善, 因為善屬於上帝並源自上帝。避開與憎惡魔鬼就是不作惡, 因為惡事屬於魔鬼並自魔鬼而來。你們所說的信, 就是你們稱之為稱義與得救之信, 或者你們所說的唯信稱義之信, 教導你們去做任何屬於上帝及源自上帝的善行嗎？或者教導你們去遠避邪惡, 因為它屬於魔鬼並來自魔鬼嗎？根本就沒有！因為你們已坦言:憑這些行為, 得不著拯救。
"'你剛才所說的, 信進行的狀態(也就是你稱之為由上帝發出的使我們完全的信)到底是什麼呢？與你們所說的"信的啟動"不是一回事嗎？如果將人們自己所行的善排斥在外, 這樣的信如何能完全呢？
"'在你們奧秘的教導中如此說:"拯救完全是白白恩賜的, 人怎能靠自己行善而被得拯救呢？除了尋求功德, 人行善還能為了別的什麼呢？然而所有的功德不是全歸給基督嗎？因此, 為了達到得救之目的而行善, 豈不是將唯獨屬於基督的歸於自己嗎？這豈不意味著靠自己稱義與拯救？聖靈無需任何來自人的幫助而成就聖工, 在這種情況下, 什麼人自己能行一件善事？當一切從人而來之善, 其本質根本不是善時, 還需要從人那裡獲得什麼良善呢？"
[6]"'還有其它許多類似的問題。這些不就是你們的奧秘嗎？在我眼裡, 這些看起來純粹是狡辯詭計, 目的在於擺脫好行為——也就是義之善行, 以至於確立"唯信稱義"的教導。你們對信,以及關於教會和信仰的屬靈事務的觀點, 令到你們視人如同一根木樁, 或像一尊無生命的雕像; 而不是照著上帝形像所造之人, 曾經並持續賜予認知和意志的能力, 去相信和去愛的能力, 去說話和行動的能力, 如同他自己的能力, 特別在於屬靈的事情, 因為這些使人成為人。
"'如果一個人在屬靈事務上不能思考和行動, 如同他靠自己而行, 那聖言成了什麼呢？那教會和信仰又成了什麼呢？敬拜呢？你們曉得, 因著愛而向鄰舍行善就是義; 但你們卻不知道何為義。然而義才是信的靈魂與本質。既然義是信的靈魂與本質, 信若脫離了義將會怎麼呢？這信就是死的。死的信只不過是個鬼怪而已。我稱之為鬼怪, 因為雅各聲稱沒有好行為的信不僅是死的, 甚至是苦毒的'(雅各書2:14-26; James 3:13-15)。
[7]"教會領袖其中之一, 聽到對方稱他的信是死的,惡毒的, 只是虛幻, 就暴怒起來; 他扯下教冠扔在桌上, 說:'我不再戴上這教冠, 直到向我們教會信仰的仇敵報了仇。'他邊晃著腦袋邊嘟囔著:'那個雅各！那個雅各！'
"教冠之前有個金屬製作的盤子, 上面刻著字:'唯信稱義'。
"然後, 有個七頭的怪獸突然出現, 腳如熊, 身如豹, 嘴如獅, 正像(啟示錄13:1-2)中所描述的那只獸, 還像人們造來叩拜的獸像(啟示錄13:14-15)。
"這個怪獸將教冠從桌上奪過來, 扯了扯帽檐, 把它戴在七頭上。接著, 它腳下之地裂開了, 這怪獸沉了下去。
"當看到這些, 這個教會領袖大叫起來:'我們被攻擊了, 被攻擊了！'
"於是我們離開了。令我驚奇的是, 有臺階出些在我們面前。我們順臺階而上; 這樣, 我們回到地面, 重見天日, 也就是先前所在的地方。"
這就是與一百來個夥伴從地下上來的靈告訴我的故事。
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389. The fifth memorable occurrence. On one occasion I saw a document being sent down from heaven to a community in the world of spirits. In that community there were two people who governed the church. They had ministers and elders under them. The document strongly urged the people there to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as the God of heaven and earth, as he himself taught (Matthew 28:18), and to give up the teaching that faith justifies people without the works of the Law, because that teaching is wrong.
This document was read and copied by many people. Many of them were using their own judgment in thinking and speaking about what was in the document. After they had accepted what the document said, however, they said to each other, "We should hear what our governors have to say about it. " They did hear their governors, but the governors spoke against the document and expressed disapproval of it. The governors of that community were in fact hard-hearted because of falsities they had absorbed in the previous world. Therefore after a brief meeting with each other, the governors sent the document back to heaven where it had come from.
After that happened there was some muttering, but many lay people ended up changing their minds. Then the light of judgment about spiritual things that those lay people had had, which had been brilliant up until then, suddenly went out.
After they were warned again, but to no avail, I saw the community sinking down. I did not see how far down it went. It was taken out of sight of those who worship the Lord alone and who reject faith alone as the means of justification.
[2] Several days later, however, I saw about a hundred people coming up from the lower earth, where that little community had sunk. The group came over to me.
One of them spoke and said, "Do you want to hear something amazing? When we sank down, we were in a place that looked like a pond. Soon, however, it looked like dry ground. Afterward it became a little town where many of us had homes.
"A day later we discussed among ourselves what to do. Many said that we should go to the two governors of the church and politely point out that their sending the document back to heaven where it had come from caused all this to happen to us. "
They did in fact choose some people who went to the governors. The person who was talking to me said that he had been part of that delegation.
"Then," he continued, "someone among us who was very skillful and wise spoke to the governors and said, 'We believed that the church and religion existed among us more than among others, because we had been told that we have the supreme light of the gospel. But some of us have been granted enlightenment from heaven; and with that enlightenment has come the perception that the church doesn't even exist in the Christian world anymore, because there is no religion there anymore. '
[3] "The governors said, 'What are you saying? Doesn't the church exist wherever the Word exists, Christ the Savior is known, and the sacraments are performed?'
"Our spokesperson replied, 'Those things are part of the church in the sense that they promote it, but they promote it within each of us, not outside of us. '
"Our spokesperson went on to say, 'Can the church exist where three gods are worshiped? Can the church exist where its entire body of teaching is based on a single statement by Paul that has been falsely interpreted, rather than on the Word? Can the church exist when people do not go to the Savior of the world, who is the God of the church?'
"Surely religion is abstaining from evil and doing good. Does a true religion hold that faith alone saves and not goodwill as well? Does a true religion hold that the goodwill that comes from people is only moral and civic? There is no religion in that kind of goodwill, as anyone can see. In faith alone there is no action or work. And yet religion consists in doing. All non-Christian nations in the world believe that acts of goodwill, or good works, have power to save. The whole of religion consists in good actions, and the whole of the church consists in a body of teaching that proclaims truths and uses those truths to teach good actions. Glorious things might have happened to us if we had only accepted the message of the document sent from heaven!
[4] "Then one of the governors said, 'Your argument aims too high. The church is about the activation of faith. This is the kind of faith that fully justifies us and saves us. Religion is about an ongoing state of faith, which is the kind of faith that emanates from God and perfects us. Take this in, my children. '
"But our wise spokesperson said, 'You listen, O Fathers. According to your dogma, people have no more ability to activate their faith than a piece of dead wood. Can a piece of wood be brought to life and become part of the church? Surely your idea of the ongoing state of faith is a continuation and progression of the activation of faith. Since, according to your dogma, faith has all power to save, and there is no such power in acts of goodwill that people perform, where does religion come in?'
"Then the church leaders said, 'Friend, you say things like that because you don't know the secrets of justification by faith alone. People who don't know those secrets don't know the path of salvation from within. Your path to salvation is external and common. Travel it if you want, but you should keep in mind that everything good comes from God and nothing from human beings; and therefore people have no power of their own in spiritual matters. How then can people do something good that is spiritually good by themselves?'
[5] "When he heard that, our spokesperson was outraged and said, 'I am more familiar with your supposed revelations on justification than you are! And I will tell you bluntly that I have explored those supposed revelations and have found nothing but phantoms in them. Surely religion is a matter of acknowledging God and avoiding and hating the Devil. God is goodness itself. "The Devil" is evil itself. Every religious person in the world knows that. Acknowledging and loving God is a matter of doing what is good, because what is good belongs to God and comes from God. Avoiding and hating the Devil is a matter of not doing what is evil, because what is evil belongs to the Devil and comes from the Devil. But does your view of the activation of faith (which you label as a faith that fully justifies people and saves them) or rather, your view that we become just through faith alone, teach us to do anything good (keeping in mind that what is good belongs to God and comes from God)? Does it teach us to abstain from any evil (keeping in mind that what is evil belongs to the Devil and comes from the Devil)? Absolutely not, because you have decided that there is no salvation in either of these actions.
"'What is this ongoing state of faith you are talking about, which you just called a faith that emanates from God and perfects us? Isn't it exactly the same thing as your activation of faith? How can this faith be perfected if you exclude from it any good that human beings do as if they are acting on their own?
"'In your supposed revelations you say, How can people be saved by any goodness that comes from themselves when in fact salvation costs them nothing? What good can people do without hoping to earn merit, when in fact all merit belongs to Christ? Doing something good for the sake of salvation would therefore be equivalent to attributing to ourselves what belongs to Christ alone. This would be trying to grant ourselves justification and save ourselves. Also how can people do any good work when the Holy Spirit does all the work without any help from us? What need would there be then for any additional goodness from us, since anything good that comes from us is not intrinsically good? And so on.
[6] "'Aren't these your supposed revelations? To my eyes, however, they look like mere sophistry and trickery aimed at doing away with good works, which are acts of goodwill, in an effort to establish your faith alone. Your views on faith and on everything spiritual that relates to the church and religion cause you to see people as logs. You see them as some inanimate sculpture and not as people created in the image of God who have been given, and are continually given, the ability to understand and will, to believe and love, and to speak and act completely as if they were on their own, especially in relation to spiritual things, because these are the things that make human beings human.
"'If people had no ability to think or act in spiritual ways as if they were acting on their own, what would be the point of the Word? What would be the point of the church and religion? What would be the point of worship? You know that doing good to your neighbor from love is goodwill, but you don't know what goodwill is. Yet goodwill is the soul and the essence of faith. And since goodwill is the soul and the essence of faith, what is faith when you remove goodwill? It is a dead thing. And a dead faith is nothing but a phantom. I call it a phantom because James says that faith without good works is not only dead but also diabolical' [James 2:14-26; ].
[7] "When he heard his faith called dead, diabolical, and phantasmic, one of the governors became so enraged that he tore the miter off his head, threw it on the table, and said, 'I will not put this back on until I have taken revenge on the enemies of the faith of our church. ' Then shaking his head he muttered, 'That James! That James!'
"On the front of the miter there was a thin metal plate with an inscription: Faith Alone Makes Us Just.
"Then suddenly a monster with seven heads appeared, rising out of the ground. It had the feet of a bear, the body of a leopard, and the face of a lion, just like the beast described in Revelation 13:1-2. We read that people made an image of that beast and worshiped it (Revelation 13:14-15).
"The ghostly monster snatched the miter from the table, stretched the brim, and put the miter on its seven heads. Then the ground yawned open under its feet and it sank back down.
"When he saw this, the governor shouted, 'Were being attacked! Were being attacked!'
"Then we left. To our surprise, steps appeared before our eyes. We climbed them. They took us back to the earth, where we had been before, with its view of heaven. "
The spirit who had come up with a hundred others from the lower earth told me all this.
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389. The fifth experience.
I once saw a document sent down from heaven to a community in the world of spirits, where there were two leading churchmen together with a retinue of canons and presbyters. The document contained an exhortation to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as God of heaven and earth, as He taught (Matthew 28:18), and to abandon as erroneous the doctrine that faith justifies without the deeds prescribed by the law. Many people read and copied out that document, and its contents were considered and talked over judiciously by many of them. But after receiving it, they said to one another: 'Let us hear the opinion of our leaders.'
So they listened to them, but they spoke against it and rejected it. However, the leaders of that community were hard of heart as the result of the falsities they had absorbed in their former world. After a short consultation, therefore, they sent the document back to heaven where it came from. When this was done, after some muttering most of the laymen abandoned their former acceptance, and then the light of their judgment in spiritual matters, which had previously been bright, was suddenly snuffed out. After a second, but vain, warning, I saw that community sinking down, though I could not see how deeply; but it sank out of sight of those who worship the Lord alone, and turn their backs on justification by faith alone.
[2] A few days later I saw perhaps as many as a hundred coming up from the lower earth, to which that small community had sunk; they approached me and one of them said: 'Listen to this extraordinary occurrence. When we sank down, we saw what looked like a lake, and after a while dry land; then later a small town in which many found a home for themselves. Next day we got together to discuss what we should do. Many people said that the two leaders of the church should be approached and gently reproved for sending the document back to the heaven it came from, since it was because of that this had happened to us. They also chose a few people (and the man talking to me said he had been one of them) who went off to the leaders, where one of their number who was especially wise addressed them as follows: "We believed that we excelled others in possessing the church and religion, because we heard it said that we enjoy the strongest light of the Gospel. But some of us have been granted enlightenment from heaven, and this enlightenment has been accompanied by the perception that at the present time there is no longer a church, because there is no religion, in the Christian world."
[3] 'The leaders said: "What is this you are saying? Is not the church where there is the Word, where Christ the Saviour is known, and where there are the sacraments?" Our spokesman replied to this: "They belong to the church, for they make the church; but they make it inside, not outside, a person." He went on to say: "Can there be a church where three Gods are worshipped? Can there be a church where its whole teaching is based upon a misinterpretation of a single saying of Paul, and thus not upon the Word? Can there be a church, when the Saviour of the world, who is the God of the church Himself, is not approached? Can anyone deny that religion is shunning evil and doing good? Is there any religion [where it is taught] that faith alone saves, and not together with charity? Is there any religion where it is taught that the charity which man exercises is only moral and civil charity? Is there anyone who does not see that that sort of charity contains nothing religious? Does faith alone involve any act or deed, though religion consists in action? Is there a nation anywhere in the whole world which attributes no saving power to the good of charity, which is good deeds? Yet the whole of religion consists in good, and the whole of the church consists in the teaching of truths, and by means of truths the teaching of various kinds of good. How glorious our lot would have been, if we had welcomed the teachings at the heart of the document sent down from heaven!"
[4] 'Then the leaders said: "Your remarks aim too high. Surely faith in action, which is the faith which fully justifies and saves, is the church? Surely faith at rest, which is the faith that goes forth and accomplishes, is religion? You must grasp this, my children." But then our wise man said: "Listen, fathers. Surely according to your dogma man resembles a block of wood in conceiving faith in action? Can a block be made alive so as to become a church? Surely faith at rest is according to your notion the continuation and progress of faith in action? And when, as your dogma insists, all saving power resides in faith, and the good of charity on man's part makes no contribution, where is religion then?" Then the prelates said: "Friend, you talk like this because you do not know the secrets of justification by faith alone; and if one is ignorant of these, one cannot know inwardly the way to salvation. Your way is external and fit only for the common people. Go that way if you like. But you should know that all good is from God, and nothing of it from man, so that in spiritual matters man can achieve nothing by himself. How then can a man by himself do good which is spiritual good?"
[5] 'To this our spokesman replied with great indignation: "I know more about your secrets of justification than you do, and I tell you frankly that I have seen nothing inwardly in your secrets but phantoms. Surely religion consists in acknowledging [and loving] God, and shunning and hating the devil? Is not God good itself and the devil evil itself? Is there anyone anywhere in the world, who, if he has a religion, does not know this? Is not acknowledging and loving God doing good, because this is God's and from God; and is not shunning and hating the devil not doing evil, because this is the devil's and from the devil? Or to put it another way, does your faith in action, which you called the faith that fully justifies and saves, or in other words your act of justification by faith alone, teach you to do any good deed which is God's and from God, or to shun any evil because it is the devil's and from the devil? None at all, since you lay down that there is no salvation in either. What is your faith at rest, which you called the faith that goes forth and accomplishes, but the same as faith in action? How can this be perfected, since you exclude all good done by man as if of himself, saying in your secret doctrines: 'How can anyone be saved by any good done by himself, when salvation is a free gift?' Or 'What good can be done by man except with a view to seeking merit, when yet Christ's merit is all-sufficient? Thus doing good to achieve salvation would be attributing to oneself what belongs to Christ alone, and it would also be wishing to justify and save oneself.' Or 'How can anyone do a good deed, when the Holy Spirit performs everything with no help from man? What need then is there for any extra good from man, when all good from man is not in essence good at all?'
[6] There are many other questions; are not these your secrets? But in my eyes they are simply quibbles and tricks invented in order to get rid of good deeds, which are the good deeds of charity, so as to establish firmly your doctrine of faith alone. And because you do so, you consider man as regards faith, and in general as regards all spiritual matters relating to the church and religion as a block of wood, or like a lifeless effigy, not as a human being created in the image of God, who has been given and is continually given the ability to understand and to will, to believe and to love, and to speak and act, exactly as if of himself, especially in spiritual matters, since they are what make a human being human. If a human being were not to think and act in spiritual matters as if of himself, what then would become of the Word? What would then become of the church and religion? And what of worship? You know that doing good to the neighbour as the result of love is charity; but you do not know what charity is. Yet it is the soul and essence of faith. And since charity is both these things, how can faith divorced from charity be anything but dead? Dead faith is nothing but a phantom. I call it a phantom, because James 2:17 calls faith without good deeds not only dead, but even diabolical."
[7] Then one of the leaders, on hearing his faith called dead, diabolical and a phantom, became so furious that he snatched the mitre off his head and threw it on the table saying: 'I will not put it on again until I have taken vengeance on the enemies of the faith of our church.' So he shook his head murmuring 'That man James! That man James!' On the front of the mitre was a plate, with the words 'Faith alone justifies' engraved on it. Then there suddenly appeared a monster rising out of the ground; it had seven heads, feet like a bear's, a body like a leopard's, a mouth like a lion's, exactly like the beast described in Revelation (Revelation 13:1-2), and of which an image was made and honoured (Revelation 13:14-15). This phantom took the mitre from the table, pulled its lower edge apart and put it on its seven heads. At this the ground gaped open beneath its feet and it sank down. On seeing this the leader cried: 'Assault, assault.' Then we left them, and found steps before our eyes which we went up; so we came back upon the earth and into sight of heaven, where we had been before.'
This was the story told me by the spirit who with a hundred companions had come up from the lower earth.
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389. Fifth Memorable Relation:
A paper was once seen let down from heaven into a society in the world of spirits, where there were two prelates of the church with subordinate canons and presbyters. The paper contained an exhortation to them to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as the God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught (Matthew 28:18), and to withdraw from the doctrine of faith justifying without the works of the law, because it is erroneous. This paper was read and copied by many, and many thought of what was in it and spoke with judgment.
But having received it, they said to each other, "Let us hear what the prelates say."
And the prelates were heard; and they objected to it and condemned it. For the prelates of that society were hardened in heart by falsities imbibed in the former world. So after a brief consultation with each other, they sent the paper back to heaven whence it came.
When this had been done, after some murmuring, most of the laity withdrew their previous assent, and then the light of their judgment in spiritual things, which had before shone brightly, was suddenly extinguished. After they had been admonished again, but to no purpose, I saw that society sinking down (how deeply I did not see), and thus it was withdrawn from the sight of those who worship the Lord only, and are averse to justification by faith alone.
[2] Some days after I saw nearly a hundred ascending from the lower earth, just where that little society had sunk. They drew near to me, and one of them said, "Listen to something wonderful. While we were sinking down the place appeared to us like a swamp, but presently like dry land, and then like a small town in which many had each his own house. When a day had passed, we consulted together as to what ought to be done. Many said that those two prelates of the church ought to be called upon and mildly censured for sending the paper back to the heaven it came from, on account of which this had befallen us. And they chose certain ones who went to the prelates (and the one who talked with me said that he was one of them), and one who surpassed the others in wisdom spoke to the prelates as follows, 'We have believed that the church and religion were with us more than with others, because we have heard it said that we are especially in the light of the Gospel; but there has been given to some of us enlightenment from heaven, and in the enlightenment a perception that in the Christian world at the present day there is no longer a church, because there is no religion.'
[3] The prelates answered, 'What are you saying? Is not the church where the Word is, where Christ the Savior is known, and where the sacraments are?' To this our spokesman replied, 'These things belong to the church, and in fact constitute the church; but this they do, not outside of man, but within him.' And he said further, 'Can the church exist where three Gods are worshiped? Can the church exist where its whole doctrine is founded upon a single saying of Paul falsely understood, and consequently not upon the Word? Can the church exist so long as the Savior of the world, who is the very God of the church, is not approached? Who can deny that religion is to shun evil and do good? Is there any religion where it is taught that faith alone saves, and not charity together with faith? Is there any religion where it is taught that the charity proceeding from man is merely moral and civil charity? Who does not see that in such charity there is no religion? In faith alone is there anything of deeds or works? and yet religion consists in doing. In the whole world can a people be found that excludes all saving virtue from the goods of charity, which are good works, when in fact the whole of religion consists in good, and the whole of the church in doctrine which teaches truths, and by means of truths teaches good? What glory had been ours, if we had accepted those things that the paper let down from heaven carried in its bosom!'
[4] "The prelates then answered, 'You speak too loftily. Is not faith in act, which is faith fully justified and saving, the church? And is not faith in state, which is faith proceeding and perfecting, religion? Sons, lay hold on this.' But our wise spokesman said, 'Listen, fathers! According to your dogma does not man conceive of faith in act as a stock? Can a stock be vivified into a church? Is not faith in state, according to your idea, a continuation and progression of faith in act? And since, according to your dogma, all saving power is in faith, and nothing of it in the good of charity from man, where then is religion?'
"Then the priests answered, 'Friend, you so speak because you do not know the mysteries of justification by faith alone; and he who does not know these does not know interiorly the way of salvation. Your way is external and the way of the vulgar; go in it if you will, but know that all good is from God, and nothing from man, and thus man of himself has no ability in spiritual things. How then can man of himself do good that is spiritual good?'
[5] At this our spokesman, being very indignant, replied, 'I know your mysteries of justification better than you do, and I tell you plainly, that I see nothing in them interiorly but specters. Is it not religion to acknowledge God and to shun and hate the devil? Is not God good itself, and the devil evil itself? Is there anyone in the whole world who has any religion who does not know this? Is not doing good because it is of God and from God, - is not this acknowledging God and loving God? And is not ceasing to do evil, because it is of the devil and from the devil, - is not this shunning and hating the devil? Or, what is the same thing, does your faith in act, which you call faith fully justifying and saving, or, what is again the same, your act of justification by faith alone, does this teach the doing of any good that is of and from God, or the shunning of any evil that is of the devil and from the devil? Not in the least; because you maintain that there is nothing of salvation in either. What is your faith in state, which you have called faith proceeding and perfecting, but the same thing as faith in act? And how can this be perfected when you exclude all good done by man as if by himself, saying in your mysteries, How can man be saved by any good done by himself, when salvation is gratuitous? And again you say, Is there any good done by man that is not made a matter of merit, when, in fact, all merit belongs to Christ? Therefore doing good for the sake of salvation is attributing to ourself what belongs to Christ alone, and is thus a desire to justify and save ourself. Again you say, How can any man do good, when the Holy Spirit does all things without any aid from man? What need is there of any accessory good from man, when all good that comes from man in itself is not good? and so on.
[6] Are not these your mysteries? But in my eyes they are mere cavils and subtleties invented for the purpose of setting aside good works, which are the goods of charity, so that you may establish your faith alone. And because you do this, in respect to faith, and in general in respect to all spiritual things which pertain to the church and religion; you look upon man as a stock or an inanimate figure, and not as a man created in the image of God, to whom there has been given and is continually given the ability to understand and to will and to believe and to love, to speak, and to act, altogether as if of himself, especially in spiritual things, because from them man is man. If man, in spiritual things, did not think and operate as if of himself, why the Word, why the church and religion, and why worship? You know that doing good to the neighbor and from love is charity. And yet you do not know what charity is, although it is the soul and essence of faith and since charity is that soul and essence, what is faith separated from charity but dead faith? And dead faith is a mere specter. I call it a specter, because James calls faith apart from good works not only dead, but even diabolical.'
[7] Then one of the prelates, when he heard his faith called dead, diabolical, and a specter, became so enraged that he snatched his miter from his head and dashed it upon the table, saying, 'I will not resume it until I have taken vengeance upon the enemies of the faith of our church;' and he shook his head, muttering, and saying, 'That James-that James.' On the front of his miter was a plate on which were engraved the words, Faith alone justifies. Then suddenly a monster appeared rising up out of the earth, with seven heads, with feet like a bear's, a body like a leopard's, and a mouth like a lion's, precisely like the beast described in theApocalypse (13:1, 2), of whom an image was made and worshiped (verses 14, 15). This specter took the miter from the table, and stretched it wide at the bottom and placed it on his seven heads, and then the earth gaped beneath his feet and he sank down. Seeing this, the prelate shouted, 'Violence, violence!' We then left them; and lo, steps appeared before us, by which we ascended and returned above ground, and in sight of the heaven where we had been before."
All this was told me by the spirit who, with a hundred others, had ascended from the lower earth.
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389. The fifth experience. I once saw a document sent down from heaven to a certain society in the world of spirits, where the Church had two prelates, with subordinate canons and elders. It contained an exhortation to them to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as the God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught in Matthew 28:18; and to renounce their doctrine concerning faith which justifies without the works of the law, because it is erroneous. The paper was read, and extracts were made by many; and the contents formed the subject of much thought and well reasoned conversation. Some time, however, after receiving it, they said to one another, "Let us hear the prelates." These were heard, but they contradicted and condemned it; for they were hardened in heart because of the falsities they had learned while living on the earth. Therefore, after a short consultation, they sent the document back to heaven whence it had come. Thereupon, after some murmuring, most of the laity withdrew their previous assent; and the light of their judgment in spiritual matters, which had before shone brightly, was suddenly extinguished. After they had been urged a second time to reconsider the matter, but in vain, I observed the society sink underground, to what depth I did not see. Thus it was removed from the sight of those who worship the Lord only, and who hold in aversion the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
[2] Some days afterwards, I saw about a hundred persons coming up from the lower earth down to which that small society had descended. They came towards me, and one of them said: "Listen to our extraordinary story. On our descent, the place appeared like a swamp, which soon became dry land, and then a small town appeared, in which many of us had a house for himself. The next day we held a consultation on what should be done. Many said that the prelates of the Church ought to be approached and mildly censured, because they returned the paper to heaven from which it had been sent down, and so brought this disaster upon us. Accordingly they selected several who went to the prelates." He who spoke to me said he was one of their number. "Then one of us who excelled in wisdom addressed them as follows: 'We believed that the Church and religion flourished especially among us, because we have heard it said that we enjoyed the greatest Gospel light. Some of us, however, have been granted enlightenment from heaven and a perception that at this day there is no longer any Church in the Christian world, because there is no religion.'
[3] "The prelates replied: 'What is this you say? Does not the Church exist where the Word is read, where Christ the Savior is acknowledged, and the sacraments are administered?' To this our friend answered: 'These indeed belong to the Church, for they constitute it; but they do not constitute the Church outside of man, but within him.' He continued: 'Can the Church be where three Gods are worshiped, and where its whole doctrine is founded upon a single statement of the apostle Paul falsely interpreted, and consequently not upon the Word? Can the Church exist, when the Savior of the world, who is Himself the God of the Church, is not approached? No one can deny that religion consists in shunning evil and doing good. Is there any religion where it is taught that faith alone saves, apart from charity? Is there any religion where it is taught that charity which proceeds from man is merely moral and civil? Who does not see that in such charity there is no religion? In faith alone there is nothing of deed or work, when yet religion consists in doing. There is not a nation in the whole world which does not regard as all-saving the good of charity, which good works are; since the all of religion consists in good, and the all of the Church in doctrine which teaches truths, and which teaches good by means of truths. What glory would have been ours, if we had accepted what was contained in that document sent down to us from heaven!'
[4] "The prelates then replied: 'You speak in too lofty a strain. Faith in act, which is fully justifying and saving, constitutes the Church; and faith in state, which is faith proceeding and perfecting, constitutes religion. This is what you, my children, must understand.' But our wise friend said: 'Hear us, fathers! According to your teaching a man conceives faith in act to be no more than a log of wood. Can a log be so vivified as to become a Church? Again, in your opinion, faith in state is the continuation and progression of faith in act. Since, therefore, according to your teaching all saving virtue is in faith, and none in the good of charity, which proceeds from man, where then is religion?' Then the prelates said: 'You talk in this manner, friend, because you do not know the mysteries of justification by faith alone; and he who does not know these is ignorant of the interior nature of the way of salvation. Your way is external and plebeian; walk in it if you will; only know this, that all good is from God and none from man; and, therefore, in spiritual matters a man has no power of himself. How then, can he of himself do any good which is spiritual?'
[5] "To this, our friend who was carrying on the conversation replied with some warmth: 'I know your mysteries of justification better than you do yourselves, and I tell you plainly that I see nothing within these but mere illusions. Religion consists in acknowledging God, and in fleeing from the devil and hating him. God is goodness itself, and the devil evil itself. What man in the whole world, who is at all religious, does not know this? To acknowledge God and to love Him is to do good, because good is of God and from God; and to flee from the devil and hate him is to shun evil, because this is of the devil and from the devil. Now does your faith in act, which you call a faith which fully justifies and saves, or, what is the same thing, does your act of justification by faith alone, teach a man to do any good which is of God and from God, or to shun evil which is of the devil and from the devil? Not in the least; because you have laid it down that salvation does not depend either on doing good or on shunning evil. Further, what is your faith in state, which you call faith proceeding and perfecting, but the same as faith in act? How can this be perfected, when you exclude all good that comes from man as of himself, by saying in your mysteries, How can a man be saved by any good from himself, since salvation is a free gift? What good can come from man except such as is merit-seeking, and yet all merit belongs to Christ alone? Therefore, to do good for the sake of salvation would be to attribute to oneself what belongs to Christ alone, and thus would be to desire to justify and save oneself. You add, further, how can any one do good works, when the Holy Spirit performs all things, without any help from man? What need, then, is there of any good on man's part, designed to help him, since all the good that comes from man in itself is not good? and much more to the same effect. Are not these your mysteries? But in my eyes they are merely subtleties and artifices, contrived to eliminate good works, or the good of charity, in order to establish your faith alone.
[6] "'In consequence of this you regard man, with respect to faith, and in general, with respect to all the spiritual things of the Church and religion, as a log, or lifeless image; and not as a man created in the image of God, to whom has been given, and is continually being given, the power to understand and will, to believe and love, and to speak and act entirely as of himself, especially in spiritual things; for by virtue of these a man is a man. If a man in spiritual things were not to think and act as of himself, what then would be the use of the Word, the Church, religion and worship? You know that to do good to the neighbor from love is charity; but you do not know that charity is the soul and essence of faith; and because charity is both of these, what then is faith separated from charity, but dead? and a dead faith is nothing but a phantom. I call it so because the apostle James calls faith without good works not only dead, but diabolical.'
[7] "Then one of the prelates, on hearing his faith called dead, diabolical and a phantom, became so angry that he tore the mitre from his head, and threw it upon the table, saying: 'I will not take it up again until I have avenged myself on the enemies of the faith of our Church;' and he shook his head, muttering and exclaiming, 'That James! That James!' On the front of his mitre was a thin plate of gold inscribed with the words, 'Faith alone justifies.' Then suddenly there appeared rising out of the earth a monster with seven heads, with feet like a bear's, a body like a leopard's, and a mouth like a lion's, exactly like the beast described in Revelation 13:1-2, whose image was made and worshiped, verses 14-15. This apparition took the mitre off the table, and stretching it at the bottom, placed it upon his seven heads. Thereupon the earth opened under his feet, and he sank down to the lower regions. At the sight of this the prelate exclaimed, 'Violence! Violence!' Then we left them, and lo! steps appeared before us by which we ascended, and returned above ground, and to the sight of heaven, where we had been before." This was related to me by that spirit who, with a hundred others, had ascended from the lower earth.
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389. QUINTUM MEMORABILE.
Quondam visa est Charta e Coelo demissa in unam Societatem in Mundo spirituum, ubi erant duo Praesules Ecclesiae cum Canonicis et Presbyteris sub illis: in Charta illa fuit exhortatio, ut agnoscerent 1 Dominum Jesum Christum pro Deo Coeli et Terrae, prout Ipse docuit, Matthaeus 28:18, ac ut recederent a doctrina de Fide justificante sine operibus legis, quia erronea. Charta illa lecta et exscripta fuit a multis, et de illis, quae in ea erant, cogitabant et loquebantur multi ex judicio. At postquam receperunt illam, dixerunt inter se, audiamus Praesules, et auditi sunt, sed contradixerunt et improbaverunt: verum Praesules illius Societatis erant duri corde ex falsis in Mundo priori imbutis, quare post brevem consultationem inter se, remiserunt Chartam ad Coelum unde venit: quo facto, post aliquod murmur, plerique Laici a consensu priori suo recesserunt, et tunc lux judicii illorum in spiritualibus, quae prius exsplenduit, subito exstincta est; postquam iterum admoniti fuerunt, at frustra, vidi Societatem illam subsidentem, sed quam profunde, non vidi, ita subductam e conspectu illorum, qui unice colunt Dominum, et solam fidem justificantem aversantur.
[2] Sed post aliquos dies vidi ascendentes paene ad centum ex inferiore terra, quo usque parva illa 2 Societas subsidit, qui accesserunt ad me, et e quibus unus loquutus dixit, audi mirabile; dum subsidimus, apparuit nobis locus sicut stagnum, sed mox sicut terra sicca, et postea sicut parva urbs, in qua multis fuit sua domus; post diem consultavimus inter nos, quid faciendum; dixerunt multi, quod duo illi Praesules Ecclesiae adeundi sint, et mite arguendi, quia remiserunt Chartam in Coelum e quo demissa est, et propter id contigit nobis hoc; elegerunt etiam aliquos, qui abiverunt ad Praesules, et dixit mecum loquens, quod esset unus ex illis; et tunc quidam inter nos sapientia praepollens loquebatur ad Praesules, ita; credidimus quod apud nos prae reliquis esset Ecclesia, et Religio, quia dictum audivimus, quod in summa luce Evangelii simus; sed data est quibusdam e nobis illustratio e Coelo, et in illustratione perceptio, quod hodie in Orbe Christiano non sit amplius Ecclesia, quia non Religio.
[3] Dixerunt Praesules, quid loquimini; estne Ecclesia ubi est Verbum, ubi Christus Salvator notus est, et ubi sunt Sacramenta: ad haec respondit noster, illa sunt Ecclesiae, nam illa faciunt Ecclesiam, sed non faciunt illam extra hominem, sed intra hominem: et porro dixit, potest Ecclesia esse ubi coluntur tres Dii; potest Ecclesia esse, ubi tota ejus Doctrina fundatur super unico Pauli dicto false intellecto, et inde non super Verbo; potest Ecclesia 3 esse, dum Salvator Mundi, qui est ipse Deus Ecclesiae, non aditur: quis negare potest, quin Religio sit fugere malum et facere bonum, num est aliqua Religio [ubi docetur], 4 quod sola fides salvet, et non simul charitas; num est Religio, ubi docetur, quod Charitas procedens ab homine non sit nisi quam Charitas moralis et civilis; quis non videt quod in illa Charitate non sit aliquid religionis; num est in sola Fide aliquod facti seu operis, cum tamen in facere consistit religio: Numeri datur in universo terrarum orbe Gens, quae excludit omne salvificum a bonis Charitatis, quae sunt bona Opera, cum tamen omne Religionis consistit in bono, et omne Ecclesiae in Doctrina, quae docet vera, et per vera bona; quae gloria nobis fuisset, si acceptaverimus illa, quae Charta e Coelo demissa in sinu suo portavit.
[4] Tunc Praesules dixerunt, loqueris nimis alte; annon Fides actu, quae est Fides plene justificans et salvans, est Ecclesia; et annon Fides statu, quae est Fides procedens et perficiens, est Religio; apprehendite hoc filii: sed tunc Sapiens noster dixit, audite Patres; annon homo concipit Fidem actu sicut stipes secundum vestrum dogma; num stipes potest vivificari in Ecclesiam; annon Fides statu est secundum vestram ideam continuatio et progressio Fidei actu, et cum secundum vestrum dogma, omne 5 salvificum est in Fide, et non aliquid in bono Charitatis ab homine, ubi tunc est Religio. Tunc dixerunt Antistites, amice, loqueris ita, quia non scis Arcana justificationis per solam Fidem, et qui illa non scit, non scit viam salvationis ab interiori; tua via est externa 6 et plebeja; vade illam si vis, at scias modo, quod omne bonum sit a Deo, et nihil ab homine, et quod sic homo in spiritualibus nihil possit a se; quomodo tunc potest homo facere bonum, quod est bonum spirituale, a se.
[5] Ad haec Noster loquens cum illis, valde indignatus, respondit, scio Arcana justificationis vestra plus quam vos, et aperte vobis dico, quod interius in Arcanis vestris non viderim nisi quam spectra; annon Religio est agnoscere 7 Deum, ac fugere et odio habere diabolum; estne Deus ipsum Bonum, et Diabolus ipsum Malum; quis in Universo terrarum orbe, cui est 8 religio, hoc non novit; estne agnoscere et amare Deum, facere bonum, quia hoc est Dei et a Deo, et estne fugere et odio habere Diabolum, non facere malum, quia hoc est Diaboli et a Diabolo, seu quod idem, vestra Fides actu, quam vocastis Fidem plene justificantem et salvantem, seu quod idem, vester Actus justificationis per solam fidem, Numeri docet facere aliquod bonum, quod est Dei et a Deo, et Numeri docet fugere aliquod malum quod est diaboli et a Diabolo; prorsus nihil, quia statuitis, quod in utroque nihil salutis sit; quid vestra Fides statu, quam vocavistis Fidem procedentem et perficientem, 9 nisi eadem cum Fide actu; quomodo potest haec perfici, cum excluditis omne bonum ab homine sicut ab ipso, dicendo in Arcanis vestris, quomodo potest homo salvari per aliquod bonum a se, cum salvatio est gratuita; tum quid bonum ab homine, nisi meritorium, et tamen meritum Christi est omne, quare bonum facere salutis causa, foret sibi attribuere quod solius Christi est, sic etiam foret velle semet justificare et salvare; tum quomodo potest quis operari bonum, cum Spiritus Sanctus operatur omnia absque ulla ope hominis; quid tunc opus est aliquo bono accessorio ab homine, cum omne bonum ab homine in se non est bonum, praeter plura;
[6] nonne haec sunt Arcana vestra; sed illa in meis oculis sunt merae argutiae et astutiae effictae propter finem ut removeatis bona Opera, quae sunt bona Charitatis, ad stabiliendum vestram solam fidem; et quia hoc facitis, spectatis hominem quoad 10 illam, et in genere quoad omnia spiritualia, quae Ecclesiae et Religionis sunt, sicut stipitem, vel sicut simulachrum inanimatum, et non ut hominem creatum ad imaginem Dei, cui data est et continue datur facultas intelligendi et volendi, credendi et amandi, ac loquendi et faciendi, prorsus sicut a se, imprimis in spiritualibus, quia homo est homo ex illis; si homo in spiritualibus non cogitaret et operaretur sicut a se, quid tunc Verbum, quid tunc Ecclesia et Religio, et quid tunc Cultus: nostis quod facere bonum proximo ex amore sit Charitas, at non nostis quid Charitas, cum tamen Charitas est anima et essentia fidei, et quia Charitas est utraque illa, quid tunc Fides remota Charitate, nisi mortua, et Fides mortua non est nisi quam spectrum; voco illam spectrum, quoniam Jacobus vocat Fidem absque bonis Operibus non solum mortuam, sed etiam Diabolicam.
[7] Tunc unus ex Praesulibus illis, cum audivit Fidem suam vocari mortuam, diabolicam, et spectrum, in tantum excanduit, ut e Capite suo eriperet Cidarim, et conjiceret super Mensam, dicens, non resumam antequam ultus 11 fuero hostes Fidei Ecclesiae nostrae, et movit caput murmurans et dicens, 12 ILLE JACOB, ILLE JACOB: in fronte cidaris erat bractea, cui insculpta fuit SOLA FIDES JUSTIFICANS: et tunc subito apparuit monstrum e terra surgens cum septem capitibus, cui pedes sicut ursi, corpus sicut pardi, et os sicut leonis, prorsus similis bestiae, quae describitur Apocalypsis 13:1-2, cujus imago facta et adorata est, Vers. 13 14-15; hoc spectrum e Mensa desumsit Cidarim, et dilatavit illam infra, et posuit super septem suis capitibus; quo facto, terra hiabat sub pedibus ejus, et subsidit; hoc viso clamavit Praesul, VIOLENTIA, VIOLENTIA. Tunc abivimus ab illis, et ecce gradus coram oculis nostris, per quos ascendimus, et redivimus super terram, et in conspectum Coeli, ubi fuimus prius; haec narravit mihi Spiritus ille, qui cum centum aliis ex terra inferiore ascenderat.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: agroscerent.
2. Prima editio: ille.
3. Prima editio: Ecelesia.
4. Sic in margine exemplaris scriptoris et Apocalypsis Revelata 675.
5. Prima editio: omme.
6. Prima editio: cxterna.
7. Nisi legeris agnoscere et amare sic in margine exemplaris scriptoris et Apocalypsis Revelata 675.
8. Prima editio: ast.
9. Prima editio: persieientem.
10. Prima editio: quod.
11. Prima editio: utus.
12. Prima editio: dicens.
13. Prima editio: Vers.