391.记事七：
我在灵界与众多平信徒和神职人员有过交谈，由此意识到，在如今的基督教界，真理的荒凉和神学的贫乏到了何等地步！神职人员中竟有这样的属灵饥荒，以致他们除了父三位一体和存在、圣子、圣灵，以及唯信得救外，几乎什么也不知道；对于主基督，他们只知道福音书中有关祂的历史事件。至于其它的，如新旧约的圣言教导，父与祂为一；祂在父里面、父在祂里面；祂拥有天地一切的权柄；父的意思是他们当信子，信祂的有永生等等，他们一概不知，这些教导遥远得如同深藏在海底，甚至在地核中心处的东西。当将这类事物从圣言中摘录并读出来时，他们站在那里仿佛听到了，然而什么也没听进去。这些话进到他们耳中的程度，和微风的耳语或鼓声没什么两样。主不时差遣天使造访精灵界、即天堂下面的基督徒社群。他们悲叹说，这些人在属乎救赎的事上如此愚钝，因而陷入黑暗中，以致他们几乎等于在听鹦鹉说话。就连他们的学者都说，在属灵和神性事务上，他们和雕像一样没有理解力。
一位天使曾告诉我他与两个牧师的谈话，其中一个牧师将信从仁分离，另一个则没有。他与前者的对话如下：
“朋友，你是做什么的？”
“我是一名新教徒。”
“你们的教义和宗教信仰是什么？”
“信。”
“你的信是什么？”
“我的信是：父神派出圣子独自担当了人类当受的诅咒，我们因此而得救。”
“关于得救你还知道什么？”
“仅凭信就能得救。”
“关于救赎，你知道什么？”
“救赎是通过十字架受难实现的，基督的功德藉着这信而归给我们。”
“关于重生，你知道什么？”
“它是这信的结果。”
“说说你对爱与仁的认识吧。”
“它们和这信是一回事。”
“请告诉我你对于十诫，以及圣言中其它教导是怎么想的。”
“都包含在此信中。”
“这样你什么都不用做吗？”
“我能做什么呢？我凭自己行不出本为良善的任何善。”
“那你凭自己能有信吗？”
“我不会探究这些，我必定有信。”
“关于得救的状态，你确定知道些什么吗？”
“仅凭信就能得救，还能有什么？”
“你的回答就像有人用笛子只吹一个音符。除了信，我什么也没听到。如果你只知道信，不知道别的，那么你其实什么也不知道。走开，找你的同伴去吧。”于是，他离开了，在一个寸草不生的旷野找到了这些人。他询问为何是这种景况，被告知，这是因为他们当中没有教会。
天使与拥有与仁结合之信的那位牧师的对话如下：
“朋友，你是做什么的？”
“我是一名新教徒。”
“你的教义和宗教信仰是什么？”
“信与仁。”
“这是两回事。”
“它们不可分离。”
“什么是信？”
“相信圣言的教导。”
“什么是仁？”
“行出圣言的教导。”
“你是单纯的相信圣言的教导，还是也行出来？”
“我也行出来。”
于是，这位天堂天使看着他说：“我的朋友，随我来，与我们同住。”
391. 第七個經歷:
在心靈界, 我與眾多平信徒和神職人員談過話, 這些經歷讓我瞭解到基督徒世界中在真理上的匱乏與神學上的貧困程度是何等嚴重。
在神職人員中, 屬靈的饑荒令他們幾乎什麼也不知道。他們只曉得父,子,聖靈三位一體的存在, 以及單單憑信就可得救。關於主基督, 他們只知道福音書中記載的一些歷史事件。然而其他的, 新舊約中關於主的教導, 例如父與祂為一; 祂在父裡面,父在祂裡面; 祂有天地一切權柄; 父的意思是讓人信祂; 信祂的人有永生; 等等, 他們對此既無知又疏遠, 就像是埋在海底,甚至地核中心的某些東西。
如果從聖言中將這方面的內容讀給他們聽, 他們好像站著那裡聽,卻什麼也聽不進。這些話進到他們耳中的程度, 有如微風吹過或者擊鼓之聲而已。
天人被主不時差遣去檢驗靈界的基督徒社區, 對這些社區深有抱怨。天人說, 他們對有關拯救方面的認識之愚笨與空談, 就如同聽鸚鵡學舌。哪怕他們之中飽學的基督徒學者, 在談論屬靈事務以及關於上帝的話題時, 如同雕像般無知。
[2]一次, 一位天人將他與兩個神職人員的談話告訴我, 其中一人的信與義分離, 另一個並未分離。與第一個人(信與義分離)的談話如下:
"朋友, 你是誰？"
"我是一名新教徒, "他回答。
"你們的教導和信仰是什麼？"
"信。"
"你的信是什麼？"
"我的信是:父上帝差子獨自擔當了人類當受的詛咒, 我們因此而得救。"
"關於拯救你還知道什麼？"
"僅僅憑著信就可以獲得拯救。"
"關於救贖, 你知道什麼？"
"救贖是藉著十字架受難而發生, 子所做之功藉著上述之信便歸算給我們。"
"關於更新, 你知道哪些？"
"通過上述之信而發生。"
"告訴我你對愛與義的理解吧。"
"它們就是我所說的信。"
"對於十誡, 以及聖言中其它的教導, 你怎麼理解？"
"都包含在此信之中。"
於是天人說:"這樣你什麼都不用做？"
"我能作什麼呢？我自己不能行任何的真正的善。"
"那麼, 你自己能有信嗎？"
"我不會探究這些, 我必須簡單地擁有信。"
最後, 天人說:"關於拯救, 你還能知道其它一點點內容嗎？"
"僅憑信就可得到拯救, 還有別的什麼嗎？"
然後天人說:"你的回答就像人反復不止地吹單音的笛子。除了信, 我什麼也沒聽到。如果你只知道信, 而不知道別的, 那麼你什麼也不知道。走吧, 找你的同伴去吧。"
這位神職人員走開了。在一處無草荒蕪之地, 他與同伴們相遇。他打聽為什麼會這樣, 他們的回答是:在他們的裡面, 沒有任何關於教會的內容。
[3]天人與另一位神職人員(信與慈不分離)的談話內容如下:
"朋友, 你是誰？"
"我是一名新教徒。"
"你們的教導和信仰是什麼？"
"信與義。"
"這是二回事。"
"它們不可分離。"
"什麼是信？"
"相信聖言的教導。"
"什麼是義？"
"踐行聖言的教導。"
"你只是信這些教導, 或者還要去行出來？"
"我還行出來。"
從天國來的天人看著這位神職人員, 說:"我的朋友, 隨我來, 與我們一起生活吧。"
391. The seventh memorable occurrence. Conversations with many lay people and many clergy in the spiritual world have taught me how barren of truth and how theologically emaciated the Christian world has become today.
Among the clergy there is so much spiritual poverty that they scarcely know anything. They know only that there is a trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that faith alone saves. Of Christ the Lord, they know only some historical facts recorded in the Gospels. All the other things that the Word of both Testaments teaches about the Lord - for example, that the Father and he are one; that he is in the Father and the Father in him; that he has all power in heaven and on earth; that it is the Father's will that people should believe in the Son; and that people who believe in the Son have eternal life; and so on - are to them as unknown and buried as things on the bottom of the ocean or even in the center of the earth.
If things are read to them from the Word, they stand as if they were partly paying attention and partly not. The statements penetrate no more deeply into their minds than the whistle of the wind or the sound of a beaten drum.
From time to time, the Lord sends angels to examine the Christian communities in the world of spirits under heaven. The angels vehemently complain about these communities. They say that the level of stupid, empty discourse there about issues relating to salvation is almost on a par with the chattering of a parrot. In fact, they say that the learned Christian professors in those communities have no more understanding of divine and spiritual things than do statues.
[2] On one occasion an angel told me of conversations with two men from the clergy, one of whom had a faith that was separate from goodwill, and the other of whom had a faith that was not separate.
The conversation with the clergyman who had a faith that was separate from goodwill went like this:
"The angel said, Friend, who are you?"
"I am a Protestant Christian," he replied.
"What is your doctrinal point of view and your religion?"
"Faith. "
"What is your faith?"
"My faith is that God the Father sent the Son to take the damnation of the human race on himself. We are saved by that. "
The angel then asked, "What else do you know about salvation?"
"Salvation is accomplished through that faith alone. "
"What do you know about redemption?"
"Redemption was brought about through the suffering on the cross. The Son's merit is assigned through that faith. "
"What do you know about regeneration?"
"It happens through that faith. "
"Tell me what you know about love and goodwill. "
"They are that faith. "
"Tell me what you think about the Ten Commandments and the other teachings in the Word. "
"They are in that faith. "
"The angel then said, Is there nothing for you to do?"
"What should I be doing? I can't do anything genuinely good on my own. "
"Can you have faith on your own then?"
"I don't go into that. I must simply have faith. "
Finally the angel said, "Is there anything else whatever that you know about salvation?"
"What else would there be, since salvation comes through that faith alone?"
Then the angel said, "You give answers like someone playing the same note again and again on a flute. I am not hearing anything but faith. If you know faith but you don't know anything else, you don't know anything. Go see your companions. "
The clergyman then left. When he met his companions in the desert, the place was devoid of even as much as grass. Upon his inquiring why that was, they answered that inside themselves they had nothing related to the church.
[3] The angel's conversation with the clergyman who had a faith that was united to goodwill went like this:
"Friend, who are you?"
"I am a Reformed Christian. "
"What is your doctrinal point of view and your religion?"
"Faith and goodwill. "
"Those are two things. "
"They can't be separated. "
"What is faith?"
"Believing what the Word teaches. "
"What is goodwill?"
"Doing what the Word teaches. "
"Do you only believe that, or do you also practice it?"
"I also practice it. "
The angel from heaven then looked at the clergyman and said, "My friend, come with me and live with us. "
391. The seventh experience.
I have become aware as the result of conversations in the spiritual world with many laymen and many clergy what desolation of the truth and theological poverty exists in the Christian world at the present time. There is such spiritual famine among the clergy that they hardly know anything beyond the existence of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the fact that faith alone saves. About the Lord Christ they know only the historical facts about Him related in the Gospels. The rest, however, of what either Testament of the Word teaches, as that the Father and He are one, that He is in the Father and the Father in Him, that He has all power in heaven and earth, that it is the Father's will that men should believe in the Son, and that he who believes in Him has everlasting life, and much else - all this is to them as unknown and remote as what lies on the ocean bed, or rather, what lies at the centre of the earth. When these statements are extracted from the Word and read, they stand as if listening but hear nothing. The words do not penetrate deeper into their ears than the sighing of the wind or the beating of a drum. The angels who from time to time are sent out by the Lord to visit the Christian communities in the world of spirits, that is, below heaven, complain bitterly. They say that such is their stupidity and as a result the darkness under which they labour in matters relating to salvation that it is almost like listening to a talking parrot. Even their learned men say that in spiritual matters and those relating to God they do not understand more than so many statues.
[2] An angel once told me of a conversation he had with two clerics, one whose faith was separated from charity and another whose faith was not so separated. With the one whose faith was separated from charity the conversation ran like this.
'Friend, what are you?' 'I am a Christian of the Reformed church,' he replied. 'What is your doctrine and thus your religion?' 'Faith,' he answered. 'What is your faith?' said the angel. 'My faith,' he replied, 'is that God the Father sent the Son to take upon Himself the damnation of the human race, and by this means we are saved.' Then he asked him, 'What more do you know about salvation?' He replied that salvation is achieved by that faith alone. Next he said, 'What do you know about redemption?' He replied that it was accomplished by the passion on the cross, and that Christ's merit is imputed by means of that faith. Next, 'What do you know about regeneration?' He replied that it is the result of that faith. 'Say what you know about love and charity.' He replied that they are the same as that faith. 'Tell me what you think about the Ten Commandments and the remainder of the Word.' He replied that they are contained in that faith. Then he said: 'So you will do nothing?' 'What can I do?' he replied, 'I cannot of myself do any good which is good.' 'Can you,' he said, 'have faith of yourself?' 'I don't enquire into that,' he answered, 'I shall have faith.' Finally he said, 'Do you know anything at all more about salvation?' 'What more is there,' he replied, 'when salvation comes solely by means of that faith?' The angel then said, 'Your answers are like someone playing a single note on the flute; I hear nothing but faith. If you know that and nothing else, you know nothing. Go away and look for your companions.' So he went away and came upon them in a desert where there was no grass. He asked there why this was, and was told it was because they had no church among them.
[3] The angel's conversation with the one whose faith was linked with charity went thus. 'Friend, what are you?' 'I am a Christian of the Reformed church,' he replied. 'What is your doctrine and so your religion?' 'Faith and charity,' he replied. 'These,' said the angel, 'are two.' 'They cannot be separated,' he replied. 'What is faith?' he asked. 'Believing what the Word teaches,' he replied. 'What is charity?' 'Doing what the Word teaches.' 'Have you only believed these things or have you also done them?' 'I have also done them,' he replied. The angel from heaven looked at him and said, 'My friend, come with me and live with us.'
391. Seventh Memorable Relation:
What desolation of truth there is in the Christian world today, and what theological barrenness, has been brought to my knowledge by conversation with many of the laity and of the clergy in the spiritual world. With the latter there is such spiritual destitution that they hardly know anything except that there is a Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that faith alone saves; and of the Lord Christ they know only the historical facts about Him in the Gospels. But all else which the Word of both Testaments teaches respecting Him, as that the Father and He are one, that He is in the Father and the Father in Him, that He has all power in heaven and on earth, that it is the will of the Father that they should believe in the Son, and that whosoever believes in Him has eternal life, - these and many other things are as unknown to them and as remote as the things that lie at the bottom of the ocean, or even at the center of the earth. And when such things are brought forth from the Word and read, they stand as if they heard and yet did not hear; and these things enter no more deeply into their ears than the whispering of the wind or the beating of a drum. The angels who are sometimes sent by the Lord to visit the Christian societies that are in the world of spirits, and thus beneath heaven, lament exceedingly, saying, that in them there is a dullness and consequent darkness in matters pertaining to salvation, almost equal to that of talking parrots. Even their own learned men say, that in spiritual and Divine things they have no more understanding than statues.
[2] An angel once told me that he had talked with two of the clergy, one of whom was in faith separated from charity, and the other in faith not separated. With the former he spoke as follows: "Friend, what are you?" He replied, "I am a Reformed Christian." "What is your doctrine, and your religion derived from it?" He answered, "Faith." The angel asked, "What is your faith?" He replied, "My faith is that God the Father sent His Son to take upon Himself the damnation of the Human race, and that we are thereby saved." The angel then asked, "What more do you know about salvation?" He replied, "Salvation is effected by means of that faith alone." Again the angel asked, "What do you know about redemption?" He answered, "It was accomplished by the passion of the cross, and Christ's merit is imputed through that faith." "What do you know about regeneration?" He replied, "It is effected by means of that faith." "Tell me what you know about love and charity." He answered, "They are that faith." "What do you think of the commandments of the Decalogue and the rest of the Word?" He replied, "They are included in that faith." Then said the angel, "You, therefore, will do nothing?" He answered, "What am I to do? I have no ability of myself to do good that is good." The angel said, "Can you have faith of yourself?" He replied, "That I do not inquire into; I must have faith." Finally the angel said, "Surely you know something more about the state of salvation?" He answered, "What more should I know, when salvation comes through that faith alone?" Then the angel said, "You answer like a man playing but one note on a flute. I hear nothing but faith. If you know about that and nothing else, you know nothing at all. Go and see where your companions are." He went, and found them in a desert where there was no grass. He asked why this was so, and was told that it was because they possessed nothing of the church.
[3] With the one who had faith conjoined with charity, the angel spoke as follows: "Friend, what are you?" He replied, "I am a Reformed Christian." "What is your doctrine, and your religion derived from it?" He answered, "Faith and charity." The angel said, "These are two things." He replied, "They cannot be separated." The angel asked, "What is faith?" He answered, "To believe what the Word teaches." "And what is charity?" He replied, "To do what the Word teaches." He asked, "Have you merely believed what the Word teaches, or have you also done it?" He answered, "I have also done it." The angel of heaven then looked at him and said, "My friend, come with me and dwell with us."
391. The seventh experience. The state of desolation with respect to truth and the poverty of the theology prevalent in the Christian world to-day have been made known to me by conversation with many of the laity and clergy in the spiritual world. Among the clergy there is such spiritual ignorance that they hardly know anything except that there is a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that faith alone saves; and concerning Christ the Lord, they know only the historical things about Him recorded in the Evangelists. But all else which the Word of the Old and New Testaments teaches respecting the Lord, as that the Father and He are one; that He is in the Father, and the Father in Him; that He has all power in heaven and in earth; that it is the will of the Father that men should believe on the Son, and that he who believes on Him hath eternal life; with many other things-these truths are as unknown to them and hidden as things that lie at the bottom of the ocean, or at the centre of the earth. When these truths are brought forward from the Word and read, they stand as those who hear and yet hear not; and they are no more impressed by them than by the whispering of the wind, or the beating of a drum. Angels who are sometimes sent by the Lord to visit the Christian societies in the world of spirits, and thus under heaven, are much grieved, and declare that almost as great dullness and darkness prevail there in matters pertaining to salvation as one would find in a talking parrot. Even the learned among them admit that they have no more understanding in spiritual and Divine things than so many statues.
[2] An angel once told me that he had spoken with two of the clergy, one of whom was in faith separated from charity, and the other in faith not separated. "Friend," said he to the first, "who are you?" He replied, "I am a Christian of the Reformed Church." "And what is your doctrine, and your religion based on that doctrine?" He replied, "Faith." "And what," said the angel, "is your faith?" He answered, "My faith is, that God the Father sent the Son to take upon Him the condemnation entailed on all mankind; and that in consequence of this we are saved." The angel further asked, "What more do you know respecting salvation?" He replied, "Salvation is effected by that faith alone." He then asked, "What do you know of redemption?" He answered, "It was wrought by the passion of the cross, and the merit thereof is imputed by means of that faith." "And what," said he, "do you know of regeneration?" He answered, "This also is effected by that faith." "What," said he, "do you know of love and charity?" He answered, "These also are involved in that faith." "Tell me," he said, "what is your opinion on the commandments of the Decalogue, and on the other contents of the Word?" He replied, "They are all included in that faith." "Then," said the angel, "You will have nothing whatever to do?" He answered, "What am I to do? I cannot of myself do good which is really good." "But," said he, "can you have faith of yourself?" He replied, "That is a matter I do not inquire into: I shall have faith." Finally, he asked, "Do you know anything further concerning salvation?" and the answer was, "What further is there to know, since salvation is by that faith alone?" Then said the angel, "You answer like one who plays on one note of the flute. I hear nothing but 'Faith': but if this is all you know, you know nothing at all. Go and behold your companions." He departed, and found them in a desert place, where there grew not even a blade of grass. On inquiring the reason of this, he was informed it was because they had nothing of the Church among them.
The conversation of the angel with the other who had faith united with charity, was as follows: "Friend," said he, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am a Christian of the Reformed Church." "What is your doctrine and your religion based on that doctrine?" He answered, "Faith and charity." "These," said the angel, "are two?" He replied, "They cannot be separated." "What," said the angel, "is faith?" He answered, "To believe what the Word teaches." "And what is charity?" "To do what the Word teaches." The angel then said, "Have you only believed what the Word teaches, or have you also practiced it?" He replied, "I have also practiced it." The angel of heaven then looked at him and said, "My friend, come with me, and dwell with us."
391. SEPTIMUM MEMORABILE.
Qualis desolatio veri et macies Theologica in Christiano Orbe hodie datur, notum mihi factum est ex sermocinatione cum multis ex Laicis, et cum multis ex Clericis in Mundo spirituali; apud hos talis egestas spiritualis est, ut vix sciant quicquam, quam quod sit Trinitas, Pater, Filius et Spiritus sanctus, et quod Sola fides salvet, et de Domino Christo solum Historica de Ipso apud Evangelistas; reliqua autem, quae Verbum utriusque Testamenti de Ipso docet, ut quod Pater et Ipse unum sint, quod Ipse in Patre sit et Pater in Ipso; quod Ipsi sit omnis potestas in Coelo et in Terra; quod voluntas Patris sit ut credant in Filium, et quod qui credit in Ipsum habeat vitam aeternam, praeter plura, haec illis tam ignota et reposta sunt, sicut illa quae in fundo oceani, imo quae 1 in centro terrae jacent; et cum protrahuntur ex Verbo et leguntur, stant sicut audiant et non audiant; nec penitius intrant in aures, quam susurrus venti, aut sonus pulsati corii. Angeli, qui a Domino quandoque emittuntur ad Societates Christianas, quae in Mundo spirituum sunt, ita sub Coelo, ad visitandum, valde lamentantur; dicentes quod talis obesitas 2 et inde caligo in rebus salutis sit, paene qualis in psittaco loquente; dicunt etiam Docti illorum, quod in spiritualibus et Divinis non plus intelligant quam statuae.
[2] Quondam mihi retulit Angelus, quod cum duobus e Clero loquutus sit, uno qui in Fide separata a Charitate, altero qui in Fide non separata fuit. Quod cum illo qui in Fide separata a Charitate fuit, ita loquutus sit; Amice, quis es; respondit ille, sum Reformatus Christianus: quae tua Doctrina, et inde Religio; respondit quod sit Fides: dixit, quae tua Fides; respondit, fides mea est, quod Deus Pater miserit Filium, qui damnationem Generis humani in se susciperet, et quod per id salvemur: interrogavit tunc dicendo, quid scis 3 plus de salvatione; respondit quod salvatio fiat per solam illam fidem: 4 porro dixit, quid scis de Redemptione; respondit quod facta sit per Passionem crucis, et quod meritum Ipsius imputetur per illam fidem: porro, quid scis de Regeneratione; respondit quod fiat per illam fidem: dic quid scis de Amore et Charitate; respondit quod sint illa fides: dic quid cogitas de praeceptis Decalogi et de reliquis in Verbo; respondit quod sint in illa fide: tunc dixit, ergo nihil facies; respondit quid faciam; non possum facere bonum, quod bonum est, a me; dixit, num fidem potes habere a te; respondit, in hoc non inquiro, habebo fidem: tandem dixit, omnino scis aliquid praeterea de salute; respondit quid praeterea, cum per solam illam fidem salvatio. Sed tunc dixit Angelus, respondes sicut qui canit uno tono tibiae; non audio nisi fidem, si illam scis et non aliquid praeterea, nihil scis: abi et vide socios, et abivit et offendit illos in deserto, ubi non gramen; quaesivit ibi cur ita, et dictum est, quia illis nihil Ecclesiae.
[3] Angelus cum illo, qui in Fide conjuncta Charitati 5 erat, ita loquutus est, Amice, quis es; respondit sum Christianus Reformatus; quae tua Doctrina et inde Religio; respondit Fides et Charitas: dixit, haec sunt duo; respondit non separari possunt: dixit, quid Fides; respondit credere quod Verbum docet; dixit quid Charitas; respondit facere 6 quod Verbum docet; dixit, num solum credideris illa, vel num etiam feceris; respondit etiam feci: Angelus Coeli tunc aspexit illum, et dixit, mi Amice, veni mecum, et habita nobiscum.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: qaae.
2. Prima editio: obefitas.
3. Prima editio: seis.
4. Prima editio: fldem.
5. Sic Errores Typographici.
6. Prima editio: faeere.