415. 更高的層次, 當愛的鄰舍是教會; 最高的層次, 是主的國
人註定為永生而生, 是教會帶人進永生, 教會應當被視為更高層次的鄰舍去愛。教會的教導是帶人進入永生的途徑。所教導的真理在帶路, 當行的良善提供入口。
這並不意味著以更高的層次來愛祭司的職份, 或者因為祭司而愛教會。而是教會的良善與真理應當被愛, 因為這良善與真理而愛祭司。祭司只是服事的工具, 當按其服事的程度而受尊敬。
[2]教會應當作為更高層次的鄰舍被愛, 甚至超過國家, 原因在於國家帶給人世俗的生活, 而教會帶給人屬靈的生活——就是將人與動物區別開來的生活。
此外, 世俗的生活是暫時的, 有盡頭, 一旦終結, 就如同從未存在。然而屬靈生活並無盡頭, 是永恆的。"根本"這個措詞可用於屬靈生活, 而世俗生活則無此性質。兩者的分別就像有限和無限之間的分別; 二者無法比較, 因為永恆是時間上的無限。
415. On an Even Higher Level, the Neighbor We Are to Love Is the Church, and on the Highest Level, Our Neighbor Is the Lord's Kingdom
We are born for eternal life and are introduced into it by the church. Therefore we are to love the church as our neighbor on an even higher level [than we love our country]. The church teaches us the means that lead to eternal life and introduces us into that life. It leads us to eternal life by means of the true things in its body of teaching. It introduces us to that life through good ways to live.
This does not mean that we are to love the priesthood to a special degree or love the church on the priesthoods account. We are to love the church's goodness and truth, and love the priesthood on account of this goodness and truth. The priesthood only serves; it is to be honored according to its service.
We are to love the church as our neighbor on a higher level, even beyond our country, because our country initiates us into civic life but the church initiates us into spiritual life. Spiritual life is what sets us apart from a merely animal life.
What is more, our civic life is temporary. It comes to an end. Once it is over, it is the same as if it had not existed. Our spiritual life, on the other hand, is eternal, because it has no end. Spiritual life has a quality of reality therefore that civic life does not have. The difference between them is like the difference between what is finite and what is infinite - there is no ratio between them. Eternity is an infinity of time.
415. V. The neighbour who is to be loved in a higher degree is the church, and in the highest degree the Lord's kingdom.
Since man is born destined for everlasting life, and it is the church which brings him to this, the church ought to be loved as neighbour in a higher degree. For the church's teaching is the means leading to and giving entry to everlasting life. It is the truths of its teaching which lead and the good deeds performed which give entry to it. This does not mean that the priesthood is to be loved in a higher degree, and the church because of the priesthood. It is the good and truth of the church which ought to be loved, and the priesthood for their sake. The priesthood only serves as a means, and should be honoured to the extent that it so serves.
[2] Another reason why the church is the neighbour to be loved in a higher degree, and so more than one's country, is that one's country introduces one to secular life, but the church introduces one to spiritual life, the life which distinguishes man from living purely as an animal. Moreover, secular life is temporary, having an end, and is then as if it had never been. But spiritual life, having no end, is everlasting, so that the term 'being' may be used of it, but 'not-being' of the other form of life. The difference is like that between the finite and the infinite, which are incommensurable; for what is everlasting is infinite in respect of time.
415. V. THE CHURCH IS THE NEIGHBOR WHO IS TO BE LOVED IN A STILL HIGHER DEGREE, AND THE LORD'S KINGDOM IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE.
Since man was born for eternal life, and is introduced into it by the church, the church is to be loved as the neighbor in a higher degree, because it teaches the means which lead to eternal life and introduces man into it, leading to it by the truths of doctrine and introducing into it by goods of life. This does not mean that the priesthood should be loved in a higher degree, and the church because of the priesthood; but it means that the good and truth of the church should be loved, and the priesthood for the sake of these. The priesthood merely serves, and is to be honored so far as it serves. The church is the neighbor that is to be loved in a higher degree, thus even above one's country, for the reason also, that by his country man is initiated into civil life, but by the church into spiritual life, and by that life man is separated from a merely animal life. Moreover, civil life is a temporary life, which has an end and which is then as if it had not been; while the spiritual life is eternal, having no end; therefore of the latter may be predicated being [esse], but of the former non-being. The distinction is like that between the finite and the infinite, between which there is no ratio; for the eternal is the infinite as to time.
415. V. THE CHURCH IS THE NEIGHBOUR THAT IS TO BE LOVED IN A STILL HIGHER DEGREE, AND THE LORD'S KINGDOM IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE.
As man is born for eternal life, and is introduced into it by the Church, he ought, therefore, to love the Church as the neighbor in a higher degree; for it teaches the means that lead to eternal life, and introduces him into it, leading him to it by the truths of doctrine, and introducing him into it by the goods of life. We do not mean that the priesthood is to be loved in a higher degree, and from it the Church, but that the good and truth of the Church are to be loved, and the priesthood on account of these. For the only function of the priesthood is to serve the Church, and it should be honoured in proportion to its service.
The Church is the neighbor that is to be loved in a higher degree, thus even above one's country, because a man is initiated by his country into civil life, and by the Church into spiritual life, which distinguishes man from merely animal life. Moreover, civil life is temporal; it comes to an end, and is then as if it had never been; whereas spiritual life, having no end, is eternal. Being (esse) may, therefore, be predicated of spiritual life, but not-being (non esse) of temporal life. The difference is like that between finite and infinite, between which there is no comparison; for what is eternal is infinite in respect to time.
415. Quod Ecclesia 1 sit Proximus, qui in superiori gradu amandus est, et quod Regnum Domini in supremo.
Quoniam homo natus est ad vitam aeternam, et in hanc introducitur per Ecclesiam, ideo haec amanda est ut Proximus in superiori gradu, nam illa docet media, quae ducunt ad vitam aeternam, ac introducit in illam; ducit ad illam per vera doctrinae, ac introducit 2 per bona vitae. Non intelligitur quod Sacerdotium in superiori gradu amandum sit, et ex illo Ecclesia, sed quod Ecclesiae bonum et verum amandum sit, et propter haec Sacerdotium; hoc modo inservit, et quemadmodum inservit honorandum est.
[2] Quod Ecclesia sit Proximus qui in superiori gradu amandus est, ita quoque supra Patriam, est quoque causa, quia homo ex Patria initiatur in Vitam Civilem, verum ab Ecclesia in Vitam spiritualem, et haec vita distinguit hominem a vita mere animali; insuper Vita civilis est temporaria, quae finem habet, et tunc est sicut non fuerit; at Vita spiritualis, quia finem non habet, aeterna est, quare de hac praedicari potest Esse, et de illa non esse; discrimen est sicut inter finitum et infinitum, inter quae non datur ratio, aeternum enim est infinitum quoad tempus.
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