460.记事二：
有一次，我环视灵界，只听见一阵噪音，象是磨牙，又象是（脉搏等的）跳动声，还夹杂着嘶哑的哭喊声。我问它们是什么，与我同在的天人说：“它们是联谊会，我们称其为辩论俱乐部，他们在那里彼此争论。从远处听，他们的争论声就是这样；但从近处听，就只听到他们争论。”走近后，我看见一些芦苇和泥粘成的茅屋。我想透过窗户往里看看，但一个窗户也没有。我不允许通过门进入，否则，天上的光就会流入，引起混乱。就在这时，右边突然开了一扇窗户，于是我就听见他们在黑暗中抱怨。但很快左边也开了一扇窗户，而右边的则关上了。然后，黑暗被渐渐驱散，他们能藉着自己的光看到彼此了。之后，我被允许从门进去倾听。中间有一张桌子，桌子周围有长凳。但我觉得他们似乎全都站在凳子上，激烈争论信与仁。一方声称信是教会的本质，而另一方则声称仁是教会的本质。那些把信当作教会本质的人说：“我们不是凭信与神交往，凭仁与人交往吗？那么信岂不是属天的，而仁岂不是属地的？我们得救所凭借的，无疑是属天之物，而非属地之物。再者，神必从天上赐给我们信，因为信是属天的，而人则会赋予自己仁，因为它是属地的。人赋予自己之物与教会毫不相干，因此不会施行救赎。所以，人岂能凭所谓的仁爱行为而在神面前称义？请相信我们，我们不但唯信称义，还唯信成圣，只要这信不被仁爱行为产生的功德感所玷污。”诸如此类。
但那些把仁当作教会本质的人强烈反对这些论点，声称施行救赎的是仁，而非信。“神难道不会保住所有人，希望所有人好？若不藉着人，神如何做到这一点？难道神只赐给我们和人谈论信之事务的能力，而不赐给使人行出仁爱行为的能力？难道你们没有发现，你们有关‘仁属地’的言论何等荒谬？仁爱是天堂，因为你们没有行出仁爱的好行为，所以你们的信是属地的。若非象木、石，你们如何接受你们的信？你们会说，凭聆听圣言。但是，只凭聆听，圣言如何作用于人？它又如何作用于木、石？或许你们会不知不觉地苏醒；但何为苏醒，不就是你们能说唯信称义和得救吗？至于何为信，得救的是哪种信，你们并不知道。”
然后，有人站起来，与我交谈的天人称他为调和论者。他摘下假发帽，把它搁在桌子上，但马上又戴回去，因为他是个秃顶。他说：“请听我说，你们全都错了。事实是，信是属灵的，仁是道德的，但它们仍结合在一起。这种结合是通过圣言，圣灵以及它们的果效实现的。这果效的确能被称为顺服，尽管人没有参与其中；因为当信被引入时，人和雕像一样对此毫不知情。我长时间地思考这些问题，终于发现，人能从神那里接受属灵之信，却象一块木头那样无法被神转到属灵之仁那里。”
闻听此言，那些扞卫唯信之人鼓掌赞成，而那些扞卫仁爱之人则嘘声四起。他们愤慨地说：“听着，朋友，你不知道道德的生活有属灵的和纯属世的之分。属灵的道德生活可在那些行出神的良善，然而貌似自主行出之人身上找到，而纯属世的道德生活可在那些行出地狱的良善，然而也貌似自主行出之人身上找到。”
我说过，这场争论听上去就象磨牙，跳动声，夹杂着嘶哑的哭喊声。听上去象磨牙的争论出自那些把信当作教会唯一本质之人，跳动出自那些把仁当作教会唯一本质之人，而夹杂的嘶哑哭喊声则出自调和论者。他们的声音从远处听上去之所以像这样，是因为他们在世时全都卷入争论中，而没有避开任何邪恶；所以，他们没有行出来自属灵源头的任何良善。而且，他们完全不知道，整个信就是真理，整个仁就是良善；没有良善的真理并非灵里的真理，而没有真理的良善也并非灵里的良善，因此它们彼此构成对方。
460. 第二個經歷:
有一次我正在靈界四處看看, 聽到類似磨牙的聲音, 還有撞擊聲, 摻雜著吹哨聲。我詢問原因, 與我同處的天人回答我說:"他們在聚會, 我們稱之為"消遣", 人們在一起彼此舌戰。他們爭論的聲音, 隔一定的距離聽, 就像這樣; 不過靠近聽, 只是爭論聲而已。"
當接近時, 我看到一些用葦條編織,以泥粘合的棚屋。我想通過窗子往一間屋裡看, 卻發現沒窗。(我不被允許從大門進屋, 因為天國之光會射進屋內, 給裡面帶來混亂。)突然, 有個窗子在右邊建成, 於是我聽到屋內的人們在黑暗中抱怨。但過了一小會, 左邊建成一個窗子, 右邊那扇被關閉了。於是, 屋內的黑暗一點點被驅散, 他們能藉著各自的光看其他人。在這之後, 我才被允許由大門進入旁聽。
屋子當中有張台, 有長椅繞桌擺放, 然後在我看來, 似乎所有人都站在椅子上, 在激烈地爭論著信與義的話題。一方聲稱, 信是教會的根本; 另一方則聲稱義才是。認為信是根本的一方說:"無疑, 信指導我們與上帝相處, 而義指導我們與人相處。那麼, 不就是說信為屬天,而義屬地？我們得救, 是在於屬天的, 而非靠屬地之物。還有, 上帝能自天上賜給我們信, 因為信是屬天的; 而人能夠給自己義, 因為它是屬地的。人自己所給的, 與教會沒有關係, 因而不能使人得救。毫無疑問, 沒人能靠著行所謂的義行而在上帝面前被稱義。相信我們, 唯獨靠信, 不僅讓我們被稱義, 還被成聖, 只要我們的信不要因著義的行為而被邀功的欲望所污染。"他們還添加了許多類似的言論。
[2]另一面, 那些視義為教會之本的人們激烈地反駁這些言論, 堅稱靠義,而非信, 被得拯救:"毫無疑問, 上帝視所有人為心愛之人, 並盼望所有人都好。若非藉著人, 上帝如何做到這些呢？上帝當然不會僅僅授予能力去和人們談論關於信的事情, 卻不使人們能夠行出義的行為？你說義是屬世的, 豈不荒謬？義是屬天的！如果你不行出義的行為, 你的信就是屬世的！豈不是像塊木頭或石頭那樣接受你的信？你會說信從聽道而來; 然而, 人僅僅聽道, 道怎麼作用於他呢？總不會作用在一塊木頭或石頭上吧？或者你蘇醒了, 但你完全意識不到怎麼發生的！你除了能說'唯信稱義與得救', 還有什麼表示蘇醒過來呢？然而, 你甚至不知道什麼是信, 不曉得得救之信是什麼。"
[3]然後, 有個人站起來(與我談話的天人說他是調和者)。他取下假髮, 擱在臺上, 但又馬上戴回去, 因為他是禿頂。"聽我講", 他說:"你們都錯了。信是屬靈,義為道德, 確實如此, 但它們仍是相連的。它們的連接是借助於聖言的影響, 同樣借助於聖靈, 最後通過它們產生的結果, 可以說是順服聖言或聖靈。不過, 這樣的順服, 人沒份參與, 因為當信被引進到人裡面時, 人如同一尊雕像那樣毫不知情。我長時間思考這個主題, 最終找到答案:一個人能夠從上帝那裡接受屬靈之信, 但無法被上帝推動到屬靈之義的狀態, 就像祂不能把一根木頭推動到屬靈之義的狀態。
[4]相信唯信稱義的人們鼓掌贊同這個言論, 而相信義為教會之本的人們極力反對。他們憤慨地說:"朋友, 請聽！你看上去並不曉得道德的生活是可以屬靈的, 也可以是純粹屬世的。知道所行之善源自於主, 不過行善時仿佛是靠自己而行, 這便是活出屬靈的道德生活。純粹屬世的道德生活是指來自於地獄(為了愛自己與愛世界)的行善, 以為靠自己而行。"
[5]我之前說過, 這樣的爭論聲如同磨牙的聲音, 還有撞擊聲, 和吹哨聲的摻雜。像磨牙的聲音來自於那些視信為教會唯一本質之人; 撞擊聲來自於視義為教會本質的人們; 摻雜的吹哨聲來自於調和者。他們的聲音為何隔一定距離聽起來會這樣？因為他們所有人在世時忙於爭論這些話題, 卻不遠離任何邪惡, 因此未行出任何來自屬靈源頭的良善。他們還完全不知道以下事實:真理是信的本質, 良善是義的本質; 沒有良善的真理並不是屬靈之真理, 沒有真理的良善並不是屬靈之良善; 一個成就另一個。
460. The second memorable occurrence. Once when I was looking around the spiritual world I heard a sound like teeth grinding together and a sound like hammering and also a whistling mixed in with both other sounds. I asked what they were. The angels who were with me said, "They are meetings (which we label as diversions) where people have verbal battles with each other. Their arguments sound this way from a distance. From closer by they merely sound like arguing. "
I went to the place and saw huts made of rushes plastered together with mud. I tried to look in a window [of one of the huts] but there was none. (I was not allowed in the door, because light would have flowed in from heaven and confused them.) Suddenly a window was created on the right side of the hut. Then I heard the people complaining because they were in the dark. Soon a window was created on the left side, and the window on the right was closed over. It seemed to them that the darkness gradually went away and that they were in their own light again. After that I was given permission to go in the door and hear what was going on.
There was a table in the middle with benches around it for sitting, but instead all the people seemed to me to be standing on the benches, having a harsh dispute with each other about faith and goodwill. One side was arguing that the essence of the church is faith; the other side was arguing that the essence of the church is goodwill.
The people who saw faith as the essential thing said, "In the case of faith, we are dealing with God. And in the case of goodwill we are dealing with human beings. Therefore faith is heavenly and goodwill is earthly. Surely we are saved by heavenly things, not by earthly things. God is able to give us faith from heaven, because faith is heavenly, but goodwill is something we have to give ourselves, because goodwill is earthly. And what we give ourselves is not part of the church and therefore does not save us. Or do you think people could be justified before God by doing things that are said to be part of goodwill? Believe us when we tell you - by faith alone we are not only justified, we are also sanctified, as long as our faith is not defiled by our desire to earn merit through our acts of goodwill. " And many more points like these.
[2] On the other side, the people who saw goodwill as the essence of the church had sharp retorts. They said, "Goodwill saves us, not faith. Surely God holds all people as beloved and wants what is good for all. How could God put this goodness into effect if not through other human beings? Does God let us merely tell people points related to faith but not perform acts of goodwill toward them? Don't you see that what you are saying about goodwill is absurd - calling it earthly? Goodwill is heavenly. Since you don't perform acts of goodwill, your faith is earthly. You actually do receive this faith of yours in the way a log or a stone would. You say you receive it through hearing the Word, but how can the Word do any work on you if all you do is hear it? How can the Word do any work on a log or a stone? Perhaps you were brought to life but you were totally unaware that it happened! What is that liveliness except your ability to say, Faith alone justifies us and saves us? But you don't even know what faith is or which type of faith saves us!"
[3] Then someone whom the angel with me called a syncretist stood up. He took off his head-covering and put it on the table, but then quickly put it back on his head because he was bald. "Listen to me," he said. "You are all wrong. It is true that faith is spiritual and goodwill is moral, but still they are connected. The Word connects them; then they are connected by the Holy Spirit; and finally they are connected by their effect, which could indeed be called obedience, but it is an obedience in which we have no part, because when faith enters us we are as unaware of it as a statue would be. I have thought long and hard about this. What I have finally come to is that we can receive faith (which is spiritual) from God, but God cannot put us in a state of spiritual goodwill any more than he could put a log in a state of spiritual goodwill. "
[4] The people who believed in faith alone applauded these statements, but the people who believed in goodwill booed them. The proponents of goodwill said indignantly, "Listen, friend, you don't seem to know that there is such a thing as a moral life that is spiritual, as opposed to a moral life that is merely earthly. People who do good things that have their origin in God and yet do them as if they were acting on their own live a spiritual moral life. People who do good things that have their origin in hell and yet do them as if they were acting on their own live a merely earthly moral life. "
[5] I mentioned before that their fighting sounded like teeth grinding together and like hammering with whistling mixed in. The arguments from the people who made faith the sole and essential thing in the church sounded like teeth grinding together. The arguments from the people who made goodwill the sole and essential thing in the church sounded like hammering. The whistling that was mixed in came from the syncretist. These people sounded like this at a distance because they had all spent their time in the world arguing but had not abstained from any evil; therefore none of them had done any good thing that had a spiritual origin. They were also completely unaware that truth is the essence of faith and goodness is the essence of goodwill; that truth without goodness is not spiritually true, and goodness without truth is not spiritually good; and that therefore the two shape each other.
460. The second experience 1 .
Once when I was looking around the spiritual world I heard a noise like the grinding of teeth, and also a throbbing sound, and mixed with them hoarse cries. I asked what this was. 'There are colleges,' said the angels with me, 'which we call places of entertainment, where they hold disputations. Their debates sound like this if heard from a distance, but from close by they are heard only as disputations.'
On approaching I saw some huts made of plaited reeds stuck together with mud. I wanted to see in through a window, but there was none. I was not allowed to go in through the door, because if I did light would flood in from heaven and cause confusion. Then suddenly a window was made on the right, and then I heard complaints that they were in darkness; but a little later a window was made on the left and that on the right was shut, and then little by little the darkness was dispelled, and they could see one another by their own sort of light. After this I was permitted to go in by the door and listen.
There was a table in the middle with benches round it; but it seemed to me that they were all standing on the benches disputing hotly about faith and charity. One party claimed that faith was the essential of the church, the other that charity was. Those who made faith the essential said: 'Surely faith guides our dealings with God and charity our dealings with men. Is not faith then heavenly and charity earthly? Surely it is by heavenly things, not earthly ones, that we are saved. Again, surely God can from heaven give us faith, because it is heavenly, while a person can give himself charity, because it is earthly; and what a person gives himself has nothing to do with the church and therefore does not save. Surely like this no one can be justified in the sight of God by so-called charitable deeds. Believe us, it is by faith alone that we are not only justified, but also sanctified, provided that faith is not polluted by the presence of merit-seeking deeds among the charitable ones.' They added many more arguments.
[2] But those who made charity the essential of the church hotly contested these arguments, claiming that it is charity, not faith, which saves. 'Surely God holds all men dear and wishes good to all? How can God do this except by means of men? Surely God does not grant only the ability to talk with men about matters that concern faith, without enabling men to do charitable acts? Do you not see how absurd it is of you to talk of charity being earthly? Charity is heavenly, and because you do not do charitable good, your faith is earthly. How do you receive your faith, except like a block of wood or a stone? "By listening to the Word" you will say. But how can the Word act on someone if he merely listens to it? How can it act upon a block of wood or a stone? Perhaps you are quickened without any awareness of it; but what sort of quickening is it, apart from your ability to say that faith alone justifies and saves. But you do not know what faith is, or what sort of faith is saving faith.'
[3] Then someone got up whom the angel talking with me called a syncretist. He took off his wig and put it on the table, but immediately put it back on his head, because he was bald. 'Listen,' he said, 'you are all wrong. The truth is that faith is spiritual and charity is moral, but they are none the less linked. The link is effected by means of the Word, as well as by the Holy Spirit, and by the result produced, which can indeed be called obedience, though man has no part in it; because when faith is introduced, a person knows no more about it than a statue. I have pondered the subject for a long time, and finally reached the solution, that a person can receive from God faith which is spiritual, but he cannot be moved by God to charity which is spiritual, any more than a block of wood can.'
[4] This speech was greeted by applause from those who championed faith alone, but with disapproval from those who championed charity. They said indignantly: 'Listen, friend, you are unaware that there is moral life which is spiritual, and moral life which is purely natural. Spiritual moral life is found in those who do good coming from God, but still as if of their own accord, purely natural moral life in those who do good coming from hell, and yet still as if of their own accord.'
[5] I said that the dispute sounded like the grinding of teeth, and a throbbing sound, with hoarse cries mixed with them. The dispute which sounded like the grinding of teeth came from those who made faith the sole essential of the church, and the throbbing came from those who made charity the sole essential of the church, the hoarse cries mixed with them came from the syncretist. The reason why they sounded like this at a distance was that they had all in the world engaged in disputes, and had not shunned any evil; consequently they had not done any good of spiritual lineage. They were also totally ignorant of the fact that the whole of faith is truth and the whole of charity is good, and that truth without good is not truth in spirit, and good without truth is not good in spirit, so that one makes the other.
Footnotes:
1. This passage is repeated from Apocalypse Revealed 386.
460. Second Memorable Relation:
Once when looking about in the spiritual world I heard something like the gnashing of teeth, also a kind of beating, and mingled with these a grating sound, and I asked what they were.
The angels who were with me said: "They are fraternities, which are called by us debating clubs, where they dispute with each other. Their disputations sound at a distance in this way, but near at hand their disputations only are heard."
Drawing near, I saw huts built of reeds plastered together with mud. I wished to look in through a window (not being permitted to enter through the door, because light would then flow in from heaven and produce confusion), but there was no window. But just then a window was made suddenly on the right side, and then I heard them complaining that they were in darkness. Presently a window was made on the left side, that on the right being closed, and then the darkness was gradually dispelled, and they appeared to themselves to be in their proper light. Afterward I was permitted to enter by the door and listen.
In the center there was a table, and benches round about; yet to me they all seemed to be standing on the benches and disputing bitterly with each other about faith and charity; one party maintained that faith is the essential of the church, and the other, charity.
Those who made faith the essential thing, said: "By faith do we not deal with God, and by charity with man? Therefore is not faith heavenly, and charity earthly? Is it not by means of heavenly things that we are saved, and not by means of earthly things? Again, cannot God bestow faith from heaven, because it is heavenly, and must not man acquire charity for himself, because it is earthly? And what man acquires for himself does not pertain to the church, and thus is not saving. Therefore can anyone be justified before God by the works that are called the works of charity? Believe us, that we are not only justified but also sanctified by faith alone if our faith is not defiled by a sense of merit arising from works of charity;" and so on.
[2] But those who made charity the essential of the church sharply refuted these arguments, saying: "Charity is saving, and not faith. Does not God hold all men dear, and desire the good of all? How can God effect this good except through men? Does God merely give us the power to talk to men about matters of faith, and not the power to do for them what charity requires? Do you not see that your saying that charity is earthly is absurd? Charity is heaven, and because you do not do the good of charity, your faith is earthly. How do you receive your faith except like stocks or stones? You say, by hearing the Word. But how can the Word operate merely by being heard, and how upon a stock or a stone? It may be that you are quickened, yourselves being wholly unconscious of it. But what is the quickening, except that you are able to say that faith alone justifies and saves? And what faith is, and what kind of faith is saving, you do not know."
[3] Then one arose who by the angel conversing with me was called a syncretist. He took off his cap and placed it on the table, but hastily put it on his head again, because he was bald. He said: "Listen to me; you are all wrong. It is true that faith is spiritual, and charity is moral, but still they are conjoined; and they are conjoined by means of the Word, and thus by means of the Holy Spirit, and by their effect which may be called obedience, although man has no more part whatever in it because when faith is brought in man knows no more about it than a statue. I have long meditated on these subjects, and I have at length discovered that man may accept from God a faith that is spiritual, but he can no more be moved by God to a charity that is spiritual than a stock."
[4] When this was said those who were in faith alone applauded, but those who were in charity hissed; and these, being indignant, said; "Listen, friend; you do not know that there is spiritual moral life and merely natural moral life-spiritual moral life with those who do good from God and yet as if of themselves, and merely natural moral life with those who do good from hell, and yet as if of themselves."
[5] I said that the disputation sounded like the gnashing of teeth, also like a kind of beating mingled with a grating sound. The disputation that sounded like the gnashing of teeth was from those who made faith the one only essential of the church; the beating was from those who made charity the one only essential; and the mingled grating sound was from the syncretist. The tones of their voices were so heard at a distance, because they had all when in the other world been given to disputation, and had not shunned any evil, and therefore had not done any good that was from a spiritual source. Moreover, they were wholly ignorant that the all of faith is truth and the all of charity is good; that truth without good is not truth in spirit, and that good without truth is not good in spirit; and thus that each constitutes the other.
460. The second experience. Once when I was looking about me in the spiritual world I heard sounds like the gnashing of teeth and the stamping of feet, mingled with a harsh grating noise. When I inquired what these meant, the angels who were with me said, "There are halls here which we call meeting-places, where discussions are held, and these sound like this from a distance, but near at hand they are only heard as discussions." I approached and saw several small houses built of rushes cemented together with clay. No one was allowed to enter by the door, as light from heaven might thus flow in and cause confusion, so I felt a desire to look in through a window, but there was none. Presently, however, an opening was made on the right side, and I heard those within complaining that they were in the dark. Then an opening was made on the left side, and that on the right was closed; and now by degrees the darkness was dispelled, and they were seen by one another in their own light. After this, I was permitted to enter by the door and hear the debates.
There was a table in the centre and benches round about it; yet I saw that all present were standing on the benches and carrying on an acrimonious discussion on faith and charity, the one side maintaining that faith was the essential of the Church, and the other charity. Those who made faith the essential said: "By faith we conduct our dealings with God, and by charity with men; thus faith is of heaven and charity of the earth, and we are saved by what is heavenly and not by what is earthly. Moreover, God can give faith from heaven because it is heavenly; but man may bestow upon himself charity because it is of the earth. Now, what a man bestows upon himself has no relation to the Church, and therefore has no saving power. Consequently, no one can be justified in the sight of God by works, that are called works of charity. Believe us when we say that by faith alone we are not only justified but also sanctified, provided our faith is not defiled by merit which pertains to the works of charity" with much more to the same purpose.
[2] On the other hand, those who were making charity the essential of the Church strongly opposed all this, declaring that charity saves, and not faith. They said. "God holds all men dear, and desires the good of all; but He can only fulfil His desires through the instrumentality of men. God gives us the power not only to converse with men on matters relating to faith, but also to perform for men the works of charity. Do you not see how foolish it is to say that charity is of the earth? Charity is heavenly, and because you do not perform the good of charity, your faith is of the earth. You receive your faith only as a stock or a stone. You say you receive it by hearing the Word; but how can merely hearing the Word produce any effect, especially upon a stock or a stone? Perchance, you may say, you are quickened without being aware of it; but this quickening only enables you to assert that faith alone justifies and saves. As a matter of fact, you do not know what faith is, and especially saving faith."
[3] Then there rose one who was called a Syncretist 1 by the angel who talked with me. He took off his cap and laid it on the table; but he quickly replaced it on his head, for he was bald. He said: "Listen to me; you are all wrong. Faith, it is true, is spiritual, and charity moral, but still they are united. They are united by the Word, and then by the Holy Spirit, and finally by the effect that these produce, which may indeed be called obedience. In this man has no part, because when faith is introduced, he knows no more about it than a statue. I have long meditated upon these matters, and have at last discovered that a man may receive from God faith which is spiritual, but that he cannot be moved by God to charity which is spiritual any more than a stock or a stone."
[4] At these words those who were in faith alone applauded; but those who were in charity dissented, and they angrily exclaimed: "Listen, friend. You do not realize that there is a moral life that is spiritual and a moral life that is merely natural, a spiritual moral life with those who do good from God and yet as of themselves, and a merely natural moral life with those who do good from hell and yet as of themselves."
[5] It was remarked above that the discussion sounded like the gnashing of teeth and the stamping of feet, mingled with a harsh grating noise. The sound like the gnashing of teeth came from those who made faith the one essential of the Church, the stamping from those who made charity the one essential, and the mingled grating noise from the Syncretist. The sounds they made in their discussion were heard in this manner at a distance, because in the world they were given to disputing, and had never shunned any evil, and had therefore never done any good of a spiritual kind. They were also entirely ignorant that whatever pertains to faith is truth, and that whatever pertains to charity is good; and that truth without good is not truth in spirit, and that good without truth is not good in spirit; and thus that the one enters into the constitution of the other.
Footnotes:
1. Syncretist, one who seeks to reconcile and unite various systems of philosophy or religious opinions on the basis of tenets common to all. The Syncretistic controversy was a dispute in the Lutheran Church in the seventeenth century.
460. SECUNDUM MEMORABILE, Quondam cum circumspexi in Mundo spirituali, audivi sicut stridorem dentium, et quoque sicut pulsatile, et illis intermixtum sicut raucum, et quaesivi quid illa, et dixerunt Angeli qui apud me erant, sunt Collegia, quae a nobis vocantur Diversoria, ubi inter se disceptant; Disceptationes illorum ita audiuntur e longinquo, sed prope non audiuntur nisi disceptationes; accessi, et vidi domunculas contextas ex juncis luto conglutinatis, et volui inspicere per fenestram, sed non erat; non enim licuit intrare per januam, quia sic Lux e Coelo influeret, et confunderet: at subito tunc facta est fenestra a dextro latere, et tunc audivi conquestos quod in tenebris essent, sed mox facta est fenestra a latere sinistro, clausa fenestra a latere dextro, et tunc paullatim discussae sunt tenebrae, et visi sibi in sua luce; et post haec mihi datum est intrare per januam, et audire. Erat Mensa in medio, et scamna circum circa, omnes tamen mihi visi sunt super scamnis stare, et acriter inter se disputare de FIDE et CHARITATE; ab una parte, quod Fides esset Essentiale Ecclesiae, ab altera, quod Charitas esset; illi, qui fecerunt Fidem Essentiale, dixerunt, annon Fide agimus cum Deo, et Charitate cum homine; estne inde Fides coelestis, et Charitas terrestris; annon per Coelestia salvamur, et non per Terrestria; tum, annon Deus potest dare Fidem e Coelo, quia est Coelestis, et annon homo sibi daturus est Charitatem, quia haec est terrestris, et quod homo sibi dat, hoc non est Ecclesiae, et ideo non salvat; num sic aliquis potest ex operibus, quae vocantur Charitatis, coram Deo justificari; credite nobis, quod per Fidem solam non modo justificemur, sed etiam sanctificemur, si non Fides per Meritoria, quae sunt ex operibus Charitatis, inquinatur, praeter plura.
[2] At illi, qui Charitatem faciebant Essentiale Ecclesiae, acriter refellebant illa, dicendo, quod Charitas salvet, et non Fides; annon Deus charos habet Omnes, et bonum vult Omnibus; quomodo potest Deus hoc facere nisi per homines; Numeri Deus solum dat loqui cum hominibus quae Fidei sunt, et non dat facere hominibus quae Charitatis sunt; videtisne, quod absurde loquuti sitis de Charitate, quod sit terrestris; Charitas est Coelestis, et quia vos non facitis bonum Charitatis, est Fides vestra terrestris; quomodo accipitis Fidem vestram, nisi sicut truncus aut lapis; dicitis per auditum Verbi, at quomodo potest Verbum modo auditum operari, et quomodo in truncum aut lapidem; forte vivificamini vobis prorsus insciis, sed quae vivificatio, nisi quod possitis loqui, quod sola Fides justificet et salvet, at quid Fides, et quae Fides salvans, non scitis.
[3] Sed tunc surrexit unus, qui ab Angelo mecum loquente vocabatur Syncretista; hic sumsit capitium, et posuit super mensa, sed illud subito reposuit super Capite, quia calvus erat; ille dixit, audite; erratis omnes; verum est, quod Fides sit spiritualis, et Charitas moralis, sed usque conjungentur, 1 et conjunguntur per Verbum, et tunc per Spiritum sanctum, et per Effectum, qui quidem vocari potest Obedientia, sed in qua homo non aliquam partem habet, quia quando infertur Fides, homo non scit plus quam statua: de his mecum diu cogitavi, et inveni tandem, quod homo a Deo possit accipere Fidem, quae spiritualis sit, sed quod non possit moveri a Deo ad Charitatem, quae sit spiritualis plus quam truncus.
[4] His dictis adplaudebant qui in sola Fide erant, sed explodebant qui in Charitate; et hi ex indignatione dicebant, audi socie, tu non scis, quod sit Vita moralis spiritualis, et quod sit Vita moralis mere naturalis, Vita moralis spiritualis apud illos, qui bonum faciunt a Deo, et usque sicut a se, ac Vita moralis mere naturalis apud illos, qui bonum faciunt ex Inferno, et tamen usque sicut a se.
[5] Dictum est, quod Disceptatio audita sit sicut Stridor dentium, et sicut pulsatile, quibus intermixtum erat raucum: Disceptatio audita sicut Stridor dentium, erat ab illis, qui Fidem fecerunt unicum Essentiale Ecclesiae, ac Pulsatile erat ab illis, qui Charitatem fecerunt unicum Essentiale Ecclesiae, et Raucum intermixtum erat a Syncretista; quod soni illorum ita auditi sint a longinquo, erat causa, quia omnes illi in Mundo disceptarunt, et non aliquod malum fugerunt, et ideo non aliquod bonum ex prosapia spirituali fecerunt; et quoque prorsus nesciverunt, quod omne Fidei sit verum, et omne Charitatis bonum, et quod Verum absque bono non sit Verum spiritu, et quod bonum absque vero non sit 2 Bonum spiritu, et quod sic unum faciat alterum.
Footnotes:
1. Sic Apocalypsis Revelata 386:3 et in margine exemplaris scriptoris. Prima editio: conjunguntur.
2. Prima editio: fit.