502.人若因着教会属灵事物上的虚假变得属世，必定认为神的全能超越次序，因而认为神的全能无需次序。这就是为何他会有以下疯狂想法的原因：既然神能凭其全能从天上实现祂在地上要达到的目的，那祂为何还要来到世间，以这种方式完成救赎？为何祂的救赎不能一个不漏地拯救整个人类？魔鬼后来又怎会战胜人内的救赎主？为何有地狱的存在？难道神过去不能凭祂的大能抹掉地狱吗？并且现在也不能吗？或说，难道祂不能将每个人从地狱带出来，使他们成为天人吗？为何有最后的审判？难道神不能将所有山羊从祂的左边转到右边，并把它们变成绵羊吗？为何祂将龙的使者和龙自己从天上扔下来，而不是把他们变成米迦勒的使者？为何祂不将信赐给所有这些人，并将祂儿子的义归给他们，因此赦免他们的罪，使他们称义和成圣呢？为何祂不使地上的兽、空中的鸟和海里的鱼说话，赐其才智，引它们和人一起进入天堂？为何祂之前或现在都没有把整个世界变成一个乐园，其中没有善恶知识树，也没有蛇；所有山丘都流淌着丰盛的美酒，自然也盛产金银，以便生活其中的所有人禧庆欢唱，因而一直沉浸在节庆与喜悦里，如同神的形像？难道这类事不值得神的全能这样做吗？以及其它类似问题。但，我的朋友，这全是废话。神的全能不会脱离次序；万物皆通过次序、在次序中、为次序而被创造，因为它们从神受造。人受造进入的次序是，祝福或诅咒取决于他在属灵事物上的选择自由。因为如前所述，没有选择自由，就不可能造出人，甚至也造不出一个动物、一只鸟或一条鱼。但动物仅有属世的选择自由，而人不但有属世的选择自由，还有属灵的选择自由。
502. 人若因着教会属灵事物上的虚假变得属世, 必定认为神的全能超越次序, 因而认为神的全能无需次序。 这就是为何他会有以下疯狂想法的原因: 既然神能凭其全能从天上实现祂在地上要达到的目的, 那祂为何还要来到世间, 以这种方式完成救赎? 为何祂的救赎不能一个不漏地拯救整个人类? 魔鬼后来又怎会战胜人内的救赎主? 为何有地狱的存在? 难道神过去不能凭祂的大能抹掉地狱吗? 并且现在也不能吗? 或说, 难道祂不能将每个人从地狱带出来, 使他们成为天人吗? 为何有最后的审判? 难道神不能将所有山羊从祂的左边转到右边, 并把它们变成绵羊吗? 为何祂将龙的使者和龙自己从天上扔下来, 而不是把他们变成米迦勒的使者? 为何祂不将信赐给所有这些人, 并将祂儿子的义归给他们, 因此赦免他们的罪, 使他们称义和成圣呢? 为何祂不使地上的兽, 空中的鸟和海里的鱼说话, 赐其才智, 引它们和人一起进入天堂? 为何祂之前或现在都没有把整个世界变成一个乐园, 其中没有善恶知识树, 也没有蛇; 所有山丘都流淌着丰盛的美酒, 自然也盛产金银, 以便生活其中的所有人禧庆欢唱, 因而一直沉浸在节庆与喜悦里, 如同神的形像? 难道这类事不值得神的全能这样做吗? 以及其它类似问题。 但, 我的朋友, 这全是废话。 神的全能不会脱离次序; 万物皆通过次序, 在次序中, 为次序而被创造, 因为它们从神受造。 人受造进入的次序是, 祝福或诅咒取决于他在属灵事物上的选择自由。 因为如前所述, 没有选择自由, 就不可能造出人, 甚至也造不出一个动物, 一只鸟或一条鱼。 但动物仅有属世的选择自由, 而人不但有属世的选择自由, 还有属灵的选择自由。
502. People who have become earthly because of false beliefs about the spiritual teachings of the church cannot help thinking that divine omnipotence is above and beyond the design [of the universe], and therefore that divine omnipotence exists outside that design. As a result they lapse into deranged thoughts such as the following.
"Why did the Lord come into the world and why was this a redemption, when God's omnipotence could have allowed him to accomplish the same thing from heaven as he did on earth? Why wouldn't he, through his redemption, have saved the entire human race down to the last person? After that point, why would the Devil be able to prevail against the Redeemer in us? Why does hell exist? Since God is omnipotent, why hasn't he destroyed hell, or why doesn't he do so now? Or else why doesn't he lead all the devils out of there and make them all angels of heaven? Why have a Last Judgment? Is he unable to move all the goats from the left to the right and make them sheep? Why did he cast down from heaven the angels of the dragon and the dragon itself instead of changing them into angels of Michael? Why doesn't he grant faith to both groups, assign them the Son's justice, and so forgive their sins and justify and sanctify them? Why doesn't he give the animals of the earth, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea the ability to speak and gain understanding, and bring them into heaven along with people? Why either in the past or now hasn't he transformed our world into a paradise that has no tree of the knowledge of good and evil and no serpent, where all the hills are flowing with vintage wine, and yielding their own gold and silver, so that all would spend their lives as images of God there, singing and shouting and in everlasting celebrations and joy? Wouldn't these be fitting accomplishments for the omnipotent God?" And so on.
[2] But, my friend, all this is nonsense. Divine omnipotence is not outside the design. God himself is the design. Because all things were created by God, they were created by the design, in the design, and for the design. There is also a design into which humankind was created, which is that whether we are blessed or cursed depends on our own exercise of free choice in spiritual matters.
As mentioned above [], it would not be possible to create a human being, or even an animal, bird, or fish, that had no free choice; but animals have a form of free choice that is merely earthly, whereas people have both earthly free choice and spiritual free choice.
502. Anyone, who through false ideas about the spiritual matters of the church has become natural, cannot help thinking of God's omnipotence as being above order, and so of God's omnipotence as having no order. This is why he falls into crazy ideas like these. Why did the Lord come into the world and why did He redeem it like this, when God by His omnipotence could have achieved the same result from heaven as He did upon earth? Why by His redemptive act did He not save the whole human race with no exceptions, and why was the devil afterwards able in the case of a person to overpower the Redeemer? Why is there a hell? Could not God by His omnipotence have wiped it out, and could He not do so now? Or could He not bring everyone out of hell and make them angels in heaven? Why is there a Last Judgment? Could He not move all the goats on the left to the right and make them sheep? Why did He cast down the angels of the dragon and the dragon himself from heaven, and not change them into Michael's angels? Why does He not give both parties faith, imputing to them the righteousness of the Son, and so forgive their sins, justifying and sanctifying them? Why does He not give the animals of the earth, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea the power of speech, together with intelligence, and bring them along with human beings into heaven? Why did He not make, or why does He not still make, the whole earth into a Paradise, where there should be no tree of the knowledge of good and evil, no serpent, and where all the hills were running with fine wines, producing gold and silver, both in nuggets, so that all there might live amid rejoicing and song, in a constant round of festivities and pleasures, like images of God? Would not such things befit an omnipotent God? And much more of the same sort.
But, my friend, this is all nonsense. God's omnipotence is not devoid of order. God Himself is order; and because all things were created from God, they were created from order, in order and with a view to order. The order which man was made to partake in is that his blessing or his cursing should be dependent upon his free will in spiritual matters. For, as I said before, without free will man could not have been created, nor could even animals, birds and fish. But animals enjoy only natural free will; man enjoys natural and spiritual free will as well.
502. The man who by means of falsities respecting the spiritual things of the church has become natural, must needs think of the Divine omnipotence as superior to order, and thus of a Divine omnipotence without order, in consequence of which he would fall into the following insane thoughts: Why the Lord's advent into the world, and why was redemption effected in that way, when by His omnipotence God could have accomplished the same thing out of heaven as well as upon the earth? Why might He not by redemption have saved the whole human race without an exception? How is it that the devil has since been able to prevail over the Redeemer in man? Why is there a hell? Could not God have blotted out hell by His omnipotence, and cannot He now do so, or else deliver all men from it, and make them angels of heaven? Why a last judgment? Cannot God transfer all the goats from His left to His right, and make them sheep? Why did He cast down the angels of the dragon and the dragon himself from heaven, instead of changing them into angels of Michael? Why does He not to all of these impart faith and impute His Son's righteousness, and thus forgive their sins, and justify, and sanctify them? Why does He not cause the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea to talk, give them intelligence, and introduce them along with men into heaven? Why did He not, or does He not, make the whole world a paradise, with no tree of the knowledge of good and evil and no serpent in it; and where all the hills would flow with generous wine and produce gold and silver naturally, so that all might live therein with jubilee and song, and thus in perpetual festivity and joy, as images of God? Would not such things be worthy of an omnipotent God? Besides other like questions. But, my friend, this is all idle talk. The Divine omnipotence is not without order; God is Himself Order; and all things were created from order, in order, and for order, because they were created from God. There is an order into which man was created, namely, that blessing or curse depends for him upon his freedom of choice in spiritual things; for, as said above, it is impossible to create a man without freedom of choice, nor even a beast, a bird, or a fish. But beasts have only a natural freedom of choice, while man has not only natural freedom of choice but also spiritual freedom of choice.
502. The man who has become natural through falsities respecting the spiritual things of the Church cannot but think of the Divine omnipotence as being above order, and thus as independent of it. He would, therefore, ask such absurd questions as these: "Why did the Lord come into the world, and in this way effect redemption when God, by His omnipotence, could have accomplished the same work from heaven as He effected when on earth? Why should He not, by redemption, have saved the whole human race without exception, and why should the devil afterwards be able to prevail over the Redeemer in man? Why is there a hell? Could not God, from His omnipotence, have blotted it out, and can He not now blot it out, or deliver all from it and make them angels of heaven? Why a last judgment? Could not God transfer all the goats from the left hand to the right, and make them sheep? Why did He cast down the angels of the dragon and the dragon himself from heaven, and not change them into angels of Michael? 1 Why does He not give faith to all alike, and impute to them the righteousness of the Son, and so remit their sins, justify and sanctify them? Why does He not endow the beasts of the earth, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea with the gift of speech, and give them understanding, and admit them into heaven together with men? Why did He not originally, or why does He not still, make the whole world a paradise, where there should be no tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and no serpent? where all the hills should flow with generous wines, and yield gold and silver each in its virgin state? and where all men might live as images of God with songs of jubilee, and with perpetual festivity and rejoicing? Would not all this be worthy of an omnipotent God?" These and similar questions would he ask.
But, my friend, this is all idle talk. The Divine omnipotence is not without order. God Himself is Order; and since all things were created from God, they were also created from order, in order and for order. There is an order into which man was created, namely, that his happiness or his misery should depend on his free will in spiritual things. For, as was said above, without free will man could not have been created, nor could beast, bird or fish. Beasts, however, have only natural free will, whereas man has natural and at the same time spiritual free will.
Footnotes:
1. Michael, the archangel.
502. Homo, qui per falsa de spiritualibus Ecclesiae factus est naturalis, non potest aliter de Divina Omnipotentia cogitare, quam quod sit supra ordinem, ita de Omnipotentia Divina absque Ordine, quare in vesana haec laberetur: Cur adventus Domini in Mundum, et cur sic Redemptio, cum Deus ex sua Omnipotentia potuisset idem e Coelo, ut super terra, efficere; cur per Redemptionem non salvavisset totum humanum Genus nullo exempto, et cur diabolus postea possit valere supra Redemptorem apud hominem; cur Infernum; numne Deus ex Omnipotentia sua potuisset et possit id delere; aut omnes inde educere et facere angelos coeli; cur Ultimum Judicium, numne potest omnes hircos e sinistris transferre ad dextrum, et facere illos oves: cur Angelos draconis et ipsum draconem dejecit e Coelo, et non mutavit illos in Angelos Michaelis: cur non his et illis dat fidem, et imputat justitiam Filii, et sic remittit peccata, et illos justificat et sanctificat: cur non bestias terrae, aves coeli, et pisces maris facit loqui, et illis dat intelligentiam, et simul cum hominibus introducit in Coelum:
[2] cur non totum orbem terrarum fecerat, aut adhuc facit, Paradisum, in quo nulla esset arbor scientiae boni et mali, nec serpens, et ubi omnes colles fluerent generosis mustis, et producerent aurum et argentum, utrumque nativum, utque omnes ibi in jubilis et cantibus, et sic in perpetuis festivitatibus et gaudiis, ut imagines Dei, viverent; nonne haec forent digna Deo Omnipotente; praeter similia alia. Sed, mi amice, omnia illa sunt vaniloquia; Divina Omnipotentia non est sine ordine; Ipse Deus est Ordo, et quia ex Deo, etiam ex Ordine, in Ordine, et ad Ordinem, omnia creata sunt; est ordo in quem homo factus est, qui est ut ex Libero Arbitrio in spiritualibus ejus benedictio aut ejus maledictio pendeat; nam, ut supra dictum est, homo absque Libero Arbitrio non potuit creari, ne quidem bestia, avis et piscis, sed Bestiae in solo Libero Arbitrio naturali, at Homo in Libero Arbitrio naturali et simul spirituali.