56.（3）神的全能按照神序的法则在宇宙及其万物中行进和作工。神是全能的，因为祂凭自己凡事都能作，其它一切皆从祂那里获得行动的能力。神的能力和祂的意愿是一；由于祂只意愿良善，故祂只会行善事。在灵界，没人能做违背他意愿的事；这种制约缘于神，因为祂的能力和意愿是一。而且，神是良善本身，所以祂在行善时就在自己里面，不可能走出祂自己。由此明显可知，祂的全能在善行的气场内行进和作工，这个气场是无限的。因为该气场从至内在发出，充满整个宇宙及其中万有，并通过至内在统治它自身之外的事物，以至于它们照自己的秩序法则与它联结起来。即便没有联结，它仍会维持它们，竭尽全力使其恢复到与普遍秩序和谐一致的秩序中。神以其全能居于这普遍秩序，并照该秩序行事。否则，它们就会与神分离；即便如此，祂仍通过至内在维持它们。由此清楚可知，神性全能决不会背离自己，以至于触及任何邪恶，也不会通过自己促成任何邪恶，因为邪恶会自动远离。结果，邪恶与祂完全绝缘，并被丢入地狱。地狱与祂所在的天堂之间有一道巨大的鸿沟。从这些考虑可以看出，那些认为、甚至相信，尤其教导神会谴责、咒诅人，将他丢入地狱，使他的灵魂注定永死，报复、发怒或惩罚人的人何等疯狂。祂甚至不能向人掩面、皱眉。这些及类似行为有违祂的本质，而违反祂的本质就是违反祂自己。
56. (3)在宇宙及其萬物之中, 上帝的全能遵循並藉著定規的法則來運行。
上帝全能, 是因為祂自己擁有一切能力, 其它萬有都由祂得著能力。上帝的能力和祂的意志是一。祂的意志只會是善的, 除了行善,祂不能做別的。在心靈世界, 無人能做出違反自己意志的任何事情, 這種情形源自於上帝。事實上祂的能力與意志是一。上帝實際上是善之本。當祂行某些善時, 祂在祂自己裡面。祂無法離開自己而行。
於是很清楚, 祂的全能充滿良善所延及的範圍並在其內工作, 這範圍是無限的。更進一步去說, 這個範圍遍及宇宙及其中的萬物。或再更深一層去認知, 這個範圍還影響著萬物本身以外的事物。到達某種程度使這些以外的事物藉著自己的定規, 成為這範圍的一部分。即使這些事物未成為一部分, 祂也仍舊維持它們, 並以各樣的方式去嘗試將它們帶回到與普遍定規相一致的規則中。上帝以祂的全能居住於這普遍定規中並行其作為。如果違背定規的事物不能被帶回到普遍定規之中, 是它們離棄了上帝。不過祂仍然會維持它們的存在。
由此你會發現, 神性的全能不可以超出自身範圍去與接觸任何惡, 也不能將惡移走。是惡自己逃避, 惡這樣最終與上帝完全分離並投向地獄。在上帝所在的天國與(惡所在的)地獄之間, 有一個巨大的,無法逾越的鴻溝。
從以上所述可以看出, 若人們有以下想法, 是何等的愚蠢:上帝會定人的罪,詛咒人,將人扔進地獄,預定人的靈魂受永死,向惡人報復,向人發怒或刑罰人。那些確信如此, 還如此教導別人, 那就更愚蠢了。實際上, 上帝從不會把臉轉離我們, 甚至從不會皺眉看我們。做以上這些事情將違背祂的本質, 違背祂本質的就是違背祂自己。
56. 3. In the universe and everything in it, God's omnipotence follows and works through the laws of its design. God is omnipotent, because he has all power from himself. All others have power from him. God's power and his will are one. Because he wills nothing but what is good, he cannot do anything but what is good. In the spiritual world no one can do anything against his or her will - a condition there that comes from God, from the fact that his power and his will are one. God is in fact goodness itself. When he does something good, he is in himself. He cannot walk away from himself.
Clearly then, his omnipotence fills, and works within, the sphere of the extension of goodness, a sphere that is infinite. At a deep level, this sphere pervades the universe and everything in it. At a deep level, this sphere also governs things outside of itself to the extent that they become part of it through their own design. If things do not become part of that sphere, it still sustains them. It tries in every way to bring them back to a design in harmony with the universal design that God inhabits with his omnipotence and follows in his actions. If things against the design are not brought back into the design, they are cast out of God; but there he still sustains them from deep within.
From all this you can see that divine omnipotence cannot move outside itself into contact with any evil, nor can it move evil away from itself. Evil turns itself away, which is how it ends up being completely separated from God and thrown into hell. Between heaven, where God is, and hell, there is a huge chasm.
From these few points you can see how insane people are who think that God can condemn anyone, curse anyone, throw anyone into hell, predestine anyone's soul to eternal death, avenge wrongs, or rage against or punish anyone. People are even more insane if they actually believe this, let alone teach it. In reality, God cannot turn away from us or even look at us with a frown. To do any such thing would be against his essence, and what is against his essence is against himself.
56. (iii) GOD'S OMNIPOTENCE PROCEEDS AND WORKS IN THE UNIVERSE AND ALL ITS PARTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF HIS ORDER.
God is omnipotent, because He can do everything of Himself, and all others derive their power to act from Him. Being able and willing are for Him one, and since He does not will anything but good, He cannot therefore do anything but good. In the spiritual world no one can act contrary to his own will; this restriction is due to God, for in Him the ability to act and the will to do so are one. Moreover, God is Good itself, so that when He does good He acts within Himself, and He cannot step out of Himself. From this it is plain that His omnipotence progresses and works within the sphere of action of good, and this is infinite. For this sphere proceeding from the inmost pervades the universe and everything it contains, and from the inmost it controls what is outside itself, in so far as this is linked to it by its inherent order. Even if not so linked, it none the less sustains it, and assists every effort made to bring it back into a state consonant with universal order, in which God Himself resides with His omnipotence, and in accordance with which He acts. Failing this, it is cast outside Him, yet none the less even there He sustains it from the inmost.
[2] From these facts it can be established that the Divine omnipotence can in no wise depart from itself so as to make contact with any evil, nor promote it from itself, for evil turns itself away. This is how it comes about that evil is totally separated from God and cast into hell; and between hell and heaven, where He is, yawns a gaping chasm. These few considerations can reveal the madness of those who think, even more believe, more still teach, that God can damn anyone, curse him, cast him into hell, predestine his soul to eternal death, avenge injuries, be angry or punish anyone. He is not even able to turn His face away from a person and frown upon him. These and any actions of this kind would be contrary to His essence, and what is contrary to that is contrary to Himself.
56. (3) God's Omnipotence in the universe, with each and all things of it, proceeds and operates in accordance with the laws of His order. God is omnipotent because He has from Himself all power; while all others have power only from Him. His power and His will are one; and as He wills only what is good He can do nothing but what is good. In the spiritual world no one is able to do anything contrary to his will; and this is derived from God, because His power and will are one. Moreover, God is good itself, therefore in His doing good He is in Himself, and to go out of Himself is impossible. Evidently, then, God's omnipotence must go forth and operate within the sphere of extension of the good; and this sphere is infinite. For this sphere, [going forth] from the inmost, fills the universe and each and all things in it; and from the inmost rules the things which are without so far as they conjoin themselves with it in accordance with the laws of their own order; and if they do not conjoin themselves with it, it still sustains them, and by every endeavor labors to restore them to an order that is harmonious with the universal order, in which God Himself is in His omnipotence, and in accordance with which He acts. And when this is not accomplished they are cast out from Him; but even then He none the less sustains them from the inmost. From this it is clear that the Divine omnipotence cannot by any means go forth from itself to a contact with any thing evil, or from itself promote any thing evil; for evil turns itself away, and in consequence evil is wholly separated from Him and is cast into hell, between which and heaven, where He is, there is a great gulf. From these few statements it can be seen how deluded those are who think, and still more those who believe, and still more those who teach, that God can damn anyone, curse anyone, send anyone to hell, predestine any soul to eternal death, avenge wrongs, be angry, or punish. He cannot even turn Himself away from man, nor look upon him with a stern countenance. These and like things are contrary to His essence; and what is contrary to His essence is contrary to His very Self.
56. (3) THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD, IN THE UNIVERSE AND IN ALL ITS PARTS, PROCEEDS AND OPERATES ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF HIS ORDER.
God is omnipotent because He is able to do all things from Himself, and the power of all others is derived from Him. His power and will are one; and since He wills nothing but good, therefore He can do nothing but good. In the spiritual world no one can do anything contrary to his own will, and this they derive from God, whose power and will are one. God also is good itself, so that while He does good, He is in Himself, and to go out of Himself is impossible. It is therefore clear that His omnipotence proceeds and operates within the sphere of the extension of good, which is infinite; for this sphere from its inmost fills the universe and everything in it, and from its inmost rules over the things that are without in so far as they unite according to their order. If they do not enter into this conjunction, this sphere still sustains them, and strives with all its endeavor to bring them into the order that harmonizes with the universal order in which God Himself is in His omnipotence, and according to which He acts. If this is unavailing, they are cast out from Him, yet nevertheless this sphere, from its inmost, continues to sustain them. It may be evident from this that the Divine omnipotence can in no wise go out from itself to make contact with any evil, nor can it promote evil from itself. For evil turns itself away, and thus it happens that evil is completely separated from God and cast into hell, between which and heaven, where He is, there is a great gulf. From these few considerations it may be seen how foolish those are who think, and more so who believe, and still more so who teach that God can condemn, curse, and cast any one into hell; that He can predestine the soul of any to eternal death, avenge injuries, be angry, and punish. The fact is that He cannot turn Himself away from any man, nor look upon him with a stern countenance. Such things as these are contrary to His Essence, and what is contrary to this is contrary to Himself.
56. III. QUOD DEI OMNIPOTENTIA TAM IN UNIVERSO, QUAM IN OMNIBUS ET SINGULIS EJUS SECUNDUM LEGES SUI ORDINIS PROCEDAT ET OPERETUR. Deus est Omnipotens, quia omnia potest ex Se, et omnes alii ex Ipso; Ipsius Posse et Velle unum sunt, et quia non Vult nisi quam Bonum, ideo non potest facere nisi quam Bonum; in Mundo spirituali nemo potest aliquid facere contra suam voluntatem; hoc trahunt ibi ex Deo, quod Ipsius posse et velle unum sint: est etiam Deus ipsum Bonum, quare dum Bonum facit, in Se est, et egredi ex Se non potest; inde patet, quod Omnipotentia Ipsius progrediatur et operetur intra Sphaeram extensionis Boni, quae infinita est; haec enim sphaera ab intimo implet Universum, et omnia et singula ibi, et ab intimo regit illa quae extra sunt, quantum haec secundum suos ordines se conjungunt, et si non se conjungunt, usque sustinet illa, et omni conatu allaborat illa in ordinem concordem universali, in quo Ipse Deus in Omnipotentia sua est, et secundum quem agit, reducere, et si hoc non fit, rejiciuntur extra Ipsum, ubi nihilominus sustinet illa ab intimo.
[2] Ex his constare potest, quod Omnipotentia Divina nequaquam possit a Se exire ad contactum alicujus mali, nec id promovere a Se, malum enim avertit se, inde fit quod malum sit prorsus separatum ab Ipso, et conjectum in Infernum, inter quod et Coelum, ubi Ipse est, ingens hiatus est. Ex his paucis videri potest, quantum delirant illi, qui cogitant, et plus qui credunt, et adhuc plus qui docent, quod Deus possit aliquem damnare, alicui 1 maledicere, aliquem in Infernum conjicere, alicujus animam praedestinare ad mortem aeternam, injurias ulcisci, irasci, punire; imo nec potest avertere se ab homine, et illum dura fronte aspicere; haec et similia sunt contra Essentiam Ipsius, et contra hanc est contra Se Ipsum.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: alieui.