597.现在人们都知道诱惑的存在，但几乎没人知道它们的来源、性质以及它们会带来什么样的良善。它们的来源及性质如刚才所述，它们也带来良善，这善就是，当内在人获胜后，外在人就受到控制，这种控制会驱散欲望，植入对善与真的情感以取代之。这些情感会得到整理，使得人能行出他所意愿和思考的善与真，也能发自内心宣讲它们。此外，通过战胜外在人，人变成属灵的，然后主会将他与天堂天人联结起来，天人全是属灵的。迄今为止，诱惑几乎不为人所知，也鲜有人知道它们的来源、性质，以及它们所带来的良善，因为教会至今尚未掌握真理。除非人直接靠近主，抛弃以前的信，接受新的信，否则没人拥有真理。这就是为何自尼西亚会议引入三位神的信仰后，几个世纪以来没人被允许触及属灵诱惑的原因，因为一旦人遇到诱惑，就会马上屈服，从而旋即沉入更深的地狱。据称先于当今之信出现的悔罪并不是诱惑。我曾就这个话题询问过很多人，他们都说，它无非是一句话而已，没什么特别的，除了头脑简单者或许对地狱之火还有那么一点恐惧思想。
597. 现在人们都知道诱惑的存在, 但几乎没人知道它们的来源, 性质以及它们会带来什么样的良善。 它们的来源及性质如刚才所述, 它们也带来良善, 这善就是, 当内在人获胜后, 外在人就受到控制, 这种控制会驱散欲望, 植入对善与真的情感以取代之。 这些情感会得到整理, 使得人能行出他所意愿和思考的善与真, 也能发自内心宣讲它们。 此外, 通过战胜外在人, 人变成属灵的, 然后主会将他与天堂天人联结起来, 天人全是属灵的。 迄今为止, 诱惑几乎不为人所知, 也鲜有人知道它们的来源, 性质, 以及它们所带来的良善, 因为教会至今尚未掌握真理。 除非人直接靠近主, 抛弃以前的信, 接受新的信, 否则没人拥有真理。 这就是为何自尼西亚会议引入三位神的信仰后, 几个世纪以来没人被允许触及属灵诱惑的原因, 因为一旦人遇到诱惑, 就会马上屈服, 从而旋即沉入更深的地狱。 据称先于当今之信出现的悔罪并不是诱惑。 我曾就这个话题询问过很多人, 他们都说, 它无非是一句话而已, 没什么特别的, 除了头脑简单者或许对地狱之火还有那么一点恐惧思想。
597. There is some recognition today that crises of the spirit exist, but hardly anyone knows what causes them, what they are like, or what good they do. What causes them and what they are like was just covered above; so was the good they do. That is, when our inner self wins, it gains control of our outer self. Once this is under control, our lusts are uprooted. Desires for goodness and truth are planted in their place, arranged in such a way that the good and true things we will and think about we also practice and speak about from the heart. In addition, through victory over our outer self we become spiritual and the Lord brings us into association with the angels of heaven, all of whom are spiritual.
[2] The reason why crises of the spirit have not been known until now, and why hardly anyone has realized what causes them, what they are like, and what good they do, is that until now the church has not had truths. None of us have truths unless we turn directly to the Lord, reject our former faith, and embrace this new faith. This is why no one has been brought into a crisis of the spirit since the fourth century, when the Council of Nicaea introduced a belief in three gods. If people had been brought into this inner conflict, they would have given up immediately and plunged themselves even deeper into hell.
The feeling of contrition that is claimed to precede the faith of today is not a crisis of the spirit. I have asked many about it, and they said that it is a word and nothing more, unless it is perhaps some fearful thought on the part of ordinary people when they contemplate the fires of hell.
597. The existence of temptations is known at the present time, but hardly anyone knows their origin and nature or what good they do. I showed just above their origin and nature, as well as what good they do: namely, that when the internal man wins, the external is brought under control. This control brings about the banishing of lusts and the implanting of affections for good and truth in their stead. These are so disposed that, whatever good and truth a person wills and thinks, he also does and speaks from the heart. Moreover, by his victory over the external man a person becomes spiritual, and is then brought by the Lord into the company of angels in heaven, all of whom are spiritual.
[2] The reason why up to now little has been known about temptations, hardly anyone knowing their origin and nature and what good they do, is that the church up to now has not been in possession of truths. No one possesses truths, unless he directly approaches the Lord and rejecting his former faith embraces the new one. This is why no one has been exposed to any spiritual temptation in all the centuries since that in which the Council of Nicaea introduced belief in three Gods. For if anyone had been exposed, he would have instantly succumbed, and thus cast himself even deeper into hell. The contrition which is alleged to precede to-day's faith is not temptation. I have questioned very many people on this subject, and they said it is a word and nothing more, except in the case of the simple, when it may perhaps be some fearful thought about hell-fire.
597. While it is known at the present day, that there are temptations, hardly anyone knows whence and what they are and what good they effect. Whence and what they are has just been explained, also the good they effect, which is, that when the internal man conquers, the external is subjugated, and as this is subjugated lusts are dispersed, and affections for good and truth are implanted in their place, and are so arranged that the goods and truths which a man wills and thinks he may also do, and may speak them from the heart; and furthermore that by victory over the external man man becomes spiritual, and is then affiliated by the Lord with the angels of heaven, who are all spiritual. Heretofore temptations have not been understood, and scarcely anyone has known whence and what they are and the good they effect, because heretofore the church has not been in truths. No man is in truths unless he approaches the Lord directly, rejects the former faith and accepts the new. And this is why no one has been admitted into any spiritual temptation during the centuries that have passed since the Nicene Council introduced a belief in three Gods; for if anyone had been, he would have succumbed immediately, and thus would have precipitated himself more deeply into hell. The contrition which is said to precede the present faith is not temptation. I have questioned very many about it, and they have declared that it is nothing but a word, except perhaps with the simple there might be some timorous thoughts about hell-fire.
597. It is known at this day that there are temptations, but scarcely any one knows their origin and nature, and what good they do. Their origin and nature were shown above, and also the good they do, namely, that when the internal man gains the victory, the external man is subdued. When this happens lusts are dispersed and affections of good and truth are implanted in their stead, and are so disposed that the good and truth which a man wills and thinks he may also practice and speak from the heart. Moreover, by means of the victory over the external man, he becomes spiritual, and is then associated by the Lord with the angels of heaven, who are all spiritual.
Temptations have not been understood, and scarcely any one has known their origin and nature, and what good they do, because hitherto the Church has not been in truths; and indeed no one can be unless he approaches the Lord directly, renounces the old faith and embraces the new. For this reason no one has been permitted to undergo any spiritual temptation for ages, in fact from the time the Council of Nice 1 introduced the faith of three Gods; because if any one had been permitted, he would instantly have succumbed, and so would have plunged himself more deeply into hell. The contrition which is said to precede the present day faith is not temptation. I have questioned many upon this point and they have said it is only a word, conveying nothing except perhaps a timorous suggestion of hell-fire to simple minds.
Footnotes:
1. Nice (Nicaea), city of Asia Minor, in Bithynia. In A.D. 325 it was the seat of a Council summoned to settle the Arian controversy. The creed there adopted is known as the Nicene Creed.
597. Hodie quidem scitur, quod dentur Tentationes, sed vix aliquis scit, unde et quales sunt, et quid boni producunt; unde et quales sunt, mox supra ostensum est, tum etiam quid boni producunt; scilicet, quod dum Internus homo vincit, subjugetur Externus, quo subjugato discutiuntur concupiscentiae, 1 et loco illarum implantantur affectiones boni et veri, et ordinantur ita, ut bona et vera, quae homo vult et cogitat, etiam faciat illa, et ex corde loquatur illa: praeter haec, homo per victoriam super externum hominem, fit spiritualis, et a Domino tunc consociatur Angelis Coeli, qui omnes sunt spirituales.
[2] Quod Tentationes hactenus non notae fuerint, et quod vix aliquis sciverit, unde et quales sunt, et quid boni producunt, est causa, quia Ecclesia hactenus non in veris fuit; in veris nemo est, nisi qui immediate adit Dominum, et fidem priorem rejicit, et novam amplectitur, inde est, quod non aliquis in quandam spiritualem tentationem a saeculis 2 numeratis a saeculo, quando Synodus Nicaena introduxit fidem trium Deorum, admissus sit, nam si admissus fuisset, 3 illico succubuisset, et sic in infernum se profundius praecipitavisset: Contritio 4 quae perhibetur praecedere hodiernam Fidem, non est Tentatio; quaesivi permultos de illa, et dixerunt, quod sit vox et praeterea nihil, nisi forte sit aliqua timida cogitatio de igne inferni apud simplices.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: concupiscientiae.
2. Prima editio: faeculis.
3. Prima editio: suisset.
4. Prima editio: Contritritio.