620.若没有形成信的真理，重生是不可能的，这一点可通过下面的对比来说明：这跟没有觉知的人类心智一样，是不可能的，因为觉知通过真理形成，因此能教导我们当信什么、做什么，何为重生以及如何实现它。没有真理的重生就象没有阳光却让动物存活，植物生长一样，是不可能的，因为若太阳不发光，同时却给予热，那它会变得“象毛布”（如启示录6:12描述的），它也变暗（约珥书2:10，31），因而地上只有黑暗（约珥书3:15）。若没有发光的真理，同样的情形会发生在人身上，因为发出真理之光的太阳就是灵界的主。如果来自这源头的属灵之光不流入人类心智，那么教会将处于完全的黑暗，或永久的日蚀阴影中。必须经由信和仁进行的重生，若没有真理的教导和引领，就象没有方向舵，或指南针和航海图而在大海中航行，还如同夜里在漆黑的森林里骑行。那些拥有的不是真理，而是他们以之为真理的虚假之人，其心智的内在视觉好比那些视神经受阻，而眼睛仍看似正常（尽管它什么也看不见）之人的视觉，医生把这种失明叫做黑朦症。他们的理性或智力向上受阻，仅向下打开，结果，理性之光变得象眼睛的光，以至于他们所有的观念都只是想像，由纯粹的谬论构成。在这种情况下，人就象拿着长筒望远镜的占星家站在街市上，说一些毫无意义的预言。除非主揭示圣言的真正真理，否则所有神学的学生都会变成这个样子。
620. 若没有形成信的真理, 重生是不可能的, 这一点可通过下面的对比来说明: 这跟没有觉知的人类心智一样, 是不可能的, 因为觉知通过真理形成, 因此能教导我们当信什么, 做什么, 何为重生以及如何实现它。 没有真理的重生就象没有阳光却让动物存活, 植物生长一样, 是不可能的, 因为若太阳不发光, 同时却给予热, 那它会变得“象毛布” (如启示录6:12描述的), 它也变暗 (约珥书2:10, 31), 因而地上只有黑暗 (约珥书3:15)。 若没有发光的真理, 同样的情形会发生在人身上, 因为发出真理之光的太阳就是灵界的主。 如果来自这源头的属灵之光不流入人类心智, 那么教会将处于完全的黑暗, 或永久的日蚀阴影中。 必须经由信和仁进行的重生, 若没有真理的教导和引领, 就象没有方向舵, 或指南针和航海图而在大海中航行, 还如同夜里在漆黑的森林里骑行。 那些拥有的不是真理, 而是他们以之为真理的虚假之人, 其心智的内在视觉好比那些视神经受阻, 而眼睛仍看似正常 (尽管它什么也看不见) 之人的视觉, 医生把这种失明叫做黑朦症。 他们的理性或智力向上受阻, 仅向下打开, 结果, 理性之光变得象眼睛的光, 以至于他们所有的观念都只是想像, 由纯粹的谬论构成。 在这种情况下, 人就象拿着长筒望远镜的占星家站在街市上, 说一些毫无意义的预言。 除非主揭示圣言的真正真理, 否则所有神学的学生都会变成这个样子。
620. The fact that regeneration is not possible without the truths that shape our faith can be illustrated by the following comparisons. This is no more possible than a human mind without an intellect, since truths are what shape our intellect. Our intellect is what teaches us what to believe, what to do, what regeneration is, and how it happens.
Truths are equally as necessary to regeneration as the sun's light is to the life of animals and the growth of trees. If the sun did not give light along with heat, it would be like the sun that is described in the Book of Revelation as sackcloth of hair (Revelation 6:12), or like the blackened sun (Joel 2:31) that leads to thick darkness on the earth (Joel 2:2). A similar thing would happen to us without truths that emit light.
The Lord in the spiritual world is the sun that radiates the light of truth. Without spiritual light flowing into human minds, the church is in thick darkness, like the shadow of an everlasting eclipse.
[2] Undergoing a process of regeneration, which is carried out by means of faith and goodwill, but without truths to teach and lead us, would be like sailing across a great ocean without a helm or without a compass and charts. It would be like riding a horse through a dark forest at night.
The inner mental vision of people who have falsities instead of truths, but believe them to be true, could be compared to the eyesight of people who have a blockage in their optic nerve; although they cannot see a thing through their eye, it still looks as though it is functioning and healthy. Physicians call this form of blindness amaurosis or "transparent blockage. " Their rational or intellectual faculty is closed at the top and open only at the bottom, which causes their rational light to be no better than the light they receive through their eyes. The judgments they come to are therefore all fabricated and are sewn together with mistaken impressions. They stand like astrologers on street corners with telescopes, uttering meaningless predictions. This will be the condition of all who are devoted to theology if the Lord does not open up genuine truths from the Word.
620. Some comparisons may be made to illustrate the fact that regeneration is impossible without the truths by means of which faith is formed. This can no more exist than a human mind without an understanding, since the understanding is formed by means of truths and so can teach us what should be believed and done, what regeneration is and how it is effected. Regeneration without truths is no more possible than it is for animals to have life or trees to grow without sunlight. For if the sun did not give light at the same time as it gives heat, it would become like a sack made of hair, as described in Revelation (Revelation 6:12), and it would be darkened (Joel 2:10, 31). Thus there would be total darkness on earth (Joel 3:15). The same would happen to a person if he were without truths that emit light. The sun from which the light of each truth radiates is the Lord in the spiritual world. If spiritual light from this source did not flow into human minds, the church would be in total darkness or in the shadow of a permanent eclipse.
[2] Regeneration, which must take place through faith and charity, without truths to teach and guide would be like sailing on a broad ocean without a tiller, or without a ship's compass and charts. It would also be like riding a horse in a dark wood by night. The internal vision of the minds of those who possess not truths but falsities, which they believe to be true, can be compared with the sight of people whose optic nerves are blocked; the eye appears to be intact and seeing, while in fact it sees nothing. This is the form of blindness physicians call amaurosis or gutta Serena. Their rational or intellectual faculty is blocked above and only open downwards. As a result the light of reason becomes like the light of the eye, so that all judgments are mere imagination and strung together out of pure fallacies. Then people would stand around like astrologers with long telescopes, standing in public squares issuing empty prophecies. This is what would happen to all students of theology, if the Lord did not open to them genuine truths from the Word.
620. That regeneration is impossible without the truths by which faith is formed, may be illustrated by the following comparisons. It is as impossible as a human mind without understanding; for the understanding is formed by means of truths, and therefore teaches what ought to be believed and what ought to be done, what regeneration is, and how it is effected. Regeneration without truths is as impossible as the vivification of animals or the growth of trees without light from the sun; for if the sun did not give light at the same time that it gives heat, it would become "like sackcloth of hair" (as described in theApocalypse 6:12), and "black" (Joel 2:10, 31), and thus mere darkness would be upon the earth (Joel 3:15). It would be the same with man without truths, which send out light from themselves; for the sun from which the light of truths flows forth is the Lord in the spiritual world. If spiritual light did not flow therefrom into human minds, the church would be in mere darkness, or in shadow from a perpetual eclipse. Regeneration, which is effected by means of faith and charity, without truths that teach and lead, would be like navigation on the great ocean without a rudder, or without a mariner's compass and charts. It would also be like riding in a dark forest at night. The mind's internal sight with those who are not in truths but in falsities, which they believe to be truths, may be likened to the sight of those whose optic nerves are obstructed, the eye still appearing sound and capable of sight, although it sees nothing; which kind of blindness is called by physicians amaurosis and gutta serena; for in such the rational or intellectual faculty is obstructed above and open below only, owing to which rational light becomes like the light of the eye, and consequently all their opinions are imagination only and are fashioned from mere fallacies. And in such case men would stand like astrologers in the market-places with long telescopes, uttering unmeaning prophecies. Such would all students of theology become, unless genuine truths were disclosed by the Lord from the Word.
620. That regeneration is not possible without truths, by which faith is formed, may be illustrated by the following comparisons. It is no more possible than for the human mind to exist without the understanding; for the understanding is formed by means of truths, and so it teaches what ought to be believed, and what ought to be done; also what regeneration is, and how it takes place. Regeneration without truths is no more possible than the quickening of animals and the growth of trees without light from the sun; for unless the sun gave forth light at the same time that it gives forth heat, it would become like sackcloth of hair as described in the Revelation 6:12; and darkened, as in Joel 2:31; and thus complete darkness would be on the earth, Joel 3:15. So would it be with a man without truths, which send forth light; for the Sun, from which the light of truth flows, is the Lord in the spiritual world. If spiritual light did not flow from it into human minds, the Church would be in complete darkness, or in the shadow of a perpetual eclipse.
Without truths that teach and lead, regeneration, which is effected by means of faith and charity, would be like sailing on a great ocean without a rudder, or without a compass and charts; it would also be like riding in a dark forest at night. The internal sight of the mind with those who are not in truths, but in falsities which they believe to be truths, may be compared with the sight of those whose optic nerves are obstructed. In that disease, called by doctors amaurosis and gutta serena, the eye still appears to be sound and functioning, although it sees nothing. For with those who are devoid of truths the rational or intellectual faculty is obstructed above, and opened only below, so that rational light becomes as light in the diseased eye, and all their judgments are fanciful, and formed from mere delusions. They would then be like astrologers standing in the market-place with their telescopes, uttering idle prophecies. Such would all students of theology become, unless genuine truths from the Word were revealed by the Lord.
620. Quod Regeneratio absque veris, per quae formatur fides, non dabilis sit, illustrari potest per has comparationes; non plus dabilis est quam Mens humana absque intellectu, intellectus enim formatur per vera, et ideo docet quid credendum, et quid faciendum est, et quid Regeneratio, et quomodo fiat. Regeneratio absque veris nec plus dabilis est, quam vivificatio animalium et vegetatio arborum absque luce e sole, nam nisi sol simul daret lucem sicut dat calorem, fieret sol, sicut describitur in Apocalypsi, tanquam saccus pilosus, 6:12, ac atratus Joel 3:4, 1 et sic merae tenebrae forent super terra, Joel 4:15, 2 similiter foret cum homine absque veris, quae lucem a se emittunt; Sol enim a quo luces veritatum profluunt, est Dominus in Mundo spirituali; nisi inde spiritualis lux in mentes humanas 3 influeret, 4 foret Ecclesia in meris tenebris, aut in umbra ex perpetua Ecclipsi.
[2] Regeneratio, quae fit per fidem et charitatem, absque veris quae docent et ducunt, foret sicut navigatio in magno Oceano absque gubernaculo, aut absque cysti nautica et mappis: ac foret sicut equitatio in opaca sylva tempore noctis. Visus internus mentis apud illos, qui non in veris sunt, sed in falsis, et haec credunt esse vera, comparari potest cum visu illorum, apud quos nervi optici obstructi sunt, et oculus usque apparet integer et videns, tametsi nihil videt, quae caecitas a Medicis vocatur Amaurosis et Gutta serena; est enim rationale seu intellectuale apud illos superius obstructum, et modo inferius apertum, ex quo lux rationalis fit sicut lux ocularis, et inde omnia judicia modo imaginaria, 5 et ex meris fallaciis connexa: et tunc homines starent sicut in foris Astrologi 6 cum longis tubis opticis, et vana vaticinia edunt; tales fierent omnes studiosi Theologiae, nisi genuina Vera ex Verbo a Domino aperirentur.
Footnotes:
1. Sic Schmidt et Biblia Hebraica, sed 2:31 apud Biblia Anglica. Prima editio: 3:11.
2. Sic Schmidt et Biblia Hebraica, sed 3:15 apud Biblia Anglica.
3. Prima editio: humenas.
4. Prima editio: influerent.
5. Prima editio: imaginatia.
6. Prima editio: A strologi.