649.如果人在接受新教会之信的同时，却又保留前教会关于基督功与义的报应之信，那么结果也是一样。因为前教会的所有信条如枝杈般从这象根一样的教义中发出来。若有人真的这样做，他就好比挣脱了龙的这五角，却又被龙的那五角缠住，或刚逃离狼口，又落入虎穴，或从枯井里爬出来，又掉进水井，并被淹死。
因为这种情况下，人很容易返回到他以前信仰的所有观念，上文已解释了这些观念。然后他会获得这种可憎观念，即他也许能将属于主的本质神性事物，即救赎与公义，归于并附加到自己身上，然而这些事物能被敬拜，却不能被归给。因为若人真的将它们归于并附加到自己身上，那么他会象被扔进太阳火炉里那样被融化。尽管如此，正是这太阳的光与热使得他能看到并活在肉身。前文说明了，主的功德是救赎，其救赎和公义是神的两个属性，不能连到人那里。所以，每个人都务必当心，不要把前教会的报应复制到新教会的报应上，因为这会造成妨碍其救恩的悲惨后果。
649. 如果人在接受新教会之信的同时, 却又保留前教会关于基督功与义的归算之信, 那么结果也是一样。 因为前教会的所有信条如枝杈般从这象根一样的教义中发出来。 若有人真的这样做, 他就好比挣脱了龙的这五角, 却又被龙的那五角缠住, 或刚逃离狼口, 又落入虎穴, 或从枯井里爬出来, 又掉进水井, 并被淹死。
因为这种情况下, 人很容易返回到他以前信仰的所有观念, 上文已解释了这些观念。 然后他会获得这种可憎观念, 即他也许能将属于主的本质神性事物, 即救赎与公义, 归于并附加到自己身上, 然而这些事物能被敬拜, 却不能被归给。 因为若人真的将它们归于并附加到自己身上, 那么他会象被扔进太阳火炉里那样被融化。 尽管如此, 正是这太阳的光与热使得他能看到并活在肉身。 前文说明了, 主的功德是救赎, 其救赎和公义是神的两个属性, 不能连到人那里。 所以, 每个人都务必当心, 不要把前教会的归算复制到新教会的归算上, 因为这会造成妨碍其救恩的悲惨后果。
649. A similar thing would happen to us if we were to embrace the faith of the new church but also hold onto the faith of the former church regarding the assignment of the Lord's merit and justice, since from the latter concept as from a root, all the dogmas of the former church rise up like shoots.
If this were to happen, it would be like people escaping from five of the dragon's horns but getting caught on the other five. It would be like running away from a wolf but stumbling onto a tiger. It would be like climbing out of a dry pit only to fall into a pit full of water and drown.
In this circumstance, we could easily return to all the teachings of our former faith. (Their true nature is exposed above.) We could easily then succumb to the damaging belief that we are able to assign and apply the Lord's divine attributes to ourselves, namely, his redemption and his justice, which in actuality can only be adored by us but not applied as part of us. If we were to succeed in assigning or applying the Lord's redemption and justice to ourselves we would be consumed as if we had been thrown unprotected into the sun, even though the sun's light allows us to see and its warmth keeps our bodies alive. (I have shown above [640] that the Lord's merit is redemption, and that his redemption and justice are two divine attributes that cannot be joined to us.)
We must all therefore take care not to write the former church's concept of assigning merit on top of the new church's concept of assigning spiritual credit or blame, since doing so would have tragic consequences that would stand in the way of our salvation.
649. Much the same would happen, if anyone were to embrace the faith of the new church, while retaining the faith of the former church concerning the imputation of the Lord's merit and righteousness. It is this which has been the root from which all the dogmas of the former church have arisen like shoots. If anyone were to do this, it would be as if, for comparison, one were to snatch oneself out of the way of five of the dragon's horns only to become entangled with the other five. Or as if one escaping a wolf were to encounter a tiger. Or as if someone climbing out of a pit containing no water were to fall into one with water in it and drown. For he would in these circumstances easily relapse into all the beliefs of his former faith, and what these are like has been explained above; and he would make the damning mistake of imputing and actually applying to himself the Lord's Divine attributes of redemption and righteousness, things which can be revered but not applied to oneself. For if a person were to impute and apply them to himself, he would be annihilated as if he were tossed into the open furnace of the sun. Yet it is the sun's light and heat which enable him to see and live in the body. It was shown above that the Lord's merit is redemption, and His redeeming act and His righteousness are two Divine attributes which cannot be linked to man. Everyone then should take care not to copy the concept of imputation current in the former church into that of the new one, since it will have tragic consequences which will stand in the way of his salvation.
649. The result would be the same should anyone embrace the faith of the New Church while retaining the faith of the former church respecting the imputation of the Lord's merit and righteousness; since from this doctrine as a root all the dogmas of the former church have sprung up as offshoots; and in that case it would be like man's extricating himself from five of the dragon's horns and becoming entangled in the other five; or like one's escaping from a wolf and falling upon a tiger; or like one's getting out of a dry ditch and falling into one with water in it, where he would be drowned. For in that case the man would easily return to all things of his former faith, and what these are has been shown above; and he would then acquire the damnable idea that he might impute and attach to himself the essentially Divine things that belong to the Lord, which are redemption and righteousness, and which may be adored but not so appropriated; for if a man were to impute and attach these to himself he would be consumed like one thrown into the naked sun, from the light and heat of which, nevertheless, he has bodily vision and life. That the Lord's merit is redemption, and that His redemption and His righteousness are the two Divine things that cannot be conjoined to man has been shown above. Let everyone take heed, therefore, not to transcribe the imputation of the former church upon that of the new, from which would spring baneful results, which would be obstacles to his salvation.
649. Something similar would happen if any one were to embrace the faith of the New Church, and still retain the faith of the former Church respecting the imputation of the Lord's merit and righteousness; for from this faith have sprung, as shoots from a root, all the dogmas of the former Church. If this were to take place it would be as if a person were to free himself from five of the horns of a dragon and become entangled on the other five; or as if one were to escape from a wolf, and fall into the claws of a tiger; or as if one, climbing out of a dry well, were to fall into one full of water, where he would be drowned. For a man would thus easily relapse into all the errors of his former faith, such as have just been described, and consequently into the damning error of imputing and applying to himself Divine things which are the Lord's, namely, redemption and righteousness, things to be adored but not applied. If a man were to impute and apply these to himself, he would be consumed as if he were cast into the sun's pure fire, although by its light and heat he sees and lives his bodily life. It was shown above that the Lord's merit is redemption, and that His redemption and righteousness are two Divine things, which cannot be conjoined to any man. Let every one, therefore, beware of transferring the imputation of the former Church into that of the New, for this would produce tragic results, which would imperil his salvation.
649. Simile eveniret, si quis amplecteretur fidem novae Ecclesiae, et fidem prioris Ecclesiae de Imputatione meriti et justitiae Domini retineret; ex hac enim ut radice omnia prioris Ecclesiae dogmata, ut propagines, exsurrexerunt: si hoc fieret, 1 comparatio foret, sicut quis se eriperet ex quinque cornibus draconis, et se intricaret in quinque reliquis ejus; aut si quis fugeret lupum, et incideret in tigridem; aut sicut exiens e fovea ubi non aqua, caderet in foveam ubi aqua, qua submergeretur; nam sic facile rediret in omnia prioris fidei, quae qualia sunt, supra expositum est, et tunc in hoc damnabile, quod imputaret et applicaret sibi ipsa Divina Domini, quae sunt Redemptio et Justitia, quae adorari et non applicari possunt; nam si homo sibi illa imputaret et applicaret, consumeretur sicut conjectus in nudum solem, a cujus tamen luce et calore videt et corpore vivit: quod Meritum Domini sit Redemptio, et quod Redemptio Ipsius et Justitia Ipsius, sint duo Divina, quae homini non conjungi possunt, supra ostensum est. Caveat itaque sibi quisque a transcriptione imputationis prioris Ecclesiae in imputationem novae, quoniam inde oritura sunt tragica, quae obstarent saluti ejus.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: fietet.