657.凭理智谁都能明白，邪恶与一位真神的信无法共存。因为恶反对神，而信拥护神。恶与意愿相关，信与思维相关，意愿流入觉知，并促使它思考，而不是相反。觉知仅教导人当意愿什么，做什么。因此，恶人所行的善本质上是恶；它就象骨髓腐烂而外表光滑的骨头、舞台上扮演伟人的演员，以及涂脂抹粉的妓女；它也象一只着银色翅膀的蝴蝶，到处飞舞，将卵产在好树的叶子上，结果导致这树结不出果子；还象毒草制成的香烟；甚至象文明的强盗或虔诚的骗子；因此，其本质为恶的善居于内室，而徘徊在前厅推理的信只不过是幻觉、幽灵或妄想。这些对比清楚表明，信根据与其结合的善或恶决定判决。
657. 凭理智谁都能明白, 邪恶与一位真神的信无法共存。 因为恶反对神, 而信拥护神。 恶与意愿相关, 信与思维相关, 意愿流入觉知, 并促使它思考, 而不是相反。 觉知仅教导人当意愿什么, 做什么。 因此, 恶人所行的善本质上是恶; 它就象骨髓腐烂而外表光滑的骨头, 舞台上扮演伟人的演员, 以及涂脂抹粉的妓女; 它也象一只着银色翅膀的蝴蝶, 到处飞舞, 将卵产在好树的叶子上, 结果导致这树结不出果子; 还象毒草制成的香烟; 甚至象文明的强盗或虔诚的骗子; 因此, 其本质为恶的善居于内室, 而徘徊在前厅推理的信只不过是幻觉, 幽灵或妄想。 这些对比清楚表明, 信根据与其结合的善或恶决定判决。
657. As everyone can see on the basis of reason, it is impossible for both evil and a faith in the one only true God to coexist in us. Evil is opposed to God, and faith is in favor of God. Evil belongs to our will and faith belongs to our thoughts. The will flows into the intellect and causes it to think. There is no flow in the other direction; the intellect merely teaches what should be willed and done.
Therefore the good things an evil person does are intrinsically evil. They are like a shiny piece of bone with a rotten marrow. They are like an actor on a stage impersonating an important dignitary. They are like an attractive face on a worn-out prostitute. They are like a moth with silver wings that lays its eggs on the leaves of a good kind of tree, destroying its fruit. They are like fragrant smoke from a poisonous plant. In fact, they are like robbers who espouse morality, and con artists who are devout.
Therefore the goodness such people practice, which is actually intrinsically evil, is in the back bedroom, so to speak; their faith is pacing and pontificating in the front hall, but it is really just a fairy tale, a ghost, a bubble.
This makes evident the truth of the proposition stated in the heading, that our faith receives its verdict based on whether goodness or evil is united to it.
657. Anyone can see by reason that evil and faith in the one true God cannot co-exist. For evil is opposed to God, and faith is in favour of God. Evil has to do with the will and faith with thought, and the will acts upon the understanding and makes it think, but the reverse does not happen. The understanding merely tells one what one should will and do. The good therefore such a person does is essentially evil. It is like a clean bone with a rotten marrow. It is like an actor upon the stage who plays the part of an important person. And it is like the attractive face of a worn-out prostitute. It is like the butterfly flying on silvery wings to lay its tiny eggs on the leaves of a useful tree, with the result that all its fruit is lost. It is like fragrant smoke from a poisonous herb. Indeed, it is like a sermonising robber or a pious toady. His good therefore, which is essentially evil, is kept indoors in a room, while his faith, which strolls about the hall and reasons, is nothing but a chimera, a ghost or a bubble. These comparisons make plain the truth of the proposition that it is faith which is the deciding factor, according to whether it combines with good or evil.
657. That evil and a faith in the one and true God cannot exist together, anyone can see from reason; for evil is opposed to God, and faith is for Him; and evil pertains to the will, and faith to the thought, and the will flows into the understanding and causes it to think, and not the reverse, the understanding merely teaching what is to be willed and done. Consequently the good that an evil man does is in itself evil; it is like a polished bone with a rotten marrow; it is like a player on the stage impersonating a great man; it is like the painted face of a worn-out harlot; it is like a butterfly with silver wings, flying about and depositing its eggs on the leaves of a good tree, whereby all its fruit is destroyed; it is like a fragrant smoke from a poisonous herb; it is even like a moral robber or a pious cheat; and in consequence his good, which in itself is evil, is in the inner room, while his faith, walking about and reasoning in the vestibule, is a mere chimera, specter, and bubble. From all this it is clear that faith determines the verdict in accordance with the good or the evil that is conjoined with it.
657. Every one who uses his reason may see that evil and a faith in the one and true God cannot exist together; for evil is against God, and faith is for Him. Evil is of the will, and faith of the thought; and the will flows into the understanding, causing it to think; but the understanding exercises no such influence over the will; for it only teaches what ought to be willed and done. Therefore, the good which an evil man does is in itself evil; it is like a polished bone containing putrid marrow; it is like an actor on the stage, impersonating a great man; it is like the alluring countenance of an outworn courtesan; it is like a butterfly which, fluttering on silvery wings, lays its tiny eggs on the leaves of a good tree, causing the destruction of its fruit; it is like the sweet-smelling fumes from a poisonous herb; it is, indeed, like a moral thief, or a pious hypocrite. Therefore the good of such a person, being in itself evil, abides in a chamber within, while his faith, strutting about in the porch and reasoning, is merely a myth, a spectre, and a bubble. From this, the truth of the proposition is evident that faith decides the issue according to the good or evil with which it conjoins itself.
657. Quod malum et fides in unum et verum Deum non possint simul esse, quisque potest ex ratione videre, nam malum est contra Deum, et fides est pro Deo, ac malum est voluntatis et fides est cogitationis, ac voluntas influit in intellectum et facit eum cogitare, non autem vicissim; intellectus modo docet quid volendum et faciendum est; quare Bonum, quod talis homo facit, in se est malum; 1 est sicut os nitidum cujus medulla est putris; est sicut histrio super theatro, qui personat magnatem; estque sicut venusta facies meretricis obsoletae; et est sicut papilio volans argenteis alis ponit ovula super foliis arboris bonae, ex quibus omnis fructus ejus perit; est sicut fragrans fumus ex herba toxicata; imo est sicut moralis latro, et pius sycophanta; 2 quare ejus bonum, quod in se est malum, est intus in camera, at ejus fides in vestibulo ambulans et ratiocinans, est mera chimaera, larva et bulla. Ex his patet veritas propositionis quod fides faciat sententiam de bono et malo, quod ei conjungitur.
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