667. 第12章 洗礼
第1节 若没有圣言灵义的知识, 没人能知道两项圣礼, 即洗礼与圣餐会涉及和影响什么
我在圣经一章 (4章) 说明了, 圣言的每一个细节皆包含灵义, 这层意义迄今未被人知, 但为了主即将创建的新教会, 现在要被揭示出来。 灵义的性质可见于第4章, 还可见于有关十诫的章节 (5章), 该章根据灵义解读了十诫。 若不揭示灵义, 除了根据属世义即字义理解外, 谁会思想这两项圣礼, 即洗礼与圣餐呢? 所以, 他会自言自语或喃喃地说: “洗礼不就是朝孩子头上浇水吗? 这和救恩有什么相干? 圣餐不就是享用面包和酒吗? 它真的有助于救恩吗? 此外, 除了被教会的命令吩咐并接受它们为圣洁和神圣外, 它们的神圣在哪里? ” 他会说, 它们本身无非是仪式, 当神的圣言被加到这些元素中时, 教会就声称它们成了圣礼。 我质疑信徒以及神职人员, 他们在灵里和内心是否对这两项圣礼有其它想法, 他们是不是出于种种原因和理由没有视它们为神圣。 然而, 这两项圣礼就灵义而言, 却是敬拜的最神圣部分, 这一点通过下文明显可知, 届时我将阐述它们的作用。 但既然除非通过灵义揭示和披露这两项圣礼的作用, 否则它们决不可能进入人的脑海, 那么可知, 若没有灵义, 没人能知道圣礼远非仪式这么简单, 这两项圣礼之所以神圣, 是因为它们是按照戒律被设立的。
667. Chapter 12: Baptism
Without Knowing That the Word Has a Spiritual Meaning, No One Can Know What the Two Sacraments (Baptism and the Holy Supper) Entail and What They Do for Us
The chapter on Sacred Scripture showed that there is a spiritual meaning throughout the Word and in every part of it [189-192], and that this meaning has been unknown until now [193-209]. It also showed that this meaning is now disclosed for the sake of the new church that is being established by the Lord [207, 271]. The nature of the spiritual meaning can be seen not only in that chapter but also in the chapter on the Ten Commandments [291-328]; the spiritual meaning of the commandments is explained there.
If the spiritual meaning of the Word had not been disclosed, would people be able to think beyond the earthly meaning or literal sense of the two sacraments, baptism and the Holy Supper? They might mutter and say to themselves, "What is baptism but pouring water on a baby's head? What does that do for the baby's salvation? What is the Holy Supper but taking bread and wine? What does that do for our salvation? For that matter, what is holy about these rituals, other than the fact that the ecclesiastical hierarchy has traditionally accepted them as sacred and divine and has commanded us to observe them? Although the churches claim that when the Word of God is brought near the elements they become sacred, these rituals are essentially just ceremonial. "
[2] I call on you, lay people and even clergy, to examine whether the sense you have in your heart or spirit concerning these two sacraments is any different from this. Have you practiced them as divine rituals for different reasons and with different thoughts in mind than these?
Yet from the point of view of their spiritual meaning, these two sacraments are the holiest acts of worship. The following pages, where the true functions of these sacraments are described, will make this clear.
None of us could ever understand the true functions of the sacraments unless the spiritual meaning uncovered and unfolded them for us. Therefore if we do not know their spiritual meaning, we are not in a position to realize that they are more than mere ceremonies established as holy only by the fact that we have been commanded to do them.
667. CHAPTER TWELVE
BAPTISM
I. Without knowledge of the spiritual sense of the Word no-one can know what is involved in and effected by the two sacraments, baptism and the Holy Supper.
I showed in the chapter on the Sacred Scripture [Chapter 4] that every single detail of the Word contained a spiritual sense, a sense that has up to now been unknown, but is now revealed for the sake of the new church which the Lord is to inaugurate. What that sense is like can be seen not only in that chapter, but also in that on the Ten Commandments [Chapter 5], which were explained in accordance with that sense. Had that sense not been revealed, who would think of these two sacraments, baptism and the Holy Supper, except as the natural sense, the literal sense, indicates? So he would say, or mutter to himself: 'What is baptism but the pouring of water over a child's head? And what use is that for salvation?' Or again: 'What is the Holy Supper but the taking of bread and wine? And what use is that for salvation?' He might go on: 'Where is the sanctity in them, apart from the fact that they have been accepted and ordered by the clergy as holy and divine?' He would say that in themselves they are nothing but ceremonies, which the churches claim become sacraments when the Word of God is added to those elements.
[2] I challenge the laity as well as the clergy to say whether in spirit and at heart they have perceived anything else in these two sacraments, but have worshipped them as divine for various causes and reasons. Yet these two sacraments looked at in the light of the spiritual sense are the holiest part of worship, as will be evident from what follows, where I shall deal with their purposes. But since there is no way that the purposes of these sacraments can occur to anyone's mind, unless the spiritual meaning uncovers and discloses them, it follows that without that sense no one could know otherwise than that they are ceremonies, which are holy because they were commanded to be instituted.
667. CHAPTER 12
BAPTISM
I. WITHOUT A KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD, NO ONE CAN KNOW WHAT THE TWO SACRAMENTS, BAPTISM AND THE HOLY SUPPER, INVOLVE AND EFFECT.
That there is a spiritual sense in each thing and everything of the Word, and that this sense hitherto has been unknown, but has now been disclosed for the sake of the New Church which is to be established by the Lord, has been shown in the chapter on the Sacred Scripture. The nature of that sense can be seen both in that chapter and in the chapter on the Decalogue, which is explained according to that sense. If that sense were not disclosed who could think of the two sacraments, baptism and the holy supper, except in accordance with the natural sense, that is, the sense of the letter? And in that case he would say or murmur to himself, "Is baptism anything but pouring water upon a child's head, and what has that to do with salvation? And is the holy supper anything but a partaking of bread and wine, and does it contribute anything to salvation? Moreover, where is the holiness in them, except from their having been commanded by the ecclesiastical order and accepted as holy and Divine?" And yet in themselves they are mere ceremonies, which, the churches assert, become sacraments when to these elements the Word of God is added. I appeal to the laity, and also to the clergy, whether in spirit and heart they have had any other conception of these two sacraments, and whether they have not cherished them as Divine from a variety of causes and reasons, and yet these two sacraments, viewed in the spiritual sense, are the holiest things of worship, as will appear hereafter when their uses come to be treated of. But it is impossible for the uses of these two sacraments to enter the mind of anyone, unless those uses are disclosed and set forth by the spiritual sense; therefore it follows that without that sense no one can know that the sacraments are anything more than ceremonies, which are holy because instituted by commandment.
667. CHAPTER XII
BAPTISM
I. WITHOUT A KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD, NO ONE CAN KNOW WHAT THE TWO SACRAMENTS, BAPTISM AND THE HOLY SUPPER, INVOLVE AND EFFECT.
It has been shown in the chapter on the Sacred Scripture that there is a spiritual sense in the whole of the Word and in every part of it; that hitherto this sense has been unknown; and that at this day it has been revealed for the sake of the New Church which is to be established by the Lord. The nature of that sense may be seen, not only in that chapter but also in the chapter on the Decalogue, which was also explained according to that sense. Unless that sense had been revealed, who would think of those two sacraments, Baptism and the Holy Supper, except according to the natural sense, which is the sense of the Letter; and so would declare, or say to himself, "What is Baptism but the sprinkling of water on the head of an infant; and what has this to do with salvation? Also, what is the Holy Supper but the partaking of bread and wine; and what again has this to do with salvation? Moreover, where is the holiness in these rites, except from the circumstance that they are received and enjoined as holy and Divine by ecclesiastical authority? In themselves they are mere ceremonies, which the Churches say, during the approach of the Word of God to these elements, become sacraments. I appeal to the laity and also to the clergy to acknowledge whether they have perceived in spirit and heart anything else concerning those two sacraments, and whether they have not rendered them their devotion as Divine for various causes and reasons; whereas those two sacraments, considered in the spiritual sense, are the most holy things of worship, as will be evident from the following passages in which their uses will be set forth. However, as the uses of those sacraments cannot possibly be comprehended by any one unless the spiritual sense discloses and unfolds them, it follows that, without that sense, no one can know but that they are mere ceremonies, which are holy because they were instituted by Divine command.
667. CAPUT DUODECIMUM
DE BAPTISMO.
Quod absque cognitione de Sensu spirituali Verbi nemo possit scire, quid Duo Sacramenta, Baptismus et Sancta Coena, involvunt et efficiunt.
Quod in omnibus et singulis Verbi sit Sensus spiritualis, et quod ille Sensus hactenus ignotus fuerit, et quod hodie apertus sit propter Novam Ecclesiam quae a Domino instauranda est, in Capite de SCRIPTURA SACRA, ostensum est: qualis ille Sensus est, non modo ibi, sed etiam in Capite de DECALOGO, qui secundum illum Sensum etiam explicatus est, videri potest. Nisi ille Sensus apertus foret, quis de duobus illis Sacramentis, Baptismo et Sancta Coena, cogitaret aliud, quam secundum sensum naturalem, qui est sensus literae, ac inde diceret aut mussitaret secum, quid Baptismus nisi superinfusio aquae super Caput infantis, et quid haec ad salutem; tum quid Sancta Coena, nisi assumtio panis et vini, et quid haec ad salutem; et praeterea, ubi est Sanctum in illis, nisi ex eo, quod ex Ordine Ecclesiastico ut Sancta Divina recepta et mandata sint, et quod in se non sint aliud quam Ceremoniae, de quibus Ecclesiae dicunt, quod dum accedit Verbum Dei ad illa Elementa, fiant Sacramenta:
[2] provoco ad Laicos, et quoque ad Clericos, num aliud de duobus illis Sacramentis spiritu et corde perceperunt, et quod illa ut Divina coluerint propter varias causas et rationes: cum tamen duo illa Sacramenta in Sensu Spirituali spectata, sunt Sanctissima cultus: quod talia sint, constabit ex sequentibus, ubi Usus illorum tradentur. Sed quia horum Sacramentorum usus in alicujus mentem nequaquam venire possunt, nisi illos Sensus spiritualis detegat et evolvat, sequitur, quod absque illo Sensu nemo possit scire aliud quam quod essent Ceremoniae, quae Sanctae quia ex Mandato institutae sunt.