678.在灵界,不但婴儿,而且所有其他人也通过洗礼加入基督徒,其原因在于,灵界的各族和各国皆根据他们的宗教信仰相互区分。基督徒在中间,伊斯兰教徒在他们周围,伊斯兰教徒后面是各类偶像崇拜者,犹太人在外围。此外,凡属同一宗教者皆被安排进社群。在天堂,主根据对神向邻之爱的情感进行安排;在地狱,则根据与这两种爱对立的情感,即恶之私欲进行安排。在灵界,天堂和地狱皆以此来表示,一切事物均以最精细的秩序被排列,无论整体还是部分,也就是说,无论总体还是细节。整个宇宙的维护皆依赖于这精细的秩序,除非每个人出生后就有表明他所属宗教的某种标志,否则那是不可能实现的。因为若没有基督徒的标志,即洗礼,那么某些伊斯兰教或拜偶像的灵就有可能附到新生的基督教儿童、甚至年轻人身上,向他们呼入朝向自己宗教的倾向,从而分散他们的心智,使他们疏远基督教,这将是对灵界秩序的扭曲和破坏。
678. 在灵界, 不但婴儿, 而且所有其他人也通过洗礼加入基督徒, 其原因在于, 灵界的各族和各国皆根据他们的宗教信仰相互区分。 基督徒在中间, 伊斯兰教徒在他们周围, 伊斯兰教徒后面是各类偶像崇拜者, 犹太人在外围。 此外, 凡属同一宗教者皆被安排进社群。 在天堂, 主根据对神向邻之爱的情感进行安排; 在地狱, 则根据与这两种爱对立的情感, 即恶之私欲进行安排。 在灵界, 天堂和地狱皆以此来表示, 一切事物均以最精细的秩序被排列, 无论整体还是部分, 也就是说, 无论总体还是细节。 整个宇宙的维护皆依赖于这精细的秩序, 除非每个人出生后就有表明他所属宗教的某种标志, 否则那是不可能实现的。 因为若没有基督徒的标志, 即洗礼, 那么某些伊斯兰教或拜偶像的灵就有可能附到新生的基督教儿童, 甚至年轻人身上, 向他们呼入朝向自己宗教的倾向, 从而分散他们的心智, 使他们疏远基督教, 这将是对灵界秩序的扭曲和破坏。
678. Not just babies but everyone who is baptized comes into the company of Christians in the spiritual world. This is because in that world peoples and nations are differentiated by their religion. Christians are in the center; Muslims are around them; idolatrous faiths of various kinds are behind them; and Jews are at the sides.
In addition, all the people of a given religion are subdivided into communities there. In heaven they are arranged into separate communities according to specific desires that relate to loving God or loving their neighbor. In hell people are arranged into separate hordes according to specific desires that oppose the two loves just mentioned - therefore, according to specific cravings for evil.
[2] In the spiritual world, by which we mean both heaven and hell, all things have been arranged with great care to preserve distinctions in regard to both the larger aggregate groups and the individual components of those groups. The preservation of the entire universe hinges on this precise arrangement.
This precision would not be possible unless all of us, after we were born, were given some sign that identified which religious community we belonged to.
If there were no way to identify Christians (meaning baptism), some Muslim spirit or some idolatrous spirit would be able to attach to Christians, either when they were newborn or later on in their childhood, inspire them with an interest in Islam or idolatry, and turn them away and alienate them from Christianity, which would subvert and destroy the overall spiritual design.
678. The reason why not only children but all are by baptism brought among Christians in the spiritual world is that peoples and nations are in that world kept apart in accordance with their religious beliefs. The Christians are in the middle, the Mohammedans around them, idolaters of various kinds behind them, and the Jews at the sides. In addition, all of the same religion are arranged into communities. In heaven this depends upon affections of love to God and love towards the neighbour; in hell they form groups depending upon the affections opposed to those two loves, that is, upon their longings for evil.
[2] In the spiritual world, by which we mean both heaven and hell, everything is arranged in the most detailed order both in general and in every part, that is to say, generically and specifically. The preservation of the whole universe depends upon that detailed order there; and that could not be achieved, unless everyone after his birth had some sign to show to which religious assembly he belongs. But for the Christian sign, which is baptism, a Mohammedan spirit, or an idolatrous one, could latch on to new-born Christian children, or older ones too, and breathe into them an inclination for their own religion, and so distract their minds and estrange them from Christianity; and this would be a distortion and destruction of spiritual order.
678. The reason why not only infants but all others, are by baptism inserted among Christians in the spiritual world, is, that it is by their religions that peoples and nations in that world are distinguished from each other. The Christians are in the middle, the Mohammedans are round about them, after them come idolaters of various kinds, and the Jews are at the sides. Moreover, all who are of the same religion are arranged in societies in heaven in accordance with their affections of love to God and love toward the neighbor, and in hell in assemblies in accordance with affections that are the opposites of those two loves, that is, in accordance with the lusts of evil. In the spiritual world, by which both heaven and hell are meant, all things both as a whole and in every part, or in general and in every particular, are most distinctly arranged; upon this distinct arrangement there the preservation of the whole universe depends; and such distinguishing is impossible, unless everyone after he is born can be recognized by some sign showing to what religious body he belongs. For without the Christian sign, which is baptism, some Mohammedan or some idolatrous spirit might attach himself to newly-born Christian children, or even to youths, and breathe into them an inclination towards his religion, and thus distract their minds and alienate them from Christianity, which would be a distortion and destruction of spiritual order.
678. Not only infants but all persons are introduced by Baptism among Christians in the spiritual world, because peoples and nations in that world occupy separate regions according to their religion. Christians are in the centre, Mohammedans 1 round about them, idolaters of various kinds behind these, and Jews at the sides. Moreover, all who are of the same religion are arranged into societies; in heaven, according to the affections of their love to God and towards the neighbor, and in hell, according to the affections that are opposed to those two loves, thus according to the lusts of evil.
In the spiritual world, by which we mean both heaven and hell, all things are most distinctly arranged as a whole and in every detail, or in general and in particular; for the preservation of the whole universe depends upon distinctive arrangement in that world. This distinctiveness would not be possible unless every one after his birth were known by some sign, showing to what religious community he belongs. For without the Christian sign of Baptism some Mohammedan spirit, or some idolatrous spirit, might approach newly-born Christian infants and young children and infuse into them an inclination in favor of his own religion. This would distract their minds and alienate them from Christianity, and would result in the distortion and destruction of spiritual order.
Footnotes:
1. Mohammad, the founder of Mohammedanism or Islam, A.D. 571-632, was born at Mecca, where his father was spiritual and temporal head. He married a wealthy and devout widow, and owed much to her influence. In the visions to which he was subject he received confirmations of his Divine mission. He also received messages from Gabriel which were incorporated in the KORAN, the sacred book of Mohammedanism. Early persecution drove him from Mecca and in the year A.D. 622 he fled to Medina, where he was cordially welcomed. This flight, or Hejira, marks the beginning of the Mohammedan year, and from Medina he set out on his conquest of Arabia. Mohammedanism proclaims the unity of the God-head, and condemns idolatry; but the peaceful methods of propaganda soon gave place to ruthless persecution of infidels and merciless extermination of idolators.
678. Quod non modo infantes, sed et cuncti per Baptismum inserantur Christianis in Mundo spirituali, est quia Populi et Gentes in illo Mundo secundum Religiosa sua distincti sunt; Christiani in medio sunt, Mahumedani circum illos, Idololatrae varii generis post illos, et Judaei ad latera. Insuper omnes ex eadem Religione dispositi sunt in Societates, in Coelo secundum affectiones amoris in Deum et erga proximum, in Inferno in congregationes secundum affectiones binis illis Amoribus oppositas, ita secundum concupiscentias mali.
[2] In Mundo spirituali, per quem intelligimus et Coelum et Infernum, omnia distinctissime ordinata sunt in communi et in omni parte, seu in genere et in omni specie; 1 a distincta ordinatione ibi pendet conservatio totius universi; et distinctio illa non dabilis est, nisi unusquisque, postquam natus est, ex aliquo signo noscatur, ad cujus religionis caetus pertineat: nam absque signo Christiano, quod est Baptismus, potuisset aliquis Spiritus Mahumedanus, aut aliquis ex Idololatris, se ad infantes Christianos recens natos, et quoque ad pueros applicare, et illis insufflare inclinationem pro sua religione, et sic distrahere animum illorum et abalienare illos a Christianismo, quod foret ordinem spiritualem distorquere et destruere.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: specic.