75. 宇宙的創造
因為本章是關於上帝創造者, 應當提到宇宙的創造。正如下一章關於主救贖者, 就應當提到救贖。除非先提及一些預備性的總體概念, 讓我們的頭腦進入一種感知的狀態, 否則對創世很難有清楚的認識。這些預備性的總體概念如下:
[2](1)有兩個世界:天人和靈所在的心靈世界和人類所在的物質世界。
(2)兩個世界都有太陽。心靈世界的太陽是從耶和華上帝而來的純全的仁愛,祂在這太陽當中。心靈世界的太陽散發熱與光, 這熱的本質是仁愛, 光的本質是智慧。這熱與光作用在人的意志和認知。熱作用于意志, 光影響認知。
物質世界的太陽完全是火。結果, 從它發出的熱與光是無生命的。這物質的熱與光起到包裝與承載屬靈之熱與光,使其達到人類的作用。
[3](3)在心靈世界, 從那太陽發出的熱與光兩者都是實質的,被稱為"屬靈的"。由這熱與光所產生的心靈世界的萬物也是如此。
在物質世界, 從太陽發出的類似的熱與光則是物質的,被稱為"屬世的"。由這熱與光而產生的物質世界的萬物也是如此。
[4](4)兩個世界都分三層, 被稱為"垂直層級"。這導致了三層天國所在的三個區域的建立; 也導致人的思想區分為三層——人思想的三層對應于三層天國。兩個世界的其他所有事物也都有三層。
[5](5)心靈世界的事物與物質世界的事物之間有對應的關係。
[6](6)聖規被建立在兩個世界的每一個和所有的事物之中。
[7](7)我們首先當對以上所述應當有個總體的認識; 要不然, 人的思想因完全缺乏這些認識, 容易落入自然創造宇宙的念頭。也會僅憑教會權威說辭, 就武斷得出上帝創造自然的結論。如果人們不知道上帝如何創造自然, 當他們往深探究時, 就容易落入否定上帝的自然主義觀點之中。
要逐一說明與論證以上七點, 需要大量篇幅。又因這方面內容並非作為系統神學的本書的主要目的, 因此, 我會講述幾個經歷, 從中可以對上帝如何創世孕育一些概念, 從而萌發更多的體會。
75. The Creation of the Universe
Because this first chapter is on God the Creator, there should also be some mention of his creation of the universe, just as the next chapter on the Lord the Redeemer also needs to address redemption. We cannot, however, get a fair idea of the creation of the universe unless some preliminary global concepts first bring our intellect into a state of perception. These global concepts are as follows:
[2] (1) There are two worlds: a spiritual world where there are angels and spirits, and a physical world where there are people.
(2) Both worlds have suns. The sun in the spiritual world is pure love from Jehovah God, who is within that sun. The spiritual sun radiates heat and light. The essence of the heat it radiates is love, and the essence of the light is wisdom. That heat and that light have an effect on people's wills and intellects. The heat affects the will; the light affects the intellect.
The sun in the physical world is pure fire. As a result, the heat and the light from it are dead. Physical heat and light serve as a clothing for spiritual heat and light and as a device through which spiritual heat and light reach people.
[3] (3) In the spiritual world both the heat and the light that radiate from the sun are substantial and are called spiritual. So are all the things in that world that come about from that heat and light.
In the physical world, these two comparable things, the heat and the light, that radiate from this sun are material and are called physical. So are all the things in this world that come about from this heat and light.
[4] (4) In both worlds there are three levels. They are called vertical levels. These result in the three areas where the three angelic heavens are set up. They also result in the three levels of the human mind, which correspond to the three angelic heavens. Everything else both here and there also has three levels.
[5] (5) There is a correspondence between things in the spiritual world and things in the physical world.
[6] (6) There is a design that has been built into each and every thing in each world.
[7] (7) First we need to get an overall idea about the above. Otherwise the human mind, in its utter ignorance of all this, easily slips into the idea that the universe was created by nature; and only out of respect for the authority of the church will it say that nature was created by God. If people do not know how God created nature, when they take a deep look at the subject they slip headfirst into a materialist philosophy that denies God.
Now, because it would take a large volume to lay out and properly demonstrate these seven points one by one, and because a section on that topic would not be integral to the theological system laid out in this book, I want to present only some memorable occurrences. From these an idea of how God created the universe can be conceived, and after conception some offspring representing that idea can be born.
75. THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE
Since the subject of this first chapter is God the Creator, it needs also to deal with His creation of the universe, just as the following chapter on the Lord the Redeemer needs also to deal with redemption. But no one can form a correct idea of the creation of the universe, unless some universal ideas are first suggested to bring the understanding into a perceptive state; these will be the following.
(i) There are two worlds, a spiritual world containing angels and spirits, and a natural world containing human beings.
[2] (ii) Each of these worlds has a sun. The sun of the spiritual world is pure love from Jehovah God, who is in its midst. From this sun emanate heat and light, the heat from it being in its essence love, and the light from it being in its essence wisdom. These two forces operate on the will and understanding of man, the heat on his will, and the light on his understanding. But the sun of the natural world is pure fire, so that the heat from it is lifeless, and so is its light. These serve as clothing and support to enable the spiritual heat and light to be transmitted to human beings.
[3] (iii) Those two forces emanating from the sun of the spiritual world, and consequently everything produced by them there, are substantial 1 and are termed spiritual. The two similar forces emanating from the sun of the natural world, and consequently everything produced by them here, are material and are termed natural.
[4] (iv) In each world there are three degrees, termed degrees of altitude, and consequently three regions. The three heavens of the angels are arranged in this pattern, and so are human minds, which thus correspond to those three heavens of the angels. There is a like correspondence between all other things there and here.
[5] (v) There is a correspondence between things in the spiritual world and those in the natural world.
[6] (vi) There is an order to conform with which everything in each world was created.
[7] (vii) Some idea of these matters must first be grasped, for, if not, the human mind, such is its utter ignorance of these matters, can easily fall into thinking of the creation of the universe as the work of nature, merely relying on ecclesiastical authority to declare that nature was created by God. But through ignorance of how this was done, the mind upon a thoroughgoing investigation of the subject may slip headlong into a nature-worship that denies the existence of God. However, since to expound and prove these propositions one by one would require a large volume, and this is moreover not a chief part or subject of the theological system to which this book is devoted, I should like simply to present a few accounts of experiences, which will allow some idea of God's creation of the universe to be conceived, so that some offspring bearing its representation may be born of that conception.
Footnotes:
1. I.e. made of substance, the underlying essence of matter.
75. THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE.
As the subject of this first chapter is God the Creator, the creation of the universe by Him must also be considered; as in the next chapter on the Lord the Redeemer, redemption will also be treated of. But no one can gain a right idea of the creation of the universe until his understanding is brought into a state of perception by some most general knowledges previously recognized, which are as follows.
[2] (1) There are two worlds, a spiritual world where angels and spirits are, and a natural world where men are. (2) In each world there is a sun. The sun of the spiritual world is nothing but love from Jehovah God who is in the midst of it. From that sun heat and light go forth; the heat that goes forth therefrom in its essence is love, and the light that goes forth in its essence is wisdom; and these two affect the will and understanding of man-the heat his will and the light his understanding. But the sun of the natural world is nothing but fire, and therefore its heat is dead, also its light; and these serve as a covering and auxiliary to spiritual heat and light, to enable them to pass over to man.
[3] (3) Again, these two which go forth from the sun of the spiritual world, and in consequence all things that have existence in that world by means of them, are substantial, and are called spiritual; while the two like things that go forth from the sun of the natural world, and in consequence all things here that have existence by means of them, are material, and are called natural.
[4] (4) In each world there are three degrees, called degrees of height, and in consequence three regions; and in accordance with these the three angelic heavens are arranged, and also in accordance with them human minds are arranged, which thus correspond to those three angelic heavens; and the same is true of every thing else in both worlds.
[5] (5) There is a correspondence between those things that are in the spiritual world and those in the natural world.
[6] (6) There is an order in which each thing and all things belonging to both worlds were created.
[7] (7) It is necessary that an idea of these things should first be gained, for unless this is done the human mind from mere ignorance of these things easily falls into a notion of a creation of the universe by nature; while on mere ecclesiastical authority it asserts that nature was created by God; and yet, because it does not know how creation was effected, as soon as it begins to look interiorly into the matter, it plunges headlong into the naturalism that denies God. But it would be truly the work of a large volume to explain and demonstrate these statements properly one by one; moreover, the matter does not properly enter into the theological system of this book as a theme or argument therefore I will merely relate some memorable occurrences from which an idea of the creation of the universe by God may be conceived, and from such a conception some offspring that will represent it may be born.
75. THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE.
Since the subject of this first Chapter is God the Creator, the Creation of the universe by Him must also be treated, as in the following Chapter, where the subject is the Lord the Redeemer, Redemption shall also be considered. No one, however, can form a right idea of the creation of the universe unless some general principles are first stated which will enlighten the understanding, such as the following:
[2] There are two worlds, the spiritual world where angels and spirits are, and the natural world where men are. (2) In each world there is a sun, and the Sun of the spiritual world is pure love from Jehovah God, who is in the midst of it. From that Sun proceed heat and light, the heat from it being, in its essence, love, and the light, in its essence, being wisdom. These two affect the will and the understanding of man, the heat affecting his will and the light his understanding. But the sun of the natural world is pure fire, and therefore its heat and light are dead, and serve as a covering and means to spiritual heat and light by which they may be conveyed to man.
[3] Moreover, the heat and light which proceed from the Sun of the spiritual world, and consequently all things that exist in that world by their means, are substantial, and are called spiritual; and the heat and light which proceed from the sun of the natural world, and consequently all things that exist in this world by their means, are material and are called natural.
[4] In each world there are three degrees, called degrees of altitude, and consequently three regions according to which the three angelic heavens are arranged. Men's minds are also arranged in three degrees and regions, which thus correspond to the three angelic heavens; and other things in each world have a similar arrangement.
[5] There is a correspondence between the things in the spiritual and those in the natural world.
[6] There is an order into which all things in both worlds were created.
[7] Unless a right idea of these things be first of all obtained, the human mind, from mere ignorance of them, may easily conceive the idea of the creation of the universe by nature, and yet assert on ecclesiastical authority alone that nature was created by God; but because it knows not how, if it continues to examine the matter more closely, it falls into naturalism, which denies God. Since, however, a large volume would be required to explain and demonstrate in an adequate manner these articles in detail, and, moreover, as this does not properly belong to a system of theology, which is the subject of this book, even as an illustration or as an argument, I shall merely relate some memorabilia from which one may derive an idea of the creation of the universe by God, which may result in an adequate conception being attained.
75. Quoniam in Primo hoc Capite de Deo Creatore agitur, etiam de Creatione Universi ab Ipso agendum est, sicut in sequente Capite de Domino Redemptore, etiam de Redemptione; sed non potest aliquis justam ideam de Creatione Universi sibi comparare, nisi aliquae cognitiones universales praemissae intellectum in statum perceptionis immittant, quae erunt sequentes.
[2] I. Quod duo Mundi sint, Mundus spiritualis, in quo sunt Angeli et Spiritus, et Mundus naturalis in quo sunt homines. II. Quod in utroque Mundo sit Sol, et quod Sol Mundi spiritualis sit purus Amor ex Jehovah Deo, Qui in medio ejus est; et quod ex illo Sole procedant calor et lux, et quod Calor inde procedens in sua essentia sit amor, et quod Lux inde procedens, in sua essentia sit sapientia; et quod illa duo afficiant voluntatem et intellectum hominis, calor ejus voluntatem, et lux ejus intellectum: at quod Sol Mundi naturalis sit purus Ignis, et quod ideo Calor inde sit mortuus, similiter Lux, et quod inserviant Calori et Luci spirituali pro amiculo et adminiculo ut ad hominem transeant.
[3] III. Tum quod illa duo, quae procedunt a Sole Mundi spiritualis, et inde omnia quae per illa ibi existunt, sint substantialia et dicantur spiritualia, et quod similia duo quae procedunt a Sole Mundi naturalis, et inde omnia quae per illa hic existunt, sint materialia et dicantur naturalia.
[4] IV. Quod in utroque Mundo sint tres Gradus, qui vocantur gradus altitudinis, et inde tres Regiones, secundum quas ordinati sunt tres Coeli angelici, et secundum quas ordinatae sunt Mentes humanae, quae sic tribus illis Coelis angelicis correspondent; et quod similiter reliqua hic et ibi.
[5] V. Quod sit Correspondentia inter illa quae in Mundo spirituali sunt, et inter illa quae in Mundo naturali.
[6] VI. Quod sit Ordo, in quem omnia et singula utriusque Mundi creata sunt.
[7] VII. Quod de his omnino primum comparanda sit idea; quod nisi fit, Mens humana ex mera ignorantia de illis, facile cadat in ideam de Creatione Universi a Natura, et ex sola Auctoritate Ecclesiastica dicat quod Natura a Deo creata sit; sed quia nescit quomodo, si interius de illa re scrutatur, labatur pronus in Naturalismum negantem Deum. Verum enim vero, quia illa singulatim exponere et demonstrare, sicut oportet, magni Voluminis opus foret, et quoque non proprie Systema Theologicum quod hujus Libri est, ut lemma aut argumentum, ingreditur, volo solum aliqua MEMORABILIA afferre, ex quibus idea de Creatione Universi a Deo potest concipi, et ex conceptione aliquis foetus repraesentans illam gigni.