775.以团契或集体形式构成教会的会众，其情形和个体的或单个人的一样。团契或集体就是会众组成的教会，而个体或单个人就是会众的每个成员里面的教会。按照神序，必存在共性和特性，这二者必共存于每一个事物中，否则特性无法存在和持久；就象人体当中不会存在特性，除非有围绕它的共性。人体的特性就是内脏及其各个部分，共性就是不仅包裹整个身体，还包裹每个内脏及其各个部分的覆盖物。所有动物、鸟和虫，以及树、灌木和种子都一样。管弦乐器也无法发出一个音调，除非存在共性，以便个别音符由此获得使它得以存在的普遍性。所有身体感官，如视听嗅味触，以及所有心智的内在感官也一样。列举这些实例是为了清楚表明，教会也存在共性和特性，以及最普遍性；这就是为何相继兴起四个教会的原因，它们的发展带来教会的最普遍性，并接连带来每个教会的共性和特性。人体内也存在使得所有共性与特性存在的两个最普遍性。这两个最普遍性在人体内是心与肺；在人的灵内是意与知。人生命的一切元素皆取决于这四者，无论总体还是细节，若没有它们，这些元素就会土崩瓦解。天人天堂、整个人类、甚至整个受造宇宙，若总体的一切和具体的细节不依赖于神，依赖于祂的爱和智慧，也是一样。
775. 以团契或集体形式构成教会的会众, 其情形和个体的或单个人的一样。 团契或集体就是会众组成的教会, 而个体或单个人就是会众的每个成员里面的教会。 按照神序, 必存在共性和特性, 这二者必共存于每一个事物中, 否则特性无法存在和持久; 就象人体当中不会存在特性, 除非有围绕它的共性。 人体的特性就是内脏及其各个部分, 共性就是不仅包裹整个身体, 还包裹每个内脏及其各个部分的覆盖物。 所有动物, 鸟和虫, 以及树, 灌木和种子都一样。 管弦乐器也无法发出一个音调, 除非存在共性, 以便个别音符由此获得使它得以存在的普遍性。 所有身体感官, 如视听嗅味触, 以及所有心智的内在感官也一样。 列举这些实例是为了清楚表明, 教会也存在共性和特性, 以及最普遍性; 这就是为何相继兴起四个教会的原因, 它们的发展带来教会的最普遍性, 并接连带来每个教会的共性和特性。 人体内也存在使得所有共性与特性存在的两个最普遍性。 这两个最普遍性在人体内是心与肺; 在人的灵内是意与知。 人生命的一切元素皆取决于这四者, 无论总体还是细节, 若没有它们, 这些元素就会土崩瓦解。 天人天堂, 整个人类, 甚至整个受造宇宙, 若总体的一切和具体的细节不依赖于神, 依赖于祂的爱和智慧, 也是一样。
第7节 主第二次降临不是以人的形式, 而是以圣言的形式, 圣言出于祂, 就是祂自己
775. What is true of the individual as a church is also true of the human collective or aggregate known as the church. The church is a human collective or aggregate that is made up of many individuals; the human individual is the church as it exists within each of the many people who constitute it.
The divine design always includes overall systems and individual components. Everything that exists has both of these elements. Without the overall systems, the individual components would not take shape or be able to sustain continued existence, just as the individual parts of the body could not exist without belonging to some broader system within it. In the human body, the individual parts are the organs and the parts within those organs; connective tissue not only envelops the body as a whole but also wraps and separates the individual organs, and even the parts within them. The same complex structure is found in every animal, bird, and insect. In fact it is also found in every tree, shrub, and seed.
Strings and wind instruments would give no sound at all if there were not some underlying ability to vibrate that they shared in common. That vibration is shaped into the sound of each instrument and the sound of each instrument is in turn shaped into a range of individual notes.
Our entire physical sensitivity is like this, too, in its relationship with our five individual senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. The relationship between our entire mental sensitivity and individual mental sensations is similar as well.
[2] These examples have been presented for the sake of illustration. They aim to show that the church as well is divided into grand ages and individual movements over time, and these all together form part of one overall history; each of the four churches, one after the other, formed a part of it. The overall history was shaped by these ecclesiastical epochs; and the epochs were shaped by the general and the individual movements within them.
In the human race, also, there are universal factors - two of them - that shape all the systems and individual parts within us. In our body these two universal factors are our heart and our lungs; in our spirit they are our will and our intellect. All that is alive within us, both on a general and on a particular level, depends on these two physical and these two spiritual factors. Without them, everything within us would fall apart and die.
The same thing would happen to the entire angelic heaven and the whole human race - in fact, all of creation - if all that existed within them both collectively and individually were not dependent on God, on his love and wisdom.
775. The situation with the people who make up the church en masse or taken collectively is much the same as with the person by himself or taken individually. People en masse or taken collectively are a church of many members; and the person by himself or taken individually is the church in each of those many members. It is in accordance with Divine order that there should be general and particular levels, co-existing in any thing you like to mention, and the particular levels could not otherwise come into or continue in existence. In this way there could not be any particular part within the human body unless there were general layers surrounding it. Particular parts in the human body are the viscera and each part of them; the general layers are the coverings which envelop not only the whole body, but also each of the viscera and each part of them. It is much the same in every animal, bird and worm, as well as in every tree, shrub and seed. Nor can strings or wind instruments produce any sound, unless there were a very general level, from which the individual notes derive the general sound which allows them to be produced. It is also similar with all the bodily senses, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch; and with all the inward senses which exist in the mind.
[2] These illustrations have been given to make it known that in the church too there are general and particular levels, as well as the very general ones. It is also intended to show that this is why the four churches have succeeded in order. This succession gave rise to the most general level of the churches as a whole, and one after another the general and particular level of each. In the human body too there are two very general levels which give rise to the existence of all the other general and particular levels. The two most general items in the body are the heart and the lungs, those in the spirit, the will and the understanding. On these two sets of items depend all the details of a person's life generally and particularly; without them these would fall apart and die off. It would be much the same with the whole heaven of angels and with the whole human race, in fact, with the whole created world, if everything in general, and the details in particular, were not dependent upon God, His love and His wisdom.
775. The same is true of the man of the church in the composite or collective sense as of the individual or single man. Man in the collective or composite sense is the church among many, while the individual or single man is the church in anyone of those many. It is according to Divine order that there should be what is general and what is particular, and that both should be together in every single thing, and that otherwise particulars cannot have existence and permanence; just as there are no particulars within man without generals by which they are surrounded. The particulars in man are the viscera and their parts, and the generals are the coverings which surround not only the whole man, but also everyone of the viscera, and every single part thereof.
The same is true of every beast, bird, and worm; also every tree, shrub, and seed; nor can a tone be produced by a stringed instrument or the breath, unless there is a most general from which each least particular of the modulation derives its general, in order to exist. The same is true of every bodily sense, as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch; and also of all the internal senses, which belong to the mind. All this has been said by way of illustration, to make clear that in the church also there is what is general and what is particular, also what is most general; and that this is why there have been four preceding churches in order, from which progression what is most general in the church has arisen, and in succession the general and the particular of each church. In man also there are two most general things from which all the generals and the several particulars derive their existence. In his body these two most general things are the heart and lungs; in his spirit they are the will and understanding. On these four depend all things pertaining to his life, both in general and in particular, all of which without them would fall asunder and die. And so would it be with the whole angelic heaven, and with the whole human race, and even with the whole created universe, if they did not all in general, and each in particular depend on God, on His love and His wisdom.
775. What is true of the man of the Church, when regarded collectively or as a community, is also true of man when regarded singly or individually. Man considered collectively or as a community, is the Church among many; while man considered singly or individually, is the Church in each one among the many. It is according to Divine order that there should be generals and particulars, and that both should exist together in everything; and that particulars should not otherwise exist and subsist. Thus, for example, within man there would be no particulars unless there were generals to enclose them. Particulars in man are the viscera and their parts, while generals are the coverings which envelop not only the whole man, but also each of the viscera and each of their parts. It is the same with every beast, bird and creeping thing; and with every tree, shrub and seed. Again, there could be no sound produced from instruments, stringed or wind, unless there was some all-embracing tone from which the individual notes of the melody derive their general tone in order that they may be expressed. It is the same with all the senses of the body, as with sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, as well as with all the interior senses of the mind.
These things have been mentioned by way of illustration, for it should be known that in the Church also there are generals and particulars, as well as all-embracing generals. Consequently four Churches have proceeded in regular order; and from this progression there have appeared an all-embracing general essential of the Church, and successively a general and a particular of each Church. In man there are two all-embracing generals, from which all the generals and several particulars derive their existence. These two all-embracing generals in the body are the heart and the lungs, and in his spirit, the will and the understanding. On these all things that constitute his life depend both in the general and in the particular form; and without these all things would fall asunder and perish. The same would happen to the whole angelic heaven and the whole human race, indeed to the whole created universe, unless all things in their general form, and each thing in its particular form, were dependent on God and His Love and Wisdom.
775. Simile est cum homine Ecclesiae in concreto seu in composito, quemadmodum est cum homine individuo seu in particulari; homo in concreto seu composito, est Ecclesia inter plures, et homo in individuo seu particulari, est Ecclesia in unoquovis inter illos plures. Secundum ordinem Divinum est, ut communia sint et particularia, et ut utraque simul in unaquavis re sint, et quod particularia alioquin non existant et subsistant; sicut non quicquam particulare intus in homine, nisi communia sint, quibus circumdentur; particularia in homine sunt viscera et horum partes, et communia sunt involucra, quae non solum sunt circum totum hominem, sed etiam circum singula viscera, et circum singulas partes eorum: simile est in omni bestia, ave et verme; et simile in omni arbore, frutice, et semine; nec potest Sonus dari ex fidibus et per flatum, nisi communissimum sit, ex quo singula modulaminis trahunt suum commune, ut existant; simile etiam est cum omni Sensu corporis, ut cum visu, auditu, olfactu, gustu et tactu, et quoque simile est cum omni Sensu interno, qui sunt mentis.
[2] Haec illustrationis causa adducta sunt, ut sciatur quod etiam in Ecclesia sint Communia et Particularia, et quoque Communissima, et quod inde sit, quod quatuor Ecclesiae praecesserint in ordine, ex qua progressione ortum est Communissimum Ecclesiae, et successive commune et particulare cujusvis. In homine etiam sunt duo Communissima, ex quibus omnia communia et singula particularia ejus trahunt suam existentiam; duo illa Communissima in corpore sunt Cor et Pulmo, in spiritu ejus Voluntas et Intellectus; ex his et illis pendent omnia vitae ejus tam in communi quam in particulari, quae sine illis dilaberentur et emorerentur: simile foret cum universo Coelo Angelico, et cum universo Genere humano, imo cum universo Mundo Creato, nisi a Deo, Ipsius Amore et Sapientia, omnia in communi, et singula in particulari, penderent.