833.接受伊斯兰教的民族要多于接受基督教的，这一事实可能会让那些思想神的天命，同时认为只有生为基督徒才能得救的人心里不舒服。但对于那些相信万事都受天命支配的人来说，伊斯兰教不是一个心理障碍。这种人会调查事情的原委，然后找到答案。答案就是，伊斯兰教承认主是最大的先知，最有智慧的人，是神的儿子。但由于他们将《可兰经》奉为其宗教的唯一经典，结果它的作者穆罕默德也成了他们思想的对象，他们将敬拜投向了他，所以很少思想主。伊斯兰教是主为了遏制很多国家的偶像崇拜，按照其天命发展起来的，要充分认识这个宗教，必须先从偶像崇拜说起，依次论证一系列观点。
在该宗教兴起之前，偶像崇拜遍及全世界众多国家。这是因为主降世前的教会全是象征性教会，以色列教会就是这种。以色列教会的会幕、亚伦的衣服、祭品，以及凡属耶路撒冷圣殿的一切，甚至包括律例典章等，皆具某种象征意义。古人还掌握对应学，它也是象征性的，古人视其为知识的最高形式。对应学在埃及特别发达，他们的象形文字由此而来。通过对应学，可以获知所有动物、植物，以及大山小冈、河流源泉、日月星辰的含义。他们还通过对应学认识属灵事物，因为这些象征起源于它们所代表的事物，这类事物构成天堂天人所拥有的属灵智慧。
由于他们所有的敬拜皆具象征性，纯粹由对应构成，所以他们既在大山小冈，也在树林花园里敬拜，并视泉水为圣，还雕刻了马、牛、牛犊、羔羊，以及鸟类，鱼类和蛇，把它们摆在神殿附边及其前院，还摆在自己的房子里，根据它们所对应或代表并因此象征的教会属灵物，分门别类摆放好。后来，对应学被遗忘，他们的后代开始敬拜雕像本身，视其为神圣，却不知道古人，即他们的先祖并没有在它们身上看到任何神圣，而只是根据其对应的神圣看到它们所代表的神圣之物。
这就是充斥世界众多国家的偶像崇拜的来历。为了将这些偶像崇拜连根拔除，按照主的天命，兴起一个适应东方人天性的新宗教的时机到来了，这个新宗教当有出于新旧约圣言的某些内容，它会教导主降世，是最大的先知，最有智慧的人，是神的儿子。这一切借助穆罕默德实现，该宗教也由他命名。这清楚表明，伊斯兰教是按照主的天命发展起来的，如前所述，它适应东方人的天性，以除掉众多国家的偶像崇拜，在他们死后进入灵界前，传授他们有关主的一些知识。如果该宗教不符合他们的思想观念，尤其禁止一夫多妻（若不允许一夫多妻，东方人将比欧洲人更贪恋污秽淫乱，说不定早就灭亡了），就不会被那么多国家接受，也就无法根除他们的偶像崇拜了。
833. 接受伊斯兰教的民族要多于接受基督教的, 这一事实可能会让那些思想神的天命, 同时认为只有生为基督徒才能得救的人心里不舒服。 但对于那些相信万事都受天命支配的人来说, 伊斯兰教不是一个心理障碍。 这种人会调查事情的原委, 然后找到答案。 答案就是, 伊斯兰教承认主是最大的先知, 最有智慧的人, 是神的儿子。 但由于他们将《可兰经》奉为其宗教的唯一经典, 结果它的作者穆罕默德也成了他们思想的对象, 他们将敬拜投向了他, 所以很少思想主。 伊斯兰教是主为了遏制很多国家的偶像崇拜, 按照其天命发展起来的, 要充分认识这个宗教, 必须先从偶像崇拜说起, 依次论证一系列观点。
在该宗教兴起之前, 偶像崇拜遍及全世界众多国家。 这是因为主降世前的教会全是象征性教会, 以色列教会就是这种。 以色列教会的会幕, 亚伦的衣服, 祭品, 以及凡属耶路撒冷圣殿的一切, 甚至包括律例典章等, 皆具某种象征意义。 古人还掌握对应学, 它也是象征性的, 古人视其为知识的最高形式。 对应学在埃及特别发达, 他们的象形文字由此而来。 通过对应学, 可以获知所有动物, 植物, 以及大山小冈, 河流源泉, 日月星辰的含义。 他们还通过对应学认识属灵事物, 因为这些象征起源于它们所代表的事物, 这类事物构成天堂天人所拥有的属灵智慧。
由于他们所有的敬拜皆具象征性, 纯粹由对应构成, 所以他们既在大山小冈, 也在树林花园里敬拜, 并视泉水为圣, 还雕刻了马, 牛, 牛犊, 羔羊, 以及鸟类, 鱼类和蛇, 把它们摆在神殿附边及其前院, 还摆在自己的房子里, 根据它们所对应或代表并因此象征的教会属灵物, 分门别类摆放好。 后来, 对应学被遗忘, 他们的后代开始敬拜雕像本身, 视其为神圣, 却不知道古人, 即他们的先祖并没有在它们身上看到任何神圣, 而只是根据其对应的神圣看到它们所代表的神圣之物。
这就是充斥世界众多国家的偶像崇拜的来历。 为了将这些偶像崇拜连根拔除, 按照主的天命, 兴起一个适应东方人天性的新宗教的时机到来了, 这个新宗教当有出于新旧约圣言的某些内容, 它会教导主降世, 是最大的先知, 最有智慧的人, 是神的儿子。 这一切借助穆罕默德实现, 该宗教也由他命名。 这清楚表明, 伊斯兰教是按照主的天命发展起来的, 如前所述, 它适应东方人的天性, 以除掉众多国家的偶像崇拜, 在他们死后进入灵界前, 传授他们有关主的一些知识。 如果该宗教不符合他们的思想观念, 尤其禁止一夫多妻 (若不允许一夫多妻, 东方人将比欧洲人更贪恋污秽淫乱, 说不定早就灭亡了), 就不会被那么多国家接受, 也就无法根除他们的偶像崇拜了。
833. Christians who think in terms of divine providence but believe that only people who were born Christian can be saved may be disturbed by the fact that Islam is practiced in more countries than Christianity. This same fact does not bother people, however, who realize that everything comes about as a result of divine providence; the latter people look for divine providence in a given situation and find it.
In this case, the divine providence is operative in the fact that Islam recognizes the Lord as the greatest prophet, the wisest of all people, and even as the Son of God. On the other hand, though, Muslims limit their sacred literature to the Qur'an, and therefore Muhammad, who wrote it, often occupies their thoughts. They feel a certain reverence for him and do not give much thought to our Lord.
To make it abundantly clear that the Lord's divine providence was behind the rise of Islam and that its purpose was to wipe out the idolatry of many nations, I will give a few observations about this in an orderly sequence, the first of which concerns the origins of idolatry.
[2] Before Islam, idolatry had spread to many nations of the world. The underlying cause for this was that the churches that existed before the Lord's Coming were all symbolic in nature. The Israelite church was like that. Its tabernacle, Aaron's priestly garments, the sacrifices, all the features of the Temple in Jerusalem, and even that church's laws were symbolic.
The study of correspondences, which includes the study of symbolism, existed among ancient peoples. That study was particularly well developed in Egypt; the hieroglyphics there were based on it. From that study they knew the symbolic meaning of living creatures of all kinds, of trees of all kinds, as well as what mountains, hills, rivers, and springs, and the sun, moon, and stars meant. As a result of their study of correspondences they came into spiritual knowledge, since the spiritual things being symbolically represented were in fact the origins of those [earthly] correspondences. The kinds of spiritual things they were learning were also the kinds of things that constitute the spiritual wisdom of angels in heaven.
[3] Now, because everything in ancient rituals of worship was symbolic and consisted of nothing but correspondences, they would worship on mountains and hills and also in groves and gardens. Springs of water were considered holy for the same reason. These people made sculptures of horses, cows, calves, lambs, and even birds, fish, and snakes, and placed these in and around their places of worship and also their homes, in a particular configuration depending on what spiritual quality of the church each figure corresponded to, or what it symbolically represented and therefore meant.
Later on, after the study of correspondences was lost, their descendants began to worship the sculptures themselves as something intrinsically holy. These people were not aware that their ancestors of long ago had not regarded the sculptures themselves as being the least bit holy, but instead had only seen them as symbolizing something holy because of what they corresponded to. This was the origin of the idolatrous practices that filled many nations of the world.
[4] In order to uproot these idolatrous practices, the Lord's divine providence arranged for the creation of a new religion that was well suited to the Middle Eastern mindset. This religion included material from both the Old and New Testaments of the Word. It taught that the Lord came into the world, and that he was the greatest prophet, the wisest of people, and the Son of God. This was all brought about through Muhammad, for whom the religion was named.
All this makes it clear that the Lord's divine providence arranged for the creation of Islam (a religion well suited to the Middle Eastern mindset, as just mentioned) in order to wipe out the idolatrous practices of many nations and to give people instead some concept of the Lord before they died and arrived in the spiritual world. That religion would not have been accepted by so many nations and could not have uprooted idolatry if it did not harmonize with ideas they already had. That religion also had to allow polygamy, because if it had not, the Middle Easterners would have been even more vulnerable than Europeans to falling into flagrant adulteries of the filthiest kinds, and would have destroyed themselves.
833. The fact that the kingdoms accepting the Mohammedan religion outnumber those accepting the Christian may seem scandalous to those who think about Divine Providence, and at the same time believe that no one who was not born a Christian can be saved. But the Mohammedan religion is no scandal to those who believe that everything is subject to Divine Providence. These people look to see in what respect this is so, and they find the answer. It is that the Mohammedan religion acknowledges the Lord as a very great prophet, the wisest of them all, and as the Son of God. But having made the Koran their bible, and so made its writer Mohammed the object of their thinking, devoting some worship to him, they therefore pay little heed to our Lord. To make it fully known that this religion has been developed of the Lord's Divine Providence, in order to suppress idolatry among a number of nations, a series of points need to be demonstrated, beginning with the origin of idolatry.
[2] Before the Mohammedan religion existed, idolatrous worship was spread over very many of the world's kingdoms. The reason was that all the churches which existed before the Lord's coming were representative ones. This is what the Israelite church was: its tabernacle, Aaron's vestments, sacrifices, every detail of the Temple in Jerusalem, as well as its laws, had some representative meaning. Ancient peoples too possessed a knowledge of correspondences, which are also representative, regarding this as the highest form of knowledge; it was particularly developed by the Egyptians and formed the basis of their hieroglyphs. It was this knowledge which enabled them to know the meaning of every kind of animal, every kind of tree, the meanings of mountains, hills, rivers and springs, of the sun, the moon and the stars. This knowledge was the means by which they knew about spiritual matters. For the things they represented, which are the kind of things that make up the spiritual wisdom possessed by angels in heaven, were the origins of these objects.
[3] Now because all their worship was representative, being composed of nothing but correspondences, they practised their worship on mountains and hills, as well as in woods and gardens. For this reason too they regarded springs as sacred, as well as keeping carved images of horses, cattle, calves, lambs, even birds, fishes and snakes. They set these beside their temples and in the forecourts of these and of their houses, arranging them according to the spiritual ideas of the church to which they corresponded, for these are what they represented or meant. In later times when the knowledge of correspondences had been wiped out, their descendants began to worship the actual carvings as being themselves holy, being unaware that their ancestors had seen no holiness in them, merely regarding them as representing holy things in accordance with their correspondences. This was the origin of the idolatries which filled so many of the world's kingdoms.
[4] In order to root out those idolatries, it happened by the Lord's Divine Providence that a new religion should be founded adapted to suit the character of oriental peoples. In it there should be something from both the Testaments of the Word, and it should teach that the Lord came into the world, and that He was a very great prophet, the wisest of them all, and the Son of God. This was accomplished through Mohammed, who gave the religion his name. This makes it plain that this religion was developed of the Lord's Divine Providence, and, as I said, adapted to suit the character of oriental peoples, with the object of wiping out the idolatrous practices of so many nations, and of conveying to them some knowledge about the Lord before they arrived in the spiritual world, as happens after death. It could not have been accepted by so many kingdoms and have rooted out their idolatries, if it had not been in keeping with the ideas they thought about; and in particular, unless polygamy had been permitted, because without that permission oriental peoples would more than Europeans have been fired with lust for foul adulteries, and would have perished.
833. That the Mohammedan religion is received by more nations than the Christian religion, may be a stumbling-block to those who meditate upon the Divine Providence and believe at the same time that only those who are born Christians can be saved. But the Mohammedan religion is not a stumbling-block to those who believe that all things are of the Divine Providence. Such inquire how this is, and they find out. It is this, that the Mohammedan religion acknowledges the Lord as the greatest prophet, the wisest of men, and also the Son of God. But as they have made the Koran the only book of their religion, and as in consequence the Mohammed who wrote it resides in their thoughts, and upon him they bestow some worship, they think but little about our Lord. To make it clearly known that this religion was raised up by the Divine Providence of the Lord to blot out the idolatry of many nations, it shall be set forth somewhat in order; but first, as to the origin of all idolatries.
[2] Previous to that religion idolatrous worship was spread over very many kingdoms of the world. This was so because the churches that existed before the Lord's coming were all representative churches. Such was the Israelitish church. The tabernacle there, the garments of Aaron, the sacrifices, all things belonging to the temple at Jerusalem, and even the statutes, were representative. And among the ancients there was a knowledge of correspondences (which is also the knowledge of representatives), the very knowledge of knowledges. It was cultivated especially in Egypt, and from it came their hieroglyphics. From that knowledge the signification of all kinds of animals and all kinds of trees was known, also of mountains, hills, rivers, and springs, and of the sun, moon, and stars. Through that knowledge they also had a knowledge of spiritual things, because these representations had their origin in the things they represented, which were such as pertain to spiritual wisdom among the angels in heaven.
[3] And as all their worship was representative, consisting of mere correspondences, so they worshiped on mountains and hills, as also in groves and gardens, and sanctified fountains, and moreover made sculptured horses, oxen, calves, and lambs, and also birds, fishes, and serpents, and placed them near their temples and in the courts thereof, and likewise in their houses, arranging them in an order that was in accord with the spiritual things of the church to which they corresponded or which they represented and therefore signified. After a time, when the knowledge of correspondences had been forgotten, their posterity began to worship the sculptured images themselves as in themselves holy, not being aware that the ancients, their forefathers, saw nothing holy in them, but only that they represented, in accordance with their correspondences, what is holy.
[4] Such was the origin of the idolatries that had filled so many kingdoms of the world. To uproot these idolatries, by the Lord's Divine Providence it came to pass that a new religion adapted to the genius of the Orientals was introduced, in which there was something from the Word of both Testaments, and which taught that the Lord came into the world, and that He was the greatest prophet, the wisest of men, and the Son of God. This was effected through Mohammed, from whom that religion was named. From all this it is clear that this religion was raised up by the Divine Providence of the Lord, and as before said, was adapted to the genius of the Orientals, in order that it might blot out the idolatries of so many nations and give them some knowledge of the Lord previous to their entering the spiritual world, which they do after death. And this religion would not have been received by so many kingdoms, and could not have uprooted their idolatries, if it had not been made conformable to the ideas of their thought, and especially if polygamy had not been permitted, for the reason that the Orientals without that permission would have been inflamed with filthy adulteries more than the Europeans, and would have perished.
833. That the Mohammedan religion is received by more nations than the Christian religion may present a stumbling-block to those who form their own opinions concerning the Divine Providence and at the same time believe that none can be saved but those who are born Christians. The Mohammedan religion, however, is not a stumbling-block to those who believe that all things are of the Divine Providence. For they perceive that this religion acknowledges the Lord as the greatest of Prophets, the wisest of all, and also the Son of God. But Mohammedans make the Koran the only book of their religion; and consequently, Mohammed as the writer of it is firmly seated in their thoughts and worshipped with some degree of veneration; and, therefore, they think little about our Lord. Yet it was of the Divine Providence that their religion was raised up, in order that the idolatrous practices of many nations might be destroyed. This will be clearly seen from what follows; but something will first be said concerning the origin of idolatries.
[2] Before Mohammedanism came into being, idolatrous worship had spread throughout many countries of the world. This was because the Churches before the Lord's coming had all been of a representative character. This was the case with the Israelitish Church, in which the tabernacle, the garments of Aaron, the sacrifices, everything belonging to the temple at Jerusalem, and even their statutes, were representative. Among the ancients the science of correspondences, that is, the science of representations, was regarded as the very science of sciences. It was particularly cultivated by the. Egyptians, and is the origin of their hieroglyphics. Hence the ancients knew the signification of animals and trees of every kind, of mountains, hills, rivers and fountains, as well as of the sun, moon and stars. By means of this science they also had a knowledge of spiritual things; for the things represented, and these pertain to spiritual wisdom among the angels in heaven, were the origins of the representatives.
[3] Now as all their worship was representative, consisting of pure correspondences, the ancients worshipped on mountains and hills, and also in groves and gardens; and for the same reason they consecrated fountains, and also made graven images of horses, oxen, calves, and lambs, and even of birds, fish and serpents. These they placed near their temples and in their courts, and also in their homes, arranged according to the spiritual things of the Church to which they corresponded or which they represented and, therefore, signified. After a time, when the science of correspondences was lost, posterity began to worship the graven images as if holy in themselves; not knowing that their forefathers say nothing holy in them; they only saw that according to correspondences they represented what was holy.
[4] Hence arose the idolatries which prevailed throughout so many kingdoms of the world.
In order that these idolatries might be extirpated, it was brought about, of the Lord's Divine Providence, that there should be inaugurated a new religion, accommodated to the genius of the people of the east. It was provided that it should contain something from both Testaments of the Word and should teach that the Lord came into the world, and that He was the greatest Prophet, the wisest of all, and the Son of God. This was accomplished through Mohammed, from whom that religion took its name. From these considerations it is evident that this religion was raised up of the Lord's Divine Providence, and was accommodated, as was just stated, to the genius of the Orientals, in order that it might destroy the idolatries of so many nations, and impart to them some knowledge of the Lord before they came after death into the spiritual world. This religion would not have been received by so many kingdoms, and their idolatries could not have been extirpated, unless it had been adapted to their mode of thought; but especially unless polygamy had been allowed. For the Orientals would have burned with adulterous lust more than Europeans, and would thus have brought about their own destruction.
833. Quod Religio Mahumedana recepta sit a pluribus Regnis, quam Religio Christiana, potest scandalo esse illis, qui de Divina Providentia cogitant, et simul credunt, quod non aliquis salvari possit, quam qui Christianus natus est: at Religio Mahumedana non est scandalum illis, qui credunt quod omnia sint Divinae Providentiae; hi inquirunt, in quo est, et quoque inveniunt. Est in hoc, quod Mahumedana Religio agnoscat Dominum pro Maximo Propheta, Sapientissimo omnium, et quoque pro Filio Dei; at quia modo Alcoranum Librum religionis suae fecerunt, et inde Mahumedes, qui illum conscripsit, cogitationibus illorum insedit, et aliquo cultu illum prosequuntur, ideo parum de Domino nostro cogitant. Ut plene sciatur, quod illa Religio ex Divina Domini Providentia exsuscitata sit, ad delendum Idololatrias plurium Gentium, in aliquo ordine dicetur, sed primum de origine Idololatriarum.
[2] Ante illam Religionem fuit Cultus idololatricus in perplurima Regna terrarum Orbis, effusus; causa fuit, quia Ecclesiae ante Adventum Domini, fuerunt omnes Ecclesiae repraesentativae; talis etiam fuit Ecclesia Israelitica; ibi Tabernaculum, Vestes Aharonis, Sacrificia, Omnia Templi Hierosolymitani, et quoque Statuta repraesentabant: et apud Antiquos fuit scientia Correspondentiarum, quae etiam est Repraesentationum, ipsa Scientia scientiarum, imprimis exculta ab Aegyptiis, inde horum Hieroglyphica. Ex illa Scientia sciverunt, quid significabant omnis Generis Animalia, tum quid omnis Generis Arbores, ut et quid Montes, Colles, Fluvii, Fontes; ut et quid Sol, Luna et Stellae; per illam Scientiam fuit illis etiam cognitio Spiritualium, quoniam illa quae repraesentabantur, quae sunt talia quae sapientiae spiritualis sunt 1 apud Angelos in Coelo, erant origines.
[3] Nunc quia omnis Cultus illorum erat Repraesentativus, consistens ex meris Correspondentiis, ideo super Montibus et Collibus, et quoque in Lucis et Hortis, habuerunt Cultus; et ideo Fontes sanctificabant, et insuper Sculptiles Equos, Boves, Vitulos, Agnos, imo Aves, Pisces, Serpentes fecerunt, et hos posuerunt juxta Templa, et in horum Atriis et quoque Domi, in ordine secundum spiritualia Ecclesiae quibus correspondebant, seu quae repraesentabant, et inde significabant. Post tempus, quando scientia Correspondentiarum obliterata fuit, coepit Posteritas colere ipsa Sculptilia ut in se sancta, nescientes quod Antiqui Parentes illorum non viderint aliquid sancti in illis, sed solum quod secundum correspondentias repraesentarent Sancta. Ex his ortae sunt Idololatriae, quae impleverant tot Regna Orbis.
[4] Ut illae Idololatriae exstirparentur, ex Divina Domini Providentia factum est, ut Nova Religio geniis Orientalium accommodata auspicaretur; in qua aliquid ex utroque Testamento Verbi etiam esset, et quae doceret, quod Dominus in Mundum venerit, et quod Ille esset Maximus Propheta, Sapientissimus omnium, et Filius Dei: hoc factum est per Mahumedem, a quo Religio illa vocata est. Ex his patet, quod haec Religio ex Divina Domini Providentia exsuscitata sit, ac geniis Orientalium, ut dictum est, accommodata, ob finem, ut deleret idololatrias tot Gentium, et daret aliquam cognitionem de Domino, antequam in Mundum spiritualem, quod fit post mortem, venirent: quae Religio non recepta fuisset a tot Regnis, et potuisset Idololatrias ibi exstirpare, nisi conveniens ideis cogitationum illorum facta esset: imprimis nisi Polygamia permissa fuisset, etiam ex causa, quia Orientales absque illa permissione prae Europaeis flagravissent in spurca Adulteria, et periissent.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: est.