6. 圣经与自然神学—若没有圣经并除非源于圣经，就不存在自然神学。圣经文体的卓越性
我曾听过诸灵之间一场激烈的辩论，他们在世时都是饱学之士，有些学自圣经，有些只是在自然光照下求知；后者坚决主张自然神学已足够，无需圣经，自然神学能教导和启迪人们，并可以让人了解到有一位上帝，天上与地下的存在，知道灵魂不杇和生命永恒；不过，前者声称唯独圣经教导并光照这些事情。
于是，维护自然神学的这一方开始猛烈攻击站在圣经的那一方，持续数日。内心如此思考，最终说出口：圣经并没什么大不了，书写文体如此简单，许多地方还晦涩不明；无人能从中受教，更别说受圣经启迪，诸如以塞罗、塞内加以及当今一些学者等等的著作远胜于圣经。
对方回复他们，圣经的文体超越全世界任何学者的著作，因为学者们的著作中没有一句话，甚至没有一个词或一个字母当中自身包含着主、因而天堂与教会的事情。因为圣经来自上帝，因而内中是灵性的，有神性藏于圣经之中，犹如灵魂藏于身体之中。当人持敬虔心读经时，此神性在天使前依次展开，天使被圣经中打开的神圣灵性深深感动，且与读经之人产生共鸣。因此清楚看到，尽管圣经文体看似简单，但远胜于世上一切高明的著作；因为他们的著作，尽管看似高尚优雅，却不能与天堂交流，相比于圣经文体，根本一文不值。
[2] 支持自然神学的诸灵的确听到这番话，不过依然抵制，因为他们在世时绝对地轻视圣经；在世轻视圣经，并引用经文来蔑视圣经的人，死后继续如此，因为在世所接受并加以确证的关于上帝和圣经的任何原则，死后依旧扎根在内心，无法被驱除。于是，这些灵与天堂隔离，而与地狱相通，开始与那里相应的撒旦默契联合，直到他们与撒旦串通一气，对那些支持圣经的灵魂咬牙切齿，设法毁灭对方。不过，最终都是徒劳，因为主站在支持圣经的一方，撒旦站在反对圣经的那一方；前者被接上天堂，后者被投入地狱。
[3] 天使后来说，若没有圣经，自然神学揭示不了什么，仅仅证明教会教义中来自圣经的一些已知之事而已。他们还说，藉着属世的理性之光可以证实、坚固属灵的真理，因为每个人都对灵性事物有些属世观念，能够从记忆的贮存中唤出，理性地思考它们，表达并讨论它们。因此，倘若在世上获得引证支持，就会巩固真理。天使还说，一定要小心，千万别以伪代真，因为精明人能巧妙地把伪谬证实为真理。于是异端得到巩固，进而摧毁真理。
[4] 天使补充说，无人能从世俗神学趋近属灵神学，但任何人都可以从属灵神学趋近世俗神学，因为属灵神学符合神性秩序，而对方则违背神性秩序。但凡属世（或物性的）的事物，都是粗俗不纯净的，而属灵事物都是精细纯净的。从粗俗不纯净的事物进入精细纯净的事物是不可能的，但反过来可以。天使可以往下看见下方的万物，但无人能从下方往上看见天堂的事物。天使能看见比他自己更粗糙的灵，但灵无法看见比他更纯净的天使。因此，常发生这样的事：当这些灵被提升到天使所在之地，他们见不到任何天使，甚至连天使的房屋也看不到，离开时还说那个地方空无一物，是个荒野。
[5] 圣经也如此。不信圣经之人不可能依据圣经证据看到尘世事例的任何神圣意义；正如主教导的：
他们有摩西和先知的话可以听从、……若不听从摩西和先知的话、就是有一个从死里复活的、他们也是不听劝（路加福音16:29,31）。
任何拒绝圣经、仅仅试图根据世俗证据来相信的人也是如此。
古时有些非基督徒，像亚里士多德，西塞罗和其他人，却写了关于上帝的存在和灵魂的不杇等著作，其实他们并非凭自己的属世启示获知这些信息，而是来自古代宗教中的神性启示逐渐向外邦人的传播。
6. The Word and Natural Theology - That There Is No Natural Theology Apart from the Word and Without Being from it
(Also the Excellence of the Style of Expression in the Word)
I once heard a serious argument between spirits who had been scholars in the world, some whose learning was from the Word, some whose learning was from natural sight only. The latter kept insisting that natural theology is enough, maintaining that a person can be taught and even enlightened by natural theology apart from the Word so as to clearly see that there is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that souls have immortality and thus eternal life. The others kept saying, however, that only the Word teaches and enlightens with regard to such things. The spirits who were for natural theology alone began to vehemently assail those who sided with the Word, and this for several days, thinking in their hearts and finally saying that the Word is nothing special, that in place after place it was written in a style so simple and at the same time so unintelligible that no one could learn anything from it, still less be enlightened by it, and that the writings of learned men-such as the writings of Cicero, Seneca and some of today's scholars-were much superior. But the others replied that the style of expression in the Word excels that of all the learned men in the whole world, because there is not a sentence in it, nor even a word or letter, which does not have in it something relating to the Lord and so something relating to heaven and the church, inasmuch as the Word is from God and is therefore at its heart spiritual. Furthermore, they said, this Divine quality lies inwardly hidden in the Word as the soul is in the body, but when a person reads it with reverence, its Divinity is gradually unfolded before angels, who, on account of the spiritual things thus disclosed, are affected by the holiness in it, a sense of holiness that is communicated to the person. It is apparent from this, they concluded, that the style of expression in the Word, however simple it appears, is infinitely superior to every style of expression employed by the learned in the world, because no matter how polished and elegant and lofty their style may be, it still does not effect communication with heaven, so that in comparison to the style in the Word it is altogether inferior.
[2] The spirits who were championing natural theology heard these things, indeed, but still they rejected them, because in the world they had regarded the Word with complete disdain, and those who disdain the Word in the world and confirm their disdain with passages from the Word, after death continue to hold it in disdain forever. For every tenet adopted in the world respecting God and the Word, in which one then confirms himself, remains firmly implanted after death and cannot be rooted out. And because these spirits were therefore in communication not with heaven but with hell, they began to ally themselves with certain satanic spirits there, until at last they and the satanic spirits spoke with one voice and, gnashing their teeth, breathed words of murder against the life of those who stood by the Word. But still they could do nothing at all, for the Lord was on the side of those other spirits, whereas they had only satanic spirits on their side. Therefore those other spirits were taken up into heaven, while these were cast down into hell.
[3] Some angels afterward talked about natural theology, saying that it reveals nothing without the Word but supports only those things which are known in the doctrine of the church from the Word. Moreover, they said, when confirmations drawn from nature by means of rational sight corroborate spiritual truths, they do so for the reason that everyone has some natural idea of spiritual things by which he holds them in the memory and calls them forth from there into thought and rationally considers and expresses them. If, therefore, additional support is found in nature, truth is corroborated. But still, the angels said, one must take care not to seize on falsity instead of truth, since falsity can be defended just as well as truth by those who have the ingenuity. Consequently some deviation from the truth may be confirmed even to the destruction of the truth itself.
[4] The angels added that no one can enter from natural theology into spiritual theology, but that anyone might enter from spiritual theology into natural theology, because to do the latter is in accord with Divine order, while to do the former is contrary to Divine order. For everything natural is crude and full of impurities, whereas everything spiritual is fine and pure. It is not possible to enter from something crude and full of impurities into things that are fine and pure, but just the opposite. Angels can look down and see everything that is below them, but no one can see from below the things which are in the heavens. In fact, an angel can view a spirit cruder than himself without the spirit's being able to see the angel, who is purer. That is why, when spirits like this go up into heaven where the angels are-a frequent occurrence-they see no one, not even their houses, so that they go away saying that it is empty and uninhabited there.
[5] It is similar with the Word. Those who do not believe in the Word on the evidence of the Word cannot possibly believe anything Divine on the evidence of nature. As the Lord teaches:
They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.... If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:29, 31)
So it is with anyone who, rejecting the Word, tries to believe on the basis of nature alone. Some of the ancients wrote about the existence of God and the immortality of the soul even though they were pagans-men like Aristotle, Cicero and others-but what they wrote they did not know about in the first place from their own natural sight, but from the religion of ancient peoples, among whom there had been a Divine revelation which was gradually spread to gentiles.
6. VI. The Word and natural theology, as being nothing but the Word and derived from it; the excellence of the style of the Word.
I heard a serious argument between spirits who in the world had been learned, in some cases from the Word, in others as the result of natural illumination. The latter insisted that natural theology is sufficient, and is able to teach, in fact enlighten, a person without the Word. One could see that God exists, there is a heaven and a hell, and that the soul is immortal and life is everlasting. The other party, however, said it is only the Word which teaches these things and gives enlightenment. The spirits who took the part of natural theology alone made a violent attack on the supporters of the Word, and kept it up for several days, thinking in their hearts and eventually saying that the Word is of no value. It was written in a style so simple and at the same time so obscure in very many places that no one could be taught, much less enlightened, by it. They said that the writings of learned people were far superior, such as the writings of Cicero, Seneca and a number of modern scholars.
The reply they were given was that the style of the Word excels that of all the learned people in the whole world, because there is in it not a single phrase, or rather not a single word or letter, which does not contain something of the Lord, and so something of heaven and the church, since it comes from God, and is consequently at its inmost level spiritual. This Divine quality lies hidden within it, like the soul in the body. When a person reads it, this is unfolded in sequence to the eyes of angels. They are affected by the holiness in it as its spirituality is unfolded, and this is communicated to the person. From this it is clear that its very style, however simple it appears, is infinitely superior to any style used by the most learned people in the world. Although their style may be polished, 1elegant and sublime, it still does not communicate with heaven, so that compared to the style of the Word it is utterly worthless.
[2] Although the spirits who supported natural theology listened to this, they still rejected it, because it was plain that in the world they had despised the Word. Those who in the world despise the Word, and support this attitude by quoting passages from it, go on perpetually despising it after death. For any principle adopted in the world about God and the Word, and then confirmed, after death remains rooted too deeply to be eradicated. So since they were communicating not with heaven, but with hell, they began to establish links with some satans there, to such an extent that they ended up by talking together with the satans, and gnashing their teeth they breathed slaughter against the souls of the supporters of the Word. Still they were unable to do anything at all to them, for they had the Lord on their side, and the others had Satan on theirs. One group therefore was received into heaven, and the others were thrown into hell.
[3] Afterwards the angels talked about natural theology, saying that without the Word it reveals nothing, but merely confirms the points of the church's teaching known from the Word. Proofs from nature, gathered by means of the illumination of the reason, strengthen spiritual truths, because everyone has some natural idea of spiritual matters. This allows him to keep these things in his memory, and he can take them out to think about them, and use his reason to turn them over and debate them. If therefore proofs are adduced from nature, this strengthens the truth. But care must still be taken that falsity is not seized upon in place of truth, since clever people are just as able to prove falsity as truth. Consequently a heresy can be so strengthened that it destroys the real truth.
[4] They went on to say that no one can approach spiritual theology from natural theology, though anyone can approach natural theology from spiritual, since this is in accordance with Divine order, but the other is contrary to it. For the natural is gross and impure, the spiritual is subtle and pure. It is impossible to approach the subtle and pure from the gross and impure, but the reverse is possible; the angels can look below them and see all that is there. But no one from lower down can see what is in the heavens. In fact an angel can see a spirit, who is more gross, but this spirit cannot see an angel, who is more pure. When therefore such spirits go up into a heaven inhabited by angels, as often happens, they see no one, not even their houses; so they go away saying it is empty and waste space.
[5] It is the same with the Word. Those who do not believe in the Word on the evidence of the Word are quite unable to believe in anything Divine on the evidence of nature. For the Lord teaches:
They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them. If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone comes back from the dead. Luke 16:29, 31.
The same is true, if anyone rejects the Word and wants to believe solely on the evidence of nature. As for certain of the ancients, who were pagans, such as Aristotle and Cicero and others, writing about the existence of God and the immortality of the soul, they did not acquire this knowledge first from their own natural illumination, but from the religion of the ancients. They had received a Divine revelation, which was spread successively to other heathens.
Footnotes:
1. Reading tersus as proposed by B. Rogers.
6. VI. THE WORD, AND NATURAL THEOLOGY: THIS THEOLOGY IS NOTHING WITHOUT THE WORD, AND UNLESS DERIVED FROM IT. THE EXCELLENCE OF THE STYLE IN THE WORD.
I once heard a grave dispute among spirits who in the world had been learned, some of them from the Word and some from natural light alone; the latter insisted that natural theology is sufficient, and that this can teach, yea, enlighten man, without the Word, and enable him to discern that there is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that the soul has immortality and thus eternal life; but the former ones said that the Word alone teaches and gives light on these subjects. The spirits who were for natural theology alone, greatly infested those who were for the Word, and this for several days: thinking at heart, and at last saying, that the Word is not anything, that it is written in a style so simple and at the same time so obscure, in very many places, that no one can be taught, and still less be enlightened by it, and that the writings of the learned by far surpass it, as for instance the writings of Cicero, Seneca, and of some of the learned at this day. But reply was made to them, that the style of the Word is more excellent than the style of all the learned in the whole world, since in the former there is not a sentence, nor even a word or a letter, which does not contain within itself something of the Lord and thence something of heaven and the church. For the Word is from God, and thence in its bosom it is spiritual, and this Divine lies hidden there interiorly, as the soul is hidden in the body; and when man reads it devoutly, this Divine is unfolded in order before the angels, who are affected by the spiritual sanctity unfolded therein, and this is communicated to man. Hence it is clear that the very style of the Word, however simple it may appear, is infinitely superior to any style of the most learned in the world; for the latter, although the sense may be both elegant and sublime, still it does not effect communication with heaven, and thus, compared with the style of the Word, it is of no value at all.
[2] The spirits who were in favor of natural theology heard these things indeed, but still rejected them, because in the world they had utterly despised the Word, and those who despise the Word in the world, and confirm their contempt by passages from it, continue to despise it after death; for every principle adopted and confirmed in the world concerning God and the Word, remains enrooted after death, neither can it be torn out. Since therefore these spirits did not communicate with heaven, but with hell, they began to conjoin themselves with certain satans there, till at length they and the satans spoke in concert, and gnashing with their teeth breathed the destruction of the soul of those who were in favor of the Word. Yet they could avail nothing at all, for the Lord was on the side of those who were for the Word, and satans on the side of those who were against it; wherefore the former were received into heaven, but the latter were cast down into hell.
[3] The angels afterwards said of natural theology, that without the Word it reveals nothing, but only confirms those things which are known in the doctrine of the church from the Word; and that confirmations from nature by means of rational light corroborate spiritual truths, for the reason that everyone has some natural idea of spiritual things, by which he retains them in memory, and thence brings them forth into the thought, and turns them over and airs them rationally. Wherefore, if confirmations are added from nature, the truth is corroborated. But yet care should be taken lest falsity be seized upon instead of truth, since what is false may be confirmed by the ingenious, equally as well as what is true; and thereby what is heretical may be confirmed even to the destruction of truth itself.
[4] They added that no one from natural theology can enter into spiritual theology, but that everyone from spiritual theology can enter into natural theology, because the latter entrance is of Divine order, but the former against Divine order; for the natural is gross and impure, while the spiritual is subtle and pure. To enter from the gross and impure into the subtle and pure is not granted. But, conversely, angels can look down beneath them and see all things which are there, while no one from below can see the things which are in the heavens. Yea, an angel can see a spirit who is grosser than himself, but the spirit cannot see the angel who is purer than himself. When therefore, as is often the case, such spirits ascend into heaven where angels are, they see no one, nor even their homes, and so go away saying that the place is empty and a desert.
[5] It is similar with the Word. They who do not believe in the Word from the Word, can by no means believe anything Divine from nature; for the Lord teaches:
They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one shall have risen from the dead (Luke 16: 29, 31).
So would it be if one wished to believe from nature alone, rejecting the Word. Some of the ancients, who were pagans, as Aristotle, Cicero, and others, wrote concerning the existence of God and the immortality of the soul, but they did not know this from their own natural light, but from the religion of the ancients who had a Divine revelation, which was successively handed down to the Gentiles.
6. De Verbo et de Theologia naturali, quod haec non sit nisi illud, et ex illo
De excellentia styli in Verbo
[1] Fuit gravis disceptatio mihi audita inter spiritus qui in mundo fuerunt eruditi, quidam ex Verbo, quidam ex solo lumine naturali; hi instabant quod Theologia naturalis sufficiat, et quod haec possit docere, imo illustrare, hominem absque Verbo, et pervidere quod Deus sit, quodque coelum et infernum sint, et quod immortalitas animae, et sic vita aeterna; illi autem dicebant quod modo Verbum doceat illa et illustret; spiritus qui pro theologia naturali sola erant, infestabant valde illos qui pro Verbo, et hoc per aliquot dies, cogitantes corde et tandem dicentes quod Verbum non sit aliquid, quodque scriptum sit stylo tam simplici et simul obscuro in perplurimis locis, ut ab illo non quisquam posset doceri, minus illustrari, et quod scripta eruditorum multopere praestarent, ut Scripta Ciceronis, Senecae et aliquot doctorum hodie; sed responsum est illis, quod stylus Verbi excellentior sit stylo omnium eruditorum in universo terrarum orbe, quia non datur ibi sensus, imo non vox, nec litera quae non aliquid Domini et inde aliquid Coeli et Ecclesiae in se continet, quia ex Deo inde in sinu suo est spirituale; et quod Divinum illud lateat ibi interius sicut latet anima in corpore, et quod illud evolvatur ordine, dum homo sancte id legit, coram angelis, qui afficiuntur ex evoluto spirituali inibi sanctitate, quae communicatur homini; et quod inde pateat, quod ipse stylus ibi, utcunque simplex apparet, infinite praestantior sit omni stylo doctissimorum in mundo, qui tametsi est tersus et elegans et sublimis, usque non est cum coelo communicativus, ita respective ad stylum Verbi, prorsus vilis.
[2] Spiritus qui pro theologia naturali erant, audiebant quidem illa, sed usque rejiciebant, quia in mundo Verbum plane contemserunt, et qui Verbum in mundo contemnunt et contemtum confirmant ex Verbi locis, illi post mortem, illud perpetuo contemnunt, nam omne principium in mundo captum de Deo, et de Verbo, et confirmatum, post mortem manet irradicatum, nec potest evelli; et quia ideo non cum coelo sed cum inferno communicabant, coeperunt se conjungere cum quibusdam satanis ibi, usque tandem ut illi et satanae simul loquerentur, ac stridentes dentibus spirarent necem animae illorum qui pro Verbo erant, at usque prorsus nihil valebant, nam Dominus erat pro his, at Satanas pro illis; quare hi acceptati in coelum sunt, et illi rejecti in infernum.
[3] Postea loquuti sunt angeli de Theologia naturali, quod haec absque Verbo nihil revelet, sed solum confirmet illa quae in doctrina Ecclesiae ex Verbo sciuntur, et quod confirmationes ex natura, medio lumine rationali, corroborent vera spiritualia, ex causa quia unusquisque de spiritualibus aliquam ideam naturalem habet, per quam retinet illa in memoria, et inde in cogitationem depromit, et rationaliter volvit et ventilat, quare si ex natura accedunt confirmantia, corroboratur verum, sed quod usque cavendum sit, ne falsum loco veri arripiatur, quoniam falsum aeque ac verum ab ingeniosis confirmari potest; inde haereticum usque ad destructionem ipsius veri potest corroborari.
[4] Adjecerunt, quod nemo possit ex theologia naturali intrare in theologiam spiritualem, sed quod quisque possit ex theologia spirituali intrare in theologiam naturalem, quia hoc ex Divino ordine est, illud autem contra Divinum ordinem; naturale enim est crassum et impurum, et spirituale est subtile et purum; a crasso et impuro intrare in subtilia et pura non datur, sed vicissim; angeli possunt spectare infra se, et videre omnia quae ibi sunt, sed nemo ex inferioribus potest videre illa quae in coelis sunt; imo angelus potest videre spiritum se crassiorem, sed spiritus hic non potest videre angelum se puriorem; quare cum spiritus tales ascendunt in coelum, ubi sunt angeli, quod saepe fit, neminem vident, et ne quidem domos illorum, quare abeunt, dicentes quod ibi vacuum et desertum sit.
[5] Simile est cum Verbo; illi qui non credunt Verbo ex Verbo, nequicquam possunt credere aliquid Divinum ex natura, docet enim Dominus, Habent Mosen et prophetas; audiunto illos; si Mosen et prophetas non audiunt, neque si quis ex mortuis resurrexerit, persuadebuntur, Luc. 16:29, 31; similiter si quis ex sola natura, rejecto Verbo, vult credere. Quod quidam antiqui qui pagani fuerunt, ut Aristoteles, Cicero, et alii de existentia Dei et de immortalitate animae scripserunt, hoc non ex suo naturali lumine primum sciverunt, sed ex religione antiquorum, apud quos fuerat Divina revelatio, quae successive propagata fuit ad gentes.