237#“却不知道你是不幸的”表示他们不知道他们的虚假与真理不一致。这从“不幸”的含义清楚可知，“不幸”(wretchedness)是指通过虚假对真理的拆毁，以及不一致；这清楚表明“不幸”是什么意思。他们之所以如此不幸，是因为他们的教义建立在两个虚假原则之上，即唯信和因信称义；因此，虚假连续不断地从这两个原则流入，他们从圣言字义引用来证实这些虚假的真理被削弱和歪曲，真理当被歪曲时，本身就是虚假。圣言中的许多经文描述了这一点，先知所看见的“虚妄”和他们所说的“谎言”也表示这一点。墙上和房屋上导致倒塌的“破口”也描述了这一点；工匠制作并用链子串起来，好连在一起的“偶像”和“雕刻的偶像”同样表示这一点，因为“偶像”和“雕刻的偶像”表示教义的虚假。墙上和房屋上的“破口”，以及看见虚妄和说谎言的先知也表示这一点，是因为“先知”表示教义，“虚妄”表示诸如毫无意义的那类事物；“谎言”表示虚假。但由于圣言中提到这些事物的经文太多，以至于无法在此大量引用，所以我们只引用其中提到“不幸”(译注：wretchedness，经上或译为祸患、灾祸、灾害等)和“墙”的一些经文，好叫人们知道它们表示通过虚假对真理的拆毁，因而表示不一致。
以赛亚书：
你倚靠自己的恶行，说，无人看见我。你的智慧、你的知识把你引入歧途，你心里说，惟有我，除我以外再没有别人。因此，祸患要临到你，毁灭必忽然来到你身上。(以赛亚书47:10, 11)
此处也描述了那些以为自己知道一切，并且比其他所有人都更聪明，而事实上既不知道，也不理解任何真理的人；因此，对真理的理解从他们那里被夺走。“你的智慧、你的知识把你引入歧途，你心里说，惟有我，除我以外再没有别人”表示他们以为他们比其他所有人都更聪明；“祸患要临到你，毁灭必来到你身上”表示丧失对真理的一切理解。
以西结书：
祸患加上祸患；因此，他们必向先知求异象；但律法已从祭司那里灭没了，谋略已从长老那里断绝了。君王必悲哀，首领必披上惊愕为衣。(以西结书7:26, 27)
此处论述的是教会的荒废，当只有被歪曲的真理时，这种荒废就会发生。“祸患加上祸患”表示来自虚假的虚假；“来自先知的异象”是指教义，在此是指虚假的教义；“律法已从祭司那里灭没了”表示圣言不被理解，因为“律法”表示圣言，“祭司”表示教导它的人；“谋略已从长老那里断绝了”表示公正从聪明中灭亡了；“谋略”表示公正，“长老”表示聪明；“君王必悲哀，首领必披上惊愕为衣”表示不再有任何真理；“君王”表示真理，“首领”表示服务的首要真理。
诗篇：
公正不在他们口中，不幸在他们中间。(诗篇5:9)
此处“不幸”同样表示与任何真理都不一致的虚假。在耶利米书也是如此：
要哀号，要在城墙当中游荡，因为他们的君王，他的祭司和首领要一同被掳去。(耶利米书49:3)
“在城墙当中游荡”是指在虚假所摧毁的真理的当中；“被掳去的君王”表示真理；在一起的“他的祭司和首领”表示生活和教义的良善和真理，如前所述。
以西结书：
当他们建墙时，看哪，他们倒用未泡透的灰抹上。你要对那些抹上未泡透灰的人说，墙要倒塌。人岂不问你们说，你们抹上未泡透的灰在哪里呢？(以西结书13:10–12)
“他们用未泡透的灰抹上的墙”表示被视为一个原则，并且他们通过应用圣言的字义使之看似真理的虚假；“抹”是指应用，和由此表面的确认；“未泡透的灰”表示被歪曲的东西；由于圣言的真理就这样被摧毁，用来确认的真理变成被歪曲的真理，被歪曲的真理本身就是虚假，它们与虚假原则一同灭亡，所以经上说：“看哪，墙要倒塌。人岂不问你们说，你们抹上未泡透的灰在哪里呢？”
何西阿书：
看哪，我必用荆棘堵塞你的道，用墙围困墙，使她找不着你的路。(何西阿书2:6)
“用荆棘堵塞道”是指用邪恶的虚假堵塞一切思维，免得他们看见真理；邪恶的虚假由“荆棘”来表示；“用墙围困墙”是指把虚假堆在虚假上；“她找不着你的路”表示任何真理都无法被看到；这一切发生，是因为真理无法邪恶的虚假共存，正如天堂无法与地狱共存；真理来自天堂，邪恶的虚假来自地狱；因此，当来自邪恶的虚假掌权时，与天堂的交流就被夺走，在这种情况下，真理无法被看到，即便被其他人说出来，也会被弃绝。因此，那些处于虚假原则的人，如那些处于唯信和因信称义原则的人无法处于任何真理(可参看AE235, 236节)。
237b.让我们举例说明这个主题。那些采取唯信和因信称义作为宗教原则的人当阅读圣言，看到主教导说，人照自己的行为和作为受报应，行善的必上天堂，作恶的必下地狱时，就将他们所行的良善称为信的果子，却不知道，或不想知道，被他们称为信之果子的良善都来自仁爱，无一来自与仁分离的信，也就是所谓的唯信；一切良善都属于仁，真理属于由此而来的信。由此清楚可知，他们败坏圣言。但他们这样做，是因为他们只会将真理应用于他们的原则，还以为如此这两者就可以一致起来；但结果却是，真理灭亡，变成虚假，不仅变成虚假，还变成邪恶。
虚假由此连续不断地接踵而来，这也是显而易见的；因为他们教导说，人所行的善行是寻求功德的，他们不想明白，正如信及其真理来自主，因而不是寻求功德的，仁及其良善也是如此。他们还教导说，一旦接受信，一个人就通过子与父神和解了，无论自此以后所行的邪恶，还是以前所行的邪恶，都不会被归算；因为他们说，所有人都能得救，无论他们曾过着怎样的生活，只要他们接受信，即便在死亡前的时刻接受它。但从虚假原则衍生出来的这些和其它许多东西都与来自圣言的真理不一致，而是摧毁它们，被摧毁的真理就是虚假，甚至是诸如发出臭味的那类虚假。在来世，从这些虚假中能闻到一种难闻的气味，并且这种气味如此难闻，以至于任何善灵都无法忍受它；它就像从病变的肺部发出的臭味。可以引用其它许多例子，这样的例子有很多；事实上，凡从一个虚假原则推论出来的东西都会由此变成一个虚假，因为在推论的过程中，只有它所粘附的原则被关注，它从这原则流出，并被应用于该原则。
唯信和因信称义的宗教的真正品质单从以下事实就能推断出来，即：所有通过生活和教义在自己里面确认这些信条的人在来世都会从自己身上发出一种可憎的奸淫气场，就是一个母亲或继母与一个儿子的那种奸淫；这种可憎的奸淫就对应于他们，而且无论他们往哪里去，都能从他们身上被感知到；我凭这种气场上千次意识到他们的存在。这样一种气场之所以从他们身上流出来，是因为他们玷污了仁爱和圣言的良善；玷污或奸淫就对应于对良善的玷污，而淫行对应于对真理的歪曲(参看《属天的奥秘》，2466, 2729, 3399, 4865, 6348, 8904, 10648节)。
流便与辟拉同寝所表相同，辟拉与他父亲生了但和拿弗他利(创世记35:22)；因此，他也受到诅咒(创世记49:4)；由于他污秽了他父亲的榻，所以长子的名分从他那里被夺走，
给了约瑟(哥林多前书5:1)；因为在圣言中，“流便”表示信，在这种情况下表示唯信(参看《属天的奥秘》，3325, 3861, 3866, 3870, 4601, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342, 6350节)；“约瑟”表示信之良善(参看《属天的奥秘》，3969, 3971, 4669, 6417节)。
在教会结束时，这些事就会发生，在但以理书，论述尼布甲尼撒所梦见的雕像的地方以这些话预言了这一点：
你既见铁与泥混合，他们必与人的种混合，却不能彼此相合，正如铁与泥不能混合一样。(但以理书2:43)
“铁”表示没有良善的真理；“泥”表示来自人自己的聪明，或自我聪明的虚假；“人的种”表示主的圣言(马太福音13:24, 37)。“他们不能彼此相合，正如铁与泥不能混合一样”表示它们彼此不一致。
237. And knowest not that thou art wretched. That this signifies that they do not know that their falsities have no coherence with truths is evident from the signification of wretchedness, as denoting the breaking down of truth by falsities, and also no coherence; it is therefore plain what is meant by wretched. The reason why they are thus wretched is that their doctrine is founded upon two false principles, which are faith alone, and justification thereby; therefore falsities flow thence in a continuous series, and the truths which they adduce to confirm them from the letter of the Word are broken down and falsified; and falsified truths are essentially falsities. This is described in many passages in the Word, and is meant by the vanities which the prophets are said to see, and the lies which they are said to speak. The same is also described by the breaches made in walls and in houses, so that they fall; similarly, by the idols and graven images which the artificer is said to make and connect by chains that they may cohere; for by idols and graven images are signified falsities of doctrine. The same is also meant by breaches made in walls and in houses, and by the prophets seeing vanities and speaking lies; for by prophets are meant doctrines; by vanities, such things as are of no account; and by lies, falsities.
But as these things are mentioned in too many passages in the Word to be here adduced in full, we shall only quote some wherein mention is made of wretchedness, and of a wall, in order that it may be known that they signify the breaking down of truths by falsities, and thus no coherence.
[2] In Isaiah:
"Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath seduced thee; when thou saidst in thine heart, I, and none else beside me. Therefore shall wretchedness fall upon thee, and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly" (47:10, 11).
Here also are described those who believe that they know all things, and suppose themselves to be intelligent above all others, when yet they neither know nor understand anything of truth; therefore it follows that the understanding of truth is taken away from them. Their belief that they are more intelligent than all others is meant by Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath seduced thee; when thou saidst in thine heart, I, and none else beside me; and the loss of all understanding of truth is meant by wretchedness shall fall upon thee, desolation shall come upon thee suddenly.
[3] In Ezekiel:
"Wretchedness shall come upon wretchedness; therefore shall they seek a vision from the prophets; but the law hath perished from the priest, and counsel from the elders; the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with amazement" (7:26, 27).
The vastation of the church is here treated of, which takes place when there is none but falsified truth; falsity from falsity is meant by wretchedness upon wretchedness; a vision from the prophet denotes doctrine, and here, doctrine of falsity; the law hath perished from the priest, denotes that the Word is not understood; for the law signifies the Word, and the priest him that teaches it: counsel hath perished from the elders, denotes that what is right shall perish from the intelligent; counsel denoting what is right, and elders signifying the intelligent: the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with amazement, denotes that there is no longer any truth; king signifying truth, and the prince truths primarily subservient.
[4] In David:
"What is right is not in their mouth; wretchedness is in the midst of them" (Psalms 5:9);
where wretchedness also signifies falsities not cohering with any truth. Similarly in Jeremiah:
"Howl! and wander among the walls; for their king goeth away into captivity, his priests and princes together" (49:3).
Here by wandering among the walls is meant amongst truths destroyed by falsities; by the king who goeth away into captivity is signified truth; and by his priests and princes together are denoted the goods and truths of life and doctrine, as above.
[5] In Ezekiel:
"When they build a wall [maceries], lo, they daub it with untempered [mortar]. Say unto them that daub with untempered [mortar] that the wall [paries] shall fall. Shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed?" (13:10-12).
The wall which they daubed with untempered [mortar] signifies the falsity which is assumed as a principle, and which, by application of the Word from the sense of the letter, they make to appear as truth. Daubing denotes application, and thence apparent confirmation; untempered [mortar] denotes what is falsified; and because the truth of the Word is thus destroyed, and confirmatory things become truths falsified, which in themselves are falsities, and these perish together with the false principle, therefore it is said, "Behold the wall shall fall; shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing with which ye have daubed?"
[6] In Hosea:
"Behold I hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will encompass wall with wall, that she shall not find thy paths" (235, 236).
[7] But we shall now illustrate this subject by examples. When those who embrace faith alone and justification thereby as a principle of religion, read the Word, and see that the Lord teaches that man shall be rewarded according to his deeds and works, and that he who has done good shall enter heaven, and that he who has done evil shall be cast into hell, they then call the good which they do the fruit of faith, not knowing, or not being willing to know, that the goods which they call fruits of faith are all from charity, and none of them from faith separated from charity, which is called faith alone; for all good belongs to charity, and truth to faith therefrom. From this it is clear that they pervert the Word. But they do this because they cannot otherwise apply the truth to their principle, still believing that they may thus agree together; but truth perishes in consequence, and becomes falsity, and not only becomes falsity but also evil.
[8] That falsities thence follow in a continuous series is also clear; for they teach that the good works which man performs are merit-seeking, not being willing to understand that as faith and its truths are from the Lord, and thus not merit-seeking, so also are charity and its goods. They also teach that as soon as a man receives faith he is reconciled to God the Father by the Son, and that the evils which he afterwards does are not imputed, nor yet the evils which he had done before; for they say that all are saved, however they have lived, if they only receive faith, even in the hours before death. But these and many other things, which are derivations from a false principle, do not agree with truths from the Word, but destroy them, and truths destroyed are falsities, and such falsities as have a bad odour; a grievous smell is perceived from them in the other life, which is such that it cannot be sustained by any good spirit; it is like a stench from diseased lungs. Many other examples might be adduced, of which there is an abundance; for whatsoever is concluded from a false principle derives falsity therefrom, because therein is beheld the principle to which it adheres, because it flows therefrom, and is applied to it.
[9] The true quality of the religion of faith alone, and of justification thereby, may be concluded from this fact alone, that all those who have confirmed those tenets in themselves by doctrine and life, in the other life diffuse from themselves a sphere of abominable adultery, which is that of a mother, or a mother-in-law, with a son; this abominable adultery corresponds to them, and is also perceived from them wherever they go; I have a thousand times known their presence from that sphere. The reason why such a sphere flows forth from them is that they adulterate the goods of charity and of the Word; and adulteries correspond to the adulterations of good, and whoredoms to the falsifications of truth (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2466, 2729, 3399, 4865, 6348, 8904, 10648).
[10] The same is meant by Reuben's lying with Bilhah, of whom his father begat Dan and Naphthali (Arcana Coelestia 3325, 3861, 3866, 3870, 4601, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342, 6350), and by Joseph is meant the good of that faith (see Arcana Coelestia 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417).
[11] That such things would take place at the end of the church is predicted in Daniel, where the statue which Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream is treated of, in these words:
"Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man; but they shall not cohere one with the other, even as iron is not mingled with clay" (2:43).
By iron is meant truth without good; by miry clay, the falsity which is from man's own intelligence; by the seed of man, the Word of the Lord (see Matthew 13:24, 37). Their not cleaving one to another is meant by its being said, they shall not cohere, even as iron is not mingled with clay.
237. And knowest not that thou are wretched, signifies that they do not know that their falsities have no coherence with truths. This is evident from the signification of "wretchedness," as meaning the breaking up of truth by means of falsities, and also no coherence; this shows what is meant by "the wretched." They are so because their doctrine is founded on two false principles, which are faith alone and justification by faith; consequently falsities flow in from these in constant succession, and the truths which they adduce from the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm these are weakened and falsified, and truths when falsified are in themselves falsities. This is described in many passages in the Word, and is meant by the "vanities" that the prophets see, and the "lies" that they speak. It is described also by the "breaches" in the walls and houses so that they fall; likewise by "idols" and "graven images" that the artificer makes and connects by chains that they may cohere; for "idols" and "graven images" signify the falsities of doctrine; the like is signified by "breaches of the walls" and "of the houses," and by "the prophets who see vanities and speak lies;" for "prophets" mean doctrines, "vanities" such things as are of no account, and "lies" falsities. But as these things are mentioned in many passages in the Word they cannot be cited here on account of their abundance; they will therefore be omitted, and a few only quoted here in which "wretchedness" and "wall" are mentioned, that it may be known that these signify the weakening of truth by falsities, and thus no coherence.
[2] In Isaiah:
Thy wisdom and thy knowledge it hath misled thee, when thou hast said in thine heart, I, and none like me besides. Therefore shall wretchedness fall upon thee, and devastation shall come upon thee (Isaiah 47:10-11).
Here also those are described who believe that they know all things and that they are more intelligent than all others, when yet they know and understand nothing of truth; and that therefore the understanding of truth is taken away from them. Their belief that they are more intelligent than all others is meant by "Thy wisdom and thy knowledge it hath misled thee, when thou hast said in thine heart, I, and none like me besides;" and the loss of all understanding of truth is meant by "wretchedness shall fall upon thee, devastation shall come upon thee."
[3] In Ezekiel:
Wretchedness shall come upon wretchedness; therefore they shall seek a vision from the prophets; but the law hath perished from the priest, and counsel from the elders. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with astonishment (Ezekiel 7:26-27).
Here the vastation of the church is treated of, which takes place when there is no truth that is not falsified. Falsity from falsity is meant by "wretchedness upon wretchedness;" "a vision from the prophet" is doctrine, here the doctrine of falsity; "the law hath perished from the priest" means that the Word is not understood, for "law" signifies the Word, and the "priest" one who teaches; "counsel hath perished from the elders" means that right has perished from the intelligent, "counsel" signifying right, and "elders" the intelligent; "the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with astonishment," means that there is no longer any truth, "king" signifying truth, and "prince" truths that are primarily of service.
[4] In David:
Right is not in their mouth, wretchedness is in their inward part (Psalms 5:9);
where "wretchedness" likewise stands for falsities not cohering with any truth. So too in Jeremiah:
Lament, and wander among the walls; for their king is gone into exile, and his priests and his princes together (Jeremiah 49:3).
"Wandering among the walls" is among truths destroyed by falsities; "the king gone into exile" signifies truth; and "his priests and princes together" signify the goods and truths of life and doctrine (See above).
[5] In Ezekiel:
When they build a wall [maceriem], behold they daub it with untempered mortar. Say to them which daub it with untempered mortar, that the wall [paries] shall fall. Is it not said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? (Ezekiel 13:10-12).
"The wall which they daub with untempered mortar" signifies falsity assumed as a principle, and by application of the Word from the sense of the letter made to appear as truth; "daubing" is application and seeming confirmation thereby; "untempered mortar" is what has been falsified; and because the truth of the Word is thus destroyed, and the truths used to confirm become truths falsified, which in themselves are falsities, and these with the false principle perish together, it is said, "Behold, the wall shall fall. Is it not said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?"
[6] In Hosea:
Behold, I obstruct thy way with thorns, and I will encompass wall with wall, that she shall not find thy 1paths (235, 236).
[7] But let examples illustrate this. Those who have adopted faith alone and justification by faith as a principle of religion, when they read the Word and see that the Lord says that man shall be recompensed according to his deeds and works, and that he who has done good, shall come into heaven, and he who has done evils into hell, call the good things that they do fruits of faith, not knowing or not wanting to know, that the good things called fruits are all from charity, and none of them from faith separate, which is called faith alone; every good also is of charity, and truth is of the faith therefrom. From this it is clear that they pervert the Word; and they do this because they cannot otherwise apply truth to their principle, believing still that the two may thus cohere; but the result is that truth perishes and becomes falsity, and not only falsity but also evil.
[8] From this falsities evidently follow in constant succession, for they teach that the good works that man does are meritorious, not being willing to see that as faith with its truths are from the Lord, and thus not meritorious, so are charity with its goods. They teach also that as soon as a man receives faith he is reconciled to God the Father through the Son, and that the evils thenceforth done, as well as those done before, are not imputed; for they say that all are saved however they have lived, if only they receive faith, even though it be in the hours before death. But these, and many other things which are deductions from the falsity of the principle, do not cohere with the truths from the Word, but destroy them, and truths destroyed are falsities, even such falsities as emit a bad odor. From these a grievous smell is perceived in the other life, which is such that it cannot be endured by any good spirit; it is like the stench of purulent matter from the lungs. Many other examples might be adduced; there is an abundance of them; for whatever is deduced from a false principle becomes thereby a falsity, since in the deduction the principle only is regarded to which it clings because from this it flows and to this it is applied.
[9] What the religion of faith alone and of justification by faith is can be inferred from the simple fact that all who have confirmed these tenets in themselves by doctrine and life, send out from themselves in the other life a sphere of abominable adultery like that of a mother or stepmother with a son; this abominable adultery corresponds to such, and is also perceived from them wherever they go; from that sphere I have a thousand times recognized their presence. Such a sphere flows out from them because they adulterate the goods of charity and of the Word, and adulteries correspond to adulterations of good, while whoredoms correspond to the falsifications of truth (See Arcana Coelestia 2466, 2729, 3399, 4865, 6348, 8904, 10648).
[10] There is a like meaning in:
Reuben's lying with Bilhah, of whom his father begat Dan and Naphtali (Arcana Coelestia 3325, 3861, 3861, 3866, 3870, 4601, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342, 6350); and by "Joseph," the good of faith (See 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417).
[11] That such things are to take place at the end of the church is predicted in Daniel, where the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream is described in these words:
Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of man; but they shall not cleave one to the other, even as iron doth not mingle with clay (Daniel 2:43).
By "iron" truth without good is meant; by "miry clay" the falsity that is from self-intelligence; by "the seed of man" the Word of the Lord (Matthew 13:24, 37). That these do not cohere is meant by "they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay."
Footnotes:
1. For "thy" the Hebrew has "her," as found in Arcana Coelestia 9144.
237. "Et non scis quod tu sis aerumnosus." - Quod significet quod non sciant quod falsa eorum cum veris nullam cohaerentiam habeant, constat ex significatione "aerumnae", quod sit infractio veri per falsa, et quoque nulla cohaerentia; inde patet quid intelligitur per "aerumnosum." Quod tales sint, est quia doctrina eorum fundatur super duobus principiis falsis, quae sunt sola fides et justificatio per illam: quare falsa inde fluunt in continua serie; ac vera, quae ex sensu litterae Verbi adducunt ad confirmanda illa, infringuntur et falsificantur; et falsificata vera in se sunt falsa. Hoc describitur multis in locis in Verbo, ac intelligitur per "vanitates" quas prophetae vident, et per "mendacia" quae loquuntur; tum describitur per "rupturas murorum" et "domuum", usque ut cadant: pariter per "idola" et "sculptilia", quae artifex facit et connectit per catenas ut cohaereant: per "idola" enim et "sculptilia" significantur falsa doctrinae; similiter per "rupturas murorum" et "domuum"; pariter per "prophetas qui vident vanitates et loquuntur mendacia" (per "prophetas" enim intelliguntur doctrinae, per "vanitates" talia quae nullius rei sunt, et per "mendacia" falsa): sed quia haec memorantur perpluribus in locis in Verbo, non possunt ob copiam adduci; quare supersedentur, et solum aliqua adducentur, ubi dicuntur "aerumnae" et "maceries", ut sciatur quod per illas significentur infractiones veri per falsa, et sic nulla cohaerentia:
[2] - Apud Esaiam,
"Sapientia tua et scientia tua seduxit te, dum dixisti in corde tuo, Ego et non sicut ego praeterea: ideo cadet super te aerumna, ... et veniet super te devastatio" (47:10, 11);
etiam hic describuntur qui credunt se omnia scire, ac intelligentes esse prae omnibus aliis, cum tamen nihil veri sciant et intelligant, et quod ideo auferatur illis intellectus veri; fides eorum quod intelligentiores sint omnibus aliis intelligitur per quod "sapientia tua et scientia tua seduxit te, dum dixisti in corde, Ego et non sicut ego praeterea"; et jactura omnis intellectus veri intelligitur per quod "cadet super te aerumna, et veniet super te devastatio."
[3] Apud Ezechielem,
"Aerumna super aerumnam veniet, ... ideo quaerent visionem a prophetis; sed lex periit a sacerdote, et consilium a senioribus; rex lugebit et princeps induetur stupore" (7:26, 27);
agitur hic de vastatione ecclesiae, quae est quando non verum nisi falsificatum; falsum ex falso intelligitur per "aerumnam super aerumnam"; "visio a propheta" est doctrina, hic doctrina falsi; "lex periit a sacerdote" est quod Verbum non intelligatur ("lex" enim significat Verbum, et "sacerdos" docentem); "consilium periit a senioribus", est quod rectum ab intelligentibus ("consilium" significat rectum, et "seniores" significant intelligentes); "rex lugebit ac princeps induetur stupore", est quod non amplius aliquod verum ("rex" significat verum, et "princeps" vera primario inservientia).
[4] Apud Davidem,
"Non in ore eorum rectum, medium eorum aerumna" (Psalms 5:10 [B.A. 9]);
similiter hic "aerumna" pro falsis non cohaerentibus cum aliquo vero. Similiter apud Jeremiam,
"Plangite, Vagamini inter macerias, quia rex eorum in exilium abiit, sacerdotes ejus et principes simul" (49:3);
"vagari inter macerias" est inter destructa vera per falsa; "rex" qui in exilium abiit significat verum; "sacerdotes ejus et principes simul", significant bona et vera vitae et doctrinae, ut supra.
[5] Apud Ezechielem,
"Quando hic aedificant maceriem, illi ecce incrustant inepto; dic ad incrustantes inepto quod cadet... paries: nonne dicitur ad vos, Ubi incrustatio qua 1
incrustastis?" (13 [10,] 11, 12);
"maceries quam incrustant inepto", significat falsum quod pro principio ponitur, quod per applicatum Verbum ex sensu litterae ejus faciunt ut appareat sicut verum ("incrustatio" est applicatio et inde apparens confirmatio, "ineptum" est falsificatum); et quia verum Verbi sic destruitur, et confirmantia fiunt vera falsificata quae in se sunt falsa, et haec cum principio falso corruunt, ideo dicitur, "Ecce cadet paries; nonne dicitur ad vos, Ubi incrustatio qua incrustastis?"
[6] Apud Hoscheam,
"Ecce Ego obsepiens viam tuam per spinas, et maceria circumdabo maceriam, ut semitas 2
suas non inveniet" (2:6 3
);
"obstruere viam per spinas" est obstruere omnes cogitationes per falsa mali, ne videant vera (falsa mali sunt "spinae"); "macerie circumdare maceriem est cumulare falsa super falsis; "ut semitas 4
suas non inveniet", est ut nihil veri possit videri: hoc fit quia vera non possunt simul esse cum falsis mali, sicut non caelum cum inferno; nam vera sunt ex caelo et falsa mali ex inferno; quare cum falsa ex malo regnant, aufertur communicatio cum caelo, quo ablato non videri possunt vera, et si dicuntur ab aliis, rejiciuntur: inde est quod (illis) qui in principiis falsis sunt, sicut illis qui in principiis de sola fide et de justificatione per illam, non datum sit in aliquibus veris esse (videatur supra, n. 235, 236).
[7] Sed exempla illam rem illustrent. Illi qui pro principio religionis sumpserunt solam fidem et justificationem per illam, cum legunt Verbum et vident quod Dominus dicat quod homini juxta facta et opera retribuetur, et quod qui bona fecerat veniet in caelum, at qui mala fecerat, in infernum, tunc vocant bona quae faciunt fructus fidei non scientes aut non volentes scire quod bona quae vocantur fructus omnia sint ex charitate, et nulla ex fide separata quae vocatur sola fides; omne etiam bonum est charitatis, et verum est fidei inde. Ex eo patet quod pervertant Verbum: sed hoc faciunt, quia verum non possunt aliter applicare suo principio, credentes usque quod sic cohaereant; sed perit inde verum et fit falsum, et non modo fit falsum sed etiam malum.
[8] Quod inde sequantur falsa in continua serie, etiam patet; nam docent quod bona quae homo facit, sint meritoria; non volentes (scire) quod sicut fides cum suis veris est a Domino, et sic non meritoria, ita charitas cum suis bonis: tum docent quod ut primum homo recipit fidem, reconciliatus sit Deo Patri per Filium, et quod mala quae dein facit non imputentur, et quoque nec mala quae prius fecerat; nam dicunt salvari omnes, qualitercunque vixerant, modo recipiant fidem, etiam si foret in horis ante mortem. Sed haec et plura alia, quae sunt derivationes ex falso principii, non cohaerent cum veris Verbi, sed destruunt illa; et vera destructa sunt falsa, et talia falsa quae male olent: graveolentia ex illis sentitur in altera vita, quae talis est ut non possit sustineri ab aliquo bono spiritu; est sicut nidor purulenti ex pulmone. Plura exempla possunt adduci; sunt in copia; nam quicquid concluditur ex principio falso trahit inde falsum, quoniam in eo spectatur principium cui adhaeret quia inde fluit et ei applicatur.
[9] Qualis est religio de sola fide et de justificatione per illam, concludi potest ex eo solo, quod omnes qui confirmaverunt illa apud se doctrina et vita, in altera vita a se sphaeram nefandi adulterii effundant, quod est matris seu novercae cum filio; hoc nefandum adulterium correspondet illis, et quoque percipitur ab illis quocunque vadunt; ex illa sphaera millies cognovi praesentiam eorum: causa quod ex illis talis sphaera effluat, est quia adulterant bona charitatis et Verbi, et adulteria correspondent adulterationibus boni et scortationes falsificationibus veri (videatur n. 2466, 2729, 5
3399, 4865, 6348, 8904, 10648).
[10] Simile intelligitur per
Rubenem quod cubuerit cum Bilha, ex qua pater ejus genuit Danem et Naphtalin (Genesis 35:22);
quapropter etiam damnatus est (Genesis 49:4);
et quia polluit strata patris sui, adempta est ei primogenitura, et data Josepho (1 Chronicles 5:1);
per "Rubenem" enim in Verbo intelligitur fides, et ibi sola (n. 3325, 3861, 3866, 3870, 4601, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342, 6350); et per "Josephum" bonum fidei (n. 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417).
[11] Quod in fine ecclesiae talia exstitura sint, praedicitur apud Danielem, ubi agitur de statua a Nebuchadnezare in somnio visa, his verbis:
"Quod vidisti ferrum mixtum cum argilla luti, commiscebunt se per semen hominis; sed non cohaerebunt unum cum altero, quemadmodum ferrum non commiscetur cum argilla" (2:43);
per "ferrum" intelligitur verum absque bono; per "argillam luti" falsum quod ex propria intelligentia; per "semen hominis" Verbum Domini (Matthaeus 13:24, 37); quorum quod non cohaerentia sit, intelligitur per "non cohaerebunt, quemadmodum ferrum non commiscetur cum argilla."
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
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4. The editors made a correction or note here.
5. The editors made a correction or note here.