719# 前面说明，感官层歪曲并玷污圣言的真理；但重要的是，要知道它如何歪曲并玷污圣言，因为那些不知道这种事是如何做到的、不了解圣言性质的人，可能会以为圣言的真理既然是真理，并存在于字义中，就不可能变成虚假。从自然界举一个例子来说明这一点，也让属世人清楚明白这一点。在眼睛看来，太阳似乎每天都绕地球转一圈，同时也每年转一圈；因此，圣言说，日升日落产生白天、中午、晚上和黑夜，也产生春、夏、秋、冬四季，因而产生日子和年份；然而，太阳保持不动，而地球每天自转，并且每年绕着太阳转；因此，太阳的行进只是一种表象，因而是一种谬误。当知道并接受了这个真理，即：不是太阳，而是地球在移动时，这两者都是真的，即：太阳在太阳系的中心保持不动，它也有自己的行进；对理性人来说，太阳保持不动是真的，对感官层来说，它有自己的行进是真的，因此两者都是真的，对理性人来说实际上是真的，对感官层来说表面上是真的。然而，如果理性人不说明这个现象，那么太阳实际上在行进这个虚假就被相信了，因此太阳没有离其本位，而是地球在移动这个真理就被歪曲了；但当理性人说明了这个现象时，这个真理就不会被歪曲。字义上的圣言的一切细节也一样；这字义因是终端意义，故是属世的，适合感官人、因而适合孩子和简单人的理解；因此，它里面的大多数事物都是真理的表象，除非从一个属灵的，也就是被光照的理解力来感知这些，否则它们就变成虚假；因为那时它们被相信是实际上真实的，而非仅表面上是真实的。但当它们同时被理解性地并属灵地感知时，情况就不同了；那时圣言的一切都是真实的，在真正意义上是实际上真实的，在字义上是表面上真实的，如前面关于太阳所说的。由此可见，圣言中的无数事物是如何被歪曲和玷污的；如神试探人，祂发怒、行恶，把人投入地狱；同样在最后审判之日，主将驾着天上的云降临，那时太阳和月亮都要收回其光辉，众星也从天堂坠落；以及世界和大地都要灭亡，对一切事物的一个新造要发生；此外还有其它类似的事，它们都是圣言字义的真理，但如果不同时从一个被光照的理解力来看待它们，它们就会变成虚假。但下文会解释唯信，也就是与仁分离之信如何歪曲圣言的一切。
719. It is said that the Sensual falsifies and adulterates the truths of the Word, but it is important to know how this can falsify and adulterate the truths of the Word; for those who do not know how this is done, and the nature of the Word, might suppose that because the truths of the Word are truths, and exist in the sense of its letter, that they cannot become falsities. An example from nature will serve to illustrate this and make it clear to the natural man. It appears to the eye as though the sun were carried round the earth every day, and also once every year, and it is therefore said in the Word that the sun rises and sets, and causes day, noon, evening, and night, also the seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and thus days and years, and yet the sun remains unmoved, while the earth revolves daily, and is carried round the sun yearly; the progression of the sun is therefore merely an appearance, and thus a fallacy. When therefore the truth is known and received that it is not the sun but the earth that moves, then both become true, namely, that the sun remains immovable in the centre of its own system, and that it has its progression; that it remains immovable is true for the rational man, and that it has its progression is true for the sensual, thus both are true, actually for the rational, and apparently for the sensual man. Yet if the rational man does not throw light on that phenomenon, then the false idea is believed that the sun actually progresses, and thus the truth that not the sun but the earth has a motion of its own is falsified, but it is not falsified when the rational man throws light upon the matter. The case is similar with every particular of the Word in the sense of its letter, since this sense, being the ultimate, is natural, and is adapted to the apprehension of the sensual man, thus of children and of the simple; therefore most things in that sense are appearances of truth, and unless these are perceived from a spiritual, that is to say, from an enlightened understanding, they become falsities, for they are then believed to be actually and not merely in appearance true. But it is otherwise when they are perceived at the same time understandingly and spiritually, for then all things of the Word become true, in the genuine sense actually true, and in the sense of the letter apparently true, as stated above concerning the sun. From these things it is evident how innumerable are the things in the Word that are falsified and adulterated - as that God tempts, that He is angry, that He does evil, that He casts into hell - similarly, that at the day of the Last Judgment the Lord will come in the clouds of heaven, that then the sun and the moon will withdraw their light, and that the stars will fall from heaven. Also that the world and the universe will perish, and a new creation of all things take place; besides other things of a similar kind, which are truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, but which become falsities if they are not at the same time seen from an enlightened understanding. But in what follows it shall be explained how faith alone, which is faith separated from charity, falsifies all things of the Word.
719. It is said that the sensual falsifies and adulterates the truths of the Word; but it needs to be known how it can falsify and adulterate the truths of the Word, for those who do not know how this is done and what is the nature of the Word, might think that because the truths of the Word are truths, and are plainly extant in the sense of its letter, they cannot become falsities. But to illustrate this take an example from nature, such as the natural man can clearly perceive. It appears before the eyes as if the sun were each day carried about the earth, also at the same time once each year; therefore it is said in the Word that the sun rises and sets, which causes the day, noon, evening, and night, also the seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and thus days and years; and yet the sun stands unmoved, while the earth revolves daily and is carried about the sun yearly, and the progression of the sun is only an appearance and thence a fallacy. Now when this truth is known and accepted that it is not the sun but the earth that moves, both become true, namely, that the sun stands unmoved in the center of its system, and also that it has its progressions; that it stands unmoved is true for the rational man, and that it has its progressions is true for the sensual, thus both become true, true actually for the rational man, and true apparently for the sensual. And yet if the rational man does not illustrate this phenomenon the falsity is believed that the sun actually progresses, and thus the truth that the sun is not moved out of its place but that it is the earth that moves becomes falsified; but it is not falsified when the rational illustrates it. It is the same with every particular of the Word in the sense of its letter; because this is the ultimate sense it is natural, and is adapted to the comprehension of the sensual man, thus of children and the simple; for this reason most things in it are appearances of truth, and unless these are perceived at the same time from a spiritual, that is, from an enlightened understanding, they become falsities; for they are then believed to be actually true and not merely apparently true. But it is otherwise when they are perceived understandingly and spiritually; then all things of the Word become true, in the genuine sense actually true, and in the sense of the letter apparently true, as was said above respecting the sun. From this it can be seen how innumerable things in the Word are falsified and adulterated; as that God tempts, that He is angry, that He does evil, that He casts into hell; likewise, that at the day of the Last Judgment the Lord is to come in the clouds of heaven, that the sun and the moon will then withdraw their light, and the stars will fall from heaven; also that the world with the earth will perish, and a new creation of all things take place; with other things that are truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, but which become falsities if they are not perceived at the same time from an enlightened understanding. But in what follows it shall be told how faith alone, which is faith separated from charity, falsifies all things of the Word.
719. Dictum est quod sensuale vera Verbi falsificet et adulteret; ut vero sciatur quomodo id potest vera Verbi falsificare et adulterare [interest] ; nam qui non scit quomodo id fit, et quale Verbum est, potest credere quod vera Verbi quia sunt vera, et in sensu litterae ejus exstant, non possint falsa fieri: at inserviat pro illustratione exemplum in Natura, et inde perceptibile naturali homini: nempe, coram oculis apparet sicut sol quovis die circum tellurem feratur, et quoque semel quotannis; inde in Verbo dicitur quod sol oriatur et occidat, quod faciat diem, meridiem, vesperam et noctem, immo tempora veris, aestatis, autumni et hiemis, et sic dies et annos; cum tamen sol immotus stat, et tellus circumvolvitur quotidie et circumfertur quotannis, et quod sit solum apparentia et inde fallacia quod sol ita progrediatur: cum itaque illa veritas nota est et accepta, quod sol non moveatur sed tellus, tunc utrumque fit verum, nempe, quod sol in centro sui mundi stet immotus, et quoque quod progrediatur; quod stet immotus fit verum pro rationali homine, et quod progrediatur pro sensuali; ita fit Utrumque verum, actualiter pro rationali homine, et apparenter pro sensuali: si autem id phaenomenon non illustratum est a rationali homine, tunc creditur falsum, nempe quod sol actualiter progrediatur, et sic falsificatur id verum quod sol non moveatur e loco, sed tellus, at non falsificatur quando rationale illustrat illud. Simile est cum singulis Verbi in sensu ejus litterae; hic sensus, quia est ultimus, est naturalis et adaequatus captui sensualis hominis, ita infantum et simplicium; quare pleraque ibi sunt apparentiae veri, quae nisi simul intellectu spirituali, hoc est, intellectu illustrato percipiuntur, fiunt falsa, nam creduntur tunc sicut forent vera actualiter et non apparenter; aliter cum simul intellectualiter et spiritualiter percipiuntur; tunc fiunt omnia Verbi vera, in sensu genuino vera actualiter, et in sensu litterae vera apparenter, ut supra de sole dictum est. Ex his constare potest quomodo innumerabilia in Verbo falsificantur et adulterantur; sicut quod Deus tentet, quod irascatur, quod malum faciat, quod in infernum conjiciat; similiter quod die ultimi judicii Dominus venturus sit in nubibus caeli, quod tunc sol et luna amittent luces suas, quodque stellae cadent de caelis, tum quod mundus cum terra periturus, et e novo creatio omnium exstitura; praeter alia, quae sunt vera sensus litterae Verbi, quae falsa fiunt si non simul intellectu illustrato percipiuntur. In sequentibus autem dicetur quomodo sola fides, quae est fides separata a charitate, falsificet omnia Verbi.