819# 启13:12.“他在龙面前施行第一只兽所有的权柄”表示来自属世人的推理与圣言字义的联系，分离之信的宗教通过这种联系被强化。这从“从地里上来的兽”、“第一只兽”和“龙”的含义清楚可知：在龙面前施行第一只兽所有权柄的“从地里上来的兽”，是指来自圣言字义、支持信仰与生活分离的确认，以及由此对真理的歪曲(参看AE815节)；“第一只兽”是指来自属世人、确认信仰与生活分离的推理(参看AE774节)；“龙”(这兽在龙面前施行第一只兽所有的权柄)，一般是指与信仰生活，也就是仁爱分离的信仰。由此可见，这兽“在龙面前施行第一只兽所有的权柄”表示来自属世人的推理与圣言字义的联系，分离之信的宗教通过这种联系被确认。
此处之所以是指来自属世人的推理与圣言字义的联系，是因为虚假若不通过来自属世人的推理，永远不可能被圣言字义确认。事实上，字面上的圣言由真理的表象构成，也由对应构成；这两者在其内部，也就是在其灵义上都包含真正的真理。因此，当有虚假被对应于真正真理的真理表象确认时，圣言就被歪曲了；只有通过来自属世人的推理才能造成对圣言的歪曲。这就是为何这两只兽进一步描述了表示唯信的异端信条的“龙”，其中第一只兽描述了来自属世人、支持信仰与其生活，也就是仁爱分离的推理；另一只兽描述了来自圣言字义的确认，因而对它的证实，以及对真理的歪曲。由此再次明显看出，这兽“在龙面前施行第一只兽所有的权柄”表示来自属世人的推理与圣言字义的联系。不过，这些事要举例来说明：
(1)那些为唯信而斗争的教条主义者不注意圣言中所有提到“作为”、“行为”、“工作或作工”和“实行或遵行”的经文；然而，这些经文如此明显，以至于不允许有相反的推理；然而，他们把这些经文从它们的真正意义中夺走，并通过推理扭曲它们，使它们偏离在天堂里、包含在其灵义中的真正真理。他们如此推理说，唯信包括行为和作为，因为那些处于信的人也处于这些行为和作为，因此这信产生它们；而事实上，没有行为或作为的信是一种死的信，死的信不能产生任何东西。他们若被告知这一点，就会认为，行为仍通过一种秘密的神性运作而存在，尽管他们将行为排除在得救的手段之外，或说不允许它们成为得救的手段；因此，它们可以存在，也可以不存在，这可从他们因瞬间信仰称义，以及在死亡的那一刻因瞬间信仰称义，即便是恶人明显看出来。
(2)来自属世人的推理认为，与生活良善分离的信也是属灵的；然而，爱之良善将生命赋予信，并使它变得属灵。因为爱是信的真正灵魂，爱就是实行；因为凡一个人所爱的，他就意愿，凡他所意愿的，他就实行。主在约翰福音中以这些话教导了这一点：
有了我的诫命而又遵行的人，就是爱我的；不爱我的人就不遵守我的话。(约翰福音14:21,24)
由此清楚可知，没有作为的信不是属灵的；因为它没有自己的灵魂，没有灵魂的信是一种死的信。
(3)来自属世人的推理也认为，由于人不能凭自己行善，所以信成为得救的手段。
(4)来自属世人的推理还认为，那些只处于信的人在神里面，处于一种恩典的状态，以至于没有任何东西能定他们的罪。许多人由此相信，没有必要按照主的诫命过基督徒的生活；他们对自己说，既然良善不拯救人，邪恶不定人的罪，那我为何要思想作为呢？我有信仰，相信主为世人的罪受十字架的痛苦，救我们脱离律法的定罪；还需要什么呢？(5)来自属世人的推理认为，唯信就像一粒种子，从中生出各种各样的救恩，就像花园里的灌木和树木从种子中长出来一样；然而，唯信里面没有生命的种子，除非来自人的属灵生活之物。
(6)此外，这种宗教原则或说服的博学的教条主义者，关于称义通过唯信发展所教导的这一切都是来自属世人的推理；例如，这信的信靠必须从圣言、讲道和教师的权威中获得，不需要理智的视觉；理解力若进入，就会使这信不属灵。然而，一旦理智的视觉被排除在外，人就成了瞎子；在瞎子面前，虚假可以像真理一样被证实或确认，甚至虚假会优先于真理被证实，因为对一个瞎子来说，造成黑暗的谬误比处于光明的真理本身更有用，或说更受尊重。关闭理解力，提出推理，引用来自圣言字义的确认，你就可以随心所欲地证明任何东西，或说说服自己相信你想要的任何东西，尤其在神学问题上，这些问题会上升进入理性心智的内层。
它们之所以被称为来自属世人的推理，是因为属世人处于对自我和世界的爱之快乐中；当这些快乐占主导地位时，它们就会使人只相信那些与它们一致的东西；而这些东西本身都是虚假。它们还在一切属灵之物上引发黑暗，甚至到了这种程度：人避开天堂之光，从而弃绝理解力的一切光照。原因在于，与属灵人分离的属世人只关注自己和世界，不仰望主和天堂；因此，他与地狱结合，而地狱是一切虚假的源头；若不凭借天堂之爱和来自这爱的真正真理的统治，这些虚假永远无法被驱散。这就是为何它们被称为来自属世人的推理，又为何来自属世人的推理歪曲圣言；因为没有来自属世人的这些推理，圣言无法被歪曲。
819. (Verse 12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him. This signifies the connection [of reasonings] from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word, whereby the religion of faith separate is strengthened, is evident from the signification of the beast ascending out of the earth, which exercised all the power of the first beast before the dragon, as denoting confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of faith separate from life, and thence the falsifications of truth (concerning which see above, n. 815); and from the signification of the first beast, as denoting reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life (concerning which see above, n. 774); and from the signification of the dragon, before which this beast exercised all the power of the first beast; as denoting, in general, faith separated from the life of faith, which is charity. From these things it is evident that by this beast exercising all the power of the first beast before the dragon, is signified the connection of reasonings from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word, whereby the religion of faith separate is confirmed.
[2] The reason why the connection of reasonings from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word is here denoted is, that nothing false can ever be confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word except by reasonings from the natural man. For the Word in the letter consists of appearances of truth, and also of correspondences; and both the latter and the former, in their bosom, that is, in their spiritual sense, contain genuine truths. When therefore any falsity is confirmed by the appearances of truth which correspond to genuine truths, then the Word is falsified; and there can be no falsification of the Word except by reasonings from the natural man. This is why the dragon, by which is signified the heretical dogma of faith alone, is further described by two beasts, by the first of which is described reasoning from the natural man in favour of faith separated from its life, which is charity; and by the other, confirmation from the sense of the letter of the Word, and thence its corroboration; also the falsification of truth. It is again evident therefore that by this beast exercising all the power of the first beast before the dragon, is signified the connection of reasonings from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word.
[3] But these things shall be illustrated by examples, as follows:
1. That the dogmatists who contend for faith alone, pay no attention to all those passages of the Word, where works, deeds, working, and doing, are mentioned; these, nevertheless, are so evident, that no contrary reasoning is possible. And yet they wrest those passages from their true meaning, and by means of reasoning bend and turn them away from real truth which is in the heavens, and which their spiritual sense contains. For they reason thus, saying that faith alone involves deeds and works, because those who are in faith are also in them, consequently, that faith produces them; when, nevertheless, faith without deeds or works is a dead faith, which can produce nothing. And if this is told them, they maintain that deeds are still present by a secret Divine operation, and yet they will not allow them to be a means of salvation; so that they can be present and not be present; as is evident from their justification by an instantaneous faith; and also in the hour of death, even although they may be evil.
2. Reasoning from the natural man maintains, that faith separated from the goods of life is also spiritual; when, nevertheless, the goods of love, give life to faith, and make it spiritual. For love is the very soul of faith, and love consists in doing; for what a man loves, that he wills, and what he wills, that he does. This the Lord also teaches in these words in John:
"He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; but he that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings" (14:21, 24).
It is therefore evident, that faith without works is not spiritual; for it is without its soul, and faith without its soul is a dead faith.
3. Reasoning from the natural man also maintains, that because a man cannot do good of himself, faith becomes the means of salvation.
4. Reasoning from the natural man also maintains, that those who are merely in faith are in God and in a state of grace, because nothing can condemn them. It is therefore believed by many that it is not necessary to live the Christian life, which is according to the Lord's precepts; and they say within themselves, why should I be intent upon works, when goods do not save, and evils do not condemn? I have faith that the Lord suffered upon the cross for the sins of the world, and delivered us from the condemnation of the law; what more is necessary?
5. Reasoning from the natural man maintains, that faith alone is like seed, from which are produced all kinds of salvation, as shrubs and trees from seed in gardens; when, nevertheless, in faith alone there is no seed of life, except from the spiritual life of man.
6. All these things, moreover, are reasonings from the natural man, which are taught by the learned dogmatists of this religious persuasion concerning the progressions to justification by faith alone; as, for example, that the trust of that faith is to be acquired from the Word, from preaching, and from the authority of teachers, without intellectual sight; and that if the understanding enters, it renders the faith unspiritual. When, nevertheless, as soon as the intellectual sight is excluded, man is blind; and before a man that is blind falsities may be confirmed equally as truths, indeed falsities in preference to truths, because with him the fallacies which cause darkness are more esteemed than the truths themselves, which are in light. Close the understanding, give play to reasonings, and bring forth confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word, and you may prove whatever you wish, especially in theological matters, which rise up into the interiors of the rational mind.
The reason why they are called reasonings from the natural man is, that the natural man is in the delights of the love of self and of the world; and these delights, when they predominate, cause a man to believe such things only as agree therewith; and these, in themselves, are falsities. They also induce darkness in everything spiritual, so that a man shuns heavenly light, and thence rejects all enlightenment of the understanding. The reason is, that the natural man separated from the spiritual, regards himself alone and the world, and not the Lord and heaven; and consequently he is conjoined to hell, whence all falsities come, which can never be dissipated except by the rule of heavenly love, and by genuine truths from that love. This is why they are called reasonings from the natural man, and why reasonings from the natural man falsify the Word; for the Word without such reasonings from the natural man cannot be falsified.
819. Verse 12. And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him, signifies the connection of the reasonings from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word, by which the religion of faith separate is strengthened. This is evident from the signification of "the beast coming up out of the earth," which exercised all the authority of the first beast before the dragon, as being confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favor of faith separated from life, and the consequent falsifications of truth (See above, n. 815), also from the signification of "the first beast," as being reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from the life (See above, n. 774); also from the signification of "the dragon," before which this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast, as being in general, faith separated from the life of faith, which is charity. From this it can be seen that this beast's "exercising all the authority of the first beast before the dragon" signifies the connection of reasonings from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word, by which the religion of faith separate is confirmed.
[2] The connection of reasonings from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word is meant, because nothing false can ever be confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word except by means of reasonings from the natural man. For the Word in the letter consists of appearances of truth and also of correspondences, and both of these in their bosom, that is, in their spiritual sense, contain genuine truths; consequently when any falsity is confirmed by the appearances of truth that correspond to genuine truths the Word is falsified; and the falsification of the Word can be effected only by reasonings from the natural man. This is why "the dragon," which signifies the heretical dogma of faith alone, is further described by two beasts, by the first of which reasoning from the natural man in favor of faith separated from its life, which is charity, is described; and by the other, confirmation from the sense of the letter of the Word, and thus corroboration of it, also the falsification of truth, are described; from which it is again evident that this beast's "exercising all the authority of the first beast before the dragon" signifies the connection of reasonings from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word. But these things shall be illustrated by examples.
1.
[3] The dogmatists who contend for faith alone pay no attention to any of those passages of the Word where "works," "deeds," "working," and "doing," are mentioned; and yet these are so plain as to admit of no contrary reasoning; nevertheless by reasonings they wrest these passages from their genuine meaning and bend and turn them away from the genuine truth that is in the heavens, and that is contained in their spiritual sense. For they reason by saying that faith alone includes deeds and works, because those who are in faith are also in these, thus they are wrought by faith; when in fact, faith without deeds or works is a dead faith, by which nothing can be wrought. If this is said to them they argue that deeds are nevertheless present by a secret Divine operation, although they exclude them from being a means of salvation, thus that they may be present and not be present, as can be seen from justification by instantaneous faith, and also in the hour of death, even in the case of evil men.
2. It is a reasoning from the natural man that faith separate from goods of life is also spiritual, and yet the goods that are of love are what give life to faith, and make it spiritual. For love is the very soul of faith, and love is doing, for what a man loves he wills, and what he wills he does. And this the Lord teaches in John:
He that hath My commandments and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me; but he that loveth Me not keepeth not My words (John 14:21, 24).
Thence it is clear that faith without works is not spiritual; for it is without its soul, and faith without its soul is a dead faith.
3. It is also a reasoning from the natural man that faith was made the means of salvation because man cannot do good of himself.
4. It is also a reasoning from the natural man that those who are merely in faith are in God and in a state of grace, even so that nothing can condemn them. From this it is believed by many that it is not necessary to live a Christian life, which is according to the Lord's commandments; for they say to themselves, Why should I give any thought to works, when good works do not save and evil works do not condemn? I have faith that the Lord suffered the cross for the sins of the world, and delivered us from the condemnation of the law; what more is necessary? 5. It is a reasoning from the natural man that faith alone is like a seed from which all kinds of salvation spring forth like shrubs and trees from seed in gardens; and yet in faith alone there is no seed of life except what is from the spiritual life of man.
6. Moreover, all those things that are taught by the learned dogmatists of this religious principle respecting the progression to justification through faith alone are reasonings from the natural man; as, that the trust of that faith must be acquired from the Word, from preaching, and from the authority of teachers, without intellectual sight; and if the understanding enters into it faith does not become spiritual. And yet when the intellectual sight is excluded man is blind, and before a blind man falsities can be confirmed as well as truths, and even better than truths, because with one who is blind fallacies which are darkness avail more than truths themselves which are in light. Shut up the understanding, bring forth reasonings, and cite confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word, and you will persuade yourself of anything you wish, especially in theological matters that ascend into the interior of the rational mind.
[4] These are called reasonings from the natural man, because the natural man is in the delights of the love of self and of the world; and these delights, when they prevail, cause man to believe only such things as agree with them, which in themselves are falsities. They also induce darkness in everything spiritual, even to the extent that man shuns heavenly light, and thus rejects all enlightenment of the understanding. The reason is that the natural man, separated from the spiritual, regards only self and the world, and not the Lord and heaven; and thus he is conjoined to hell, which is the source of all falsities; and these can never be dissipated except by the prevalence of heavenly love and by genuine truths which are from that love. This, then, is why these are called reasonings from the natural man, and why reasonings from the natural man are what falsify the Word; for the Word cannot be falsified except by reasonings from the natural man.
819. [Vers. 12.] "Et potestatem prioris bestiae omnem facit coram illo." Quod significet connexionem [ratiociniorum] e naturali homine cum sensu litterae Verbi, per quam corroboratur religio fidei separatae, constat ex significatione "bestiae e terra ascendentis, quae potestatem prioris bestiae omnem coram dracone fecit", quod sint confirmationes e sensu litterae Verbi pro fide separata a vita, et inde falsificationes veri (de qua supra, n. 815); ex significatione "prioris bestiae", quod sint ratiocinia ex naturali homine confirmantia separationem fidei a vita (de qua supra, n. 774); et ex significatione "draconis", coram quo haec bestia fecit potestatem prioris bestiae, quod sit in genere fides separata a vita fidei, quae est charitas: ex quibus constare potest quod per quod haec "bestia potestatem prioris bestiae omnem fecerit coram dracone", significetur connexio ratiociniorum e naturali homine cum sensu litterae Verbi, per quam confirmatur religio fidei separatae.
[2] Quod sit connexio ratiociniorum ex naturali homine cum sensu litterae Verbi, est quia per sensum litterae Verbi nusquam potest confirmari aliquod falsum, nisi quam per ratiocinia ex naturali homine. Verbum enim in littera consistit ex apparentiis veri, et quoque ex correspondentiis; hae atque illae in sinu suo, hoc est, in sensu spirituali suo, continent genuina vera; quare cum falsum aliquod per apparentias veri correspondentes genuinis veris confirmatur, tunc Verbum falsificatur, et falsificatio Verbi non dari potest nisi quam per ratiocinia ex naturali homine. Inde est quod "draco", per quem significatur dogma haereticum de sola fide, describatur ulterius per "binas bestias", per quarum primam describitur ratiocinatio ex naturali homine pro fide separata a vita ejus quae est charitas, et per alteram confirmatio ex sensu litterae Verbi, et inde ejus corroboratio, tum falsificatio veri. Inde iterum patet quod per quod haec bestia "potestatem prioris bestiae omnem fecerit coram dracone", significetur connexio ratiociniorum e naturali homine cum sensu litterae Verbi. Sed haec illustrentur per exempla;
[3] ut,
(1.) Quod dogmatici, qui pro sola fide pugnant, nihil attendant ad omnia illa loca Verbi ubi "opera", "facta" "operari" et "facere" dicuntur, quae usque tam evidentia sunt ut ne ullum ratiocinium contrarium possint admittere, et tamen trahunt illa a genuino suo sensu, et per ratiocinia deflectunt et avertunt illa a genuino Vero quod in caelis est, ac quod sensus spiritualis eorum continet; ratiocinantur enim, dicendo quod sola fides involvat facta et opera, quia qui in fide sunt, in illis sunt, ita quod fides operetur illa; cum tamen fides absque factis seu operibus est fides mortua, quae nihil operari potest: et si hoc illis dicitur, ratiocinantur quod facta usque adsint per occultam operationem Divinam, et tamen excludunt illa e medio salvationis, sic ut possint adesse et non adesse; ut constare potest ex justificatione per fidem momentaneam, et quoque in mortis hora, etiamsi mali sint.
(2.) Ratiocinium e naturali homine est, quod fides separata a bonis vitae etiam spiritualis sit, cum tamen bona quae amoris sunt vitam dant fidei, et eam spiritualem faciunt; est enim amor ipsa anima fidei, et amor est facere; nam quod homo amat, hoc vult, et quod vult hoc facit; quod etiam Dominus docet apud Johannem,
"Qui habet praecepta mea, et facit illa, ille est qui amat Me;.... qui vero non amat Me, verba mea non servat" (14:21, 24):
inde quoque patet quod fides absque operibus non sit spiritualis, est enim absque anima sua, et fides absque anima sua est fides mortua.
(3.) Ratiocinium e naturali homine etiam est, quod quia homo non potest bonum facere ex se, fides facta sit medium salutis.
(4.) Ratiocinium ex naturali homine etiam est, quod qui solum in fide sunt, in Deo sint, et in statu gratiae, usque ut nihil condemnet: inde a multis creditur quod non necessarium sit Christianam vitam vivere, quae est secundum praecepta Domini, dicentes secum, Cur intendam operibus, cum bona non salvant, et mala nec condemnant? Fidem habeo quod Dominus passus sit crucem pro peccatis mundi, et a condemnatione legis nos liberavit; quid magis?
(5.) Ratiocinium ex naturali homine est, quod sola fides sit sicut semen, ex quo enascuntur salutes omnis generis, sicut frutices et arbores ex semine in hortis; cum tamen in sola fide non semen vitae sit, nisi a vita spirituali hominis.
(6.) Ratiocinia e naturali homine etiam sunt omnia illa quae de progressionibus ad justificationem per solam fidem ab eruditis dogmaticis istius religiosi traduntur; ut quod comparanda sit fiducia istius fidei ex Verbo, ex praedicatione et ex auctoritate doctorum, absque visu intellectuali; et si intellectus intrat, quod fides non fiat spiritualis: cum tamen quando visus intellectualis excluditur, homo caecus est, et coram homine caeco confirmari possunt falsa aeque ac vera, immo falsa prae veris; quia apud illum fallaciae, quae tenebrae sunt, plus valent quam ipsa vera quae in luce. Occlude intellectum, deprome ratiocinia, et adduc confirmationes ex sensu litterae Verbi, et persuadebis quodcunque velis, imprimis in theologicis, quae in interiora mentis rationalis ascendunt.
[4] Quod dicantur ratiocinia ex naturali homine, est quia naturalis homo in jucundis amoris sui et mundi est; et haec jucunda, quando praedominantur, faciunt ut homo non credat, nisi talia quae concordant, quae in se sunt falsa; inducunt etiam tenebras in omni re spirituali, usque ut homo fugiat lucem caelestem, et inde rejiciat illustrationem intellectus. Causa est, quia naturalis homo separatus a spirituali spectat se solum et mundum, ac non Dominum et caelum, et inde conjunctus est inferno, unde sunt omnia falsa, quae nusquam discuti possunt quam per praedominium amoris caelestis et per genuina vera quae ex illo amore sunt. Inde nunc est quod dicantur ratiocinia ex naturali homine, et quod ratiocinia ex naturali homine sint per quae falsificatur Verbum; nam Verbum absque ratiociniis ex naturali homine non falsificari potest.