776.人若不知道“金、银、宝石、珍珠、细麻布、紫色料、丝绸、朱红色料、香木、铜、铁、大理石、器皿”分别表示什么，可能对列举这类事物感到奇怪，以为累积这些词语是为了升华主题。但从解释明显可知，没有一个词是没有意义的，通过它们充分描述，那些确认天主教信条的人没有一个真理；如果没有一个真理，他们就没有一个为教会良善的良善。
我曾与那些确认天主教的人交谈过，甚至与尼西亚会议、拉特兰会议、特兰托会议的一些与会代表交谈过。一开始，他们以为自己所颁布的内容是纯洁和神圣的真理，但一番指教并被赐予天上来的启示后，他们承认自己没有看见一个真理。不过，由于那时他们比其他人更确认这些信条，所以他们自己熄灭了启示后，又回到先前的信仰中。他们尤其相信他们所认可有关洗礼和称义的信条是真理。然而，他们处于启示状态时，却发现，并且由于被启示的视觉承认，没有人拥有源于亚当的原罪，只有源于历代祖辈的遗传之恶，这恶不可能在洗礼中通过主功德的归算和运用而被拿走。他们还发现，主功德的归算和运用是人的臆想，因为这是不可能的事；并且信绝无可能被注入任何吃奶的婴儿里面，因为信需要思考。
他们进一步发现，洗礼之所以是神圣的，是一项圣礼，是因为它是人能被主藉着源于圣言的真理重生的一个记号和纪念，对天堂来说是一个记号，对此人来说是一个纪念。还有，人通过受洗被引入教会，如同以色列人通过跨过约旦河被引入迦南地，又如同耶路撒冷的居民通过约翰的洗预备接受主；事实上，若没有天上在诸天使面前的这个记号，犹太人不可能继续存在，并在耶和华，也就是道成肉身的主降临时还能存活。他们所认可关于称义的信条与此类似。主功德的归算既不存在，也没有被赐予，这一点可见于《新耶路撒冷教义之主篇》（18节）。被称为“原罪”的遗传之恶并非来自亚当，而是来自历代祖辈，对此，可参看《圣治》（277节）一书。至于在圣言中，“亚当”表示什么，可参看该书241节。
776. Someone who does not know the symbolic meanings of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, thyine wood, 1ivory vessels, precious wood, bronze, iron, marble, and vessels in general, cannot but wonder that these things are listed, and may think they are simply words piled up to enhance the matter. But it can be seen from our explanations that not one single word is without meaning, and that the words constitute a full description of the fact that those Roman Catholics who have confirmed themselves in the dogmas of that religion possess not one single truth, and if not one single truth, then not one single good that is a good of the church.
[2] I have spoken with Roman Catholics who have confirmed themselves in that religion, even with some who were legates at the Council of Nicaea, 2the Lateran Council, 3and the Council of Trent, 4and to begin with they believed that what they had decided were pure and sacred truths. After being instructed, however, and being granted then an enlightenment from heaven, they confessed that they did not see one truth. But because they had confirmed themselves in their decrees more than others, following their state of enlightenment - which they themselves extinguished - they returned to their prior faith.
They believed especially that what they had decreed regarding baptism and justification were truths. Yet when they were still in a state of enlightenment, they saw, and from that enlightened sight confessed, that no one derives original sin from Adam, but from the successive generations of his own ancestry, and that this is not taken away in baptism by the imputation and application of the Lord's merit; that an imputation and application of the Lord's merit is a man-made fiction, because it is impossible; and that faith is never infused into any infant at its mother's breast, because faith requires thought.
[3] They saw that baptism is a still a holy sacrament, because it serves as a sign and reminder that a person can be regenerated by the Lord through truths from the Word - as a sign for heaven, and a reminder for the person - and that by baptism a person is introduced into the church, as by crossing the Jordan the children of Israel were introduced into the land of Canaan, and as the inhabitants of Jerusalem were prepared to receive the Lord by the baptism of John. For without that sign in heaven in the sight of angels, the Jews could not have continued and gone on living at the coming of Jehovah, that is, of the Lord in the flesh.
Similar to this was what they had decreed regarding justification.
That no imputation of the Lord's merit occurs or is possible may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord 18.
Also, that the evil heredity called original sin is derived not from Adam, but from the successive generations of a person's ancestry - this may be seen in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Providence 277. What Adam means in the Word may be seen in no. 241 of that same work.
Footnotes:
1. Thyine wood has not been identified. It has been associated with citron wood, and also with scented wood in general.
2. Probably the First Council of Nicaea, convened in 325, rather than the Second Council of Nicaea, convened in 787. Although True Christian Religion 176 refers to both councils, in the doctrines references to Nicaea are almost always to the first.
3. Five ecumenical Lateran Councils, defined as such, were convened, the first in 1123, the second in 1139, the third in 1179, the fourth in 1215, and the fifth in 1512-17. A number of other, non-ecumenical councils were also held in the Lateran Palace of the Vatican, the last in 1725, and it may be to this that the text refers.
4. Convened 1545-63 in twenty-five sessions under three successive popes.
776. He who does not know what is signified by 'gold,' 'silver,' precious stone,' 'pearl,' 'fine-linen,' 'purple,' 'silk,' 'scarlet,' 'thyme wood,' 'bronze,' 'iron,' 'marble' and 'a vessel' may wonder that such things have been enumerated and suppose that the words have been accumulated for the exaltation of the subject. But from the things expounded it can be established that not a single word is empty, and that by their means is fully described that those who have confirmed themselves in the dogmas of that form of religion do not have a single truth; and if there is not one truth, there is not one good that is a good of the Church.
[2] I have spoken with those who have confirmed themselves in that form of religion, even with some who were delegates in the Nicene Council, the Lateran Council, and the Council of Trent. At first they believed that the things they had decreed were pure and holy truths (veritas), but after instruction and the enlightenment then given out of heaven they confessed that they did not see a single truth. But because they had then confirmed themselves in them more than others, after the enlightenment, which they themselves extinguished, they went back to their former faith. They believed especially that the tenets that they sanctioned on BAPTISM and JUSTIFICATION were truths (veritas). Nevertheless, while they were in the enlightenment they saw, and as a result of enlightened vision, confessed, that no one has original sin derived from Adam but from his own parents in succession, and that this is not taken away in Baptism by the imputation and application of the Lord's merit. They also saw that the imputation and application of the Lord's merit is a human fiction because it is impossible, and that faith is never infused into any suckling because faith is [a matter] of thinking.
[3] They saw further that Baptism is holy and a sacrament because it serves for a sign and a memorial that a man can be regenerated by the Lord by means of truths derived from the Word, a sign for heaven and a memorial for the man. Also that by it the man is introduced into the Church, just as the sons of Israel [were introduced] into the land of Canaan by the crossing of the Jordan, and as the inhabitants of Jerusalem [were prepared] for the reception of the Lord by the baptism of John; for without that sign in heaven before the angels the Jews could not have continued in existence and lived at the coming of Jehovah, that is, the Lord, in the flesh. Similar to these were the things that they sanctioned concerning justification. That the imputation of the Lord's merit neither exists nor is given may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD 18. And that the hereditary evil that is called original sin is not from Adam but from parents in succession, in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING DIVINE PROVIDENCE 277. What 'Adam' in the Word means may be seen in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING DIVINE PROVIDENCE 241 there.
776. He who does not know what is signified by "gold," "silver," "precious stone," "pearl," "fine linen," "purple," "silk," "scarlet," "thyine wood," "an ivory vessel," "precious wood," "brass," "iron," "marble," and "a vessel," may wonder that such things are enumerated, and may think that they are only words multiplied for the exaltation of the subject. But it may be evident from the explanations, that not a single word is unmeaning, and that by them it is fully described, that they who have confirmed themselves in the dogmas of that religious persuasion have not a single truth; and if not a single truth, they have not a single good which is a good of the church.
[2] I have spoken with those who have confirmed themselves in that religious persuasion, also with some who were delegates in the Councils of Nice, of the Lateran, and of Trent, who in the beginning believed that what they had decreed were pure and holy truths, but after instruction and enlightenment then given from heaven, confessed that they did not see one truth; but because they had then confirmed themselves in them more than others, after the enlightenment, which they themselves extinguished, they returned to their former faith. They especially believed that what they had sanctioned concerning Baptism and Justification were truths. But still, when they were in enlightenment, they saw, and from enlightened sight confessed, that no one has original sin from Adam, but from his own parents successively; and that this is not taken away by the imputation and application of the Lord's merit in baptism; then that the imputation and application of the Lord's merit is a human fiction, because impossible; and that faith is never infused into any suckling, because faith is of one who thinks.
[3] Still they saw that baptism is holy and a sacrament, because it is a sign and a memorial that man can be regenerated by the Lord through truths from the Word, a sign for heaven, and a memorial for man. Also that by it a man is introduced into the church, as the sons of Israel by the crossing of the Jordan were introduced into the land of Canaan, and as the inhabitants of Jerusalem were prepared for the reception of the Lord by the baptism of John, for without that sign in heaven before the angels, the Jews could not have subsisted and lived at the coming of Jehovah, that is, the Lord, in the flesh. Similar to these were the things which they sanctioned concerning justification. That the imputation of the Lord's merit neither is, nor is given, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, (18). And that hereditary evil, which is called original sin, is not from Adam, but from parents successively, see in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence, (277). What "Adam" means in the Word, see 241 there.
776. Qui non scit quid per "aurum," "argentum," "lapidem pretiosum," "margaritam," "byssum," "purpuram," "sericum," "coccinum," "lignum thyinum," "vas eburneum," "lignum pretiosum," "aes," "ferrum," "marmor" et "vas," significatur, potest mirari quod talia enumerata sint, et opinari quod modo sint cumulatae voces ad exaltationem rei; sed ab explicatis constare potest, quod non unica vox sit vana, et quod per illa describatur plene, quod non illis qui confirmaverunt se in dogmatibus Religiosi istius sit unicum verum, et si non unicum verum non est unicum bonum, quod est bonum Ecclesiae.
Locutus sum cum illis qui in Religioso illo se confirmaverunt, etiam cum aliquibus qui in Concilio Niceno, Lateranensi et Tridentino, Legati fuerunt, qui principio crediderunt quod quae decreverant purae et sanctae Veritates essent; sed post instructionem, et tunc datam e Caelo illustrationem, confessi sunt quod ne unum verum videant; at quia se in illis tunc prae aliis confirmaverunt, post illustrationem, quam ipsi exstinxerunt, ad fidem suam priorem redierunt. Imprimis crediderunt, quod illa quae de Baptismo et Justificatione sanciverunt, essent Veritates; sed usque dum in illustratione erant, viderunt et ex visu illustrato confessi sunt, quod peccatum originale non sit alicui ex Adamo, sed a propriis parentibus successive, et quod non id in Baptismo per imputationem et applicationem meriti Domini tollatur; tum quod imputatio et applicatio meriti Domini sit figmentum humanum, quia impossibile; et quod nusquam alicui lactenti infundatur fides, quia fides est cogitantis. Viderunt usque quod Baptismus sit sanctus et sacramentum, quia in Signum et in Memoriale quod homo possit regenerari a Domino per vera ex Verbo, in Signum pro Caelo, et in Memoriale pro homine; et quod homo per illum introducatur in Ecclesiam, sicut filii Israelis per transitum Jordanis in Terram Canaanem, et sicut habitatores Hierosolymae ad receptionem Domini per Baptismum Johannis; nam absque illo signo in Caelo coram angelis, non potuerunt Judaei subsistere et vivere veniente Jehovah, hoc est, Domino in carnem. Similia his fuerunt quae de Justificatione sanciverunt.
Quod Imputatio meriti Domini non sit, nec detur, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Domino 18. Et quod malum haereditarium, quod vocatur peccatum originale, non sit ab Adamo sed a parentibus successive, in Sapientia Angelica de Divina Providentia 277. Quid "Adamus" in Verbo, 241 ibi.