69、自然界有两种属性，即空间和时间。生活在自然界的人根据它们形成自己的思维观念，并由此形成他的理解力。人若停留在这些观念中，不将自己的心智提升到它们之上，绝不能领悟属灵的神性事物，因为他会将这些事物包裹在取自时空的观念中；并且他如此行到何等程度，其理解力之光就在何等程度上变得纯粹属世。从这光用推理来思考属灵的神性事物，就像从夜间的黑暗思考那些只在白昼之光中出现的事物。这就是自然主义的起源。相反，人若知道如何将自己的心智提升至取自时空的思维观念之上，就会从黑暗进入光明，在属灵的神性事物上拥有洞察力，最终明白在属灵的神性事物里面并来自它们的事物。此外，这时他还凭这光驱散属世之光的黑暗，将其谬误从中央赶到周边。凡具有理解力的人都能在思维上超越自然界的这些属性，实际上也会如此思考；然后肯定并看到神性因全在而不在空间之中。他也能肯定并看到我们前面所提出的那些观点。但是，他若否认神性全在，将一切事物都归于自然，就不愿被提升，尽管他有这个能力。
69. Divinity fills all space in the universe nonspatially. Nature has two basic properties: space and time. In this physical world, we use them to form the concepts of our thinking and therefore the way we understand things. If we stay engaged with them and do not raise our minds above them, there is no way we can grasp anything spiritual and divine. We entangle such matters in concepts drawn from space and time, and to the extent that we do, the light of our discernment becomes merely earthly. When we use this light to think logically about spiritual and divine matters, it is like using the dark of night to figure out things that can be seen only in the light of day. Materialism comes from this kind of thinking.
However, when we know how to raise our minds above images of thought derived from space and time, we pass from darkness into light and taste things spiritual and divine. Eventually we see what is inherent in them and what they entail; and then we dispel the darkness of earthly lighting with that [new] light and dismiss its illusions from the center to the sides.
People who possess discernment can think on a higher level than these properties of nature--can think realistically, that is--and see with assurance that Divinity, being omnipresent, is not within space. They can also see with assurance the other things already mentioned. If they deny divine omnipresence, though, and attribute everything to nature, then they do not want to be lifted up even though they could be.
69. The Divine fills every space and interval of space in the universe independently of space. Nature has two properties, space and time. A person in the natural world forms his mental concepts and thus his understanding in accordance with them. If he remains immersed in these concepts and does not raise his mind above them, he is incapable of ever perceiving anything spiritual or Divine, for he wraps his notions of them in ideas drawn from space and time, and to the extent that he does this, to the same extent the sight of his intellect becomes merely natural. To think from this sight in reasoning about spiritual and Divine matters is like thinking from the darkness of night about things which appear only in the light of day. That is the origin of naturalism. 1
In contrast, one who knows how to raise his mind above concepts drawn from space and time passes from darkness into light, and he discerns matters spiritual and Divine, and finally sees the components in them and effects springing from them. Moreover, from the light in which he is then, he dispels the darkness of his natural sight and banishes its misconceptions from the center to the peripheries.
Every man possessing the intellect has the capacity to think on a level above the aforesaid properties of nature, and also actually does so think, and he then affirms and sees that the Divine, being omnipresent, is not bounded by space. He is also able as well to affirm and see those points which we have presented above. But if he denies the Divine omnipresence and attributes all phenomena to nature, he is in that case unwilling to be elevated, even though he has the capacity to be.
Footnotes:
1. The general philosophical position that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws.
69. THE DIVINE, APART FROM SPACE, FILLS ALL THE SPACES OF THE UNIVERSE
There are two things proper to Nature, SPACE and TIME. It is from these that man in the natural world forms the ideas of his thought and thence of his understanding. If he remains in these ideas and does not raise his mind above them, he can never perceive anything spiritual and Divine, for he involves them in ideas derived from space and time, and in proportion as he does this, the light (lumen) of his understanding becomes merely natural. To think from this in reasoning about spiritual and Divine things is like thinking from the dense darkness of night about those things which appear only in the light of day. From this comes Naturalism. But he who knows how to raise his mind (mens) above ideas of thought derived from space and time, passes out of dense darkness into light, and discerns spiritual and Divine things, and at length sees those things which are in them and from them. And then from that light he disperses the density of natural light, relegating its fallacies from the middle to the sides. Every man who has understanding can think above things proper to Nature; and he actually does so. And then he affirms and sees that the Divine, because it is Omnipresent, is not in space. He is also able to affirm and to see the things which have been adduced above. But if he denies Divine Omnipresence and ascribes all things to Nature, then he does not wish to be raised even although he can be.
69. THE DIVINE, APART FROM SPACE, FILLS ALL SPACES OF THE UNIVERSE.
There are two things proper to nature - space and time. From these man in the natural world forms the ideas of his thought, and thereby his understanding. If he remains in these ideas, and does not raise his mind above them, he is in no wise able to perceive things spiritual and Divine, for these he involves in ideas drawn from space and time; and so far as that is done the light [lumen] of his understanding becomes merely natural. To think from this lumen in reasoning about spiritual and Divine things, is like thinking from the thick darkness of night about those things that appear only in the light of day. From this comes naturalism. But he who knows how to raise his mind above ideas of thought drawn from space and time, passes from thick darkness into light, and has discernment in things spiritual and Divine, and finally sees the things which are in and from what is spiritual and Divine; and then from that light he dispels the thick darkness of the natural lumen, and banishes its fallacies from the middle to the sides. Every man who has understanding is able to transcend in thought these properties of nature, and actually does so; and he then affirms and sees that the Divine, because omnipresent, is not in space. He is also able to affirm and to see the things that have been adduced above. But if he denies the Divine Omnipresence, and ascribes all things to nature, then he has no wish to be elevated, though he can be.
69. QUOD DIVINUM IMPLEAT OMNIA SPATIA UNIVERSI ABSQUE SPATIO. Sunt duo Naturae propria, SPATIUM et TEMPUS; ex his homo in naturali Mundo format ideas suae cogitationis, et inde intellectum; si manet in illis ideis, et 1 non elevat mentem supra illas, nusquam potest percipere aliquid spirituale et Divinum, involvit enim illa ideis quae trahunt ex spatio et tempore, et quantum hoc facit, tantum fit lumen intellectus ejus mere naturale; ex hoc cogitare ratiocinando de spiritualibus et Divinis, est sicut ex caligine noctis de illis quae solum in luce diei apparent; inde est naturalismus. At qui scit elevare mentem supra ideas cogitationis, quae trahunt ex spatio et tempore, ille transit e caligine in lucem, et sapit spiritualia et Divina, et tandem videt ea quae in illis et ex illis sunt; et tunc ex illa luce discutit caliginem luminis naturalis, ac fallacias ejus e medio ad latera relegat. Omnis vir, cui intellectus, cogitare potest supra illa propria naturae, et quoque actualiter cogitat, et tunc affirmat et videt, quod Divinum, quia Omnipraesens, non sit in spatio; et quoque affirmare et videre potest illa, quae supra allata sunt: at si negat Divinam Omnipraesentiam, et Naturae adscribit omnia, tunc non vult elevari, tametsi potest.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: ["and" symbol], ["and" symbol]