254、①当看到各人民的宗教活动时，纯属世人或严格的唯物主义者会确认反对圣治。有些人完全不知道神，有些人拜太阳和月亮，有些人拜偶像和雕像。那些从这些事提取论据反对圣治的人不知道天堂的奥秘，这些奥秘多到数不清，但人们几乎一个也没参透。其中一个就是：人不是从天堂直接被教导的，而是间接被教导的（参看154-174节）。由于人是间接被教导的，并且福音不可能通过传教士到达全世界所有人那里，而宗教却能以各种方式甚至传到世界上遥远角落的民族那里，所以这一切通过圣治实现。因为没有人从自己获得宗教信仰，只能通过其他人；他从其他人那里获知（其他人要么直接从圣言，要么再通过其他人的传播获知），有一位神，有一个天堂和一个地狱，以及死后的生命，若要获得幸福，我们必须敬拜神。
宗教信仰从古圣言，后来从以色列人的圣言传遍世界（参看《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》101-103节）；没有圣言，没有人会认识神，知道天堂和地狱，以及死后的生命，更不知道主（参看《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》114-118节）。一旦一个宗教在一个民族中扎下根来，主就会通过该宗教的戒律和信条引导这个民族。此外，主确保每个宗教里面都有像十诫那样的戒律；如：必须敬拜神，不可亵渎神的名，要守圣日，尊敬父母，不可杀人、奸淫、偷盗或作假见证。视这些戒律为神性，并出于一种宗教动机而照之生活的民族就会得救，如刚才所述（253节）。此外，远离基督教界的大多数民族不是把这些视为世间法律，而是视为神性律法，并守之为圣。人通过照这些戒律生活而得救，这一点可见于取自十诫的《新耶路撒冷教义之生活篇》全文。
另一个天堂奥秘是：在主眼里，天使天堂如同一个人，其灵魂和生命就是主；这神性人是一个处于完整形式的人，不仅在外在部位和器官方面是这样一个人，而且在大量内在部位和器官，甚至在皮肤、膜、软骨和骨头方面也是这样一个人。只是这个人里面的所有组成部分都不是物质的，而是属灵的；主规定，那些无法得闻福音，只拥有某种宗教的人也能在这个神性人，也就是天堂里面占据一席之地，他们构成那些被称为皮肤、膜、软骨和骨头的部位，并且和其他人一样充满天堂的喜乐。至于他们的喜乐是像最高层天堂天使的，还是像最低层天堂天使的，则无所谓，因为凡进入天堂的人都会达到其内心喜乐的顶点；再大的喜乐他承受不住，因为他会因此窒息而死。
这就像一个农民和一个国王。当一个农民穿上崭新的纯羊毛衣服，坐在摆有猪肉、一块牛肉、奶酪、啤酒和普通葡萄酒的席前时，他可能会获得最高的喜乐；但他若像一个国王那样穿上镶金绣银的紫色丝袍，面对一桌山珍海味、美酒佳肴，就会感到非常不舒服。由此可见，末后的和首先的，在自己层级上的所有人都有天堂的幸福。那些在基督教界之外的人也有这种幸福，只要他们避恶如反对神的罪，因为邪恶违背他们的宗教信仰。
也有少数人完全不知道神。这些人若过着一种道德的生活，死后就会被天使教导，并接受其道德生活中的某种属灵之物，这一点可见于《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》（116节）。那些拜太阳和月亮，相信神就在那里的人也一样。他们不知道别的，所以这不算他们有罪；因为主说：
你们若瞎了眼（也就是你们若不知道），就没有罪了。（约翰福音9:41）
但有许多人，甚至在基督教界，拜偶像和雕像。这实际上是偶像崇拜，不过，并非所有人都是。因为对有些人来说，雕像是用来唤醒关于神的思维的手段；因为正是来自天堂的流注使得那些承认神的人想要看见祂；他们当中有些人因不能像内在属灵人那样将自己的心智提升到感官层之上，于是就用一个雕像或形像来唤醒自己的思维。那些如此行，但并未将雕像本身当作神来敬拜的人，若出于一种宗教动机照十诫的律法生活，就会得救。
由此清楚可知，主因渴望拯救所有人，所以确保凡生活良善的人，都能在天堂拥有某个地方。在主眼里，天堂就像一个人，因此天堂对应于人的整体和每个细节，还有一些人相当于皮肤、膜、软骨和骨头；对此，可参看1758年伦敦出版的《天堂与地狱》（59-102节），《属天的奥秘》（5552-5569节），以及本书（201-204节）。
254. (1) That the merely natural person confirms himself against Divine providence when he considers in regard to the religious beliefs of various nations that there are some completely ignorant of God, some who worship the sun and moon, and some, idols and graven images: People who draw arguments against Divine providence from these considerations do not know the secrets of heaven, which are beyond number, and scarcely one of which is known to mankind. One of them, too, is this, that a person is not taught directly from heaven, but indirectly, as may be seen discussed in nos. 154-174 above. And because a person is taught indirectly, and the Gospel could not be conveyed by missionaries to all who dwell over the whole earth, but religion could still be communicated in various ways even to gentiles who inhabit the remote corners of the world, therefore the latter was brought about by Divine providence.
For no one has any religion on his own, but receives it from someone else who knows from the Word, either independently or by transmission from others, that there is a God, a heaven and a hell, and life after death, and that God must be worshiped for a person to be among the blessed.
[2] It may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture 101-103, that religion was transmitted throughout the world from the Ancient Word and later from the Israelite Word, and in nos. 114-118, that without the Word no one would have had any knowledge of God, of heaven and hell, of life after death, and still less of the Lord.
Once religion has been implanted, that nation is led by the Lord in accordance with the precepts and tenets of its religion, and the Lord has provided that every religion contain precepts like those in the Decalogue, as that God is to be worshiped, that His name is not to be profaned, that a holy day is to be observed, that parents are to be honored, and that one is not to murder, commit adultery, steal, or bear false witness. The nation that makes these precepts Divine, and lives according to them in conformity with religion, is saved, as we said just above in no. 253.
Most nations far removed from the Christian world also regard these laws not as civil laws, but as Divine ones, and hold them sacred.
That a person is saved by living in accordance with these precepts may be seen from beginning to end in The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem in Accordance with the Precepts of the Decalogue.
[3] Among the secrets of heaven is also this one, that the angelic heaven is, in the Lord's sight, as though a single person, whose soul and life is the Lord. Moreover this Divine person is, in respect to its whole form, human, not only in respect to its external members and organs, but also in respect to its internal members and organs, of which there are many, and so, too, in respect to its integuments, membranes, cartilaginous tissues, and bones - though none of these in that person is material, but all spiritual. And the Lord has provided that it be possible also for those people to whom the Gospel could not be conveyed, but only some form of religion, to have a place in that Divine person as well, that is to say, in heaven, by their composing those constituents called integuments, membranes, cartilaginous tissues, and bones, and that they like others experience heavenly joy. For it does not matter whether their joy is like that of angels in the highest heaven or like that of angels in the lowest heaven, inasmuch as everyone who enters into heaven enters into his heart's highest joy. He can bear no higher one, since he would be suffocated in it.
[4] The case is comparatively like that of a peasant and a king. The peasant may experience the highest joy when going about in a new garment of coarse wool or sitting at a table laden with a cut of pork, a bit of beef, cheese, beer, and mulled wine. He would be anxious at heart if he were to be dressed like a king in purple, silk, gold and silver, or if he had placed before him a table laden with many kinds of delicacies and sumptuous foods accompanied by vintage wine.
It is apparent from this that those who are last experience heavenly happiness as well as those who are first, each on his own level. So, too, do those who are outside the Christian world, provided they refrain from evils as sins against God, because they are contrary to religion.
[5] There are a few people who are entirely ignorant of God. If these have lived a moral life, they are, after death, instructed by angels and acquire a spiritual quality in their moral life, as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture 116.
The same is the case with people who worship the sun and moon, believing God to be there. They know nothing else, and therefore it is not imputed to them as a sin. For the Lord says, "If you were blind" - which is to say, if you did not know - "you would have no sin" (John 9:41).
There are, however, many in the Christian world as well who worship idols and graven images. This is, indeed, idolatrous, but not in all cases. In some cases the carved figures serve as a means of prompting thought of God. For influx from heaven causes people who acknowledge God to wish to see Him, and because they cannot raise their mind above sensual concepts as those do who are inwardly spiritual, they use the carved figure or image to stimulate it. People who do this and do not worship the carved figure itself as God are saved if in addition they live the precepts of the Decalogue in conformity with their religion.
[6] It is apparent from this that because the Lord wills the salvation of all, He has also provided that it be possible for everyone to have some place in heaven if he has lived rightly.
(The fact that heaven in the Lord's sight is as though a single person, that heaven therefore corresponds to each and all of the constituents in a person, and that there are those inhabitants who have relation to the integuments, membranes, cartilaginous tissues, and bones, may be seen in Heaven and Hell 59-102 (in the book Heaven and Hell, published in London in 1758), and in Arcana Coelestia 5552-5569 [The Secrets of Heaven]; and also in nos. 201-204 above.)
254. 1. Strict materialists justify their rejection of divine providence when they look at the religious practices of various peoples. There are some with no knowledge of God at all, some who worship the sun and the moon, some who worship images and statues. People who use this as a source of arguments against divine providence do not know the secrets of heaven, the innumerable secrets of heaven of which we know scarcely one. One of them is that we are not taught directly from heaven but indirectly (see 154-174 above). Since we are taught indirectly, and since the Gospel could not be brought to everyone in the whole world by missionaries, while some religion could be carried by various means even to people in the remote corners of the world, this has therefore been accomplished by divine providence. That is, people do not simply originate a religion by themselves, they learn from others (who learned it from the Word either directly or by transmission through others) that there is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell and a life after death, and that we must worship God in order to be blessed.
[2] On the way religion has been transplanted throughout the world from the ancient Word and then from the Israelite Word, see Teachings for the New Jerusalem on Sacred Scripture 101-103; and on the fact that if it were not for the Word no one would know about God, heaven and hell, or life after death, let alone about the Lord, see Teachings for the New Jerusalem on Sacred Scripture 114-118 of that work.
Once a religion has taken root, the Lord leads its people by the laws and principles of that religion. Further, the Lord makes sure that in every religion there are laws like those of the Ten Commandments, stating that we are to worship God, not to profane his name, to observe holy days, to honor our parents, not to murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to commit perjury. Any people that regards these laws as divine and lives by them because of its religion is saved, as stated in 253 above. Most of the peoples remote from Christianity regard these not as civil laws but as divine laws and keep them sacred. In Teachings about Life for the New Jerusalem Drawn from the Ten Commandments, from beginning to end, it shows that we are saved by living according to these laws.
[3] Another of heaven's secrets is that in the Lord's sight the angelic heaven looks like a single person whose soul and life is the Lord, and that the form of this divine person is human in every respect, not only as to its outer members and organs but also as to its inner members and organs, which are abundant, and even as to its skin, membranes, cartilage, and bones. In this person, though, all these components are not material but spiritual; and the Lord has arranged that even people whom the Gospel has not reached, people who simply have some religion, can have a place in that divine person who is heaven. They can make up the parts we call skin, membranes, cartilage, and bones, and they are as full of heavenly joy as anyone else. It makes no difference whether their joy is like that of angels in the highest heaven or like that of angels in the lowest heaven, since all the people who get to heaven attain the highest joy of their hearts. They could not bear anything higher or they would suffocate.
[4] It is like a farmer and a king. A farmer can have his highest joy when he is dressed in new clothes of plain wool and sits down at a table where there is some pork, a joint of beef, some cheese, and some beer and mulled wine. He would be profoundly uncomfortable if he were dressed up like a king in purple, silk, gold, and silver and confronted with a table where there was a feast of all kinds of rich delicacies and fine wine. We can see, then, that there is heavenly happiness for the last as well as for the first, all on their own level. So there is happiness for people outside Christendom, if they simply abstain from evils as sins against God because evils are against their religion.
[5] There are a few people who know nothing whatever about God. You may see in Teachings for the New Jerusalem on Sacred Scripture 116 that if they have lived moral lives, after death they are taught by angels and accept something spiritual in their moral life. Much the same is true of people who worship the sun and the moon and believe that God is there. That is all they know, so it is not charged to them as a sin. After all, the Lord says "If you were blind," that is, if you did not know, "then you would have no sin" (John 9:41).
There are many people, though, who worship images and statues, even in the Christian world. This really is idolatry, but not for all of them. For some, the statues serve to awaken thoughts of God. It is from an inflow from heaven that people who believe in God want to see God; and since some of them cannot raise their minds above the sensory level the way deeper, spiritual people can, they awaken their thought with a statue or image. If people who do this are not worshiping the statue as God, and if they live by the laws of the Ten Commandments for religious reasons, they are saved.
[6] We can see from this that because the Lord wants to save everyone, he makes sure that all of us can have our places in heaven if we live well.
Heaven is like a single person in the Lord's sight, and therefore heaven corresponds to the human overall and in every detail, with people there who are equivalent to our skin, membranes, cartilages, and bones: see Heaven and Hell 59-102 (published in London in 1758) and Secrets of Heaven 5552-5564 [Secrets of Heaven 5552-5569], as well as 201-204 above.
254. III. CONFIRMATIONS FROM THE RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS OF VARIOUS PEOPLES AGAINST THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE.
(Summarised in n. 238)
1. The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine Providence when he regards the religious conditions of the various peoples, observing that there are some who are totally ignorant of God, and some who worship the sun and moon, and some who worship idols and graven images. Those who draw arguments from these circumstances against the Divine Providence are ignorant of the interior truths (arcana) of heaven. These are innumerable, but man is acquainted with scarcely any of them. Among these is this, that man is not taught immediately from heaven but mediately, as may be seen treated above (n. 154-174). Because man is taught mediately, and the Gospel by means of missionaries could not reach all who dwell in the whole world, and yet religion could be passed on in various ways even to the nations who occupy the remote corners of the earth, therefore this has been effected by the Divine Providence. For a knowledge of religion does not come to a man from himself, but through another who has either learned it himself from the Word or by tradition from others who have learned it, as that there is a God, that there are a heaven and a hell, that there is a life after death, and that God must be Worshipped in order that man may be made happy.
[2] That religion was spread throughout the whole world from the Ancient Word and afterwards from the Israelitish Word may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 101-103); and that unless there had been a Word no one could have had any knowledge of God, of heaven and of hell, of the life after death, still less of the Lord (n. 114-118 in the same work). When once a religion is established in a nation the Lord leads that nation according to the precepts and dogmas of its own religion; and He has provided that in every religion there should be precepts similar to those in the Decalogue; as, that God is to be worshipped, His name is not to be profaned, a holy day is to be observed, parents are to be honoured, murder, adultery, and theft are not to be committed, and false witness is not to be spoken. The nation which regards these precepts as Divine and lives according to them as a matter of religion is saved, as has just been stated above (n. 253). Moreover, most nations remote from the Christian world regard those laws not as civil but as Divine and hold them sacred. That man is saved by a life according to those precepts may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM [CONCERNING LIFE] FROM THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE DECALOGUE, from beginning to end.
[3] Among the interior truths of heaven there is this also: The angelic heaven before the Lord is as one Man, whose soul and life is the Lord. This Divine Man is in every particular of His form a Man, not only as to the external members and organs but also as to the internal members and organs which are more in number; and also as to the skins, membranes, cartilages and bones; but in that Man all these, both external and internal, are not material but spiritual. Further, it has been provided by the Lord that those who could not be reached by the Gospel, but only by a form of religion, should also have a place in that Divine Man, that is, in heaven, by constituting those parts that are called skins, membranes, cartilages and bones, and that they like others should be in heavenly joy. For it makes no difference whether they are in such joy as that experienced by the angels of the highest heaven or by the angels of the lowest heaven, since every one who enters heaven comes into the highest joy of his own heart; anything greater he does not assume, for he would be suffocated by it.
[4] For illustration of this compare a peasant and a king. A peasant may be in a state of the highest joy when he goes about in a new suit of rough home-spun, and sits down at a table on which is pork, a piece of beef, cheese, beer and fiery wine; and he would be distressed at heart if he were to be clothed like a king in purple, silk, gold and silver, and if a table were to be set for him with delicacies and costly food of many kinds with noble wine. From this it is clear that there is heavenly happiness for the last as well as for the first, for each in his degree; and consequently for those also who are outside the Christian world, provided they shun evils as sins against God because they are contrary to religion.
[5] There are a few who are totally ignorant of God. If these have lived a moral life they are instructed by angels after death and receive in their moral life something spiritual. This may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 116). It is the same with those who worship the sun and the moon, believing God to be in them. They do not know otherwise, and therefore this is not imputed to them as a sin, for the Lord says:
If ye were blind (that is, if ye did not know), ye should have no sin. (John 9:41).
But there are many who worship idols and graven images, even in the Christian world. This is indeed idolatrous, and yet not with all; as there are some to whom graven images serve as a means of arousing thought concerning God; for it is by virtue of influx from heaven that those who acknowledge God desire to see Him; and as they are not able to raise their minds above sensual things, like the interiorly spiritual worshippers, their thought of God is aroused by the graven object or image. Those are saved who do this, and who do not worship the image itself as God, if they also live according to the precepts of the Decalogue from a principle of religion.
[6] Hence it is clear that as the Lord desires the salvation of all He has also provided that everyone, if he lives well, may have some place in heaven. Before the Lord heaven is as one Man; thus heaven corresponds to all things in general and in particular that are in man; and there are also those who represent skins, membranes, cartilages and bones. This may be seen in the work HEAVEN AND HELL, published in London, 1758 (n. 59-102); and in the ARCANA COELESTIA (n. 5552-5569 (Original Edition 5564); and also above (n. 201-204).
254. (1) The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine providence when he considers the religious condition of various peoples-that there are some who are totally ignorant of God, and some who worship the sun and moon, and some who worship idols and graven images. Those who draw arguments from these things against the Divine providence are ignorant of the arcana of heaven, which are innumerable, and with scarcely one of which man is acquainted, among which is this, that man is not taught immediately from heaven but mediately (see above,154-174). And because man is taught mediately, and the Gospel could not reach through missionaries all that dwell in the whole world, and yet religion could be communicated in various ways even to the nations that occupy the remote parts of the earth, therefore this has been accomplished by the Divine providence. For no man gets his religion from himself, but through another, who has either learned directly from the Word, or by transmission from others who have learned it, that there is a God, that there are a heaven and a hell, that there is a life after death, and that in order to become happy God must be worshiped.
[2] That a religion was spread throughout the world from the Ancient Word, and afterwards from the Israelitish Word, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture (101-103); and that if there had been no Word there could have been no knowledge of God, of heaven and of hell, of the life after death, still less of the Lord, see the same work (114-118). When a religion has been once implanted in a nation the Lord leads that nation according to the precepts and dogmas of its own religion; and He has provided that there shall be in every religion precepts like those in the Decalogue; as, that God must be worshiped, His name must not be profaned, a sacred day must be observed, parents must be honored, and there must be no murder, adultery, theft, or false witness. The nation that regards these precepts as Divine and lives according to them from a religious motive is saved (as has been said just above,253). Moreover, most nations remote from Christendom regard these not as civil but as Divine laws, and hold them sacred. That man is saved by a life according to these precepts may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem [concerning Life] from the Commandments of the Decalogue, from beginning to end.
[3] Among the arcana of heaven is this also: The angelic heaven before the Lord is as one man, whose soul and life is the Lord; and this Divine Man is a man in complete form, not only in respect to external members and organs, but also in respect to internal members and organs, which are many, and even with respect to the skins, membranes, cartilages, and bones; but in that Man all these are spiritual, not material. And it has been provided by the Lord that those also who could not be reached by the Gospel, but only by a religion, should also be able to have a place in that Divine Man, that is, in heaven, constituting those parts that are called skins, membranes, cartilages, and bones, and that they, like others, should be in heavenly joy. For it matters not whether they are in joy like that of the angels of the highest heaven or in joy like that of the angels of the lowest heaven; for every one who comes into heaven enters into the highest joy of his heart; he can bear no higher joy, for he would be suffocated thereby.
[4] This may be compared to a peasant and a king. A peasant may be in a state of the highest joy when he goes about with a new suit of coarse wool, and sits down to a table on which is pork, a bit of beef, cheese, beer, and common wine, and would be oppressed at heart if like a king he were clothed in purple and silk, gold and silver, and a table were placed before him covered with delicacies and costly dishes of many kinds, with noble wine. From this it is clear that there is heavenly happiness for the last as well as for the first, for each in his degree; so also for those who are outside of the Christian world, provided they shun evils as sins against God because they are contrary to religion.
[5] There are a few who are wholly ignorant of God. That if such have lived a moral life they are taught by angels after death and receive in their moral life something spiritual, can be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture (116). So with those who worship the sun and moon, believing God to be there; as they do not know otherwise this is not imputed to them as a sin; for the Lord says,
If ye were blind (that is, if ye did not know) ye would have no sin (John 9:41).
But there are many, even in the Christian world, who worship idols and graven images. This indeed is idolatrous, and yet not with all; for there are some to whom graven images are serviceable as a means of awakening thought about God; for it is from an influx from heaven that those who acknowledge God wish to see Him; and as these are not able, like the interiorly spiritual, to lift their minds above sensual things, their thought of God is aroused by the graven thing or image. Those who do this and do not worship the graven image itself as God, if they live according to the precepts of the Decalogue from a religious motive, are saved.
[6] From all this it is clear that as the Lord desires the welfare of all He has provided also that every one may have some place in heaven if he lives well. That before the Lord heaven is as one man, and thus heaven corresponds to each and all things in man, and also that there are those who answer to skins, membranes, cartilages, and bones, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, published at London in the year 1758 (Heaven and Hell 59-102); and in the Arcana Coelestia 5552-5569; also above (201-204).
254. I. Quod mere naturalis homo contra Divinam Providentiam se confirmet, cum spectat ad religiosa variorum 1gentium, quod dentur qui prorsus ignorant Deum, quodque dentur qui adorant solem et lunam; tum qui idola et sculptilia. Illi qui ex his deducunt argumenta contra Divinam Providentiam, non sciunt arcana coeli, quae innumerabilia sunt, quorum vix unum homo novit; inter illa etiam est, quod homo non immediate doceatur e Coelo, sed mediate, de qua re videatur supra 154-174; et quia mediate, et non potuit per emissarios ad omnes qui in universo terrarum Orbe habitant, venire Evangelium, sed usque potuit religio per varias vias etiam ad gentes, quae in angulis mundi sunt, traduci, quare hoc per Divinam Providentiam factum est: nam non est alicui homini religio ex se, sed per alium, qui vel ipse vel ex aliis per traducem scivit 2ex Verbo, quod Deus sit, quod Coelum et infernum sint, quod vita post mortem sit, et quod Deus colendus sit, ut beatus fiat.
[2] Quod Religio transplantata sit in universum Orbem ex Verbo vetusto, et dein Israelitico, videatur in DOCTRINA NOVAE HIEROSOLYMAE DE SCRIPTURA SACRA 101-103; et quod nisi Verbum fuisset, nemo scivisset Deum, Coelum et Infernum, vitam post mortem, minus Dominum, 114-118 ibi. Cum semel Religio implantata est, ducitur gens illa a Domino secundum religionis suae praecepta 3et dogmata; et providit Dominus, ut in unaquavis religione sint praecepta, qualia sunt in decalogo, ut quod Deus colendus sit, Nomen Ipsius non prophanandum, festum habendum, honorandi parentes, non occidendum, non adulterium committendum, non furandum, non false testandum; gens quae illa praecepta facit Divina, ac vivit secundum illa ex religione, salvatur, ut mox supra 253, dictum est: pleraeque etiam Gentes a Christianismo remotae illas leges non ut civiles, sed ut Divinas spectant, et sanctas habent: quod homo per vitam secundum illa praecepta salvetur, videatur in DOCTRINA [VITAE] NOVAE HIEROSOLYMAE EX PRAECEPTIS DECALOGI, a principio ad finem.
[3] Inter Arcana Coeli etiam hoc est, quod Coelum Angelicum coram Domino sit sicut unus Homo, cujus anima 4et vita est Dominus, et quod ille Divinus Homo sit in omni forma homo, non modo quoad membra et organa externa, sed etiam quoad membra et organa interna, quae plura sunt, tum etiam quoad cutes, membranas, cartilagines et ossa; at haec et illa in Homine isto non sunt materialia, sed sunt spiritualia; et provisum est a Domino, ut quoque illi, ad quos Evangelium non potuit venire, sed solum religio, etiam locum in Divino illo Homine, hoc est, in Coelo, habere possent, constituendo illa, quae vocantur cutes, membranae, cartilagines et ossa; et quod similiter ac alii in coelesti gaudio essent: nam non refert, si in gaudio 5quale est angelis supremi Coeli, seu in gaudio quale est angelis ultimi Coeli, nam quisque qui in Coelum venit, in summum sui cordis gaudium venit; non sustinet superius, in hoc enim suffocaretur:
[4] est comparative sicut agricola et Rex; agricola potest in summo gaudio esse, cum incedit veste nova ex rudi lana, et accumbit ad mensam, super qua est caro suilla, frustum bovis, caseus, cerevisia et vinum adustum; hic angustaretur corde, si sicut Rex indueretur purpura, serico, auro et argento, et apponeretur ei mensa, super qua lautitiae ac opiparae dapes multi generis cum vino nobili: ex quo patet, quod ultimis sicut primis sit felicitas coelestis, cuivis in suo gradu; ita quoque illis qui extra Christianum Orbem sunt, modo fugiant mala ut peccata contra Deum, quia contra religionem.
[5] Sunt pauci, qui prorsus ignorant Deum; quod hi, si moralem vitam egerunt, post mortem instruantur ab angelis, et in morali sua vita recipiant spirituale, videatur in DOCTRINA NOVAE HIEROSOLYMAE DE SCRIPTURA SACRA 116. Similiter qui Solem et Lunam adorant, et credunt ibi esse Deum; non sciunt aliud, quare id non illis pro peccato imputatur, nam dicit Dominus, si caeci essetis, hoc est, si non sciretis, non haberetis 6peccatum, Johannes 9:41. Plures autem sunt, qui colunt idola et sculptilia, etiam in Christiano Orbe; hoc quidem est idololatricum, sed non apud omnes; sunt enim quibus sculptilia inserviunt pro medio excitandi cogitationem de Deo; ex influxu enim e Coelo est, ut qui Deum agnoscit velit videre Ipsum, et hi quia non possunt elevare mentem super sensualia, sicut interiores spirituales, ideo ex sculptili seu imagine exsuscitant illam; 7illi qui hoc faciunt, et non adorant ipsum sculptile ut Deum, si etiam ex religione vivunt praecepta decalogi, salvantur.
[6] Ex his patet, quod quia Dominus vult omnium salutem, providerit etiam ut quisque aliquem locum in coelo possit habere, si bene vivit: Quod Coelum coram Domino sit sicut unus Homo, et quod inde Coelum correspondeat omnibus et singulis quae apud hominem sunt, 8et quod etiam sint qui referunt cutes, membranas, cartilagines et ossa, videatur in Opere de COELO ET INFERNO 59-102, Londini 1758 edito: tum in ARCANIS COELESTIBUS, 5552-5569 9; et quoque supra 201-204.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: variarnm
2 Prima editio: sciverunt
3 Prima editio: proecepta
4 Prima editio: anima
5 Prima editio: gaudio,
6 Prima editio: baberetis
7 Prima editio: illud;
8 Prima editio: sunt;
9 Prima editio: 5564;