108、没有人能知道信本质上是什么，除非他知道仁是什么，哪里没有仁，哪里就没有信，因为仁与信就像良善与真理那样构成一体。事实上，人爱什么或珍视什么，什么对他来说就是良善；人相信什么，什么对他来说就是真理；由此明显可知，仁与信有一个类似良善与真理那样的结合；这种结合的性质从前面（28-35节）关于良善与真理的说明清楚可知。
108、没有人能知道信仰在本质上是什么，除非他知道仁爱是什么，因为没有仁爱的地方就没有信仰，因为仁爱与信仰合二为一就像良善与真理的合二为一。因为人爱和珍视什么，这对他就是善的，人信仰什么，这对他就是真理。因此显然仁爱和信仰的结合与良善和真理的结合是一样的。上面关于良善和真理所说内容能够显示这种结合的性质。
108. Faith
NO one knows what faith is in its essence who does not know what caring is, because where there is no caring there is no faith. This is because caring is just as inseparable from faith as goodness is from truth. What we love or really care about 1is what we regard as good, and what we believe is what we regard as true. We can therefore see that the oneness of caring and faith is like the oneness of what is good and what is true. The nature of that union was made clear in the earlier material on goodness and truth [11-27].
Footnotes:
1. The Latin phrase here translated "What we . . . care about" is quod . . . charum habet, literally, "what one holds dear. " Swedenborg's use of charum-the alternative spelling of the adjective carum, "dear"-may be intended to connect it with the Latin word charitas, here translated "caring. " See note 19. [GFD]
108. Part III: Our Spiritual Life
Chapter 7. Faith
Since faith does not exist where there is no kindness, we cannot possibly know what the essential nature of faith is unless we know what kindness is. Kindness and faith work together in the same way that goodness and truth do. Whatever we love and care about, we think of as good, and whatever we believe, we think of as true. So clearly there is the same kind of union between kindness and faith as there is between goodness and truth. You can see what this union is like from what I said before about goodness and truth.
108. VII. ON FAITH
No one can know what in its essence faith is without knowing what charity is, since where there is no charity there is no faith; charity makes one with faith like good with truth. What a person loves or holds dear, that is for him good; and what he believes, that is for him truth. From this it is plain that the union of charity and faith is like the union of good and truth; and the nature of this union may be established from what has already been said about good and truth.
108. FAITH
WHAT faith in its essence is cannot be known by any one, unless he knows what charity is; for faith is not where charity is not, because charity makes one with faith, as good makes one with truth. For what a man loves, that is, what he holds dear, that in his eyes is good; and what he believes, that in his eyes is true. From this it is evident, that there is a like union of charity and faith, as there is of good and truth; and the nature of that union may appear from what has been said above concerning Good and Truth.
108. VII. FAITH.
No one can know what faith is in its essence, unless he knows what charity is, because where there is no charity there is no faith, for charity makes one with faith as good does with truth. For what man loves or holds dear, this to him is good, and what man believes, this to him is truth; whence it is plain that there is a like union of charity and faith, as there is of good and truth; the quality of which union may appear from what has been said above concerning Good and Truth.
108. (VII.) DE FIDE.
NEMO scire potest quid fides in sua essentia nisi sciat quid charitas, quoniam ubi non charitas ibi non fides, nam charitas unum facit cum fide sicut bonum cum vero; quod enim homo amat seu quod carum habet, hoc ei est bonum, et quod homo credit, hoc ei est verum: inde patet quod similis unio sit charitatis et fidei, qualis est boni et veri; quae unio qualis est, constare potest ex illis quae prius de Bono et Vero dicta sunt.