112# 第三则可记念之事：
有一次，拂晓之后我苏醒，行至屋前园囿，望见东方太阳大放光辉，日轮外围环绕一圈光带，初时纤细淡薄，继而愈发明亮，金光四射；太阳下缘腾起一片云霞，受日火映照，通体泛红，光亮宛若红宝石。彼时我心中想起上古先民流传的传说，传言曙光女神生有银白双翼，口中衔持黄金。正当我沉浸此般思绪、心中恬然之时，我入于灵中，听见一众灵彼此交谈：“但愿有机会与那位革新者论谈；他将厄里斯之果抛在教会诸首领当中，众多平信徒纷纷上前拾取，呈献在我等面前。” 他们口中所说的果子，乃是一册名为《新教会教义纲要阐释》的小册子。又有灵言道：“此事乃是从古至今从未出现的纷争根源。” 忽有一灵高声喝道：“何谓纷争？此乃异端邪说！” 他身旁诸灵出言劝阻：“休要妄言。此书并非异端，书中大量援引圣言原文，此间一众平信徒皆细读经文，心中深以为然。”
【2】我身在灵中，听闻这番对话，便移步上前问道：“我便是那人，发生了何事？” 人群之中一灵上前答话，后来我得知他生于萨克森，乃是德意志人，语气带着自持的威严：“你何来这般胆量，竟敢颠覆基督教界数百年来传持的敬拜次序？历来世人敬拜之规，乃是呼求父上帝为天地造物主，呼求祂的子作中保，呼求圣灵施行感化。你却将元始与末后的上帝，从我等公认的诸位格之中割裂开来。然而主亲口留下训言：‘你们祷告，要这样说：我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣，愿你的国降临。’这话岂不是吩咐我等向父上帝祈求？” 话音落下，全场寂然；认同他说法的灵尽数起身，如同战船之上的兵士望见敌舰列阵，预备高声呐喊开战，笃定胜利必将归属于己方。
【3】我随即开口对众人言道：“你们何人不知，雅威上帝亲自降世、取了人身？圣言记载：‘道与上帝同在，上帝就是道[ Deus erat Verbum，直译应为 “上帝就是道”，和合本译作 “道就是上帝” ]…… 道成了肉身。’再者，你们何人不晓 —— 我目光望向一众福音派的灵，方才发言的辩士亦在其中 —— 由童女马利亚所生的基督之内，上帝即是人，人即是上帝？” 众灵听闻此言，纷纷喧哗辩驳。我又道：“此事本就契合你们所持《协同信条》所载教义，书中明述此理，且罗列诸多论证佐证。” 那辩士转头询问身旁诸灵，众人答道：“我等研读此书时，专注考究唯信称义的条目，于基督位格相关论述甚少深究；倘若书中果真如此记载，我等便予以接纳。” 片刻后一灵猛然忆起，开口说道：“书中的确有此论说，且所言更详：基督的人性本体被抬举至神性尊荣，拥有神性一切属性；并且祂凭这人性，坐在父上帝的右边。”
【4】众人听罢，一时无言。见他们已然认可这番道理，我接续发问：“若是如此，父若非寓于子中，又是何物？子若非与父合一，又是何物？” 这番话语再度刺痛众人，我便继续引述主的言语：“你们且留心主亲口所言，从前若是未曾细读，此刻务必记取。祂说：‘我与父原为一。’又说：‘父在我里面，我在父里面。’又说：‘父啊，我所有的，都是你的；你所有的，都是我的。’又说：‘人看见了我，就是看见了父。’这般话语别无他解，唯有父居于子内，子居于父内，二者合而为一，恰似人内里灵魂与肉身一体不分，同属一个位格。倘若你们信奉《亚他那修信经》，便应当接纳此理，信经之中亦有相同记述。单取主这一句话语便可明晰：‘父啊，我所有的，都是你的；你所有的，都是我的。’此言便是指明，父的神性归于子的人性，子的人性依托父的神性。是以基督之内，上帝为人，人为上帝；父与子便如灵魂与肉身一般合而为一。”
【5】凡人皆可借自身灵魂与肉身，领会这般相互合一之理：灵魂与肉身可以互称 “你所有即是我所有，我所有即是你所有；你居于我内，我居于你内；旁人看见我的形体，便是看见内里的你；我与你在位格、生命之上全然合一。” 究其根源，灵魂充盈人身每一处肌理；灵魂的生命，便是肉身存续的生命，二者相互依存、彼此贯通。由此便能知晓，父的神性便是子内里的灵魂，子的人性便是父借以显现的肉身。子内里的灵魂由父而出，肉身则由母亲孕育。所谓 “父的神性”，便是父自身，父与祂的神性本为一体，不可分割。天使加百列向马利亚所言，便是明证：“至高者的能力要荫庇你，圣灵要临到你；因此所要生的圣者，必称为上帝的儿子。” 经文随即称祂为至高者的儿子，别处又称祂为独生子。可你们仅将祂称作马利亚之子，便丢失了祂内里神性的认知；这般偏颇之见，多见于饱读典籍的教士与博学平信徒。他们将心智脱离肉身感官之时，一心追逐自身名望带来的虚浮荣耀，这份荣耀遮蔽、甚至熄灭了承载上帝荣光的属灵之光。
【6】我们再回头解读主祷文：“我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣；愿你的国降临。” 在场诸灵读这段经文，只理解为父独自居于纯粹神性之中；而我所领会的，乃是父寓于人性之内，这人性便是父的名。主曾祷告：“父啊，愿你荣耀你的名。” 其意便是求父荣耀祂所取的人性；待到这事成就，上帝之国便会降临。这篇祷文是为主降临的世代所立，教人借着祂的人性亲近父上帝。主也曾明言：“若不借着我，没有人能到父那里去。” 先知书卷亦有记载：“因有一婴孩为我们而生；有一子赐给我们…… 他名称为…… 全能的神、永在的父。” 别处又写道：“雅威啊，你是我们的父；自亘古之时，你的名号便是我们的救赎主。” 圣言上千处经文，皆称我等救主为雅威，这便是主祷文这段文字真正的内涵。
【7】一番话说毕，我静静观察众人，随他们心中认知起伏，面容神色亦随之更改；一部分灵心中认同，抬眼望向我；一部分灵心存抵触，转头避开我的目光。彼时我望见右侧浮起一片蛋白石色云霞，左侧则是昏暗沉郁的云，两片云霞之下皆有细雨洒落。左侧云下的雨寒凉萧瑟，如同晚秋冷雨；右侧云下的雨温润柔和，恰似初春甘露。转瞬之间，我脱离灵的状态，重归肉身，自灵界回到自然世间。
112# 第三个记事：
天亮后不久，我醒来一次，走进家门前的花园，看到太阳在他的荣耀中升起，他周围有一个光环，起初很微弱，但后来变得更清晰，像金子一样闪闪发光，它的边缘下面有一片升起的云，这云因太阳的光线而像红宝石一样闪闪发光。这让我想起了上古之人的寓言，这寓言用银翅膀、金脸庞或嘴里含金来描绘黎明女神欧若拉。当我的心智沉浸在这些沉思的快乐中时，我进入灵里，听见一些灵人在交谈，他们说：“但愿我们可以与那个将纠纷的苹果扔到教会领袖中间的创新者谈一谈；许多平信徒都冲向这个苹果，把它捡起来，放在我们眼前让我们看。”他们所说的苹果是指那本名为《新教会教义纲要》的小著。他们说：“这无疑是一本分裂的著作，是以前没有人想到的。”然后，我听见其中一个人惊呼：“分裂者？这是异端！”但他身边的一些人反驳说：“安静！住嘴！这不是异端。它从圣言中引用了大量经文；我们的新信徒都会关注并支持这些经文的，我们所说的新信徒是指平信徒。”
听到这些话，我因在灵里，于是就上前说：“我在这里，有什么问题吗？”他们当中有一个人，一个德国人，如我后来所了解到的，一个萨克森人，立刻以权威的语气说：“你怎敢颠覆基督教界多个世纪以来建立的敬拜？这种敬拜建立在以下教导上：父神要作为宇宙的创造者被呼求，祂的儿子作为中保被呼求，而圣灵作为运作者被呼求。此外，你剥夺了第一位和最后一位神的人格，尽管主自己说：‘你们祷告时，要这样祷告：我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣，愿你的国降临。’因此，我们不是被吩咐要呼求父神吗？”这些话说完，一片寂静，所有支持发言者的人都站立，就像勇敢的海兵站在战舰上一样，他们准备在看到敌人的舰队时大喊：“现在让我们战斗吧；胜利一定属于我们！”
然后我起身发言，说：“你们中间谁不知道神从天上降下来，成了人呢？因为经上记着：‘圣言与神同在，圣言就是神。圣言成了肉身。’此外，你们中间谁不知道（这时，我看着福音派信徒，那个刚才向我说话的独裁者就在他们中间），在童女马利亚所生的基督里，神为人，人为神呢？”会众对此一片哗然；因此，我说：“难道你们不知道这一点吗？这符合你们那被称为《协和信条》的信仰告白的教义，在那里，这一点是肯定的，是得到充分证实的。”然后，这个独裁者转向会众，问他们是否知道这一点。他们回答说：“我们很少研究这本书关于基督位格的内容，但我们花了大量精力研究了唯信称义。然而，如果这本书是这么写的，我们就同意。”于是，其中一个人想起来了，说：“书上是这么写的；此外，它说，基督的人性被提升到神性威严及其一切属性；还说，就人性而言，基督坐在父的右手边。”
当听到这话时，他们沉默了。由于这是无可争议的，所以我再次发言说：“既然如此，那么父不就是子，子不就是父吗？”然而，这句话让他们感觉刺耳，于是我继续说：“你们要听从主的话。如果你们以前没有听从，那么现在就听从它们。祂说：‘我与父为一；父在我里面，我在父里面；父啊，凡我的都是你的，凡你的也都是我的；人看见了我，就是看见了父。’这些话是什么意思呢？不就是在说父在子里面，子在父里面，他们为一，如同人的灵魂和身体为一，因而他们是一个位格吗？如果你们信《亚他那修信经》，而那里说了几乎同样的话，那么这难道不是你们的信仰吗？然而，从刚才所引用的经文中举主说的这一句话：‘父啊，凡我的都是你的，凡你的也都是我的。’这句话还能是什么意思呢？不就是在说父的神性属于子的人性，子的人性属于父的神性，因此在基督里，神为人，人为神，因而他们为一，如同灵魂和身体为一吗？
“同样，每个人都可以这样说自己的灵魂和身体，即：‘凡我的都是你的，凡你的也都是我的；你在我里面，我在你里面；人看见了我，就是看见了你；我们在位格和生命上都为一。’原因在于，灵魂在这个人里面，就在他的整个和每一部分里面，因为灵魂的生命就是身体的生命，两者之间存在着相互关系。这一切清楚表明，父的神性就是子的灵魂，子的人身就是父的身体。儿子的灵魂不是来自父亲吗？儿子的身体不是来自母亲吗？我们所说的父的神性，是指父自己，因为祂与祂的神性是同一个；这神性是一，是不可分割的。情况就是这样，这一点从天使加百列对马利亚说的话也明显看出来，即：‘至高者的能力荫庇你，圣灵要临到你身上；从你所生的圣物必称为神的儿子。’就在刚才，主被称为‘至高者的儿子’，在别的地方被称为‘独生子’。但你们只把祂称为马利亚的儿子，从而摧毁了祂的神性观念；然而，摧毁这种观念的，只是神职人员当中学识渊博的人，和平信徒当中的学者，因为当这些人把自己的思维提升到属于身体的感官事物之上时，他们就关注自己名声的荣耀；这不仅遮蔽带来神荣耀的光，还熄灭这光。
“让我们回到主祷文，那里说：‘我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣；愿你的国降临。’你们这些在场的人将这些话理解为只在其神性中的父；而我却理解为在其人身中的父。此外，这人身就是父的名；因为主说：‘父啊，荣耀你的名’，也就是说，荣耀祂的人身；当这一切成就时，神的国就降临了。这篇主祷文现今被吩咐的原因是很明显的，即：为的是可以藉着祂的人身接近父神。主也说：‘若不藉着我，没有人能到父那里去。’在先知书祂说：‘有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，祂名称为奇妙、勇士、永在的父。’在别的地方又说：‘耶和华啊，你是我们的父，从万古以来，你名为我们的救赎主。’此外，在其它许多地方，主我们的救主被称为耶和华。这才是对主祷文中的这些话的正确解释。”
说完这些话，我看着他们，注意到他们脸上的表情随着他们心智状态的变化而变化，有的赞同我并看向我，有的不赞同，并转身离开。这时，我看见右边有一片乳白色的云，左边有一片乌云；在每种云下面都像是有一场雨降下。乌云下面像是有深秋之雨，而乳白色的云下面像是有早春的露水。然后，突然间，我从灵里进入了身体，因而从灵界回到了自然界。
112. The third memorable occurrence. Once I woke up just after first light. I went out into the garden in front of my house and watched the sun rising in its splendor. There was a halo around it, at first very subtle, but later on more definite, shining as though it was made of gold. Beneath the sun's rim I saw a cloud rising up. Mirroring the flame of the sun, it gleamed like a ruby.
At that point I fell into a meditation based on the myths of the most ancients, reflecting on how they pictured Aurora, the Dawn, as having silver wings and carrying gold in her mouth. Mentally taking great pleasure in these sights, I came into my spirit.
I heard some spirits in a discussion saying, "I would love an opportunity to talk to that innovator who has tossed an apple of discord among the leaders of the church. Many lay people have rushed to that apple, picked it up, and set it before our eyes. "
The "apple" they meant was the little volume titled Survey of Teachings for the New Church.
"It is something genuinely schismatic that no one has thought of before," they said.
I heard one of them cry out, "Schismatic? Its heretical!"
Some by his side retorted, "Be quiet! It isn't heretical. It cites many statements from the Word that the strangers in our midst (meaning our lay people) pay attention to and support. "
[2] When I had heard all that, I went to them (since I was in my spirit) and said, "Here I am. What's your concern?"
One of them - I heard later that he was a German, a native of Saxony - speaking with the tone of authority, immediately said, "Where did you get the audacity to overturn the worship that has been established in the Christian world for so many centuries, the practice of calling on God the Father as Creator of the universe, his Son as its Mediator, and the Holy Spirit as its Effecter? You remove the first and the last God from our concept of personhood. Yet the Lord himself says, 'When you pray, pray like this: "Our Father who is in the heavens, your name must be kept holy; your kingdom must come. "' We are commanded then to call on God the Father. "
After he had spoken it became quiet. All who sided with him stood like mighty soldiers on warships who have spotted the enemy fleet and are about to shout, "Now to battle! The victory is sure!"
[3] Then I stood up to speak. "Surely you are all aware," I said, "that God came down from heaven and became a human being. We read, 'The Word was with God and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh. ' Again, surely you all know" - and I looked at the Lutherans, including the tyrant who had just spoken to me - "that in Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary, God is human and a human is God. "
The crowd objected loudly to this, so I said, "Don't you know this? It accords with the point of view in your confession called the Formula of Concord, where this statement is made and extensively supported. "
The tyrant turned to the crowd and asked whether they had known this. They replied, "We haven't paid much attention to what that book says about the person of Christ, but we have sweated over the article there on justification by faith alone. Still, if that is what it says, we will grant you that. "
Then one of them remembered and said, "It does say that. It goes on to say that Christ's human nature was raised to divine majesty and all the attributes that go with it, and that Christ in his human nature sits at the right hand of his Father. "
[4] When they heard that they kept quiet. With that point resolved, I spoke again and said, Since that is so, is the Father then anything other than the Son, and is the Son anything other than the Father?
Because this too sounded harsh to their ears, I went on to say, "Hear the actual words the Lord said. If you haven't paid attention to them before, pay attention to them now. He said, 'The Father and I are one. The Father is in me and I am in the Father. Father, all that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is mine. Those who see me see the Father. ' What else do these words mean except that the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father, and they are one like the soul and the body in a human being, so they are one person? This has to be part of your faith if you believe the Athanasian Creed, where statements just like this occur.
"Of the passages I quoted, just take this saying of the Lord's: 'Father, all that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is mine. ' Surely this means that the Father's divine nature belongs to the Son's human nature and the Son's human nature belongs to the Father's divine nature; and therefore in Christ God is human and a human is God and they are one as the soul and the body are one.
[5] "We can all say the same thing of our own soul and body: 'All that is yours is mine and all that is mine is yours. You are in me and I am in you. Those who see me see you. We are one individual and we have one life. ' Why? Because the soul exists throughout us and in every part of us. Our souls life is the life in our body. It is something the soul and the body share.
"Clearly then, the divine nature of the Father is the Son's soul, and the human nature of the Son is the Father's body. Where does a son's soul come from except from his father? Where does his body come from except from his mother? When I say 'the divine nature of the Father' what I mean is 'the Father himself,' since he is the same as his nature; his nature is one undivided thing.
"The truth of this is clear from the angel Gabriel's words to Mary: 'The power of the Highest will cover you, and the Holy Spirit will descend upon you; and the Holy One that will be born from you will be called the Son of God' [Luke 1:35]. Just before that the Lord is called 'the Son of the Highest' [Luke 1:32], and elsewhere he is called 'the only begotten Son' [John 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9].
"Those of you, however, who call him only 'the Son of Mary' lose the idea of his divinity. The only people who lose that, though, are learned clergy and scholarly laity whose only goal in lifting their thoughts above their physical senses is to gain glory for their own reputation; but that glory does not merely overshadow, it actually extinguishes, the light that brings the glory of God.
[6] "Let's go back to the Lord's prayer. There it says, 'Our Father who is in the heavens, your name must be kept holy; your kingdom must come' []. You who are here understand these words as referring solely to the Father in his divine nature. I, however, understand them as referring to the Father in his human manifestation, which is in fact the Father's name. The Lord said, 'Father, glorify your name' [John 12:28], that is, your human manifestation. When this takes place, then God's kingdom comes. This prayer was commanded for this time, that is, when people are going to God the Father through his human manifestation.
"In fact, the Lord says, 'No one comes to the Father except through me' [John 14:6]. And in the prophet, 'A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us, whose name is God, Hero, Father of Eternity' [Isaiah 9:6]. Elsewhere it says, 'You, Jehovah, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is your name' [Isaiah 63:16]. There are also a thousand other passages where the Lord our Savior is called Jehovah. This is the true interpretation of the words of that prayer. "
[7] After I had said all that I looked at them. I noticed that their faces changed as they changed their minds. Some were agreeing with me and looking at me; some were disagreeing and turning away from me.
Then to the right I saw a cloud the color of an opal, and to the left a dark cloud, and precipitation below each of them. Under the dark cloud the precipitation was like a hard rain in late fall; under the opalescent cloud it was like dew falling at the beginning of spring.
Suddenly I came from my spirit into my body and returned from the spiritual world to the physical one.
112. The third experience.
I once woke up around dawn and went out into the garden in front of my house. I watched the sun rising in its splendour, and around it I saw a halo, first of all narrow and later projecting further, shining as if made of gold, and under its lower edge a cloud coming up, which glittered with the sun's fire like a ruby. This then led me to think about how the earliest people had legends which described the Dawn as having wings made of silver feathers and carrying gold in her mouth.
While my mind was taking pleasure in these thoughts, I passed into the spirit, and heard some people talking to one another. 'I wish,' they were saying, 'we could talk with that original thinker who has thrown the apple of Strife among the leaders of the church; many laymen have run after it, picked it up and held it before our eyes.' They meant by that apple my little book entitled: A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW CHURCH. 'It is a new doctrine never before thought up, designed to divide the church,' they said. I heard one of them cry out: 'Divisive indeed, it is heretical!' But some of the bystanders answered: 'Be quiet, hold your tongue; it is not heretical. It quotes a large number of sayings from the Word which those who live with us - we mean laymen - pay attention to and support.'
[2] On hearing this, since I was in the spirit, I went up to them and said: Here I am. What is the trouble?'
At once one of them, a German as I learned later, a native of Saxony, said in an authoritative tone of voice: 'How have you the nerve to upset the mode of worship established for so many centuries throughout the Christian world, namely, the invocation of God the Father as the Creator of the universe, and of His Son as Mediator, and of the Holy Spirit as Worker? You are banishing the first and the last God from our Trinity of Persons, although the Lord Himself says: "When you pray, pray like this: Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come." Is this not an instruction to us to invoke God the Father?'
This speech produced silence, and all his supporters took up their stand like the brave fighters on warships when the enemy fleet comes into view, ready to shout: 'Now let us fight, victory is surely ours.'
[3] So I began my speech by saying: 'You all know that God came down from heaven and became man, because we read: "The Word was with God and the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh." You know all of you,' and here I looked hard at the Evangelical party, to which the spokesman who had addressed me belonged, 'that in Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary God is man, and man is God.' There was an uproar from the assembly at this, so I said: 'Do you not know this? It is in accordance with the doctrine of your sect called the Formula of Concord; it states this and adds many proofs in support of it.'
Then the spokesman turned to the assembly and asked whether they knew this. They replied: 'We paid too little attention to what that book says about the Person of Christ; but we worked hard at the section on justification by faith alone. Still, if that is what it says, we are content.' Then one who could remember it said: 'Yes, it does say that; and it adds further that Christ's human nature was raised to Divine majesty and all its attributes, and also that Christ is seated in Divine majesty at the right hand of His Father.'
[4] When they heard this, they fell silent. So having got them to agree to this, I said: 'If this is so, is not the Father then the Son, and the Son also the Father?' But since this again offended their ears, I went on: 'Listen to the Lord's actual words, and if you paid no heed to them before, do so now. He said: "The Father and I are one; the Father is in me and I in the Father; Father, all things of mine are yours, and all of yours are mine; He who sees me sees the Father." How can you understand these sayings, except as meaning that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father, and that they are one like soul and body in man, so they are one Person? You will find that this is part of your faith too, if you believe the Athanasian Creed, which says something very much like this. But take from what I have quoted just this one utterance of the Lord: "Father, all things of mine are yours, and all of yours are mine." What does this mean, if not that the Father's Divine belongs to the Son's Human, and the Son's Human to the Father's Divine? Consequently in Christ God is man and man is God, and thus they make one as soul and body make one.
[5] Everyone can say the same things about his soul and body. Each person can say: all things of yours are mine, and all of mine are yours; you are in me and I in you; he who sees me sees you, we are one in person and have one life. The reason is that the soul pervades the whole and every part of the person, for the life of the soul is the life of the body, and is possessed by them in common. It is plain from this that the Father's Divine is the Son's soul, and the Son's Human is the Father's body. Where can a son's soul come from, if not from his father, and where can his body come from, if not from his mother? When we say the Father's Divine we mean the Father Himself, since He and His Divine are the same; this is also one and indivisible. The truth of this is established by the words with which the angel Gabriel addressed Mary: "The power of the Most High will overshadow you, and the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the holy thing that shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God." Shortly before He is called "the Son of the Most High," and elsewhere "the only-begotten Son." You, however, who call Him only the Son of Mary, destroy the idea of His divinity; but the only ones who do this are some of the learned clergy and well-educated laymen, who, when they lift their thoughts above the level of the bodily senses, have in view the enhancement of their reputations. This not only casts a shadow, but actually puts out the light, through which the glory of God comes in.
[6] 'But let us go back to the Lord's Prayer, which says: "Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come." Those of you who are present here understand by these words the Father in His Divine alone; but I understand Him in His Human, and this too is the Father's name. For the Lord said: "Father, glorify your name," that is, your Human. When this happens, the kingdom of God comes. The instruction to use this prayer has been given us for the present time, that is, so that God the Father may be approached through His Human. The Lord also said: "No one comes to the Father except through Me," and the prophet said: "A child is born for us, a Son is given to us, whose name is God, Hero, the everlasting Father;" and elsewhere: "You, Jehovah, are our Father, your name is our Redeemer from of old." There are thousands of other passages where the Lord our Saviour is called Jehovah. This is the true explanation of those words in the Lord's Prayer.'
[7] On finishing this speech I looked at them and noticed that their faces had changed in accordance with the change in their mental state. Some of them supported me and were watching me; some did not, and they turned their faces away. Then I saw on the right a pearly-coloured cloud, and on the left a murky cloud, from both of which rain was falling. The rain from the dark cloud was like a shower in late autumn, that from the other like dew in early springtime. Then suddenly I passed from the spirit into the body, and so returned from the spiritual world into the natural one.
112. Third Memorable Relation:
Awaking once soon after daybreak, I went out into the garden in front of my house, and saw the sun rising in his glory, and round about him a halo, at first faint, but afterwards more distinct, and beaming like gold, and beneath its border was a rising cloud, which from the sun's rays glowed like a carbuncle. It set me thinking about the fables of the most ancient people which depicted Aurora with wings of silver and countenance of gold.
With my mind immersed in the delights of these meditations, I came into the spirit; and I heard certain spirits conversing, who said, "O that we might be permitted to talk with the innovator who has thrown among the leaders of the church that apple of discord after which so many of the laity have been running, and which they have picked up and held up for us to look at." By that apple they meant the little work, entitled, A Brief Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church. And they said, "It is certainly a schismatical writing, such as no man ever before conceived of." And then I heard one of them exclaim, "Schismatical? It is heretical!" But some of those beside him said, "Hush! Hold your tongue! It is not heretical; he gives an abundance of quotations from the Word; and to these our neophytes, by whom we mean the laity, give heed and assent."
[2] Hearing this I came forward, being in the spirit, and said, "Here I am; what is the matter?"
At once one of them, a German, as I afterwards heard, a native of Saxony, said in an authoritative tone, "How dare you turn upside down the worship established in the Christian world for so many centuries, which teaches that God the Father should be invoked as the Creator of the universe, His Son as the Mediator, and the Holy Spirit as the Operator? Moreover, you divest the first and the last God of the personality we ascribe to them, although the Lord Himself says, 'When ye pray, pray thus, Our Father who art in the heavens; hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come.' Therefore are we not commanded to invoke God the Father?"
After this there was silence, and all who favored the speaker stood like brave seamen on their warships when they sight the enemy, and stand by to shout, "Now, have at them; victory is sure."
[3] Then I rose to speak; and said, "Who among you is not aware that God came down from heaven and became Man? For we read, 'The Word was with God, and God was the Word, and the Word became flesh.'" Then, looking towards the Evangelicals, among whom was that dictator who had just addressed me, I said, "Who among you does not know that in Christ, who was born of Mary the Virgin, God is Man and Man is God?" But at this the assembly made a great noise; therefore I said, "Do you not know this? It is according to the doctrine of your confession which is called the Formula Concordioe, where this is affirmed and fully corroborated."
Then the dictator turned to the assembly and asked if they were aware of this; and they answered, "As to the person of Christ we have given the book very little study, but we have worked hard at the part on Justification by Faith Alone; if, however, it is so written in that book, we acquiesce." Then one of them remembering, said, "That is the way it reads; and it says furthermore that the Human nature of Christ has been exalted to Divine majesty and all its attributes; also that in that nature Christ sits at the right hand of the Father."
[4] Hearing this they were silent; and as it was undisputed I spoke again, and said, "This being so, what then is the Father but the Son, and what is the Son but the Father also?" Yet as this again offended their ears, I continued, "Hear the very words of the Lord and attend to them now, if you never have before; for He said, 'I and My Father are one;' 'I am in the Father and the Father in Me;' 'Father, all Mine are Thine and Thine are Mine;' 'He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.' What do these things mean, but that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father, and that they are one as the soul and body in man are one, and thus that they are one person? And must not this be your belief, if you believe in the Athanasian creed, where nearly the same things are said? But from the passages quoted take this one saying of the Lord, 'Father, all Mine are Thine, and all Thine are Mine.' What else does this mean than that the Divine of the Father belongs to the Human of the Son, and the Human of the Son to the Divine of the Father, consequently that, in Christ, God is Man and Man is God, and thus that they are one as soul and body are one?
[5] Every man may say the same of his own soul and body, namely, 'All mine are thine, and all thine are mine; thou art in me and I in thee; he that seeth me, seeth thee; we are one in person and in life.' This is because the soul is in the man, both in the whole and in every part of him, for the life of the soul is the life of the body, and between the two there is a mutuality. All this makes clear that the Divine of the Father is the soul of the Son, and the Human of the Son the body of the Father. From where does the soul of an offspring come unless from its father, and its body unless from its mother? The expression is the Divine of the Father; but the Father Himself is what is meant, since He and His Divine are the same; and this Divine is one and indivisible. That this is true is evident also from the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, 'The power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, and the Holy Spirit shall come upon thee; and the Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.' And just above He is called 'the Son of the Most High,' and elsewhere 'the only-begotten Son.' But you, who call Him merely the Son of Mary, destroy the idea of His Divinity; yet it is only the learned among the clergy and the scholars among the laity who destroy this idea, for these, when they raise their thoughts above the sensual things pertaining to their bodies, regard the glory of their reputation; and this not only obscures but extinguishes the light whereby the glory of God enters.
[6] But let us return to the Lord's Prayer, where it says, 'Our Father who art in the heavens; hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come.' By these words you who are present understand the Father in His Divine alone but I understand the Father in His Human. Moreover, this Human is the name of the Father; for the Lord said, 'Father, glorify Thy name,' that is, Thy Human; and when this is done the kingdom of God comes. And the reason why this Prayer was commanded for the present time is evident, namely, that through His Human an approach may be had to God the Father. The Lord also said, 'No man cometh unto the Father but by Me;' and in the Prophet, 'Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and His name is God, Mighty, Father of Eternity;' and elsewhere, 'Thou, Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer, from everlasting is Thy name;' besides many other places where the Lord our Savior is called Jehovah. This is the true explanation of the words of that Prayer."
[7] When I had said all this, I looked at them and noted the changes in their countenances according to changes in the states of their minds, some favoring me and looking toward me, and some not favoring and turning themselves away. And then on the right I saw a cloud of opal color, and on the left a dusky cloud, and under each the appearance of a shower. That under the dusky cloud was like a rain at the close of autumn, and that under the opal cloud was like the fall of dew in early spring.
Then suddenly I came out of the spirit into the body, and thus returned from the spiritual world into the natural world.
112. The third experience. Awaking once just after dawn, I went into the garden in front of the house, and saw the sun rising in its splendor. Round it was a circle, faint at first but afterwards becoming clearer, resplendent as of gold. Under the edge of this was a rising cloud, which gleamed fiery red in the flaming sun. Then I fell into meditation on the fables of the Ancients, how they represented Aurora borne on wings of silver with a countenance of gold. While I was enjoying these fancies, I found myself in the spirit, and heard some persons in conversation saying: "Would that we might speak with the innovator who has thrown the apple of discord among the leaders of the Church, after which many of the laity have run, and which they now hold up before our eyes." By that apple they meant the little work entitled, "A Brief Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church;" and they said: "It is a schismatical thing, such as never before entered into any man's head." Then I heard one of them exclaim: "Schismatical? It is heretical;" but some who stood by checked him, saying: "Hush! hold your tongue. It is not heretical. It adduces many passages from the Word, to which the strangers among us, by whom we mean the laity, give their attention, and their assent."
[2] When I heard this, being in the spirit, I approached them and said: "Here I am. What is the matter?" Immediately one of them, who I afterwards learned was a German, a native of Saxony, said in an authoritative tone: "How dare you overturn the worship which has been established in the Christian world for so many centuries, and which is founded on the teaching that God the Father should be invoked as the Creator of the universe, His Son as the Mediator, and the Holy Ghost as the Operator? And you divest the first and the last God of our personality, although the Lord Himself says, 'When ye pray, say, "Our Father who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come."' Are we not here commanded to invoke God the Father?" At these words there was silence, and all who agreed with him stood like brave soldiers on board men-of-war, ready to cry out when they see the enemy's fleet: "Now let us fight: victory is sure."
[3] Then I began to speak, and I said: "Which of you does not know that God came from heaven, and became Man? For it is written, 'The Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh.' Moreover, which of you does not know,"-and here I looked at the Evangelicals among whom was that dictatorial one who had addressed me-"that in Christ, who was born of the virgin Mary, God is Man, and Man is God?" Upon this the company murmured; so I said: "Do you not know this? It is according to the doctrine of your own Confession, called the Formula Concordiae, 1 where this is stated and confirmed by many proofs." Then the dictator, turning to the company, asked if they knew this. They replied: "We have not given much attention to what is said in that Book concerning the Person of Christ, but we have spent much labor studying the Article on Justification by Faith Alone. However, if it is so written in that Book, we agree." Hereupon one of them, recalling it to memory, said: "It is so written; and furthermore, that Christ's Human Nature with all its attributes, has been exalted to Divine Majesty, and also that Christ in that Nature sits at the right hand of His Father."
[4] When they heard this they were silent. After this confirmation I continued saying, "Since this is the case, what then is the Father but the Son, and the Son but the Father?" As this, however, again offended their ears, I proceeded: "Hear the very words of the Lord. If you would not attend to them before, attend to them now. He said: 'I and the Father are one; the Father is in me, and I am in the Father; Father, all mine are thine, and all thine are mine; and, he that seeth me, seeth the Father.' What else do these words mean but that the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father? Also that they are one, like the soul and body in a man, and therefore that they are one Person? This also must be your belief if you believe the Athanasian Creed 2 where the same things are stated. However, from the passages just quoted take this declaration of the Lord's: 'Father, all mine are thine, and all thine are mine.' What else does this mean but that the Divine of the Father belongs to the Human of the Son, and the Human of the Son to the Divine of the Father; consequently that in Christ God is Man, and Man is God, and thus that they are one, as the soul and body are one?
[5] Similarly every man may say of his own soul and body, that all thine are mine, and all mine are thine; thou art in me, and I am in thee; he that seeth me, seeth thee; we are one with regard both to person and life. The reason of this is, that the soul is in the whole and every part of a man; for the life of the soul is the life of the body, and there is a mutual relation between them. From this it is plain that the Divine of the Father is the soul of the Son, and that the Human of the Son is the body of the Father. Whence has a son his soul but from his father, and his body, but from his mother? We speak of the Divine of the Father, and by this we mean the Father Himself, since He and His Divine are the same thing, the Divine being one and indivisible. It is also evident that this is the case from these words of the angel Gabriel to Mary: 'The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God'; and a little before He is called 'The Son of the Highest,' and in another place 'The only-begotten Son'; but you, who call Him only the Son of Mary, destroy the idea of His Divinity. This idea, however, is destroyed only among the learned clergy and the erudite laity who, when they raise their thoughts above the things of bodily sense, regard the glory of their own reputation, which not only obscures but even extinguishes the light by which the glory of God enters.
[6] "Let us now return to the Lord's Prayer, where it is said: 'Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come.' You that are here present understand by these words the Father in His Divine alone; whereas I understand them as relating to Him in His Human. By the latter term is also meant the name of the Father; for the Lord said, 'Father, glorify thy name,' that is, Thy Human; and when this is done, then the kingdom of God comes. This prayer was enjoined for the present time, in order that God the Father might be approached by means of His Human. The Lord has also declared: 'No man cometh unto the Father but by me'; and it is written in the Prophet: 'Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and His name shall be called... The mighty God, The everlasting Father'; and in another place: 'Thou, JEHOVAH, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting'; and in numerous other places, where the Lord our Saviour is called JEHOVAH. This is the true explanation of the words of that prayer."
[7] After I had said this, I looked upon them, and noted the changes in their countenances according to the changes in the states of their minds; and I observed some assenting and looking towards me, and some dissenting and turning away from me. Then towards the right I saw a cloud opaline in colour, and a dark cloud towards the left. Under each was, as it were, a falling shower, that under the latter being like rain in the late Autumn, while that under the former was like dew in the early Spring time. Then suddenly, from being in the spirit, I was in the body again, and so I returned from the spiritual to the natural world.
Footnotes:
1. Form of Concord, Formula Concordiae, designed to effect an amicable adjustment of the differences among the Lutherans, by drawing them more closely to their principal standard, the Augsburg or Augustan Confession. Most of the Lutheran Churches add this Formula to their standard creeds.
2. Athanasian Symbol or Creed. Although bearing the name of Athanasius, it was probably composed by Hilary, in the century after the formulation of the Nicene Creed, A.D. 325. The name was given to it about the year A.D. 670 as an excellent system of the doctrines of Athansius concerning the Trinity and the Incarnation, principally in opposition to the Arians. It is received by the Romish Church and also by the Reformed.
112. TERTIUM MEMORABILE.
Quondam 1 post diluculum evigilatus exivi in hortum ante domum, et vidi orientem Solem in suo jubare, et circum circa illam cincturam primum tenuem et postea exstantiorem sicut ex auro splendentem, et sub limbo ejus ascendentem nubem, quae pyropi instar, a flamma solis coruscabat; et tunc incidi in meditationem ex fabulis vetustissimorum, quod finxerint Auroram alatam pennis argenteis in ore ferentem aurum. Cum Mens deliciabatur in his, factus sum in spiritu, et audivi aliquos inter se loquentes, et dicentes, utinam daretur loqui cum Novatore, qui pomum Eridis inter Antistites Ecclesiae projecit, ad quod cucurrerunt multi ex Laicis, et desumptum obtulerunt oculis nostris; per pomum illud intellexerunt Codicillum inscriptum, SUMMARIA EXPOSITIO DOCTRINAE NOVAE ECCLESIAE; et dixerunt est sane schismaticum a nemine hactenus cogitatum; et audivi tunc unum ex illis clamantem, quid Schismaticum, est Haereticum; sed aliqui a latere ejus regerebant, tace, obmutesce, non est Haereticum, allegat copiam dictaminum Verbi, ad quae peregrini nostri, per quos intelligimus laicos, attendunt et adstipulantur.
[2] Cum haec audivi, quia in spiritu eram, accessi, et dixi, adsum; quid rei; et statim unus ex illis, qui, ut postea audivi, fuit Germanus, nativus ex Saxonia, et tono auctoritatis loquutus dixit, unde tibi audacia invertendi Cultum in Orbe Christiano per tot saecula constabilitum, qui fuit, quod Deus Pater ut Creator Universi, et ejus Filius ut Mediator, et Spiritus sanctus ut Operator, invocarentur, et tu Primum et Ultimum Deum ex Personalitate nostra separas, cum tamen Ipse Dominus dicit, quando oratis, orate ita, PATER NOSTER, QUI EST IN COELIS, SANCTIFICETUR NOMEN TUUM, VENIAT REGNUM TUUM, itane mandatum est, ut invocaremus Deum Patrem: his dictis silentium factum est, et omnes, qui illi favebant, steterunt sicut fortes milites super Navibus bellicis cum vident Classem hostilem, clamaturi, pugnemus nunc, certa est victoria;
[3] et tunc exorsus sum loqui, et dixi, quis vestrum non scit, quod Deus de Coelo descenderit, et factus sit homo, nam legitur, Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum, et Verbum Caro factum est; tum quis vestrum non scit, et spectavi ad Evangelicos, inter quos erat Dictator ille, qui me alloquutus est, quod in Christo ex Maria Virgine nato, Deus sit Homo et Homo Deus; sed ad haec Caetus obstrepuit, quare dixi, scitisne hoc, est secundum doctrinam confessionis vestrae, quae vocatur FORMULA CONCORDIAE, ubi hoc dicitur, et multis corroboratur; et tunc Dictator ille se convertit ad Caetum, et quaesivit 2 num nossent hoc, et responderunt, nos parum studuimus in Libro illo de PERSONA CHRISTI, sed sudavimus ibi in Articulo de JUSTIFICATIONE per solam fidem; at usque si illud ibi legitur, acquiescimus; et tunc unus ex illis 3 recordatus dixit, legitur, et plus adhuc, quod Humana Christi Natura ad Divinam Majestatem et ad omnia ejus attributa, exaltata sit, et quoque quod Christus in Illa sedeat ad dextram sui Patris.
[4] His auditis conticuerunt; post hunc consensum iterum loquutus sum, dicens, quum ita est, quid tunc Pater nisi Filius et Filius nisi etiam Pater, sed quia hoc iterum obstrepuit auribus illorum, continuavi dicens; audite ipsa verba Domini, ad quae si non prius attenderitis, attendite nunc, dixit enim, Pater et Ego unum sumus; Pater in Me est et Ego in Patre; Pater omnia Mea tua sunt et omnia Tua Mea; qui videt Me videt Patrem, quid illa aliud, quam quod Pater in Filio sit et Filius in Patre, et quod unum sint sicut Anima et Corpus in homine, et sic quod sint una Persona; hoc quoque erit fidei vestrae, si creditis Symbolo Athanasiano, ubi consimilia dicuntur: sed assumite ex allatis solum hoc effatum Domini, Pater, omnia Mea Tua sunt et omnia Tua Mea, quid hoc aliud, quam quod Divinum Patris sit Humani Filii, et Humanum Filii Divini Patris, consequenter quod in Christo Deus sit Homo et Homo Deus, et sic quod unum sint sicut anima et corpus unum sunt:
[5] simile etiam potest omnis homo de sua anima et suo corpore dicere, videlicet, omnia tua mea sunt et omnia mea tua, tu in me es et ego in te, qui videt me videt te, nos unum sumus quoad personam et quoad vitam; causa est, quia anima est in toto et in omni parte hominis, vita enim animae est vita corporis, et mutuum est inter illos: ex his patet, quod Divinum Patris sit anima Filii, et quod Humanum Filii sit corpus Patris; unde anima filii nisi a patre, et unde corpus ejus nisi a matre; dicitur Divinum Patris, ac intelligitur Ipse Pater, quoniam Ipse et suum Divinum est idem, hoc etiam est unum et individuum; quod ita sit, constat etiam ex his Angeli Gabrielis verbis ad Mariam, Virtus Altissimi obumbrabit te, et Spiritus Sanctus superveniet te, et sanctum quod nascetur ex te, vocabitur Filius Dei, et mox supra vocatur Filius Altissimi; et alibi, Filius Unigenitus; vos autem, qui solum nominatis Ipsum Filium Mariae, deperditis ideam Divinitatis Ipsius, sed hanc non perdunt alii, quam Docti e Clericis ac Eruditi e Laicis, qui dum elevant cogitationes supra sensualia corporis sui, spectant gloriam famae suae, quae non modo adumbrat, sed etiam exstinguit lucem, per quam intrat gloria Dei.
[6] Sed redeamus ad Orationem Dominicam, ubi dicitur, Pater noster qui est in Coelis, sanctificetur 4 Nomen tuum, veniat Regnum tuum; vos, qui hic estis, intelligitis per illa Patrem in Solo Divino suo, ego autem Ipsum in Humano suo, et Hoc quoque est Nomen Patris, nam Dominus dixit, Pater glorifica Nomen tuum, hoc est, Humanum tuum; et quando hoc fit, tunc venit Regnum Dei, et haec Oratio mandata est pro hoc tempore, videlicet, ut Deus Pater adeatur per Humanum suum; dixit etiam Dominus, Nemo venit ad Patrem nisi per Me: et apud Prophetam, Puer natus est nobis, Filius datus est nobis, cujus Nomen DEUS, Heros, PATER AETERNITATIS; et alibi, Tu Jehovah Pater noster, Redemptor noster a saeculo nomen tuum, et millies alibi, ubi Dominus Salvator noster vocatur Jehovah. Haec est vera explicatio verborum istius Orationis.
[7] Postquam haec dicta sunt, inspexi illos, et animadverti mutationes vultuum secundum mutationes status mentis illorum, quosdam faventes et me intuentes, quosdam non faventes et a me se avertentes: et tunc ad dextrum vidi Nubem opalini coloris, et ad sinistrum Nubem fuscam, et sub utraque sicut depluvium, et sub hac sicut imbris tempore 5 seri autumni, et sub illa sicut roris tempore primi veris; et subito tunc a spiritu factus sum in corpore, et sic e Mundo spirituali redivi in Mundum naturalem.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Quondum.
2. Prima editio: quaesi vit.
3. Prima editio: ilis.
4. Prima editio: sanct.ficetur.
5. Prima editio: empore.