133.关于神和救赎的观念通过将纯属世的属性归给神而使整个神学从属灵层降到了最低的属世层。属于教会的一切事物皆依赖于与救赎构成一体的神观和救赎观。因为这种观念就象头，而身体的各个部位皆从头发出；因此，若该观念是属灵的，那么属于教会的一切就会变得属灵；若该观念是属世的，那么属于教会的一切就会变得属世；结果，由于对神和救赎的这种观念已变得全然属世，即变得感官和肉体化，所以，头曾经教导并仍在教导的所有东西，和持守教义神学的教会成员也变得全然属世。从这种神学所孵化出来的，无非是虚假。因为属世人不断反对属灵人，从而视属灵之物为幽灵和空中的幻觉。因此可以说，由于关于救赎，因而关于神的这种感官观念，通向天堂的路，也就是通向主神救主的路，已被贼和强盗所围困（约翰福音10:1，8，9） ；神殿的大门被推倒，致使龙、猫头鹰，并沙漠与海岛的野兽涌了进来，在那里发出可怕的嘈音。
众所周知，对于救赎和神的这种观念就贯穿于当今的信仰中。这信规定，人要乞求父神为了祂儿子的十字架和宝血的缘故而赦免我们的罪，乞求圣子神为他们祷告和代求，乞求圣灵神使他们称义和成圣。这不就是在依次向三个神祷告吗？其中对神性治理的概念，与贵族阶层或等级制度，或曾存在于古罗马的三执政有何区别？不就是将三执政改称为三位格执政了吗？对魔鬼来说，还有比“分而治之”更容易的事吗？就象俗话说的，分散人心，煽动反判，时而攻击这个神，时而攻击那个神，如自阿里乌斯时代直到如今一直所做的那样。这等于把拥有天上和地下一切权柄的主神救主（马太福音28:18）赶下宝座，然后让魔鬼自己的奴仆登基，并向他下拜；或因为将敬拜从他那里拿走，所以也将它从主自己那里拿走。
133. 這樣的上帝觀和救贖觀令到全部的神學從屬靈層面直降到最低的屬世層面。純粹的屬世性質已被歸屬於上帝。教會的一切取決於對上帝的概念,以及對救贖的認識。教會關於上帝和救贖的觀念就像一個人的頭, 身體的所有部分都與頭相連。當這個觀念是屬靈的, 則教會的一切就是屬靈的; 當這個觀念是屬世的, 則教會的一切都是屬世的。於是, 因為教會的上帝觀和救贖觀已變得完全屬世了, 也就是墮落到我們肉體和感官的影響之下, 教會的頭和身在變成屬世的情況下所產生的教義信條甚至一切一切, 也就完全屬世了。除了產生偽謬邪說, 沒別的什麼可以產生, 因為屬世之人持續與屬靈之人作對, 視屬靈之事猶如空氣中的幽靈和幻覺。
因此可以說, 關於救贖和上帝的世俗觀念允許盜賊(約翰福音10:1, 8-9)接管那些引向天國和主上帝救贖者的道路。聖殿大門被推倒, 允許龍,貓頭鷹,荒野裡的野獸,豺狼等湧入, 還在裡面發出變調刺耳的叫聲。
眾所周知, 這樣的上帝觀和救贖觀已被注入到現今的信仰之中。例如, 我們應當祈求父上帝,因著十字架和祂兒子所流的寶血,赦免我們的罪。還當請求子上帝為我們代求和調解。還祈求聖靈上帝使我們成義和成聖。這與一個接一個地求告三位上帝有何分別？人們怎能不把上帝的政權按照貴族政權或等級政權來思考呢？或者按古羅馬時期曾有的三個執政來思考呢？只不過換個詞, 把"三人執政"換成"三位(格)執政"。
在這樣的信仰之下, 就容易讓魔鬼去"分裂和得勝", 也就是, 使思想分裂以及煽動反叛運動。一時針對某位上帝, 一時針對另一位上帝(從亞流主義直到如今, 人們從未停止過這樣的爭執)。於是魔鬼能夠將這位擁有天地之權柄(馬太福音28:18)的主上帝拯救者廢位趕出, 扶持自己的傀儡登基。魔鬼還能做到, 讓人們要麼改向傀儡敬拜, 要麼對三位分而拜之, 或者三位盡拜。
133. This idea of God and redemption has turned the entire theology from something spiritual into something earthly of the lowest kind. This is because mere earthly characteristics have been attributed to God. Yet everything about the church hinges on its concept of God and its view of redemption (which is the same as its view of salvation). The concept of God and redemption is like a head: every part of the body is connected to it. When the concept is spiritual, everything about the church becomes spiritual; when it is earthly, everything about the church becomes earthly. Because the church's concept of God and redemption became merely earthly (meaning that it was down on the level of our bodies and senses), all the dogmatic ideas expressed since then by the church's heads and members have been merely earthly. Further ideas that hatch from these ideas will inevitably be false, because our earthly self constantly opposes our spiritual self; our earthly self sees spiritual things as phantoms and apparitions in the air.
This materialistic idea of redemption and of God has allowed thieves and robbers, so to speak (John 10:1, 8-9), to take over the roads that lead in the direction of heaven and the Lord God the Savior. The main doors have been torn off the churches and now dragons, screech owls, wild beasts of the desert, and jackals have come in and are singing together out of tune.
This idea of redemption and God has been injected into the modern-day belief about prayer, as we know. We are supposed to ask God the Father to forgive our offenses for the sake of the cross and his Son's blood; we are supposed to ask God the Son to pray and intercede for us; and we are supposed to ask God the Holy Spirit to justify us and sanctify us. Is this any different from praying to three gods, one after the other? Under this system, what differentiates divine governance from an aristocratic or hierarchical government? Or even the triumvirate that once occurred in Rome? Instead of a "triumvirate," this should be called a "triumpersonate. "
Under this belief, it would be easy for the Devil to "divide and conquer," as the saying goes - that is, to cause a division of minds and incite rebel movements, now against one god, now against another (as people have been doing since the time of Arius up to the present). The Devil would then be able to dethrone the Lord God the Savior, who has all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), put some puppet of his own there, and either redirect worship to the puppet or reduce the amount of worship to both.
133. This idea of God and redemption has reduced the whole of theology from the spiritual to the lowest natural level, by attributing to God purely natural properties. Yet everything in the church depends upon the idea of God, and the idea of redemption, which makes one with salvation. For that idea is like the head which controls all actions in the body. So long as it is spiritual, everything in the church becomes spiritual too, and as long as it is natural, everything in the church becomes natural too. Therefore, since the ideas of God and redemption have become purely natural, that is, under the influence of the bodily senses, everything too is purely natural which the heads and members of the church have made traditional in their statements of dogma. The reason why this can produce nothing but falsity is that the natural man is continually acting in opposition to the spiritual, and so looks upon spiritual things as ghosts and illusions in the air. So it can be said that that sensual idea of redemption, and thus of God, has rendered the roads to heaven, leading to the Lord God the Saviour, beset by thieves and robbers (John 10:1, 8-9); and that the doors of the temples have been thrown down, allowing dragons, owls, tziim and iyim 1 to come in and howl in discordant chorus.
[2] It is well known that this idea about redemption and God has been foisted into present-day faith. This prescribes that one should pray to God the Father to forgive sins on account of the crucifixion and the shedding of His Son's blood, and to God the Son to pray and intercede for one, and to God the Holy Spirit to make one righteous and sanctified. What else is this but praying to three Gods, one after the other? How then can one think of the rule of God except in terms of aristocratic or hierarchical rule, or as it were a triumvirate such as there once was at Rome, only that instead of a triumvirate it should be called a triumpersonate? 2 What then is easier for the devil than, as the saying goes, to divide and rule - that is to destroy unanimity and stir up rebellious movements, at one time against one God, at others against another, as has actually happened from the time of Arius 3 down to the present? And thus to dethrone the Lord God the Saviour, who has all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), and enthrone instead one of one's own supporters and give him worship, or, because it is taken away from him, to take away worship from the Lord Himself.
Footnotes:
1. Hebrew words perhaps meaning 'howling creatures,' used, e.g., in Isaiah 34:14, Jeremiah 50:9, understood by the author as birds (Conjugial Love 264[4]).
2. On two occasions in the first century BC Rome was governed by a triumvirate or committee of three; Swedenborg here invents the word 'triumpersonate' on the model of triumvirate.
3. i.e. the early fourth century.
133. From this idea of God and redemption all theology from being spiritual has become in the lowest degree natural, and this because merely natural properties have been attributed to God; and yet on the idea of God and the idea of redemption, which makes one with salvation, everything pertaining to the church depends. For this idea is like the head from which all parts of the body proceed; therefore when this is a spiritual idea everything pertaining to the church becomes spiritual, and when it is a natural idea everything pertaining to the church becomes natural; consequently, as the idea of God and redemption has become purely natural, that is, sensual and corporeal, so all things that have been taught and are taught by the heads and members of the church in their dogmatic theology are purely natural. And nothing but falsities can be hatched from this theology, for the reason that the natural man acts constantly against the spiritual, and therefore regards what is spiritual as something spectral, or as an airy phantasm. And in consequence it may be said that owing to this sensual idea of redemption, and thus of God, the ways to heaven, which are the ways to the Lord God the Savior, are beset by thieves and robbers (John 10:1, 8-9); and that the doors of the churches are thrown down, giving entrance to dragons, owls, and the wild beasts of the deserts and the islands, which sing together there in horrible discord. It is known that this idea of redemption and of God pervades the faith of the present day, which is, that men should beseech God the Father to pardon their offenses for the sake of the cross and blood of His Son, and beseech God the Son to pray and intercede for them, and God the Holy Spirit to justify and sanctify them. What is this but praying to three Gods in their order? And wherein does this conception of the Divine government differ from that of an aristocracy or a hierarchy, or such a triumvirate as once existed at Rome, except that instead of a triumvirate it may be called a tripersonate? And then what is easier than for the devil to "divide and rule," as the saying is, that is, to distract men's minds, and to excite rebellious movements, now against one God and now against another, as has been done from the time of Arius until now; which is equivalent to hurling from His throne the Lord God the Savior, who has all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), and seating upon that throne some of the devil's own minions and offering worship to him; or because worship is taken from him, taking it away also from the Lord Himself?
133. From this idea concerning God and redemption all theology, from being spiritual, has become natural to the lowest degree. This is the necessary result of ascribing merely natural properties to God; and yet on the idea of God, and on the idea of redemption which makes one with salvation, everything of the Church depends. That idea is like the head from which all parts of the body are derived; when therefore that idea is spiritual, everything of the Church becomes spiritual, and when that is natural, everything of the Church becomes natural. Therefore, as the idea of God and of redemption has become merely natural, that is, sensual and corporeal, it follows that everything which the leaders and members of the Church have taught, and teach now, in their dogmatic theology, is merely natural. Nothing but falsity can be derived from this theology because the natural man acts continually in opposition to the spiritual man, and thus regards spiritual things as airy and visionary phantoms. Accordingly it may be said that in consequence of that sensual idea of redemption, and therefore of God, the ways to heaven, which are those that lead to the Lord God the Savior, are beset by thieves and robbers. John 10:1, 8-9; and that the doors of the Churches have been thrown down, thus giving entrance to dragons, owls, and wild beasts of the deserts and islands, which raise the voice together in horrible discord. It is well known that this idea of redemption and of God pervades the faith of the present day; for that faith requires men to pray to God the Father to pardon their sins for the sake of the cross and the blood of His Son; and to God the Son, to pray and intercede for them; and to God the Holy Ghost, to justify and sanctify them.
What is this but praying to three Gods in their order? And wherein does this conception of the Divine government differ from that of an aristocracy, or hierarchy, or that triumvirate which once ruled Rome, except instead of a triumvirate it may be called a tripersonate? There is then nothing easier for the devil than to put in practice the old maxim: "Divide and rule." This is in effect to distract men's minds, to excite rebellious movements, now against one God and now against another, as has been done since the time of Arius 1 until now, and thus to cast down from His throne the Lord God the Savior, who has all power in heaven and in earth" Matthew 28:18; and to set upon it some creature of his own, and to ascribe worship to him, or if this worship is withheld, to withhold it also from the Lord Himself.
Footnotes:
1. Arius, theologian of Alexandria, A.D 256-336; founder of Arianism, affirming that Christ was an originated Being. Excommunicated by bishops of Egypt for denying that Christ was made of the same substance (homo-ousion) of any previously existing substance. To settle the consequent dispute Constantine called the Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325. Athanasius successfully led the opposition to Arius; and Arius, with Eusebius, who also refused to accept the Athanasian position, was banished.
133. Ex idea hac de Deo et de Redemptione, universa Theologia, a spirituali facta est infime naturalis, quod fit quia proprietates mere naturales Deo attributae sunt, et tamen ab idea Dei et ab idea Redemptionis, quae unum facit cum Salvatione, pendet omne Ecclesiae; est enim illa idea sicut Caput, ex quo procedunt omnia corporis, quare dum illa est spiritualis, omnia Ecclesiae 1 fiunt spiritualia, et dum illa est naturalis, omnia Ecclesiae fiunt naturalia, quapropter quia idea de Deo et de Redemptione facta est mere naturalis, hoc est, sensualis et corporea, ideo mere naturalia sunt omnia, quae Ecclesiae Capita et Membra in suis dogmaticis tradiderunt et tradunt: quod inde non nisi quam falsa possint excludi, est quia naturalis homo continue agit contra spiritualem, et inde spiritualia spectat sicut larvas et phantasmata in aere: quare dici potest, quod propter sensualem illam ideam de Redemptione 2 et inde de Deo, viae ad Coelum, quae sunt ad Dominum Deum Salvatorem, obsessae sint furibus et latronibus, Johannes 10:1, 8-9, et quod in Templis valvae dejectae sint, et sic intraverint dracones, ululae, tzjim et ijim, 3 ac discorditer concentent.
[2] Quod haec idea de Redemptione et de Deo, ingesta sit fidei hodiernae, notum est, quae est ut orent ad Deum Patrem, ut propter crucem et sanguinem 4 Filii sui remittat delicta, et ad Deum Filium ut oret et intercedat pro illis, et ad Deum spiritum sanctum 5 ut justificet et sanctificet; quid hoc aliud est, quam supplicare ad tres Deos in suo ordine, et quid tunc cogitatio de Regimine Divino alia quam de Regimine Aristocratico aut Hierarchico; aut sicut de Triumviratu, qualis semel fuit Romae, at pro Triumviratu vocari potest Triumpersonatus; et quid tunc facilius est Diabolo, quam facere sicut dicitur, divide et impera, hoc est, discindere animos, et excitare motus rebelles, nunc contra unum Deum, nunc contra alterum, quemadmodum ab Arii tempore huc usque factum est, et sic Dominum Deum Salvatorem, Cui est omnis potestas in Coelo et Terra, Matthaeus 28:18, dejicere e Throno, et quendam suum Clientem superimponere, et huic cultum addicere, aut cultum, quia huic, etiam ipsi Domino adimere.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Ecelesiae.
2. Prima editio: Redemtione.
3. Prima editio: jiim.
4. Prima editio: sanquinem.
5. Prima editio: sactum.