关于“救赎之工”的灵界见闻
134# 于此附记一桩灵界亲历之事。第一则：
昔时我入灵界一座圣殿，殿中聚有众多灵众；讲道开坛之前，众人相互论辩救赎之义。此殿形制方正，四壁不设窗牖，唯屋顶正中开一巨口，天光自上空倾泻而入，光亮远胜四面开窗之殿。正当众人议论救赎之际，忽见一片黑云自北方席卷而来，遮蔽屋顶天窗，殿内顿陷昏暗，彼此不能相见，甚至难以看清自身手掌。众人皆惊骇伫立。未几，黑云自正中裂一道缝隙，透过裂口，可见天使自天堂降下；众天使将黑云向两侧分驱，殿中光明复现。其后天使群中遣一位使者入殿，代为发问，询问殿内众人：方才因何争辩不休，竟致昏黑之云降临，遮蔽天光、引入幽暗。众人答言，所辩者乃是救赎；并称救赎由上帝之子借十字架受难成就，祂借此献上赎罪之功，将世人从定罪与永死之中释放。降下的天使闻言问道：“何谓借十字架受难成就救赎？还请详明其中原委。”
【2】随即有一位祭司出列，言道：“容我依序陈述我辈所通晓、所笃信之理：父上帝向世人动怒，判定众生之罪，将世人隔绝于祂的慈悲之外，宣告众人尽是遭弃、受咒诅之辈，判归地狱；又有意令祂的儿子全然担受这份定罪。子亦应允此事，于是降世取人性，甘心受钉十字架之苦，世人全体的定罪便尽数转嫁于祂。圣言有记：‘凡挂在木头上的，都是被咒诅的。’子凭借居间代求之功，使父得以与人重修和好；父因子之慈爱，又见祂在十字架上所受苦难，心肠触动，便立下旨意：‘我愿意施行赦免，然只赦免那些我将子之义归算于其身之人。我要使这般人脱离忿怒、咒诅之子的名分，转为恩典、祝福之子，使他们称义、得蒙拯救；其余众人，仍依原先判词，永为忿怒之子。’此便是我辈所持信仰；这份由父上帝倾注于信仰之中的义，唯有它能使人称义、得救。”
【3】天使听完此番言辞，长久默然，心中大为惊愕；良久方开口言道：“全基督教界何以迷妄至此，背离健全理智，深陷这般虚妄臆想，更从诸般自相矛盾之说里，推导出救恩核心教义？凡稍有分辨之心者皆能窥见，此等论调全然悖逆神性本体，悖逆祂内在的神性之爱、神性智慧，亦悖逆祂的全能与无所不在。寻常仁厚主人尚且不会如此苛待自家仆婢，就连走兽亦不会这般对待幼崽雏禽。这般臆想实在难以言喻。
祂向全地众生、每一个人发出归向祂的呼召，此乃出于祂的本质，废除这份呼召，岂非违逆神性本体？自永恒立定一条不变秩序：人人皆依自身在世行径受审判，更改这条秩序，岂非违逆神性本体？从一部分人身上抽离慈爱怜悯，甚而自全体人类收回怜悯，岂非违逆神性本体？只因看见子所受苦难，才重归怜悯之心，殊不知怜悯本就是上帝自身本质，这般说法岂非违逆神性本体？若妄言祂曾有片刻脱离这份本质，更是邪恶不敬之念；盖自亘古至永世，祂本身便是慈爱怜悯之本体。”
【4】“再者，救赎之义本属神性全能，岂能将其封存在人所持的信仰之内，随意归算、转嫁于人，单凭这归算之名，便宣告其人成义、纯净圣洁？仅凭归算之功，便可赦免罪愆、使人更新重生、得着拯救，凭空将不义转为公义、咒诅化为祝福？岂能凭这般转嫁之法，颠倒天地分野，将地狱换作天堂、天堂变作地狱，使龙化为米迦勒、米迦勒沦为恶龙，消弭二者永不停歇的争战？这般归算不过是随意从一人身上抽离，再转嫁另一人，若此说属实，我辈居于天堂者，必终日惶恐战栗。
何况一人代为背负他人恶行，作恶者反倒脱罪、恶行就此消弭，既不合神性的公义审判，亦不合世间凡人的公义法度。基督教界至今不识何为秩序，更不明白秩序之本；上帝创世之初，便将秩序安置于万有之内。祂绝不能悖逆秩序行事，否则便是悖逆自身；因上帝本身即是秩序。”
【5】祭司听闻天使一番开导，上方天使又将天堂光明注入其心智，当下豁然领会，不禁长叹：“如今世间人人皆这般讲道、祈祷、持守此见，众口同辞：‘慈爱的父啊，求你怜悯我们，因你圣子在十字架上流的宝血，赦免我们的罪。’又向基督祈求：‘主啊，求你为我们代求。’我辈祭司还要添上一句：‘求你差遣圣灵降临于我们。’”
天使闻言言道：“我见诸位祭司取未曾领会内里深意的圣言，调和作眼药，敷在因虚妄信仰失明之人的双目之上；或是截取圣言字句熬制成膏药，贴在错误教义所造成的心灵伤口之上，却终究无法愈合创伤，只因伤口积弊已久。你且往那人身边去。” 言罢抬手指向我，“他会奉主之命教导你：十字架受难并非救赎本体，乃是主的人性与父之神性彼此合一的途径；真正的救赎，是征伐制伏地狱、规整诸天秩序。倘若主在世之时未曾完成这番大功，地上无一人可得救，天上天使亦无法保全原有境界。他更会为你讲明：创世立定的秩序，便是人赖以修身得救的准则；凡依循此秩序度日之人，皆归入蒙救赎之列，称作蒙拣选之人。”
话音落时，圣殿四面墙壁豁然开窗，四方天光尽数涌入殿中；又有基路伯在璀璨光辉间往来飞翔。随后那位天使被接引，升回屋顶天窗之上，与同类天使相聚。我辈众人满心喜乐，辞别殿中离去。
134# 对此，我补充这些记事。记事一：
有一次，我走进灵人界的一座圣殿，那里聚集着一大批会众。在讲道开始前，他们在互相讨论救赎的话题。这个圣殿呈四方形，墙上没有窗户；但屋顶中央上方有一个很大的开口，来自天堂的光线就通过这个开口照进来，把它照得比两边有窗户时还要亮。看哪，他们正在谈论救赎的时候，突然一片乌云从北方飘来，遮住了开口，造成一片黑暗，以至于他们无法看见彼此，几乎伸手不见五指。正当他们对此感到惊讶，站在那里时，看哪，那片乌云从中间裂开了，从天而降的天使们通过这裂缝出现了，他们将乌云驱散到两边，圣殿又充满光明。然后，天使们派出他们中间的一位天使降到圣殿，他以他们的名义问会众在争论什么，导致如此浓密的云遮蔽他们，夺走光明，带来黑暗。他们回答说，他们正在讨论救赎，认为救赎是由神的儿子通过十字架受难实现的，而十字架受难是指祂为人类赎罪，并将人类从诅咒或定罪和永死中救出来。对此，被派下来的天使说：“为什么是通过十字架受难实现的？请解释一下。”
然后，一个牧师上前说：“我会依次解释我们所知道和所相信的，即：父神对人类感到愤怒，定它的罪，把它关在祂宽恕或怜悯的大门之外，宣布所有人都注定受诅咒，并把他们交给地狱。祂希望祂的儿子来承担这个定罪，儿子同意了，并为此降临，取了人身，忍受被钉十字架的痛苦，从而把人类的定罪转移到自己身上；因为我们读到：‘凡挂在木十字架上的都是受诅咒的（申命记21:22-23; 加拉太书3:13）。’圣子就这样通过代求和调解挽回了圣父；然后，圣父出于对祂儿子的爱，被祂在十字架上表现出的痛苦所感动，决定赦免人们；但祂说：‘我只将你的公义归算给这些人；我会将这些人从可怒和咒诅之子变成恩典和祝福之子，使他们称义，并拯救他们。其余的人则照从前的决定，仍是可怒之子。’这就是我们的信仰，这些事就是我们的公义，父神将这公义植入我们的信仰，唯独这信仰使人称义并得救。”
当天使听到这些话时，他沉默了很久，惊愕地一动不动。然后，他打破沉默，说：“基督教界怎么会如此疯狂？它怎能从健全的理性走向如此的癫狂？它怎能把拯救的基本教义建立在这种悖论之上？谁看不出，这些观点与神性本质本身，即与神的神性之爱和神性智慧截然对立，同时与祂的全能和全在截然对立？没有一个好主人会如此对待他的仆婢；就连野兽或猛禽也不会如此对待它的幼崽或幼雏。这太可怕了！此外，取消对人类每个人的召唤，岂不违背神的神性本质？改变自永恒所建立的秩序，即：每个人都要照自己的生活受审判，岂不违背神性本质？将爱和怜悯从任何人那里收回，尤其从全人类那里收回，岂不违背神性本质？因看到祂儿子的痛苦而再次回到怜悯之中，也就是说，再次回到祂自己的本质之中，因为怜悯是神的本质本身，岂不违背神性本质？认为祂曾离开过那本质，是可憎的，因为那本质从永恒到永恒都是祂自己。
此外，如你们所相信的，将救赎的公义植入任何事物或任何实体是不可能的，这公义本身属于神性全能；把它归算和归给一个人，毫无其它理由地宣称他是公义、纯洁和神圣的，这也是不可能的。仅仅通过归算就赦免任何人的罪，使他更新、重生并得救，从而将不义转化为公义，将诅咒转化为祝福，这是不可能的。如果情况是这样的话，那么将地狱变成天堂，将天堂变成地狱，或将龙变成米迦勒，将米迦勒变成龙，从而结束他们之间的战争，难道就不可能呢？那么，除了夺走原本归算给一个人的信仰，把它赋予另一个人外，他还需要做什么呢？你们这是在强迫我们这些在天堂里的人永远活在持续的恐惧中。让一个人去承担另一个人的罪，使有罪的或恶人变成无罪的，从而洗去他的罪行，这并不符合公义和公平。这难道不是反对神性和人性的公义吗？基督教界还不知道秩序的存在，更不知道这秩序的性质，而神在创世时，就把这秩序引入世界；基督教界也不知道，神不能违背这秩序，那样祂就会违背祂自己，因为神就是秩序本身。”
那个牧师明白了这位天使所说的话，因为上面的天使们把天堂之光洒在了他身上。接着，他叹了口气说：“该怎么办呢？如今所有人都这样讲道、祷告和相信。所有人口中的祷告都是这样：‘良善的父啊，怜悯我们吧；为了你儿子在十字架上为我们流的宝血，赦免我们的罪吧。’他们向基督祷告说：‘主啊，求你为我们代求。’对此，我们牧师补充说：‘请赐圣灵给我们。’”于是，天使说：“我发现，牧师们从没有内在理解，或没有属灵理解的圣言中预备了一种眼药膏，把它抹在那些被他们的信仰弄瞎的人眼上；或他们从中制作了一种膏药，把它贴在他们的信条造成的伤口上；然而，他们没有治愈这些伤口，因为这些伤口是慢性疮，或太根深蒂固了。因此，去找站在那边的人，”他指着我说：“他会从主那里教导你们，十字架受难不是救赎，而是主的人身与父的神性的合一；而救赎是征服地狱，恢复天堂的秩序；除非主在世时实现这些运作，否则无论在地上，还是在天上，任何人都不会得救。他还会教导你们自创世时所建立的秩序，照着这个秩序生活就会得救，那些照之生活的人就被算在被救赎者之列，并被称为选民。”天使说完，圣殿两边或墙上的窗户都打开了，光从这个世界的四面八方照进来，飞翔的基路伯出现在灿烂的光芒中。然后，这位天使被提到开口上方他的同伴那里；我们心情愉快地离开了。
134. Here I will add the following memorable occurrences.
The first memorable occurrence. Once I went to a church in the world of spirits. Many people had gathered there. Before the service, they were debating back and forth about redemption.
The church was a square building. It had no windows in the walls, but there was a large opening overhead in the center of the roof. Light from heaven came in through that opening and provided more illumination inside than would have been supplied by windows in the walls.
As the people were talking back and forth about redemption, all of a sudden a pitch-black cloud sailing in from the north covered the opening. It became so dark inside that the people could not see each other at all and could scarcely see their own hands. While they were standing there stunned by this, the black cloud split down the middle. Through the gap the people saw angels coming down from heaven. The angels drove away the clouds on either side so that it became light again in the church.
Then the angels sent one of their own down to the church. At the request of the other angels, that angel asked the people what topic they were arguing about that so dark a cloud should come over them, taking away their light and plunging them in darkness.
They answered that the topic was redemption: "We were saying that the Son of God redeemed us all by suffering on the cross. By suffering he ritually purged and freed the human race from damnation and eternal death. "
The angel who had been sent down said, "Why by the suffering on the cross? Explain why that was redemptive. "
[2] At that point the priest came in and said, "I will lay out in sequence the things we know and believe. God the Father was angry at the human race. He damned it, excluded it from his mercy, declared us all detestable and accursed, and assigned us all to hell. He wanted his Son to take that damnation on himself. The Son agreed. For this purpose the Son came down, took on a human manifestation, and let himself be crucified, thereby transferring the damnation of the human race to himself. For we read, 'Accursed is everyone who hangs on the wood of the cross' [Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Galatians 3:13]. By interceding and mediating like this, the Son appeased the Father. Then, moved with love for the Son and affected by the wretched state he saw him in on the wood of the cross, the Father proclaimed that he would give pardons, 'But only,' he said, 'for those to whom I attribute your justice. These children born of anger and a curse I will turn into children born of grace and a blessing. I will justify them and save them. The rest remain, as I proclaimed them before, children born of anger. ' This is our faith; and that is the justice, added by God the Father to our faith, that enables this faith alone to justify us and save us. "
[3] After the angel heard this he was silent for a long time; he could not help feeling stunned. Eventually he broke his silence and said the following:
"How can the Christian world be that insane? How can it wander that far from sound reason toward derangement? How can it base its fundamental dogma of salvation on paradoxes of this kind?
"Surely anyone can see that those ideas are totally opposite to the divine essence, meaning the Lord's divine love and divine wisdom, as well as his omnipotence and omnipresence. No decent master could treat his servants that way. Not even a wild animal would treat its offspring or its young that way. That's horrible!
"To stop calling out to every member of the human race would go against the divine essence. It would go against the divine essence to change the divine design that has been established from eternity - the principle that all are judged by their own lives. It would go against the divine essence to take love or mercy away from anyone, let alone from the whole human race. It would go against the divine essence for the Father to be brought back to mercy by seeing the Son feeling wretched. Wouldn't that be the same as the Father's being brought back to his own essence, since mercy is the very essence of God? It is horrendous to think that he ever left it. From eternity to eternity, he is mercy.
[4] "Surely it is also impossible to transfer the justice of redemption to any entity (as you believe). This justice belongs to divine omnipotence. It is impossible to attribute and assign this justice to people, and pronounce them just, pure, and holy in the absence of any other means. It is impossible to forgive people's sins and renew, regenerate, and save people just by giving them credit they do not deserve.
"Is it that easy to turn injustice into justice or a curse into a blessing? Couldn't God in that case turn hell into heaven and heaven into hell? Couldn't he turn the dragon into Michael and Michael into the dragon to break up their fight? What else would he need to do then but take away the faith that had been credited to one person and credit it to another? If that were possible, we in heaven would spend eternity shaking with fear!
"It is not consistent with justice or judgment for anyone who committed a crime to become guiltless, or for the crime to be wiped away, by someone else's taking it on. Surely this goes against all justice, both divine and human.
"The Christian world is still ignorant that the divine design exists. It is especially ignorant of the design that God built into the world at creation. God cannot go against that design - that would be going against himself, for God is the divine design itself. "
[5] The priest understood what the angel had said, because the angels above were pouring down light from heaven. The priest groaned and said, "What can we do? Everyone today preaches this, prays it, believes it. All mouths are saying, 'Good Father, have mercy on us and forgive us our sins for the sake of the blood that your Son shed on the cross for us. ' To Christ they all say, 'Lord, intercede for us. ' We priests add, 'Send us the Holy Spirit. '"
The angel said, "I have watched priests make salves from a shallow understanding of the Word and smear those salves on eyes that have been blinded by their faith. Either that or from the same source they make medicated bandages to put on the wounds inflicted by their own dogmas; but the wounds don't heal. They are chronic.
"Therefore go to the person who is standing there" - and he pointed to me with his finger. "On behalf of the Lord he will teach you that the suffering on the cross was not redemption. It was the uniting of the Lord's humanity with the Father's divinity. Redemption, on the other hand, was gaining control over the hells and restructuring the heavens. Without these achievements, carried out while the Lord was in the world, no one on earth or in heaven would have attained salvation. That man will also tell you the divine design that was set up at creation for people to follow in their lives in order to be saved. Those who live by that design are numbered among the redeemed and are called the chosen. "
After the angel said that, windows formed on the sides of the church. Light flowed in through them from the four directions of that world. Angel guardians appeared, flying in a brilliant light. The angel was taken up to his companion angels above the opening in the roof; and we left feeling happy.
134. At this point I shall insert more accounts of experiences, of which this is the first.
Once in the world of spirits I went into a church where there was a large congregation, and before the sermon they had a discussion on the subject of redemption. The church was square in plan without any windows in the walls, but with a large opening in the middle of the roof, allowing light from heaven to stream in, making the interior brighter than windows at the sides could have done.
While they were talking about redemption, a black cloud suddenly blew up from the north and covered the opening. This caused such thick darkness that people could not see one another, and hardly their hands in front of their faces. While they were standing struck dumb by this, the black cloud was split down the middle, and through the gap angels were seen, sent down from heaven to dispel the cloud in either direction, so that the church was filled with light again. The angels then sent down one of their number into the church to ask the congregation in their name the subject of their dispute, which had caused so dark a cloud to come over, block out the light, and spread darkness. They replied that they were talking about redemption, how this was effected by the passion of the Son of God on the cross, by which means He made expiation and rescued the human race from damnation and everlasting death.
To this the angel who has been sent down replied: 'Why do you say "by the passion on the cross"? Explain why you say it was by that means.'
[2] Then a priest came forward and said: 'I will give an orderly exposition of our knowledge and belief. These are that God the Father in His anger against the human race damned it and shut it out from the sphere of His clemency, declaring all its members condemned and accursed, and consigning them to hell. He was willing for His Son to take that sentence on Himself; the Son consented, and therefore came down, took human form, and allowed Himself to be crucified. He thus transferred to Himself the damnation of the human race; for we read "Cursed is everyone who hangs upon the wood of the cross." The Son thus by His intercession and mediation appeased the Father; and then the Father out of His love for the Son, and as the result of witnessing His suffering on the cross, was moved to pity, and decreed that He would forgive men, "but only those to whom I impute your righteousness. These I will turn from sons of wrath and cursing into sons of grace and blessing, and I will make them righteous and save them. Let the rest remain as previously decreed, sons of wrath." Such is our faith, and these things are what is meant by the righteousness which God the Father introduces into our faith, so that by itself it makes us righteous and saves us.'
[3] On hearing this the angel kept silent for some time, he was so astonished. But eventually he broke silence and spoke as follows: 'Can the Christian world have become so mad, and have abandoned sound reason for such ravings, as to deduce the fundamental dogma of salvation from those paradoxes? Is there anyone who cannot see that this is diametrically opposed to the Divine essence itself, that is, to God's Divine love and His Divine wisdom, and at the same time to His omnipotence and omnipresence? No decent master would treat his servants and maids like this; not even a wild beast would so treat its pups or young. It is unspeakable. Is it not contrary to His Divine essence to revoke the invitation given to every single member of the human race? Is it not contrary to the Divine essence to change the laws of order established from eternity, which prescribe that each person should be judged by the life he leads? Is it not contrary to the Divine essence to withdraw love and pity from any person, and more so from the whole of the human race? Is it not contrary to the Divine essence to be brought back to pitying by witnessing the Son's suffering, and since it is the very essence of God to pity, to be brought back to His own essence? It is utter wickedness to think that He could ever depart from it, for He is His essence from eternity to eternity.
[4] 'Is it not impossible to implant in anything, such as your faith, the righteousness of redemption, which in itself is a part of God's omnipotence, and impute or assign it to a person, and without any other means to pronounce him righteous, pure and holy? Is it not impossible to forgive anyone his sins, or to make anyone new, regenerated and saved, simply by imputing righteousness to him, which would be turning unrighteousness into righteousness, and cursing into blessing? Could one thus turn hell into heaven, and heaven into hell, or the dragon into Michael, and Michael into the dragon, and so put a stop to the battle between them? What would it take but to withdraw the imputation of your faith from one person and give it to another? In that case we in heaven would go in fear for ever. Nor is it consistent with righteousness and judgment for one person to take another's crime upon himself, so that the guilty should be held innocent, and the crime thus be purged. Is this not contrary to both Divine righteousness and human justice? The Christian world is still ignorant of the existence, even more so of the nature, of the laws of order that God introduced at the creation of the world; and that God cannot act contrary to order because that would be acting against Himself. For God is order itself.'
[5] The priest understood what the angel had said, because the angels up above poured down light from heaven. Then he gave a groan and said: 'What are we to do? Everyone nowadays preaches and prays and believes this. Everyone is saying "Gracious Father, have mercy upon us and forgive us our sins for the sake of your Son's blood, which He shed for us upon the cross." Then they pray to Christ: "Lord, intercede for us;" and we priests add, "Send us the Holy Spirit."'
Then the angel said: 'I have noticed that priests make ointments from a superficial understanding of the Word, which they smear on the eyes of those who have been blinded by their faith; or make up a poultice from the same source, which they place upon the wounds inflicted by their dogmas, but without healing them, since they have become chronic. So go to the man who is standing over there - and he pointed to me - he will teach you from the Lord that the passion on the cross was not the act of redemption, but the uniting of the Lord's Human with the Father's Divine. Redemption was the conquest of the hells and the ordering of the heavens; and had the Lord not performed these acts when He was in the world, no one on earth, nor anyone in the heavens, could have been saved. He will go on to teach you the laws of order, which were imposed from the time of creation, by which people must live to be saved. Those who live by them are counted among the redeemed and called the chosen.'
After this speech windows appeared in the sides of the church, brightness flooded in from all four quarters, and cherubs were seen flying in a radiance of light. Then the angel was lifted up through the opening in the roof to rejoin his companions, and we went away in a cheerful frame of mind.
134. To this shall be added these Memorable Relations. First:
I once entered a temple in the world of spirits where many were assembled. Before the sermon began they were discussing with each other the subject of Redemption. The temple was square, with no windows in the walls; but in the center of the roof there was a large opening, through which light from heaven entered, making it lighter than if there had been windows at the sides.
And behold, in the midst of their talk about redemption a black cloud floating from the north suddenly covered the opening, causing such darkness that they could not see each other, and could scarcely see their own hands.
While they were standing amazed at this, behold, the black cloud parted in the middle, and through the parting angels sent down from heaven appeared, who dispelled the cloud to both sides, and again the temple was filled with light. The angels then sent down one of their number into the temple, who in their name asked the congregation what they were contending about to cause so dense a cloud to overshadow them, take away the light, and bring on darkness.
They answered that it was about redemption, as having been wrought by the Son of God through the passion of the cross, whereby He made expiation, and delivered the human race from damnation and eternal death.
To this the angel who had been sent down said, "Why through the passion of the cross? Explain why through that."
[2] Then a priest came forward and said, "I will explain in order what we know and believe, which is, That God the Father, being angry with the human race, condemned it, shut it out from His clemency, and declared all men doomed and accursed, and consigned them to hell; and that He wished His Son to take upon Himself that condemnation, and the Son consented, and for that purpose came down and assumed the human, suffered Himself to be crucified, and thus transferred to Himself the condemnation of the human race; for we read, 'Cursed is everyone that hangeth on the wood of a cross.' Thus did the Son by interceding and mediating propitiate the Father; and then the Father, moved by love for His Son, and by witnessing His anguish upon the wood of the cross, determined to forgive men; 'but only those to whom I impute Thy righteousness; these I will change from children of wrath and malediction to children of grace and benediction, and will justify and save them; the rest, as before determined, may remain children of wrath.' This is our faith, and these things are our righteousness, which God the Father implants in our faith, which alone justifies and saves."
[3] When the angel had heard this he was silent for some time, for he was motionless with amazement; but afterwards he broke silence and said, "Can the Christian world be so insane, and wander away from sound reason into such madnesses, and from such paradoxes draw conclusions about the fundamental dogma of salvation? Who does not see that these things are diametrically opposed to the very Divine essence, that is, to God's Divine love and Divine wisdom, and at the same time to His omnipotence and omnipresence? No good master could so deal with his manservants and maidservants, nor even a wild beast or a bird of prey with its young. It is horrible. Is it not contrary to God's Divine essence to annul that call which has been made to the whole human race and to each individual? Is it not contrary to the Divine essence to change the order established from eternity, which is, that every man is to be judged by his life? Is it not contrary to the Divine essence to withdraw its love and mercy from any man, still more from the whole human race? Is it not contrary to the Divine essence that it should be brought back to mercy, and as mercy is the very essence of God, that it should be brought back to its own essence, by witnessing the anguish of the Son? Is it not abominable to imagine that He ever departed from that essence, since that essence is Himself from eternity to eternity?
[4] Furthermore, is it not impossible to introduce into such a thing as your faith is, the righteousness of redemption (which in itself belongs to the Divine omnipotence), and to impute and ascribe it to man, and without any further means to declare him righteous, pure, and holy? Is it not impossible to remit sins to anyone, and to renew, regenerate, and save him, by mere imputation, whereby unrighteousness is turned into righteousness, and a curse into a blessing? Would it not be possible in this way to change hell into heaven and heaven into hell, or the dragon into Michael and Michael into the dragon, and so end the war between them? Is anything needed but to withdraw the imputation of your faith from one and bestow it upon the other? Thus would you compel us who are in heaven to live for ever in constant fear. Neither is it in accordance with justice and judgment for one person to take upon himself the guilt of another, and for the guilty thus to be made innocent and have his guilt washed away. Is not this opposed to both Divine and human justice? The Christian world does not yet know that there is an order, still less what that order is, which God introduced into the world simultaneously with the creation of it; and that God cannot act contrary to that order, since He would then be acting contrary to Himself; for God is order itself."
[5] The priest understood what was said by the angel, because the angels who were above let in light from heaven; and presently he sighed and said, "What is to be done? At this day all men so preach and pray and believe. It is in every mouth, 'Good Father, have mercy upon us; forgive us our sins for the sake of Thy Son's blood, which He poured out for us upon the cross.' And to Christ they pray, 'Lord, intercede for us.' And to this we priests add, 'Send us the Holy Spirit.'"
The angel then said, "I have observed that from the Word not interiorly understood the priests prepare an eyesalve which they apply to the eyes that are blinded by their faith; or they make from it a sort of plaster which they spread upon the wounds inflicted by their dogmas; and yet they fail to heal those wounds, because they are chronic sores. Therefore go to him who stands yonder,' pointing his finger towards me, "and he will teach you from the Lord that the passion of the cross was not redemption, but the uniting of the Lord's Human with the Divine of the Father; while redemption was the subjugation of the hells and the restoration of order in the heavens; and unless this had been done by the Lord when He was in the world there would be no salvation for anyone on the earth or in heaven. He will also teach you the order established from creation, to live according to which is to be saved, those who live according to it being numbered among the redeemed, and called the elect."
When all this had been said, windows were formed in the walls of the temple through which there flowed in an illumination from the four quarters of that world, and cherubs appeared flying in the brightness of the light; and the angel was taken up to his companions above the opening; and we went away delighted.
134. MEMORABILIA.
To these things will now be added the following Memorabilia.
The first experience. I once entered a temple in the world of spirits, where there was a large congregation; and before the sermon they reasoned together about redemption. The temple was square with no windows in the walls, but there was a great opening overhead in the centre of the roof, through which light from heaven entered and illuminated it better than if there had been windows at the sides. While they were talking about redemption, suddenly a black cloud, coming from the north, covered the opening and caused such darkness that they could not see each other, and scarcely any one could see his own hand. While they stood amazed at this, the black cloud parted in the middle, and through the aperture angels were seen descending from heaven, who dispersed the cloud on each side so that it became light again in the temple. Then the angels sent down one of their number into the temple who, in the name of the rest, asked the congregation the subject of their discussion, which had caused such a dense cloud to gather over them, depriving them of light and bringing on darkness. They replied that they were discussing redemption, maintaining that it was effected by the Son of God through the passion of the cross, by which means He made expiation for the human race and delivered man from condemnation and eternal death. To this, the angel who had been sent down said: "How was it effected through the passion of the cross? Please explain this."
[2] A priest then came forward and said: "I will explain in order what we know and what we believe: 'God the Father, being angry with mankind, condemned it and shut it out from His pity; and, having declared all men doomed and accursed, delivered them over to hell. He desired His Son to take that condemnation upon Himself; who consented, and for that purpose descended, assumed the Human, and suffered Himself to be crucified and the condemnation of mankind to be thus transferred to Himself: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a wooden cross. The Son thus appeased the Father by His intercession and mediation; and then the Father, out of love for the Son, and moved by the anguish exhibited by Him on the cross, determined that He would pardon, "But only those to whom I impute thy righteousness, and these will I make children of grace and blessing from being children of wrath and curse, and I will justify and save them. The rest will remain, as was before decreed, children of wrath." This is our faith, and this is the righteousness which God the Father implants in our faith, the faith which alone justifies and saves."
[3] When the angel heard this he was silent for a long time, standing motionless with astonishment. Then he broke silence and said: "Can the Christian world be so insane, and wander from sound reason into such madness, and establish its fundamental doctrine of salvation on such paradoxes? Who cannot see that those opinions are diametrically opposed to the Divine Essence itself, that is, to God's Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, and at the same time to His omnipotence and omnipresence? No upright master could act so towards his men-servants and his maid-servants; nor even a wild beast towards its cubs, nor a wild bird towards its young: it is unspeakable. Moreover, it is contrary to His Divine Essence to annul the call made to every individual of the human race; to change the order established from eternity, which in effect is, that every one should be judged according to his life; to withdraw love and mercy from any man, and much more from the whole human race; and to be brought back again to mercy by the sight of His Son's anguish, that is, to be brought back again to His own Essence, since mercy is the Essence itself of God. It is unspeakable to suppose that He ever departed from it, for that Essence is Himself from eternity to eternity. It is also impossible to implant in such a thing as your faith the righteousness of redemption, which in itself belongs to Divine omnipotence, and to impart and ascribe it to a man, and to declare him, for no other reason, righteous, pure and holy.
[4] It is impossible, by mere imputation, to forgive anyone's sins, to renew him, to regenerate and save him, and thus to convert unrighteousness into righteousness and a curse into a blessing. Would it not be possible, if such were the case, to turn hell into heaven, and heaven into hell, or to make the dragon Michael, 1 and Michael the dragon, and so to end the combat between them? For what is needed but to remove the imputation your faith assumes from the one and bestow it on the other? Were this possible we in heaven should live in constant dread. It is not according to justice and judgment that one should take upon himself the sin of another, that the wicked be made innocent, and the crime be thus washed away. Surely this is contrary to justice, both Divine and human. The Christian world is ignorant as yet of the existence of order, and more so of the nature of that order which God introduced at the time He created the world; nor does it know that God cannot act contrary to it, as then He would be acting contrary to Himself, for God is order itself."
[5] The priest understood what the angel said, because the angels who were above shed upon him the light of heaven. Then with a sigh he said: "What is to be done? At this day all men so preach and pray and believe. This prayer is spoken by all: 'Good Father, have mercy on us, and forgive our sins for the sake of thy Son's blood, which He shed for us on the cross,' and to Christ they pray: 'Lord, intercede for us;' to which we priests add: 'Send us the Holy Spirit.'" Thereupon the angel said: "I have observed that the priests prepare an eye-salve from the Word, but not from a spiritual understanding of it, with which they anoint the eyes of those who are blinded by their faith; or they make for themselves a sort of plaster from it, which they place upon the wounds their dogmas cause; but still they are not healed, because they are too deep-seated. Go therefore to him who stands yonder;"-and he pointed to me-"he will teach you from the Lord that the passion of the cross was not redemption, but that it was the uniting of the Lord's Human with the Divine of the Father; whereas redemption consisted in the subjugation of the hells, and the establishment of order in the heavens; and unless these operations had been effected by the Lord when He was in the world, there would have been no salvation for any one either on earth or in heaven. He will also teach you the order which was introduced at creation, according to which those must live who would be saved; and that those who live according to it will be numbered among the Redeemed and will be called the Elect."
When the angel finished speaking, windows were opened up on the sides of the temple, through which light entered from the four quarters of the world, and in the brilliant light there appeared flying cherubs. The angel was then borne aloft to his companions above the aperture, and we retired elated by our experience.
Footnotes:
1. Michael, the archangel.
134. His adjicientur haec MEMORABILIA: PRIMUM; Quondam intravi Templum in Mundo spirituum, 1 ubi plures erant congregati, et ante Concionem inter se ratiocinati sunt de REDEMPTIONE. Templum erat quadratum, et non aliquae fenestrae in parietibus, sed magna apertura supra in medio tecti, per quam lux e Coelo intrabat, et plus illuminabat, quam si fuissent fenestrae a lateribus: et ecce subito, cum in sermocinatione de Redemptione erant, Nubes atra e septentrione alluens obtexit aperturam, unde tenebrae factae sunt, ut non videret unus alterum, et vix quisquam palmam suam; cum propter hoc obstupefacti steterunt, ecce atra illa nubes findebatur in medio, et per fissuram visi sunt angeli demissi e Coelo, et hi Nubem ab utraque parte discusserunt, ex quo in Templo iterum factum est luminosum; et tunc Angeli demiserunt unum ex se in Templum, qui vice 2 eorum interrogabat congregatos, de qua re contendunt, quoniam tam obscura Nubes superveniens sustulit lucem, et induxit tenebras; responderunt, quod de Redemptione, et quod 3 haec facta sit a Filio Dei per Passionem crucis, et quod per illam expiaverit, et liberaverit Genus humanum a damnatione et morte aeterna; sed ad haec dixit Angelus demissus, quid per Passionem crucis; exponite cur per illam;
[2] et tunc Sacerdos venit, et dixit, ego exponam in serie, quae scimus et credimus, quae sunt, quod Deus Pater iratus contra Genus humanum, damnaverit Illud, et a clementia sua excluserit, et declaraverit omnes devotos et maledictos, et addixerit Inferno; et quod voluerit, ut Filius Ipsius damnationem illam in se susciperet, et quod Filius annuerit, et propter id descenderit, et assumserit Humanum, et passus se crucifigi, et sic 4 damnationem Generis humani in se transferri, nam legitur, Maledictus omnis suspensus super ligno crucis; et quod Filius sic propitiaverit Patrem intercedendo et mediando; et quod tunc Pater ex amore erga Filium, et ex miseria visa in Illo super ligno crucis commotus sanciverit, quod condonaturus sit, sed solum illis quibus imputo Justitiam tuam, hos faciam ex filiis irae et maledictionis filios gratiae et benedictionis, ac justificabo et salvabo; reliqui maneant, sicut prius sancitum est, filii irae; haec est fides nostra, et illa sunt 5 justitia, quam Deus Pater infert fidei nostrae, quae sola justificat et salvat.
[3] Angelus his auditis diu conticuit, haesit enim in stupore, et post solvit silentium, et fatus est haec; potest Orbis Christianus in tantum insanire, et a sana ratione in talia deliria abscedere, et ex illis Paradoxis fundamentale salutis dogma concludere; quis non potest videre, quod illa e diametro sint contra ipsam Divinam Essentiam, hoc est, contra Divinam Ipsius Amorem et Divinam Ipsius Sapientiam, et simul contra Ipsius Omnipotentiam et Omnipraesentiam; ita facere non potest ullus herus probus contra famulos suos et ancillas suas; imo nec fera contra catulos et pullos suos; est infandum: 6 estne contra Divinam Essentiam Ipsius annihilare Vocationem, quae facta est ad omnes et singulos ex Genere humano; estne contra Divinam Essentiam immutare Ordinem ab aeterno constabilitum, qui est, ut quisque secundum suam vitam judicetur; 7 estne contra Divinam Essentiam subtrahere amorem et misericordiam alicui homini, et plus universo generi humano; estne contra Divinam Essentiam ex visa in Filio miseria reduci in misericordiam, 8 et quia misericordia est ipsa Dei Essentia, reduci in suam Essentiam, ac nefandum est cogitare, quod usquam ex illa exiverit; est enim illa Ipse ab aeterno 9 in aeternum. 10
[4] Estne etiam impossibile inferre in aliquod ens, quale est fides vestra, Justitiam redemptionis, quae in se est Divinae Omnipotentiae, et illam imputare et addicare homini, et hunc absque ullis aliis mediis declarare justum, purum, et sanctum; estne impossibile remittere alicui peccata, ac aliquem innovare, regenerare et salvare ex sola imputatione, et sic injustitiam vertere in justitiam, et maledictionem in benedictionem; potestne sic Infernum vertere in Coelum, et Coelum in Infernum, aut Draconem in Michaelem, et Michaelem in Draconem, et sic discindere pugnam inter illos; quid opus nisi uni subtrahere fidei vestrae imputationem, et indere alteri; ita nos, qui in Coelo sumus, trepidabimus in aeternum. Nec est justitiae et judicii, ut alter in se suscipiat alterius nefas, et nefarius insons fiat, et nefas sic diluatur; hocne est contra Justitiam et Divinam et humanam. Orbis Christianus ignorat adhuc, quod Ordo sit, et plus quid Ordo, quem Deus, cum Mundum creavit, simul introduxit, et quod Deus non possit agere contra illum, quoniam tunc ageret contra Se; est enim Deus ipse Ordo.
[5] Sacerdos illa ab Angelo dicta intellexit, quia Angeli, qui supra erant, infuderunt lucem e Coelo; et tunc gemuit et dixit, 11 quid faciendum; omnes hodie ita praedicant, et orant, et credunt; in ore omnium est hoc, Pater bone miserere nostri, et remitte nobis peccata nostra, propter sanguinem Filii tui, quem pro nobis super cruce effudit; et ad Christum, Domine intercede pro nobis; et nos Sacerdotes illis addimus, mitte nobis Spiritum sanctum; et tunc dixit Angelus, animadverti, quod Sacerdotes parent collyria ex Verbo non interius intellecto, quae super oculos per fidem illorum occaecatos illinunt, aut faciunt inde sibi sicut emplastrum, quod super vulnera a dogmatibus illorum inflicta ponunt, sed usque non sanant illa, quia inveterata; quare adi illum, qui ibi stat, et monstravit me digito, ille docebit te a Domino, quod Passio crucis non fuerit Redemptio, sed unitio Humani Domini cum Divino Patris; at quod Redemptio fuerit subjugatio infernorum, et ordinatio Coelorum, et quod absque illis a Domino, cum fuit in Mundo, peractis, non fuisset salus alicui in Terris, nec alicui in Coelis; et docebit amplius ordinem a creatione inductum, secundum quem vivant ut salventur, et quod qui secundum illum vivunt, numerentur inter Redemptos, et dicantur Electi. His dictis, in Templo factae sunt fenestrae a lateribus, per quas luminosum a quatuor plagis Mundi influxit, et apparebant Cherubi volantes in splendore lucis; et sublatus est Angelus ad suos supra aperturam; et laeti recessimus.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: fpirituum.
2. Prima editio: viee.
3. Prima editio: quad.
4. Prima editio: sie.
5. Nisi legeris est, sic Rose.
6. Prima editio: insandum.
7. Prima editio: judieetur.
8. Prima editio: miserieordiam.
9. Prima editio: aetarno.
10. Prima editio: aerernum.
11. Prima editio: dixlt.