178# 任一教会所持的核心信仰，都好比一粒种子，教会所有教义皆由它生发；亦可譬作树种，整株树木乃至果实，无不由这颗种子长成；又可比作人类的种源，宗族后裔依序繁衍、世代相续，尽出于此。是以只要认清居于核心、主导救恩认知的根本信仰，便能辨明一间教会的真实本貌。
此事可借譬喻阐明。倘若一套信仰主张自然为宇宙的创造者，便会衍生出整套推论：宇宙即是所谓的上帝，自然便是祂的本质；以太是至高神明，古时人称朱庇特；空气为女神，古称朱诺，视作朱庇特的配偶；海洋是次级神明，古人谓之尼普顿；自然的神性甚至下及地底，故地下亦有神，名为普路托；太阳如同众神议事的殿宇，朱庇特在此召集诸神集会；火则是源自这一神明的生命本源。依此论调，飞鸟在神明之内翱翔，走兽在神明之内行走，游鱼在神明之内游动。
更进一步推演：人的思绪只是以太的形变，由思想生出的言语，不过是空气的调和变化；心中爱欲的起伏，仅是日光渗入所带来的偶然情态。由此还会衍生这般观点：死后生命、天堂与地狱，不过是神职人员为博取名利尊荣编造的虚言；这类虚说虽不实，却尚有功用，不宜当众讥讽，因它能约束普通百姓的心，使人安分顺服掌权者，维系公共秩序。
那些被这套宗教说辞引诱、深陷其中之人，不过是活在抽象幻象里的人：所思皆是虚幻，所行如同登台演戏；他们沦为教士的说辞附庸，笃信肉眼无从证实之事，追逐心智无法领会的虚渺境界。
以上种种推论，连同更多同类谬论，全都潜藏在 “自然创造宇宙” 这一核心信仰之内，一旦将这套信仰铺展开来，各样谬误便尽数显露。举此一例，是要使人明白：如今教会通行的信仰，内里实为敬拜三位上帝，外表却宣称独一上帝，其中盘踞着无数伪谬；从中能拆解出的各类谬妄，多如母蛛蛛网里滋生的幼蛛，数不胜数。
但凡心智蒙主所赐真光照亮、具备健全理性之人，谁不能看清这层实情？可若是立下规条，堵死探究此信仰及其衍生支流的通路，明令理性不得深究其中奥义，其余众人又如何辨明内里的虚妄？
178# 每个教会的信仰都像种子，它的一切教义都源于这种子。它可以比作一棵树的种子，由此长出树的各个部分，甚至直到果实；它也可以比作人的种子或精子，由此生育一代又一代的后代和家族。因此，当知道教会的主要信仰，这主要信仰因其主导的性质而被称为得救的信仰时，也就知道了教会的性质。这一点可通过以下例子来说明。假如信仰是，大自然是宇宙的创造者。由此可推知，宇宙被称为神，大自然是它的本质，以太是至高无上的神，古人称其为朱庇特，空气是女神，古人称其为朱诺，并将她立为朱庇特的妻子；海洋是低于这些的神，根据古人的说法，它可以被称为尼普顿；由于自然的神性直达地心，所以那里也有一个神，根据古人的说法，他可以被称为普鲁托；太阳是众神的宫廷，每当朱庇特召集议会时，他们都在那里会合；此外，火是来自神的生命；因此，鸟类在神里面飞翔，兽在神里面行走，鱼在神里面游弋。由此也可以推知，思维只是以太的修改，就像来自它们的话语是空气的调制一样；爱之情感是阳光进入它们的流注所产生的偶然的状态变化。除此之外还可以推知，死后的生活，连同天堂和地狱，都是神职人员为获得荣耀和财富而虚构的小说，但仍是一个有用的小说，不应该被公开嘲笑，因为它将简单的心智保持在服从统治者的约束中，从而有助于公共利益；而事实上，那些被宗教迷住的人都是梦想家，他们的思维是幻想或幻觉，他们的行为是荒谬的，他们自己是牧师的苦工，或神职人员的听差，因为他们相信他们看不见的东西，看到超出他们理解，或他们心智范畴的东西。相信大自然是宇宙的创造者就包含这些后果，以及更多类似性质的后果，当这信仰被公开，或发展时，它们就从中发出来。说这一切是为了说明，在当今教会的信仰里面有大批虚假，这信仰在内在形式上是对三神的信仰，但在外在形式上是对一神的信仰；从中可以提取出的虚假，与一只蜘蛛的卵囊里的小蜘蛛一样多。凡心智因来自主的光而变得真正理性的人都可以看到这一点；但只要通往这信仰及其分支的大门被这一法令，即理性不可以探究其奥秘，关闭和闩上，那么其它任何心智怎能看到这一点呢？
178. The faith of any church is like a seed from which all its dogmas grow. It is like the seed of a tree that generates all the tree's features including its fruit. It is like human seed that generates descendants and families one after the other.
If you know a church's primary faith - the one they say is so crucial that it will bring you salvation - then you comprehend the nature of that church.
The following example may illustrate this point: Imagine a faith or belief that says nature created the universe. From that belief come many other beliefs: what we call God is really the universe; nature is its essence; the ether is the highest god the ancients called Jupiter; the air is the goddess the ancients called Juno, the one they made into a spouse for Jupiter; the ocean is a god below the others whom we, like the ancients, could call Neptune; and because nature's divinity extends even to the center of the earth, there is a god there whom we, like the ancients, could call Pluto; the sun is a royal hall for all the gods to meet in when Jupiter calls a council; fire is life from God; birds fly in God, animals walk on God, fish swim in God; thoughts are only modifications in the ether, just as speaking those thoughts involves modulations in the air; and different types of love are just incidental changes in our mental condition caused by the rays of the sun flowing into them. Among these beliefs there is also the view that life after death, heaven, and hell are myths made up by the clergy to win honor and wealth; but although they are myths, they are nevertheless useful and should not be openly ridiculed, because they serve the public by putting simple minds on a leash so that they obey their civic leaders. Still, those who are captivated by religion are unrealistic people, their thoughts are delusions, their actions are amusing, and they are subservient to the clergy in that they believe in things they do not see and see things that lie outside their mental range.
These derivative beliefs and many others like them are contained in the original belief that nature created the universe. They come out when the full implications of that belief are explored.
I have listed all this so you may know that the modern-day church's faith (which in its inner form is a faith in three gods, but in its outer form is a faith in one God) has squadrons of falsities inside it. There are as many falsities to be brought out as there are baby spiders in the egg case produced by a mother spider.
Anyone with a mind made truly rational by light from the Lord sees this. No others are going to see it, though, when the door to that faith and its offspring has been bolted shut by the principle that it is wrong for reason to examine its mysteries.
178. The faith of any church is like a seed, from which spring all its dogmas. It may be compared to the seed of a tree, from which grow all its parts up to and including its fruit; and to the human seed from which are procreated offspring and, generation by generation, families. Therefore if one knows what is the leading faith, which is from its dominant role called necessary for salvation, one can know what kind of church it is. The following example will serve to illustrate this.
Suppose the faith is that nature is the creator of the universe. it follows from this that the universe is what is called God, and that nature is its essence; that the ether is the supreme God, whom the ancients called Jupiter, and the air is a goddess, whom the ancients called Juno, and made Jupiter's wife; that the ocean is a god of lower rank, who following the ancients can be called Neptune; and because the divinity of nature reaches right to the centre of the earth, that there is a god there too, who following the ancients can be called Pluto; that the sun is the meeting-house of all the gods, where they assemble when Jupiter summons a council; moreover, fire is life from God, and thus birds fly in a god, animals walk in a god, and fishes swim in a god;
[2] further, thoughts are mere modifications of the ether, just as the speech which expresses thoughts is a modulation of the air; and the affections of love are changes of state occasioned by the radiation of sunlight impinging on them. This also involves the idea that life after death, together with heaven and hell, is a tale devised by the clergy in pursuit of honours and profit, but it is none the less a useful tale, not to be made fun of in public, because it serves the civic need to keep the minds of ordinary people rigidly obedient to the magistrates. Yet those who are hooked on religion are out of touch with reality, their thoughts are wild imagination, their behaviour ridiculous, and they are lackeys of the priests, believing what they cannot see and seeing things far beyond the reach of their minds. All these consequences, and many more of the same sort, are contained in that faith that nature is the creator of the universe, and emerge from it when it is laid open. This demonstration has been given so that people may know that the faith of the present-day church which is inwardly in three Gods, though outwardly in one, contains battalions of falsities. From this can be extracted as many falsities as there are tiny spiders in one ball produced by a female spider. Is there anyone, whose mind has become truly rational under the enlightenment the Lord gives, who does not see this? But how can anyone else see it, when the door leading to that faith and its offshoots is barred by the rule that it is unlawful for the reason to enquire into its mysteries?
178. The faith of every church is like the seed from which all its dogmas spring. It may be compared to the seed of a tree, out of which grows everything belonging to the tree, even to its fruit; and also to the seed of man, from which offspring and families are begotten in successive series. Therefore as soon as its leading tenet, which from its predominance is called saving, is known, the character of a church is known. This may be illustrated by the following example. Suppose the faith to be that nature is the creator of the universe; it will follow from this faith that the universe is called God, that nature is its essence, that the ether is the supreme Deity whom the ancients called Jove, that the air is the goddess they called Juno and made the wife of Jove; that the ocean is a god below these, which after the manner of the ancients may be called Neptune; and as the Divinity of nature reaches to the earth's very center, there is a god there also, who, as with the ancients, may be called Pluto; that the sun is the court of all the gods, where they meet whenever Jupiter calls a council; moreover, that fire is life from God; and thus the birds fly in God, the beasts walk in God, and the fishes swim in God. It follows also that thoughts are merely modifications of the ether, as the words flowing from them are modulations of air; and that love's affections are occasional changes of state caused by the influx into them of the sun's rays; and along with these notions, that the life after death, together with heaven and hell, is a fable concocted by the clergy for the purpose of acquiring honors and wealth, which, although a fable, is useful, and not to be ridiculed openly, since it serves the public interest by keeping simple minds in the bonds of obedience to magistrates; but those that are inveigled by religion are in fact often devoted to abstractions, their thoughts are fantasies, their actions ludicrous, and they themselves drudges of the priests, believing in what they see not, and seeing what transcends the sphere of their minds. The belief that nature is the creator of the universe includes these consequences, and many more like them, and they proceed from that belief when it is laid open. They are presented here to show that within the faith of the present church, which in its internal form is a faith in three Gods and in its external form a faith in one, there are swarms of falsities, and that as many falsities can be drawn out of it as there are little spiders in the egg-sac of a single spider. Who that has a mind truly rational does not see this by light from the Lord; and how can any other mind see it so long as the door to that faith and its offshoots is shut and bolted by the decree that it is unlawful for reason to look into its mysteries?
178. The faith of every Church is, as it were, the seed from which all its dogmas spring, and it may be compared to the seed of a tree from which grow all its parts, even to the fruit; and also to the seed of man, from which are begotten children and families in successive series. When, therefore, the fundamental faith, which from its predominant nature is called a saving faith, is known, the character of the Church is perceived. This may be illustrated by the following example. Suppose the faith to be, that nature is the creator of the universe. From this it follows that the universe is what is called God; that nature is its essence; that the ether is the supreme god, whom the Ancients called Jupiter; 1 that the air is a goddess, whom the Ancients called Juno, and made her the wife of Jupiter; that the ocean is a deity inferior to these, who according to the Ancients is called Neptune; 2 and since the divinity of nature reaches even to the centre of the earth, that there also is a god, who according to the Ancients is called Pluto; 3 that the sun is the palace of all the gods, where they assemble when Jupiter summons a council; moreover, that fire is life from God, and thus that birds fly, beasts walk and fishes swim in God. Further it follows that thoughts are merely modifications of the ether as words from them are modulations of the air; and that the affections of love are changes of state brought about as occasions arise by the influx of the sun's rays into them. In addition to these things it also follows that life after death, together with heaven and hell, is a fiction invented by the clergy with a view to procuring honors and wealth; but still a useful fiction, and one not to be openly ridiculed, because it performs a public service in keeping the simple minded under the yoke of obedience to their rulers. Nevertheless it follows that those who are attracted by religion are dreamers, whose thoughts are hallucinations, whose actions are mummery, and who, at the bidding of the priests, believe what they do not see, and see what is above their comprehension. These consequences, and many more of a like nature, are involved in the belief that nature is the creator of the universe, and issue forth from it as it develops. All this has been said that it may be known that the faith of the Church of the present day, which in its internal form is a belief in three gods, but in its external form a belief in one, involves numerous falsities, and from it as many may be drawn as there are young ones in a spider's ball of eggs. This may be seen by any one whose mind has become truly rational by light from the Lord; but how will any other see it when the door to that faith and its offspring is closed and barred by the decree, that it is unlawful for reason to look into its mysteries?
Footnotes:
178. Fides cujusvis Ecclesiae est sicut semen, ex quo omnia dogmata ejus exoriuntur, et comparari potest semini arboris ex quo omnia ejus usque ad fructus enascuntur, et quoque semini hominis, ex quo proles et familiae in successiva serie progignuntur; quare dum scitur Fides primaria, quae ex praedominio salvifica vocatur, cognoscitur Ecclesia qualis est: hoc illustrari potest per hoc exemplum; sit Fides, quod Natura sit creatrix Universi; ex hac sequuntur haec, quod Universum sit quod 1 vocatur Deus; quod Natura sit ejus Essentia; quod Aether sit Deus supremus, quem antiqui vocaverunt Jovem; quod Aer sit 2 Dea, quam antiqui vocaverunt Junonem, et fecerunt Jovis conjugem; quod Oceanus sit Deus infra illos, qui cum antiquis vocari potest Neptunus; et quia Divinitas Naturae pertingit etiam ad Centrum Terrae, quod ibi etiam sit Deus, qui cum Antiquis vocari potest Pluto; quod Sol sit omnium deorum Curia, in qua conveniunt, dum Jupiter Concilium convocat;
[2] ac insuper quod Ignis sit vita a Deo; et quod sic Aves volent in Deo, Bestiae gradiantur in Deo, et Pisces natent in Deo: et porro, quod cogitationes sint solum modificationes aetheris, sicut loquelae ex illis sunt modulationes aeris; et quod Affectiones amoris sint mutationes status occasionales ex influxu radiorum solis in illas; inter haec, quod Vita post mortem, una cum Coelo et Inferno, sit fabula a Clero ad aucupandum honores et lucra, efficta, sed tametsi est fabula quod usque utilis sit, et palam non subsannanda, quia inservit Publico ad continendum animos simplicium in vinculo obedientiae erga Magistratus; sed quod usque illi, qui inescati sunt religioni, sint homines abstracti, cogitationes illorum phantasmata, et actiones illorum ludicrae, et quod sint mediastini sacerdotum, qui credunt quae non vident, et vident quae excedunt sphaeram mentis eorum. Haec consectaria, et plura alia similia, continentur in Fide illa, quod Natura sit creatrix universi, ac procedunt ex illa dum aperitur. Haec allata sunt, ut sciatur, quod in Fide hodiernae Ecclesiae, quae in Interna sua forma est in Tres Deos, in Externa in unum, insint falsitates in turmis, et quod inde protrahi possint totidem, quot araneolae 3 sunt in glomere ab una arachnipara; quis, cui Mens e luce a Domino vere rationalis facta est, hoc non videt; sed quomodo alius id visurus est, dum janua ad illam fidem et ejus propagines, obice occlusa est, per statutum quod illicitum sit rationi in mysteria ejus introspicere.
Footnotes: