186# # 第二则灵界经历
我曾在灵中思索：人一切的神学观念，究竟根植于心智的哪一处层级？神学关乎属灵与属天的事物，我起初便以为，其必居于人心智的最高区域。盖人心智自有三重层级，如同屋宇分为三层居室，也如同天使的居所分为三重天堂，秩序井然、层级分明。
正当我思忖之际，有一位天使侍立在旁，对我如此言说：
“但凡因真理本身而爱慕真理之人，其内的神学认知，必上升至心智最高区域；那里是他们专属的属天境界，他们也在此栖息于天使的光明之中。至于经由理性察验、思辨领悟的道德事理，则安置在其下的第二重区域，因其与属灵真理彼此相通、互为衔接。而世俗政务、公共秩序相关的事理，居于更低的第一重区域；各类分门别类、可归纳种属的学术知识，则构成通往上层心智区域的入门阶梯。
凡内心保有这般秩序：以属灵真理为至上、道德事理居中、政务事理次之、经验知识为基底的人，其所思所虑皆本于公义与审判，其所行所为亦合乎公义与审判。缘由在于，属天的真理之光，自最高层级逐层向下照亮一切次级秩序，如同日光透过高空清气、层层空气，遍照万物，使凡鸟兽鱼虫皆得见光明。
然而，对于并非爱慕真理本身、只为博取自身名望与荣耀而求索真理之人，其内神学的秩序全然颠倒。在这类人心中，神学非但不居高位，反而沉落于心智最低区域，与世俗经验知识混杂一处；或与之纠缠难分，或彼此割裂相悖。在此颠倒的秩序里，世俗政务居于其上，道德事理又被压在政务之下，心智上层两处属灵区域全然闭塞、不得开启。
故此，他们心中毫无内在的属灵判断与理性良知，亦无真实的公义情怀，仅剩世俗机巧。他们凭此机巧，将一切谬论修饰得看似智慧通达，将一切私见辩护得看似合乎理性。
他们的理性所偏爱、所依附的，终究是虚妄谬论，只因虚妄与人的感官私欲彼此贴合、相互联结。是以世上诸多之人，对圣言中的教义真理全然盲目，如同生来眼盲之人不见天光；即便听闻真理，也心生排斥、厌弃躲闪，仿佛掩鼻避开恶臭，唯恐真理的洁净气息使自己厌恶作呕。反观一切虚妄谬论，他们却全然敞开感官、全心接纳，如同巨鲸纳水一般尽数吞入。”
186# 记事二：
有一次，我在脑海里反复思考这个问题：神学问题占据了人类心智的哪个区域呢？起初，我以为它们具有属灵和属天的性质，故占据最高区域。因为人类心智分为三个区域，就像一座房子分为三层，或天使的居所分为三层天堂。接着一位天使站在旁边说：“对那些为了真理而热爱真理的人来说，神学问题甚至上升到最高区域，因为他们的天堂就在这个区域，他们处于天使所住的光中。然而，理论上所考察和感知到的道德问题位于这些神学问题之下的第二个区域，因为它们与属灵事物交流，或说道德问题与属灵问题相通。政治问题位于这些之下的第一个区域；而多种多样，可以分为属和种的属世知识或科学问题，形成通往这些更高问题的大门。那些属灵事物、道德事物、政治事物和科学事物或属世知识如此排序的人，就基于公义和公平来思考他们所思考的东西，做他们所做的事。这是因为真理之光，也就是天堂之光，照亮依次从最高区域发出的一切，就像阳光依次穿过以太和大气，照亮人、动物和鱼的眼睛一样。
“然而，对那些热爱真理不是为了真理，只是为了自己的荣耀和名声的人来说，情况就不同了。对他们来说，神学问题，连同科学问题或属世知识，都位于最低区域；对有些人来说，前者与后者混在一起；对有些人来说，这两者不能混在一起。政治问题也在这个区域，但在这些问题之下，道德问题又在这些政治问题之下，因为在这些人里面，两个更高区域不是在右边打开的；因此，他们没有来自公平的内在理性，也没有对公义的情感，只有某种机灵，能使他们貌似出于聪明谈论一切话题，貌似出于理性证实凡他们所想到的东西。但他们最爱的理性对象是虚假，因为这些虚假与感官谬误相一致，或说与它们是分不开的。这就是为什么世上有那么多人像天生瞎眼的人一样从圣言中看不到教义的真理；当这些人听到这些真理时，他们就捂住鼻子，免得真理的气味干扰他们，引起恶心。而另一方面，面对虚假，他们打开所有感官，像鲸鱼喝水一样把它们喝进去。”
186. The second memorable occurrence. On one occasion I was turning over in my thinking [the question of] what level of our mind theological issues occupy. Because they are spiritual and heavenly I started out thinking they must occupy the highest level in us. (The human mind is differentiated into three levels, like a three-story house. Similarly, the homelands of the angels are differentiated into three heavens.)
Then an angel appeared standing next to me and said, "In those who love the truth because it is true, theological issues rise even to the highest level. The heaven of such people is on that level, and they have the light that angels have. Moral issues that have been examined and seen in a theoretical way are located on the second level under theological issues, because moral issues communicate with spiritual issues. Political issues dwell on the first level, below moral issues. Academic subjects, which come in many different forms and can be broken into genera and species, form a doorway to all the higher issues.
"People who have spirituality, morality, politics, and academics prioritized like this think what they think and do what they do on the basis of justice and judgment. The reason for this is that the light of truth, which is also the light of heaven, radiates through their highest level and lights up what is lower down, just as the light from the sun passes through the upper atmospheres and eventually through the air to provide light for the eyesight of people, animals, and fish.
"Theological issues do not, however, occupy the same place in people who love the truth only for the sake of their own glorious reputations and not because it is true. In these people theological issues occupy the lowest level where academic subjects are considered. In some people, theology and scholarly study become intertwined, but in others they cannot become intertwined. Political issues occur on the same level beneath theological issues, and moral issues fall beneath them. In people like this, the two higher levels are not open on the right-hand side, so these people have no inner reason that judges and they have no love for justice. Instead they have cleverness that enables them to talk about any subject as if they were intelligent and to support whatever comes to their mind as if they were rational. The topics that they love to reason about the most, though, are false because those topics are connected to lies told by their five senses.
"This is why there are so many people in the world who cannot see teachings that are true in the Word any more than someone born blind could. When they hear teachings that are true, they hold their noses so the smell will not upset or nauseate them. In the presence of falsities, they open all their senses and drink those falsities in the way a whale swallows water. "
186. The second experience.
Once I turned over in my mind the question in what part of the human mind theology is stored. I thought at first that since theology is spiritual and celestial, it must be at the highest level; for the human mind is divided into three levels, like a house with three storeys, or like the dwellings of the angels in three heavens.
Then an angel visited me and said: 'With those who love truth because it is truth, theology reaches the highest level, since that is where their heaven is, and they enjoy the same light as angels. Ethics, however, considered and perceived theoretically are located at the second level, because they communicate with spiritual matters; political affairs lie beneath these at the first level. Facts, however, which are of many kinds and can be classified into genera and species, constitute the door to the higher regions. Those in whom spiritual, ethical, political and factual matters are subordinated to one another in this way have their thoughts and actions controlled by righteousness and judgment. The reason is that the light of truth, which is also the light of heaven, shines down from the highest level on those beneath, just as sunlight passing through the ethers, and so eventually the air, gives light to enable men, animals and fish to see.
[2] 'The case is different, however, with theology in those who do not love truth because it is truth, but only because it enhances their own reputation. With these people theology resides at the lowest level, where factual knowledge is stored; in some cases it becomes mixed with these, in others they cannot mix. Political matters lie beneath these at the same level, and ethics beneath these, since in these cases the two higher levels are not open on the right-hand side. These people therefore do not have any power of inward judgment, nor any affection for righteousness, but only ingenuity. This allows them to talk on any subject as if they were intelligent, and to adduce what appear to be rational proofs of any proposition which comes up. But the objects of their reason, which are what they chiefly love, are false, because they are inseparable from the fallacies of the senses. This explains why there are so many people in the world who can no more see the truths of doctrine to be drawn from the Word, than those born blind; and when they hear them, they hold their noses to prevent their smell from assailing them and causing nausea. But when faced with falsities, they open every sense-organ and suck them in as whales do water.'
186. Second Memorable Relation:
I was engaged in thought about what region of the mind in man is occupied with theological matters. At first I supposed that being spiritual and heavenly they occupy the highest region. For the human mind is divided into three regions, as a house into three stories, or the angelic abodes into three heavens.
Then an angel standing near said, "With those who love truth because it is true, theological matters rise even into the highest region of the mind, because in that region is their heaven, and they are in the light in which angels dwell. But moral subjects theoretically examined and perceived have their place in a second region beneath these, because they communicate with things spiritual. Beneath these in a first region political subjects have their place; while scientific matters, which are manifold, and may be referred to genera and species, form a door to these higher matters. Those with whom things spiritual, moral, political, and scientific are thus subordinated, think what they think and do what they do from justice and judgment. This is because the light of truth, which is also the light of heaven, illuminates from the highest region all things that follow, as the light of the sun, passing in turn through the ethers and through the atmospheres, illumines the eyes of men and beasts and fishes. It is different, however, in matters of theology with those who love truth not because it is true, but only for the glory of their reputation. With them theological subjects have their seat in the lowest region along with scientific subjects; with some the former are mingled with the latter; with others the two cannot be so mingled. In the same region but still lower are political subjects, and beneath these again moral subjects, for in such persons the two higher regions are not opened on the right hand; and in consequence they have no interior reason from judgment and no affection for justice, but only a cleverness which enables them to talk on every subject as if from intelligence and to confirm whatever presents itself as if from reason; but the objects of reason which they chiefly love are falsities, because these adhere to the fallacies of the senses. This is why there are so many in the world who no more see truths of doctrine from the Word than those blind can see; and when such hear truths they hold their nostrils, lest the scent of the truths should disturb them and excite nausea; while on the other hand, they open all their senses to falsities and drink them in as whales drink in water."
186. The second experience. I was once engaged in thinking about what region of the human mind theological matters occupy. At first I supposed that such things, being of a spiritual and celestial nature, occupied the highest region. For the human mind is divided into three regions, as a house might be into three storeys, and as the habitations of the angels are divided into three heavens. Presently an angel stood before me and said: "With those who love truth for truth's sake, theology rises to the highest region of the mind, for there is its heaven, in the light in which angels are. Matters relating to morals, however, theoretically contemplated and perceived, are situated beneath this in the second region, because they communicate with spiritual things; and below these in the first region are matters relating to politics. But matters of natural knowledge which are manifold, and which can be classed into genera and species, form the doorway leading to those higher things. Those in whom things spiritual, moral, and political, and also matters of natural knowledge, are thus ordered, always think and act from justice and judgment, because the light of truth, which is also the light of heaven, illumines all that proceeds in order from the highest region, just as the light of the sun, passing through the ethers and the air in order, illumines the vision of men, beasts and fish. It is otherwise, however, with those who do not love truth for truth's sake, but only for their own glory and reputation. With them, theological matters abide in the lowest region, where are matters of natural knowledge; and in the case of some men, these mingle, but in the case of others, they cannot mingle. Beneath these in the same region are matters relating to politics, and beneath these again, matters relating to morals. Since the two higher regions of such men are not opened on the right side, they have no interior discernment of judgment, nor any love of justice, but only a certain ingenuity, by virtue of which they can talk on every subject with a show of intelligence, and prove whatever occurs to them with an appearance of reason. But the objects of reason which they love most are falsities, because these agree with the fallacies of the senses. This is why so many people in the world no more see the truths of doctrine from the Word than men born blind; and when they hear such truths they hold their noses lest their odor should offend them and cause nausea. On the other hand, to falsities they open all their senses, and drink them in as whales do water."
186. SECUNDUM MEMORABILE.
Quondam cogitatione versavi in quanam Regione Mentis resident Theologica apud hominem, quae quia spiritualia et coelestia, credidi primum quod in suprema; Mens enim humana distincta est in tres Regiones, sicut domus in tres mansiones, similiter sicut habitationes Angelorum in tres Coelos: et tunc adstitit Angelus, et dixit, Theologica apud illos qui amant Verum quia est verum, emergunt usque in supremam Regionem, quia ibi est Coelum illorum, et in luce sunt in qua Angeli; Moralia autem theoretice lustrata et percepta se locant sub illis in secunda Regione, quia communicant cum 1 spiritualibus; et Politica sub his in prima; Scientifica autem, quae multiplicia sunt, ac in genera et in species referri possunt, faciunt januam ad superiora illa. Illi, apud quos spiritualia, moralia, politica, et scientifica, ita subordinata sunt, ex justitia et judicio cogitant quae cogitant, et faciunt quae faciunt; causa est, quia Lux veri, quae etiam est Lux Coeli, e suprema Regione illuminat consequentia, sicut Lux Solis transiens aetheres, et progressive aerem, 2 illuminat visus hominum, bestiarum et piscium.
[2] Aliter vero Theologica apud illos, qui non amant verum quia est verum, sed solum propter gloriam famae suae; apud hos resident Theologica in ultima Regione ubi Scientifica, cum quibus apud quosdam se commiscent, et apud quosdam se non possunt commiscere; sub his in eadem regione sunt Politica, et sub his moralia, quoniam apud hos binae Regiones superiores non apertae sunt a parte dextra, quare illis non est aliqua interior ratio judicii, nec affectio justitiae, sed modo ingeniositas, ex qua de omni re possunt loqui sicut ex intelligentia, et confirmare quicquid obvenit sicut ex ratione; sed objecta rationis, quae principaliter amant, sunt falsa, quia haec cum fallaciis sensuum cohaerent. Inde est, quod dentur tot in Mundo, qui vera Doctrinae ex Verbo non plus vident quam caeci nati, et cum audiunt illa, comprimunt nares, ne odor illorum infestet et nauseam moveat; at vero ad, falsa aperiunt omnes sensus, et hauriunt illa sicut balaenae aquas.
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