257# 圣言字义中多有真理的表象，纯正真理隐藏其中；人若照真理的表象单纯地思想，并且如此言说，并无害处；但若加以确认，则有害。因为确认会毁灭隐藏在其内的神性真理。此事也可由自然界的例子加以阐明；之所以举自然界为例，是因为自然事物比属灵事物更能清楚地说明并教导人。
在眼前看来，太阳似乎每日绕地球运行，又似乎每年运行一周；因此人说太阳升起、落下，说太阳造成早晨、中午、傍晚和夜晚，也造成春、夏、秋、冬的时节，因而造成日与年。然而实际上太阳静止不动，因为它是火的海洋；地球则每日自转，并每年公转。
人若出于单纯和无知，以为太阳运行，并不毁灭自然真理；这自然真理就是：地球绕其轴旋转，并每年沿黄道运行。但若有人凭属世之人的推理确认太阳的表面运动，尤其若又因圣言中说太阳升起和落下而确认之，他就削弱真理，并毁灭它；其后，即便有人向他眼前显示：整个布满星辰的天空，也同样在表象上每日、每年旋转，而事实上没有一颗星从它相对于另一颗星的固定位置移开，他也几乎不能看见这真理。
太阳运行，乃是表面真理；太阳不运行，才是纯正真理。然而，人人都按表面真理说话，说太阳升起、落下；这是允许的，因为人不能以别的方式说话。但若由于确认而按这表象去思想，便会使理性理智迟钝而昏暗。
257# 圣言字义中的许多事物都是真理的表象，真正的真理就隐藏在这些表象里面，照着真理的表象单纯地思考和说话是无害的，但确认它们是有害的，因为通过这种确认，隐藏在它们里面的神性真理就会被摧毁。自然界中的一个例子可以说明这一点；我引用这个例子，是因为属世之物比属灵之物更能清楚地说明和教导。在眼睛看来，太阳似乎日复一日、年复一年地绕地球旋转。因此，人们说太阳升起和落下，形成了早晨、中午、晚上和黑夜，以及一年四季，即春、夏、秋、冬，从而形成了日子和年份。而事实上，太阳是静止不动的，因为它是一片火海，是地球日复一日地自转、年复一年地绕太阳公转。如果人因单纯和无知而认为太阳围绕地球旋转，那么他不会摧毁属世真理，即地球绕轴自转，并每年沿着黄道旋转。但如果他通过来自属世心智的推理确认太阳的这种表面运动，尤其通过圣言如此行，因为圣言说太阳升起和落下，那么他就会削弱并摧毁真理，后来几乎不能看到真理，即便给他看得见的证据，证明整个星空表面上每天和每年都以同样的方式运行，然而，相对于其它恒星，没有一颗恒星离其本位。表面的真理是，太阳在移动；而真正的真理是，太阳不会移动。然而，每个人都照着表面真理说，太阳升起和落下；这样说是可以的，因为他只能这么说；但确认这个表面真理，然后照之思考，就会钝化和模糊理性理解力，或使理性理解力变得迟钝和昏暗。
257. Many things in the Word's literal meaning are apparent truths. Real truths lie hidden inside them. It is not a damning thing to think and say apparent truths in a simple way. It is damning, however, to become adamant about apparent truths, since our becoming adamant destroys the divine truth that lies hidden inside them.
An example from nature can illustrate this. I cite it because something from nature provides clearer illustration and teaching than something spiritual.
To our eyes it seems that the sun goes around the earth once a day, and also once a year. On this basis we say that the sun rises and sets, which makes morning, midday, evening, and night, and also affects our time of year - the spring, summer, fall, and winter; its "motion" shapes both days and years. Yet in fact the sun remains motionless. It is an ocean of fire. The earth spins every day, and orbits the sun every year. People who simply or ignorantly think that the sun is moving around the earth do not destroy an idea that is physically true, which is that the earth rotates on its axis and follows the ecliptic in its yearly orbit. If, however, people rigidly believe the appearance that the sun is moving and use the reasoning of their earthly self as reinforcement, and especially if they use the Word's statements that the sun rises and sets as reinforcement, they undermine and destroy the truth. Afterward, they can scarcely see the true reality, even if you visibly demonstrate to them that the whole starry heaven seems to move daily and yearly in the same way as the sun and yet not a single star changes its location relative to another.
The sun's movement is an apparent truth. Its lack of movement is a genuine truth. Yet we all speak according to the apparent truth when we say that the sun rises and sets. This is acceptable. How else would we say it? But adamant loyalty to the appearance in our thinking weakens and darkens our rational understanding.
257. An example from nature may serve to illustrate this idea, that many things in the literal sense of the Word are appearances of truth, in which genuine truths are hidden; and that it is not injurious to think and to speak in simple terms according to the appearances of truth, but that it is injurious to confirm them, since this destroys the Divine truth hidden within them. This example is offered because what is natural provides a clearer illustration and proof than what is spiritual.
It appears to the eye that the sun travels round the earth every day and also once every year. Thus we talk of the sun rising and setting; causing morning, noon, evening and night, as well as the seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, and thus days and years. Yet the sun stands unmoved, for it is a sea of fire, and it is the earth which rotates every day and travels around its orbit every year. A person, who in simplicity or ignorance thinks that the sun travels round the earth, does not destroy the natural truth, which is that the earth rotates on its axis and every year travels around the ecliptic. But if a person convinces himself of the sun's apparent motion by the reasonings of the natural mind, and more so if he does so from the Word, because it speaks of the sun rising and setting, he weakens the truth and destroys it; and afterwards he is hardly able to see it, even though he is given a visual demonstration that the whole starry sky rotates similarly every day and every year in appearance, although not a single star changes its fixed position relative to another. The movement of the sun is an apparent truth; its not moving is a genuine truth. Yet everyone speaks according to the apparent truth, saying that the sun rises and sets. This is allowed, because it could not be otherwise. But to think like this from conviction blunts and dulls the rational understanding.
257. That many things in the sense of the letter of the Word are appearances of truth, which conceal within them genuine truths, and that it is not hurtful to think in simplicity, and also to speak, according to appearances of truth, and yet it is hurtful to confirm them, since by such confirmation the Divine truth concealed within them is destroyed, may also be illustrated by an example in nature, which is presented because what is natural illustrates and teaches more clearly than what is spiritual. To the eye the sun appears to be borne around the earth daily, and also annually; and in consequence the sun is said to rise and set, causing morning; noon, evening, and night; and also spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and thus days and years. Nevertheless, the sun stands motionless, for it is a fiery ocean, and the earth revolves daily and is carried around it yearly. The man who thinks in simplicity and ignorance that the sun is carried about the earth does not destroy the natural truth, which is that the earth rotates upon its axis and is yearly borne along the ecliptic. But he who confirms this apparent motion of the sun by reasonings from the natural man, and still more he who does so by the Word, because the sun is there said to rise and set, weakens the truth and destroys it, and afterwards is hardly able to see it, even though ocular proof be given him that the whole starry heaven is daily and yearly carried about in appearance in like manner, and yet not a single star is moved from its fixed place relative to another. The apparent truth is that the sun moves, the real truth is that it does not move, and yet everyone speaks according to the apparent truth, saying that the sun rises and sets; and this is permissible, for he cannot do otherwise; but to think according to that apparent truth after confirming it blunts and darkens the rational understanding.
257. Many other things in the sense of the Letter of the Word are appearances of truth, which conceal within them genuine truths. It is not hurtful to think and also to speak in simplicity according to appearances of truth; but it is hurtful to confirm them, since by confirmation the Divine Truth concealed within them is destroyed. This may be illustrated by an example from nature, adduced because what is natural enlightens and instructs more clearly than what is spiritual. To the eye, the sun appears to make a daily and also an annual revolution round the earth. Accordingly it is said that the sun rises and sets; that it causes morning, noon, evening and night; and also the seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn and winter, and consequently days and years. But in reality the sun is stationary, being an ocean of fire, round which the earth, turning daily on its axis, makes an annual revolution. The man who, in simplicity and ignorance, supposes that the sun revolves, does not destroy the natural truth that the earth rotates on her axis and makes an annual revolution in the ecliptic. But he who confirms the sun's apparent motion by reasonings from the natural man, particularly if he supports his belief from the Word, which speaks of the sun's rising and setting, invalidates and destroys the truth, (that is, as far as he is concerned). Thereafter, he can hardly see it, even if he has ocular proof given him that the whole starry heaven also has an apparent daily and annual motion, although not one star changes its fixed position in relation to another. That the sun moves, is an apparent truth; but that it does not move, is a genuine truth. Nevertheless every one speaks according to the apparent truth, saying that the sun rises and sets; and this is permissible, because it is not possible to avoid speaking in this way; but to think in conformity with such a mode of expression, from confirmation that it is true, blunts and obscures the rational understanding.
257. Quod plura in Sensu literae Verbi sint Apparentiae veri, in quibus vera genuina latent, et quod non damnosum sit secundum apparentias veri simpliciter cogitare, et quoque loqui, sed quod damnosum sit illas confirmare, quoniam per confirmationem destruitur Divinum Verum quod intus latet, illustrari etiam potest per Exemplum in natura, quod adfertur, quia Naturale clarius illustrat et docet, quam Spirituale. Coram oculis apparet, sicut quod Sol quovis die circum Tellurem feratur, et quoque semel quotannis; inde dicitur, quod Sol oriatur et occidat, quod faciat mane, meridiem, vesperam, et noctem, et quoque tempora veris, aestatis, autumni, et hyemis, et sic dies et annos; cum tamen Sol immotus stat, est enim Oceanus igneus, et Tellus circumvolvitur quotidie, et circumfertur quotannis: homo, qui ex simplicitate et ex ignorantia cogitat, quod Sol circumferatur, non destruit veritatem naturalem, quae est, quod Tellus rotetur circum axem, et quotannis feratur secundum Ecclipticam: at qui confirmat apparentem Solis motum, per ratiocinia ex naturali homine, et plus qui per Verbum quia ibi dicitur quod Sol oriatur et occidat, ille infirmat veritatem, et destruit 1 illam; et postea vix potest videre illam, tametsi ad oculum ostenderetur, quod universum Coelum astriferum similiter quotidie et quotannis ad apparentiam circumferatur, et tamen ne quidem una Stella e loco suo fixo ab altera removeatur. Quod Sol moveatur, est apparens verum, at quod non moveatur, est genuinum verum; attamen quisque loquitur secundum apparens verum, dicendo quod Sol oriatur et occidat, et hoc licet, quia non potest aliter, sed cogitare secundum illud ex confirmatione, hoc intellectum rationalem hebetat et opacat.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: distruit.