276# 凡相信人能凭自己的聪明为自己取得关于上帝、天堂与地狱，以及关于教会属灵之事的知识者，并不知道：自然人就其自身而观，乃与属灵人为敌；因此，凡进入其中的属灵之事，他都意欲根除，或将其包裹于谬象之中；这些谬象如同蠹虫，啮食蔬菜与禾稼之根。
这些人可比作那些梦见自己坐在鹰背上、被带至高处的人；又如坐在珀伽索斯背上，飞越帕尔纳索斯山而至赫利孔泉的人。然而事实上，他们像地狱中的路西弗；在那里，他们仍自称为“早晨之子”（赛14:12）。他们又像示拿地平原中那些动手建造一座塔、其顶通天的人（创11:2，4）；他们信靠自己，犹如歌利亚，却未预见自己也可能像他一样，被机弦所发之石击中额头而仆倒。
我要说明此等人死后所等待的命运：起初，他们变得如醉酒者；随后如愚妄者；最后则如昏昧无知者，坐在黑暗之中。因此，愿他们谨防此等谵妄。
276# 有些人以为，他们能出于自己的聪明为自己获得关于神、天堂和地狱，以及教会属灵事物的概念或知识；他们没有意识到，属世人就本身而言，反对属灵人，因而渴望根除进入的属灵事物，或让它们陷入谬误；这些谬误就像蛆虫，吞食蔬菜和谷物的根。这种人可以比作那些作梦的人，他们梦见自己坐在老鹰的翅膀上飞到高空，或骑着飞马珀伽索斯飞越帕纳索斯山，到达赫利孔山；而事实上，他们就像地狱里的路西弗，即便在那里，他们仍自称“早晨之子”（以赛亚书14:12）。他们也像在示拿地山谷里的人，试图建造一座塔顶通天的塔（创世记11:2-4）；他们像歌利亚一样充满自信，却没有预见到，他们可能会像他一样，被一颗砸中前额的投石击倒。让我来描述一下死后等待他们的命运：他们先是像喝醉酒的人，然后像傻瓜，最后像白痴一样住在黑暗中。因此，要让每个人都警惕这种疯狂。
276. People who think their own intelligence could develop concepts of God, heaven and hell, and the spiritual things that the church teaches do not realize that our earthly self is intrinsically opposed to our spiritual self. Our earthly self tries either to uproot any spiritual things that come in or else to cover them in false concepts that are like grubs that devour the roots of vegetables and grains.
People like this could be compared to people who dream that they are sitting on eagles and soaring on high, or sitting on Pegasuses and flying over Mount Parnassus toward Mount Helicon, while they are actually like Lucifers in hell who nevertheless still call themselves children of the dawn (Isaiah 14:12).
They are like the people of the valley in the land of Shinar who set out to build a tower whose top would reach to heaven (Genesis 11:2, 4). They are as confident in themselves as Goliath, not foreseeing that they could be laid out, as he was, by a single stone driven by a sling into their forehead.
I should say what outcome awaits them after death. They first become like drunks, then silly, and finally brainless, and they sit in the dark. Be wary therefore of insanity like this.
276. Those who believe that their own intelligence can enable them to acquire knowledge about God, heaven and hell, and the spiritual ideas relating to the church, are unaware that the natural man considered in himself is opposed to the spiritual man; and consequently he wants to root out or entangle in fallacies the spiritual ideas which enter his mind. These fallacies resemble the worms which devour the roots of vegetables and grain-crops. Such people can be compared to dreamers who imagine they are mounted on eagles and soaring high; or on winged horses flying over the hill of Parnassus to Helicon. In fact they are like Lucifers in hell, who even there still call themselves the sons of the dawn (Isaiah 14:12). They are also like those in the valley of the land of Shinar, who set out to build a tower, the top of which should reach heaven (Genesis 11:2, 4). They are as self-confident as Goliath, little foreseeing that, like him, they could be laid low by a sling-stone striking their forehead. I will describe the fate which awaits them after death: first of all they become as if drunk, then as if out of their minds, and finally idiots, sitting in darkness. Let them beware therefore of such a madness.
276. Those who believe that a knowledge of God, of heaven and hell, and of the spiritual things pertaining to the church, can be gained from their own intelligence, do not know that a natural man, viewed in himself, is opposed to the spiritual, and therefore desires to extirpate the spiritual things that enter, or to involve them in fallacies, which are like the worms that consume the roots of herbs and grain. Such may be likened to men who dream that they are seated upon eagles and are borne up on high, or are mounted on Pegasus and are flying over Mount Parnassus to Helicon; while actually they are like the Lucifers in hell, who still call themselves there "sons of the morning" (Isaiah 14:12). They are also like the men in the valley of the land of Shinar, who attempted to build a tower, the head of which should reach to heaven (Genesis 11:2-4); and like Goliath they trust to themselves, not foreseeing that like him they might be prostrated by a sling-stone buried in the forehead. I will tell what lot awaits such after death. At first they become as if drunk, then like fools, and at last they become stupid and dwell in darkness. Therefore let men beware of such madness.
276. Some men imagine they can, from their own intelligence, acquire for themselves conceptions of God, heaven and hell, and the spiritual things of the Church. They do not know that the natural man is essentially opposed to the spiritual man; and therefore any spiritual principles that may enter his mind, he desires to extirpate or involve in fallacies, which are like grubs, devouring the roots of vegetation. Such people may be likened to men who dream they are borne aloft on eagles' wings, or fly on winged horses over Mt. Parnassus 1 to Helicon; 2 but in reality they are like Lucifers 3 in hell, who even there still call themselves sons of the morning, Isaiah 14:12. They are also like the men in the valley of the land of Shinar, who essayed to build a tower whose top should reach to heaven. Genesis 11:2-4; and they are full of self-confidence like Goliath, not foreseeing that, like him, they may be struck down by a sling-stone hurled against their forehead. Let me describe the fate which awaits them after death; they are first like drunken men, then like fools, and finally as idiots they dwell in darkness. Let every one, therefore, beware of such madness.
Footnotes:
1. Parnassius, belonging to Parnassus, 276; subst. Parnassium, hill near Athenaeum, the city in the spiritual world of the Greek sages.
2. Heliconeus, belonging to Helicon. Subst. Heliconeum, hill near Athenaeum, the city in the spiritual world of the Greek sages.
3. Lucifer, fabled son of Aurora, or of Jupiter, morning star, day.
276. Illi qui credunt posse ex propria intelligentia comparare sibi cognitiones de Deo, de Coelo et Inferno, et de Spiritualibus quae Ecclesiae sunt, non sciunt quod Naturalis homo in se spectatus sit contra Spiritualem, et quod ideo spiritualia quae intrant, velit exstirpare, aut involvere fallaciis, quae sunt sicut vermes, qui radices olerum et segetum consumunt. Assimilari possunt illis, qui somniant quod sedeant super Aquilis et ferantur in altum; aut super Pegasis et volent 1 super collem Parnassum ad Heliconem: et sunt actualiter sicut Luciferi in Inferno, qui ibi adhuc se vocant filios aurorae, Esaias 14:12. 2 Et sunt sicut illi in Valle terrae Schinear, qui aggressi sunt aedificare turrim, cujus caput in Coelo, Genesis 11:2, 4; et confidunt sibi sicut Goliath, non praevidentes quod possint sicut ille a lapide fundae fronti impacto prosterni. Dicam qualis sors illos post mortem manet, primum fiunt sicut ebrii, postea sicut fatui, et demum stupidi, et sedent in tenebris: Caveant itaque sibi a tali delirio.
Footnotes: