597# 今日固然知道有试探；然而试探从何而来、性质如何、又产生何种益处，却几乎无人知晓。它从何而来、性质如何，以及产生何种益处，已在上文略为说明；也就是说，当内在人得胜时，外在人便被制伏。外在人既被制伏，诸般情欲便被驱散，取而代之的是善与真的情感被植入，并被安排成秩序，使人所愿意、所思想的善与真，也实际去行出来，并从心里说出来。
除此之外，人因胜过外在人，便成为属灵的；主于是使他与天上的天使相联结，而天使全都是属灵的。
至于试探至今未被认识，几乎无人知道它从何而来、性质如何、又产生何种益处，其原因在于：教会至今并不在真理中。除非人直接就近主，弃绝从前的信，并接受新的信，否则无人是在真理中。因此，自尼西亚会议引入三神信仰的时代以来，历经许多世纪，几乎没有人被准许进入某种属灵试探；因为若有人被准许进入，他必立刻屈服，从而使自己更深地坠入地狱。
至于今日信仰所说在其以前发生的“痛悔”，并不是试探。我曾询问许多人关于此事，他们说，那不过是一个词语而已，此外并无实质；除非在单纯人那里，或许有某种关于地狱之火的惧怕思想。
597# 如今人们知道试探是存在的，但几乎没有人知道它们的起源和性质，以及它们有什么好处。我刚才解释了它们的起源和性质，以及它们所产生的好处，即：当内在人获胜时，外在人就会被征服；当外在人被征服时，欲望就会被驱散，对良善和真理的情感则被植入，以取而代之，并被如此安排，以至于一个人所意愿和思考的良善和真理，他也可以行出来，并从心里说出来。此外，通过战胜外在人，人变得属灵，然后主把他与天上的天使联系在一起，而天使们都是属灵的。
迄今为止，试探一直不被理解，几乎没有人知道它们的起源和性质，以及它们所产生的好处，因为教会至今没有处于真理。没有人处于真理，除非他直接靠近主，弃绝以前的信仰，接受新的信仰。这就是为何在尼西亚议会引入三神信仰以来的几个世纪期间，没有人被允许进入任何属灵试探；因为如果有人被允许引入试探，那么他会立刻屈服，从而更深地陷入地狱。被说成是在当今信仰之前的悔罪不是试探。我曾在这一点上问过很多人，他们都说，它只是一个词，或许只向简单人或简单心智传达了关于地狱之火的一些胆怯或可怕的想法。
597. There is some recognition today that crises of the spirit exist, but hardly anyone knows what causes them, what they are like, or what good they do. What causes them and what they are like was just covered above; so was the good they do. That is, when our inner self wins, it gains control of our outer self. Once this is under control, our lusts are uprooted. Desires for goodness and truth are planted in their place, arranged in such a way that the good and true things we will and think about we also practice and speak about from the heart. In addition, through victory over our outer self we become spiritual and the Lord brings us into association with the angels of heaven, all of whom are spiritual.
[2] The reason why crises of the spirit have not been known until now, and why hardly anyone has realized what causes them, what they are like, and what good they do, is that until now the church has not had truths. None of us have truths unless we turn directly to the Lord, reject our former faith, and embrace this new faith. This is why no one has been brought into a crisis of the spirit since the fourth century, when the Council of Nicaea introduced a belief in three gods. If people had been brought into this inner conflict, they would have given up immediately and plunged themselves even deeper into hell.
The feeling of contrition that is claimed to precede the faith of today is not a crisis of the spirit. I have asked many about it, and they said that it is a word and nothing more, unless it is perhaps some fearful thought on the part of ordinary people when they contemplate the fires of hell.
597. The existence of temptations is known at the present time, but hardly anyone knows their origin and nature or what good they do. I showed just above their origin and nature, as well as what good they do: namely, that when the internal man wins, the external is brought under control. This control brings about the banishing of lusts and the implanting of affections for good and truth in their stead. These are so disposed that, whatever good and truth a person wills and thinks, he also does and speaks from the heart. Moreover, by his victory over the external man a person becomes spiritual, and is then brought by the Lord into the company of angels in heaven, all of whom are spiritual.
[2] The reason why up to now little has been known about temptations, hardly anyone knowing their origin and nature and what good they do, is that the church up to now has not been in possession of truths. No one possesses truths, unless he directly approaches the Lord and rejecting his former faith embraces the new one. This is why no one has been exposed to any spiritual temptation in all the centuries since that in which the Council of Nicaea introduced belief in three Gods. For if anyone had been exposed, he would have instantly succumbed, and thus cast himself even deeper into hell. The contrition which is alleged to precede to-day's faith is not temptation. I have questioned very many people on this subject, and they said it is a word and nothing more, except in the case of the simple, when it may perhaps be some fearful thought about hell-fire.
597. While it is known at the present day, that there are temptations, hardly anyone knows whence and what they are and what good they effect. Whence and what they are has just been explained, also the good they effect, which is, that when the internal man conquers, the external is subjugated, and as this is subjugated lusts are dispersed, and affections for good and truth are implanted in their place, and are so arranged that the goods and truths which a man wills and thinks he may also do, and may speak them from the heart; and furthermore that by victory over the external man man becomes spiritual, and is then affiliated by the Lord with the angels of heaven, who are all spiritual. Heretofore temptations have not been understood, and scarcely anyone has known whence and what they are and the good they effect, because heretofore the church has not been in truths. No man is in truths unless he approaches the Lord directly, rejects the former faith and accepts the new. And this is why no one has been admitted into any spiritual temptation during the centuries that have passed since the Nicene Council introduced a belief in three Gods; for if anyone had been, he would have succumbed immediately, and thus would have precipitated himself more deeply into hell. The contrition which is said to precede the present faith is not temptation. I have questioned very many about it, and they have declared that it is nothing but a word, except perhaps with the simple there might be some timorous thoughts about hell-fire.
597. It is known at this day that there are temptations, but scarcely any one knows their origin and nature, and what good they do. Their origin and nature were shown above, and also the good they do, namely, that when the internal man gains the victory, the external man is subdued. When this happens lusts are dispersed and affections of good and truth are implanted in their stead, and are so disposed that the good and truth which a man wills and thinks he may also practice and speak from the heart. Moreover, by means of the victory over the external man, he becomes spiritual, and is then associated by the Lord with the angels of heaven, who are all spiritual.
Temptations have not been understood, and scarcely any one has known their origin and nature, and what good they do, because hitherto the Church has not been in truths; and indeed no one can be unless he approaches the Lord directly, renounces the old faith and embraces the new. For this reason no one has been permitted to undergo any spiritual temptation for ages, in fact from the time the Council of Nice 1 introduced the faith of three Gods; because if any one had been permitted, he would instantly have succumbed, and so would have plunged himself more deeply into hell. The contrition which is said to precede the present day faith is not temptation. I have questioned many upon this point and they have said it is only a word, conveying nothing except perhaps a timorous suggestion of hell-fire to simple minds.
Footnotes:
1. Nice (Nicaea), city of Asia Minor, in Bithynia. In A.D. 325 it was the seat of a Council summoned to settle the Arian controversy. The creed there adopted is known as the Nicene Creed.
597. Hodie quidem scitur, quod dentur Tentationes, sed vix aliquis scit, unde et quales sunt, et quid boni producunt; unde et quales sunt, mox supra ostensum est, tum etiam quid boni producunt; scilicet, quod dum Internus homo vincit, subjugetur Externus, quo subjugato discutiuntur concupiscentiae, 1 et loco illarum implantantur affectiones boni et veri, et ordinantur ita, ut bona et vera, quae homo vult et cogitat, etiam faciat illa, et ex corde loquatur illa: praeter haec, homo per victoriam super externum hominem, fit spiritualis, et a Domino tunc consociatur Angelis Coeli, qui omnes sunt spirituales.
[2] Quod Tentationes hactenus non notae fuerint, et quod vix aliquis sciverit, unde et quales sunt, et quid boni producunt, est causa, quia Ecclesia hactenus non in veris fuit; in veris nemo est, nisi qui immediate adit Dominum, et fidem priorem rejicit, et novam amplectitur, inde est, quod non aliquis in quandam spiritualem tentationem a saeculis 2 numeratis a saeculo, quando Synodus Nicaena introduxit fidem trium Deorum, admissus sit, nam si admissus fuisset, 3 illico succubuisset, et sic in infernum se profundius praecipitavisset: Contritio 4 quae perhibetur praecedere hodiernam Fidem, non est Tentatio; quaesivi permultos de illa, et dixerunt, quod sit vox et praeterea nihil, nisi forte sit aliqua timida cogitatio de igne inferni apud simplices.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: concupiscientiae.
2. Prima editio: faeculis.
3. Prima editio: suisset.
4. Prima editio: Contritritio.