753. 第14章 世界的末了, 主的降临, 以及新天与新教会
第一节 世界的末了是教会的末期或终结
地球上曾有数个教会, 随着时代变迁, 它们全都终结了, 终结之后, 新教会兴起, 如此反复直到现在。 当神的真理不再存留, 或被抛弃, 只剩虚假时, 教会就走到尽头, 因为一切善的品质皆通过真理形成; 良善是真理的本质, 真理是良善的形式, 没有形式就没有任何品质。 善与真无法分开, 如同意与知, 或说, 爱之情与由此而来的思维无法分开一样。 所以, 若教会的真理终结, 良善也就终结了; 当发生这种情形时, 教会就走到尽头, 即终结了。
753. Chapter 14: The Close of the Age; the Coming of the Lord; and the New Heaven and the New Church
The "Close of the Age" Means the End of the Church, When Its Time Is Over
During the history of this planet there have been many churches. In the course of time each church has come to an end. After one church is finished, then a new church comes into existence. This cyclical pattern has continued up to the present time.
A church comes to an end when there is no divine truth left in it that has not been either falsified or rejected; and where there is no genuine truth, there can be no genuine goodness either, since every quality of goodness is shaped by truths. Goodness is the essence of truth; truth is the form of goodness. What has no form can have no quality. Goodness and truth are no more separable than the will and the intellect, or (to say the same thing in another way) than a feeling that relates to some love and the thinking that goes with that feeling. Therefore when the truth in a church comes to an end, the goodness in that church also comes to an end; and when this happens, that church itself draws to a close and comes to an end.
753. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE ENDING OF THE AGE, THE LORD'S COMING, AND THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH
I. The ending of the age is the final period or end of the church.
This earth has seen a number of churches, all of which have in course of time reached their end, and after this new ones have come into existence, and the process has continued up to the present day. A church reaches its end when there is no longer any Divine truth left in it, but only falsified or rejected truth. When there is no real truth, there cannot be any real good, since the whole quality of good is formed by means of truths; for good is the essence of truth, and truth is the form of good, and no quality can exist without form. Good and truth can no more be separated than the will and the understanding, or, what is the same thing, the affection of love and the thought it gives rise to. Consequently, when the truth in a church reaches its end, so does its good. When this happens, then the church is terminated, that is, it reaches its end.
753. CHAPTER 14
THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE, THE COMING OF THE LORD, AND THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW CHURCH.
I. THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE IS THE LAST TIME OF THE CHURCH OR ITS END.
There have been several churches on this earth, and in the course of time they have all been consummated, and after their consummation new churches have arisen, and so on to the present time. The consummation of the church takes place when there is no Divine truth left except what has been falsified or set aside; and when there is no genuine truth no genuine good is possible, since every quality of good is formed by means of truths; for good is the essence of truth, and truth is the form of good, and without form there can be no quality. Good and truth can no more be separated than will and understanding, or what is the same thing, than love's affection and the thought therefrom. Consequently when truth is consummated in a church, good is also consummated there; and when this takes place, the church comes to an end, that is, is consummated.
753. CHAPTER XIV
THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE, THE COMING OF THE LORD, AND THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH
I. THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE 1 IS THE LAST PHASE OR END OF THE CHURCH.
There have been several Churches on this earth, all of which in process of time have been consummated, and after their consummation new ones have arisen; and this has been the case right up to the present time. The consummation of the Church takes place when there remains no Divine Truth but what is either falsified or rejected. And where there is no genuine truth there can be no genuine good, because the whole quality of good is formed by truths; for good is the essence of truth, and truth is the form of good, and quality cannot exist without form. Good and truth can no more be separated than will and understanding; or, what is the same thing, than the affection of love and thought arising from it. Therefore, when truth is consummated in the Church, good in it is consummated also; and when that takes place, the Church is at an end, that is, then is its consummation.
Footnotes:
1. "The consummation of the age" is used as in the R. V. margin. In the A. V. the phrase "the end of the world" is used instead, as in Matthew 24:31. The Latin phrase is consummatio saeculi.
753. CAPUT DECIMUM QUARTUM
DE CONSUMMATIONE SAECULI: DE ADVENTU DOMINI: ET DE NOVO COELO ET NOVA ECCLESIA.
Quod Consummatio saeculi sit ultimum tempus seu finis Ecclesiae.
In hac Tellure fuerunt plures Ecclesiae, et omnes successu temporis consummatae sunt, et post consummationem earum novae exstiterunt, et sic usque ad hodiernum tempus; consummatio Ecclesiae fit quando non aliquod Divinum verum superest, nisi falsificatum aut rejectum, et dum non aliquod genuinum verum est, non potest aliquod genuinum bonum dari, quoniam omne quale boni formatur per vera, est enim bonum essentia veri, et verum est forma boni, et absque forma non datur quale; bonum et verum non possunt plus separari, quam voluntas et intellectus, seu quod idem, quam affectio amoris et cogitatio inde; quapropter dum consummatur verum in Ecclesia, etiam consummatur bonum ibi, et cum hoc fit, tunc Ecclesia finem habet, hoc est, consummatio ejus est.