759# 由此可知，凡由可见的确认所建立起来的教会，在人看来，都仿佛唯有自己在光中，而凡与它相异的其他教会都在黑暗中；因为那些凭确认而看见的人，与夜鸮并无不同，它们在夜的阴影中看见光，却在白昼把太阳及其光线看作幽暗。凡处于伪谬中的教会，一旦由其首领所建立，过去如此，现在亦然；这些首领在自己看来如同猞猁一般目光锐利，却由自己的聪明为自己造成晨光，又由圣言造成暮光。犹太教会在全然荒废之时，也就是我们的主降世之时，岂不是藉其文士和律法师高声宣称：因为自己拥有圣言，便唯有自己在天上的光中吗？然而他们却把弥赛亚，或基督，就是圣言本身，并在圣言一切之中为一切者，钉在十字架上。先知书和启示录中所谓“巴比伦”所指的教会，所高声宣称的又是什么呢？岂不是说自己是众教会的王后和母亲，而凡离开它的其他教会，都是应被逐出教会的私生子吗？并且这话竟是在它已将主救主从宝座和祭坛上推下、而把自己置于其上之后说出的。
【2】每一个教会，甚至最极端异端的教会，一旦被接纳，岂不是都以喧嚷充满各地各城，宣称唯有自己是正统的、普世的，并且唯有自己拥有那飞在空中的天使所传的福音吗？（启14:6）谁不曾从民众那里听见他们声音的回响，说事情确是如此？多特会议全体成员看待预定论，岂不是如同看见一颗从天上坠落到他们头上的星吗？他们亲吻这教义，正如非利士人在亚实突以便以谢庙中亲吻偶像大衮，又如希腊人在密涅瓦庙中亲吻帕拉底乌姆。因为他们称它为宗教的帕拉底乌姆，却不知道坠落的星不过是由鬼火之光形成的流星；当它落入脑中时，便能凭谬见确认一切伪谬，直到人以为那是真光，又判定它如同固定的星，最终甚至起誓说它是众星之星。
【3】谁比自然主义的无神论者更信誓旦旦地谈论自己幻想的确定性呢？他岂不是从心底嘲笑上帝的神性、天堂的属天之物，以及教会的属灵之物吗？哪一个疯癫之人不相信自己的愚妄就是智慧，而智慧反倒是愚妄呢？谁能凭肉眼的视见，辨别朽木的鬼光与月光呢？凡厌恶香膏气味的人，如患子宫病者那样，岂不是都把它从鼻前推开，而宁愿选择恶臭吗？诸如此类，不胜枚举。
这些例子被举出，是为说明：仅凭自然之光，人不能认识教会已经终结，也就是说，不能认识教会已处于纯粹伪谬之中；除非从天而来的真理在其光中照耀出来。因为伪谬看不见真理，真理却能看见伪谬；并且每个人都是如此：当他听见真理时，能够看见并领会真理；但已在伪谬中坚固自己的人，不能把真理引入理智中使其存留，因为真理在那里找不到任何位置；即便偶然进入，聚集成群的伪谬也会把它当作异类逐出。
759# 因此，凡由那些凭确认看见的人所组成的教会，都觉得自己似乎是唯一处于光的教会，凡不同意它的教会都处于黑暗。因为那些凭确认看见的人与猫头鹰没什么两样，因为猫头鹰在夜色中看到光，而在白天却视太阳及其光线为幽暗。凡处于虚假的教会，当被那些觉得自己似乎目光敏锐，出于自己的聪明为自己制造晨光，出于圣言为自己制造暮光的领袖固定在虚假中时，就是这样，无论过去还是现在。当犹太教会完全毁灭（当我们的主降世时，它就完全毁灭了），它不是通过它的文士和律法师大声争辩说，唯独它处于天堂之光，因为它拥有圣言吗？然而，犹太人却将弥赛亚或基督钉在十字架上，而基督是圣言本身，是它的全部中的全部。先知书和启示录中的“巴比伦”所指的教会，不也喊着说，她是所有教会的女王和母亲，凡脱离她的人都是非法后代，必须被逐出教会吗？然而，它却将主我们的救主从宝座和祭坛上推开，把自己置于其上。
每个教会，甚至最异端的教会，一旦被接受，不都使国家和城市充满这样的呼声：唯独它是正统和普世的，唯独它拥有飞在天空中间的天使所传的福音（启示录14:6）吗？谁没有听见人群或普通民众回应这呼声说，这是真理呢？整个多特议会不是将预定论视为一颗从天上坠落在他们头上的明星吗？他们不是亲吻这个教条，就像非利士人亲吻亚实突的以便以谢神庙里的大衮像、希腊人亲吻密涅瓦神庙里的帕拉斯神像一样吗？因为他们称这个教条为宗教的守护神；殊不知，流星是由幻光形成的幻影，当这光照到大脑上时，它能使大脑确认一切虚假（这是通过虚假做到的），直到它被视为真光，并被认定为一颗恒星，最终被宣誓为众星之星。
谁能比无神论唯物主义者更有说服力地谈论他妄想的某些真理呢？他不是由衷地嘲笑神的神性事物、天上的天堂事物和教会的属灵事物吗？每个疯子不都视自己的愚蠢为智慧，视智慧为愚蠢吗？谁能凭肉眼分辨朽木的幻光和月光呢？凡厌恶香味的人，如那些患有子宫疾病的妇女，不都是排斥鼻孔中的香味，更喜欢臭味吗？等等。提及这一切都是为了说明，好叫人们清楚知道，仅凭属世之光并不能揭示这一事实：教会完结了，也就是说，它处于纯粹的虚假，直到来自天堂的真理在自己的光中闪耀出来。因为虚假看不见真理，而真理却看见虚假；每个人都是这样的：当听到真理时，他能看到并理解它；但一个确认虚假的人不能将真理引入他的理解力，使它可以留下来，因为真理在那里找不到可以居住的地方。即便它碰巧进入，聚集在一起的成群的虚假仍会将其视为异类，从而把它扔出去。
759. Every church that is established by people who see the world through their own convictions appears to them to be the only church with any light; all other churches, which disagree, are in darkness. People who see the world through their own convictions are not much different from owls, which see light in the dark of night, but during the day see the sun and its rays as thick darkness. This is the nature of every church, both in the past and now, whose beliefs are false because its founders, who seemed to themselves entirely sharp-sighted, saw their own understanding as the morning light, and the Word as the shadows of approaching night.
Surely, when the Jewish church was in utter ruin, which it was when our Lord came into the world, its scribes and scholars were still loudly proclaiming that because it had the Word, their church alone was in the true light of heaven. Yet they crucified the Messiah, the Christ, who was the Word itself and was every detail in it.
The church that the prophets and the Book of Revelation call Babylon proclaimed itself to be the queen and mother of all other churches, and held that the churches that separated from it were illegitimate children from which it should dissociate itself. Yet it pushed the Lord our Savior off his throne and away from his altar, and set itself there instead.
[2] Every church, even the most heretical, once it is well established fills the towns and countryside with cries that it alone is orthodox and ecumenical and possesses the true gospel that was announced by the angel flying in the midst of heaven (Revelation 14:6). Then we all hear an echo of that voice coming back from the general population, saying, "That is the truth!"
Did the worldwide Synod of Dort see the concept of predestination as anything other than a shining star that had fallen from heaven into their heads? Did they not treasure that teaching as the Philistines treasured the idol of Dagon in the temple of Ebenezer in Ashdod, or as the Greeks treasured the Palladium in the temple of Minerva? In fact, [Calvinists] hailed predestination as the sacred central effigy of their religion. They did not realize, though, that their star is a mere shooting star. It is just a transient phenomenon that emits a dim, deceptive light. When predestination falls into the brain, the distorting effect it has can lend support to any and every false teaching. Over time its light is taken to be the truth and it is declared a permanent star. Eventually people swear that it is the most important star in the sky.
[3] Do any people express notions with more conviction than materialistic atheists, even though their notions are things they dreamed up themselves? Yet the same people heartily ridicule the divinity of God, the heavenliness of heaven, and the spiritual teachings of the church.
All lunatics believe that their foolish thoughts are wise and that wisdom is folly. Just by looking with the naked eye, can anyone tell the difference between the phosphorescent glow of rotting wood and a splash of real moonlight? Some people are actually averse to pleasant fragrances (as some women are when they have uterine diseases); they push such things away from their noses and prefer something rank. And so on.
I mention these illustrative examples to make it known that before the truth shines out from heaven in its own genuine light, when we are still in light that is merely earthly, we do not recognize that the church has come to an end - that is, that its teachings are all false. What is false does not see what is true; but what is true sees what is false. All of us have it in our nature to be able to recognize and understand truth when we hear it. But if we are convinced of falsities, we cannot import that truth into our intellect in such a way that it remains with us. We have no room for it inside. If it does happen to become part of us, a great throng of falsities gathers around and ejects it as a foreign object.
759. It is as a result of this that every church, which is established out of people who see by proving things to themselves, seems to be the one and only church possessing light, and that all the others which disagree are in darkness. For those who see by proving things to themselves resemble owls, which can see light in the shades of night, and in daytime find the sun and its rays thick darkness. Such too was, and still is, every church possessing false doctrines, when once founded by leaders who thought themselves exceptionally clearsighted, making the light of morning from their own intelligence, and that of evening from the Word. Did not the Jewish church, when totally laid waste, which was its state when our Lord came into the world, cry aloud in the persons of its scribes and lawyers, that, because it had the Word, it was the only one to have heavenly illumination? Yet it was the Jews who crucified the Messiah, that is, Christ, who was the Word itself and its all in all. What else does the church meant by Babylon in the Prophets and Revelation cry, than that it is the queen and mother of all churches, and that the others which part from it are bastard offspring to be excommunicated? And this it does despite having pulled the Lord and Saviour down from His throne and altar, and put itself on them instead.
[2] Surely every church, including the utterly heretical, once it has been accepted, fills provinces and towns with the cry that it alone is orthodox and world-wide, and possesses the Gospel which the angel flying in the midst of heaven proclaimed (Revelation 14:6). Does not everyone hear an echo of their voice coming from the common people, agreeing with this statement? Did not the whole Synod of Dort look on predestination as a star falling from heaven upon their heads, and embrace that dogma, as the Philistines embraced the statue of Dagon in the shrine of Eben-Ezer at Ashdod, and as the Greeks embraced the Palladium in the temple of Athena 1 . For they hailed that dogma as the palladium of their religion, being unaware that a falling star is a meteor with deceptive light; and if this light strikes the brain, it can prove every falsity, using fallacies to do so, until it is taken for the true light and judged to be a fixed star, and finally sworn to be the leading constellation.
[3] Is anyone a more persuasive speaker about the certainty of what he imagines than a godless worshipper of nature? Confronted with all that is Divine in God, all that is heavenly in heaven, and all that is spiritual in the church, he bursts into hearty laughter. Is there any lunatic who does not believe his folly is wisdom and wisdom folly? Can anyone by visual inspection tell apart the deceptive light given off by rotting wood from moonlight? Does not anyone who has an aversion for fragrant substances, a common symptom of women with disease of the womb, thrust these away from the nostrils and prefer foul-smelling ones to them? These instances are mentioned as illustrations to enable it to be known, that natural light by itself will not allow it to be recognised that a church has reached its end, that is to say, has nothing but false doctrines, at least until truth sheds its light from heaven. Falsity cannot see truth, but truth can see falsity; and everyone is so made that he can see and grasp truth on hearing it. But if he has convinced himself of false doctrines, he cannot bring truth into his understanding so as to lodge there, since it finds no room; and if by chance it does get in, the crowd of falsities gathered together there throw it out as not belonging.
Footnotes:
1. Or: Minerva.
759. For this reason every church made up of those who see by confirmations seems to itself to be the only church that is in the light, and all others which dissent from it appear to be in darkness. For those who see by confirmations are not unlike owls, which see light in the obscurity of night, and in the daytime see the sun and its rays as thick darkness. Such has been and such is every church that is in falsities, when it has become fixed in falsities by leaders who seem to themselves, to be lynx-eyed, and who have made for themselves a morning light out of their own intelligence and evening light out of the Word. Did not the Jewish church when it was wholly devastated (which it was when our Lord came into the world), loudly declare through its scribes and those skilled in the law, that because it had the Word it alone was in heavenly light, and yet they crucified the Messiah or the Christ who was the Word itself and the All in all things of it? What is the cry of that church which is meant by "Babylon" in the Prophets and in the Apocalypse, but that she is the queen, and mother of all churches, and that those which withdraw from her are spurious offspring that must be excommunicated? And this, even when she has thrust the Lord the Savior from the throne and altar and placed herself thereon.
[2] Does not every church, even the most heretical, when once accepted, fill country and city with the cry that it alone is orthodox and ecumenical, and that it possesses the gospel which the angel flying in the midst of heaven announced (Revelation 14:6)? And who does not hear the crowd echoing that it is so? Did not the whole Synod of Dort look upon predestination as a star coming down above their heads out of heaven, and did they not kiss that dogma as the Philistines kissed the image of Dagon in the temple of Ebenezer at Ashdod, and as the Greeks kissed the Palladium in the temple of Minerva? For they called that dogma the palladium of religion; and they did not know that a falling star is a meteor formed of illusive light, and when such light falls upon the brain it enables it to confirm every falsity (which is done by fallacies), until it is believed to be the true light, and is decreed to be a fixed star, and is finally sworn to be the star of stars.
[3] Who speaks with fuller persuasion of the certitude of his delusion than the atheistic naturalist? Does he not laugh with the fullest assurance at the Divine things of God, the heavenly things of heaven, and the spiritual things of the church? Does not every lunatic believe his foolishness to be wisdom, and wisdom to be foolishness? Who by the sight of the eye can distinguish the illusive light of rotten wood from the light of the moon? Does not anyone who is averse to balsamic odors, as those who are affected with uterine diseases, repel those odors from the nostrils and choose ill-smelling odors in preference? And so on. All these things have been presented for the sake of illustration, to make clear that by natural light alone, or until truth from heaven beams forth in its own light, the fact that the church is consummated, that is, that it is in mere falsities, cannot be recognized. For falsity does not see truth, but truth sees falsity; and every man is such that he can see and comprehend truth when he hears it; but a man confirmed in falsities cannot so introduce truth into his understanding that it will remain, since it finds no place there; and if it happens to enter, the assembled horde of falsities casts it out as heterogeneous.
759. For this reason every Church formed of those who see by confirmations appears as if it alone were in the light, while all others which dissent are in darkness. For those who see by confirmations are not unlike owls, which see light in the shades of night, but in the daytime see the sun and its rays as thick darkness. Such has been, and such also is, every Church which is in falsities, when it has once been founded by leaders who, believing themselves to be keen-sighted, have produced for themselves a brilliant morning light from their own intelligence, and the dusk of evening from the Word. The Jewish Church when in its state of utter vastation, which was the case when our Lord came into the world, contended loudly by its scribes and lawyers, that because it possessed the Word, it alone was in heavenly light; yet the Jews crucified the Messiah, or Christ, who was the Word itself, and the All in all thereof. The same cry is raised by that Church, signified by Babylon in the Prophets and the Revelation, when she contends that she is the queen and mother of all Churches, and that all others who secede from her, are spurious offspring and must be excommunicated; and this, although she has thrust the Lord the Savior from the throne and altar, and has placed herself thereon.
[2] Every Church, even the most heretical, when once it has been acknowledged, fills countries and cities with the cry that it alone is orthodox and universal, and that with it is the Gospel preached by the angel flying in the midst of heaven, Revelation 14:6; and the voice of the common people is heard echoing the cry. The whole Synod of Dort 1 looked upon Predestination as a star falling from heaven upon their heads; and they embraced that dogma as the Philistines adored the image of Dagon in the temple of Ebenezer at Ashdod; and as the Greeks adored the Palladium in the temple of Minerva. For they called it the palladium of religion; not knowing that their falling star is a phantom rising from a delusive light. When this falls upon the brain, it can confirm every falsity by fallacious arguments, until it itself is believed to be the true light, and decreed to be a fixed star, and at length sworn to be the star of stars. No one speaks more persuasively of the certain truth of his own delusion than the atheistic materialist. Does he not laugh heartily at the Divine things of God, the celestial things of heaven, and the spiritual things of the Church? Every lunatic believes his own folly to be wisdom, and wisdom to be folly. Who is there that distinguishes by the sight of the eye the illusive glow of rotten wood from the light of the moon? Those who hold sweet odors in aversion, like those who suffer from uterine disease, are disgusted by them, and prefer odors that are foul; and so on.
These things have been mentioned by way of illustration, that it may be known that natural light alone does not reveal that a Church is consummated, or is in nothing but falsity, until truth from heaven shines forth in its own light. For falsity does not see truth, but truth sees falsity; and the nature of man is such that he can see and comprehend truth when he hears it; but if he is confirmed in falsities, he cannot introduce truth into his understanding so that it may remain, for it finds there no abiding place. If by chance it does gain admission, the crowded gathering of falsities rejects it as something out of harmony with its surroundings.
Footnotes:
1. Dortdrecht or Dort, Synod of. This was held in 1618-19 to settle the disputes between the Arminians or "Remonstrants" who called in question the theory of Predestination, and the Calvinists. The Synod condemned the tenets of the Arminians.
759. Ex hoc est, quod omnis Ecclesia ex Videntibus per confirmationes constabilita, appareat sicut unica sit in luce, et quod omnes reliquae, quae dissentiunt, sint in tenebris; nam videntes per confirmationes, sunt non absimiles noctuis, quae vident lucem in umbra noctis, ac interdiu solem et ejus radios sicut caliginem; talis fuit et quoque est omnis Ecclesia quae in falsis, quando ab Antesignanis sibi visis ut lyncei semel fundata est, qui matutinam lucem sibi fecerunt ex propria intelligentia, et vespertinam ex Verbo; numne Ecclesia Judaica, quando prorsus vastata est, quod erat cum Dominus noster in Mundum venit, ex suis Scribis et Legisperitis, alte clamavit, quod quia habebat Verbum, sola in lumine coelesti esset, cum tamen Messiam seu Christum, qui erat ipsum Verbum et omne in omnibus ejus, crucifixerunt. Quid aliud clamat Ecclesia, quae per Babyloniam apud Prophetas et in Apocalypsi intelligitur, quam quod sit Regina et Mater omnium Ecclesiarum, et quod reliquae, quae recedunt, sint proles spuriae, quae excommunicandae; et hoc tametsi Dominum Salvatorem ex Solio et Altari detrusit, et se super imposuit.
[2] Numne omnis Ecclesia usque ad summe haereticam, quando semel recepta est, clamore implet regiones et urbes, quod sola sit Orthodoxa, et Oecumenica, et quod apud se sit Evangelium, quod Angelus volans in medio coeli annuntiavit, Apocalypsis 14:6, et quis non audit echo vocis illorum ex vulgo, quod ita sit. Numne universa Synodus Dodrechtana vidit Praedestinationem aliter quam sicut Stellam e Coelo cadentem super Capita illorum, et illud dogma osculati sunt, sicut Philistaei idolum Dagonis in fano Eben 1 Eser Asdodi, et sicut Graeci palladium in templo Minervae, nam illud Palladium religionis vocaverunt, non scientes quod stella cadens sit meteoron ex luce fatua, quae dum incidit in cerebrum, confirmare potest omne falsum, quod fit per fallacias, usque ut credatur lux vera, ac decretum ut stella fixa, et tandem ut juretur quod sit sidus siderum.
[3] Quis persuasius loquitur de certitudine suae phantasiae, quam Naturalista atheus; numne ad Divina Dei, Coelestia Coeli, et ad Spiritualia Ecclesiae toto pectore ridet. Quis Lunaticus non credit fatuitatem suam esse sapientiam, et sapientiam esse fatuitatem. Quis ex visu oculari dignoscit fatuam lucem ligni putris a luce lunae. Quis qui balsamica aversatur, ut faciunt uterino morbo affectae, non illa repellit a naribus, et maleolentia illis praefert: et sic porro; Haec adducta sunt, illustrationis causa, ad sciendum, quod a solo naturali lumine non cognoscatur, quod Ecclesia consummata sit, hoc est, quod in meris falsis sit, priusquam veritas e Coelo in sua luce affulget; quia falsum non videt verum, sed verum videt falsum; et omnis homo talis est, quod possit videre et comprehendere verum, dum id audit, sed confirmatus in falsis, non potest inferre illud in intellectum ut maneat, quoniam non aliquem locum invenit, et si forte intrat, turma falsitatum congregata illud ut heterogeneum ejicit.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Eban.