822.灵界的天主教圣徒
众所周知，人都有来自父母的先天或遗传的邪恶，但几乎没人知道邪恶整个居于何处。它就居于对占有所有他人财物的爱和施行统治的爱中。后一种爱是最恶毒的，倘若任其所为，它会不顾一切地往前冲，直到渴望统治所有人，最后还想要被祈求，被敬为神。这爱就是欺骗夏娃和亚当的蛇，因为蛇对女人说，神知道，你们吃的日子眼睛就明亮了，你们便如神能知道善恶（创世记3:4－5）。因此，人无所忌惮地冲向这爱到什么程度，就远离神，转向自己，成为自我的敬拜者到什么程度。然后他呼唤神时，出于对己之爱，口头上说得热烈，出于对神的藐视，内心却是冰冷的。教会的神性事物只充当他的工具，而统治权才是他的目的，只有这些工具服务他的目的时，他才会将心思放在它们上面。这种人若被提升到最高级别，他会将自己想象成双肩支撑苍天的阿特拉斯，或乘马所拉的日辇环绕地球的太阳神菲比斯。
822. 灵界的天主教圣徒
众所周知, 人都有来自父母的先天或遗传的邪恶, 但几乎没人知道邪恶整个居于何处。 它就居于对占有所有他人财物的爱和施行统治的爱中。 后一种爱是最恶毒的, 倘若任其所为, 它会不顾一切地往前冲, 直到渴望统治所有人, 最后还想要被祈求, 被敬为神。 这爱就是欺骗夏娃和亚当的蛇, 因为蛇对女人说, 神知道, 你们吃的日子眼睛就明亮了, 你们便如神能知道善恶 (创世记3:4-5)。 因此, 人无所忌惮地冲向这爱到什么程度, 就远离神, 转向自己, 成为自我的敬拜者到什么程度。 然后他呼唤神时, 出于对己之爱, 口头上说得热烈, 出于对神的藐视, 内心却是冰冷的。 教会的神性事物只充当他的工具, 而统治权才是他的目的, 只有这些工具服务他的目的时, 他才会将心思放在它们上面。 这种人若被提升到最高级别, 他会将自己想象成双肩支撑苍天的阿特拉斯, 或乘马所拉的日辇环绕地球的太阳神菲比斯。
822. Roman Catholic Saints in the Spiritual World
It is widely known that we all have innate, that is, inherited, evil from our parents; few know, however, what a fully developed version of that evil is like. The full version is found in the love of possessing everyone else's wealth and the love of having complete control. The nature of the second of these loves is that the more the reins are let out, the more that love bursts forth, until it becomes a burning desire to dominate everyone. It eventually becomes a desire to be prayed to and worshiped as God. This love is the serpent that deceived Eve and Adam; it said to the woman, "God knows that on the day when you eat some of the fruit of that tree, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God" (Genesis 3:4-5). The more the reins are let out, then, and we rush on into this love, the more we turn away from God and toward ourselves, and become a worshiper of self. In that state, we are indeed able to call on God because our love for ourselves warms our mouths, but our heart is cold because we actually despise God. In that state, the divine truths of the church are able to serve us as means, but because our goal is control, we do not love the means beyond their ability to serve us. In that state, if we are lifted up into the highest positions of honor, we imagine ourselves to be like Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders or like Apollo using his horses to steer the sun around the world.
822. The Saints of the Roman Catholics in the spiritual world.
It is well known that a person has inborn or hereditary evil from his parents, but few people know where it resides in its fulness. It resides in the love of possessing the goods of all others, and in the love of dominating. This latter love is so virulent that, to the extent it is given rein, it bursts out so violently as to burn with the desire of lording it over all, and finally of wishing to be invoked and worshipped as God. This love is the serpent which deceived Eve and Adam, for it said to the woman:
God knows that on the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, your eyes will be opened and you will then be like God, Genesis 3:4-5.
To the extent, then, that a person lets go the reins and plunges into this love, he turns his back on God and turns to himself, becoming a worshipper of himself. Then he can call upon God with his mouth hot as a result of self-love, but cold as a result of his contempt for God. Then too the Divine things of the church can serve him as means to an end, but because his purpose is domination, he does not like the means except to the extent they serve his purposes. If such a person is raised to the highest rank, he imagines himself to be like Atlas carrying the globe with its seas and lands on his shoulders; or like Phoebus carrying the sun around its orbit with his horses.
822. THE POPISH SAINTS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
It is well known that man has in him from his parents inherent or inherited evil, but few know where that evil dwells in its fullness. It dwells in the love of possessing the goods of all others, and in the love of exercising dominion; for this latter love is such that, so far as the reins are given to it, it rushes forth until it is aflame with the lust of exercising dominion over all, and finally seeks to be invoked and worshiped as God. This love is the serpent that deceived Eve and Adam, for it said to the woman,
God doth know that in the day ye eat of the fruit of that tree your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (Genesis 3:4-5).
So far therefore, as man rushes into this love without restraint, he turns away from God and turns to himself, and becomes a worshiper of himself; and then he can call upon God from love of self with fervent lips, but with a heart cold from contempt of God. And then also the Divine things of the church may serve him as means, but dominion being his end, his heart is in the means only so far as they subserve that end. Such a man, if exalted to the highest honors, seems to himself like Atlas carrying the terraqueous globe on his shoulders, or like Phoebus with his horses bearing the sun around the earth.
822. VII. ROMAN CATHOLIC SAINTS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
It is well known that man has inherent or hereditary evil from his parents; but few know where it resides in its fullness. It has its seat in the love of possessing the property of all others, and in the love of dominion. This latter love is of such a nature that so far as rein is given to it, it rushes on till it burns with the love of domineering over all, and finally desires to be invoked and worshipped as God. This love is the serpent which deceived Eve and Adam; for it said to the woman:
"God doth know that in the day ye eat of the fruit of that tree, your eyes shall be opened, and then ye shall be as God (A.V., gods)" Genesis 3:4-5.
So far, therefore, as a man rushes into this love without restraint, he turns away from God and turns to himself, and becomes a worshipper of himself; and then he is able to invoke God with fervent lips from his love of self, but with a cold heart from his contempt of God. Then also he can make the Divine things of the Church serve him as means; but because his end in view is dominion, he has the means at heart only so far as they promote this end. If such a person is exalted to the highest honors, he is, in his own imagination, like Atlas supporting the terraqueous globe on his shoulders, or like Phoebus with his horses bearing the sun round the world.
822. DE SANCTIS PONTIFICIORUM IN MUNDO SPIRITUALI.
Notum est, quod homini a Parentibus sit malum insitum seu haereditarium, 1 sed paucis notum est in quo illud in sua plenitudine habitat; habitat in amore possidendi omnium aliorum bona, et in amore dominandi, posterior enim hic amor talis est, ut quantum ei laxantur fraena, tantum erumpat, usque ut flagret cupidine dominandi super omnes, et tandem ut velit invocari et coli sicut Deus: hic Amor est Serpens, qui decepit Chaivam et Adamum, dixit enim ad Mulierem, Novit Deus, quo die comederitis de fructu illius Arboris, aperientur oculi vestri, ET TUNC ERITIS SICUT DEUS, Genesis 3:4-5: quantum itaque homo relaxatis fraenis in hunc Amorem ruit, tantum se avertit a Deo, et convertit ad semet, et fit adorator sui, et tunc potest invocare Deum ore calido ex amore sui, sed corde frigido ex contemptu Dei; et quoque tunc possunt Divina Ecclesiae inservire pro mediis, sed quia finis est dominium, media non plus cordi sunt, quam prout inserviunt. Talis, si ad supremos honores evehitur, est in sua imagine sibi sicut Atlas portans Globum terraqueum super scapulis suis; ac sicut Phoebus 115 solem equis suis ferens circum orbem.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: haereditariam.