1201# “那用淫行败坏了地的”表示那歪曲了圣言的一切真理，玷污了圣言的一切良善的。这从“地”和“用淫行败坏了地”的含义清楚可知：“地”是指教会；“用淫行败坏了地”是指歪曲教会的一切真理，玷污教会的一切良善（对此，参看AE141,161,1083,1130节）。他们歪曲了圣言的真理，这一点从以下事实明显看出来：他们轻视圣言，从他们的自我中孵化出新的律例、典章和诫命，其中大部分都视统治天堂和教会为目的，这些都是被歪曲的真理。教会的良善也被玷污了，这一点以下事实明显看出来：他们声称，赋予修道院、偶像和教皇座椅的一切都是神圣的，并称其为善行；然而，他们却通过这种方式掠夺各个家庭，剥夺寡妇、孤儿的财产；他们虽住在宝库中，拥有丰厚的收入，却仍这样做。此外，他们还认为这些作为值得赞扬，更不用说其它许多类似的事了。
（关于动物的生命续）
提前说明这些事后，我们现在要解释什么是动物的灵魂。动物的灵魂就其本身而言，是属灵的；事实上，情感，无论哪一种，也无论是善是恶，都是属灵的，因为它是某种爱的衍生物，从显为太阳的主所发出的光和热中获得其起源；凡由此发出之物都是属灵的。被称为欲望的邪恶情感也来自一个属灵源头，这一点从前面关于地狱魔鬼和灵人的邪恶之爱和由此而来的疯狂欲望所说的明显看出来。
其灵魂为类似的邪恶情感的动物和野兽，如老鼠、毒蛇、鳄鱼、蜥蜴、蝰蛇和其它类似种类的动物，以及各种有害的昆虫，都不是起初被造的，而是来源于地狱，就在池塘、沼泽和腐臭的污水中，以及从死尸、粪堆和尿液散发出的臭气中，地狱社群的恶毒之爱就与这些东西交流。我被允许通过经历知道，与这些东西的交流的确存在。此外，在凡同质的散发物存在于自然界中的地方，一切属灵之物里面都有可塑力和繁殖力，因为属灵之物通过子宫或蛋卵不仅形成感觉和运动器官，还形成繁殖器官。但起初，只有有用和洁净的动物被创造出来，其灵魂都是良善的情感。
然而，必须知道的是，动物灵魂在人类灵魂所在的那个层级上不是属灵的，它们在一个较低的层级上是属灵的；因为属灵事物有不同的层级。尽管较低层级的情感就其起源而言，是属灵的，但它们必须被称为属世的，因为它们就像属世人的情感。人里面有三个层级的属世情感，这同样适用于动物。各种昆虫处于最低层级，天上的飞鸟处于较高层级，从起初被创造的地上走兽处于还要更高的层级。
1201. Who did corrupt the earth with her whoredom.- That this signifies by whom all the truths of the Word are falsified, and all its goods adulterated, is evident from the signification of the earth, as denoting the church; and from the signification of corrupting it with whoredom, as denoting to falsify all its truths, and to adulterate all its goods, concerning which see above (n. 141, 161, 1083, 1130). That truths are falsified by them is evident from this fact, that they make light of the Word, and hatch new statutes, judgments, and precepts from their proprium, most of which look to dominion over heaven and the church as an end, all being truths falsified. That the goods of the church are also adulterated is evident from this, that they declare everything given to monasteries and to their idols, and also to the papal chair, to be holy, and they call them good works; and yet by that means they spoil houses, and deprive widows and orphans of their goods; and they do this although they live in treasure houses, and their wealth abounds. They moreover make such works meritorious, not to mention many other similar things.
[2] Continuation [concerning the Life of Animals].- Having premised these things, we shall now explain what the soul of beasts is. The soul of beasts, considered in itself, is spiritual; for affection, of whatever kind it is, whether good or evil, is spiritual, for it is a derivation from some love, and derives its origin from the light and heat which proceed from the Lord as the Sun, and whatever proceeds therefrom is spiritual. That evil affections, called concupiscences, are also from a spiritual source, is evident from what has been said above on the subject of the evil loves and insane lusts of infernal genii and spirits.
[3] Beasts and wild beasts, whose souls are similar evil affections, such as mice, poisonous serpents, crocodiles, basilisks, vipers, and others of a similar kind, with the various noxious insects, were not created at the beginning, but originated with hell, in ponds, marshes, putrid and foul waters, and wherever there were putrid, filthy, and urinous effluvia, with which the malignant loves of the infernal societies communicate. I have been permitted to know by experience that communication with such things does exist. There is also in everything spiritual a plastic force, and also a propagative force, wherever homogeneous exhalations are present in nature, for it forms not only the organs of sense and motion, but also organs of prolification, by means of wombs or eggs. But at the beginning, useful and clean beasts alone were created, whose souls are good affections.
[4] It must, however, be observed, that the souls of beasts are not spiritual in the degree in which the souls of men are, but they are spiritual in a lower degree; for there are degrees of spiritual things. The affections, also, of the lower degree, although spiritual viewed in regard to their origin, must still be spoken of as natural, for the reason that they are similar to the affections of the natural man. There are in man three degrees of the natural affections, and the same also in beasts. In the lowest degree are insects of various kinds; in the higher degree are the fowls of heaven, and in the degree still higher are the beasts of the earth, which were created from the beginning.
1201. That corrupted the earth with her whoredom, signifies those by whom all the truths of the Word have been falsified and its goods adulterated. This is evident from the signification of "the earth," as being the church; also from the signification of "corrupting it with whoredom," as being to falsify all its truths and to adulterate all its goods (n. 141, 161, 1083, 1130). That such have falsified the truths of the Word is evident from this, that they have little regard for the Word; but from what is their own [proprium] they devise new statutes, judgments, and commandments, most of which have regard to dominion over the church and heaven as an end, and these are all falsified truths. That the goods of the church are also adulterated is evident from this, that they call holy all things given to their monasteries and idols, and also to the papal chair, and call such gifts good works, and yet they thereby despoil homes, and deprive widows and orphans of their goods; and this they do notwithstanding they dwell amid treasures and possess superabundant revenues. Moreover, they make such works meritorious, and do many other like things.
(Continuation)
[2] These things being premised, what the soul of beasts is shall be told. The soul of beasts, regarded in itself, is spiritual; for affection of whatever kind, whether good or evil, is spiritual, for it is a derivation from some love, and has its origin in the heat and light that proceed from the Lord as a sun; and whatever proceeds from that is spiritual. That the evil affections that are called lusts are from the same source is evident from what has been already said about the evil loves and insane cupidities therefrom of infernal genii and spirits.
[3] Beasts and wild beasts, as mice, poisonous serpents, crocodiles, basilisks, vipers, and the like, with the various noxious insects, the souls of which are like evil affections, were not created from the beginning, but they originated with hell in stagnant lakes, marshes, rank and fetid waters, and in the effluvia from dead bodies, dung, and urine, with which the malignant loves of infernal societies have communication. That such communication exists has been granted me to know from much experience. Moreover, in everything spiritual there is a plastic force wherever homogeneous exhalations are present in nature; and in everything spiritual there is also a propagative force, for the spiritual gives form by means of wombs or eggs not only to the organs of sense and motion, but also to the organs of prolification. But from the beginning useful and clean beasts only were created, the souls of which are good affections.
[4] It must be known, however, that the souls of beasts are not spiritual in the same degree in which the souls of men are spiritual, but in a lower degree. For there are degrees in things spiritual; and although affections of a lower degree, regarded in their origin, are spiritual, they must be termed natural. They must be so called because they are like the affections of the natural man. In man there are three degrees of natural affections, and the same is true of beasts. In the lowest degree are insects of various kinds, in a higher degree are the flying things of heaven, and in a still higher degree are the beasts of the earth which were created from the beginning.
1201. "Quae corrupit terram scortatione sua." - Quod significet a quibus falsificata sunt omnia vera 1
Verbi et adulterata omnia bona ejus, constat ex significatione "terrae", quod sit ecclesia; et ex significatione "corrumpere illam scortatione", quod sit falsificare omnia vera ejus, et adulterare omnia bona ejus (de qua [supra] , n. 141, 161, 1083, 1130): quod vera falsificata sint, patet ex eo, quod Verbum floccipendant, ac nova statuta, judicia et praecepta ex proprio excludant, quorum pleraque spectant dominationem super ecclesiam et caelum ut finem, quae omnia sunt falsificata vera; quod bona ecclesiae etiam adulterata sint, patet ex eo, quod omnia illa quae dant monasteriis et eorum idolis, et quoque papali solio, dicant sancta, et appellent bona opera; et per id tamen spoliant domos, ac deprivant viduas et pupillos suis facultatibus, et haec faciunt tametsi in thesauris habitant, et illis reditus in superabuntia sunt: praeterea quod talia opera faciant meritoria, et plura similia.
[2] (Continuatio [de Vita Animalium] .)
His praemissis dicetur quid Anima Bestiarum. Anima bestiarum in se spectata est spiritualis; affectio enim, qualiscunque sit, bona aut mala, est spiritualis; est enim derivatio alicujus amoris, ac originem trahit ex luce et calore quae procedunt a Domino ut Sole; et quicquid inde procedit, est spirituale. Quod malae affectiones, quae concupiscentiae vocantur, etiam inde sint, patet ex illis quae de malis amoribus et inde insanis cupiditatibus geniorum et spirituum infernalium prius dicta sunt.
[3] Bestiae et ferae quarum animae similes affectiones malae sunt, non sunt ex principio creatae; sicut mures, serpentes venenati, crocodili, basilisci, viperae, et similes, cum insectis variis noxiis; sed ortae sunt cum inferno, in stagnis, paludibus, aquis putidis et fetidis, et ubi sunt effluvia cadaverosa, stercorea et urinosa, cum quibus maligni amores societatum infernalium communicant: quod communicatio cum talibus sit, ab experientia mihi scire datum est. Inest etiam omni spirituali vis plastica, ubi exhalationes homogeneae in Natura adsunt, et quoque inest omni spirituali vis propagatrix; format enim non modo organa sensuum et motuum, sed etiam organa prolificationis per uteros vel per ova. Sed a principio solum creatae sunt bestiae utiles et mundae, quarum animae sunt affectiones bonae.
[4] At sciendum est quod animae bestiarum non sint spirituales in eo gradu in quo sunt animae hominum, sed sunt spirituales in gradu inferiore: dantur enim gradus spiritualium; et affectiones gradus inferioris, tametsi ex origine sua spectatae sunt spirituales, usque dicendae sunt naturales; ita dicendae, quia sunt similes affectionibus hominis naturalis. Sunt in homine tres gradus affectionum naturalium, similiter in bestiis; in infimo gradu sunt insecta varii generis, in superiori sunt volatilia caeli, et in adhuc superiori sunt bestiae terrae quae a principio creatae sunt.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.