410# 仁义本身既居于内在人；在内在人中，它表现为愿意良善，并由此流入外在人；在外在人中，它表现为施行良善；由此可知，人所当爱的，首先是内在人，并由内在人而爱其外在人。因此，人当按照其内在良善的品质而被爱；所以，本质上说，良善本身才是邻舍。
此理可由下列事实说明：若有人要从三四人中为自己选择管家或仆人，岂不先考察其内在人，并选择诚实忠信者，继而爱之吗？君王或官长亦然：他们从三四人中选择胜任职分者，而摒弃不胜任者；无论其外貌如何，又无论其言行怎样迎合、取悦于人，皆不以此为准。
【2】既然每一个人都是邻舍，而人又有无限差异，并且每个人都当按照其良善而作为邻舍被爱，则显然，对邻之爱便有类、有种，亦有等级。如今，既然主当被爱在万有之上，则这种爱的等级也必须按照人对主之爱的程度来衡量；亦即，另一个人里面有多少主，或有多少出自主之物，他便有多少良善，因为一切良善皆出自主。
【3】然而，这些等级既在内在人中，而内在人在世间又罕能显露自身，所以人只须按照自己所能认识的等级来爱邻舍，便已足够；但这些等级在人死后则被清楚感知。因为在那里，意志的情感，以及由此而生的理智思维，会在他们周围形成一种属灵场域，并以种种方式为人所觉知；可是在世间，这一属灵场域被物质身体所吸收，并被包含于人当时所流溢的自然场域之中。
对邻之爱确有等级，这一点可由主论撒玛利亚人的比喻得到证明。那撒玛利亚人怜悯被强盗所伤的人；祭司和利未人看见他，却从旁边过去。主问这三人中哪一个是落在强盗手中之人的邻舍，回答说：“是怜悯他的。”（路10:30–37）
410# 由于仁爱本身作为善意而存在于内在人中，并从那里而在外在人中，它在外在人中表现为善行，所以可推知，内在人应当被爱，或说是爱的对象，外在人基于内在人被爱；因此，一个人要照着他里面良善的品质而被爱。因此，良善本身本质上是邻舍。这一点可以这样来说明：当一个人从三、四个人中为自己选一个管家或仆人时，他会考察那个人的内在人，选一个忠实可靠的人，并因这些品质而更偏爱他。同样，一个国王或地方官员会从三、四个人中选出一个能胜任公职的人，拒绝不能胜任的人，无论他的外表多么迷人，谈吐多么动听，举止多么讨人喜欢。
因此，既然每个人都是邻舍，而人的种类是无限的，每个人都要照其良善而作为邻舍被爱，那么很明显，对邻之爱有属和种，以及层级。由于当爱主胜过一切，所以可推知，对邻之爱的层级要通过对主之爱来衡量，也就是说，通过邻舍自己所真正拥有的主的量或来自主的量来衡量。这也是他所拥有的良善的量，因为一切良善都来自主。
然而，由于这些层级在内在人中，而内在人在世界上几乎不显现，所以照着一个人所知道的层级来爱邻舍就足够了。但死后，这些层级被清楚感知到，因为在灵界，意愿的情感和由此产生的理解力的思维会在所有人周围形成一个属灵气场，这个气场以各种方式被感觉到。而在这个世界上，属灵气场会被肉体吸收，并包含在从人发出的属世气场中。对邻之爱有各个层级，这一点从主关于撒玛利亚人的寓言明显看出来：他怜悯那个被盗贼打伤的人，而祭司和利未人看见他，就过去了；当主问这三个人中哪一个是邻舍时，答案是：那怜悯他的（路加福音10:30-37）。
410. Since goodwill resides in the inner self, where benevolence is felt, and then extends into the outer self, where good actions occur, it follows that people's inner selves are what we should love; and we should love their outer selves on the basis of their inner selves. Therefore we are to love people according to the type of goodness they have inside. It is the goodness itself, then, that is actually our neighbor.
The following situations may serve as illustration: When we choose ourselves a household manager out of three or four candidates, or we hire a servant, we investigate that person's inner self. We choose someone who is honest and faithful and prefer that candidate because of those qualities.
The same is true for monarchs or government officials. Out of three or four candidates, they select someone suitable for the job and reject the unsuitable, no matter whose looks they prefer or what the candidates say or do to win them over.
[2] Everyone is our neighbor, and people come in an infinite variety. Since we need to love them all as our neighbor for the type of goodness they possess, clearly there are genera and species of loving our neighbor, as well as higher and lower degrees of that love.
Since the Lord is to be loved above all else, it follows that the degrees of our love for our neighbors depend on their love for the Lord, that is, on the amount of the Lord or the amount from the Lord that our neighbors possess in themselves. That is also the amount of goodness they possess, since all goodness comes from the Lord.
[3] Nevertheless, since these degrees are within people's inner selves and these are rarely obvious to the world, it is enough to love our neighbor by the degree of goodness that we are aware of.
Now, these degrees are clearly perceived after death, since there the feelings in our will and the thoughts in our intellect form a spiritual sphere around us that others can sense in various ways. In this world, however, this spiritual sphere is absorbed by our physical body and is contained in the physical sphere that pours out around us.
The Lord's parable about the Samaritan shows that there are degrees of love for our neighbor. The Samaritan had mercy on the person who had been wounded by robbers - a person whom both the priest and the Levite had seen and yet passed by. When the Lord asked which of the three seemed to have been a neighbor, the reply was "the one who had mercy" (Luke 10:30-37).
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410. Since charity itself resides in the internal man, the seat of the good will, and is from there in the external, the seat of good actions, it follows that it is the internal man who is to be loved, and the external man as a consequence. It also follows that a person should be loved for the quality of good there is in him; good itself therefore is essentially the neighbour. This can be illustrated by these examples. When anyone chooses from three or four persons a steward to run his household, or to be a servant, does he not investigate that person's internal man, and choose one who is honest and faithful, and so love him? Similarly a king or magistrate chooses from three or four candidates one who is suitable for office and rejects one who is unsuitable, however fine he looks and however much he speaks and acts to curry favour.
[2] Since therefore every person is the neighbour, and people display infinite variety, and each of them is to be loved as the neighbour in accordance with the good in him, it is clear that love towards the neighbour has genera and species, as well as degrees. Now because the Lord is to be loved above all else, it follows that the degrees of that love are to be measured by love to Him; in other words, by how much of the Lord or what is from the Lord he possesses in himself, for this is a measure of how much good he possesses too, because all good comes from the Lord.
[3] But because these degrees exist in the internal man, who is rarely to be discerned in the world, it is sufficient for one to love the neighbour in terms of the degrees one does know. After death these are clearly perceived, for in that world the affections of the will and the resulting thoughts of the understanding create a spiritual sphere around them, which is felt in various ways. But in the world that spiritual sphere is absorbed by the material body and is enveloped in the natural sphere which then emanates from the person. The existence of degrees of love towards the neighbour is proved by the Lord's parable about the Samaritan, who had pity on the man wounded by robbers, though the priest and the Levite saw him and passed by; and when the Lord asked which of the three would seem to have been the neighbour, he received the reply, 'The one who had pity' (Luke 10:30-37).
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410. Since charity itself has its seat in the internal man, wherein it is willing well, and from that is in the external man, wherein it is well-doing, it follows that the internal man is to be loved, and from that the external; consequently that a man is to be loved according to the quality of the good that is in him. Therefore good itself is essentially the neighbor. This may be illustrated thus: When one selects for himself from among three or four a steward for his house, or a servant, does he not try to find out about his internal man, and choose one who is sincere and faithful, and for that reason love him? In like manner a king or magistrate from three or four persons would select one competent for office, and would refuse the incompetent, whatever his looks, or however favorable his speech and actions.
[2] Since, then, every man is the neighbor, and the variety of men is infinite, and everyone is to be loved as a neighbor according to his good, it is plain that there are genera and species and also degrees of love to the neighbor. And because the Lord is to be loved above all things, it follows that the degrees of love towards the neighbor are to be measured by love to the Lord, that is, by how much of the Lord or of what is from the Lord the other possesses in himself; for thus far he possesses good, since all good is from the Lord.
[3] But as these degrees are in the internal man, and the internal man rarely manifests itself in the world, it is sufficient that the neighbor be loved according to the degrees that are known. But after death these degrees are clearly perceived; for the affections of the will and the consequent thoughts of the understanding form a spiritual sphere round about those in the spiritual world, which is felt in various ways; while in this world this spiritual sphere is absorbed by the material body, and encloses itself within a natural sphere, which then flows forth from man. That there are degrees of love towards the neighbor, is plain from the Lord's parable of the Samaritan who showed mercy to the man wounded by thieves, whom the priests and the Levite saw and passed by; and when the Lord asked which of those three seemed to have been the neighbor, He was answered,
He who showed mercy (Luke 10:30-37).
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410. Charity itself resides in the internal man as good-will, and thence passes into the external man, where it is manifested as good deeds. It follows, therefore, that the internal man ought to be the object of love, and from that the external; so that a man ought to be loved according to the quality of the good that is in him; thus good itself is essentially the neighbor. This may be illustrated by the following considerations. When anyone selects a steward for his house or a servant, from three or four, he examines the internal character of the man, and, choosing a sincere and faithful person, bestows his favor upon him. So, too, a king or a magistrate, from three or four persons, selects one qualified for an office, and rejects anyone not suitable, however attractive his appearance, and plausible his speech, and ingratiating his manner.
[2] Since, therefore, every man is the neighbor, and there is an infinite variety of men, and every one ought to be loved as the neighbor according to the good in him, it is evident that there are many kinds, classes and degrees of love towards the neighbor. Now, since the Lord ought to be loved above all things, it follows that the degrees of love towards the neighbor ought to be estimated by love towards the Lord, and thus by how much of the Lord or from the Lord the neighbor really possesses; for in the same proportion he is in possession of good, because all good is from the Lord.
[3] As, however, these degrees are in the internal man, and this seldom manifests itself in the world, it is enough that the neighbor be loved according to the degrees of which one has knowledge. These degrees are clearly observed after death; for then the affections of the will and the thoughts of the understanding that arise from these form a spiritual sphere about all persons, which is perceived in various ways. In this world, however, that spiritual sphere is absorbed by the material body, and is then enclosed within the natural sphere which emanates from the man. The fact that there are degrees of love towards the neighbor is evident from the Lord's parable concerning the Samaritan who showed mercy to the man that was wounded by thieves. The Priest and the Levite saw him and passed by; and when the Lord inquired which of the three had shown himself to be his neighbor, the answer was:
"He that showed mercy" Luke 10:30-37.
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410. Quoniam ipsa Charitas residet in Interno 1 homine, in quo est bene velle, et inde in Externo, in quo est benefacere, sequitur quod Internus homo amandus sit, et inde Externus, proinde quod homo secundum quale boni, quod in illo est, amandus sit; quapropter ipsum Bonum est essentialiter Proximus; hoc illustrari potest per haec; dum quis ex tribus aut quatuor eligit sibi procuratorem domus, aut famulum, numne indagat Internum ejus hominem, ac eligit sincerum et fidelem, et inde diligit illum. Similiter Rex aut Magistratus, quod ex tribus aut quatuor eligat habilem functionis, ac repudiet inhabilem, qualemcunque vultum praeferat, et loquatur et agat ad favorem.
[2] Cum ergo omnis homo est proximus, ac infinita varietas hominum est, et quisque secundum bonum ejus ut proximus amandus est, patet quod sint genera et species, tum gradus Amoris erga 2 proximum: nunc quia Dominus super omnia amandus est, sequitur quod metiendi sint gradus illius amoris secundum Amorem in Ipsum, ita quantum Domini aut ex Domino alter possidet in se, nam tantum etiam possidet bonum, quia omne bonum est a Domino.
[3] Sed quia hi gradus sunt in Interno homine, et hic raro se manifestat in Mundo, satis est, ut Proximus ametur secundum gradus quos cognoscit; sed hi post mortem clare percipiuntur, nam ibi affectiones voluntatis et inde cogitationes Intellectus faciunt sphaeram spiritualem circum illos, quae sentitur variis modis; at spiritualis illa sphaera in Mundo absorbetur a Corpore materiali, et se includit sphaerae naturali, quae ex homine tunc exundat. Quod gradus Amoris erga proximum sint, constat ex Parabola Domini de Samarita, qui misericordiam fecit vulnerato a latronibus, quem Sacerdos et Levita videntes praetergressi sunt, et cum Dominus quaesivit, quis illorum trium videretur Proximus fuisse respondebatur, qui fecit misericordiam, Luca 10:30-37. 3
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