523# 有人声称，没有人能够成全律法；更何况，凡违犯十诫中一条诫命的，就是违犯了全部诫命。然而，这种说法并不应按其字面声音来理解；因为它的意思是：凡存心并自我确认地违犯一条诫命的人，也就是违犯其余的诫命。
因为存心并自我确认地行恶，就是全然否认那是罪；即便有人说那是罪，他也把它看作无足轻重而弃绝。凡这样否认并弃绝罪的人，也就不重视一切被称为罪的事。那些不愿听闻任何关于悔改之事的人，便进入这种存心的状态。
相反，那些借悔改除去若干罪恶的人，便进入信主并爱邻舍的存心状态。这样的人由主保守，使他们存心戒绝许多恶；因此，若他们因无知，或因某种强烈欲望占了上风而犯罪，这并不归算于他们，因为他们并非存心如此，也未在自己里面确认如此。
这一点可由以下事例加以证实：在灵界，我遇见许多人，他们在自然界曾与其他人过着相似的生活：衣着华丽，饮食丰盛；像别人一样经营贸易、收取利息；观看戏剧演出；以情欲的口吻谈笑情爱之事；此外还有其他类似之事。然而，天使把这些事作为罪恶归咎于某些人，却不把这些事作为罪恶归咎于另一些人；并且宣告后者无罪，前者有罪。
我问他们为什么如此，因为这些人明明做了相同的事。天使回答说，他们观察所有人，都是从其存心、意图和目的来看，并照此加以区分；因此，凡其目的使之可开脱或被定罪的人，他们也照样开脱或定罪；因为善的目的属于天上的所有人，恶的目的属于地狱里的所有人。
523# 有一种说法是，没有人能成全律法，尤其是因为违反了十诫中的一条诫命的人就违反了全部（马太福音5:19; 雅各书2:10-11）。但这种说法的意思与它似乎传达的含义不同；事实上，这句话要这样来理解，故意或蓄意违反一条诫命的人就违反了其余的诫命，因为故意和蓄意违反一条诫命就是完全否认它是罪；当有人说它是罪时，他会毫不犹豫地把这话挥到一边。凡如此否认罪，弃绝罪的观念，或把罪挥到一边的人，都轻视了被称为罪的一切，或说不思想任何被称为罪的东西。那些不愿意听到关于悔改的任何话的人，就养成了这种固定心态或决心；而另一方面，那些通过悔改移除了一些为罪的邪恶之人，则养成了一种信主和爱邻舍的决心，或达到了信主和爱邻舍的既定目的。这些人被主保持在避免其它邪恶，或不再进一步作恶的决心或目的中；因此，如果他们出于无知或某种无法抑制的欲望犯了罪，这罪也不会归咎于他们，因为他们不是故意犯的，他们也不为自己辩护。
以下事实可以证实这一点：在灵界，我遇到过许多人在自然界像其他人一样生活，他们穿着优雅，享受盛宴，和其他人一样做交易赚钱，去剧院看戏，貌似出于放荡讲关于恋人的笑话，并做其它类似的事。然而，天使们却认为这些事对一些人来说，是罪的邪恶，而对另一些人来说不是，宣布后者是无辜的，而前者是有罪的。当被问到，既然所有人都做了同样的事，他们为什么还做出这种区分时，他们回答说，他们根据打算、意图和目的来看待所有人，并相应地加以区分。因此，他们原谅或谴责那些被目的原谅或谴责的人，因为在天堂，良善是所有人的目的，而在地狱，邪恶是所有人的目的。
523. There is a saying that no one can fulfill the law, especially since someone who breaks one of the Ten Commandments breaks them all [Matthew 5:19; James 2:10-11]. But this formulaic saying does not mean what it seems to. The proper way to understand it is that people who purposely or deliberately behave in a way that is contrary to one commandment in effect behave contrary to the rest, because doing something [against one commandment] purposely and deliberately is the same as completely denying that that behavior is sinful and rejecting any argument to the contrary. And people who thus deny and reject the very idea of sin do not care whether any given act is labeled a sin or not.
This is the type of resolve developed by people who do not want to hear anything about repentance. People who, through repentance, have laid aside some evils that are sins, though, develop a resolve to believe in the Lord and to love their neighbor. They are held by the Lord in a resolution to abstain from many other things as well. Therefore if it happens that because they did not realize what was going on or because they were overwhelmed by desire, they commit a sin, it is not held against them. It was not something they had planned to do, and they do not support what they did.
[2] I may reinforce this point as follows. In the spiritual world I have come across many people who had shared a similar lifestyle when they were in the physical world. They all dressed in fashionable clothing, enjoyed fine dining, took profit from their business, went to the theater, told jokes about lovers as if they themselves were lustful, and many other things of the kind. Yet for some of these people the angels labeled their behaviors as evil and sinful, whereas for others the angels did not. The angels declared the former guilty and the latter innocent. Upon being asked why this was, since the people had done the same things, the angels replied that they had evaluated all the people on the basis of their plans, intentions, and purposes and distinguished them accordingly. Those whose intent excused them, the angels excused, and those whose intent condemned them, the angels condemned, since all who are in heaven have good intent, and all who are in hell have evil intent.
523. The saying goes that no one can keep the law completely, and this is even more difficult, because the person who breaks one of the Ten Commandments breaks them all. Yet this manner of speaking does not mean what it sounds like. For it must be understood to mean that a person who acts deliberately and from conviction against one commandment acts against the rest. This is because acting deliberately and from conviction is utterly denying that it is a sin, and if anyone else says it is, he dismisses his opinion as worthless. If anyone thus denies and dismisses sin, he pays no heed to anything which is called a sin. This is the position reached by those who are unwilling to be told anything about repentance. On the other hand, those who by repentance have removed some evils which are sins, reach the position of believing in the Lord and loving the neighbour. The Lord keeps them determined to abstain from further sinning; so if through ignorance or some overwhelming longing they sin, this is not counted against them, since they did not intend it nor convince themselves that it was allowable.
[2] I can support this statement by the following experiences. In the spiritual world I have met many people whose life in the natural world was no different from others'; they wore fine clothes, dined elegantly, engaged in business deals like other people to make profits, went to the theatre, joked about lovers as if lusting for them, and more of the same sort. Yet the angels held some of them guilty of sinful evils, and others they did not hold guilty of evils, declaring one group innocent, the other guilty. When they were asked why, when both groups had done much the same, they replied that what they looked for in all cases was the aim, intention or end in view, and they distinguished cases on this basis, so that those who were excused or condemned by their end in view, they themselves excused or condemned. All in heaven have good as their end in view, all in hell evil.
523. It is asserted that no man can fulfil the law, and the less so, since he who trespasses against one commandment of the Decalogue trespasses against all. But the meaning of this assertion is different from its sound, for it is to be understood thus, that he who purposely or deliberately acts contrary to one commandment, acts contrary to the rest, since to so act from purpose and deliberation is to deny utterly that it is sin, and when it is said to be sin, to reject the statement as of no account; and he who so denies and rejects the idea of sin gives no thought to anything that is called sin. Those who are unwilling to hear anything about repentance come into this fixed attitude of mind; but on the other hand, those who by repentance have removed some evils that are sins, come into a settled purpose to believe in the Lord and love the neighbor. Such are kept by the Lord in the purpose to refrain from other evils; and if therefore from ignorance or some over-powerful lust, they are led to commit sin, it is not imputed to them, because they did not commit it deliberately, and do not confirm it in themselves.
This may be confirmed by the following facts: In the spiritual world I have met with many who in the natural world had lived like others, dressing finely, feasting delicately, making money by trading like others, attending theaters, joking about lovers as if from licentiousness, and doing other like things; and yet the angels charged these things upon some as evils of sin, and not upon others, declaring the latter innocent, but the former guilty. Being asked the reason of this, since all had done the same things, they replied, that all are viewed by them from their purpose, intention, and end, and are distinguished accordingly; and therefore they excuse or condemn those whom the end excuses or condemns, since good is the end of all in heaven, and evil the end of all in hell.
523. It is affirmed that no one can fulfil the law, especially as he who offends against one commandment of the Decalogue offends against all. This statement, however, is to be taken in a different sense from what it seems to convey. For it is to be understood in this manner, that whoever from design or conviction acts contrary to one commandment, acts contrary to the rest, since to act from design and conviction is utterly to deny that it is sin; and when it is maintained to be sin, he waves it aside as of no moment. Whoever thus denies sin and waves it aside, makes light of everything that is called sin. Into this set purpose regarding sin come those who are unwilling to hear anything about repentance; whereas they come into the set purpose of believing on the Lord and loving the neighbor, who by repentance have removed some evils that are sins. These are upheld by the Lord in their determination to abstain from further evils; so that if they should commit sin through ignorance, or some overpowering lust, it is not imputed to them, because they did not do it of set purpose, nor do they justify it to themselves.
MEMORABILIA.
This may be confirmed by the following experience. In the spiritual world I have met several persons who have lived in the natural world like others, dressing elegantly, feasting delicately, making money like others by trading, frequenting theatrical performances, jesting about lovers in what might be termed an unseemly manner, and doing other things of a similar kind. Yet the angels accounted these things as sins in the case of some, but not in the case of others, declaring some guilty of sin but others quite innocent. When asked why they made this distinction when all had acted alike, they replied that they regard all with respect to purpose, intention and end, and distinguish them accordingly. Therefore, they excuse or condemn those whom the end excuses or condemns, since good is the purpose, intention and end with all in heaven, but evil with all in hell.
523. Perhibetur, quod nemo possit implere Legem, et eo minus, quoniam qui praevaricatur contra unum praeceptum Decalogi, praevaricatur contra omnia: verum haec loquutionis formula non est sicut sonat; nam hoc ita intelligendum est, quod qui ex proposito aut confirmato agit contra unum praeceptum, ille agat contra reliqua, quoniam ex proposito et confirmato agere, est prorsus negare quod peccatum sit, et quod si dicitur quod sit, id ut nihili rejiciat; et qui ita negat et rejicit peccatum, ille nihili pendit omne quod peccatum vocatur. In hoc propositum veniunt illi, qui non volunt audire aliquid de Poenitentia: vicissim autem in propositum credendi in Dominum et amandi proximum veniunt illi, qui per poenitentiam removerunt aliqua mala 1 quae peccata sunt; hi a Domino in proposito abstinendi a pluribus tenentur; quare si hi ex inscitia aut ex praepollente aliqua concupiscentia peccant, hoc illis non imputatur, quia id sibi non proposuerunt, nec apud se confirmant.
[2] Hoc confirmare licet per haec; in Mundo spirituali offendi plures, qui in Mundo Naturali similes aliis vixerant, splendide se vestiendo, laute epulando, cum foenore sicut alii negotiando, ludos scenicos spectando, de amatoribus sicut ex libidine jocando, praeter consimilia alia, et tamen Angeli quibusdam inculpabant 2 illa ut mala peccati, et quibusdam non inculpabant illa ut mala, et hos declarabant insontes, illos autem sontes: ad interrogationem cur ita, cum tamen parilia fecerunt, respondebant, quod ex proposito, intentione et fine omnes contemplentur, et secundum illa distinguant, et quod ideo illos, quos finis aut excusat aut damnat, ipsi excusent aut damnent, quoniam finis boni est omnibus in Coelo, et finis mali est omnibus in Inferno.
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