313、从此处论到第一个人的事实明显可知，现今的一切遗传之恶并非源自他，人们若以为遗传之恶源自第一个人，就大错特错了。因为此处论述的主题是上古教会，该教会被称为“人”。当被称为“亚当”时，它表示那人是从土地里被取出来的，也就是说，他通过从主重生而从非人变成人。这就是这个名字的起源和含义。至于遗传之恶，情况是这样：凡通过自己的行为犯罪的人都因此获得一种性质，它所产生的邪恶被植入他的子女，成为遗传性的。就这样，人从父母、祖父母、曾祖父母、曾曾祖父母，以及再往前的历代祖先所遗传来的东西相应地在每一代后世子孙中增多和生长，并留在每个人身上，又通过他的实际罪恶在每个人身上累加。遗传之恶不会消散，变得无害，除非被主重生。若对这个问题稍加留意，谁都能从以下事实认识到这一点，即：父母的邪恶倾向在他们的子女身上如此显而易见，以至于一个家庭，甚至整个种族或民族都能通过它而与其它家庭、种族或民族区分开。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]313. From the statements now made about the first human it can be seen that this person did not pass an evil heredity on to everyone alive today and that popular belief is wrong in saying we have no inherited evil except what sprang from that source.{*1} It is the primeval church that is the subject here and that is being called "the human." When the name Adam is used, it symbolizes the idea that humankind was taken from the ground, or that from being nonhuman, people were made human, in being regenerated by the Lord.{*2} This is the origin and this is the meaning of the name.
The truth about inherited evil is that any of us who have actually committed a sin have imposed on ourselves a nature rising out of that sin. The evil is then implanted in our children and becomes hereditary. So it comes from every parent, from every grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent, and so on back in order. In this way it multiplies and grows in each succeeding generation and remains with every one of us — and our own sinful deeds add to it. It does not weaken to the point of harmlessness except in those whom the Lord regenerates.
Anyone who pays attention can see this by considering that the bad tendencies of parents remain visible in their children, so that one family can be distinguished from another, and in fact one generation from another.
Footnotes:
{*1} Swedenborg is here attacking the notion of original sin, the idea that all humans inherited the primordial sin of Adam, a doctrine first articulated by Augustine. See Kelly 1960, 361-366. As exemplified in the rest of this section, Swedenborg applies the word "sin" only to evil acts committed by an individual. The imprint of these is passed on to children in the form of hereditary evil, which is an inborn state of loving oneself more than others (Divine Providence 277a). In short, Swedenborg rejects the idea that all humans are born in a sinful state as a consequence of the sin of Adam, and asserts instead that each person's state of hereditary evil comes from her or his biological parents (Revelation Unveiled 776; Marriage Love 525:1; True Christianity 469). At 494:2 below, he states that hereditary evil is the primary cause of the decline of every church. See also the discussion of inherited evil in the reader's guide, page 42 note 31 [NCBSP: Available from Swedenborg Foundation]. [RS, LSW]
{*2} אָדָם ('āḏām) is the Hebrew word for humankind; it can be translated as "Adam" or as "a human," "the human race," and so forth. It is related to the word for "ground," אֲדָמָה ('ăḏāmā). The Latin captures the flavor of the Hebrew, since the word for a human is homo and "from the ground" is ex humo. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 313
313. From what is here said of the first man, it is evident that all the hereditary evil existing at the present day did not come from him, as is falsely supposed. For it is the Most Ancient Church that is here treated of under the name of "man;" and when it is called "Adam" it signifies that man was from the ground, or that from being non-man he became man by regeneration from the Lord. This is the origin and signification of the name. But as to hereditary evil, the case is this. Everyone who commits actual sin thereby induces on himself a nature, and the evil from it is implanted in his children, and becomes hereditary. It thus descends from every parent, from the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and their ancestors in succession, and is thus multiplied and augmented in each descending posterity, remaining with each person, and being increased in each by his actual sins, and never being dissipated so as to become harmless except in those who are being regenerated by the Lord. Every attentive observer may see evidence of this truth in the fact that the evil inclinations of parents remain visibly in their children, so that one family, and even an entire race, may be thereby distinguished from every other.
Elliott(1983-1999) 313
313. These facts that have now been stated concerning the first man show that he is not the source of hereditary evil existing in everyone alive today, and that people are wrong if they imagine that no other hereditary evil exists apart from that which emanated from that first man. For the subject here is the Most Ancient Church, which is called 'Man'. When it is called Adam it means that man was taken from the ground; that is, from not being 'man' that Church became man through regeneration from the Lord. This is the derivation' and the meaning of that name. As for hereditary evil the situation is this: Everyone who by his own actions commits sin consequently acquires a certain disposition, and the evil arising from it is implanted in his children and becomes hereditary. Thus what a person inherits from either parent, from his grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather and so on back, accordingly multiplies and increases in his descendants, and remains with each one. And with each one it is increased further still by the sins of his own doing. Nor is hereditary evil dispersed and rendered harmless except with people who are being regenerated by the Lord. This anyone can recognize, if he has paid the matter any attention at all, from the fact that the evil inclinations of parents are so noticeable in children that one family, indeed one generation, can be distinguished from another by means of it.
Latin(1748-1756) 313
313. Ex his quae de primo homine nunc dicta sunt, constare potest quod ex illo non hereditarium malum usque in omnes qui hodie vivunt, et, sicut false putant, quod nullum aliud hereditarium malum sit quam quod inde scaturiverit; est enim Antiquissima Ecclesia de qua ibi agitur, et vocatur 'homo'; qui dum vocatur 'Adam,' significat quod homo ex humo, seu quod homo factus a non homine, per regenerationem a Domino; haec nominis est origo, et haec nominis significatio. Sed hereditarium malum se ita habet quod unusquisque qui actuale peccatum committit, is sibi inde inducat naturam, et malum inde implantatur liberis et fit hereditarium, ita a parente unoquovis, ab ejus avo, proavo, atavo, et antecedentibus ordine, quod sic multiplicatur et crescit in ejus posteritate descendente, et remanet apud unumquemvis, atque apud unumquemvis augetur per actualia ejus peccata; nec dissipatur sic ut non noceat, quam apud eos qui a Domino regenerantur. Hoc quisque, si attenderit, scire potest ex eo quod malae parentum inclinationes visibiliter maneant in liberis, ita ut una familia, immo una generatio, ab altera inde queat dignosci.