134、然后，北边的人开始表达自己的观点。他们声称，人生来没有任何知识，是为了他能接受各种知识。人若生来就有某种知识，就只能接受与生俱来的那种知识，无法再取得任何知识。他们用下面的比喻说明了这一点：“人刚生下来，好比没有播种过的土壤，但这土壤能接受各类种子，使之生长并结果。而动物好比早已播种过的土壤，这土壤满了青草和植被，除了已播入的种子外，不再接受其它种子。其它种子若播下，就会被窒息。正因如此，人需要很多年才能逐渐成熟，这段时期长到足以使他像土壤那样被耕种，可以说长出各样谷物、花木。而动物几年就长大，因为它不需要时间被耕种以产出任何事物，除了它与生俱来的东西外。”
西边的人接着发言说，人不像动物那样生来就有知识，但却有一种能力和倾向，即学习的能力和爱的倾向。人生来不但具有学习的能力，还具有理解并变得智慧的能力。而且，他生来还具有最完美的爱的倾向，不仅热爱自己和世俗的事物，还热爱神和天上的事物。所以，人因着父母的遗传而天生是一个器官，该器官起初仅凭外在感觉，而非内在感觉存活，以便他能逐渐变成人，先成为属世人，然后成为理性人，最终成为属灵人。若他生来就像动物那样具有各种知识和爱，这是不可能发生的。“因为与生俱来的知识和情感会限制发展，而与生俱来的能力和倾向则对它没有任何限制。因此，人能在知识、聪明和智慧上变得越来越完美，直到永远。”
南边的人接着他们的话说：“任何人都不可能从自己获得任何知识，必须从别人获得，因为他没有天生的知识。人因无法从自己获得任何知识，故也无法获得任何爱；没有知识，就没有爱。知识和爱是不可分割的伴侣，就像意愿与理解，或情感与思维，甚或本质与形式那样无法分割。因此，随着人从别人那里获得知识，爱便依附于它，如同一个伴侣。能使自己依附的普世之爱就是对认识、理解和变得智慧的爱。这是唯独人类才有、动物却没有的爱，这爱是从神流入的。
“我们赞同我们西边同伴的观点，即：人生来没有任何爱，因而也没有任何知识；他生来只有爱的倾向，因而有接受知识的能力，但不是从他自己，而是从其他人接受，确切地说，是通过其他人接受。之所以说‘通过其他人’，是因为其他人也不是从自己，而是从神那里接受知识。我们也同意我们北边同伴的观点，即：人刚出生时就像没有播种过的土壤；不过，一切种子，无论好坏，都能被种植其中。对此，我们要补充的是，动物生来就具有属世之爱，因而具有与这些爱相对应的各种知识；然而，它们的知识却不能使它们认识、思考并理解任何事物，或由此变得智慧，只是单纯地被自己的爱通过其知识所引领，就跟盲人被导盲犬引领穿过街道差不多，因为它们的理解力是瞎的。确切地说，它们就像梦游者，做他们靠盲目的知识所行的，而理解力还在沉睡。”
最后发言的是坐在东边的人，他们说：“我们接受我们弟兄所提出的观点，即：人并非从他自己，而是从其他人并通过其他人获得知识，好叫他明白并承认，神是他所认识并理解的一切，以及他的一切智慧的源头。只有这样，人才能被主孕育、生出并创造出来，变成祂的形像和样式。因为人变成主的形像，凭的是承认并相信，他已经接受并继续接受的一切爱与仁之良善，以及智慧与信仰之真理皆来自主，而非来自他自己。他变成主的样式，凭的是感觉这些事物在他自己里面，仿佛出于他自己。他有这种感觉是因为，他并非生来就具有各种知识，而是要获得它们，他所获得的一切在他看来仿佛出于他自己。主赋予人这种意识，是为了让他能成为一个人，而不是一个动物，因为他凭貌似靠自己意愿、思考、热爱、认识、理解并变得智慧的事实来接受各种知识，将其升华为聪明，并通过运用它们而将其转化为智慧。主就这样与人结合，并且此人也与主结合。若主没有规定人生在完全无知的状态，这些事都不会发生。”
说完这些话，大家都想根据刚才的讨论得出一个结论，于是便作出如下声明：“人生来没有任何知识，是为了能获得各种知识，并发展为聪明，再通过聪明发展为智慧。同样，他生来没有任何爱，是为了能通过聪明地运用各种知识获得各种爱，通过爱邻获得对主的爱，从而与主结合，凭此结合成为一个完全人并活到永远。”
134、在北边坐的人首先阐述他们的观点：他们说人出生时没有任何知识，以便人在以后能学会所有知识。若人生来就有一切知识，人也就不必去学更多的知识，知识也不能成为每个人所特有的。
他们用以下的对比来证明这点：“人刚出生时就象没有播种的土地，可以长任何植物。而动物则象是长满了草和其它植物的土地，不能再接受任何新的东西，而只能保持自己所有的。
“这就是为什么人要数年才能长成成人。就要土地被翻耕、播种、发芽。而动物几年就能长大，在这几年中保持原状它生来就有的技能成熟。”
坐在西边的接着讲述他们的观点：他们说人生来没有任何知识，但是人生来具有一种能力和倾向——学习的能力和爱的倾向，人不但有学习的能力，还有理解和变得有智慧的能力。同样人生来就有一种最好的倾向，不仅爱与自身有关的事物，也爱与神及天国相连的事物。
因而，人生来就处于外在感官水平上，而不是处于更高的水平上。这样人类才能按阶段地成长。首先是自然人，然后是理性的人，最后是精神上的人。如果人类生来就有一切知识，则不会有这种情况，因为生来具有的特性会限制发展过程，而生来具有的能力和倾向则不然，因此，可以在知识、理解力及智慧上变得完美。
坐在南边的人说不能自己获得任何知识，而是要从他人那里获得知识，因为没有任何知识是人生来注定要有的。
另外，因为他不能自己获得知识，他也就不能获得任何的爱，因为没有知识观念也就没有爱，知识与爱是不可分割的。它们就象意愿和理解力，情感和思想、本质和形式一样不可分割。在人从别人那里获得知识的同时，爱也就与之相伴。对学习，理解力及智慧的爱是人类特有的，它来自于神。
我们同意坐在西边的人所说的人生来不具有任何爱和任何知识，而是具有爱的倾向和学习知识的能力，从别人或确切地说是通过别人来获得知识，这样说是因为别的人也不是从自身而是从神那里获得知识。
“我们也同意北边的人所说的刚出生的人就象一块没有播种的土地。一切种子都可以在上面生长，不论是好的，还是坏的。我们要补充一点，动物生来具有与其自身需要相关的知识，但他们不能再学会其它的知识，也不能进一步发展形成思想，才智及智慧。它们只有自身需要的知识，就象是盲人被狗带领着，因为就动物的理解力来讲，它们是一无所有的，或者说它们象是梦游的人，盲目地做着事情而理解力却处于睡眠状态。
最后，坐在东边的人说：“我们同意弟兄们所说的，人生来没有任何知识，必须要从别人并且通过别人才能学会这些知识，这样使得人能知道他自己所有的知识，都是来自于神的。”
“只有这样，主才能使人出生，成长为他相似的形象。因为通过承认并相信自己从神那获得了善、仁慈、真理及信仰一个人就成了神的形象。人通过觉得善、仁慈真理和信仰好象是来自于自身而成为象神的形象。人会这样觉着是因为人生来并没有任何知识，而是后来获得了这些知识，所以感觉上他所获得的一切象是来自于他本身。
“同时，主也使人有这种感觉，以便使得人成为人而非动物。因为人有意愿，会思考，有爱，会学习，有理解能力，能变得有智慧。这些使得人们获得各种知识，发展自身的才智，进而发展为智慧。这样主使人与主相连，主与人相连，若不是人生来一无所知，这种情况是不可能的。
此后在座的人达成以下结论：
“人生来没有任何知识以使他能获得各种知识，并且发展自己的才智形成智慧。同样，人生来也没有任何的爱，以便他能通过才智来运用各种知识，进而形成各种爱，通过爱他人而发展为爱主，并因此与主相连，成为真正的人并得永生。”
134. The northerners then began to express their opinion. They asserted that man is born without any knowledge so that he can then receive knowledge of all kinds. But if he were born with some knowledge, then he could only acquire the kinds of knowledge he was born with, and then he could not either make any his own. They illustrated this by a simile. Man on first being born is like soil in which no seeds have been planted, but which can receive every kind of seed, grow them and bring them to fruiting. But an animal is like soil which has already been sown and is full of grasses and plants, which cannot take any other seeds that those which have been planted. If others were sown, they would be choked. That is the reason why it takes man many years to grow up, a period long enough to allow him to be cultivated like the soil, and to bring forth, so to speak, all kinds of crops, flowers and trees. An animal, however, takes only a few years, because it does not need time to be cultivated to produce anything but what it possesses from birth.
[2] The westerners spoke next. They said that man has by birth, not knowledge like an animal, but ability and inclination, the ability to know and the inclination to love. He has by birth not only the ability to know, but also to understand and to be wise. Also he is born with the most perfect inclination to love, not only what is his own and worldly, but also what is God's and heavenly. Consequently, a person is by inheritance from his parents an organ, which lives merely by its outward senses, and at first by no inward sense, in order that he may become successively first a natural, then a rational and finally a spiritual man. This could not happen, if he acquired all kinds of knowledge and love by birth, like an animal. For innate knowledge and affections restrict that advancement, but if ability and inclination are innate, they do not restrict it at all. A person therefore can go on becoming more perfect in knowledge, intelligence and wisdom for ever.
[3] The southerners followed on with their statement. 'It is impossible,' they said, 'for anyone to acquire any knowledge from himself, but he must acquire it from others, since he has no innate knowledge. Being unable to acquire any knowledge from himself, neither can he acquire any love, since where knowledge is absent, so is love. Knowledge and love are inseparable companions, no more capable of being divided than will and intellect, or affection and thought, or even essence and form. Therefore as a person acquires knowledge from others, so does love attach itself to it as a companion. The universal love which attaches itself is the love of knowing, understanding and being wise. This is a love man does not share with any animal, and it flows in from God.
[4] 'We agree with our colleagues from the west that man does not have by birth any love, and thus not any knowledge either; but he has by birth only an inclination to love, and thus an ability to receive knowledge, not from himself, but from others, that is, by way of others. We have to say "by way of others" because neither have they received any knowledge from themselves, but from God. We also agree with our colleagues on the north that man is, when first born, like soil in which no seeds have been planted, but in which fine as well as worthless seeds can be planted. We would add to this that animals have by birth natural loves, and thus the kinds of knowledge which correspond to these; but still their knowledge does not enable them to know, think, understand or be wise about anything, being merely guided by their loves through their knowledge, almost like blind people being guided through the streets by dogs, since they are intellectually blind. Or rather they are like sleep-walkers, who do what they do by blind knowledge, while the intellect is asleep.'
[5] The last to speak were the easterners, who said: 'We accept the view expressed by our brothers, that man has no knowledge from himself, but from and through others, in order that he may recognise and acknowledge that God is the source of all he knows and understands and of all his wisdom. Also that there is no other way that a person could be conceived, born and created by the Lord, and become His image and likeness. For he becomes an image of the Lord by acknowledging and believing that he has received and continues to receive all the good of love and charity and all the truth of wisdom and faith from the Lord, and nothing at all from himself. He becomes a likeness of the Lord by feeling these things in himself as if they came from himself. This feeling is due not to being born with knowledge, but to acquiring knowledge, and when he acquires it, it seems to him as if it came from himself. The Lord also grants man this awareness to make him a man and not an animal, since by the fact of willing, thinking, loving, knowing, understanding and being wise as if from himself, he receives different kinds of knowledge, raises them so as to become intelligence, and by applying them to purposes so as to become wisdom. Thus the Lord links a person to Himself, and the person links himself to the Lord. None of these things could happen, if the Lord had not ensured that man was born in a state of complete ignorance.'
[6] After this statement there was a general wish for a conclusion to be drawn from the debate, and this resolution was adopted: 'Man is born without any knowledge, in order to be able to acquire knowledge of all kinds, and to advance to intelligence and by this means to wisdom. He is born without any loves, in order to be able to acquire all kinds of love by the intelligent application of what he knows, and to acquire love to the Lord by love towards the neighbour, thus being linked with the Lord, by this becoming fully man and living for ever.'
134. The people on the north side were then the first to begin to present their opinion. And they said that man is by birth without knowledge of any kind in order that he may be capable of acquiring all types of knowledge. If he were to come into various kinds of knowledge by birth, however, he would not be capable of acquiring any beyond those into which he came by birth, and in that case, neither would he be capable of making any personally his own.
They illustrated this by the following comparison. "When a person is first born," they said, "he is like ground in which no seeds have been planted, but which is yet capable of accepting all kinds of seeds and germinating them and bringing them to fruit. An animal, on the other hand, is like ground already sown and filled with grasses and plants, which does not accept any other seeds than the ones it has. If others should be sown, it would suffocate them.
"That is why it takes a number of years for a human being to grow to maturity, years in which he can be like ground undergoing cultivation, and sprouting, so to speak, all kinds of grain, flowers and trees. An animal develops in only a few years, however, during which time it can be cultivated only into producing what it was born with."
[2] The people on the west side spoke next, and they said that man is not born with knowledge, as animals are, but is born with a capacity and inclination - a capacity for learning and an inclination to love. Moreover, they said, he is born with a capacity not only for learning, but also for understanding and becoming wise. So, too, he is born with a most perfect inclination, not only to love things having to do with self and the world, but also things having to do with God and heaven.
Consequently, they said, a person by birth and heredity is an organism which lives only on the level of the external senses, and not at first on the level of any higher sense, in order that he may develop by stages into a human being, becoming first natural, then rational, and finally spiritual. This would not happen if he came by birth into various kinds of knowledge and loves as animals do. "For inborn patterns of knowledge and affection limit that progression," they said, "whereas an inborn capacity and inclination do not. A person can therefore be perfected in knowledge, understanding and wisdom to eternity."
[3] The people on the south side took up the discussion and added their voice, saying that it is impossible for a person to acquire any knowledge on his own, but he must get it from others, since no knowledge is inborn in him.
"Moreover, because he cannot acquire any knowledge on his own," they said, "neither can he acquire any love, since there is no love where there is no knowledge. Knowledge and love are inseparable companions, and they cannot be divided any more than will and understanding or affection and thought - indeed, any more than essence and form. As a person acquires knowledge from others, therefore, so love attaches itself as its companion. The universal love that attaches itself is a love of learning, understanding, and becoming wise. Only man has this love and no animal, and it flows in from God.
[4] "We agree with our companions on the west that man does not come by birth into any love and so neither into any knowledge, but that he comes by birth solely into an inclination to love and so into a capacity for acquiring knowledge, not on his own but from others, or rather, through others. We say, through others, because they, too, did not acquire any knowledge on their own but from God.
"We agree also with our companions to the north that when a person is first born, he is like ground in which no seeds have been planted, but in which all kinds of seeds can be planted, both good and bad. To this we add that animals come by birth into natural loves and therefore into forms of knowledge corresponding to those loves, and yet they do not learn anything from their kinds of knowledge or develop thought, intelligence and wisdom on the basis of them. Instead they are carried along in them by their loves, almost like blind men being led through the streets by dogs. For in terms of their understanding, they are blind. Or better still, they are like sleepwalkers, who do what they do out of blind knowledge while the understanding sleeps."
[5] Lastly the people on the east side spoke, saying, "We concur with what our brothers have said. A person of himself knows nothing but must learn from others and through others, in order that he may know and acknowledge that all his knowledge, understanding and wisdom are from God.
"Only in this way," they said, "can a person be conceived, born and brought forth by the Lord so as to become an image and likeness of Him. For a person becomes an image of the Lord by his acknowledging and believing that he has acquired and continues to acquire every good of love and charity and every truth of wisdom and faith from the Lord, and not the least bit from himself. And he becomes a likeness of the Lord by his feeling these things in himself as though they originated with him. He has this feeling because he does not come by birth into various kinds of knowledge, but acquires them, and what he acquires appears to him as though it originated with him.
"A person is also given to feel this way by the Lord, in order that he may be a human being and not an animal, because his willing, thinking, loving, learning, understanding and becoming wise seemingly on his own is what leads him to acquire various kinds of knowledge, to develop them into intelligence, and by applying them turn them into wisdom. In this way the Lord joins the person to Himself, and the person joins himself to the Lord. This would not have been possible if the Lord had not provided that man be born in a state of total ignorance."
[6] After these remarks, the people were all ready to reach a conclusion from the matters discussed, and they formed the following statement:
"Man does not come by birth into any knowledge," they said, "in order that he may come into every kind of knowledge and so progress into a state of intelligence and through this into wisdom. So, too, he does not come by birth into any love, in order that by applying various kinds of knowledge with intelligence he may come into every kind of love, and through love for the neighbor come into love towards the Lord; and this to the end that he may be thus conjoined with the Lord and by that conjunction become human and live to eternity."
134. Then the Northerners began to present their thoughts and said, "Man is born free of knowledge so he can receive all knowledge.
If he were born knowing things he could not receive other skills besides the ones he was born with, and moreover, he could not adopt them as his own."
They illustrated this by a comparison. "A newborn person is like ground with no seeds planted in it, but ground that can take all seeds, grow them, and bring them to fruit. But an animal is like ground already planted, full of grass and plants, which does not accept seeds other than the ones in it. Or if it did it would choke them. This is why a person grows for many years, during which he can be cultivated like soil and, so to speak, bring forth all kinds of grain, flowers, and trees. But an animal matures in a few years, during which he can be cultivated only in what he was born to."
Then the Westerners spoke and said, "A person is not born knowing things, as an animal is, but he is born as an ability and an inclination - an ability to know and an inclination to love. He is born an ability not just to know, but also to understand and be wise. And also when he is born he is the most perfect inclination not just to love things related to himself and the world but also to love those that relate to God and heaven.
"So when a person is born to his parents he is an organism living only in external senses with nothing inward at first, so that he can become more and more human - first worldly, then rational, and at last spiritual. This he would not become if he were born with the skills and loves that beasts are born with. Inborn skills and dispositions give that process a limit, but an inborn ability and inclination limit nothing. So a person can perfect his knowledge, understanding, and wisdom forever."
The Southerners took it up and made their pronouncement, saying, "A person cannot acquire knowledge out of himself but gets it from others because no knowledge is inborn in him. And because he cannot get any knowledge out of himself, he cannot get any love there, since where there is no knowledge there is no love. Knowledge and love are inseparable companions and cannot be separated any more than will and intellect can, or feeling and thought - indeed, no more than being and form. So as a person gathers knowledge from others, love attaches itself to the knowledge as its friend. The all - embracing love that attaches itself is love of knowing, understanding, and being wise. Only people, and not animals, have this love, and it pours in from God.
"We agree with our companions from the west, that a person is not born with any love, and therefore not with any knowledge, but he is only born with an inclination to love, which gives him the ability to receive knowledge - not from himself, but from others.
That is to say, through others - through others because they do not receive any knowledge from themselves, either, but from God.
"We also agree with our companions on the North that a newborn human is like soil with no seeds planted in it, but where all kinds, both noble and lowly, can be planted.
"We'll add these ideas. The animals are born with worldly loves, so they have the skills that correspond to these loves. And they do not get any knowledge, grasp, understanding, or wisdom from the skills, but through them they are led by their loves almost as the blind are led through the streets by dogs. Intellectually they are in fact blind. Or better yet, they are like sleep - walkers, who do what they do from blind skill, with their minds asleep."
Last the Easterners spoke. They said, "We agree with the things our brothers said - that a person knows nothing by himself, but by and through others, so that he may come to know and acknowledge that everything he knows, understands, and has wisdom about is from God; and that in no other way can a person be conceived, born, and created by the Lord and become His image and likeness. For he becomes an image of the Lord by knowing and believing that all the good associated with love and charity, and all the truth that goes with wisdom and faith are things he has received, and is receiving, from the Lord, and not a shred from himself. And the feeling that all this is in himself as if it came from himself is what makes him the likeness of the Lord.
He feels this because he is not born with skills but acquires them, and what you acquire seems to come from yourself. Also, the Lord grants this feeling to man so he will be human and not animal, since it is through the things you want, think about, love, know, understand, and have wisdom about as if on your own that you get skills and raise them into your understanding, and by using them, raise them to wisdom. In this way the Lord joins a person to Himself and the person joins himself to the Lord. This could not happen if the Lord had not provided that man should be born in total ignorance."
When all this was said everyone wanted to draw a conclusion from the discussion, and it came out like this: "Man is born with no knowledge so he can gain all knowledge and move on to understanding it, and through this to wisdom. And he is born with no love so that he can achieve all love by using his skills intelligently, and so that he can achieve love for the Lord through loving his neighbor. This joins him to the Lord, which makes him become human and live forever."
134. Then first, those on the NORTH began to express their mind. They said: "Man is born without knowledges that he may be able to receive knowledges. Were he born into knowledges, he could receive none but those into which he was born, and then he could not himself appropriate any." This they illustrated by the following comparison: "A man just born is like ground wherein no seeds have been planted but which yet can receive all kinds of seed and bring them forth and make them fruitful; but a beast is like ground already sown, and which, being filled with grasses and herbs, will not receive other seeds than those which have been sown; and if it did, it would choke them. Hence it is that man's growth to maturity extends through many years, and during these years he can be cultivated like ground and can bring forth, as it were, grains and flowers and trees of every kind; while a beast's growth extends through but few years, and during these years no other knowledge can be cultivated than that which was connate."
[2] Those at the WEST spoke next. They said: "Man is not born with knowledge like a beast, but is born an ability and an inclination--an ability to learn and an inclination to love. And he is born an ability, not merely to learn but also to understand and be wise. He is also born a most perfect inclination to love, not only things which are of self and the world, but also those which are of God and of heaven. Consequently, from his parents man is born an organ which at first lives in the external senses alone and in none that are internal; and this, that he may successively become a man, first natural, then rational, and finally spiritual. This he would not become were he born into knowledges and loves like the beasts; for connate knowledges and affections limit that progress, but connate ability and inclination limit nothing. Therefore man can be perfected in science, intelligence, and wisdom to eternity."
[3] Those on the SOUTH then took up the subject and expressed their opinion, saying: "Man cannot possibly acquire any knowledge from himself but must acquire it from others; and being unable to acquire any knowledge from himself, he is also unable to acquire any love, for where there is no knowledge, there is no love. Knowledge and love are inseparable companions and can no more be separated than can will and understanding or affection and thought, yea, no more than essence and form. Therefore, as man acquires knowledge from others, love adjoins itself thereto as its companion. The universal love which adjoins itself is the love of knowing, of understanding, and of being wise. This love, man alone has, and no beast; and it flows in from God.
[4] We agree with our companions on the west, that man is not born into any love and thence not into any knowledge, but that he is born only into an inclination to love and thence into an ability to receive knowledge, not from himself but from others, that is, through others. It is said through others because neither have they received any knowledge from themselves but from God. We agree also with our companions on the north, that when first born, man is like ground wherein no seeds have been planted but in which may be planted all kinds of seed, noble as well as ignoble. To this we add, that beasts are born into natural loves and thence into the sciences corresponding thereto. Yet, from these sciences, they do not learn anything, do not think, understand and become wise, but by their means they are carried along by their loves, almost like blind men led through the streets by dogs. As to understanding, they are blind, or rather are like somnambulists who, with their understanding asleep, do what they do from blind science."
[5] Lastly spoke those on the EAST. They said: "We assent to what our brothers have said, that man knows nothing from himself but from others and through others, and this to the end that he may learn and acknowledge that all that he knows, understands, and is wise in, is from God; also that in no other way can man be conceived, born, and brought forth by the Lord and become His image and likeness. For he becomes an image of the Lord by acknowledging and believing that he has received and does receive every good of love and charity, and every truth of wisdom and faith from the Lord, and not the least thing thereof from himself; and he becomes a likeness of the Lord by sensating them in himself as if they were from himself. He has this sensation because he is not born into knowledges but receives them, and what he receives appears to him as if it were from himself. Moreover, it is granted man by the Lord so to sensate, in order that he may be a man and not a beast; for it is by the fact that he wills, thinks, loves, knows, understands, and is wise, as if from himself, that man receives knowledges and exalts them into intelligence and by their uses into wisdom. In this way the Lord conjoins man to Himself and man conjoins himself to the Lord. All this would not be possible had it not been provided by the Lord that man should be born in total ignorance."
[6] After this speech, it was the desire of all that some conclusion be formed from the discussion, and the following was formed: "Man is born into no knowledge, that he may come into all knowledge and may advance into intelligence and by means of intelligence into wisdom. And he is born into no love, that by applications of knowledges from intelligence, he may come into all love, and by love towards the neighbor, into love to the Lord, and so may be conjoined to the Lord, and by this conjunction become a man and live to eternity."
134. Those on the north began first to express their mind, and said, "Man is born without knowledge so as to be able to receive all knowledge. If he were born into knowledge he could receive only what he was born into; nor could he then appropriate any to himself." They illustrated this by the following comparison: "A man just born is like ground in which no seeds have been planted, but which can receive, bring forth and fructify all seeds. But a beast is like ground already planted and filled With grasses and herbs, which receives no seeds beyond those planted; if it received others it would choke them. Hence man is many years in maturing, years during which he can be cultivated like the ground to bring forth, as it were, every kind of grain, flower and tree; while a beast matures in a few years, during which it can be perfected only in what is inborn."
[2] Next those on the west spoke, and said, "Man is not born with knowledge like a beast, but is born a faculty and an inclination - a faculty for knowing and an inclination for loving. Indeed, he is born a faculty not merely for knowing, but also for understanding and for becoming wise; and he is born to an inclination, the most perfect, for loving not only the things which are of self and of the world, but also those which are of God and of heaven. Consequently, man is born from his parents an organism which lives only in the external senses and at first in none that are internal, in order that he may become successively, first a natural, then a rational, and finally a spiritual man; which he never would become, were he born into knowledges and loves as beasts are. For connate knowledge and affection limit progress, while a connate faculty and inclination set no limit. Man can therefore be perfected in knowledge, intelligence and wisdom to eternity."
[3] Then those on the south took up the subject and expressed their opinion, saying, "It is impossible for man to acquire any knowledge by himself, but he must acquire it from others, for no knowledge is connate with him. As he cannot get knowledge, neither can he get love from himself, since there is no love where there is no knowledge, for knowledge and love are inseparable companions. They can no more be separated than will and understanding, or affection and thought, indeed, no more than essence and form. Therefore as far as man gets knowledge from others, love joins it as its companion. The universal love which adjoins itself is the love of knowing, understanding and becoming wise. This love only man has, and no beast; and it flows in from God.
[4] We agree with our companions from the west that man is not born into any love, and therefore not into any knowledge, but is only born into an inclination to love and hence into a faculty for receiving knowledges, not from himself but from others, that is, through others. We say 'through others' because neither have these received anything of knowledge from themselves, but from God. We also agree with our companions from the north, that at birth man is like ground in which no seeds have been planted, but in which all seeds may be planted, good and bad. To these considerations we add that beasts are born into natural loves and hence into knowledges corresponding to them; and yet they do not know, think of, understand and become wise from knowledges; but are led by their loves with the help of knowledge, much as a blind man is led along the street by a dog, for as to understanding they are blind; or better, they are like sleepwalkers, doing all they do from blind knowledge, the understanding being asleep."
[5] Last, those from the east spoke, and said, "We agree with what our brothers have said, that man has no knowledge from himself, but from and through others, to the end that he may come to know and acknowledge that all his knowledge, understanding and wisdom are of God; and that he cannot otherwise be conceived, born and generated of the Lord and become His image and likeness. For he becomes an image of the Lord by acknowledging and believing that he has received and continues to receive every good of love and of charity, and every truth of wisdom and of faith from the Lord, and nothing at all from himself. He becomes a likeness of the Lord in feeling as though this were all of himself. He feels so because he is not born into knowledges but receives them, and what a man receives appears to him as if from himself. Man is given to feel so by the Lord that he may be man and not a beast; for in willing, thinking, loving, knowing, understanding and becoming wise as if of himself, he receives knowledge and exalts it to intelligence and, through applications of it, into wisdom. Thus the Lord conjoins man to Himself, and man conjoins himself to the Lord. This could not have been if the Lord had not provided that man should be born in total ignorance."
[6] After this pronouncement all desired that a conclusion be reached on the basis of the deliberations. The following was arrived at: "Man is born into no knowledge in order that he may come into all knowledge, and advance to intelligence and by intelligence to wisdom. He is born into no love that he may come into all love through the application of knowledge from intelligence; and into love to the Lord through love towards the neighbor; and so may be conjoined to the Lord, and through this conjunction may become a man and live to eternity."
134. Then first those on the north began to open their minds, and said, 'Man is born without knowledges that he may receive all knowledges. If he were born into knowledges he could receive none but those into which he was born; nor could he then appropriate any to himself, which they illustrated by this comparison: A man just born is as ground into which no seeds have been implanted, but which can yet receive all seeds, and bring them forth and make them fruitful. But a beast is as ground already planted, and filled with grasses and herbs, which does not receive other seeds than those implanted; if it received others it would choke them. Hence it is that man is many years in growing up, within which years he can be cultivated, like the ground, and bring forth, as it were, every kind of grain and flowers and trees; while a beast is but a few years in growing up, during which it cannot be perfected into any other than the things which are connate.'
Next those at the west spoke, and said, 'Man is not born with knowledge like a beast, but is born a faculty and an inclination, a faculty for knowing and an inclination for loving; and is born a faculty not merely for knowing, but also for understanding and for becoming wise; and is born to an inclination, the most perfect, not only for loving the things which are of self and of the world, but those also that are of God and of heaven. Consequently, man is born of his parents an organism which lives only in the external senses, and at first in none that are internal, in order that he may become man successively, first natural, then rational, and finally spiritual; which he would not become if he were born into knowledges and loves as beasts are. For connate knowledges and affections limit progression; but a connate faculty and inclination limit nothing. Man can therefore, be perfected in knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom to eternity.'
Afterwards those on the south took up the subject, and expressed their opinion, saying, 'It is impossible for man to acquire any knowledge from himself, because no knowledge is connate with him, but he can acquire it from others; and as he can get no knowledge, neither can he get love from himself, since there is no love where there is no knowledge, for knowledge and love are inseparable companions. They can no more be separated than will and understanding, or affection and thought, yea, no more than essence and form. Therefore, in just so far as man takes knowledge from others, love adjoins itself to it as its companion. The universal love which adjoins itself is the love of knowing, of understanding, and of becoming wise. This love is in man only, and in no beast; and it flows in from God. We agree with our companions from the west, that man is not born into any love, and therefore, not into any knowledge, but that he is only born into an inclination to love and hence into a faculty for receiving knowledges, not from himself but from others, that is, through others. It is said through others, because neither have they received anything of knowledge from themselves, but from God. We agree also with our companions from the north, that man when first born is as ground in which no seeds have been planted, but in which all seeds may be implanted, good as well as bad. To these considerations we add that beasts are born into natural loves, and hence into knowledges corresponding to them; and yet they do not know, think of, understand, and become wise from knowledges; but by means of them are led by their loves, almost as the blind along the streets by dogs, for as to understanding they are blind; or rather, as night walkers, who do what they do by blind knowledge, the understanding being asleep.'
Finally, those from the east spoke, and said, 'We assent to what our brothers have said, that man has no knowledge from himself, but has it from others and through others, to the end that he may come to know and acknowledge that all his knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are of God; and that he cannot otherwise be conceived, born, and generated of the Lord, and become His image and likeness. For he becomes an image of the Lord by his acknowledging and believing that every good of love and of charity, and every truth of wisdom and of faith he has received and does receive from the Lord, and nothing at all from himself. And he becomes a likeness of the Lord by his feeling this within himself as if it were of himself. He feels this because he is not born into knowledges but receives them, and what he receives appears to him as if from himself. So to feel is also given to man by the Lord that he may be man and not a beast; for by his willing, thinking, loving, knowing, understanding, and becoming wise as if of himself, he receives knowledges, and exalts them into intelligence, and, by the uses of them, into wisdom. Thus does the Lord conjoin man to Himself, and man conjoins himself to the Lord. This could not have been if the Lord had not provided that man should be born in total ignorance.'
After this pronouncement all desired that a conclusion should be come to from their deliberations; and the conclusion formed was this: 'That man is born into no knowledge in order that he may come into all knowledge, and may progress into intelligence, and by intelligence into wisdom; and that he is born into no love, that he may come into all love, through applications of knowledges from intelligence; and into love to the Lord through love towards the neighbor; and so may be conjoined to the Lord, and through this conjunction may become a man and live to eternity.'
134. Coeperunt tunc Septentrionales primum aperire suam mentem, et dixerunt, quod homo nascatur absque scientiis, ut recipere possit omnes; at si nasceretur in scientias, non posset recipere ullas, praeter illas in quas natus est, et tunc nec posset sibi appropriare ullam; quod illustrabant per hanc comparationem; homo primum natus est sicut humus, cui nulla semina implantata sunt, sed quae usque potest recipere omnia, ac proferre et fructificare illa; at bestia est sicut humus jamdum sata, ac impleta graminibus et herbis, quae non recipit alia semina quam insita; si alia, suffocaret illa; inde est, quod homo adolescat per plures annos, intra quos potest sicut humus excoli, et proferre sicut omnis generis segetes, flores et arbores; bestia autem per paucos, per quos non potest in alia quam in connata excoli.
[2] Postea Occidentales loquuti sunt, et dixerunt, 1quod homo non nascatur Scientia, sicut bestia, sed quod nascatur Facultas et Inclinatio, facultas ad sciendum, et inclinatio ad amandum, et quod nascatur facultas non modo ad sciendum, sed etiam ad intelligendum et sapiendum; et quoque quod nascatur Inclinatio perfectissima, non modo ad amandum illa quae sui et mundi sunt, sed etiam illa quae Dei et Coeli sunt; consequenter quod homo a parentibus nascatur Organum, quod modo vivit sensibus externis, et primum nullis internis, propter causam ut successive fiat homo, primum naturalis, postea rationalis, et demum spiritualis; quod non fieret, si nasceretur in scientias et amores sicut bestiae; scientiae enim et affectiones connatae finiunt illam progressionem, at facultas et inclinatio connatae nihil finiunt; quare homo potest perfici scientia, intelligentia, et sapientia in aeternum.
[3] Meridionales exceperunt, et ediderunt suum effatum, dicentes, quod impossibile sit homini sumere aliquam scientiam a se, "sed sumet illam ab aliis, quoniam nulla scientia ei connata est; et quia non potest ullam scientiam sumere a se, nec potest ullum amorem, quoniam ubi non scientia, ibi non amor; sunt scientia et amor individui comites, nec possunt separari plus quam voluntas et intellectus, aut affectio et cogitatio, imo non plus quam essentia et forma; quare sicut homo sumit scientiam ab aliis, ita se ei adjungit amor ut ejus comes: universalis amor, qui se adjungit, est amor sciendi, intelligendi et sapiendi; hic amor est soli homini et nulli bestiae, ac influit a Deo.
[4] Nos convenimus cum sodalibus nostris ab Occidente, quod homo non nascatur in ullum amorem, et inde nec in ullam scientiam, sed quod solum nascatur in inclinationem ad amandum, et inde in facultatem ad recipiendum scientias, non a se sed ab aliis, hoc est, per alios; per alios dicitur, quia nec hi receperunt aliquid scientiae a se, sed a Deo. Convenimus etiam cum sodalibus nostris ad Septentrionem, quod homo primum natus sit sicut humus, cui non aliqua semina implantata sunt, sed cui omnia tam nobilia quam ignobilia implantari possunt. His adjicimus, quod bestiae nascantur in naturales amores, et inde in scientias illis correspondentes, et quod usque non aliquid ex scientiis sciant, cogitent, intelligant, et sapiant, sed quod per illas ab amoribus suis ferantur, paene sicut caeci per plateas a canibus, quoad intellectum enim caecae sunt; aut potius sicut noctambulones, qui ex caeca scientia, sopito intellectu, faciunt quae faciunt."
[5] Ultimo loquuti sunt Orientales, et dixerunt, "consentimus ad illa, quae fratres nostri loquuti sunt, quod homo nihil sciat ex se, sed ex aliis et per alios, ut cognoscat et agnoscat, quod omnia quae scit, intelligit, et sapit, sint a Deo; et quod homo non aliter possit concipi, nasci et generari a Domino, ac fieri Ipsius imago et similitudo; nam imago Domini fit, per quod agnoscat et credat, quod omne bonum amoris et charitatis, et omne verum sapientiae et fidei, acceperit et accipiat ex Domino, et ne hilum ex se; et similitudo Domini fit, per quod sentiat illa in se, sicut a se; hoc sentit, quia non nascitur in scientias, sed accipit illas, et quod accipiat, apparet illi sicut a se; ita sentire etiam datur homini a Domino, ut sit homo et non bestia, quoniam per id quod velit, cogitet, amet, sciat, intelligat, et sapiat sicut ex se, recipit scientias, et exaltat illas in intelligentiam, et per illarum usus in sapientiam; ita Dominus conjungit hominem Sibi, 2et homo se Domino: haec non fieri potuissent, nisi a Domino provisum fuerit, ut homo in totali ignorantia nasceretur."
[6] Post hoc effatum, voluerunt omnes, ut ex ventilatis fieret conclusum, et factum est hoc; "Quod homo nascatur in nullam scientiam, ut possit venire in omnem, et progredi in intelligentiam, et per hanc in sapientiam; et quod nascatur in nullum amorem, ut possit venire in omnem, per applicationes scientiarum ex intelligentia, et in amorem in Dominum per amorem erga proximum, et sic conjungi Domino, et per illud 3fieri homo, et vivere in aeternum."
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: dixerunt;
2. Prima editio: sibi,
3. Prima editio: i lud