202、⒄享有婚姻真爱的夫妻所生的孩子，会从父母那里继承良善与真理的婚姻；若为儿子，就会从该婚姻获得觉悟关乎智慧之事的倾向和能力；若为女儿，就会从该婚姻获得热爱智慧教导的倾向和能力。孩子会从父母那里获得一种倾向，即倾向于与父母的爱和生活方式有关的那类事物；谁都能从总体上的历史，以及个人的具体经验清楚知道这一事实。然而，如前面两个记事（156e，182节）所提到的，灵界一些智者使我信服：孩子并非获得或继承父母的实际情感，以至于像他们那样生活，只是获得或继承朝向这种生活方式的倾向，以及随从它的能力。
此外，他们与生俱来的倾向若没有被阻断，就会把后代引向与父母类似的情感、思维、言语、生活中。这一点从犹太民族明显看出来，如今，这个民族仍和它在埃及、旷野、迦南地，以及我们主时代的列祖一样。他们不仅心智相似，甚至脸也相似；谁都能一眼认出犹太人。其他后代也一样，由此可准确无误地得出这样的结论：人生来就倾向于类似父母的那类事物。然而，按照主的圣治，父母的实际思维和行为不会自动跟来，以便错误的倾向能得以纠正。做到这一点的能力也已被植入，这种能力使得行为习惯可通过父母和教师，以后则通过能凭自己的判断力行事的人自己而得以改善。
202、（17）来自于真正的婚姻之爱中的子女们会从父母那里得到善和真理所形成的关于婚姻的理解力。若是儿子，他们会接受到与智慧相关的事物，若是女儿，她们会接受智慧所传达的事物。
经验可知孩子们会从父母那里继承父母们的爱好、倾向。他们不能完全继承父母的实际情感和生活模式，而只是对于这些的倾向。
从犹太人与他们的埃及祖先之间就有着许多相似的方面。不但他们的思想是这样，他们面容也是这样。
从其它的人种中也可以看到同样的现象，可以推断人生来继承了父母的某些倾向，这些倾向是有遗传性的。
主使得错误的倾向可以得到纠正。人们因此有调整自己行为的能力。年青时靠父母，老师的帮助，成年后通过自己的判断力。
202. (xvii) The children born of a couple who enjoy truly conjugial love inherit from their parents the principle of the marriage of good and truth, which gives them the inclination and ability to perceive what has to do with wisdom in the case of a son, and to love the teachings of wisdom in the case of a daughter.
Children get from their parents inclinations towards whatever their parents' love and life suggested, as is very well known from history in general and from one's experiences in particular. However, I have been convinced by wise men in the spiritual world, as mentioned in two of the experiences related above, 1that children do not get or inherit the actual affections of their parents, so as to live like them, but only the inclination towards that way of life and the ability to follow it.
[2] Their inborn inclinations bring their descendants to share similar affections, thoughts, speech and lives with their parents, if they are not checked. This is obvious from the Jewish race, which is today like its forefathers when they were in Egypt, in the wilderness, in the land of Canaan, and in the time of our Lord. They resemble them not only in mind, but even in face; anyone can recognise a Jew at first sight. It is the same with other offspring; and this leads unmistakably to the conclusion that people are born with inclinations to the same kind of things as their parents. It is, however, of Divine providence that the actual thoughts and deeds do not follow automatically, so that wrong inclinations can be corrected. The ability to achieve this is also implanted, which allows behaviour to be improved by parents and masters, and later on by the persons themselves, when they are able to act by their own judgment.
Footnotes:
202. 17. The offspring born of couples who are in a state of truly conjugial love derive from their parents a conjugial connection between good and truth, from which they have an inclination and faculty, if a son, to perceive matters having do to with wisdom, if a daughter, to love the things that wisdom teaches. Everyone knows from historical accounts in general and their own observations in particular that children inherit from their parents tendencies to the same kinds of things as had been connected with their parents' love and mode of life. However, they do not inherit or have transmitted to them the parents' actual affections or resulting modes of life, but only tendencies to these and also capacities for them (a point convincingly shown by some of the wise in the spiritual world, as reported in two narrative accounts presented above 1).
[2] Evidence that descendants are drawn by hereditary inclinations into affections, thoughts, ways of speaking, and modes of life similar to those of their parents - if they do not break themselves of those inclinations - is clearly apparent from the Jewish nation today and its close similarity to that nation's ancestors in Egypt, in the desert, in the land of Canaan, and at the time of the Lord. It is apparent, moreover, not only from the close similarity in their minds, but also in their faces. Who does not recognize a Jew by his looks?
It is the same with other lines of descent. One may legitimately conclude from this that people are born with inclinations to similar things as their parents and that these inclinations are hereditary.
However, to keep actual thoughts and deeds from ensuing, it is Divinely provided that corrupt inclinations may be rectified, and that a capacity for this is also implanted. Resulting from this capacity are an ability and power in people to mend their habits, under the direction of parents and teachers, and afterwards by themselves when they come into their own right and judgment.
Footnotes:
1. See nos. 132ff (esp. 133-134), and nos. 151[r]ff.
202. 17. Children born of two people in real married love receive from their parents a marriage of good and truth. From this they acquire an inclination and an ability - in the case of a son, to perceive things that have to do with wisdom, and in the case of a daughter, to love things that wisdom teaches. It is well known, broadly from reports and specifically from experiments, that children take from their parents tendencies toward the kind of love and life their parents have.
But they do not take or inherit the affections themselves and the lifestyles that come from them, only inclinations and capabilities for them. The wise men in the spiritual world (in the two stories about them brought in earlier) demonstrated this.
You can see clearly from the Jewish race, which today is just like their fathers in Egypt, in the desert, in the Land of Canaan, and in the Lord's time, that descendants if not split up also bear a resemblance to their parents in their affections, thought patterns, languages, and lifestyles. And these close resemblances are not just in their minds but also in their faces. Who cannot tell a Jew by his looks?
Other races are the same. It can be concluded from these things, not falsely, that inclinations toward qualities resembling their parents' qualities are inborn.
But the very same thoughts and actions do not persist, due to Divine Providence, so distorted inclinations can be put right.
And due to Providence an ability to do this is also implanted, which enables parents and teachers to effectively improve children's behavior and for them to change their own later when they have their own judgment.
202. XVII. THAT OFFSPRING BORN OF TWO WHO ARE IN LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL DERIVE FROM THEIR PARENTS THE CONJUGIAL OF GOOD AND TRUTH, FROM WHICH THEY HAVE AN INCLINATION AND FACULTY, IF A SON, FOR PERCEIVING THE THINGS WHICH ARE OF WISDOM, AND IF A DAUGHTER, FOR LOVING THE THINGS WHICH WISDOM TEACHES. That offspring derive from their parents inclinations to such things as were of the parent's love and life is a matter of common knowledge based in general on history and specifically on experience. That they do not derive or inherit from them their actual affections and thence their lives, but only inclinations thereto and also faculties, was proved by the wise men in the spiritual world spoken of in two Memorable Relations adduced above (nos. 156 e, 182).
[2] Moreover, that from their innate inclinations, if these are not broken, descendants are led into affections, thoughts, speech, and lives similar to those of their parents, is clearly manifest from the Jewish race, in that at this day it is like its fathers in Egypt, in the desert, in the land of Canaan, and at the time of the Lord, being like them, not only in their minds but also in their faces. Who does not know a Jew from his looks? It is the same with other progenies, and from this it can be concluded, and this not fallaciously, that inclinations to things like those of their parents are connate. That the actual thoughts and deeds of their parents may not follow, it is of Divine Providence that depraved inclinations can be corrected, and that the faculty for this has been implanted, from which comes the efficacy of the correction of their morals by parents and masters, and later, when they come to act from their own judgment, by themselves.
202. (xvii) Offspring born of two in true marital love derive from the parents the marital inclination of good and truth, from which they have the inclination and faculty, if a son, to perceive the things of wisdom, if a daughter, to love what wisdom teaches. It is very well known from history in general and experience in particular that offspring derive from parents inclinations to such things as had been of the parents' love and life; but it has been shown by the wise in the spiritual world (of whom in the two Memorabilia adduced above) 1that they do not derive from them or inherit the very affections, or their parents' lives, but only inclinations and also faculties for them. The fact that inborn inclinations, if these are not broken, lead descendants into similar affections, thoughts, speech and life as their parents, is quite clear from the Jewish race, which today resembles its fathers in Egypt, in the desert, in the land of Canaan and at the time of the Lord. They resemble them not only mentally, but facially; who does not recognize a Jew by his look? It is the same with other progeny. From which it can be concluded, not at all fallaciously, that a person is born with inclinations like those of his parents. But in order that the very things thought and done may not follow, it is Divinely provided that depraved inclinations can be corrected. A faculty for this is implanted, too, affording means for amendment of one's ways by parents and teachers and afterwards by oneself on coming to judgment of one's own.
Footnotes:
202. (7) That the offspring born of two who are in love truly conjugial, derive from their parents the conjugial of good and truth, from which they have an inclination and faculty, if a son for perceiving the things that are of wisdom, and if a daughter for loving what wisdom teaches. That offspring derive from their parents' inclinations to such things as were of the parents' love and life, is very well known, in general from history, and specifically from experience. They do not however derive or inherit from them their very affections, and hence their lives, but only inclinations and also faculties for them as was shown by the wise men in the spiritual world, treated of in the two Relations adduced above. Posterities also, from inborn inclinations, if not broken, are incited to affections, thoughts, speech, and lives like those of their parents; as is very manifest from the Jewish race, in that at this day they are very similar to their fathers in Egypt, in the desert, in the land of Canaan, and at the time of the Lord; and not only are they very similar to them mentally, but in their faces also. Who does not know a Jew from his looks? It is similar with other races. From which facts it may be concluded, and not fallaciously, that inclinations for things similar to these with the parents are born with them. But it is of the Divine Providence that the very thoughts and actions do not follow, in order that perverse inclinations may be rectified; and that a faculty for this also is implanted, whence comes the effectiveness of the correction of morals by parents and masters, and afterwards by themselves when they come to act from their own judgment.
202. XVII: Quod Proles natae a duobus, qui in Amore vere conjugiali sunt, trahant a parentibus Conjugiale boni et veri, ex quo illis est inclinatio et facultas, si filius, ad percipiendum illa quae sapientiae sunt, si filia, ad amandum illa quae sapientia docet. Quod Proles trahant a parentibus Inclinationes ad talia, quae amoris et vitae parentum fuerant, ab historiis in genere, et ab experientiis in specie, cognitissimum est; verum quod non ab illis trahant seu haereditent ipsas affectiones, et inde vitas illorum, sed modo inclinationes et quoque facultates ad illas, a sapientibus in Mundo Spirituali, de quibus in duobus Memorabilibus supra adductis, evictum est.
[2] Quod posteri ex innatis inclinationibus, si non franguntur, etiam in affectiones, cogitationes, loquelas et vitas parentum similes ferantur, patet clare a Gente Judaica, quod hodie sit consimilis Patribus suis in Aegypto, in deserto, in terra Canaane, et tempore Domini; et quod non modo illis consimiles sint mentibus, sed etiam faciebus; quis non ex aspectu cognoscit Judaeum. Simile est cum Progeniebus aliis; ex quibus non fallaciter concludi potest, quod Inclinationes ad similia parentum suorum connascantur. Sed ne ipsa cogitata et acta sequantur, est ex Divina Providentia, ut pravae inclinationes possint rectificari; et quod facultas ad hoc quoque implantata sit, ex qua sunt efficaciae emendationis morum a parentibus et magistris, et postea a semetipsis cum sui judicii fiunt.