401、繁衍的气场和保护所繁衍之物的气场同样从目的经由原因发展到结果。在这种情况下，目的是繁衍的意愿，或对繁衍的爱；目的所经由并进入的居间原因是婚姻之爱；一系列有效原因则包括同房、受孕和怀胎；结果是所产的婴儿本身。尽管目的、原因和结果呈现为三个连续阶段，但无论在对繁衍的爱里面，还是在各个单独的原因和实际的结果里面，它们始终构成一体。经由时间发展的，仅仅是有效的原因，因为它们在自然界；目的，也就是意愿或爱始终不变。因为在自然界，目的经由时间发展，却独立于时间之外；但它们在结果或功用存在并成为它们的载体之前，无法产生并显现。在此之前，这爱只能爱这个过程，却无法汲取力量，变得牢固。
众所周知，这些过程都有自己的周期，并且创造通过它们被维持在所预见和规定的状态。然而，对孩子的爱从最大降至最小，直至它停止或结束终点的这些阶段，是倒退的，因为它随着载体中的纯真的减少，以及由于它的周期而消退。
401、开始到条件到结果这一过程在繁衍和保护所产生的一切中也是同样存在的。 这始于对繁衍的意愿或者爱，条件是婚姻之爱，通过胚胎的形成等而产生婴儿的出生这一过程。尽管看上去这三个因素是独立的，它们在内在上是相互联系的。只不过是条件要通过时间来实现其目的。自然界中一个目的实现要经历时间却又独立于时间，在作为载体的结果出现时，它们才表现出来。此时爱才实现了自身。
人们知道这样的周期的存在，通过这样的周期，万物才得以维持它们原有的状态。
然而，对小孩子的爱会从高峰渐渐发展到终点，根据其目标纯真的程度而发展，也是其发展的周期。
401. The sphere of procreating and protecting what is procreated is a similar progress from the aim through the cause to the effect. In this case the aim is the will or love of procreating; the intermediate cause through and into which the aim introduces itself is conjugial love. The progressive series of efficient causes consists of making love, conception, the gestation of the embryo or foetus being procreated. The effect is the actual foetus procreated. Yet although aim, cause and effect represent three successive stages, they still make one in the love of procreating, and within each separate cause, and in the actual effect. They are merely efficient causes which progress by stages in time, because they are a natural process, although the aim or will or love remains constantly the same. In natural processes aims progress through stages in time without being temporal. But they cannot come forth and exhibit themselves, until the effect or purpose comes into existence and becomes an object. Before this the love could not love anything but the progress, being unable to draw strength and become fixed.
[2] It is well known that such stages have their periods, leading to the preservation of creation in the condition foreseen and provided. The stages of the love of children, however, from its greatest to its least and so its ending, and so to the end at which it stops and ceases to exist, run backwards, since they depend on the diminution of innocence in the object, and also on account of the stages.
401. A like proceeding from end through cause into effect is true also of the atmosphere of procreating and of protecting what has been procreated. The end there is the will or love for procreating; the mediating cause by which and into which the end infuses itself is conjugial love; the progressive series of efficient causes is the lovemaking, conception and gestation of the embryo or fetus to be produced; and the effect is the infant itself thus born. Yet even though the end, cause and effect proceed as three successive elements, still, in the love of procreating, and inwardly in each of the causes, and in the final effect, they are nevertheless united. It is only the efficient causes which progress through durations of time, because they exist in nature - the end, or will and love, remaining continually the same. For ends in nature proceed through durations of time independently of time, but they cannot appear or manifest themselves before the effect or useful result exists to become their vessel. Until then the love could love only the progression, but could not fix and establish itself.
[2] As for the cycles of these progressions, people know that they exist, and that by them creation is preserved in its foreseen and provided state.
However, the course that a love of little children follows, from its height to its wane, thus to the point at which it stops and terminates, is a retrograde one, since it recedes according to the decrease of innocence in its object, and also as a result of its cycles.
401. The aura of having offspring and protecting them has the same progression from purpose through cause into effect. In this case the purpose is the intention to have offspring, or the love of offspring. The intermediate cause that the purpose goes through and ends in is the love in marriage. The series of causes that do it, step by step, is the lovemaking, the conception, and the gestation of the embryo or fetus to be brought forth. The effect is the born offspring itself. But although purpose, cause, and effect go ahead one after the other as three, they still make one thing in love of having offspring and inwardly in the separate causes, and in the effect itself. They are only the working causes - which follow one another in time, because they are in nature. The purpose, or the intention, and the love remain constantly the same, for purposes in nature do go forward through points of time, without time, but they cannot come out and be known before the effect, or the useful accomplishment emerges and becomes something. Before that, the love could love only the process but could not settle and focus itself.
It is well known that cycles have such a process and that creation is kept in the condition foreseen and provided, by means of them. But the progress of the love for children, from its greatest to its least - or to its end, or point where it stops or leaves off - goes in reverse order, because it follows the waning of the innocence in its object, and also because of its cycles.
401. The sphere of procreating and of protecting what is procreated has a like progression from end, through cause, into effect. The end there, is the will or love of procreating. The mediate cause through which and into which the end betakes itself is conjugial love. The progressive series of efficient causes is the loving embrace, the conception and gestation of the embryo or fetus to be procreated, and the effect, this being the procreated infant itself. But although end, cause, and effect progress successively as three, yet, in the love of procreating and inwardly in the several causes and in the effect itself, they make a one. It is only the efficient causes that progress through time, because in nature; the end, that is, the will and love remain ever the same; for in nature, ends progress through times without time, but they cannot come forth and manifest themselves until the effect or use exists and becomes their subject. Prior to this, the love could love only the progression; it could not fix and establish itself.
[2] That there are periods of such progressions is known and also that the preservation of Creation in the state foreseen and provided for, is effected by their means. But the series of the love of infants from its greatest to its least, and so to its terminus where it stops or comes to an end, is a retrograde series because it proceeds according to the decrease of innocence in its subject, and also because of its periods.
401. A similar progression from end by cause to effect characterizes the spheres of procreating and of protecting the procreated. Here the end is the will or love of procreating; the mediate cause by and into which the end progresses is marital love; the progressive series of efficient causes is the loving, conception and gestation of the embryo or offspring to be procreated; and the effect is the procreated offspring itself. End, cause and effect advance in succession as three, but still, in the love of procreating, and inwardly in the several causes, and of course in the effect, they make one. The efficient causes alone, lying in nature, progress in time, while the end, or will, or love, remains the same all the time. Ends in nature progress through time above time, but cannot emerge and show themselves until the effect or use exists and affords a subject. Until then, the love loves only the possible progression but cannot establish or fix itself. It is known that there are periods in the progression and that the universe is preserved by means of them in the state foreseen and provided. But the series in love of children from greatest love to least, thus to the end or to the point where it halts and ceases, is retrograde because of the periods, and also because it accords with the decrease of innocence in the subject.
401. A similar progression from end, through cause into effect, is also the sphere of procreating, and of protecting what is procreated. Here the end is the will or love of procreating; the mediate cause, by which and into which the end carries itself forward, is conjugial love; the progressive series of efficient causes is the loving, the conception, and the gestation of the embryo or offspring to be procreated; and the effect is the procreated offspring itself. But although end, cause, and effect progress in succession as three, yet in the love of procreating, and inwardly within each of the causes and within the effect itself they make one. They are only the efficient causes which progress through times because in nature, the end, or will, and the love remaining continually the same; for in nature ends progress through times without time, but cannot come forth and manifest themselves until the effect or use exists and becomes a subject. Before this the love could love nothing but the progression, and could not fix and establish itself. That there are periods to such progressions is known, and that by means of them is the preservation of creation in the state foreseen and provided. But the series of the love of infants from its greatest to its least, and so to its termination, that is to the point at which it stays or ceases, is retrograde, since it is according to the decrease of innocence in the subject, and also on account of the periods.
401. Similis progressio a fine per causam in effectum, est quoque Sphaerae procreandi et tutandi procreata; finis ibi est Voluntas seu Amor procreandi; causa media per quam, et in quam finis se infert, est Amor conjugialis; series progressiva causarum efficientium, est amatio, conceptio, gestatio embryonis seu foetus procreandi, ac effectus est ipse foetus procreatus: at tametsi finis, causa et effectus, progrediuntur successive ut tria, usque tamen in amore procreandi, ac intus in singulis causis, et in ipso effectu, unum faciunt; sunt modo causae efficientes, quae per tempora, quia in natura, progrediuntur, permanente jugiter eodem fine, seu voluntate, et amore; nam fines in natura progrediuntur per tempora absque tempore, sed non possunt prodire et prodere se antequam effectus seu usus existit et fit subjectum; antea non potuit amor ille amare nisi progressionem, non autem se firmare et figere.
[2] Quod periodi talium progressionum sint, et per illas creationis conservatio in statu praeviso et proviso, notum est. Series autem amoris infantum a maximo ad minimum ejus, ita ad terminum in quo subsistit aut desinit, est retrograda, quoniam est secundum decrescentiam innocentiae 1in subjecto, et quoque propter periodos.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: iocentiae