426、⑶淫乱之爱是婚姻之爱的对立面，正如属世人就本身而言是属灵人的对立面。在教会，众所周知，属世人和属灵人彼此如此对立，以致这一方不意愿另一方所意愿的；事实上，它们彼此争战。但由于这一点尚不清晰，所以我必须阐明属世人和属灵人之间有何区别，以及是什么激发属世人反对属灵人。每个人长大后首先被引入属世人，这种引入通过知识和认知，以及理解力的理性事物实现；但他通过对履行服务或功用的爱被引入属灵人，这种爱也被称为仁爱。因此，人拥有这爱或仁爱程度，就是他属灵的程度；人缺乏这爱或仁爱的程度，就是他属世的程度，无论他的头脑多么聪明，他的判断多么明智。一旦脱离属灵人，属世人就会放纵自己沉浸于欲望，无论他如何将自己提升至理性之光。
只要想想他缺乏仁爱的秉性就能清楚看出这一点，凡缺乏仁爱的人都沉溺于淫乱之爱的一切淫荡。所以，当有人告诉他，这种淫荡的爱是贞洁的婚姻之爱的对立面，并乞求他请教自己那理性微光时，他不会听从，除非与生来就植入属世人的邪恶快乐相结合。他会由此得出这样的结论：他的理性没有看出有什么东西反对其身体感官的甜蜜诱惑；一旦确认这一点，他的理性对于属婚姻之爱的一切快乐就变得麻木，再也没有知觉了。事实上，如前所述，他会反对它们，并且得胜。然后，他就像一个屠杀后的征服者，将婚姻之爱安扎在他里面的营地全部彻底地毁掉。属世人正是出于他的淫乱之爱而如此行。上述引证是为了叫人们知道，这两种爱之间的这种对立起源于何处。因为如前面多处所证明的，婚姻之爱就本身而言，是一种属灵之爱；而淫乱之爱就本身而言，是一种属世之爱。
426、（3）淫荡之爱就自然人和精神人一样，是与婚姻之爱相反的。教会中的人知道自然人和精神的人是相反的。自然人和精神人会有不同的意愿。二者会彼此斗争。在此我们要讲一下一个人的自然人方面与人的精神人方面是怎样不同的，以致于自然人与精神人是对立的。
自然人是一个人成熟后首先获得的一种品格，它是通过对各种知识的了解，通过与才智有关的理性的事物而完成的。而精神人则是通过对仁慈的爱而产生的。同样，一个人处于仁慈中的程度决定了一个人精神性的程度。相反，他若仁慈的程度低，他的自然人的程度就会是高的。
不论人怎样提高理性，若自然人与精神人相分离，自然人总是脱离不了贪婪的，即若没有仁慈，人则易受淫荡之爱的攻击。因此这种人即使被告知淫荡之爱是与婚姻之爱相反的，他们的理性还是不能脱离生来处于其身上的他从罪恶中所感受到的快乐。因此他看不到任何与躯体的快乐相反的东西。此时，他会对婚姻之爱的快乐感到麻木。他会反抗婚姻之爱，破坏它，这就是自然人在淫荡之爱驱动下会做的。
以上表明了这两种相对立的爱的来源。正如从前多次讲到，婚姻之爱是一种精神的爱而淫荡之爱是一种自然的爱。
426. (iii) Scortatory love is the opposite of conjugial love, just as the natural man regarded in himself is the opposite of the spiritual man.
It is well known in the church that the natural man and the spiritual man are opposites, so that one does not want what the other does, but in fact they fight each other. But since this has not yet been made clear, I must discuss what is the distinction between the natural and the spiritual man, and what arouses the natural man against the spiritual. It is the natural man which each individual puts on when he grows up; this is effected by the acquisition of various types of knowledge, and by the development of reason in the intellect. But it is the spiritual man which he puts on by the love of performing services, a love also called charity. A person is therefore spiritual to the extent that he has this love; and to the extent that he does not have it, he is natural, however brilliant a mind and however wise a judgment he has.
This man, whom we call natural, when separated from the spiritual, lets himself go and exerts himself to indulge his lusts, however much he lifts himself into the light of reason. This becomes obvious merely by considering how devoid of charity his character is; and anyone devoid of this wallows in all the lewdnesses of scortatory love. So when he is told that this lustful love is the opposite of chaste conjugial love, and he is begged to consult the feeble light of his own reason, he does not do so except in conjunction with the pleasure of evil implanted in the natural man from birth. This leads him to conclude that his reason cannot see any objection to the sweet enticements of the bodily senses. Once he has convinced himself of this, his reason is incapable of appreciating all the delightful qualities which are the attributes of conjugial love. Rather, as I said above, he fights against them and wins, and like a conqueror follows up his slaughter by destroying the camp conjugial love has in him, lock, stock and barrel. It is his scortatory love that makes the natural man act in this way. This statement is made to ensure knowledge of the origin of the opposition between those two loves. For, as has been proved by much written above, conjugial love regarded in itself is a spiritual love, and scortatory love regarded in itself is a natural love.
426. 3. Licentious love is opposed to conjugial love as one's natural self, regarded in itself, is opposed to one's spiritual self. It is known in the church that one's natural self and one's spiritual self are opposed to each other, to the extent that one does not will what the other wills, even so that they fight against each other; but this has still not yet been explained. We shall say, therefore, how the spiritual self and natural self differ, and what incites the natural self against the spiritual self.
The natural self is the character into which everyone is first introduced as he matures, which is accomplished through various kinds of knowledge and concepts, and by rational matters having to do with the intellect. But the spiritual self is the character into which he led by a love of being useful, a love which is also called charity. Accordingly, in the measure that anyone is in a state of charity, in the same measure he is spiritual; but in the measure that he is not in that state, in the same measure he is natural, even if he should be discerning in acumen and wise in his judgment.
However far it elevates itself into the light of reason, this self that is called natural, when separated from the spiritual self, still surrenders to lusts and engages in them. This becomes apparent from its character alone, as being without charity; and the person who is without charity is left vulnerable to all the lascivious pleasures of licentious love. Consequently, even when such a person is told that this libidinous love is opposed to a chaste, conjugial love, and is asked to consult his rational sight, still he does not consult that sight except in conjunction with the delight that he feels from the evil implanted from birth in his natural self; and he concludes as a result that his reason does not see anything against the pleasant sensory temptations of his body. Moreover, after he has confirmed himself in this, his reason becomes numb to all the sweet joys that are ascribed to conjugial love. Indeed, he fights against them, as we said above, and vanquishes them, and like a conqueror after the slaughter, destroys, from its peripheries to its centers, the camp of conjugial love in him. This is what a natural person does in consequence of his licentious love.
This much is presented to make known the origin from which the opposition of these two loves arises. For, as shown many times before, conjugial love, regarded in itself, is a spiritual love, while licentious love, regarded in itself, is a natural love.
426. 3. Illicit love is opposite to married love as a worldly person per se is opposite to a spiritual person. It is known in the church that a worldly person and a spiritual are so opposed to each other that one does not want what the other does - in fact, that they fight each other - but so far this has not been explained. So now to tell what distinguishes the spiritual and the worldly and stirs one up against the other. The worldly person is the one everyone is led to be at first when he grows up, which happens through information and finding things out, and through rational intellectual thoughts. But the spiritual person is the one he is led to be through love of doing useful things - the love that is also called charity so someone is spiritual in the measure that he has this love. And he is worldly in the measure that he does not have it, even if he is talented with insight and has wise judgment.
Just from his natural bent, which is without charity, it becomes clear that this man, called worldly, as distinguished from spiritual, still abandons himself to pleasures and devotes himself to them, however much he raises himself into the light of reason. wantonness that belong to illicit love. So when you tell him that this lustful love is opposite to chaste love in marriage and ask him to consult his rational enlightenment, he still just consults that enlightenment in connection with the joy in evil ingrafted in the worldly man by birth. From this he concludes that his reason sees nothing against the sweet, sensuous enticements of his body.
After he confirms himself in these, it numbs his reason to all the sweet things attributed to the love in marriage. In fact, he fights against them, as said above, and wins, and like the victor after a slaughter, he destroys married love's camp in himself from outside to inside. This is what the worldly man does because of his illicit love.
This is brought in to make known where the opposition of these two loves comes from. For, as pointed out often before, the love in marriage per se is a spiritual love, and illicit love per se is a worldly love.
426. III. THAT SCORTATORY LOVE IS THE OPPOSITE TO CONJUGIAL LOVE AS THE NATURAL MAN REGARDED IN HIMSELF IS THE OPPOSITE TO THE SPIRITUAL MAN. That the natural man and the spiritual man are so opposed to each other that the one does not Will what the other wills, yea, that they fight against each other, is known in the Church but has not as yet been explained. It shall therefore now be told what distinguishes the spiritual man from the natural and arouses the latter against the former. The natural man is that into which every one is first introduced during his growth to adult age, this introduction being effected by knowledges and cognitions and by the rational things of the understanding; but the spiritual man is that into which he is introduced by the love of performing uses--a love which is also called charity. So far, therefore, as one is in charity, he is spiritual, but so far as he is not, he is natural even though he be perspicacious in genius and wise in judgment. When separated from the spiritual man, the natural man, howsoever he elevates himself into the light of reason, nevertheless abandons himself to lusts and engages in them. This becomes evident from his genius alone, in that he is void of charity, and one who is void of charity is abandoned to every lasciviousness of scortatory love. Therefore, when it is told him that this libidinous love is the opposite to chaste conjugial love, and he is asked to consult his rational lumen, he does indeed consult that lumen, but only in conjunction with the delight of the evil implanted in the natural man by birth. From this he comes to the conclusion that his reason does not see that there is anything against the sweet sensuous allurements of his body; and after confirming himself in these, his reason becomes numb to all the delights predicated of conjugial love. Indeed, as said above, he fights against them and conquers. Then, like a conqueror after the slaughter, he destroys within himself the camp of conjugial love from its outmost borders to its inmost. This the natural man does from his scortatory love. The above is adduced that it may be known whence comes the opposition of these two loves; for, as previously shown in many places, conjugial love, regarded in itself, is a spiritual love, and scortatory love regarded in itself is a natural love.
426. (iii) Scortatory love is opposite to marital love as the natural man, viewed in himself, is to the spiritual man. That the natural man and the spirtual are opposites, to the point that one does not will what the other does, indeed that they fight together, is known in the Church, but has not as yet been explained. We shall tell therefore what distinguishes the spiritual and the natural, and what arouses the one against the other. It is the natural man into which every one on growing up is first introduced, which is effected through information and knowledge and by the rational things of the understanding. But the spiritual man is what one is introduced into by a love of doing uses, which love is also called charity. As far as one is in charity, therefore, one is spiritual, but so far as one is not in it, one is natural, however perspicacious by nature and wise in judgment. The latter man, called natural, however he may lift himself into the light of reason, apart from the spiritual still runs to lusts and pursues them, as is plain from his nature alone, in that he is devoid of charity. One who is devoid of charity is loosed to all the lasciviousness of scortatory love. When he is told that this libidinous love is opposite to chaste marital love and is asked to consult his rational light, he still does not consult it except in conjunction with the pleasure of evil seated in the natural man by birth, and comes consequently to the conclusion that his reason sees nothing against the sweet sensational allurements of his body. After he has thus established himself in these, his reason is dull to all the sweetnesses predicated of marital love; in fact, as we said above, he fights against them and conquers and after the overthrow as victor destroys the camp of marital love in himself from outmosts to inmosts. This the natural man does from his scortatory love. We report this that it may be known in what the opposition of these two loves originates, for, as we have shown many times before, marital love viewed in itself is a spiritual love, and scortatory love viewed in itself is a natural love.
426. (3) That scortatory love is opposite to conjugial love, just as the natural man, regarded in himself, is opposite to the spiritual man. That the natural man and the spiritual man are opposed to each other, even so that the one does not will what the other wills, yea, that they fight against each other, is known in the church, but has not as yet been explained. It shall therefore, be told what distinguishes the spiritual and the natural, and excites the one against the other. It is the natural man into which everyone is first introduced while he is growing up, which introduction is by knowledges and cognitions, and by the rational things of the understanding; but the spiritual man is that into which he is introduced by the love of performing uses, which love is also called charity. So far therefore, as anyone is in this love he is spiritual, but so far as he is not in this love he is natural, even though he be of penetrating genius and of wise judgment. That this man which is called natural, apart from the spiritual, howsoever much it may elevate itself into rational light, yet dissolves itself in lusts, and is devoted to them, is made plain by its ruling spirit alone, in that it is destitute of charity; and he who is destitute of this, is loosed to all the wantonnesses of scortatory love. For which reason when he is told that this libidinous love is the opposite of chaste conjugial love, and he is asked to consult the light of his reason, he yet does not consult that light except in conjunction with the delight of the evil that is inherent in the natural man from nativity; whence he concludes that his reason does not see anything contrary to the pleasant sensuous allurements of his body; after he has confirmed himself in these his reason is benumbed to all the sweets that are predicated of conjugial love. Nay, more, as was said above, he fights against and overcomes them, and as a victor after the defeat he destroys the camp of conjugial love within himself from outmosts to inmosts. This the natural man does out of his scortatory love. This is adduced in order that it may be known whence comes the opposition of these two loves. For, as has been shown many times before, conjugial love regarded in itself is spiritual love, and scortatory love viewed in itself is natural love.
426. III. Quod Amor Scortatorius sit oppositus Amori conjugiali, sicut Naturalis homo in se spectatus est oppositus Spirituali homini. Quod Homo naturalis et spiritualis sint sibi oppositi, usque ut unus non velit quod alter, imo quod inter se pugnent, in Ecclesia notum est, sed usque nondum explanatum; quid ergo discriminat Spiritualem et Naturalem, et excitat hunc contra illum, dicetur: Naturalis homo est, in quem unusquisque, dum adolescit, primum introducitur, quod fit per scientias et cognitiones, ac per rationalia intellectus; at Spiritualis homo est, in quem ille introducitur per Amorem faciendi usus, 1qui amor etiam vocatur Charitas; quare quantum quis in hac est, tantum est Spiritualis, at quantum non in hac est, tantum est Naturalis, etiam si foret perspicax ingenio et sapiens judicio: quod hic homo, qui vocatur naturalis, separatus a spirituali, utcunque se elevat in lucem rationis, usque solvat se in libidines, et illis operetur, patescit ex solo ejus genio, quod charitatis expers sit, et qui hujus expers est, ille dissolutus est ad omnes lascivias amoris scortatorii; quapropter cum illi dicitur, quod libidinosus hic Amor sit oppositus casto Amori conjugiali, et rogatur ut consulat lumen suum rationale, usque non consulit lumen illud nisi in conjunctione cum jucundo mali a nativitate insiti Naturali homini, ex quo facit conclusum, quod ratio sua non videat aliquid contra dulces sensitivas illecebras sui corporis; in quibus postquam confirmavit se, stupet ejus ratio ad omnia illa dulcia, quae de Amore conjugiali praedicantur; imo, sicut supra dictum est, pugnat contra illa, ac vincit, et sicut victor post stragem destruit ab extremis ad intima, castra Amoris conjugialis apud se: haec facit naturalis homo ex Amore suo scortatorio. Hoc traditur, ut sciatur, unde est duorum illorum amorum oppositio; nam, ut prius multis ostensum est, Amor conjugialis in se spectatus est Amor spiritualis, et Amor scortatorius in se spectatus est Amor naturalis.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: asus,