440、⒂淫乱之爱的快乐由肉体产生，甚至在灵里也是肉体的快乐；而婚姻之爱的快乐由灵产生，甚至在肉体中也是灵的快乐。淫乱之爱的快乐之所以始于肉体，是因为肉体的燃烧之热是它们的起点。它们之所以感染灵，甚至在灵里也是肉体的快乐，是因为不是肉体，而是灵在感觉肉体中所发生的一切。这种感觉和其它感觉是一样的；如：不是眼睛，而是灵在观看并分辨物体的不同；不是耳朵，而是灵在倾听并分辨歌唱时的和谐旋律，或说话时发音的韵律。灵对一切事物的感觉，取决于它向着智慧被提升的程度。没有被提升至身体感官层面之上，而是陷入其中的灵，除了从肉体，以及经由身体感官从尘世流入的快乐外，感觉不到其它快乐。它会紧紧抓住这些东西，以此为乐，并使之成为它自己的。
由于淫乱之爱的起点不过是肉体的燃烧之热和淫秽的瘙痒感，故显而易见，这些在灵里变成污秽的诱惑，这些诱惑上下来回流窜，从而进行刺激和煽动。一般来说，就其本身而言，肉体的情欲无非是滚成一团的邪恶与虚假的情欲。因此，在教会有这样一个真理：情欲与灵，即属灵人相争（加拉太书5:17）。由此可知，就淫乱之爱的快乐而言，肉体快乐无非是情欲的沸腾，这种沸腾在灵里成了无耻的源泉。
440、（15）淫荡之爱的快乐来自于肉体，在精神上也是属于肉体的快乐淫荡之爱是产生于肉体，因为肉体的驱动是它产生之处。它会影响精神，即便在精神上，它也是肉体的快乐，这是因为是精神感受到肉体的感觉。其它的各种感觉也同样。比如，不是眼睛能看到并区分不同的物体，而是精神在起作用。不是耳朵能听到歌声或者是讲话，而是精神对之进行感受。没有上升到躯体的感觉之上的精神处于肉体之中，它所能感受到的只能是属于躯体的快乐，或者是通过感官而进入其中的事物。
因为淫荡之爱的来源就是肉体的驱动，所以精神会随吸引的强弱而波动。
肉体的情感一般来讲是一对罪恶的谬误的贪婪。所以在教会中有这样的真理，“肉体的情欲与精神相争（《加拉太书》5；17）也就是说与淫荡之爱相联的快乐是一种贪欲，它会产生淫荡的行为。
440. (xv) The joys of scortatory love begin from the flesh, and remain fleshly even in the spirit; but the joys of conjugial love begin in the spirit, and remain spiritual even in the flesh.
The reason why the joys of scortatory love start from the flesh is that the stimulation of the flesh is their beginning. The reason why they infect the spirit, and are fleshly even in the spirit, is that it is not the flesh, but the spirit which feels what happens in the flesh. It is much the same with this feeling as with the other senses; for instance, it is not the eye, but the spirit, which sees and distinguishes differences in the objects before it; and it is not the ear, but the spirit, which hears and distinguishes the sequences of harmonies in singing and the matches in the articulate sounds of speech. How the spirit feels everything depends upon how far it is raised. A spirit which is not raised above the level of the bodily senses but is enmeshed in them, is unable to feel pleasures other than those which come in from the flesh and from the world through the bodily senses; it seizes on these and is delighted by them, and it makes them its own.
[2] Now since the beginnings of scortatory love are the stimuli and itching of the flesh, it is plain that these become in the spirit filthy enticements, which excite and inflame lust as they rise up and sink down, so acting on each other. In general, the lusts of the flesh regarded in themselves are nothing but lusts for evil and falsity all rolled into one. Hence there has arisen the truth known in the church, that the flesh lusts against the spirit, 1that is, against the spiritual man. It therefore follows that the pleasures of the flesh in respect of the pleasures of scortatory love are nothing but the bubbling up of lusts, which in the spirit become fountains of immodesty.
440. 15. The delights of licentious love arise from the flesh, and are delights of the flesh even in the spirit; while the delights of conjugial love arise in the spirit, and are delights of the spirit even in the flesh. The delights of licentious love arise from the flesh because the promptings of the flesh are where they begin. They infect the spirit and are delights of the flesh even in the spirit, because it is not the flesh but the spirit which feels the sensations that occur in the flesh. It is the same with this sense as with the rest. So, for example, it is not the eye that sees and distinguishes various particulars in objects, but the spirit. Neither is it the ear which hears and distinguishes the harmonies of the melodic lines in a song, or the assonances in the articulation of sounds in speech, but the spirit. It is the spirit that senses everything, in accordance with its elevation into wisdom. The spirit that does not rise above the sensual promptings of the body, and so becomes enmeshed in them, does not feel any other delights than those which spring from the flesh or which flow in from the world through the physical senses. These it seizes on; these it delights in and makes its own.
[2] Now, because the origins of licentious love are merely the promptings and urges of the flesh, it is apparent that they are, in the spirit, sordid attractions, which excite and inflame according as they rise and subside and come and go.
Passions of the flesh in general, regarded in themselves, are nothing else than a conglomerate mass of lusts for evil and falsity. Hence comes this truth in the church, that "the flesh lusts against the spirit," 1meaning, against one's spiritual self. It follows accordingly that the delights of the flesh connected with the delights of licentious love are nothing but the bubblings up of lusts, which in the spirit become outpourings of wanton immoralities.
Footnotes:
1. Galatians 5:17.
440. 15. The delights of illicit love begin in the body, and they are physical even in the spirit, but the delights of married love begin in the spirit, and they are spiritual even in the body. The delights of illicit love begin in the body because the sexual heat of the body is their start. They tinge the spirit, or are physical even in spirit, because the spirit, not the body, senses the things that take place in the body. It is the same with this sense as with the others. For example, it is not the eye that sees and tells the differences in objects, but the spirit, and it is not the ear that hears and notices the harmonies in the measures of a song and how the sounds of speech fit together, but the spirit. And spirit senses everything according to the level of its wisdom. A spirit that is not raised above the body's sensory matters and clings to them notices only the pleasures that flow into it from the body and from the world through the body's senses. It seizes on these, is charmed by them, and makes them its own.
Now, because illicit love's beginnings are only the sexual heat and itches of flesh, in spirit they are obviously smutty attractions that arouse and kindle according to how they rise and fall and come and go.
By class the physical passions per se are nothing other than globs of desires for evil and falsity. This is where the truth in the church comes from, that the flesh lusts against the spirit - that is, against the spiritual person. So accordingly, the pleasures of the body, as far as illicit love's pleasures go, are nothing but the boiling over of sensuality. They become gushes of immodesty in spirit.
440. XV. THAT THE DELIGHTS OF SCORTATORY LOVE COMMENCE FROM THE FLESH AND ARE DELIGHTS OF THE FLESH EVEN IN THE SPIRIT; BUT THAT THE DELIGHTS OF CONJUGIAL LOVE COMMENCE IN THE SPIRIT AND ARE DELIGHTS OF THE SPIRIT EVEN IN THE FLESH. That the delights of scortatory love commence from the flesh is because the burning heats of the flesh are their initiaments. That they infect the spirit, and are delights of the flesh even in the spirit, is because it is not the flesh that sensates the things which happen in the flesh, but the spirit. It is the same with this sense as with the others. Thus it is not the eye that sees and distinguishes the varieties in objects, but the spirit. So neither is it the ear that hears and distinguishes the harmonies of melodies in song, and the fitness of the articulation of sounds in speech, but the spirit. And the spirit sensates everything according to its own elevation into wisdom. The spirit which is not elevated above the sensual things of the body and so sticks in them, sensates no other delights than those which flow in from the flesh, and from the world through the senses of the body. These it seizes upon, with these it is delighted, and these it make its own. Now because the initiaments of scortatory love are only the burning heats and prurient itchings of the flesh, it is evident that in the spirit these are filthy allurements which ascend and descend and go back and forth, and thus excite and inflame. In general, the cupidities of the flesh regarded in themselves are nothing else than conglomerated concupiscences of evil and falsity. Hence the truth of the saying in the Church, The flesh lusteth against the spirit, 1that is, against the spiritual man. It follows therefore, that in their relation to the delights of scortatory love, the delights of the flesh are nothing but effervescences of lusts which, in the spirit, become the ebullitions of shamelessness.
Footnotes:
1. Gal 5:17.
440. (xv) The delights of scortatory love begin in the flesh and are of the flesh even in the spirit, but the delights of marital love begin in the spirit and are of the spirit even in the flesh. The delights of scortatory love begin in the flesh because they have their beginnings in the heats of the flesh. They infect the spirit and are of the flesh even in the spirit, because it is the spirit and not the flesh which feels what happens in the flesh. It is with this sense as it is with the rest; the spirit and not the eye sees and discerns the details in objects; the spirit again and not the ear hears and discerns the harmony of melodies in song or the fitness in articulation of sounds. The spirit also feels everything according to its elevation into wisdom. The spirit which is not raised above the sensuous of the body, but clings to it, feels no other delights than those which flow in from the flesh and the world by way of the bodily senses; these it seizes on, is delighted with, and makes its own. Now, because the beginnings of scortatory love are only heats and pruriencies of the flesh, obviously in the spirit these are filthy allurements which excite and inflame as they rise and fall, come and go. In general the cupidities of the flesh, viewed in themselves, are nothing but the conglomerated lusts of evil and falsity. Hence the truth in the Church that the flesh lusts against the spirit, that is, against the spiritual man. It follows, therefore, that delights of the flesh, as delights of scortatory love, are nothing but outbreaks of lust, which in the spirit become waves of immodesty.
440. (15) That the delights of scortatory love begin from the flesh, and that they are of the flesh even in the spirit; but that the delights of conjugial love begin in the spirit, and that they are of the spirit even in the flesh. That the delights of scortatory love begin from the flesh, is because the burning heats of the flesh are their beginning; that they infect the spirit, and even in the spirit are of the flesh, is because the flesh does not feel, but the spirit feels in the flesh, the things that take place in it. It is the same with this sense as with the others; as that the eye does not see and distinguish the various things in objects but the spirit; nor does the ear hear and distinguish the harmonies of the modulations in song, and the concords of the articulations of sounds in speech, but the spirit. And the spirit feels everything according to its elevation into wisdom. A spirit that is not elevated above the sensuals of the body, and so clings to them, does not feel any other delights than those that flow in from the flesh and from the world through the bodily senses. These it seizes, with these it is delighted and makes them its own. Now, as the beginnings of scortatory love are only the burning heat and prurient itchings of the flesh, it is plain that in the spirit they are filthy enticements, which as they ascend and descend, and go back and forth, thus excite and inflame. In general the cupidities of the flesh regarded in themselves are nothing else than conglomerated lusts of the evil and the false. Hence this truth in the church, that the flesh lusteth against the spirit, that is, against the spiritual man. It therefore, follows that the delights of the flesh, as to the delights of scortatory love, are nothing but effervescences of lust which in the spirit become the bubblings up of immodesties.
440. XV: Quod jucunditates amoris scortatorii inchoent a carne, et quod sint carnis etiam in spiritu; sed quod jucunditates amoris conjugialis inchoent in spiritu, et quod sint spiritus etiam in carne. Quod jucunditates amoris scortatorii inchoent a carne, est quia oestra carnis sunt initia illarum: quod inficiant spiritum, ac quod sint carnis etiam in spiritu, est quia caro non sentit, sed spiritus illa quae contingunt in carne; cum hoc sensu simile est sicut cum reliquis, ut quod oculus non videat et discernat varia in objectis, sed spiritus; et quod nec auris audiat et discernat harmonias modulaminum in cantu, et concordantias articulationis sonorum in loquelis, sed spiritus; ac spiritus omne sentit secundum elevationem suam in sapientiam; spiritus, qui non elevatus est supra sensualia corporis, et sic adhaeret illis, non sentit alias jucunditates, quam quae e carne et quae e mundo per sensus corporis influunt; has arripit, his delectatur, et facit suas:
[2] nunc quia initia amoris scortatorii sunt modo carnis oestra et prurigines, patet, quod haec in spiritu sint spurcae illecebrae, quae sicut ascendunt et descendunt, et se reciprocant, ita excitent et incendant. In genere, cupiditates carnis in se spectatae non aliud sunt quam conglomeratae concupiscentiae mali et falsi; inde est hoc verum in Ecclesia, quod caro concupiscat contra spiritum, hoc est, contra spiritualem hominem; quare sequitur, quod jucunditates carnis quoad jucunditates amoris scortatorii, non sint nisi quam libidinum effervescentiae, quae in spiritu fiunt scatebrae impudicitiarum.