478、仅凭外在表象判断奸淫，没有人知道它包含什么罪恶，因为它表面上和婚姻一样。当有人提及内在，并且这类外在判官被告知，外在从内在获得其良善或邪恶时，他们会对自己说：“何为内在？谁能看到它们？这不是攀升到人的理智范围之上了吗？”这种人就像那些把一切伪善当成纯正的自发良善，或凭谈吐的文雅判断一个人的智慧之人，或那些凭所穿的华服和所驾的豪华大马车，而不是凭内在品质判断人的人，这种事本应凭他对良善的情感来判断。同样，这就像只是看一看，摸一摸，而不是尝尝它的美味并了解它，就来判断一棵树的果子或可食之物。这就是凡不愿觉察人的内在之人所行的事。当今许多人的疯狂和愚蠢即源于此，因为他们看不到奸淫中的丝毫罪恶，甚至将婚姻和奸淫放到同一张床上，也就是说，使它们变得完全一样；而这么做，仅仅由于它们表面相似。
以下经历提供了令人信服的证据，证明事实的确如此。一些天使召集数百名在欧洲界以聪明、学问和智慧著称的灵人，问他们婚姻与奸淫有何区别，并要求他们运用属于其理解力的理性。经过深思熟虑，除了十人外，所有人都回答说：“唯有世间法律为了某种利益的缘故才能作出区分。这种利益虽是已知的，但仍能通过司法裁量被调整。”然后，天使问他们是否看到婚姻中的良善和奸淫中的邪恶，他们回答说：“并没有理性可理解的良善或邪恶。”当被问及是否看到任何罪时，他们说：“罪在哪里？不都是一样的行为吗？”听到这些答复，天使瞠目结舌，惊呼：“哦，这个时代的粗俗何等出人意料、何等之大啊！”闻言，这数百名智者转过身来，彼此狂笑说：“这是粗俗吗？有什么样的智慧能使人信服：爱另一个人的妻子就应施以永恒诅咒的惩罚？”
然而，奸淫是属灵的邪恶，因而是道德和文明的邪恶，与理性智慧截然对立；对奸淫的爱出自地狱，并返回地狱；对婚姻的爱出自天堂，并返回天堂；第二部分关于“淫乱之爱与婚姻之爱的对立”的第一章（18章）已论证了这一点。不过，由于一切邪恶和一切良善一样，都有它们的范围和程度；根据范围，它们可划分为各个属或种；根据程度，可划分为各个等级，故为了在这两个维度上了解奸淫，它们先被划分为种类，然后再划分为等级。这一切要按以下顺序来完成：
⑴奸淫有三种：单纯奸淫，双重奸淫和三重奸淫。
⑵单纯奸淫是指未婚男子与有夫之妇，或未婚女子与有妇之夫所犯的通奸。
⑶双重奸淫是指丈夫与有夫之妇，或妻子与有妇之夫所犯的通奸。
⑷三重奸淫是指血亲当中所犯的通奸。
⑸奸淫分为四个等级，这些等级决定了奸淫的定性，定罪和死后的归罪。
⑹一级奸淫出于无知；犯这种奸淫的，是那些年龄尚小，或不能运用理解力，以至于无法抑制它们的人。
⑺这些人所犯的奸淫是轻罪。
⑻二级奸淫出于情欲；犯这种奸淫的，是那些虽能运用理解力，但由于突发事件当时无法运用的人。
⑼这些人所犯的奸淫照着事后理解力赞成或不赞成奸淫而被归罪于他们。
⑽三级奸淫出于理性；犯这种奸淫的，是那些凭其理解确认奸淫不是罪恶的人。
⑾这些人所犯的奸淫是重罪，并照着确认程度而被归罪于他们。
⑿四级奸淫出于意愿；犯这种奸淫的，是那些视奸淫为可允许和可接受的，并且无足轻重以至于不值得在这个问题上运用理解力的人。
⒀这些人所犯的奸淫是最严重的罪，会作为有意的邪恶被归罪于他们，并作为有罪居住在他们里面。
⒁三级和四级奸淫，无论在行为上有没有犯下，都照着理解力和意愿参与其中的程度和性质而算为罪恶。
⒂出于意愿意图的奸淫和出于理解力确认的奸淫会使人变得属世、感官和肉体化。
⒃这种行为若持续下去，最终会使奸淫者弃绝教会和宗教的一切。
⒄尽管如此，他们仍拥有人类理性，和其他人一样。
⒅但他们处于外在时才运用这理性，处于内在时却滥用它。
现逐一解读上述要点。
478、若只从外在来看，没人会看到通奸中的罪恶。因为在外在上它与婚姻相似。当提到内在性质，并且外在行为的性质取决于内在性质时有人会问：“什么是内在性质啊？谁能看到它？它岂不是人的才智所不能理解的吗？”
这样的人他们是那种以貌取人的人，而不是根据人的内在性质 。还好比是只根据形象或感觉来判断某种树果实是否可食。
这就出现了如今的许多人，他们看不到通奸中的罪恶。他们认为通奸和婚姻一样，因为它们在外在上相似。
我通过以下经历而确认这点：有些天使曾召集欧洲的那些有学问，有智慧的人。问他们婚姻和通奸的区别。他们回答说法律对它们做了区分，只是为了一定的利益。这要通过法院的裁判。天使又问他们是否看到婚姻中的善或者通奸中的罪恶。他们回答说没有看到理性上的恶或善。他们又被问到他们是否认为后者是有罪的，在哪方面是这样的，这一行为不同吗？
天使被他们的答复所震惊，说道：“如今的世界有多荒诞啊！”听到这些，聚集着的数百人转过身来互相说：“这荒诞吗？有谁能让我们相信与不只一个妻子交往会受到责难呢？”
通奸是精神上的犯罪，是道德上，民事上的犯罪，是与理性相反的。通奸中的爱来自于地狱并且地返回到地狱，而婚姻中的爱来自于天国并且会返回到天国。这点我们在与婚姻之爱对立的淫荡之爱一章节中讲过。
与善一样，罪也是有程度的。我们在此先讲一下通奸的种类，再讲一下通奸的程度。我们将按以下顺序来讲：
（1）有三种通奸：简单的通奸，双重通奸，三重通奸。
（2）简单通奸是指未婚男人与别人的妻子或未婚女子与别人的丈夫之间的。
（3）双重通奸是指已婚男人与别人的妻子之间的，反之亦然。
（4）三重通奸是指与血亲之间的。
（5）通奸有四种程度，它的程度决定了它的性质，罪状及死后的定罪。
（6）第一个程度的通奸是无辜地通奸，它是指那些不能通过才智思索进而阻止它的发生的情况。
（7）这种人犯的通奸罪是较轻的。
（8）第二个程度是出于色欲而通奸，它是指那些能通过才智来判断，但在当时情况下不能去判断的情况。
（9）这种人根据其事后是否认可其行为而会被定罪。
（10）第三种程度的通奸是指理性的通奸，这是指那些让自己确认通奸不是一种罪过的情况。
（11）这种通奸的程度严重，当事人会被根据其认为通奸无罪的程度而被定罪。
（12）第四种程度上的通奸是意愿上的通奸，是指认为通奸是被许可的是快乐的，而不值得去进行思考的情况。
（13）这种通奸的程度是最严重的。他们被视为故意犯罪并会存留在当事人身上。
（14）第三和第四种程度的通奸根据才智和意愿的性质和程度是否是实际发生或没发生，都是有罪的。
（15）有目的的通奸来自于意愿，故意的通奸来自于对它的认可，会将人归为是自然性的，感官的，肉体的。
（16）这会最终将属于教会和宗教的一切从人身上带走。
（17）尽管这样，他们还会象其他人一样有人的理性。
（18）但他们只在外在上运用他们的理性，而在内在上却无视理性。
具体解释如下：
478. XXI. ADULTERY, ITS TYPES AND DEGREES
No one who judges adultery only by outward appearances can know that it contains any evil, since it is outwardly similar to marriage. Such outward judges say to themselves, if inner levels are mentioned and they are told that outer levels acquire their good or bad character from inner ones, 'What are inner levels? Can anyone see them? Surely this is climbing above the sphere of anyone's intelligence?'
They are like those who welcome every pretence of goodness as genuine, intentional goodness, or estimate a person's wisdom by the elegance of his speech. Or those who judge a person by his fine clothes and riding in a magnificent carriage, not by his inward disposition, which is to be judged by his affection for good. Equally it is like judging the fruit of a tree and any dainty by simply looking at it and touching it, instead of by its good taste and by knowing about it. This is what everyone does, if he is unwilling to perceive anything about a person's inner levels. This is the source of the widespread foolishness today, when many people see no evil in acts of adultery, and in fact put marriage and adultery together in the same room, that is, make them completely alike; and yet they do so only on account of their apparent similarity at the outward level.
[2] The following experience provides a convincing proof that this is so. The angels once called together some hundreds of spirits from the European world, who were particularly distinguished for their intelligence, learning and wisdom. They were questioned about the difference between marriage and adultery, and asked to consult their faculties of intellectual reason. After thinking about it, all except ten replied that it is only the civil law which makes a distinction for the sake of some advantage, which can admittedly [not] 1be known, but can still be applied by means of civil prudence. Then they were asked whether they saw any good in marriage and any evil in adultery; they replied that there was no good or evil apprehensible by reason. When asked if there was any sin, they said, 'What does it consist in? Isn't the deed alike in each case?' The angels were astonished at these answers and cried out, 'Oh how great and how deep is the insensitivity of this age!' On hearing this the hundreds of wise men turned round and said to one another amid guffaws, 'Is this insensitivity? Can there be any wisdom which will prove that loving another man's wife deserves as a punishment everlasting damnation?'
[3] It was proved in the first chapter of this part of the book, on the opposition between scortatory and conjugial love, that adultery is a spiritual evil, and consequently a moral and civil evil, being diametrically opposed to the wisdom of reason, and that the love of adultery comes from hell and returns there, and the love of marriage comes from heaven and returns there. But since all evils, like all forms of good, have extension both in width and in height, being distinguished into types by width, and into degrees by height, therefore the kinds of adultery must be kept apart as regards either dimension. So they will first be distinguished into their types and then into their degrees in the following sequence.
(i) There are three types of adultery, simple, double and triple.
(ii) Simple adultery is that committed by a bachelor with another man's wife, or by an unmarried woman with another woman's husband.
(iii) Double adultery is between a husband and another man's wife, or the converse of this.
(iv) Triple adultery is with blood-relations.
(v) There are four degrees of adultery, and these determine what they are called, how culpable they are, and how far they are imputed after death.
(vi) Adultery in the first degree is due to ignorance, when it is committed by those who are not old enough or are unable to consult their intellect, so as to refrain from it.
(vii) Adultery committed by these people is a mild offence.
(viii) Adultery in the second degree is due to lust, when it is committed by those who can certainly consult their intellect, but are unable to do so at the time for circumstantial reasons.
(ix) Adultery by these persons is imputed, depending on whether their intellect afterwards approves or disapproves.
(x) Adultery in the third degree is adultery approved by reason, when committed by those who convince themselves intellectually that it is not a sinful evil.
(xi) Adultery by these persons is a serious offence, and it is imputed depending upon how far they are convinced of this.
(xii) Adultery in the fourth degree is adultery approved by the will, when committed by those who regard it as allowable and accepted, not deserving any consultation of the intellect on the subject.
(xiii) Adultery committed by these persons is an offence of the most serious kind, being imputed to them as intentional evil, and weighing on them as guilt.
(xiv) Adultery in the third and fourth degrees is a sinful evil, depending on the extent and manner in which the intellect and will are engaged in it, whether it is actually committed or not.
(xv) Adultery committed by deliberate intent of the will with the approval of the intellect makes people natural, sensual and bodily.
(xvi) This goes so far as to make them finally abandon anything to do with the church and religion.
(xvii) However, they are still endowed with human rationality, like other people.
(xviii) But they use that rationality so long as they remain in their outward levels, but they misuse it when in their inward levels.
An explanation of these points now follows.
478. ADULTERY IN ITS KINDS AND DEGREES
No one who judges of it only on the basis of outward appearances can know that there is any evil in adultery; for in outward appearances it bears a resemblance to marriage. When internal qualities are mentioned, and those superficial judges are told that external actions draw their goodness or evil from them, they say to themselves, "What are internal qualities? Who sees them? Is this not something that transcends the realm of anyone's intelligence?"
Such people are of the same character as those who accept all affected good as genuine and sincere, and who estimate a person's wisdom in accordance with the elegance of his speech. Or they are like those who esteem the man himself in accordance with the fineness of his clothing and the grandness of the carriage in which he rides, and not in accordance with his inner deportment, which has to do with his judgment arising from his affection for good. It is also comparable to judging of a tree's fruit or any provender simply by its look and feel, and not considering its goodness by the way it tastes and what one knows about it. Thus do all do who are averse to discerning anything of a person's internal qualities.
From this originates the madness of many today, that they do not see anything evil in adulterous affairs - indeed, that they put marriage and adultery together in the same bed, in other words, make them alike; and this simply because of their seeming similarity in outward appearances.
[2] I was convinced of the fact of this by the evidence of the following experience: Some angels once called together several hundred people from the European world, of those distinguished for their genius, learning and wisdom there; and they questioned them about the difference between marriage and adultery, asking them to consult the rational considerations of their intellect. After consulting then, all but ten replied that statutory law alone makes a distinction, and this for the sake of some beneficial end, an end which can indeed be defined, but yet be accommodated through judicial discretion. The angels next asked them whether they saw anything good in marriage or anything evil in adultery. They replied that they saw no rational evil or good. When asked whether they saw anything sinful in the latter, they said, "In what respect? Is not the act the same?"
The angels were stunned at these responses and exclaimed, "Oh, how extraordinary and how great the grossness of the age!"
When they heard that, the hundreds of the wise assembled turned around and guffawing said to each other, "Is this grossness? What possible wisdom is there to convince us that to make love to another's wife is deserving of eternal damnation?"
[3] Adultery, however, is a spiritual evil, and therefore a moral evil and a civil evil, diametrically opposed to the wisdom of reason. The love in adultery also ascends from hell and descends back to it, while the love in marriage descends from heaven and ascends back to it. This we showed at the outset of this second part, in the chapter on the opposition of licentious love to conjugial love. 1
But because all evils, like all goods, are allotted a breadth and a height, and because according to that breadth they have their kinds and according to that height their degrees, therefore in order that adulteries may be distinguished in respect to both dimensions, we will divide them first into their kinds and afterwards into their degrees. This we will do according to the following outline:
1. There are three kinds of adultery: simple adultery, double adultery, and triple adultery.
2. Simple adultery is the adultery of an unmarried man with the wife of another, or of an unmarried woman with the husband of another.
3. Double adultery is the adultery of a married man with the wife of another, or vice versa.
4. Triple adultery is adultery with close blood relatives.
5. There are four degrees of adultery, which affect accordingly subsequent attributions of it, convictions, and, after death, imputations.
6. Adulteries of the first degree are adulteries of ignorance, which are committed by people who are not yet able to or cannot consult the intellect and so prevent them.
7. Adulteries committed by such people are mild.
8. Adulteries of the second degree are adulteries of lust, which are committed by people who are indeed able to consult the intellect, but for reasons of circumstance at the moment cannot.
9. Adulteries committed by such people are imputable to them according as their intellect afterwards sanctions them or does not sanction them.
10. Adulteries of the third degree are adulteries of the reason, which are committed by people who intellectually persuade themselves that they are not sinful evils.
11. Adulteries committed by such people are grave and are imputed to them in accordance with their persuasions.
12. Adulteries of the fourth degree are adulteries of the will, which are committed by people who make them allowable and pleasurable, and not of sufficient consequence to merit consulting the intellect in regard to them.
13. Adulteries committed by such people are the most grave and are imputed to them as purposeful evils, and they become settled in them as culpable offenses.
14. Adulteries of the third and fourth degree are sinful evils according to the measure and nature of the intellect and will in them, whether they are committed in act or not.
15. Purposeful adulteries arising from the will, and deliberate adulteries arising from a persuasion of the intellect, render a person natural, sensual and carnal.
16. And this to the point that they finally cast away from them everything having to do with the church and religion.
17. Nevertheless, they still possess human rationality like others.
18. Yet they use their rationality only when engaged in their outward lives, but abuse it when engaged in their inner ones.
Explanation of these statements now follows.
Footnotes:
1. Nos. 423ff.
478. Chapter 21. Adultery: Its Types and Levels
No one who forms an opinion about adultery just from outward factors can tell that there is anything bad in it, because in outward appearances it is like marriage. When you mention inward factors to people who judge by outward factors, and tell them that the outward factors get their good or evil from the inward ones, they say to themselves, "What inward factors? Who sees them? This is going beyond the range of anyone's understanding, isn't it?" They are like people who take every pretense of good for genuine good intention, and who judge a person's wisdom by the elegance of his talk, or who estimate the man himself by his fine clothes and his driving an expensive carriage, not by his inner character - which has to do with discernment based on affection for good. It is just the same as judging the fruit of a tree, or anything edible, from just its look and feel, instead of judging its worth by taste and knowledge. This is what everyone unwilling to notice the inner dimensions of a person does.
This is why so many people today have the insanity to see nothing bad in adulteries, and in fact put them together in the same bed with marriages - that is, make them just alike - and only because of an appearance of outward similarity.
The following evidence from experience clearly demonstrates that this is true. Angels once called together several hundred people from the European world, who were very talented, learned, and wise. The angels asked them about the difference between marriages and adulteries, and urged them to call on their intellectual powers. After consultation all but ten answered that public law makes the only difference, for the sake of some benefit that people can recognize, to be sure, but that is served through jurisprudence.
Then they were asked if they saw anything good in marriage and anything evil in adultery.
They answered, "No measurable evil and good."
Asked if they saw any sin there, they said, "Where? It's the same act, isn't it?"
The angels were amazed at this answer and cried out, "Oh, what gross times!"
The wise hundreds turned to each other when they heard that, and laughing among themselves they said, "This is grossness?
Is there any wisdom that can convince us that loving someone else's wife deserves eternal damnation?"
But the first chapter of this part - about illicit love and married love being opposite - demonstrated that adultery is a spiritual evil and therefore a moral and civil evil, and diametrically against the wisdom of reason. Also that adulterous love is from hell and returns there, and married love is from heaven and returns there.
But every evil, like every good, has its spread and its height its types go according to its spread and its levels according to its height - so for adulteries to be known in both dimensions, they are going to be examined first in their types and then in their levels - which is done in this order:
1. There are three types of adultery - simple, double, and triple.
2. Simple adultery is adultery of an unmarried man with another's wife, or an unmarried woman with another's husband.
3. Double adultery is adultery of a husband with another's wife, or the other way around.
4. Triple adultery is adultery with blood relations.
5. There are four levels of adultery. Accusation, guilt, and (after death) blame for them depends on the level of the adultery.
6. Adulteries of the first level are adulteries from ignorance, committed by people who do not yet, or cannot, consult their intellect and in this way curb them.
7. The adulteries committed by these people are mild.
8. Adulteries of the second level are adulteries of passion, done by people who can indeed consult their intellect, but not at the time, because of the circumstances.
9. People are to blame for these adulteries precisely as their intellect does or does not favor them afterwards.
10. Adulteries of the third level are rationalized adulteries committed by people who intellectually demonstrate that adulteries are not sinful wrongs.
11. The adulteries committed by these people are serious, and the people are to blame for them according to their being confirmed.
12. Adulteries of the fourth level are intentional adulteries committed by people who represent them as lawful, acceptable, and not even worth intellectual consideration.
13. The adulteries that these people commit are the most serious and are attributed to them as purposeful evils, and they adhere as guilt.
14. Adulteries of the third and fourth level are sinful wrongs to the extent, and in the way, that intellect and will are involved in them, whether actually committed or not.
15. Adulteries by willful purpose and adulteries by intellectual conviction make people worldly, sense - oriented, and physical - minded.
16. So much so that these people finally reject everything having to do with the church and religion.
17. They still flourish in human rationality like anyone else.
18. But they use that rationality in outward activities yet abuse it inwardly.
Now comes the explanation of these topics.
478. ADULTERIES AND THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES
No one can know that there is any evil in adultery if he judges of it merely from external appearances, for in these it is like marriage. When internals are mentioned and they are told that it is from these that external appearances draw their good or their evil, these external judges say within themselves: "What are internals? Who can see them? Is this not climbing above the sphere of one's intelligence?" Such men are like those who take all simulated good for genuine voluntary good, and judge the wisdom of a man from the elegance of his speech, or appraise the man himself from his fine clothes and his riding in a grand carriage, and not from his internal character, this being a matter of judgment from his affection of good. The same is equally the case with the judgment of the goodness of the fruit of a tree, or of anything edible, merely from sight and touch and not from taste and knowledge. This is what is done by all who are unwilling to perceive anything of a man's internals. Hence the insanity of many at this day, in that they see nothing of evil in adulteries, nay, and conjoin marriages with them in the same bed, that is, make them wholly alike, doing this merely because of the appearance of their likeness in outer manifestation.
[2] That such is the case is proved by the following testimony of experience: Angels once convoked an assembly of some hundreds from among the clever, learned, and wise men of the European world, and they were asked concerning the distinction between marriage and adultery, and were requested to consult reasons pertaining to their understanding. After the consultation, all but ten answered: "Public law alone makes the distinction, and this for the sake of some useful purpose. This purpose can indeed be recognized, yet it can be adjusted by civil prudence." Asked whether they see anything of good in marriage, and anything of evil in adultery, they replied, "No rational evil or good." Questioned as to whether they see anything of sin, they said, "Where is it? is not the act the same?" Amazed at these answers, the angels exclaimed, "Oh, this age! What grossness and how great!" Hearing this, hundreds of the wise turned round, and laughing loudly, said among themselves, "Is this grossness? Is any wisdom possible which can convince one that to love the wife of another merits eternal damnation?"
[3] That adultery is a spiritual evil and thence a moral and civic evil, and is diametrically opposed to the wisdom of reason; and that the love of adultery is from hell and returns to hell, while the love of marriage is from heaven and returns to heaven, Was demonstrated in the first chapter of this Part, on The opposition of Scortatory Love and Conjugial Love. But because all evils, like all goods, have their breadth and their height, their genera or kinds being according to their breadth, and their degrees according to their height, therefore, that adulteries may be known as to both dimensions, they shall be distributed first into their kinds and then into their degrees. This shall be done in the following series:
I. That there are three kinds of adulteries, simple, double, and triple.
II. That simple adultery is that of an unmarried man with the wife of another, or of an unmarried woman with the husband of another.
III. That double adultery is that of a husband with the wife of another, or the reverse.
IV. That triple adultery is with blood relations.
V. That there are four degrees of adulteries, and that predications, pronouncements of guilt, and after death, imputations are made according to these degrees.
VI. That adulteries of the first degree are adulteries from ignorance, which are committed by those who cannot or as yet do not consult the understanding and thence inhibit them.
VII. That adulteries committed by these are mild.
VIII. That adulteries of the second degree are adulteries from lust, which are committed by those who are indeed able to consult the understanding, yet, on account of contingent causes, are not able at the time.
IX. That adulteries committed by these are imputable according as the understanding afterwards does or does not favor them.
X. That adulteries of the third degree are adulteries from reason, which are committed by those who by their understanding confirm them as not being evils of sin.
XI. That adulteries committed by these are grievous and are imputed according to the confirmations.
XII. That adulteries of the fourth degree are adulteries from the will, which are committed by those who make them allowable and pleasing and not of sufficient importance to merit consulting the understanding in respect to them.
XIII. That adulteries committed by these are grievous in the highest degree, and are imputed to them as evils of purpose and inseated within them as guilt.
XIV. That adulteries of the third and fourth degree, whether committed in act or not, are evils of sin according to the measure and quality of the understanding and will within them.
XV. That adulteries from purpose of the will, and adulteries from confirmation of the understanding, render men natural, sensual, and corporeal.
XVI. That they do this to such an extent that at last the adulterers cast off all things of the church and religion.
XVII. That nevertheless, like others, they still possess human rationality.
XVIII. But that they use this rationality when in externals, and abuse it when in their internals.
The explanation of the above now follows:
478. XX. ADULTERIES: KINDS AND DEGREES
No one can know that there is any evil in adultery who judges of it only from externals, for externally it is like marriage. When such superficial judges hear internals mentioned and are told that externals get their good or evil from internals, they say within themselves, "What are internal things? Who sees them? Is this not mounting above the sphere of everybody's intelligence?" They are like those who accept all pretended good for genuine and willed, and like those who view a man's wisdom from elegance of utterance or esteem the man for his fine clothing and for his travelling in a handsome carriage, and not for his internal character, which calls for judgment from an affection for the good. It is also like judging of a tree's fruit or of anything edible by sight and touch only, and not judging of its goodness from taste and knowledge. So do all who are unwilling to see anything of the internal things of man. Hence comes the insanity of many today, that they see no evil in adulteries, indeed place marriages and adulteries in the same bed-chamber, that is, make them alike, merely because of the seeming likeness in externals.
[2] The following proof from experience has convinced me that there are many who do so. Angels once called together some hundreds from the European world from among those who had been noted for skill, learning and wisdom, and inquired of them the difference between marriage and adultery, asking them to consult their reasoned understanding. After consultation all but ten replied that public law alone draws the distinction for the sake of an advantage which of course is recognizable but is a device of civic prudence. They then were asked whether they saw anything good in marriage and anything evil in adultery. They replied, "Not any rational evil and good." Asked whether they saw any sin, they said, "In what? Is not what is done the same?" The angels were astounded at these replies, and exclaimed, "Amazing! The grossness of this age!" Whereupon the companies of the wise turned and, laughing among themselves, said, "Is this grossness? Is there any wisdom to convince us that to love another man's wife merits eternal damnation?"
[3] We have shown, however, in the first chapter of Part II, on "The Opposition of Scortatory Love to Marital Love," that adultery is a spiritual and hence a moral and civic evil, and is diametrically opposite to the wisdom of reason; and that the love in adultery is from hell and returns to hell, while the love in marriage is from heaven and returns to heaven. But as all evils like all goods assume breadth and height, and according to breadth have their kinds and according to height their degrees, therefore, that adulteries may be known in each dimension, they shall be divided first into their kinds and then into their degrees. This shall be done in the following order:
I. There are three kinds of adulteries: simple, double, and triple.
II. Simple adultery is of a single man with another' s wife or of an unwedded woman with another's husband.
III. Double adultery is of a husband with anther's wife, or the reverse.
IV. Triple adultery is with blood relatives.
V. There are four degrees of adulteries, in accord with which predications, inculpations and, after death, imputations of them are made.
VI. Adulteries of the first degree are adulteries of ignorance, done by those who do not yet consult or cannot consult the understanding and hence restrain them.
VII. Adulteries committed by these are mild.
VIII. Adulteries of the second degree are adulteries from lust, committed by those who are able, indeed, to consult the understanding, but for contingent reasons cannot at the moment.
IX. Adulteries committed by these are imputable as the understanding afterwards favors or does not favor them.
X. Adulteries of the third degree are adulteries of the reason, done by those who with the understanding confirm themselves in the position that adulteries are not evils of sin.
XI. Adulteries done by these are serious and are imputed in accord with confirmations.
XII. Adulteries of the fourth degree are adulteries of the will, done by those who make them permissible at one's pleasure, of not enough moment to merit consulting the understanding about them.
XIII. Adulteries with this origin are in the highest degree serious, and are imputed to men as evils of purpose, and remain in them as guilt.
XIV. Adulteries of the third and fourth degrees are evils of sin, in the measure and quality of the understanding and will in them, whether done in act or not.
XV. Adulteries from willed purpose and adulteries from confirmed understanding render men natural, sensual and corporeal.
XVI. And this to such a degree that at length these men reject all things of the Church and of religion.
XVII. Nevertheless they still possess human rationality like others.
XVIII. They employ that rationality when they are in externals, but abuse it when in their internals.
Explanation of these propositions follows.
478. CONCERNING ADULTERIES AND THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES.
No one can know that there is any evil in adultery who judges of it from the externals only, for in them it is similar to marriage. These external judges, when internals are mentioned, and they are told that from them the externals derive their good or their evil, say, 'What are internals? Who sees them? Is not this soaring above the sphere of anyone's intelligence?' They are like those that accept all simulated good as genuine, belonging to the will, and who estimate the wisdom of a man by the elegance of his speech, or the man himself from his splendid apparel and his driving in a grand carriage, and not from his internal character, which pertains to judgment from the affection of what is good. So, it is like the judgment of the fruit of a tree, or of anything edible, from the sight and touch alone, and not as to its goodness from taste and knowledge. Thus all do who will regard nothing relating to the internals of a man. Hence the madness of many at this day, in that they see nothing of evil in adulteries, nay, that they conjoin marriages with them in the same bedchamber, that is, make them alike, and this merely on account of the appearance of likeness in externals. That it is so, this proof from experience convinced me: Some hundreds out of the European world, of those renowned there for genius, for learning, and for wisdom, were once called together by the angels and questioned about the difference between marriage and adultery; and were asked to consider the reasons of their understanding. And after consultation all but ten answered, that only public law makes the distinction, for the sake of some advantage, which advantage may indeed be known but yet provided for by civil prudence.
Then they were asked whether they saw anything of good in marriage and anything of evil in adultery?
They replied, 'Not any rational evil and good.'
Asked whether any sin, they said, 'Wherein is it? Is not the act the same?'
The angels were astounded at these answers and exclaimed, 'O of what nature and how great is the grossness of this age!'
Hearing which the hundreds of wise turned about and laughing among themselves said, 'Is this grossness? Can there be any wisdom which can convince us that to love the wife of another merits eternal damnation?'
But it has been shown in the first chapter of this part of the work, On the Opposition of Scortatory Love and Conjugial Love, that adultery is a spiritual evil, and thence is a moral evil and a civil evil, and diametrically opposite to rational wisdom; and that the love of adultery is from hell and returns to hell, while the love of marriage is from heaven and returns to heaven. Yet as all evils, like all goods, have breadth and height, and according to breadth they have their kinds, and according to height they have their degrees, therefore, in order that adulteries may be known according to each dimension they shall be first divided into their kinds, and then into their degrees. This is to be done in the following order:
(1) That there are three kinds of adulteries, simple, double, and triple.
(2) That simple adultery is that of an unmarried man with the wife of another, or of an unmarried woman with the husband of another.
(3) That double adultery is that of a husband with the wife of another, or the converse.
(4) That triple adultery is with blood relations.
(5) That there are four degrees of adulteries, according to which the predications, inculpations, and after death the imputations of them are made.
(6) That adulteries of the first degree are adulteries of ignorance, committed by those who do not yet or who cannot take counsel of the understanding, and thereby restrain them.
(7) That adulteries committed by such are mild.
(8) That adulteries of the second degree are adulteries of lust, which are committed by those who indeed are able to consult the understanding, yet for contingent causes at those moments cannot.
(9) That adulteries committed by these are imputable according as the understanding afterwards favors them, or does not favor them.
(10) That adulteries of the third degree are adulteries of the reason, committed by those who by the understanding confirm that they are not evils of sin.
(11) That adulteries committed by these are grievous, and are imputed according to their confirmations.
(12) That adulteries of the fourth degree are adulteries of the will, committed by those who regard them as allowable and pleasing, and not of so much account as to make it worthwhile to consult the understanding about them.
(13) That adulteries committed by these are most grievous, and are imputed to them as evils of purpose; and they are deeply seated as guilt.
(14) That adulteries of the third and fourth degree are evils of sin according to the measure and the quality of the understanding and the will in them, whether they are committed in act or are not committed in act.
(15) That adulteries from purpose of the will, and adulteries from confirmation of the understanding, render men natural, sensual, and corporeal.
(16) And this to such a degree that at length they cast away from them all things of the church and of religion.
(17) That nevertheless they are still possessed of human rationality like others.
(18) But that they use this rationality when they are in externals, but when in their internals they abuse it.
The explanation of these now follows.
478. De Adulteriis, et illorum Generibus et Gradibus
Nemo scire potest, quod aliquod malum insit Adulterio, qui de illo solum ab externis judicat, est enim in his simile Conjugio; hi judices externi, dum Interna nominantur, et illis dicitur, quod ab his Externa ducant suum bonum vel suum malum, secum dicunt, "quid Interna; quis videt illa; estne hoc scandere supra sphaeram cujusque intelligentiae:" hi sunt similes illis, qui omne simulatorium bonum acceptant pro genuino voluntario; ac qui hominis sapientiam spectant ex elegantia sermonis; aut ipsum hominem reputant ex amictu splendido, et vectione in curru magnifico, et non ex interno ejus habitu, qui est judicii ex affectione boni; pariter id simile est cum judicio de fructu arboris, deque aliquo esculento, ex solo visu et tactu, et non de bonitate ejus ex sapore et scientia: ita faciunt omnes qui nihil de internis hominis volunt percipere: inde est hodie vesania plurium, quod nihil mali in adulteriis videant, imo quod conjugia in eodem thalamo cum illis conjungant, hoc est, consimilia faciant; et id duntaxat propter apparentiam similitudinis in externis.
[2] Quod ita sit, convicit hoc experientiae auctoramentum: quondam ab Angelis ex Orbe Europaeo convocati sunt aliquot centum ex pollentibus ingenio, eruditis, et sapientibus ibi; et quaesiti de discrimine Conjugii et Adulterii, et rogati ut consulerent rationes intellectus sui, et post consultationem, omnes praeter decem, responderunt, quod solum Lex forensis faciat discrimen, propter aliquod emolumentum, quod quidem potest sciri, sed usque accommodari per prudentiam civilem; deinde interrogati 1sunt, num aliquid boni videant in conjugio, et aliquid mali in adulterio; retulerunt, quod non aliquid rationale malum et bonum; quaesiti, num aliquid peccati, dixerunt, "ubinam id; estne factum simile:" ad haec responsa, obstupescebant Angeli, et exclamabant, "oh, qualis et quanta obesitas Saeculi;" quibus auditis, Centuriae sapientum se converterunt, et cachinnando 2inter se dixerunt, "est hoc obesitas; num aliqua sapientia dabilis sit, quae convictrix, quod amare uxorem alterius mereatur damnationem aeternam."
[3] Quod autem Adulterium sit malum spirituale, ac inde malum morale, ac malum civile, ac e diametro contra sapientiam rationis, tum quod amor adulterii sit ex inferno et ad illud redeat, et quod amor conjugii sit ex coelo et ad hoc redeat, in Primo Capite hujus Partis, de Oppositione amoris scortatorii et amoris conjugialis, demonstratum est. Sed quia omnia mala sicut omnia bona latitudinem et altitudinem sortiuntur, ac secundum latitudinem sunt illis genera, et secundum altitudinem sunt illis gradus, ideo ut adulteria quoad utramque dimensionem noscantur, dispescentur illa primum in sua genera, et postea in suos gradus; quod fiet in hac serie.
I. Quod tria Genera adulteriorum sint, Simplex, Duplicatum, et Triplicatum.
II. Quod Adulterium simplex sit viri coelebis cum uxore alterius, aut foeminae innuptae cum marito alterius.
III. Quod Adulterium duplicatum sit mariti cum alterius uxore, seu vicissim.
IV. Quod Adulterium triplicatum sit cum consanguineis.
V. Quod quatuor Gradus adulteriorum sint, secundum quos fiunt illorum praedicationes, inculpationes, et post mortem imputationes.
VI. Quod Adulteria primi gradus, sint adulteria ignorantiae, quae fiunt ab illis qui nondum vel non possunt consulere intellectum, et inde inhibere illa.
VII. Quod Adulteria ab his facta sint mitia.
VIII. Quod Adulteria secundi gradus, sint adulteria libidinis, quae fiunt ab illis, qui quidem possunt consulere intellectum, sed propter contingentes causas illis momentis non possunt.
IX. Quod Adulteria ab his facta imputatoria sint, sicut postea intellectus illis favet vel non favet.
X. Quod Adulteria tertii gradus sint adulteria rationis, quae fiunt ab illis, qui intellectu confirmant quod non mala peccati sint.
XI. Quod Adulteria ab his facta gravia sint, ac imputentur, secundum confirmationes.
XII. Quod Adulteria quarti gradus, sint adulteria voluntatis, quae fiunt ab illis, qui faciunt illa licita et placita, nec tanti ut mereatur de illis consulere intellectum.
XIII. Quod Adulteria ex his facta maxime gravia sint, ac imputentur illis ut mala propositi, ac insideant ut reatus.
XIV. Quod Adulteria tertii et quarti gradus sint mala peccati, quantum et quale intellectus et voluntatis in illis est, sive actu fiant, sive actu non fiant.
XV. Quod Adulteria ex proposito voluntatis, et Adulteria ex confirmatione intellectus, reddant homines naturales, sensuales, et corporeos.
XVI. Quod in tantum, ut tandem omnia Ecclesiae et Religionis a se rejiciant.
XVII. Quod tamen usque rationalitate humana polleant, sicut alii.
XVIII. Sed quod rationalitate illa utantur dum in externis sunt, sed abutantur dum in suis internis. Sequitur nunc horum Explicatio.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: inrerrogati
2. Prima editio: cachinando